Chapter 2:Diagon Alley

3.1K 84 17
                                        


╔⏤⏤⏤╝❀╚⏤⏤⏤╗

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 2:𝐷𝑖𝑎𝑔𝑜𝑛 𝐴𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑦

"𝑆𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑠, 𝑅𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑡𝑠 𝑡𝑜𝑜 𝑚𝑢𝑐ℎ"

╚⏤⏤⏤╗❀╔⏤⏤⏤╝

The following morning, Hagrid came to fetch me. He introduced himself in that friendly, booming way of his, and before I knew it, we were wandering together through the winding streets of London. We hadn't gone far when we came upon an unassuming little corner shop—at least, it looked unassuming, until a magical sign shimmered into view above it, proudly declaring, "The Leaky Cauldron." Intrigued, I followed Hagrid inside, stepping into a warm, lively room full of clinking mugs, swirling smoke, and the hum of chatter and laughter. It was the kind of place that felt like it had a thousand stories buried in its floorboards.

The bartender, a wiry fellow with a kindly face, gave Hagrid a knowing nod and asked if he wanted "the usual." Hagrid chuckled but declined, telling him he was on official Hogwarts business—helping me gather my school supplies.

No sooner had he said that than the entire room seemed to freeze. The chatter faded like a candle snuffed out, and all eyes turned to me as the bartender suddenly cried out, "Bless my soul—it's Y/n Grimblehawk!"

A man came forward and eagerly shook my hand, his expression somewhere between reverence and disbelief. I blinked, unsure how to respond. Then, one by one, others began to greet me too—curious eyes, tentative smiles, whispers of my name trailing behind them.

A kindly witch stepped forward and introduced herself as Doris Crockford, taking my hand in both of hers as though I were someone terribly important. Then, a nervous-looking man in robes and a turban made his way toward us. Hagrid leaned down to murmur that this was Professor Quirrell, the current Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts.

I offered my hand, trying to be polite, but Quirrell gave a nervous shake of the head and stepped back slightly, muttering something vague about the subject being "so very fascinating." It left a strange taste in the air, but I brushed it off. We exchanged goodbyes and Hagrid ushered me into a back room lined with dusty wine barrels and a weathered brick wall.

"Look at you, Y/n," he said with a chuckle, "you're a celebrity."

I stared at him, baffled. "But... why? Why does everyone know who I am?"

He looked uncomfortable then, his usual confidence faltering. "I'm not the right one to tell you, Y/n. Not just yet."

He tapped a brick in the wall three times in a clockwise circle with the tip of his umbrella. To my amazement, the bricks began to shift and rearrange themselves, revealing a hidden passageway. Beyond it stretched a street like nothing I had ever seen: shop signs that moved, cauldrons stacked high, owls in cages, wizards in flowing robes bustling about.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley," Hagrid announced proudly.

As we stepped into the street, I couldn't help but beam at the magic around me. Then, out of nowhere, a sharp pain exploded in my head, making me clutch Hagrid's arm for balance. The world blurred, and then I saw it—another vision, like the nightmare I'd had before.

A boy with dark hair was halfway through asking, "Y/n, would you be my girl—" when a green-robed boy snarled and cut him off.

"Shut your bloody mouth, Sirius."

Another voice joined in, lighter, teasing.

"Oh, come on, Sev. Stop being such a worrywart. We'll get caught eventually anyway."

Ancient Magician (Severus x Reader)Where stories live. Discover now