Chapter Two: Diagon Alley
Lily waved her best friend over when she stepped onto the lawn with the letter held in her hand. “Can you believe it?” she asked at the same time as Rachel said, “Isn’t it amazing?”
They both burst out into insane laughter that only made sense to them. They had never fit into this world and now they knew why. They belonged to another.
The two collapsed onto the grass. Eleven-year-old Rachel was beautiful with blonde hair and baby blue eyes. It was obvious to everyone who knew her that someday she would be the envy of all other girls and the object of affection for many guys. Even at eleven, Rachel constantly thought about guys and snogging. Lily was just as beautiful, but in a different way. Her dark red hair fell in slight waves around her heart shaped face and her large almond green eyes were the first thing that a person noticed upon seeing her. Her fiery temper matched her hair, and she hated it when someone mentioned that.
The two best friends headed to Diagon Alley for the first time ever on August thirteenth. They found their way to the Leaky Cauldron with difficulty. Only Rachel and Lily could see it, and their mothers just had to follow them. Their fathers hadn’t bothered to come. All the Muggles around them didn’t actually see it. Their mothers gasped in astonishment when they ended up in a tiny, grubby-looking pub. They stepped in and the two girls stared around.
The Leaky Cauldron, which was supposedly a famous place, was dark and shabby. Many witches and wizards and hags and other strange looking creatures sat at tables drinking from tiny glasses. The bartender that they figured was the Tom that McGonagall had mentioned to them was bald and missing several teeth. Many eyes turned towards them with looks of curiosity on their faces.
“Hello,” Lily’s mom stepped forward followed by Mrs. Mooney. “Where is Diagon Alley?” she asked, nervously.
“Muggles?” the man asked, with a nod. “This way.” Tom led them to a brick wall and started counting the bricks above the trash can. “Remember to hit it with your wands three up and two across,” he said to the eleven-year-old girls. Rachel had a terrible memory so she decided to let Lily remember that.
The brick wall quivered and began to make a gap in the center that became larger and larger until it was large enough for them to walk through. Lily glanced back after they had stepped through as the wall became one again. She grinned at Rachel who laughed.
“This is absolutely amazing,” Rachel said, pulling on the Best necklace she wore around her neck. Lily had the other end that said Friends. They stepped onto a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight. The nearest shop had a stack of cauldrons with a sign hanging over them that read. Cauldrons”All Sizes”Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver”Self-Stirring”Collapsible.
“That’s on the list, Mum,” Rachel said.
“Yeah, but the woman said we have to use different kind of money. She said to go to Gringotts. It’s supposed to be some kind of a bank,” Mrs. Mooney said. Lily looked around, trying to see everything. Her eyes landed on the Apothecary where she was to get her Potions ingredients. And then there was a sign that said Eeylops Owl Emporium. McGonagall had said that they used owls the same way that Muggles used the postal system.
“How about I get you an owl for your birthday, Lily?” Mrs. Evans said.
“My birthday is not until December,” Lily pointed out.
“It’s an early present. That way the two of you can write us often. Do you two understand me?” Mrs. Evans said.
“Got it,” Rachel and Lily said together. The other shops were just as interesting. There was a shop that had a sign mentioning something called Quidditch. A second glance into the store showed that they sold what looked like broomsticks. And then there were shops selling robes, telescopes, strange instruments, book stores and more.
“Look, Mum,” Lily pointed. “Is that it?” she pointed at a snowy white building that was twice as high as the other shops.
“Eww. What is that?” Rachel asked, pointing to a weird creature in a scarlet and gold uniform outside of the door.
“It looks like a goblin,” Lily said. Or at least what she would have imagined a goblin to look like. The goblin was at least a head shorter than the two girls with a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard, and very long fingers and feet. He bowed to them as they walked inside through the bronze doors. And then they were facing a second pair of doors.
A pair of goblins bowed them through the silver doors and they were now in large marble hall. At least a hundred more goblins sat on high stools. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and even more goblins showed people in and out of those doors.
Mrs. Evans looked even more nervous than she had when approaching Tom as she stepped up to speak to one of the free goblins. “E-e-excuse me,” She said. “I’m here to exchange money.” The exchange was quick and the goblin explained impatiently what the coins were.
Mrs. Evans and Mrs. Mooney piled the money into money bags and followed their daughters out of the bank.
“That was an interesting enough bank,” Mrs. Mooney muttered to Mrs. Evans. They decided to get their robes first at a store called Madam Malkin’s Roves for All Occasions. The two girls stepped inside with their mothers to see a squat, smiling witch dressed in mauve robes.
“Hogwarts, dears?” she asked, upon seeing the two girls who nodded. “It’s all out here already. I’m fitting up another young man just now.”
She pointed to where a sickly looking boy stood. His hair was a light brown and his dark blue eyes had flecks of gray in them and his robes were almost falling off his body. His wizard parents watched the boy who glanced over at them.
“Remus. We’re going to go get your books,” his mother said and they left. Lily and Rachel’s own mothers sat in the corner not paying any attention to the three eleven-year-olds.
“Hi,” Rachel, always the outgoing one, said. “I’m Rachel Mooney. You go to Hogwarts too, I suppose?” she asked, with a smile as Madam Malkin stood her on the stool next to him. Lily stepped onto the next one.
“Yes,” He said, shyly. “I’m Remus Lupin.”
“This is my best friend, Lily Evans. What’s Quidditch?” she asked. “I saw a sign for it and it’s ever such a strange name. We’re both Muggle-borns, you see and… are you laughing at me, Lily?” Rachel said. Lily couldn’t help it. Remus Lupin looked so intimidated that it came off quite hilarious.
“Course not,” Lily lied. “Why ever would I laugh at you?”
“Ha ha. So, what is Quidditch?” she turned to the boy.
“It’s a sport played on broomsticks. I’m not very good at explaining it.”
“Do you know where they got the name Quidditch?” was Rachel’s next question.
“No. Not really,” Remus said, glancing at Lily who was turning red from trying not to laugh.
“Hold still, dear,” Madam Malkin sighed.
“Why are you laughing at me?” Rachel demanded.
“I am doing no such thing. Am I Remus?” she turned to the boy.
“Course not,” he said. And to Rachel’s annoyance, he ended up laughing as hard as Lily. By the time the boys parents returned, the two of them could hardly stand up straight to Madam Malkin’s annoyance. Rachel was confused and Lily and Remus had no idea why they were laughing. Mostly to incense her and it was working. Remus’ family stepped inside just as Madam Malkin finished him up. By that time, the three of them were talking like they had been friends forever (which were true with the exception of Remus).
“See you at Hogwarts,” Remus yelled. His parents grinned to each other; glad that for the first time Remus Lupin was making friends.
“Bye!” They waved as he left the store. Madam Malkin finished their robes and they left. Next, they found a store called Flourish and Blotts which was stacked to the ceiling with books. There were many strange books, and Lily kept begging her mom for more. She loved reading. Rachel’s mother bought her a book about Quidditch and the many teams in Britain and Lily bought a book called Hogwarts, a History in addition to their many school books. They also bought cauldrons, quills, parchment, and scales and many other interesting things. Both of their mothers bought them an owl. Lily’s was a beautiful snowy white owl, and Rachel’s was a tawny owl. They then headed to the last store. The store they were looking forwards to the most. They had to get their wands. A magic wand, Lily thought. What would it look like? What could she do with it?
They went to a store called Ollivanders, which they had heard someone say was the best place for wands. The shop was narrow and shabby with peeling gold letters that read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. A tinkling bell rang as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place that was almost as quiet as a library. Quieter, Lily decided as they waited
“Good afternoon,” said a soft voice. Lily and Rachel jumped. An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining as he studied them.
“Hi,” Lily said awkwardly. Even Rachel seemed a bit nervous around this man.
“I am Mr. Ollivander. And you are?”
“Lily Evans. And this is Rachel Mooney.”
“Muggle-borns.”
It wasn’t a question. His silvery eyes were a bit creepy. “So, I’ll start with you, Ms. Evans. Which arm is your wand arm?”
“My wand arm?” she asked.
“Which hand do you write with?”
“Oh. The left,” she answered. The man measured her as he spoke. He talked on and on about how wands were filled with magical substances and how each one was unique and that no wizard would do as well using another wizard’s wand. Lily realized with a start that the tape measure was doing the measuring himself while Mr. Ollivander flitted around the shelves, taking down several boxes. It took several tries with her swinging each wand before one of them worked.
Mr. Ollivander handed it to her as he spoke of it. “Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Exceptional for charm work.”
Lily touched the wand and felt a strange sort of warmth in her fingers. She raised it above her head and brought it swishing down and a stream of sparks shot out of the end.
“Oh. Very good,” Mr. Ollivander said. “Wait over here while I work on Ms. Mooney.” Lily watched as Rachel went through the same steps ending up with a wand that was maple and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, and apparently good for Transfiguration. They each paid seven gold Galleons for their wands and were bowed from the shop. Lily and Rachel both agreed that night that they didn’t like Mr. Ollivander much. He was a bit creepy. They walked back through the wall and the empty Leaky Cauldron and back into the midst of London and the underground talking excitedly about the world they had now become apart of.