Reaper's Heir (Book 1)

Chapter 3

"All students must be equipped with...one standard size two pewter cauldron and may bring if they desire either an owl, a cat, or a toad. Can we find all this in London?" Harry asked Hagrid, pulling me out of my daze. There were so many people around us and if I focused on any of them for too long, my eyes started to pick up a glowing wreath of light surrounding them. It had been happening for as long as I could remember, but it became a pain after a while to have to try and tune the light out when talking to someone.

Hagrid sent me a concerned look before answering Harry. "If you know where to go." He led us farther down the street to a corner store with a sign that shimmered and revealed the name "The Leaky Cauldron." Music played and people talked amongst themselves. Some sat at tables, enjoying simple-looking meals while others crowded at the bar, ordering drinks and making conversation with the bartender, who smiled when he saw Hagrid. "Ah, Hagrid! The usual, I presume?"

Hagrid stopped and gently put one hand on Harry's shoulder and the other on mine. "No thanks, Tom. I'm on official Hogwarts business today. Just helping young Harry and Maeve here buy their school supplies."

Tom stared at Harry in awe. "Bless my soul. It's Harry Potter." The pub went silent and all eyes turned to us. A man came up and shook Harry's hand. "Welcome back, Mr. Potter, welcome back."

A witch came up and shook Harry's hand, as well. "Doris Crockford, Mr. Potter. I can't believe I'm meeting you at last." I inched away from them, not wanting any of these people to touch me, though it seemed that they were more interested in Harry anyway. A man in robes with a turban on his head caught my attention as he made his way over and I stepped protectively in front of Harry, though he didn't seem to notice.

"Harry P-potter and Maeve K-K-Keres. C-can't tell you how pleased I am to meet you both." The man said, fiddling with his fingers. A dim sort of light surrounded him, but it took a second for me to notice the second, even dimmer wreath of light up near his head. I paused, staring at that second light warily. There hadn't ever been a second light on anyone before...

"Hello, Professor. I didn't see you there. Harry, this is Professor Quirrell. He'll be your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts." Hagrid informed us.

"Oh, nice to meet you." Harry put his hand out to shake Quirrell's hand, but the professor regarded Harry's hand with distaste and moved his own hands closer to his body. I glared at him, moving closer to Harry.

"F-fearfully fascinating subject. N-not that you two need it, e-eh? Hehe." My glare softened and I regarded him with confusion. Didn't need it? Professor Quirrell was looking at me with fascination and caution, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

"Yes, well, must be going now. Lots to buy. Heh." Hagrid herded us away, as I twisted to give Quirrell one last look. I didn't trust him and he'd looked at Harry's hand oddly as if he were afraid of Harry touching him. We walked out the back door of the pub into a room surrounded by brick walls. With a few crates stacked to one side, it looked like a storage room.

Hagrid walked over to one of the brick walls and pulled out his umbrella. "See, Harry, you're famous!"

"But why am I famous, Hagrid? All those people back there, how is it they know who I am?" Harry asked, almost desperately.

Hagrid regarded him sadly. "I'm not exactly sure I'm the right person to tell you that, Harry." He tapped the brick wall clockwise with his umbrella. The blocks shifted and opened up to reveal a hidden, busy street. I gawked at the doorway. "Welcome, Harry and Maeve, to Diagon Alley." before us was an alley crowded with people. Shops looked like they were about to fall over, lined the street and people crowded around various windows to see the inside.