Yogwarts and the Philosopher's Stone

Chapter One - Diagon Alley (Zoey)

  Disclaimer: Not J.K Rowling. Not the Yogscast. Not anyone with any claims to anything you recognise.

Author’s Note: Hey guys, so a little short of a million and two years but not so far off. It has been a bit of a challenge getting this out (for me, not for you). We’re writing this author’s note at quarter to eleven and this is meant to go out tomorrow evening with 600 words still to go. However, we have a kind of plan and the second chapter is already going into third draft so that’ll be out on time. We’re going to try and aim for every two weeks but that is going to be pretty erratic until we get used to this (which will be sometime in the realm of never.) I hope you enjoy CatherineKat’s wonderful first chapter.  

CatherineKat and leidineht

YOGWARTS AND THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE

Chapter One

Diagon Alley

Zoey

 Zoey had never been to London by herself before but the letter had said quite clearly that, until she had a wand of her own, she wouldn’t be able to take her parents into the wizarding parts of the city with her. This had all seemed fine, up to the point where she found herself in the middle of a busy street, looking for a pub that no one else could apparently see.

 Professor McGonagall (whoever she was) had said firmly, in that weird green ink, that no non-magical people would be able to see the “Leaky Cauldron”  and so there would be absolutely no point asking any of them for help. That was fine, but for some reason, Zoey couldn’t see it either.

 It was at least twenty minutes before she noticed a large group of red-heads talking at the top of their voices, though none of them seemed to be listening to any of the others.

 “Ickle Ronnikins, a first year!”

“What is the world coming to, Gred?”

 “I’m quite sure I don’t know, Forge, I mean-“

“Be quiet, the both of you! Now… Which books does Ron need that we haven’t already got?”

 Having heard enough to be certain that these would be sensible people to follow, Zoey walked behind them towards a door she couldn’t imagine how she’d missed before. Slipping through it, she looked around for anyone who might have been able to tell her where to go next.

 Inside, the pub was larger than she’d expected, if somewhat dusty. The few patrons mostly seemed to be ignoring each other and Zoey felt rather out of place, standing just inside the doorway, completely unable to see where she should go or what she should do next.

 The helpful red haired family had completely vanished and she looked around wildly until the man behind the bar smiled at her. He beckoned her out of a door behind the bar she was certain she’d also never have spotted and led her through to a small courtyard behind the building. Walking up to an old wall that didn’t seem particularly magical, he  tapped on the slightly cracked bricks in an order she was sure she’d never remember. He waved her through, telling her to ask for “Old Tom” if she ever got lost. Thanking him profusely, Zoey peered through the gap into the incredibly busy street in front of her.

 At first glance, Diagon Alley could have been a perfectly ordinary street. But, looking closer, Zoey soon saw that this couldn’t have been further from the truth.  Instead of jeans in the windows of the clothes shops there were robes, the animals in the pet shop seemed rather unusual and some of the books a shop display appeared to be… moving?