Lily Flower

Chapter One -Diagon Alley

In the time that it had taken us to go from the park with Cissy to the pub (called the Leaky Cauldron) in another area in London, Professor McgOnagall had explained a lot to me, and filled in the blank areas left from past conversatons with Cissy.

She had explained about Lord Voldemort, a dark wizard who had come to power some twenty years ago. She had explained that he had murdered my parents, James and Lily Potter (after whom I was named), leaving me orphaned. She told me of how, after killing my parents, he had tried to kill me, too. But he failed, obviously. Most people didn't know that though. Apparently, more than 99% of the wizarding population still thinks I'm dead. She seemed to have a good idea of how Cissy had come to find me, but she wouldn't tell me. She had told me that most wizards were so haunted by the memory of Lord Voldemort that they refused to call him such, preferring instead to refer to him as He-Who Must-Not-Be-Named. I thought that was pretty stupid, and said as much. Though Professor McGonagall seemed to agree with me, she simply gave me a disapproving look. 

Finally having the truth (or most of it anyway) about my past and why I was left with the Walkers, along with leaving Cissy and not knowing when I would see her again had taken an emotional toll on me. I hardly had time to grieve, however. For in the time that I was reflecting on all I'd been told, we had arrived at the Leaky Cauldron.

After greeting the bartender, she had headed out the back with me struggling to keep up with her brisk walk. Stopping at the brick wall behind the Leaky Cauldron, she took out her wand (at least, I think that's what it was) and tapped out a pattern on the bricks. Before my wide eyes, the wall had dissolved, opening up a path to what seemed to be an entirely different world.

My head whipped from side to side, trying to take in everything. People streamed around us, but I was barely aware of them.

Tall shops. Short shops. Colorful shops. Black or grey shops. Witches and wizards of all sizes, shapes, and ages bustled through the street.

McGonagall started to speak again, bringing my attention to her once more.

"We'll be heading to Gringotts first." I opened my mouth to ask a question but she cut me off. "Gringotts is a wizarding bank."

"But, Professor. I don't have any-"

"Money? You think your parents didn't have an account? I think you'll find that you will have all of your expenses met."

I shut up, walking in silence as she led me to a large white building with wide steps leading up to it. A short figure in a red uniform stood at the door.

"Is that a-?" I waited for her to ask my unasked question.

"Goblin? Yes," she finished. "Try not to stare. It might offend them."

At the top of the stairs, Professor McGonagall sent a curt nod at the goblin, who returned it with on of his own.

We went through the large doors, only to face another set of large, silver doors. On them were inscribed the words:

Enter, Stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed,
For those who take, but do not earn,
Must pay dearly in their turn.
So if you seek beneath our floors
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasures there.

Tough crowd, I thought.

We went through those doors and were met with the view of a massive marble hall. There were great desks forming partial walls on either side. Goblins swarmed the hall. Some had books open and were writing in them with large quill pens. Others bustled back and forth with carts loaded with great sacks of gold, (Galleons, Professor McGonagall had told me) silver (Sickles), and bronze (Knuts) coins. Still others weighed money on huge scales.