𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐥𝐞 | h. granger

iv | diagon alley

London

── •✧• ──

𝐇𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐃, 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐘, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐃𝐀𝐊𝐎𝐓𝐀 took the subway all the way to London. Neither child had ever been to London before. Dakota was still having a hard time believing that any of this was real. She was afraid she'd wake up and find out that she had just been dreaming.

She kept rereading her acceptance letter and the list of supplies that she'd be needing. She was most excited to get a wand. Hagrid said that they were essential bits of equipment.

"'All students must be equipped with. . .One standard size 2 pewter cauldron, and may bring, if they desire, either an owl, cat, or a toad'," Harry read as they walked through the city streets.

"I want a cat," Dakota mumbled longingly, sighing. She'd never been allowed a pet. She and Dudley had goldfish once when they were younger, but they died a couple weeks after they brought them home.

Vernon had tried to blame it on Dakota. He said that she had done something freaky to make the fish die since they all turned up dead one morning. He decided that no pets would be allowed in the house while she and Harry lived with them.

"Can we find all this in London?" Harry asked Hagrid.

"If you know where to go," he replied.

They reached an abandoned building. Dakota watched with her jaw dropped as a name appeared on the sign above: The Leaky Cauldron. Hagrid opened the door, and they went inside.

The pub was full of adult witches and wizards. Hagrid led the two children through the crowded room.

"Ah, Hagrid!" the bartender called out to him. "The usual, I presume?"

"No, thanks, Tom. I'm on official Hogwarts business. Just helping young Dakota and Harry here buy their school supplies."

"Bless my soul. . .It's Harry Potter."

The Leaky Cauldron was suddenly filled with excited chatter. People approached them to greet Harry and shake his hand. A stuttering man in a turban, who Hagrid introduced as Professor Quirrell, was the only one weary of shaking his hand when Harry extended it to him.

"See, Harry? You're famous," Hagrid said as he led them to the back door.

"But why am I famous, Hagrid?" Harry asked. "All those people back there. . .How is it they know who I am?"

"I'm not sure I'm exactly the right person to tell you that, Harry." Hagrid took his umbrella out of his traveling coat and tapped a few bricks on the wall. The wall magically opened to reveal a crowded alley full of witches and wizards. "Welcome to Diagon Alley." He rummaged around in his coat again. He pulled out a small bag and handed it to Dakota. "There's the money for your supplies. Why don't you run along while I take Harry to his Gringotts vault?"

"You want me to go by myself?" Dakota gulped as she stared down the crowded alley. She had no idea where she was supposed to begin.

"You won't be alone. There's a Hogwarts professor right over there helping another Muggle-born student." He pointed to a tiny man. Dakota gasped when she saw that he was with Aliyah Coleman. "Professor Flitwick!"

The tiny man – Flitwick – turned when he heard his name called. "Good afternoon, Hagrid!" He smiled and waved at the giant.

"Mind giving Miss Dakota Dursley here a hand?" he asked.

"Of course!" Flitwick beckoned the blonde forward with a welcoming grin.

"See you later, Harry." Dakota waved goodbye to her cousin before running over to greet Aliyah. "Oh, my God, what are you doing here?!"

"I got my letter yesterday morning! My parents couldn't believe it!" Aliyah exclaimed, squealing. "I'm so excited you're going to Hogwarts, too! Now I won't be all alone."

"Pleasure to meet you, Miss Dursley," Flitwick said, extending his small hand up to Dakota. "I'm Professor Flitwick, and I'll be your Charms teacher at Hogwarts."

"It's nice to meet you, Professor Flitwick." Dakota smiled politely and shook his hand.

Professor Flitwick led them to the different shops in Diagon Alley and helped them get their school supplies. They saw a few other kids their age – two blonde children, a boy and girl, accompanied by a blonde man, a boy with a round face who was with his older sister, and a girl with bushy brunette hair.

Item by item got checked off the list, and now, all that was left was a wand. Dakota and Aliyah walked into Ollivander's wand shop. The blonde girl that they had seen earlier was receiving her wand, now accompanied by a blonde woman with black streaks in her hair, whom they assumed was her mum.

"Try this one, Miss Black," the man – Ollivander – said as he handed her a wand. "Aspen wood, twelve and a half inches, phoenix feather core, and unbending flexibility."

The blonde girl took the wand. She flicked it at a stack of papers, which rose gracefully into the air. She smiled shyly.

"I think that's the one, Lyra," her mother said.

"Definitely, definitely," Ollivander agreed as the woman gave him the money for the wand. "Your sister is going to accomplish great things, Mrs. Malfoy."

"Sister?" Dakota and Aliyah whispered.

Lyra and Mrs. Malfoy turned to look at them. The girl's face turned a light shade of pink, and Aliyah's jaw dropped.

"Oh, my God, you are stunning." Aliyah breathed, looking up at the woman in awe. "You're Narcissa Malfoy, aren't you? I read about pureblood families in one of the books at Flourish & Blotts. You're from one of the oldest and most ancient families. The Black family. You're practically wizard royalty. I'm Aliyah Coleman, and this is Dakota Dursley. We're also attending Hogwarts this year."

"It's nice to meet you both." Narcissa gave them a polite smile. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go find my son. Come, Lyra."

"Bye," Lyra whispered, timidly waving goodbye to the two girls.

"See you at school!" Aliyah grinned and waved. She frowned softly when Dakota gave her a look. "What?"

"I think you scared them off," Dakota replied as they walked up to the counter, chuckling softly.

"I didn't mean to. When I get excited, I tend to talk really fast and can't stop. It's like word vomit. You know this."

Ollivander helped Aliyah find her wand first. The first wand that she tried worked for her instantly, and she was able to flip a page in a book lying open.

Dakota was next. She tried a couple different wands, none of which she had any luck with. When the man handed her a fifth wand to try – cedar wood, twelve and three-quarter inches, unicorn hair core, and reasonably supple flexibility – she gave it a wave, and a gentle wind blew through the store.

Aliyah and Dakota thanked Ollivander and paid him for their wands. They left the shop, and Dakota saw Harry and Hagrid waiting for her across the street.

"See you soon." Dakota smiled and gave Aliyah a hug goodbye before running to meet them.

"I got something for yeh," Hagrid said. "I figured that since I got Harry this snowy owl here," he nodded to the owl in the cage Harry was holding, "I'd get yeh this little feller."

Dakota gasped when Hagrid handed her a white and gray tabby cat with the most beautiful green eyes. "Thank you!" She carefully took the cat from him, happy tears glistening in her eyes as she stroked his silky fur. "I'm gonna name you Bongo. How does that sound?"

The cat licked her hair, and she laughed.