Afternoon In the Alley(part 1)

'Now where should I start?' Standing back on the busy street, slightly nauseated but still with a small, calm smile, Ted looked at the many shops, wondering where he should go first. It was already early afternoon, and he still had to return home in the evening.

The vault-cart ride was just as good as he imagined it to be, with tons of fast turns and sights of tunnels and underground holes that were dug hundreds of meters under the surface.

Ted's vault was located in one of the newest passages, on the upper side of the deep ancient tunnels. There was still much he had yet to see there, and Ted couldn't help but fantasize about going to the most ancient parts, seeing what would keep the doors safe.

During the ride, Ted had actually heard a loud roar coming from within a deep hole that looked like a bottomless pit. It was so dark that the rails seemed to have been cut off in the middle. When he asked the goblin that escorted him about it, the latter gave him a cold glare before turning his head his head away.

Thinking that he wanted to see them all but was limited on time, he finally decided on a one-yes, one-no method, only checking every other shop on each side of the street. The closest shop and the first he would enter was a potions shop named "Slug and Jiggers Apothecary."

Ted walked in without thinking twice; if he doubted his decision on this, he would end up wasting valuable time. Upon entering, Ted found himself surrounded by a heady mixture of scents – from the earthy undertones of dried herbs to the pungent essence of what he guessed were magical creatures.

The shop was dimly lit, with only the front window letting a little natural light break in, furthering the ambient environment that resembled a small shack in a forest. Wooden shelves lined the narrow space, neatly organized and brimming with glass jars and bottles containing an array of magical ingredients.

Looking at the labels, Ted found many weird ingredients. From unicorn horns and frozen ashwood eggs to beetle eyes and bat wings, many magical and non-magical ingredients were spread over the shelves.

Scanning them all, as well as their prices, Ted couldn't help but shake his head. The prices may vary greatly, but that was only between magical creatures and non-magical. All the magical creatures' ingredients were incredibly expensive, with their prices starting at one Galleon per unit.

A single hair of a creature called a demiguise cost over seven Galleons, and a unicorn hair cost one Galleon. Ted assumed they were incredibly rare, for a single hair of a unicorn to cost around 18 pounds.

It was a similar case for the herbs as well. In one corner, Ted found a small table showcasing delicate bundles of dried plants, labeled meticulously with elegant handwriting. The plants ranged from mundane herbs like lavender and sage to exotic specimens with magical properties.

Behind the counter, the shopkeeper, an old wizard with an impressive white beard, assisted some customers. Behind him, on the counter, an ancient wooden cabinet was hanged on the wall, with vials of shimmering liquids and powders, each carefully labeled with precise instructions for use.

Beneath them, on a narrow shelf, were tiny glass cases housing minuscule magical creatures – preserved fairies with shimmering wings, miniature phoenix feathers, and even the occasional dried pixie wing. Each case was enchanted to softly illuminate, casting a warm glow on the captivating contents within.

Ted was stunned; this place exceeded all his expectations. From the outside, the place looked like just another old shop, with wooden beams supporting the structure and a sign that swung gently with the wind, nothing too special by any means. But upon entering, he found the place to be even more magical than Gringotts, which he had read legends of and dreamt of visiting since he was young.

He wanted to get everything and yet he didn't have enough for all, and there were still many shops he had yet to visit. There was also another problem. When he was in Gringotts he got to know of a relatively new policy, one that limits the amount of muggle money one can convert to wizarding money every year. 

It was Gringotts's way of maintaining the currency stable. This meant that every wizard who wished to convert pounds to Galleons, Sickles and Knuts, could only convert up to 350 Galleons, 14 Sickles and 16 Knuts those being equal to 6400 pound, which is 80% of the average yearly expenses of a muggle in britain back 1980 when the rule was established.

(A/N:I have made the calculations based on the currency value established in the last chapter. You really don't have to bother too much with the numbers, though if someone is interested I can make a currency auxiliary chapter.) 

'I don't know how to make potions yet, I do remember some recipes existing in the library but I can still buy them later.' Ted decided finally, he would skip buying the ingredients and will return again once he had gained enough knowledge about the ingredients, their applications and his requirements, after all many of those ingredients were meant for specific potions, ones he had no idea how to make.

Finally leaving the shop, Ted moved on to the next one though he wasn't empty handed. He still found something he wanted, a book, one that taught how to make potions. It was recommended to him by the old shopkeeper, who had identified his curiosity in the subject of potions. 

Its name was 'A Hundred Concoctions for Beginners' It was actually an original of the shop owner, Horace Slughorn the partner of the shopkeeper he met who was named Raynold. Apparently the two were descendants of the founders of the shop, Archibald Slughorn and Walter, an orphan who has gotten the nickname 'Jiggers' for a potion he invented and often used.

Ted crossed the alley, skipped two shops he finally reached a shabby looking store with peeling golden letters painted over it's door that read 'Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.'

Looking at the display, Ted was surprised to find only a single wand lying there, placed on an old purple cushion. Although it might look quite lacking but the wand itself was beautiful.

The wand was golden brown in color and looked like it was made by a combination of five different branches resembling slightly the trunk of an olive tree, yet it was too refined and graceful to actually be compared. The handle was of a similar color yet it was smooth and a single Jade was locked within it, slightly covered creating a sort of a vertical eye.

It wasn't really Ted's style but he still found it to be breathtaking, clearly it was a masterpiece to be marveled at, it probably outshined the others, making it the only one to stay on the display. 

As Ted entered the shop the familiar sound of a brass bell was heard, It was really small and the dusty air was slightly hard to breath. It was also quite empty, only a single, old wooden chair was placed next to the entrance. Near the walls on both sides, stacked neatly, were thousands of boxes that reached all the way to the ceiling making Ted all the more curious about the ancient shop.

Standing there, Ted could feel his skin prickle, his stomach turn and his hairs stand, but all that was not in a bad way, It was like there was some intangible force that covered the place, and Ted had a pretty good idea what It was. It might have been the first time he felt it, but it felt so natural, like something that was always there with him but he could never touch, It was like it was a part of him, only waiting to be used. It was magic!

"Good Afternoon" a soft elderly voice was heard, making Ted wake up from his thoughts. Turning in his place he saw an old man, his wide silver-white irises, quite similar to his albeit not the same, with the old man's irises leaning more towards the white color resembling the moon while Ted's had the slightest tinge of light blue that made the trickle like an endless sea of stars.

Staring at each other for a few seconds, the old man's face suddenly paled as he took a step forward his hand covering is mouth "I...Im...Impossible!" he finally called as tears formed at the edges of his eyes.