The Potter Twins - Year One

3: The Phoenix Tail Feathers

I woke up early the next morning. I only woke up because Harry woke up next to me. He moves a lot when he wakes up. I mean, seriously. Does anyone else feel the need to roll over completely before deciding it’s time to actually wake up? No. Just Harry. Isn’t he a special little jelly bean? “It was a dream,” he muttered to himself softly, but firmly. I opened my eyes to look at him, but his eyes were shut tight. “I dreamed a giant called Hagrid came to tell me I was going to a school for wizards. When I open my eyes, I’ll be at home in my cupboard.”

“You seem to be forgetting something Harry. You don’t live in the cupboard anymore.” He opened his eyes, shocked, and gave me the biggest smile he’s ever given me.

“So it wasn’t a dream!” He said excitedly.

“Nope.” There was a loud tapping noise and Harry and I looked at the window. There was an owl with a newspaper in its beak. Okay. Owls deliver mail. Got it.

            I unwrapped myself from Hagrid’s coat and went to go let the owl in. The storm had passed and there wasn’t a cloud in sight. The morning sunlight was blinding. I unhooked the latch and the owl swooped inside and dropped the newspaper on Hagrid. When he didn’t wake up, the owl proceeded to attack his coat. Harry gasped, quickly removed himself from the coat, and stood helplessly as the owl attempted to open pockets.

“Don’t do that.” Harry said. Yes, Harry. Because a mail-delivering owl is going to listen to you.

“Hagrid!” I said loudly, trying to shake Hagrid awake. But that didn’t really work, considering he was about four times my size. “There’s an owl-“

“Pay him,” Hagrid grunted.

“Um… what?”

“Pay him for delivering the paper. Look in the pockets.” Harry grabbed Hagrid’s coat from the owl and began searching through it.

“This coat is made up of nothing but pockets.” He whined. Finally, he pulled out a handful of strange looking silver and bronze coins. Hagrid told him to give the owl five… Knuts? Yeah… Knuts, The little bronze ones. Harry put the coins in a little pouch and the owl flew away through the still open window. Then Hagrid sat up and yawned.

“Best be off. Lot’s to do today, gotta get up ter London an’ buy all yer school stuff.” Harry was turning the coins over in his hand and a thought occurred to me. We looked at each other and I knew he was feeling the same way I was.

“Um… Hagrid?” Harry started.

“We-We don’t have any money. And you heard Uncle Vernon.”

“He’s not going to pay for us to go and learn magic.”

“D’yeh think yer parents left yer with nothin’? First stop fer us is Gringotts. Wizards’ bank.”

“Wizards have banks?” Harry asked in amazement.

“Just the one. Run by goblins.”

“Goblins?!” Owls, goblins, wizard banks… this was all too much. We didn’t have long to process this, however. In no time we were walking through the streets of London.

            It was an interesting trip. On the way to where we were now, Harry and I learned that Hagrid flew to the hut last night, one would be mad to try and rob Gringotts, there is a Ministry of Magic, muggles don’t know about us, Hagrid has a hard time with ‘muggle money’, and he really wants a dragon. I mean, that’s a lot for anyone to process during one morning. It wasn’t even noon yet. Were there really shops –hidden from all other shops- that could sell wands and potions and broomsticks and –I don’t know, magical hats? Everything was so unbelievable that Harry and I had no trouble in trusting Hagrid.