From The Beginning Till The End

"Are you sure this is the place?" Dawn Evans asked her daughter dubiously as she parked her second-hand Volkswagen in front of a tiny, grubby-looking pub, which was supposed to be famously known as the Leaky Cauldron by all magical people as stated in one of the parchments. It looked barely noticeable to most people, who just walked from the big bookstore on its right to the record shop on its left, ignoring the pub totally. If Lily had not seen the pub, Mrs. Evans would not have even noticed its existence.

"I'm sure this is the place, Mum. I'll see you in five hours time." Lily smiled confidently as she kissed her mother goodbye and got off the pale yellow car. She watched as her mother drove away. Then she turned around and looked at the pub skeptically. I'm not sure if I'm at the right place. This doesn't exactly seem like a place that I have in mind. She had quite a bit of money in her wallet and started feeling the jitters.

"Excuse me?" Lily's thoughts were interrupted by a smooth, soprano voice.

"Yes?" Lily turned and found she looking at a pair of purple eyes. "Unusual eyes you got there," she commented without thinking.

"Thanks. You've got unusual fiery red hair too." Both the girls blushed.

"Anyway my name is Lily Dorianne Evans. What's yours?" Lily asked with a smile, holding up her right hand for a handshake.

"Arabella Varol Figg. Nice to meet you." Arabella smiled as she clasped Lily's hand warmly.

"Anyway, are you erm... going to the erm... Leaky Cauldron?" Lily asked hesitantly.

"Actually I was about to ask you the same question. Are you... well... going to this school name er...Hogwarts or something?" Arabella inquired, her brows furrowing closer as she tried to find the right word.

"So you are a witch too?" Lily asked happily.

The violet-eyed girl looked a little startled at Lily's exclamation. "Yes. It's my first year. You too?" Arabella smiled. She was equally glad to make a new friend.

"Let's go in together," Lily suggested as they started to walk into the Leaky Cauldron where the bartender showed them the directions to Diagon Alley from the small, walled courtyard.

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"Can't you just hurry up?" Sirius groaned at his younger sister of one minute, getting impatient by the second. James and Sirius had been pacing outside Stefanie's room for about five minutes so far.

"Coming! Don't hurry me!" Stefanie yelled back from her room and she continued packing her little bag.

"We're not waiting for you then!" Sirius shouted, then headed towards the fireplace at Back Mansion, pulling James along.

"If you don't wait for me, I'm going to tell Mum and Dad!" Stefanie screamed as she brushed her hair quickly and tied it into a ponytail.

"Girls," Sirius muttered, rolling his eyes at James. His friend just grinned. They stopped and waited outside Stefanie's room once again. It was their first time that they'd heading to Diagon Alley all by themselves, without the adults breathing down their necks.

After another five minutes of waiting, Stefanie got out and they finally headed downstairs. Sirius was complaining to Stefanie nonstop about how slow she was being, making the two of them wasting their precious time to wait for her while they could be doing something more worthwhile at Diagon Alley. The three of them now had dangerously pocketfuls of Galleons, Sickles and Knuts jingling away in their pockets as they walk down the stairs towards the fireplace.

The threesome stood in the fireplace, dropped some glittering Floo powder and with a roar the fire turned emerald green.

"Diagon Alley!" they shouted at the same time.

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"Diagon Alley," Remus said in a clear voice from the fireplace at the Lupin Villa. He felt as if he was being sucked down a giant plughole. He seemed to be spinning very fast and the roaring in his ears was deafening. He kept his eyes shut tightly as watching the whirl of green flames made him feel sick in the stomach. I hate traveling using Floo powder. He kept his hands tucked in tightly while he was still spinning. He opened his right eye a little to catch a glimpse of what was going on and he saw a blurred stream of fireplaces and the rooms beyond. Suddenly, the spinning stopped. He opened his eyes fully and saw the familiar surrounding of Diagon Alley. He had been here so often with his parents but it was the first time he had ever came by himself since his parents were away in some meeting conducted by the Ministry of Magic. Remus stepped out and took a deep breath of the smell of the familiar but yet, foreign Diagon Alley.

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