Worthy Of Magic

Part 3 - Magic

The moment he agreed, Dumbledore nodded like he expected it all along and briefly explained the concept of apparation to Harry. He said he was taking Harry to a market to buy his supplies and held out his hand expectantly.

Harry looked at the extended hand uncomprehending what the headmaster wanted him to do.

"Take my hand Mr Potter," Dumbledore said gently.

"Why?"

"It is the only way to get where you want to go."

With great reluctance, Harry extended his hand and felt revulsion when he can in contact with the older man. A moment later his eyes went blind and he felt a great power crush him from all sides. The experience had left Harry gasping for breath but he could not stop the excitement bubbling in him. They could use the void to teleport! It was incredible. Harry was glad he said yes and the rest of the evening was a blur of magic brooms, goblins, gold, robes and wands. He purchased magic books with eagerness and roamed the Apothecary with fascination. He avoided the pet shop and almost went crazy (more than he already was) in the ice cream shop.

He couldn't stop tasting the flavours. They were so many of them. Dumbledore was in Gringotts, the goblin bank, drawing money for his supplies and Harry had a free run of the magical market. He was particularly high on the effect his new wand made on the void. With the wand, the void smoothly slid through the slim piece of wood and before it came out Harry could bend it to his will. He had started with exploding a garbage bin in the gaps between two buildings and laughed when the metal was torn apart by the void. It made a sort of wrenching sound before it crashed into the opposite walls with a loud clang. He couldn't wait to learn more. Before, the void could only move things. Now, with the wand, the possibilities were endless.

The number of people in the Market put him off though. He avoided them like the plague and always moved to the dusty corners of the shops he entered.

Flourish and Blotts; the largest bookstore in the Market was a shop Harry liked very much. The ground floor was full of people but the floors above were empty. A few children and adults roamed around, looking for books but other than that, it was quite empty.

Harry walked between the shelves idly, raking his eyes over the books, looking for anything that caught his interest. So far, he had loaded the basket he was dragging with books that held his name. Books with the words battle, dark arts and dangerous caught his eyes more than anything else did.

"Going a little overboard there aren't you? Do you think you can read them all before the start of term?"

Harry turned around, startled. It was a girl, who looked to be around his age and like all others; dressed in robes. She had golden hair that was manicured straight. An oval face with thin lips, high cheekbones and dark blue eyes topped with long eyelashes. The feature Harry took in was the fact that she was quite taller than him.

He scowled when she idly lifted one of the books in his basket like she owned the place and smirked at the title.

"I saw you with Headmaster Dumbledore before. It is very rare that he accompanies a student to buy supplies. Who are you?"

Harry stared at the girl like she was an idiot. He didn't appreciate others coming into his personal space and touching his belongings. Even though they weren't his yet.

The girl was either stupid or oblivious to his rising temper.

"Are you a mute?" she asked mockingly.

Harry had had enough. He summoned the void and was ready to swot her across the room but then for some reason, the headmasters blue eyes flashed in his mind and with uncharacteristic restraint, he whacked her hand instead. The girl shrieked and dropped the book back in the basket.