Belle Ame

Chapter Two: Diagon Alley

With a thud, she landed hard on an old fashioned, stone floor of the Leaky Cauldron. Roxy was on her hands and knees, and when she looked up, there were many strange faces looking down at her with curiosity. But one face was familiar and friendly; her mother reached down with one hand and lifted Roxy to her feet. Finally with a clear view of her surroundings, she saw the most amazing things she had ever seen before. There was an array of clothing, wild and interesting hair, and an assortment of drinks. Some people had boots on that looked as if they were made out of lizard's skin. "How sickening!" Roxy thought in disgust. Jen and Roxy made their way to the bar to sit down. An older man made his way over from behind the bar.

"Can I get you anything, a drink perhaps?" the older man kindly asked.

"Oh, no thank you, we're just heading to Diagon Alley." Jen was buzzing with excitement.

"I see. Enjoy your visit." He walked off to another person sitting along the bar.

"Mum, did you go to Hogwarts?" Roxy just realized that she must have gone as well if all witches and wizards go there.

"Yes, of course, although it was quite a shock to your grandparents. They're Muggles, so you can just imagine how it was to find out there is such a thing as magic." Jen saw the confused look on Roxy's face and continued, "oh, sorry, Muggles are non-magical people. If you ever hear 'Mudblood', it means a witch or wizard with Muggle parents, but it's a nasty name to call people, so I don't expect to hear it from you ever!"

"Did people call you that?" Roxy inquired.

"Never you mind my school days," Jen said sharply. "We can't waste our time asking silly questions, we have shopping to do!" Jen suddenly looked excited again, and Roxy supposed it brought her mother back to her first days of wizardry.

So they set off to what looked like a pleasant, country-like courtyard in the back of their arrival platform, so to speak. Roxy looked around but only saw a few tables with bright umbrellas and a tall, stone wall; she turned to her mother, looking for a sign of where they were going. Jen searched through her small bag and pulled out a stick that looked ancient, but also seemed quite sturdy, however worn out it was.

"Mum, what are you going to do with a stick?" Roxy commented looking to her mother for a logical answer.

"Oh, no, dear, this--" She held up the so-called stick "--is a wand." Jen looked quite pleased with herself.

She started to mumble to herself, "Two up, yes, and three over," and directed her wand along the path she was dictating aloud. The wand tip found the correct brick and with a small tap, the wall became a magnificent archway into an alley buzzing with people and some children who looked about Roxy's age.

"First, we'll stop at Gringotts and withdraw some galleons from your account; I've been saving all of my galleons for your schooling since you were born." Jen was simply bubbling over with joy.

Before Roxy could ask what a galleon was, she was being pulled along the cobblestone street by her mother. Roxy and Jen passed about eight or more fascinating shops on either side of the street, including one labeled "Quality Quidditch Supplies", which was almost completely blocked from view by at least twenty people, who were all peering into the display window, pointing and chatting with one another. Then on the other side she saw the shop of her dreams, or at least she thought at first. "Eeylops Owl Emporium", the sign said. Inside, there were owls of all sorts, sizes, and colors. Then something sparked in her mind.

"Mum, can I have an owl? It said in the letter that students could bring an owl, cat, or toad. Oh, please, Mum, I've always wanted a pet. And I can use it to send you letters while I'm at Hogwarts." Roxy finished her desperate rambling and looked into her mother's eyes with a pleading look on her face like a sad, lonely puppy left out in the rain.

"Well, oh, don't look at me like that! I'll think about it, let's just get what you need first."

As they continued on, Roxy looked up at the signs, reading things such as: Flourish & Blott's and Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions.

"Mum, what's a galleon?" Roxy remembered why she was being dragged along the cobblestone street named Diagon Alley.

"Oh, sorry, I feel like I'm talking to my old Wizarding friends who know all the terminology. A Galleon is wizarding money. There are Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts. Now Galleons are worth the most, and they're the gold ones. Sickles are in between Knuts and Galleons; they're the silver ones. And Knuts are worth the least, and they're the little bronze ones." Jen looked up and said, "Look, it's Gringotts."

There, standing at an intersection with another less pleasant looking alley, was a marvelous marble building. It was almost indescribable to Roxy. They briskly walked up the marble steps and approached the bronze doors. Here, a guard dressed in scarlet and gold stood, looking quite stern. They passed through these doors and into an entrance chamber facing another set of doors; these doors were silver and engraved with a rhyme of some sort:

Enter, stranger, but take heed

Of what awaits the sin of greed

For those who take, but do not earn,

Must pay most 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 treasure there.

Two more funny-looking creatures were here, and they allowed Roxy and Jen to pass into a great hall, full of hundreds of desks and chandeliers hanging high above everybody. Behind each desk was a ghastly looking little person, or so they appeared to be.

Jen saw a look of disgust upon her daughter's face and replied with an answer to Roxy's question that was never asked. "They're goblins. Quite touchy too. Don't make them angry. They have nasty little tempers."

They finally reached an important looking desk with an especially disgruntled looking goblin sitting high behind the desk.

"I'd like to withdraw from vault number 614." Jen simply stated.

"Name," the goblin grunted.

"Roxanna Stone," Jen replied, looking at her daughter with pride, than handed a small golden key to the goblin.

"Follow me."

They followed behind the small goblin to one of the many doors lining the great hall. They stepped in to see almost a mining-like system of a cart and railroad tracks leading to a pit of darkness.

"In," the goblin said, pointing to the cart.

"In?" Roxy repeated nervously to her mother.

"Come along now, Roxy. Don't dawdle."

Jen carefully, but gracefully, climbed into the cart taking her seat in the back corner. Roxy gripped the side of the cart and hoisted herself into it. The next thing Roxy knew, the goblin was sitting in the front seat. He seemed to just disappear from the ground and appear in the cart. Before she had any more time to figure it out, the cart jolted forward. They dived downward; it was like a roller coaster ride with out the safety of seatbelts holding them in. The ride was, thankfully, over in less than half of a minute. The cart stopped hastily in its tracks, sending Roxy's insides lurching forward.

"Vault 614." The goblin seemed to cheer up after his little joy ride.

Roxy and Jen climbed out first, and when they turned around, the goblin was right there. "How did he get out so fast?" Roxy wondered. He pulled the previously received key out of his pocket and inserted it into the lock. When it turned, the vault door opened, and there sitting inside was Roxy's small fortune. There were many small piles of gold, silver, and bronze covering the floor of the vault.

"That's all equal to about 2,500 Muggle pounds, and it's all yours." Jen looked down onto her daughter's bewildered face.

But Roxy said nothing. She just stared endlessly at her fortune; she loved the sound of that, her fortune. Jen pulled out a small sack with a few lumps in it, which Roxy assumed were some other coins, and she grabbed a small pile of Galleons, Sickles, and then Knuts. Jen briskly turned around and tugged Roxy to get her out of the door so the goblin could close it. They all got back into the cart and took a not-so-joyful ride back to their starting point. Eventually, Roxy and Jen made it to the front door of Gringotts.

"Let's see, we have to go to Ollivander's, Madam Malkin's, Flourish and Blott's, the cauldron shop, and maybe Eeylop's. I think we'll run down to Ollivander's first. This is the most exciting part: you're going to get your wand!" With yet another yank on Roxy's arm, they were on their way even further into Diagon Alley. They passed many shops, but none that were as interesting as the first ones they had passed. Roxy was ecstatic, anyway. She was going to have her own wand, how wonderful that would be. Soon enough, there it was. "Ollivander's" was written in peeling paint on the shop. Together, they walked into the door, absorbing in the shelves and shelves of long, lean boxes, piled from the floor to the ceiling. But nobody appeared to be in the shop.

"Hello! We'd like a wand!" Jen looked around expectantly. Almost instantly, there was a large crash at near the back of the store as a pile of small boxes tumbled to the ground uncovering a small, elderly man. He stepped over the jumbled boxes, ignoring the clutter, he adjusted his glasses and continued toward his waiting costumers.

"Yes, yes, sorry to keep you waiting." he said hurriedly.

"Quite alright," Jen commented. "I'd like a wand for my daughter here; she's off to Hogwart's in September." Without saying a word he pulled out a measuring device and stretched it across Roxy, took note of the number, then retracted it, and repeated the process a few times in different areas.

"Stay right here." He bustled off toward the rows of boxes looking around and plucking a couple from the towering shelves. He swiftly returned with three boxes, and pulled the first one out, opening it to reveal a magnificent wand.

"Ebony, 15 inches, with essence of phoenix talon. Ebony is a very powerful wood when it comes to magic." He handed the wand to Roxy. She looked at him; he was looking at her like she was supposed to do something.

"Go on, give it a flick," he urged as he gestured with his hand. She did as she was told, and the wand backfired like a canon and a puff of smoke came out the tip. The force was so powerful that it overcame Roxy and caused her to land on the floor, gripping the wand.

"No, apparently not, too strong." He shook his head and grabbed the wand out of her hand. She dusted herself off and got up prepared to try again.

"Willow, 12 inches, with essence of wood rose. Excellent for use in Divination and great for spoken spells." Again, Roxy was handed a wand. She squinted her eyes and flicked the wand, expecting another explosion, but all it did was sputter slightly.

"No, too weak." He grabbed the wand and turned his back, shaking his head. He then turned around with yet another wand.

"Rosewood, 14 inches, essence of hair from the mane of a unicorn. Rosewood is well known for its powers in matters of the heart as well as for its medicinal qualities. Great wand for healing, Divination, and Transfiguration." Roxy was becoming anxious to find the right wand. She flicked the wand, frightened of what would happen next. This time the wand started to play a lovely piano tune and two birds flew out of the tip of the wand. Roxy was in awe: did she just make magic? Suddenly the music stopped, causing her to snap out of her reverie.

"Perfect, that'll be seven Galleons."

Jen handed him seven golden lumps and Roxy grasped her new wand with both hands as they walked out of the store.

"Okay, now let's go to Madam Malkin's and get you some school robes."

"Robes? Why can't I just wear my own clothes?" Roxy liked to express herself through clothes and how she looked, as opposed to wearing the same thing everyday.

"Don't gripe, all students wear robes, it's inevitable." As they were walking to Madam Malkin's, Roxy spotted another shop full of animals titled, "Magical Menagerie." Before she could examine the store closer there was Gringotts again and before she knew it on the left was Madam Malkin's. Not many people were there at the time; Roxy guessed that most students were procrastinating buying their school supplies. They walked in, Roxy still proudly holding her wand. There were robes of all colors that she thought were brilliant and then there was a whole aisle of plain black clothing, which Roxy thought very dull. Jen spotted a lady taking notes on a piece of parchment. She appeared to be in charge.

"Madam Malkin?" Jen half-questioned and half-called to her. In response, she looked up and smiled.

"Yes, how can I help you?" She seemed very happy to help any customer.

"We'd like the traditional Hogwarts' robes." At these words Madam Malkin swiftly moved around the store, once in a while stopping at Roxy to measure something, or to hand her a robe. By the time this was all finished Roxy was holding three plain black robes, a winter cloak with lovely silver fastenings, a pointed, black hat, one pair of dragon hide gloves (which Roxy found, at first, disgusting, but was then convinced they were the best by Madam Malkin), and her previously bought wand.

Jen suggested that they go buy her cauldron so they would have something to carry everything in. They walked across the street and up toward the cauldron shop. It took little time to purchase a standard size 2, pewter cauldron. Roxy placed her clothing and wand inside the cauldron and looked around at the shops to see which one was next. Roxy eyed Eeylops a couple stores down from where they stood. Jen looked at what Roxy was grinning at and realized her promise to think about an owl. She had already made up her mind but didn't want Roxy to know yet.

"Not yet. First, we'll get your books, parchment, quills, ink, telescope, brass scales, and crystal phials. And I'm not even sure about the owl." Jen said as she checked the list of supplies to make sure she didn't forget anything.

Roxy mumbled, disgruntled, but walked on. They then traveled towards a small stationary shop next to Quality Quidditch Supplies. A crowd was still huddled around the showcase, talking amongst each other, marveling over something on the inside.

The next stop was Flourish and Blott's. Roxy wasn't sure about her feelings towards getting books; she wasn't sure about how she would learn everything new so quickly. They walked into the shop, and there were books from ceiling to floor, from wall to wall, covering every inch of the shelves. At once there was an elderly lady, standing nearby, waiting to help them.

"Hogwarts?" she simply asked.

"Um, yes," Jen replied.

"Year?" Again, a short and simple question.

"First year, please," Roxy piped in, she was starting to become bolder in her behavior. Roxy felt she should adjust her personality and behavior to be the person she always wished she could be, since she was going to a new school. The lady replied with a small grunt, and then she disappeared from view behind piles of books. Surprisingly fast, she returned with a bundle of old fashioned books. She shoved the books into Roxy's hands harshly and Roxy took a few steps backward to gain her balance back.

"Anything else?"

"Yes, but I'll get it quickly if you don't mind." Jen looked around at the book shelves. Another grunt confirmed that Jen could get the book. She looked around and reached up to the fifth shelf and plucked a book out. She returned and paid the lady.

"Mum, what book was that?" Roxy inquired as they left the shop and she tucked her books into her cauldron along with her previously bought supplies.

"Here, it's a book that will answer any question you could ever imagine about the wizarding world or Hogwarts." Jen smiled and handed Roxy the book. "I always wanted one of those my first year, I thought you may be able to use one."

"Thanks, Mum!" Roxy was overjoyed as the walked across the street to get the rest of her supplies.

After about a half of an hour they returned with all of her school supplies bought and tucked safely in her cauldron.

"Okay, we're done, so what about that owl?" Roxy looked hopefully at the cages full of owls in the shop window.

"Alright, we'll get you an owl." Jen said resigned.

Roxy jumped up and down out of excitement. Now she was the one dragging her mother along the cobblestone into the owl store. There was an array of owls covering the shop and all sorts of cages. Roxy looked around seeking an owl that would catch her eye, but then, suddenly she saw a light blue glint in the window. She walked over and saw a beautiful eagle owl with the most fascinating light, crystal blue eyes.

"Oh, Mum, that one, it's perfect!" Roxy pointed out. The storeowner came over to see which owl she was marveling over.

"Yeah, she's a beauty."

After purchasing a cage and the owl, they walked out of Eeylop's, Roxy proudly holding the owl and owl cage in one hand and a cauldron full of supplies in the other.

"We'll stay at The Leaky Cauldron for the night, tomorrow morning I'll take you home and in a month you'll be off to Hogwarts." Roxy thought she saw a tear in her mother's eye. "But, if you don't mind, I'd like to run down to the second-hand robe shop and visit an old friend of mine. You know I used to stop in Diagon Alley once in a while, when you were at the Muggle school. If you'd like you can stay here at Florean Fortescue's, it's an ice cream parlor. In fact I'd prefer if you could stay here, there's a few specific things I'd like to ask her."

"I'll be fine Mum." Roxy glanced behind her to see a crowd of people sitting at the tables.

"Here, take some Sickles and buy yourself an ice cream. Hmm." Jen said as she spotted the crowd, but then her eye landed on a girl who appeared to be Roxy's age. "There's a girl, she's probably going to Hogwarts for the first time as well. Come, I'll introduce you two."

"Mum, no. I can introduce myself." Roxy said, slightly pulling her mother's hand off of her shoulder. Again she was showing signs of a changing personality. "Go on and see your friend, I'll be right here."

"Okay, I'll be back in a half hour or so." Jen commented as she bent down and kissed Roxy on the cheek. Roxy again urged her mother to leave and pushed her away gently. Jen turned around with a small wave and walked towards the end of Diagon Alley where they had visited Ollivander's. Roxy waited until her mother was out of sight and then she turned around, cage and cauldron in hand, toward the girl who sat alone at one of the tables. She was relatively thin and appeared to be a normal height. She had long chestnut colored hair which flowed aimlessly down her back. Her hazel eyes scanned a few of the stores across the alley and fell upon Roxy who was looking at her. The girl gestured for somebody to join her, but when Roxy turned around to see who she was greeting, no one was there. Roxy turned back to see the girl stifle a laugh and mouth to Roxy "you." Roxy blushed slightly as she made her way to the table.

"Hi, Riley Treller. And you?" Riley extended a hand.

"Hi, Roxy Stone. It's a pleasure." Roxy politely gripped her outstretched hand. "Would you mind if I joined you? All the other tables seem to be full."

"Not at all. Are you kidding, I haven't seen many people my age all day. It's mostly adults around here, all the Hogwarts students wait until later to do their shopping I suppose. My Mum, on the other hand, insisted that we get all of my supplies right away. It's my first year of Hogwarts coming up, how about you?" Riley seemed to be apt to rambling for periods of time. Although, Roxy didn't mind at all, Riley could be her first Wizarding friend.

"Same! I can't wait, I've been so excited since I found out." Roxy smiled at Riley who was looking at her with an inquisitive look.

"I've over come the shock of it all after eleven years, well I suppose I didn't fully comprehend until I was three years old or so. But I guess some of us take longer than others to overcome such things." She added sarcastically.

"Don't mock me!" Roxy said defensively, "I only found out, well, this morning."

"Merlin's beard! Are you serious?" Riley's eyes widened and jaw slightly dropped.

"Merlin's beard, what's that? And well yes, my Mum kind of concealed it from me." Roxy said a little surprised from her newly found friend's reaction.

"Merlin's beard is just like saying 'oh my gosh' or something in the Muggle world. I can't believe you didn't know until now, that bloody sucks!" Roxy was taken aback by Riley's foul language, at least that's what her mother referred to it as.

"Um, yes I suppose it does- suck." Roxy paused as a moment of awkward silence passed.

"Anyway, that's a beautiful owl you have there. I love its eyes, they're captivating. What's its name?" Riley said changing the subject.

"I don't quite know yet. I guess I should think of one soon." Roxy looked down in pride at her owl. "She seems to have an extensive vocabulary; bloody sucks, merlin's beard, and captivating." Roxy thought as she peered into the crystal, ocean blue eyes of her owl.

"Then let's think of a name. Right now, come on." Riley prodded Roxy to start.

"Well, I suppose. How about- um- Cassidy, that's a good name right?" Roxy suggested, not that it mattered, it was her owl and she could name it what ever she chose to.

"That's a great name, very elegant for an owl."

"Well than it's settled, Cassidy has an official name." Roxy smiled, "so, how do we get to Hogwarts anyway?"

"Bloody hell! I'm sorry but this is just common sense to me, we go to King's Cross station, here in London. To platform nine and three quarters, where the Hogwarts Express is." Riley was clearly trying not to insult Roxy's little knowledge of the Wizarding world. She seemed to know everything; Roxy was slightly agitated by this, but she ignored her feelings.

"Right, nine and- wait, three quarters? You must be mistaken, I've been to the station before, and there is no platform nine and three quarters."

"There's always a way, we're witches remember? Now when you're at a certain column between platform nine and ten, you just run strait into it and you'll come out on the other side where the Hogwarts Express is."

"How do you know all this?" Roxy inquired.

"My parents made sure I knew nearly everything about Hogwarts before I came. It's really fascinating, I'd suggest you read Hogwarts, a History. It's a fantastic book, it tells you everything you should know." Riley was again being sensitive towards Roxy's lack of knowledge.

"Riley? Do you think you could meet me there? I'm just really nervous, I don't know exactly what to do, and you know so much that I don't." Roxy almost pleaded.

"Sure, I really don't know anybody that's going to Hogwarts this year, or any year. It would be a relief for me as well." Riley smiled. The two of them looked around at the hurried people and Roxy spotted a particular person. He was looking rather angry and walking very quickly, swinging the cauldron he had in his hand as he went. Not a detail about him was imperfect to Roxy, from his wavy brown hair to his shining black shoes.

"He looks rather pissed." Riley sneered, looking in the same direction.

"Well maybe he's just having a bad day." Feeling a little angry that Riley would make fun of somebody she thought looked so near perfection.

"That's more than a bad day, he's ticked off." Riley said carelessly. At that moment he looked around and spotted Florean Fortescue's and marched over. He locked his focus on a table somewhere behind Roxy and Riley. As he stormed behind Roxy's chair she heard a sudden crash of metal and flutter of wings. Roxy swung around in panic for Cassidy. The cage was on the ground and the door had unhinged, Cassidy fluttered up to Roxy's shoulder in anger.

"Hey!" Roxy said irritably to the boy she had thought of to be so flawless. He seemed to grunt something, and for a split second he made eye contact with Roxy. But he never fully stopped to apologize. He continued on to a table where two strict looking adults and a younger, round looking girl sat and began speaking very slow and sternly.

"Mum, Dad. Where have you been?" He said clenching his teeth in anger as he said each word.

"You're sister wanted some ice cream." His mother said promptly, without any emotion in her face.

"So! You said that you'd meet me at Gringotts!" He yelled staring at his mother and father.

"Now, son, don't make a scene. We were going to be there soon." His father stated in a low voice to calm him down.

"Dad! You were supposed to be there a half hour ago! This always happens, why can't she just wait? Instead you leave me wondering where you are, standing there alone!" He was turning red at this point.

"She hasn't eaten for two hours. She needed a snack." Her mother said patting the young girl's arm.

"That's it! I'm going back to our room. I'll see you there, when ever she's done stuffing her face!" He threw up his arms as he walked to the Leaky Cauldron.

"Wow, that is a tense family." Roxy stared after the boy in pity.

"You're not kidding." Riley said, instead staring at the small girl who looked quite pleased with herself.

"Roxy!" Came a familiar voice. Roxy turned around to see her mother walking up to her smiling. "I see you've met a friend. I'm Roxy's Mum."

"Riley Treller, nice to meet you missus Stone." Riley reached out and shook Jen's hand. "Roxy, are you staying near Diagon Alley tonight?"

"Actually, we're staying in the Leaky Cauldron. Why?"

"Really, that's great, so am I. I should find my Mum now, but I'll meet you in the downstairs part of the Leaky Cauldron tomorrow morning. We can hang around Diagon Alley. Maybe come back here and actually get an ice cream, it seems we've been talking so much that we forgot about it. Well, I'll see you tomorrow." Riley smiled and walked away from Jen and Roxy.

"So, did you have fun?" Jen ushered Roxy to walk back to the Leaky Cauldron.

"Yes, I'm so excited! I'm meeting Riley at King's Cross on September first, to go to Hogwarts of course. And I've named my owl Cassidy. Oh, Mum, I just can't wait!" They both disappeared behind the archway to the Leaky Cauldron.