Avacyn Lily Potter

School Supplies

Harry was rather quiet as he ate the ice cream Hagrid had bought us. Hagrid said, "What's up?" Harry said "Nothing," but I could tell he was lying. We stopped to buy parchment and quills. Harry cheered up a bit when he found a bottle of ink that changed color as you wrote. When they had left the shop, he said, "Hagrid, what's Quidditch?" Hagrid said, "Blimey, Harry, I keep forgettin' how little yeh know — not knowin' about Quidditch!" I said "Don't make him feel worse," He told Hagrid about the pale boy in Madam Malkin's. "...and he said people from Muggle families shouldn't even be allowed in..." Hagrid said "Yer not from a Muggle family. If he'd known who yeh were... he's grown up knowin' yer name if his parents are wizardin' folk. You saw what everyone in the Leaky Cauldron was like when they saw yeh. Anyway, what does he know about it, some o' the best I ever saw were the only ones with magic in 'em in a long line o' Muggles... look at yer mom! Look what she had fer a sister!" I said, "So what is Quidditch?" He said "It's our sport. Wizard sport. It's like... like soccer in the Muggle world... everyone follows Quidditch... played up in the air on broomsticks and there are four balls... sorta hard ter explain the rules."

Harry said "And what are Slytherin and Hufflepuff?" Hagrid said "School Houses. There are four. Everyone says Hufflepuff are a lot o' duffers, but..." Harry got all sad again "I bet I'm in Hufflepuff," said Harry gloomily. Hagrid darkly said "Better Hufflepuff than Slytherin, There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin. You-Know-Who was one." Harry said "Vol-, sorry... You-Know-Who was at Hogwarts?" Hagrid said "Years an' years ago," I said, "What about mom and dad?" Hagrid smiled at the mention of my parents "Griffindor." We bought our school books in a shop called Flourish and Blotts where the shelves were stacked to the ceiling with books as large as paving stones bound in leather; books the size of postage stamps in covers of silk; books full of peculiar symbols and a few books with nothing in them at all. Even Dudley, who never read anything, would have been wild to get his hands on some of these. Hagrid almost had to drag Harry away from Curses and Countercurses (Bewitch Your Friends and Befuddle Your Enemies with the Latest Revenge: Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, Tongue-Tying and Much, Much More) by Professor Vindictus Viridian.

Harry said, "I was trying to find out how to curse Dudley." Hagrid said, "I'm not sayin' that's not a good idea, but yer not ter use magic in the Muggle world except in very special circumstances, An' anyway, yeh couldn't work any of them curses yet, yeh'll need a lot more study before yeh get ter that level." Hagrid wouldn't let Harry and I buy a solid gold cauldron, either but we got a nice set of scales for weighing potion ingredients and a collapsible brass telescope. Then we visited the Apothecary, which was fascinating enough to make up for its horrible smell, a mixture of bad eggs and rotted cabbages. Barrels of slimy stuff stood on the floor; jars of herbs, dried roots, and bright powders lined the walls; bundles of feathers, strings of fangs, and snarled claws hung from the ceiling. While Hagrid asked the man behind the counter for a supply of some basic potion ingredients for us I saw silver unicorn horns at twenty-one Galleons each I squealed "Harry, Harry come here." He came over and I said, "This is the best day ever."

Outside the Apothecary, Hagrid checked Harry's list again. "Just yer wand left — oh yeah, an' I still haven't got yeh a birthday present." Harry said, "You don't have to..." Hagrid said "I know I don't have to. Tell yeh what, I'll get yer animal. Not a toad, toads went outta fashion years ago, yeh'd be laughed at — an' I don' like cats, they make me sneeze. I'll get yer owls. All the kids want owls, they're dead useful, carry yer mail an' everythin'." Twenty minutes later, we left Eeylops Owl Emporium, which had been dark and full of rustling and flickering, jewel-bright eyes. Harry now carried a large cage that held a beautiful snowy owl, fast asleep with her head under her wing. My cage had a greater sooty owl, he was pure black and sound asleep. Harry stumbled over his words so I said "Thank you Hagrid." He said "Don' mention it, Don' expect you've had a lotta presents from them Dursleys. Just Ollivanders left now only place fer wands, Ollivanders, and yeh gotta have the best wand." The last shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382b.c. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window. A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as we stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single, spindly chair that Hagrid sat on to wait. A soft voice said "Good afternoon," Harry and Hagrid jumped, causing me to giggle. An old man was standing before us, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop. Harry and I said "Hello," the man said "Ah yes, Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you two soon. Harry Potter and Avacyn Potter." It was the first time we were referred to as too separate people rather than twins. "You have your mother's eyes. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, and made of willow. Nice wand for charm work."