More Than Mischief

Chapter 3.5: Dealings in Diagon Alley

(AN: My friend coaxed me into writing this. I hope you're happy with the final product cause I'm gonna write what I write. )

The sun was bleak behind the bedsheet of gray clouds above the dour London street. Rowan and their mother had been looking for this "Diagon Alley" place for three hours now. Jenni's memory had undoubtedly not been quite as flawless as Rowan had presumed. They trailed behind their mother while she frantically searched for the place she had seen so long ago. Mumbled to herself. She did that when she was frustrated. Jenni had her nose in the Hogwarts letter trying to figure out the instructions on the back. 
"So... that street... and that road... "
While she grumbled to herself, Rowan decided to direct their view towards the shops and storefronts near them. By the side of the road, there was a beat-up trash can, half it's contents spilling out through a gash in it's side. Next to that, there was a decayed building that seemed like some sort of music store. "On Sale!" posters covered holes in walls and window panes, and the sign above the front door had mostly been made illegible by time's tooth. this place seeped the atmosphere of something someone had tried to make look presentable and failed miserably. next to it, was a peculiar pub with a sign in the shape of a wide brimmed wizards hat. Despite the sign, it seemed just as depressed as the ruins of a store beside it, except for one thing; it was pristine. There was no grime or dust on the windows and the building seemed in top condition, all despite the fact that no one seemed to know it was there. No one acknowledged it, paid attention to it, it even seemed like they knew it existed. Rowan squinted, attempting to make out the sign. They could almost not make out the words from this distance, but they just managed it.
"The Leaky Cauldron... Mom! That's it! The Leaky Cauldron! Over there!" They pointed and tugged at their mother's coat.
"Wow! I suppose it is! It looks a lot cleaner than I remember, but it certainly seems like the right place. "
"Then what are we waiting for?" Rowan asked, indignantly. "Let's go!"
The two walked over to the pub and through the door. As they stepped inside, they were met with the unmistakable scent of roses and faint odor that Rowan couldn't seem to place. It was sweet, like strawberries, but slightly bitter as well, like pine cones in rain. The people were not easier to categorize; all cloak- wearing, most black but there was also a fellow in the corner with a lilac cloak, and a lady behind the bar who wore all pink clothes. None seemed to wear any head-wear at all. Rowan shuffled behind their mother, who grasped their hand from behind her back as they walked, slowly toward the bar. The woman seemed to notice the letter Jenni had in her hand and she smiled as they approached.
"You of to Hogwarts this September?"
Rowans mother nodded.
"Ah. " she seemed willing to help, though a bit agitated. her smile stiffened. "Are you new here?" she asked.
"Yes." Jenni said
"Then I'm sure you'll be wanting directions." Her voice grew in grit.
"Yes." Jenni seemed a bit uncomfortable, like she cowered before the stoutly plump woman. The bartender then proceeded to explain how exactly to get to Diagon alley from there, and that they would probably need to visit the bank before buying anything and Rowan lost track about halfway through. Instead, they turned to look at the rest of the patrons and realized they had been standing right in front of a man, drinking some sort of bubbly beverage this entire time. The two caught eye-contact. The man bent 90 degrees over his table to drink the beverage and his long, gray beard was soaked. between drinks he asked the child: "What are you looking at?"
Rowan didn't answer.
"Are you a wizard?" They asked instead. The man laughed like fox, so loud everyone in the room could hear, and coughed hoarsely afterwards, just managing to stammer out a reply.
"Ki-kid. In the leaky cauldron everyone is a Wizard. " he paused then continued, halfway through a swig. "Or a Witch, I suppose. Ther're a lot o' witches in these parts these-" he didn't get a chance to finish before Rowan cut him of.
"WHAT!?" They slammed their hands down on the strangers table, making the man's cup clatter.
"You're ALL MAGIC!???" The man looked befuddled at Rowan. and the pub quickly turned silent. Jenni spun around, shocked at the loud noise and a moment of stillness followed. Then a choir of laughter erupted around the room. everyone was laughing at Rowan.
"Yeah... what d'ya think we were? The Muggle Knitting and Yarn Society? " He kept laughing along with everyone else in the tavern but Rowan didn't care. I was in a room full of witches and wizards this entire time and I didn't even know! They shook with questions; how did magic even work? Were dragons real? What was his favorite spell? But before they could come so far as to ask the man, their mother pulled them away, pink- cloaked bartender hurriedly trotting beside. She looked shorter when not behind the bar, almost as small as Rowan. The small woman led the two lost strangers out through a backdoor entrance and they were left standing in a small garden in front of a dilapidated stone brick wall.
"Stand back, please. " The little woman said as she pulled out a small wooden stick from her breast pocket. Rowan was fascinated with the thing.
"Is that your wand?" They examined it closely. It was nearly twice the length of her finger and made of reddish, sturdy wood. She held it delicately, pinkie out like she was having a tea party.
"Ahem. Stand back please." She repeated firmly as if making sure Rowan could hear it this time. Rowan, in fact, did not hear, too caught up in examining a real magic wand than to actually listen.
"Stand back, I said! " The woman seemed ever so slightly upset with Rowan, not that they knew why. "Don't you know it's rude to judge a lady doing spellwork?" Rowan jolted straight-backed, and did as told. the woman then seemed to brush her anger off her cloak and tapped the stone wall in what appeared to be random, but rehearsed spots. At first, nothing happened. Then, suddenly, the stone bricks that she had tapped almost seemed to push themselves out of the wall and roll to the side, dragging the rest of the brick with them. The wall split and continually opened sideways revealing a long winding street, colorful storefronts all along it, Rowan could see Broomsticks flying through the sky above them, a shop to their left was selling cauldrons the size Rowans head thrice over, some golden, some black, some with pictures of birds flying through blue skies. The rest of the shops there were equally amazing: there were shops selling telescopes, one place that almost looked like a barber shop where witches and wizards were getting their cloaks fitted by floating measuring tapes.
"This is Diagon Alley! " Proclaimed the witch in pink. "And that- " she pointed dramatically with her wand at a huge, towering building- no- a castle that loomed over the quaint shops and services. "-Is Gringotts Bank. Your first stop. " She turned towards Rowans mother. "and always remember; The Leaky Cauldron is always open. " She side-eyed The eleven year-old. "So long as you mind your manners. " She spat the last word and made her way into the pub again. 

Rowan wanted to run into the golden street and look at all the people walking from shop to shop but their mother quickly stepped to them and dragged them by the arm down the street. 
"We're going to the bank first. " She said briskly. " Then we're going to buy the things you need for school, then we go straight. Home. " There was finality in those words. She wouldn't be argued with. Rowan's mother dragged Rowan through the long, straight street, past a shop that smelled like a sweet explosion up Rowan's nose, Rowan caught a glance of an elegant building with a sign above a grand window that said: "Wondrous Wands" on it. Rowan bent their back over to look more at the sign while their mother dragged them further down the street, taking hurried steps as she went. Then, suddenly, Rowan felt themself bump into something hard and big that smelled like a stable. Rowan almost lost the grip they had on their mother's hand, but held on, realizing that the "thing" they had bumped into was actually a massive man, larger than life should allow.
"Mind yerself!" his voice boomed out from behind a graying beard. Rowan did not have time to utter an apology before they were yanked further through the crowded street. Rowan grew more and more agitated the more strange shops and interesting people the two rushed past. Can't we calm down a bit? I  wish we could take a breath and look at this fantastic place! They were about to bring this up to Jenni when they noticed her red face, drenched in sweat. Rowan knew it was not due to exhaustion- Rowans mother was a fit woman- and the terrified look in her eyes told the child that something was wrong. They held their tongue, keeping the questions at it's tip until their mother would calm down. Without Rowan noticing, them and their mother had rapidly approached the looming building that was the bank. Now it was casting shade upon the gray street.
Before Rowan knew it, they were  out of the street and climbing the wide staircase that led to the entrance. As they stepped inside the building, Rowan's mother slowed down and took long breaths.