Emaline Goode: The Raven Of Ilvermorny: A Secrets Of The Gordian Knot prequel

Chapter 2 - Diagon Alley

Hagrid grinned at Emaline's amazement. She, Hagrid, and Harry stepped through the brick archway. It shrunk back instantly into a solid wall. Emaline had never been to Diagon Alley before. She was just amazed as Harry and both were looking at everything they could set their eyes on. Hagrid turned his attention to Harry, looking at a store for cauldrons, in every shape, size, and variety: copper, brass, pewter, silver, collapsible, and self-stirring. "You'll be needin' one of those, Harry," he said. "but first we need to get yer money." A low and soft hooting came from a shop with a sign saying Eeylop's Owl Emporium with owls of every size, shape, and species, including some from North America. "At Ilvermorny," Emaline whispered to Harry, "We don't use owls. We use either ravens, hawks or falcons, and sometimes eagles, to carry our mail back and forth."
"Really?" said Hagrid.
"Yes. Well, they do allow owls but let's be honest, they are very rarely used," she said. "A lot of the rich kids use hawks and eagles."

As they walked down the street, people were running around in every direction, doing their shopping and doing business as they walked up the street. Harry looked around in every direction trying to look at everything at once: the shops, the things outside of them on display. There was a plump woman outside an apothecary shaking her head as they passed, saying, "Dragon liver, 17 Sickles an ounce, they're mad..." There was a group of boys about Harry's age looking at broomsticks with their noses pressed against a window with broomsticks in it. "WOW! Look at it!" one of the boys said. "The new Nimbus Two Thousand! It's the fastest model yet." There were shops selling telescopes, and shops selling robes. There were windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eel's eyes, tottering piles of spell books, quills, and rolls of parchment, potion bottles, globes of the moon, and logs of wood from around the world, to be used for making wands and an ice cream parlor featuring every flavor imaginable, including chocolate (Emaline's favorite flavor.)

"Emaline," Hagrid said. She turned around to face Hagrid "If it's all right with ya, Harry and I are gonna have to leave you and head over to Gringotts and buy his supplies for school. We'll catch ya later. Do you need any money?"
"It's okay, Hagrid," said Emaline. "I have some shopping of my own to do. Bye-bye." She waved to them, turned around, and disappeared into the crowd. "Come along, Harry," said Hagrid. "Let's head over to Gringotts." They vanished into the crowd far from her view and she walked on.

First, she walked into Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions, looking for new clothes for school, feeling a little nervous. The owner, Madam Malkin, was shorter and older than Emaline sporting clothes in the color of mauve. She was smiling. "Good morning, dear," she said to Emaline. "Good morning, miss. I'm here to get my robe," she said. Madam Malkin quickly noticed Emaline's accent.

"American?" Madam Malkin asked her.
"Yes, ma'am," she said. "I've been transferred to Hogwarts from Ilvermorny. For my sixth year."

"Goodness! Are you really?" she exclaimed. "Got the lot here - fitting up another young lady right now. Just wait here, dear. Almost done." She returned to her client, a younger girl, who was five years younger than her and had long, brown, bushy hair, brown eyes, and large front teeth. She was reading a book entitled: "Hogwarts: A History" borrowed from the shelf. Madam Malkin sat Emaline next to her. She took her purple and silver jacket and scarf off, placed them on a coat rack, and slipped a robe over her head, pinning it to the right length.

"Hello," the girl said to Emaline. "Are you going to Hogwarts?".
"Yes," said Emaline. "I'm supposed to start my sixth year at Hogwarts. I'm Emaline Goode."
"Hermione Granger," she shook hands. "My father is buying a quill and parchment next door and mother is here with me, over there." She had a very bossy voice. "After this, I'm going to go and buy some books for school."
"I'm planning to get a new broomstick after this," said Emaline.
"Hopefully one of those new ones I saw in that store just down the street. I wanna try out for the Quidditch team."
"Are you on your own?" Hermione asked.
"Yep. I just got transferred from Ilvermorny. Arrived in London last night."
"I've heard of that school. Which Ilvermorny house are you in?"
"Thunderbird. But I'm hoping to get sorted into either Ravenclaw or Gryffindor when I get to Hogwarts." Meanwhile, a boy with platinum-blonde hair and a pale, pointed face walked into the shop with his parents and sat down.
"Where are you from?" Hermione added.
"Oregon," said Emaline. "You?"
"Heathgate. In Hampstead."
"I have no idea where that is."
"Oh. It's in Northwest London."
"Ms. Goode?" said Madam Malkin. "We're ready for you, dear."