Paired With The Potterhead

Chapter Eighteen: Big Gifts In Small Boxes

Harry's Wondrous World - John Williams

Chapter Eighteen: Big Gifts In Small Boxes

It was finally the day of our trip to the Harry Potter resort. Nana had dropped us off at the entrance, giving us hugs and telling us to have a good time before leaving us to our own devices. Judging by the look on Nora's face, I don't think she could get rid of my grandmother fast enough.

"We're here!" She squealed. "I can't believe we're actually here!"

"We're here!" I more or less echoed. Though I didn't feel the same amount of excitement as she did, I'll admit that I did feel super happy to be here and experience it with her. "Where to first?"

She looked down at her map which we bought at the entrance. "Well....obviously Diagon Alley is first. It's the first gateway for any witch and wizard."

We followed the crowd through a hallway which eventually made a turn and we both gasped at the sight before us.

Diagon Alley was huge. The shops were ginormous and the streets were packed with people as they passed by the shops and ate their food at concession stands on the road. And it was sort of on a diagonal (at least I think it was). I swear it was like construction reached into the books and took out Diagon Alley itself for the theme park.

"Holy moly," Nora breathed. "Are you seeing this?!"

"My peepers are taking it all in," I said as I recorded her reaction on my phone. She spun around in a circle and yelled "HELLO DIAGON ALLEY!" at the top of her lungs, earning herself both weird looks and relatable laughter from the other tourists.

"Where should we go first?" She asked me after looking at her map. "We could go get a wand?"

"Sure. It would suck if we went to Hogwarts without one."

She laughed so hard at this I thought she was going to pass out. "Imagine that! I read a fanfic once where the girls could cast spells with tampons. I didn't even think they wore tampons. Or even had the period talk for that matter."

The lineup for Ollivander's wasn't as long as I expected it to be. They took in a few people at a time, about seven or eight to a group, but I'm not exactly sure what happened from there. The shop door closed and it was hard to see into the glass windows.

"My wand is always seven inches with unicorn hair. Mahogany and slightly flexible. What about yours?"

This went completely over my head as she stared at me for an answer. "Huh? I don't know. Made of wood I suppose. Or plastic. Made from recycled muggle water bottles."

Nora snorted, amused. "You're the future of the wizarding world, you are. Wands made from recycled materials. Wouldn't that be nice?"

"I'm always thinking ahead," I clicked my tongue while doing the gun fingers at her. "And why is it called the wizarding world anyway? Isn't that a little sexist?"

She didn't have a chance to answer when the shop door opened and a man wearing a bright green cloak and pointy hat stepped out.

"Welcome to Ollivander's!" He boisterously called out. "Step right in and get your wand! Or let your wand get you. After all, it's-"