CHAPTER 4: THE ALLEY
"Quite amazing that place is, I have a lot of memories that I made in Diagon Alley, and it was my first place I visited that has a connection to the wizarding world."
-Edgart Aldrich on Diagon Alley.
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It was 31st of July 1991, Ed was preparing for the trip to buy the essential things he need before coming to Hogwarts, he took a long shower, he brushed his teeth carefully, not leaving a spot unbrushed, he wears his clothes, a simple blue t-shirt, and a black trousers, he picks up his usual tinted glasses and wears them. He walked out of his room, with a backpack on his backpack and walked to the dining room, where he saw Roger and Anna having a breakfast peacefully.
"Hello Ed, ready for today?" asked Anna softly.
"Ah, yes, quite excited to be honest, first time seeing a magic world and all, at least that's what I thought they would bring me to buy the things I need." Answered Ed, his face showing a happy rare smile.
"Good then, should we come with you?" Roger said. "I mean, I want to see it too, not every day you can see a world different from ours."
"Hm, I don't know, maybe next year, I kind of want to go alone for the first time, I want to explore a bit."
"All right then, here's the money, if you need to change the currency, just change it all." Roger said while giving Ed an envelope, Ed opened the envelope and counted the money, 'about 1000 pounds' he thought.
"Isn't this a bit too much?" Ed asked curiously why they give a lot of money.
"It's only for this year, next year we'll only give a quarter of it for your Hogwarts needs, if you want to buy things that are fairly expensive, you need to make your own money."
"Fair enough." Answered Ed, he sat on one of the empty chairs and began to eat his breakfast quickly. After he's full, he stood up and walked towards the living room, he put his backpack on the side of the piano, he sat in front of it and began to practise.
After a while Ashbey came to him and said, "Master Ed, there's a woman in a green robe waiting for you outside."
"All right Ashbey, I'll come out in a minute." Said Ed while picking his backpack up and walked straight to the front door. There he saw a tall, stern looking old woman with black hair that is wearing an emerald green robe, and a strange pointy hat.
"Hello, you must be Mr. Aldrich, my name is Professor Minerva McGonagall, I will be your guardian for buying the things you need." She said while giving Ed a rare smile.
"Uh, yes, that's me, nice to meet you Professor McGonagall, do you know where we could find all this?" he said while reading the second page of the acceptance letter.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
UNIFORM
First-year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags
COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
Magical Draughts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS
"There's always a place if you know where to go." She said vaguely, 'Magic people and their riddles I guess' Ed thought.
"Come, I'm in a hurry right now, hold my hand." She said while stretching her arm to Ed.
Ed just nodded weakly and held it, she then spoke, "It's your first time so you might throw up, I suggest you to hold it Mr. Aldrich, we don't want to make a mess to the place we're going to."
Before Ed can ask what that means, everything went black, he felt like his body spread across the space around him, he can't breathe, he can't see, he can't feel. But that sensation quickly vanished, he held his urge to throw up and he saw a different place, a dark and shabby place, there were only a couple of people in there, and the bald bartender was talking to a little man.
"Impressive Mr. Aldrich, not many people didn't throw for the first time." Professor McGonagall praised, 'But you told me to hold it in…' Ed thought in his head.
"This is Leaky Cauldron, right then, follow me." Professor McGonagall then led Ed through the bar and to a small walled courtyard. She stood in front of the wall, and ordered Ed to step away a bit, she tapped the wall three times with her wand, and the brick wall suddenly shook, the bricks moved, making a hole in the wall, it grew wider and wider, until the wall turned to a large archway, through the hole Ed saw a bustling street, people walking randomly, entering and exiting of what looked like stores, there's no building that stands straight, all of them are somehow stood diagonally like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, they walked through the archway and Ed admired the view.
"Welcome, to Diagon Alley." Professor McGonagall announced.
Ed looked dumbfounded at the sight of the place, he looked at the store, he saw animals in cages, he saw cauldrons stacked against each other and bizarre ingredients sold through the street.
"Let's go to Gringotts first, you need to exchange some money." She then led Ed through the street, Ed saw some bookstores, he saw a store that's selling robes that looks ancient, he felt like he just wants to explore every store there is, examining what they sell and maybe buy a couple things on the way, but he hold the urge to explore, he needs to exchange some money first.
Now they are in front of a majestic white building, the place towered all the buildings surrounding it, they stood in front of a bronze door, and he saw little men, with pointy ears and pointy nose, Professor McGonagall explained that that is a goblin, after that they went inside and talked to a goblin that is sitting behind a long counter.
"Good morning we're here to exchange some muggle money." Professor McGonagall explained. Then he looked at Ed, "Listen, I need to do some errands, here is the map of where you will buy your things, I will see you again at the Leaky cauldron." Then she walked out of the bank.
The goblin looked at Ed for a few seconds, the goblin grumbled, "How much?"
"Um, I got about 1000 pounds here, how much will that get me?
"200 Galleons, 13 Sickles, 18 Knuts."
"Okay then, I'll exchange all of it, and can I also open a bank account here? Is there any of that sort here?"
"You can open a vault. Name?"
"Edgart Aldrich."
"Aldrich?" the goblin questioned, he ruffles a couple of papers, searching for something. He then found it and said, "The Aldrich family already has a vault, do you have the key?"
"We do? I don't think I have the key though"
"Then you will need a blood test for it, if it were confirmed that you are an Aldrich, the content of the Aldrich family Vault belongs to you."
"Do I need to do it now?"
"If you want to be quick, yes. After the blood test, it will take a bit of time to process it, about a year."
"All right then I'll do it now."
The Goblin came down off the long counter, he led Ed through a room and sat behind a desk that had a peculiar tablet in the middle of it.
"Place your hands on the tablet." The goblin grumbled.
Ed then just put his palm on the tablet, he waited a bit, then there was a sudden prick on his fingers, he pulled his hand instantly and rubbed the pricked spot.
"What was that?" Ed questioned, but the goblin ignored it.
"It looks like you're really an Aldrich, now, here are the papers you need to fill to be able to claim the vault's ownership, we will owl you when the process has been finished, in the meantime, here is your exchanged money." The goblin gave him a stack of papers, he filled it and gave it back to the goblin, then the creature gave him a bag of Galleons, he put it in his backpack and walked out of Gringotts.
Ed then looked at the map Professor McGonagall gave him, he first saw the uniform maker was the closest to him, he entered Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, and he saw a woman squatting in front of a student, measuring their sizes.
"Hogwarts dear?" she suddenly asked, "Wait there for a few moments, got the lot here." She pointed at a seat. Ed then waited for a few minutes, then he was called to be measured, she measured him, and Ed asked her to make it a bit bigger than normal so it will fit for a long time.
After he got his uniforms, he went to a bookstore called Flourish and Blotts, he saw shelves stacked with unique books, he then bought the necessary books and asked if he could buy the later years textbook, the store clerk agreed, and Ed told him to owl it to his home.
Then he bought the rest of the things he needed for Hogwarts, he bought cauldron, potion ingredients, telescope, etc. after that all he needed left was a wand.
He stood in front of a store called Ollivanders and entered it. He stepped inside and a ringing bell sounded, he saw that the place was a bit tiny, there were rows of tiny long boxes stacked on the shelves, inside there was a black-haired boy with round glasses talking to a white-haired old man. They then looked at Ed who opened the door.
"O-Oh, sorry, is the wand shop right?" asked Ed awkwardly.
"Well yes, it's says it in the front store is it not." The whitehaired man answered.
"Y-Yes."
"Another Hogwarts student? Hm.." The whitehaired man looked at Ed's eyes silver eyes then continued, "An Aldrich eh, wait for a moment, I'm still choosing a wand for Mr. Potter over here." The old man then went inside the rows of shelves and searched for a wand.
"Hogwarts too?" Ed asked the boy with the round glasses.
"Yes, Harry Potter." Said the boy.
"Edgart Aldrich, at your service. Just call me Ed." Ed bowed.
The whitehaired old man then came, he gave Harry a wand, and he waved it, he released gold and red sparks out of the top of the wand, and made the whitehaired old man look at him with curious eyes.
"Curious…" he murmured.
"What's curious?" Harry asked.
"I remember every wand I've ever sold Mr. Potter, it so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand gave another feather, just one, and I made two wands from that, it is curious indeed that you are destined for this wand while the other gave you that scar." The whitehaired old man said, while Harry gulped. "I expect great things from you Mr. Potter, after all He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things— terrible, but great nonetheless."
"Who's He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?" Ed suddenly asked.
The whitehaired man just smiled and said vaguely, "You will know soon enough Mr. Aldrich, after all, you're going to Hogwarts are you not?"
Ed just nodded. Harry then packed his wand to his other things, said thank you to the whitehaired man, or Ollivander as he called him, and waved to Ed. "See you at Hogwarts Ed."
"See you Harry." Answered Ed while Harry was walking away.
"Now, Mr. Aldrich, I remember your father's wand, applewood, twelve and a half inches, yes, talented wizard he is." Ollivander explained while rummaging the shelves.
"Stretched your wand arm Mr. Aldrich." He continued after picking a ruler.
"Wand arm?"
"Your preferred arm to hold a wand or write Mr. Aldrich."
"Oh." Ed just stretched his left arm, and Ollivander began to measure it, after he's finished, he went through the shelves again to search for a wand.
"Here, try this, Alderwood, fourteen and a half inches, phoenix feather core." Ollivander side and giving the wand to Ed.
"Give it a wave."
Ed then waves it, releasing a piercing cold wind to the place, the candles that have been lit in the store extinguished, making the room cold.
"Curious…" Ollivander whispered. "When your father got his wand, instead of making the room cold, he made the room hot, the candles even melted."
"That's- quite cool." Ed answered awkwardly. Then he just paid for the wand and left quickly because he got creeped out by the old man.
After that, he explored the place, he bought a couple of candies and chocolates for Anna and Roger, he bought more books from other bookstores, and then he stopped at the pet shop. He looked around and saw a beautiful brown screech owl. The shop owner told him that it was a female, so he bought the owl.
"I'll name you Ophelia, from hamlet." He named the owl. Then he returned to Leaky Cauldron, where Professor McGonagall was waiting for him. She was talking to a giant man, around 8 ft tall, and the boy he met earlier, Harry Potter.
"Hello Professor." Greeted Ed.
"Ah, Mr. Aldrich, you took quite a long time to buy the things you need." Said the woman sternly.
"I-I sort of explored the Alley a bit." He defended himself while laughing nervously.
She just sighed, and said, "No matter, almost all students that grow up in a muggle family are like that, Mr. Aldrich, this is Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of keys and Grounds at Hogwarts."
""Ello" said the giant while smiling, "Call me Hagrid, everyone does."
"Hello Professor Hagrid, Edgart Aldrich, at your service." Ed bowed.
"No need to call me Professor, 'cause I'm not." Hagrid said embarrassingly. "Right, this boy over here is Harry Potter, he's the same age as yeh." He said while pointing at Harry.
"I know, we already met at Ollivanders." Said Ed. And Harry just nodded
"Yeh did? That's good, righ' we need to go, see yeh at Hogwarts Ed, Professor McGonagall." Said Hagrid while waving his giant hand at him and they walked towards the exit of the bar.
"Okay then Mr. Aldrich, let's get you home, hold my hand." She said, Ed then held her arms tightly, fearing the consequences if it ever let go. After that he felt the same sensation as before, but not as intensely, he appeared at his house's front door.
"This is your Hogwarts Express ticket Mr. Aldrich, don't lose it, go to King's Cross station on 1st of September, the details are in the ticket, see you at Hogwarts Mr. Aldrich, Good night." She said while disappearing in an instant.
Ed just stood at the front door, he took a deep breath and released it, he opened the front door then whispered while smiling, "What an interesting day."