The Exchange Program - PJO/HP

3 - We Go Shopping

[Percy]

It was very dark and cramped in the Leaky Cauldron, but it's still crowded with weird people wearing cloaks. The bartender greeted us with a toothless grin.

"Hello, Hagrid, on Hogwarts business?" he said.

"Yes, and Tom, do yeh have any empty rooms in 'ere?" asked Hagrid.

Tom walked out from behind the counter and headed upstairs. We followed him.

I'm sharing a room with Leo Valdez. There were two small beds and a wardrobe inside, sunshine shone through the open window.

"Drop off yer stuff quickly an' let's go," urged Hagrid, "we don' have a lotta time."

I tossed my bags onto my bed and followed him outside.

There was nothing in the small yard except an archway on the brick wall, and it was blocked off.

Hagrid started counting bricks. "Three up, two across..." He tapped the brick three times with the tip of a giant pink umbrella. "Stand back, everybody."

A small hole appeared around where he tapped. It grew wider and wider until it was able to fit Hagrid. And on the other side, a cobbled street appeared. It was crowded with wizards and witches and small shops sold stuff like cauldrons, books, owls, animals, broomsticks, and weird silver instruments. All of us stared in awe.

"Welcome," Hagrid announced, "to Diagon Alley."

Leo got so exited his nose lighted on fire and some small gems popped around Hazel. 

We followed Hagrid into the gateway and down the streets until we saw a big white marble building.

"This is the wizard bank, Gringotts. Yer getting all yer wizard money here," he explained.

We entered the bank. Hagrid approached a creature that looked like a goblin and started talking. He showed him a tiny golden key and the goblin stared at it closely. Finally, he called another goblin, who took us to a torch lit stone passageway.

The goblin whistled and a cart came towards us. Everybody climbed in and we headed to the deep underground.

"Does this go straight to the Underworld?" I asked.

"What?" That was Hagrid.

"I don't think so," said Hazel, "if it did, the wizards will notice something. Hagrid, are there any weird sightings of like ghosts and hellhounds and stuff?"

"I don't know, an' don't ask me questions while we're down here, I might be sick."

We arrived at the vault moments later.

"Key please," said the goblin.

He stuck the key into the keyhole and turned it. The door opened. Inside was a pile of golden coins, some silver coins, and a little bit of bronze ones. They looked like drachmas, but I'm sure that they are not the same.

Hagrid handed us leather pouches and told us to put ten Galleons (gold ones), twenty Sickles (silver ones) and twenty-five Knuts (Bronze ones) in it. He also told us seventeen Sickles is to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts is to a Sickle, which made no sense at all.

After that, he gave every one of us a shopping list for school supplies.

"I will show yeh around Diagon Alley for where yeh get everythin' in the list, but feel free to do all yer shopping later this week."

Hagrid showed us a lot of stores including:

Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions (I got fitted with wizard robes, which I looked ridiculous in)

Flourish and Blotts (A book shop)

The Apothecary (For potion ingredients, smells disgusting)

I also got a cauldron, a pair of dragon hide gloves, some parchment and quill, scales, and a telescope.

Before departing, Hagrid also gave all of us train tickets which said 'King's Cross Station, Platform 9 3/4, 11 o'clock'. 

Before I can think about it, Annabeth asked, "Is there actually a platform nine and three quarters? How do you get on?"

"Oh yes," replied Hagrid, "if yeh want to get onto the platform, yeh have to walk straight into the barrier between platform nine an' platform ten. Do not be scared. See yeh on the first of September.