Kim Do-Young and the Philosopher's Stone

- CHAPTER FIVE -

Diagon Alley

DOYOUNG woke early the next morning. Although he could tell it was daylight, he kept his eyes shut tight.

"It was a dream," he told himself firmly. "I dreamed a giant called Johnny 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. "

There was suddenly a loud tapping noise.

And there's Aunt Jihyo knocking on the door, Harry thought, his heart sinking. But he still didn't open his eyes. It had been such a good dream.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"All right," Doyoung mumbled, "I'm getting up. "

He sat up and Johnny's heavy coat fell off him. The hut was full of sunlight, the storm was over, Johnny himself was asleep on the collapsed sofa, and there was an owl rapping its claw on the window, a newspaper held in its beak.

Doyoung scrambled to his feet, so happy he felt as though a large balloon was swelling inside him. He went straight to the window and jerked it open. The owl swooped in and dropped the newspaper on top of Johnny, who didn't wake up. The owl then fluttered onto the floor and began to attack Johnny's coat.

"Don't do that. "

Doyoung tried to wave the owl out of the way, but it snapped its beak fiercely at him and carried on savaging the coat.

"Johnny!" said Doyoung loudly. "There's an owl--"

"Pay him," Doyoung grunted into the sofa.

"What?"

"He wants payin' fer deliverin' the paper. Look in the pockets. "

Johnny's coat seemed to be made of nothing but pockets -- bunches of keys, slug pellets, balls of string, peppermint humbugs, teabags. . . finally, Doyoung pulled out a handful of strange-looking coins.

"Give him five Knuts," said Johnny sleepily.

"Knuts?"

"The little bronze ones. "

Doyoung counted out five little bronze coins, and the owl held out his leg so Doyoung could put the money into a small leather pouch tied to it. Then he flew off through the open window.

Johnny yawned loudly, sat up, and stretched.

"Best be off, Doyoung, lots ter do today, gotta get up ter London an' buy all yer stuff fer school. "

Doyoung was turning over the wizard coins and looking at them. He had just thought of something that made him feel as though the happy balloon inside him had got a puncture.

"Um -- Johnny?"

"Mm?" said Johnny, who was pulling on his huge boots.

"I haven't got any money -- and you heard Uncle Vernon last night. . . he won't pay for me to go and learn magic. "

"Don't worry about that," said Johnny, standing up and scratching his head. "D'yeh think yer parents didn't leave yeh anything?"