Two Gryffindors and a Slytherin

A Trip To Diagon Alley

It's the 20th of August, and I start my fifth year in just under 2 weeks, so my parents and I are headed to Diagon Alley to set up our Gringotts vaults and buy all of my new equipment. I've never been to Diagon Alley before, my parents have told me all about it of course, how it's an endless stream of bizarre colour and life, a vast strip of curiosity filled with witches and wizards of every shape, size, colour and stature, a place where no two shops are the same and in fact couldn't be anymore opposite. The epicentre of British wizardry neatly tucked away in the confines of London.

London, that's a whole place in itself, I've also never had the pleasure of seeing, my father was never given an assignment there so we never had a need to visit, most if not all of his assignments were based across Europe, hence why we settled in France and I attended BeauxBatons. As a result of this, my parents were so busy that we didn't even get the chance to escape for a little family get away. My father works as an Auror, one of the best of his time (or so he says) I believe he's even crossed paths with the likes of Mad-Eye Moody, who taught last year at Hogwarts. We often moved around a lot while I was growing up because of his job, but I never really seemed to mind, neither did my mother as she is a cloak/robe seamstress which meant she could always find clients wherever we settled next.

When we arrived at Diagon Alley, before doing any shopping we stopped off at the Leaky Cauldron for lunch, my father kept banging on about it the whole way there, saying 'him and the Cauldron go way back', and it was on this day I tried my very first sip of Butter-Beer, I mean it's not everyone's cup of tea but I didn't think it was too bad. After lunch, my parents set off to Gringotts to sort out our vaults, as we tended to move around a lot, my parents didn't see the point in leaving our possessions in any bank as a few months later we'd end up moving again. However, being that there 'is no safer place than Gringotts' and that my parents had just started permanent jobs at the Ministry of Magic, they saw it fit to open up our own vaults. They gave me 58 Knuts (2 Sickles) and told me to go through my Hogwarts letter and begin browsing for the equipment I needed. The Knuts were for sweets of course, it would take a few more Galleons to get all the things on the list.

I walked through the twisted street until I came across a small sweet stand with a huge wooden sign on top that read 'TRUDY TUSKINS TREATS, a sickle each'. I began to peer at all of the colourful creations she had laid out on the stall; Bertie Botts every flavour Beans, Liquorice Wands, Pumpkin Pasties and my personal favourites Chocolate Frogs (I collect the cards). Just as I was about to reach over and grab a chocolate frog, one landed at my feet into a small muddy puddle, as I heard a young boy next to me shriek "why is it always me?" whilst whacking himself on the head with his empty sweet box.

"It happens to the best of us" I say, turning to the boy, who now has a small smudge of chocolate on his forehead.

"Yeah, but why does it always happen to me? I can say, cross my heart, that I've never successfully eaten a chocolate frog in my life, they always escape before I've finished opening the packet" said the boy, looking down at his now muddy, wet frog jumping up the street.

"Here let me buy you another one, I seem to have quite good luck when it comes to chocolate frogs, they never slip past me" I say, holding out my 2 sickles, it would be nice to tell my parents that I've already made one friend before I've even got to Hogwarts.

"No I'll be alright, my gran's finished shopping now, she'll be wanting to get back home soon" as the boy said this, I looked down at his cloak, on the left breast I noticed embroided the Hogwarts crest, so I quickly chimed in "you go to Hogwarts?"

"Yes" replied the boy looking up with a proud but nervous smile on his face, "been there 4 years now".

"Oh really?" I continue, "I'm being transferred there this year, I start this September in fifth year".

The boy, looking even less nervous and parading an even bigger smile now exclaimed "I'm going into fifth year, maybe we'll be in the same classes! Have you any idea what House you might be in yet?"

"Well my mother was in Ravenclaw and my father was in Gryffindor, so hopefully I can follow in one of their footsteps...", as I said this I checked his robe again and noticed the striking red and gold scarf he had around his neck. "You're in Gryffindor, I see?"

"Yeah, but I'm still trying to live up to the whole 'BRAVE' thing" said the boy lowering his head again. Just then, a small, croaky voice came from behind, "Neville, are you ready to go?" It was his grandmother, she'd just come from the nearest book shop with a huge pile of books ready for the new school year.

"Yeah, I was just talking to..." he turned to look at me, "what did you say your name was again?"

"I didn't..." I say, smiling back at him, "my name is Skye Whiteheart".

"Pretty name, it suits you. I'm Neville Longbottom", the boy said, beginning to off load his grandmother of the heavy hardback books she'd been carrying.

"Well it was lovely to meet you Neville, I'll let you go now, but I'll see you soon.."

"Yeah, I'll see you at Kings Cross" and as he said this, he turned with his grandmother and walked away back up the street, luckily I was only alone for a split second when my parents came up behind me. From here we went into many shops along Diagon Alley, such as, 'Eeylops Owl Emporium', where I bought my first snowy owl and I named her 'Adora' after my Aunt who was unfortunately a victim of He Who Must Not Be Named. May she Rest In Peace.