Here we go two chapters as promised next update is on Tuesday

"Diagon Alley," Pomona Sprout read grinning.

"At last you're getting away from the Dursleys," said Hermione

Harry woke early the next morning. Although he could tell it was daylight, he kept his eyes shut tight.

It was a dream, he told himself firmly. I dreamed a giant called Hagrid came to tell me I was going to a school for wizards. When I open my eyes I'll be at home in my cupboard.

"That's really sad Potter," said Malfoy snidely

"I would like you to consider what life had been like up to that point" snapped Harry

There was suddenly a loud tapping noise.

And there's Aunt Petunia knocking on the door, Harry thought, his heart sinking But he still didn't open his eyes. It had been such a good dream.

3/4 of the hall looked at him sadly

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"It's probably an owl," squeaked an excited first-year Hufflepuff.

"All right," Harry mumbled, "I'm getting up."

He sat up and Hagrid's heavy coat fell off him. The hut was full of sunlight, the storm was over, Hagrid himself was asleep on the collapsed sofa, and there was an owl rapping its claw on the window, a newspaper held in its beak.

"See!" The Hufflepuff exclaimed excitedly.

"Nobody doubted you," Hannah Abbott said smiling at her fellow Puff.

Harry scrambled to his feet, so happy he felt as though a large balloon was swelling inside him.

Ron snorted.

He went straight to the window and jerked it open.

The owl swooped in and dropped the newspaper on top of Hagrid, who didn't wake up. The owl then fluttered onto the floor and began to attack Hagrid's coat.

"Don't do that." Harry tried to wave the owl out of the way,

"Oh Harry dear, you need to be careful. Not all owls are as friendly as your Hedwig." Molly fretted.

"Hedwig's not always friendly." Ron and Hermione muttered, remembering this past summer.

but it snapped its beak fiercely at him and carried on savaging the coat.

"That's not a very nice owl," muttered Alicia.

"The owls who deliver the Prophet never are," Angelina told her.

"Hagrid!" said Harry loudly. "There's an owl —"

"Pay him," Hagrid grunted into the sofa.

"What?"

"I had no idea what he was talking about," Harry explained laughing. "It's not exactly normal to give money to an animal as they generally have no concept of it in the muggle world."

Several muggle-borns laughed along with him.

"He wants payin' fer deliverin' the paper. Look in the pockets."

"Like he would be able to find it with all of your pockets!" Ernie exclaimed.

Hagrid's coat seemed to be made of nothing but pockets — bunches of keys, slug pellets, balls of string, peppermint humbugs, tea bags… finally, Harry pulled out a handful of strange-looking coins.

"Only Hagrid." Charlie Weasley laughed as most of the females in the room made sounds of disgust.

"Give him five Knuts," said Hagrid sleepily.

"He won't know what those are," Neville said shaking his head.

"Knuts?"

"See?" Neville asked.

"The little bronze ones."

Harry counted out five little bronze coins, and the owl held out his leg so Harry could put the money into a small leather pouch tied to it. Then he flew off through the open window.

Hagrid yawned loudly, sat up, and stretched. "Best be off, Harry, lots ter do today, gotta get up ter London an' buy all yer stuff fer school."

"Hagrid," said Molly "You made him go through all of that and then got up"

"I was trying ter teach him," said Hagrid gruffly

Harry was turning over the wizard coins and looking at them. He had just thought of something that made him feel as though the happy balloon inside him had got a puncture.

"No not the happy balloon!" The twins cried with horrified looks on their faces.

The Weasley's, Harry and Hermione rolled their eyes at the twins.

"Um — Hagrid?"

"Mm?" said Hagrid, who was pulling on his huge boots.

"I haven't got any money — and you heard Uncle Vernon last night… he won't pay for me to go and learn magic."

"Your parents' left you some money," said Remus with a smile

"Yeah but I didn't know that did I," said Harry good-naturedly

"Don't worry about that," said Hagrid, standing up and scratching his head. "D'yeh think yer parents didn't leave yeh anything?"

"But if their house was destroyed —"

"Harry, they wouldn't have kept their money in their house." Hermione pointed out exasperated.

"You never know, everything I had ever read or seen in movies about wizards showed them keeping their money in treasure chests." Harry said quickly. "Or that they kept their money locked up being guarded by dragons or something like that."

"Honestly," Hermione muttered rolling her eyes.

They didn' keep their gold in the house, boy! Nah, first stop fer us is Gringotts. Wizards' bank. Have a sausage, they're not bad cold — an' I wouldn' say no teh a bit o' yer birthday cake, [...]."

Several girls wrinkled their noses in disgust.

Ron stomach growled at the mention of food.

"Wizards have banks?"

"Seriously Potter, how stupid can you get?" Draco asked condescendingly.

"Like I said Malfoy I didn't know that." Harry shot back. "And I was eleven." He put emphasis on eleven.

"Just the one. Gringotts. Run by goblins."

Umbridge sneered. 'Horrid creatures, goblins are.'

Harry dropped the bit of sausage he was holding. "Goblins?"

"I was shocked as well," Hermione told Harry giggling.

"Yeah — so yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it, I'll tell yeh that. Never mess with goblins, Harry.

"He's right." Bill pointed out. "They can be vicious when they want to be." He grimaced.

"Know from experience big brother?" Charlie asked grinning.

"I just hope Harry never tries to mess with them," Hermione said giving Harry a pointed look.

"What?" Harry asked innocently. "I would never."

Ron and Hermione exchanged looks and groaned.

"With your luck mate, that just jinxed it," Ron mumbled.

Gringotts is the safest place in the world fer anything yeh want ter keep safe — 'cept maybe Hogwarts. As a matter o' fact, I gotta visit Gringotts anyway. Fer Dumbledore. Hogwarts business."

The trio exchanged glances, they knew just what that Hogwarts business was.

Hagrid drew himself up proudly. "He usually gets me ter do important stuff fer him. Fetchin' you — gettin' things from Gringotts — knows he can trust me, see."

'Trusting filthy half-breeds.' Umbridge glared at Hagrid.

"Got everythin'? Come on, then." Harry followed Hagrid out onto the rock. The sky was quite clear now and the sea gleamed in the sunlight. The boat Uncle Vernon had hired was still there, with a lot of water in the bottom after the storm.

"How did you get here?" Harry asked, looking around for another boat.

"Flew," said Hagrid.

"Flew?" Everyone asked in shock, trying to imagine the half-giant flying on a broom.

"Flew" said Hagrid

"Flew" everyone repeated trying and failing to picture it

"Flew?"

"Yeah — but we'll go back in this. Not s'pposed ter use magic now I've got yeh."

They settled down in the boat, Harry still staring at Hagrid, trying to imagine him flying.

Everyone was still doing the same thing. No one could picture it.

"Seems a shame ter row, though," said Hagrid, giving Harry another of his sideways looks. "If I was ter — er — speed things up a bit, would yeh mind not mentionin' it at Hogwarts?"

Umbridge glared at the book hatefully. 'I can't believe I can't get him into trouble for this.' She thought bitterly.

"Of course not," said Harry, eager to see more magic.

"Of course," Ginny said amused.

Hagrid pulled out the pink umbrella again, tapped it twice on the side of the boat, and they sped off toward [...].

Fudge looked as if he wanted to speak, but one look from Dumbledore and he kept his mouth shut.

"Why would you be mad to try and rob Gringotts?" Harry asked.

"Spells — enchantments," said Hagrid, unfolding his newspaper as he spoke. "They say there are dragons guardin' the high-security vaults.

Charlie shot up in his seat. "That better not be true." He growled turning to glare at his older brother.

Bill held up his hands. "I honestly don't know." He was quick to say.

"That would be wicked!" The twins yelled together. They had huge grins on their faces until Charlie turned his glare to them, causing them to shrink back.

And then yeh gotta find yer way — Gringotts is hundreds of miles under London, see. Deep under the Underground. Yeh'd die of hunger tryin' ter get out, even if yeh did manage ter get yer hands on summat."

"Sounds like fun," Demelza said dryly.

Harry sat and thought about this while Hagrid read his newspaper, the Daily Prophet. Harry had learned from Uncle Vernon that people liked to be left alone while they did this, but it was very difficult, he'd never had so many questions in his life.

"I wouldn't of minded if yer asked me questions, Harry," Hagrid told him.

Harry just smiled at Hagrid

"Ministry o' Magic messin' things up as [...]" Hagrid muttered, turning the page.

"We do not!" Yelled Umbridge and Fudge.

"Yes, you do!" Yelled the DA.

Fudge, Umbridge and Percy shot them all disdainful looks.

"There's a Ministry of Magic?" Harry asked before he could stop himself.

"'Course," said Hagrid. "They wanted Dumbledore fer Minister, o' course, but he'd never leave Hogwarts, so old Cornelius Fudge got the job. Bungler if ever there was one.

"I am not!" Fudge spluttered. At the same time, Umbridge yelled. "He is not!"

Dumbledore's Army all rolled their eyes. 'Yes, he is.' They thought.

"Is too," Ron muttered to Harry who snickered.

So he pelts Dumbledore with owls every morning, askin' fer advice."

"Idiot," George laughed.

"George," his mother said in a warning tone.

"But what does a Ministry of Magic do?"

Draco rolled his eyes.

"Well, their main job is to keep it from the Muggles that there's still witches an' wizards up an' down the [...]."

"We do much more than that," Percy stated pompously, puffing out his chest.

The twins rolled their eyes at their estranged brother.

"Why?"

"Why? Blimey, Harry, everyone'd be wantin' magic solutions to their problems. Nah, we're best left alone."

"There are other reasons," said Remus darkly

At this moment the boat bumped gently into the harbour wall. Hagrid folded up his newspaper, and they clambered up the stone steps onto the street.

Passersby stared a lot at Hagrid as they walked through the little town to the station. Harry couldn't blame them. Not only was Hagrid twice as tall as anyone else, he kept pointing at perfectly ordinary things like parking meters and saying loudly, "See that, Harry? Things these Muggles dream up, eh?"

"Like that's not obvious," Ron said.

"Come on Ron. No one ever said Hagrid knew how to be discrete." Hermione told Ron. It's part of his...charm."

"Hagrid," said Harry, panting a bit as he ran to keep up, "did you say there are dragons at Gringotts?"

"Well, so they say," said Hagrid. "Crikey, I'd like a dragon."

Charlie grinned, thinking of all the dragons that he works with back in Romania.

The trio exchanged pointed looks which no one but Neville seemed to notice. He looked at them and thought Was there really a dragon

"You'd like one?"

"Wanted one ever since I was a kid — here we go."

They had reached the station. There was a train to London in five minutes' time. Hagrid, who didn't understand "Muggle money," as he called it, gave the bills to Harry so he could buy their tickets.

People stared more than ever on the train. Hagrid took up two seats and sat knitting what looked like a canary-yellow circus tent.

"Why would you do that if you were trying

"Still got yer letter, Harry?" he asked as he counted stitches.

Harry took the parchment envelope out of his pocket.

"Good," said Hagrid. "There's a list thereof everything yeh need."

Harry unfolded a second piece of paper he hadn't noticed the night before, and read:

"How did you not notice it?" Dean asked somewhat amused.

Harry just shrugged.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)

2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

"I still don't know why we have to buy the hats, we never wear them," Seamus Finnigan complained.

"Tradition Mr Finnigan," Minerva said.

3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags

COURSE BOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)by Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble

OTHER EQUIPMENT

1 wand

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set of glass or crystal phials

1 telescope set

1 brass scales

Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

"Unless your name is Harry bloody Potter," Draco mumbled spitefully.

"Someone's jealous," Daphne smirked from a few seats over.

"Shut up Greengrass," Draco hissed. Causing Daphne's smirk to widen.

"Can we buy all this in London?" Harry wondered aloud.

"If yeh know where to go," said Hagrid.

Harry had never been to London before.

"Really?" Hermione asked surprised.

All Harry said was, "Dursleys."

Hermione growled at the reminder.

Although Hagrid seemed to know where he was going, he was obviously not used to getting there in an ordinary way. He got stuck in the ticket barrier on the Underground and complained loudly that the seats were too small and the trains [...] slow.

Hermione shook her head in fond amusement.

"I don't know how the Muggles manage without magic," he said as they climbed a broken-down escalator that led up to a bustling road lined with shops.

Hagrid was so huge that he parted the crowd easily; all Harry had to do was keep close behind him. They passed book shops and music stores, hamburger restaurants and cinemas, but nowhere that looked as if it could sell you a magic wand. This was just an ordinary street full of ordinary people. Could there really be piles of wizard gold buried miles beneath them? Were there really shops that sold spell books and broomsticks? Might this not all be some huge joke that the Dursleys had cooked up?

"Again with the blasted pessimistic thoughts." Ron groaned.

"The Dursleys don't believe in imagination remember?" George asked rhetorically. He looked as though not believing in imagination should be a crime.

If Harry hadn't known that the Dursleys had no sense of humor, he might have thought so; yet somehow, even though everything Hagrid had told him so far was unbelievable, Harry couldn't help trusting him.

Hagrid beamed at Harry.

"This is it," said Hagrid, coming to a halt, "the Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place."

It was a tiny, grubby-looking pub. If Hagrid hadn't pointed it out, Harry wouldn't have noticed it was there. The people hurrying by didn't glance at it. Their eyes slid from the big book shop on one side to the record shop on the other as if they couldn't see the Leaky Cauldron at all. In fact, Harry had the most peculiar feeling that only he and Hagrid could see it.

"Muggles can't see it Harry," Hermione told him.

"How was I supposed to know." Harry pouted as the room filled with chuckles.

Before he could mention this, Hagrid had steered him inside. For a famous place, it was very dark and shabby. A few old women were sitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry. One of them was smoking a long pipe. A little man in a top hat was talking to the old bartender, who was quite bald and looked like a toothless walnut.

The twins and Lee sniggered.

The low buzz of chatter stopped when they walked in. Everyone seemed to know Hagrid; they waved and smiled at him, and the bartender reached for a glass, saying, "The usual, Hagrid?"

Can't, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business," said Hagrid, clapping his great hand on Harry's shoulder and making Harry's knees buckle.

"Be gentle Hagrid!" Molly chided.

"Sorry," Hagrid mumbled looking embarrassed.

"It's OK," Harry replied laughing.

Good Lord," said the bartender, peering at Harry, "is this — can this be —?"

"And so it begins," Harry muttered under his breath.

Hermione shot him a sympathetic look and Ron squeezed his shoulder.

The Leaky Cauldron had suddenly gone completely still and silent.

"That's got to be a first." Kingsley Shacklebolt declared.

"Unfortunately," Harry muttered turning red.

"Bless my soul," whispered the old bartender, "Harry Potter… what an honour."

Draco sneered and glared at the book.

He hurried out from behind the bar, rushed toward Harry and seized his hand, tears in his eyes.

Umbridge sneered. 'Potter isn't worthy of anyone's praise.'

"Welcome back, Mr Potter, welcome back."

Harry didn't know what to say. Everyone was looking at him.

Ron felt a pang of jealousy but pushed it down. 'Harry hates his fame.'

The old woman with the pipe was puffing on it without realizing it had gone out. Hagrid was beaming.

Then there was a great scraping of chairs and the next moment, Harry found himself shaking hands with everyone in the Leaky Cauldron.

"My hand hurt after that," Harry muttered to himself.

"Doris Crockford, Mr Potter, can't believe I'm meeting you at last."

"So proud, Mr Potter, I'm just so proud."

Snape sneered inwardly at the account of the boy's fame. 'Enjoying it just like his father would have.'

"Always wanted to shake your hand — I'm all of a flutter."

"Delighted, Mr Potter, just can't tell you, Diggle's the name, Dedalus Diggle."

"I've seen you before!" said Harry, as Dedalus Diggle's top hat fell off in his excitement. "You bowed to me once in a shop."

"He remembers!" cried Dedalus Diggle, looking around at everyone. "Did you hear that? He remembers me!"

'What an idiot.' Draco once again had a sneer plastered on his pale features.

Harry shook hands again and again — Doris Crockford kept coming back for more

A pale young man made his way forward, very nervously. One of his eyes was twitching.

"Professor Quirrell!" said Hagrid. "Harry, Professor Quirrell will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts."

The Professors and the trio's eyes all darkened.

"I forgot he was there," Harry whispered angrily to Ron and Hermione.

"P-P-Potter," stammered Professor Quirrell, grasping Harry's hand, "c-can't t-tell you how p-pleased I am to meet you."

"Damn stutter," Ron muttered low so his mother couldn't hear.

What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?"

Harry snorted. "He didn't teach us anything."

"Show some respect Potter!" Umbridge yelled to him. "Professor Quirrell is the only Defense teacher you have had in the past few years besides myself who would have been approved by the ministry."

Harry just stared at her dumbfounded. He badly wanted to yell out that Quirrell was really a death eater who happened to have Voldemort on his head but thought better of it. Instead, he said quietly to Ron and Hermione. "I doubt she'll be saying that at the end of the book." They nodded their agreement.

"D-Defense Against the D-D-Dark Arts," muttered Professor Quirrell, as though he'd rather not think about it.

"How can they learn how to protect themselves if he's too scared to say it." Moody barked disgusted.

"We didn't learn anything." Muttered several students.

"N-not that you n-need it, eh, P-P-Potter?" He laughed nervously. "You'll be-getting all your equipment, I suppose? I've g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on vampires, m-myself." He looked terrified at the very thought.

Harry rolled his eyes.

But the others wouldn't let Professor Quirrell keep Harry to himself. It took almost ten minutes to get away from them all. At last, Hagrid managed to make himself heard over the babble. "Must get on — lots ter buy. Come on, Harry."

Doris Crockford shook Harry's hand one last time, and Hagrid led them through the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a trash can and a few weeds.

"It's a strange entrance if you think about it," Hermione said to Harry.

Hagrid grinned at Harry. "Told yeh, didn't I? Told yeh you was famous. Even Professor Quirrell was tremblin' ter meet yeh — mind you, he's usually tremblin'."

"Is he always that nervous?"

"Oh, yeah. Poor bloke. Brilliant mind.

The students snorted at that.

"The oaf has a strange definition of brilliant." Draco sneered to Crabbe and Goyle.

He was fine while he was studyin' outta books but then he took a year off ter get some firsthand experience… They say he met vampires in the Black Forest, and there was a nasty bit o' trouble with a hag — never been the same since.

'He ran into something, but it wasn't a hag.' Harry thought. Remembering Quirrell telling him he ran into Voldemort in a forest.

Scared of the students, scared of his own subject — now, where's my umbrella?"

Vampires? Hags? Harry's head was swimming. Hagrid, meanwhile, was counting bricks in the wall above the trash can.

"Three up… two across…" he muttered. "Right, stand back, Harry."

He tapped the wall three times with the point of his umbrella.

The brick he had touched quivered — it wriggled — in the middle, a small hole appeared — it grew wider and wider — a second later they were facing an archway large enough even for Hagrid, an archway onto a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight.

"I love Diagon Alley." Harry and Hermione said together, identical looks of enchantment on their faces.

Many of the muggle-borns, who didn't grow up going to Diagon Alley all smiled.

Remus smiled a sad smile. 'James and Lily should've been the ones to take him.'

"Welcome," said Hagrid, "to Diagon Alley." He grinned at Harry's amazement. They stepped through the archway. Harry looked quickly over his shoulder and saw the archway shrink instantly back into a solid wall.

The sun shone brightly on a stack of cauldrons outside the nearest shop. Cauldrons — All Sizes — Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver — Self-Stirring — Collapsible, said a sign hanging over them.

"Yeah, you'll be needin' one," said Hagrid, "but we gotta get yer money first."

Harry wished he had about eight more eyes.

"I felt that way too," Hermione told Harry.

Many muggle-borns nodded in agreement.

He turned his head in every direction as they walked up the street, trying to look at everything at once: the shops, the things outside them, the people doing their shopping. A plump woman outside an Apothecary was shaking her head as they passed, saying, "Dragon liver, seventeen Sickles an ounce, they're mad…"

"They are mad," muttered Molly.

A low, soft hooting came from a dark shop with a sign saying Eeylops Owl Emporium — Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown, and Snowy.

Several boys of about Harry's age had their noses pressed against a window with broomsticks in it. "Look," Harry heard one of them say, "the new Nimbus Two Thousand — fastest ever —"

Harry smiled at the memory of his first broom.

There were shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments Harry had never seen before, windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eels' eyes, tottering piles of spell books, quills, and rolls of parchment, potion bottles, globes of the moon…

"Gringotts," said Hagrid.

They had reached a snowy white building that towered over the other little shops. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was —

"Yeah, that's a goblin,"

"They scared me the first time I saw them." Muttered a small Ravenclaw muggle-born first year in a small voice.

said Hagrid quietly as they walked up the white stone steps toward him. The goblin was about a head shorter than Harry. He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and, Harry noticed, very long fingers and feet. He bowed as they walked inside. Now they were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them:

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.

"I love that poem," Luna said in her usual dreamy voice.

"Like I said, Yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it," said Hagrid.

Hermione and Ron looked at each other,

"What" questioned Harry

"Well knowing you mate, you will try and rob it," said Ron

Harry scowled whilst everyone else laughed,

A pair of goblins bowed them through the silver doors and they were in a vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these. Hagrid and Harry made for the counter.

"Morning," said Hagrid to a free goblin. "We've come ter take some money outta Mr Harry Potter's safe."

"You have his key, sir?"

"Got it here somewhere," said Hagrid, and he started emptying his pockets onto the counter, scattering a handful of mouldy dog biscuits over the goblin's book of numbers.

"I doubt he liked that very much," Bill said to his brother.

The goblin wrinkled his nose. Harry watched the goblin on their right weighing a pile of rubies as big as glowing coals.

"Wow." Several people muttered in awe.

"Got it," said Hagrid, at last, holding up a tiny golden key.

The goblin looked at it closely. "That seems to be in order."

"An' I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore," said Hagrid importantly, throwing out his chest. "It's about the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen."

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows while McGonagall gave a sharp hiss. "Hagrid, you really shouldn't have said that."

"Sorry," Hagrid muttered looking very sheepish.

'That's what you get for trusting filthy half-breeds.' Umbridge thought with a glare at the half-giant.

"What's in vault 713?" Dean asked intrigued.

"See," Harry said turning to look up at the professors with a pointed look. "It's natural that I wanted to know, just remember that."

"I'm curious as to how you did end up figuring it out, Mr Potter," Minerva informed him.

Harry just smiled up at his transfiguration teacher mysteriously.

The goblin read the letter carefully. "Very well," he said, handing it back to Hagrid, "I will have someone take you down to both vaults. Griphook!"

Griphook was yet another goblin. Once Hagrid had crammed all the dog biscuits back inside his pockets, he and Harry followed Griphook toward one of the doors leading off the hall.

"What's the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen?" Harry asked.

Molly shot Harry an exasperated look. "Oh, Harry." 'Why does that boy have to be so curious.'

"Can't tell yeh that," said Hagrid mysteriously. "Very secret. Hogwarts business. Dumbledore's trusted me. More'n my job's worth ter tell yeh that."

Tonks laughed. "And that just made me even more curious and I'm not an eleven-year-old boy."

Hagrid looked even more sheepish.

Griphook held the door open for them. Harry, who had expected more marble, was surprised. They were in a narrow stone passageway lit with flaming torches. It sloped steeply downward and there were little railway tracks on the floor. Griphook whistled and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks toward them. They climbed in — Hagrid with some difficulty — and were off.

At first they just hurtled through a maze of twisting passages. Harry tried to remember, left, right, right, left, middle fork, right, left, but it was impossible.

"That's the point, I'm surprised you remembered that much," Bill told Harry.

The rattling cart seemed to know its own way, because Griphook wasn't steering. Harry's eyes stung as the cold air rushed past them, but he kept them wide open. Once, he thought he saw a burst of fire at the end of a passage and twisted around to see if it was a dragon, but too late

Charlie sent a glare at his older brother but said nothing. 'There better not be.' He thought.

— they plunged even deeper, passing an underground lake where huge stalactites and stalagmites grew from the ceiling and floor.

"I never know," Harry called to Hagrid over the noise of the cart, "what's the difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite?"

Ron slapped a hand over Hermione's mouth before she could answer, wincing at the glare she sent him in return.

"I know now Hermione," Harry told her quickly.

Arthur shook his head. "Somehow I don't think Hagrid's the one to ask."

'Obviously.' Draco thought. He was sick of reading this book and they were only a few chapters in.

Stalagmite's got an 'm' in it," said Hagrid.

Several people chuckled at that.

"An' don' ask me questions just now, I think I'm gonna be sick." He did look very green, and when the cart stopped at last beside a small door in the passage wall, Hagrid got out and had to lean against the wall to stop his knees from trembling.

Griphook unlocked the door. A lot of green smoke came billowing out, and as it cleared, Harry gasped. Inside were mounds of gold coins. Columns of silver. Heaps of little bronze Knuts.

Ron felt more jealously bubbling up inside him. He felt bad about it though. 'Harry never rubs it in my face, and he's always generous.'

"All yours," smiled Hagrid.

All Harry's — it was incredible. The Dursleys couldn't have known about this or they'd have had it from him faster than blinking.

3/4 of the hall growled at the book.

"I assure you that they would not be able to touch it," Dumbledore assured Harry,

How often had they complained about how much Harry cost them to keep?

"I can't believe them! They never even bought you anything!" Hermione growled angrily.

And all the time there had been a small fortune belonging to him, buried deep under London. Hagrid helped Harry pile some of it into a bag.

"The gold ones are Galleons," he explained. "Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle, it's easy enough. Right, that should be enough fer a couple o' terms, we'll keep the rest safe for yeh." He turned to Griphook. "Vault seven hundred and thirteen now, please, and can we go more slowly?"

"Just one speed." Bill said with a large grin.

"They're fun," Harry said with a grin like a Cheshire cat.

"You're mental you are." Ron gaped at him. "If you think those evil deathtraps are fun." Many were nodding in agreement.

"One speed only," said Griphook.

They were going even deeper now and gathering speed. The air became colder and colder as they hurtled around tight corners. They went rattling over an underground ravine, and Harry leaned over the side to try to see what was down at the dark bottom, but Hagrid groaned and pulled him back by the scruff [...].

"Fearless," Tonks said.

"Reckless," Remus added.

"Stupid," Draco muttered to quietly for anyone other than those around him to hear.

"Gryffindor!" The twins yelled.

Vault seven hundred and thirteen had no keyhole.

"Really high-security vault," Bill said. "Not too many of those."

"Stand back," said Griphook importantly. He stroked the door gently with one of his long fingers and it simply melted [...].

"Wow," Colin said in amazement.

"If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that, they'd be sucked through the door and trapped in there," said Griphook.

"Lovely," Hermione said going pale. She had never been below to the vaults and had no desire to after learning that

"How often do you check to see if anyone's inside?" Harry asked.

"About once every ten years," said Griphook with a rather nasty grin.

Many people blanched at the thought of being stuck down there.

"Goblins really are a nasty piece of work," Justin muttered to Ernie who nodded vigorously in agreement.

Something really extraordinary had to be inside this top security vault, Harry was sure, and he leaned forward eagerly,

Everyone leaned forward in anticipation.

expecting to see fabulous jewels at the very least — but at first, he thought it was empty. Then he noticed a grubby little package wrapped up in brown paper lying on the floor.

Everyone looked disappointed.

"That's...anti-climatic," Padma said to Lisa and Sue Li.

Hagrid picked it up and tucked it deep inside his coat.

Harry longed to know what it was but knew better than to ask.

Hermione snorted. "If only that had lasted," she muttered quietly to Ron who coughed to cover his laughter. Harry sent them a glare knowing they were talking about him. They only smiled innocently in return, which only confirmed his suspicions.

"Come on, back in this infernal cart, and don't talk to me on the way back, it's best if I keep me mouth shut," said Hagrid.

One wild cart ride later they stood blinking in the sunlight outside Gringotts. Harry didn't know where to run first now that he had a bag full of money.

"Don't go wasting it now dear," Molly told him with a small smile.

"I didn't Mrs. Weasley," Harry assured her.

He didn't have to know how many Galleons there were to a pound to know that he was holding more money than he'd had in his whole life — more money than even Dudley had ever had.

Harry let a small smirk grace his lips.

"Might as well get yer uniform," said Hagrid, nodding toward Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. "Listen, Harry, would yeh mind if I slipped off fer a pick-me-up in the Leaky Cauldron?

"Hagrid!" Shouted several of the teachers.

"That is very irresponsible of you!" Molly admonished.

"I was fine!" Harry yelled in defence of his friend.

"That isn't the point," Remus said sighing. "You were only eleven, you shouldn't of been left alone."

Hagrid looked down guiltily.

I hate them Gringotts carts." He did still look a bit sick, so Harry entered Madam Malkin's shop alone, feeling nervous.

Draco who was mentally complaining looked up. 'Wait, didn't I meet Potter in Madam Malkin's? Oh crap.'

Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve. "Hogwarts, dear?" she said when Harry started to speak. "Got the lot here — another young man being fitted up just now, [...]."

"Oh really? Did you make a new friend?" Molly questioned happily.

"Um, not exactly," Harry told her.

In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face

"Ugh Malfoy," Ron groaned.

Malfoy sent Ron a look of loathing.

was standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes. Madam Malkin stood Harry on a stool next to him slipped a long robe over his head, and began to pin it to the right length.

"Hello," said the boy, "Hogwarts, too?"

"He's only getting fitted for Hogwarts robes," Ron mockingly said to Draco.

Draco just scowled and turned away. "I was trying to start a conversation," he muttered.

"Yes," said Harry.

"My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street looking at [...]," said the boy.

"Why would your mom be looking at wands? The wand chooses the wizard?" Hermione asked.

Draco ignored her and continued to scowl.

He had a bored, drawling voice.

"I do not!" Draco yelled.

"Yes, you do." Harry and Ron said simultaneously. They looked at each other and grinned.

"It's OK Dray, they're just jealous," Pansy simpered.

"Don't call me that," Draco said through gritted teeth.

"Then I'm going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. I don't see why the first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in [...]."

Many teachers turned to glare at Draco, whose cheeks were beginning to tinge pink.

Harry was strongly reminded of Dudley.

"I am nothing like your filthy cousin!" Draco shouted.

"Right," Harry drawled in a perfect imitation of Draco.

"Have you got your own broom?" the boy went on.

"No," said Harry.

"Play Quidditch at all?"

"No," Harry said again, wondering what on earth Quidditch could be.

Oliver looked horrified at the thought of his old seeker not knowing about quidditch.

"I do — Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my house, and I must say, I agree. Know what house you'll be in yet?"

"No one knows until they are sorted Mr. Malfoy," Minerva stated.

"No," said Harry, feeling more stupid by the minute.

"Don't dear, you were new to all of this," Molly told him kindly.

"Well, no one really knows until they get there, do they, but I know I'll be in Slytherin, all our family have been — imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"

"Oi!" Shouted the Hufflepuffs, who turned to glare at Draco.

"Hey!" Tonks protested looking offended.

Mmm," said Harry, wishing he could say something a bit more interesting.

"I say, look at that man!" said the boy suddenly, nodding toward the front window. Hagrid was standing there, grinning at Harry and pointing at two large ice creams to show he couldn't come in.

"That's Hagrid," said Harry, pleased to know something the boy didn't. "He works at Hogwarts."

"Oh," said the boy, "I've heard of him. He's a sort of servant, isn't he?"

Those who like Hagrid turned to glare at Draco.

"Hagrid is not a servant," Dumbledore said losing some of his usual twinkle.

"He's the gamekeeper," said Harry. He was liking the boy less and less every second.

"I don't blame you," Ron muttered.

"Yes, exactly. I heard he's a sort of savage — lives in a hut on the school grounds and every now and then he gets drunk, tries to do magic, and ends up setting fire to his bed."

More glares were sent Draco's way, which he tried very hard to ignore.

"I think he's brilliant," said Harry coldly.

"Thank Harry," Hagrid beamed at Harry.

"Of course," Harry replied with a smile.

"Do you?" said the boy, with a slight sneer. "Why is he with you? Where are your parents?"

"They're dead," said Harry shortly. He didn't feel much like going into the matter with this boy.

"Oh, sorry," said the other, not sounding sorry at all.

Snape gnashed his teeth at the very uncouth behaviour is godson was displaying.

A few of the nicer Slytherins were now glaring at Malfoy.

"How uncouth," Daphne said to Tracey.

"But they were our kind, weren't they?"

"What does it matter?" Justin asked heatedly.

Draco sneered at him.

They were a witch and wizard, if that's what you mean."

"I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you?

"Stupid pureblood supremacy," Hermione stated.

They're just not the same, they've never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine. I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families. What's your surname, anyway?"

But before Harry could answer, Madam Malkin said, "That's you done, my dear," and Harry not sorry for an excuse to stop talking to the boy,

Draco glared at Harry who just smiled pleasantly back. 'That will annoy Malfoy.' Harry thought.

It did, Malfoy quickly turned his glare onto someone else.

hopped down from the footstool.

"Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose," said the drawling boy.

Harry was rather quiet as he ate the ice cream Hagrid had bought him (chocolate and raspberry with chopped nuts).

"What's up?" said Hagrid.

"Nothing," Harry lied.

"Really Harry you have to learn not to keep things to yourself like that." Hermione scolded.

They stopped to buy parchment and quills. Harry cheered up a bit when he found a bottle of ink that changed colour as you wrote. When they had left the shop, he said, "Hagrid, what's Quidditch?"

Oliver just shook his head. "Not knowing about quidditch, honestly," he muttered.

"Blimey, Harry, I keep forgettin' how little yeh know — not knowin' about Quidditch!"

"Don't make me feel worse," said Harry. He told Hagrid about the pale boy in Madam Malkin's. "— and he said people from Muggle families shouldn't even be allowed in —"

The muggle-borns scowled at that.

"Yer not from a Muggle family. If he'd known who yeh were — he's grown up knowin' yer name if his parents are wizardin' folk. You saw what everyone in the Leaky Cauldron was like when they saw yeh. Anyway, what does he know about it, some o' the best I ever saw were the only ones with magic in 'em in a long line o' Muggles — look at yer mum! Look what she had fer a sister!"

"So what is Quidditch?"

"It's our sport. Wizard sport. It's like — like soccer in the Muggle world

"How does Hagrid know about soccer?" Ron asked Harry.

Harry just shrugged. He had no idea how Hagrid knew.

"What's soccer?" A pureblood Ravenclaw fourth year asked.

Dean Thomas quickly explained what soccer was, then Pomona continued to read.

— everyone follows Quidditch — played up in the air on broomsticks and there's four balls — sorta hard ter explain the rules."

"No, it isn't!" All of the quidditch nuts yelled.

"And what are Slytherin and Hufflepuff?"

"Schoolhouses. There's four. Everyone says Hufflepuff are a lot o' duffers, but —"

"We are not!" The Hufflepuffs and Tonks yelled.

Pomona Sprout shot Hagrid a look before continuing on.

"I bet I'm in Hufflepuff," said Harry gloomily.

"Hufflepuff wouldn't be a bad house to be in." Harry said thoughtfully.

"They really are all about the equality of people and not discriminating for anything," Hermione pointed out thoughtfully.

"We are also loyal and helpful," Susan said with a smile.

"Better Hufflepuff than Slytherin," said Hagrid darkly. "There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin. You-Know-Who was one."

"Not all Slytherins are evil," Harry said.

Everyone, Slytherins included turned to look at Harry.

"What?" He asked shocked everyone was staring at him. "Just because I'm in Gryffindor doesn't mean I hate all Slytherins."

Snape and the Slytherins gave him a calculating look before looking back at Sprout.

"Vol-, sorry —You-Know-Who was at Hogwarts?"

"Years an' years ago," said Hagrid.

They bought Harry's school books in a shop called Flourish and Blotts where the shelves were stacked to the ceiling with books

Hermione got a dreamy look on her face at the thought of all the books. Ron and Harry knowing what she was thinking about shared amused looks.

as large as paving stones bound in leather; books the size of postage stamps in covers of silk; books full of peculiar symbols and a few books with nothing in them at all. Even Dudley, who never read anything, would have been wild to get his hands on some of these. Hagrid almost had to drag Harry away from Curses and Counter curses (Bewitch Your Friends and Befuddle Your Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, Tongue-Tying and Much, Much More) by Professor Vindictus Viridian.

"I was trying to find out how to curse Dudley."

"That a boy Harry!" The twins cheered.

"If you ever want help with that-" Fred started.

"We would be more than willing to assist." George finished.

Molly looked like she wanted to reprimand them, but thinking of the way she was treated she stayed silent. 'As long as it's nothing to bad or illegal.' She thought to herself giving her sons appraising looks.

"I'm not sayin' that's not a good idea, but yer not ter use magic in the Muggle world except in very special circumstances," said Hagrid. "An' anyway, yeh couldn' work any of them curses yet, yeh'll need a lot more study before yeh get ter that level."

Hagrid wouldn't let Harry buy a solid gold cauldron,

'Of course.' Snape sneered.

either ("It says pewter on yer list"), but they got a nice set of scales for weighing potion ingredients and a collapsible brass telescope. Then they visited the Apothecary, which was fascinating enough to make up for its horrible smell, a mixture of bad eggs and rotted cabbages. Barrels of slimy stuff stood on the floor; jars of herbs, dried roots, and bright powders lined the walls; bundles of feathers, strings of fangs, and snarled claws hung from the ceiling. While Hagrid asked the man behind the counter for a supply of some basic potion ingredients for Harry, Harry himself examined silver unicorn horns at twenty-one Galleons each and minuscule, glittery-black beetle eyes (five Knuts a scoop).

"I was actually looking forward to potions," Harry stated. "Until I met Professor Snape."

The teachers sans Umbridge and Dumbledore turned to glare at Snape, who glared right back. Dumbledore just gave him a disappointed look and sighed.

Outside the Apothecary, Hagrid checked Harry's list again. "Just yer wand left — A yeah, an' I still haven't got yeh a birthday present."

Harry felt himself go red. You don't have to —"

Everyone shot Harry sad looks. No one should be embarrassed about receiving a birthday present.

Hermione and Ron both vowed to themselves to do something great for Harry's next birthday. Little did they know Remus and Sirius were both pledging the same thing.

"I know I don't have to. Tell yeh what, I'll get yer animal. Not a toad, toads went outta fashion years ago, yeh'd be laughed at — an' I don' like cats, they make me sneeze. I'll get yer an owl. All the kids want owls, they're dead useful, carry yer mail an' everythin'."

Twenty minutes later, they left Eeylops Owl Emporium, which had been dark and full of rustling and flickering, jewel-bright eyes. Harry now carried a large cage that held a beautiful snowy owl,

Harry smiled at the mention of Hedwig.

"She's such a pretty owl," Lavender sighed.

fast asleep with her head under her wing. He couldn't stop stammering his thanks, sounding just like Professor Quirrell.

Harry blanched at being compared to Professor Quirrell.

"Don' mention it," said Hagrid gruffly. "Don' expect you've had a lotta presents from them Dursleys.

Hermione and the Weasley's glared at the mention of the Dursley's.

Just Ollivanders left now — only place fer wands, Ollivanders, and yeh gotta have the best wand."

A magic wand… this was what Harry had been really looking forward to.

Harry slowly began to pale. 'They'll know. They will all know about my wand and Voldemort's.' Harry quickly looked at his best friends then down at the table.

The last shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.

"That wand had been there since as long as I can remember," Remus said.

"Who's is it?" Asked Roger Davies from over at the Ravenclaw table.

"No one but Olivander knows. Every time someone asks, he changes the story." Dumbledore answered seemingly amused.

A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single, spindly chair that Hagrid sat on to wait. Harry felt strangely as though he had entered a very strict library;

Dumbledore chuckled, that was a good description,

he swallowed a lot of new questions that had just occurred to him and looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. For some reason, the back of his neck prickled. The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic.

"Really?" Moody asked sitting forward, his magical and normal eye both focused on Harry. Around the room, the adult's faces showed a mixture of awe and pride.

Harry shrugged looking faintly alarmed. "Why? Couldn't any of you?"

Dumbledore answered for the group. "It takes a lot of power and good instincts to be able to detect magical signatures. Not many people can do that."

"But its a good thing?" Harry asked nervously uneasy with the attention he was once again receiving.

"Yes, Harry it is." The headmaster answered his eyes twinkling.

"Good afternoon," said a soft voice. Harry jumped. Hagrid must have jumped, too, because there was a loud crunching noise and he got quickly off the spindly chair.

Several girls giggled at that.

An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.

Hello," said Harry awkwardly.

"Ah yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Harry Potter." It wasn't a question. "You have your mother's eyes. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work."

Mr Ollivander moved closer to Harry. Harry wished he would blink. Those silvery eyes were a bit creepy.

Harry shivered remembering the creepy eyes.

"They are creepy," Ron muttered.

"Your father, on the other hand, favoured a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favoured it — it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."

Mr Ollivander had come so close that he and Harry were almost nose to nose. Harry could see himself reflected in those misty eyes.

"And that's where…" Mr Ollivander touched the lightning scar on Harry's forehead with a long, white finger.

"Really, I thought Ollivander had more sense than that," Flitwick said shaking his head.

"I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it," he said softly. "Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands… well, if I'd known what that wand was going out into the world to do…"

"He sold You-Know-Who's wand" squeaked Colin

Dumbledore nodded "He has sold the wand of every student that attends this school,"

He shook his head and then, to Harry's relief, spotted Hagrid.

"Rubeus! Rubeus Hagrid! How nice to see you again… Oak, sixteen inches, rather bendy, wasn't it?"

"It was, sir, yes," said Hagrid.

"Good wand, that one. But I suppose they snapped it in half when you got expelled?" said Mr. Ollivander, suddenly stern.

"Er — yes, they did, yes," said Hagrid, shuffling his feet. "I've still got the pieces, though," he added brightly.

"But you don't use them?" said Mr. Ollivander sharply.

"No of course not!" Fred exclaimed.

"He just uses them for decoration." George said seriously.

Oh, no, sir," said Hagrid quickly. Harry noticed he gripped his pink umbrella very tightly as he spoke.

"That isn't at all obvious," Millicent sneered.

"Hmmm," said Mr. Ollivander, giving Hagrid a piercing look. "Well, now — Mr. Potter. Let me see." He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"

"Er — well, I'm right-handed," said Harry.

"Hold out your arm. That's it." He measured Harry from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round his head.

"I still don't see the point in that," Harry grumbled. He was started to feel uneasy. 'Soon everyone will know.'

As he measured, he said, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Mr. Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand."

"Isn't that the truth." Ron mumbled thinking of when he used to have Charlie's old wand.

Neville looked down at his wand, which had once belonged to his father. 'Maybe that's why. I should talk to gran.'

Harry suddenly realized that the tape measure, which was measuring between his nostrils, was doing this on its own. Mr. Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes.

"That will do," he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. "Right then, Mr Potter. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. Just take it and give it a wave."

Harry took the wand and, feeling foolish, waved it around a bit, but Mr Ollivander snatched it out of his hand almost at once.

"That's annoying," Megan Jones said.

"It was, he did that to me as well," Leanne told her.

"Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try —"

Harry tried — but he had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was snatched back by Mr Ollivander.

"No, no — here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, go on, try it out."

Harry tried. And tried. He had no idea what Mr Ollivander was waiting for. The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the spindly chair, but the more wands Mr Ollivander pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become.

"He does like a challenge, Ollivander." Dumbledore smiled thinking of his old friend.

Harry was continuing to stare at the table and he was pale. Hermione and Ron exchanged concerned looks.

"Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere — I wonder, now — yes, why not — unusual combination — holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."

Harry took the wand. He felt a sudden warmth in his fingers.

"Go, Harry!" Colin and Dennis yelled excitedly.

He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls.

Everyone smiled, remembering getting their wand.

Hagrid whooped and clapped and Mr Ollivander cried, "Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well… how curious… how very curious…"

"What's curious?" Many people asked. The only person besides Harry who wasn't wondering this was Dumbledore, Remus and Snuffles who all know about his wands connection to Voldemort.

'Is whatever is curious the reason for Harry look like this?' Hermione asked herself.

He put Harry's wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, "Curious… curious…"

"Sorry," said Harry, "but what's curious?"

Mr Ollivander fixed Harry with his pale stare.

"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand gave another feather — just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother — why, its brother gave you that scar."

"What?" Most of the room cried out in shock turning to the pale teenager.

"Ah-ha," yelled Umbridge delighted to a last have some dirt on the boy,

"Your wand is the brother wand to You-Know-Who," asked Neville faintly

Harry nodded glaring at the table,

Hermione noticed Umbridge scribbling on her clipboard furiously,

"But doesn't change anything," said Hermione loudly, "He is still Harry, nothing about him has changed"

"Well said, Miss Granger," said Dumbledore merrily

Harry swallowed.

"Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember… I think we must expect great things from you, Mr Potter… After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things — terrible, yes, but great."

"Is he complimenting You-Know-Who?" Hermione asked appalled.

"Not the person no," Dumbledore answered thoughtfully. "More like the magic involved, Voldemort may be evil but he is an exceptional wizard."

Harry shivered. He wasn't sure he liked Mr Ollivander too much. He paid seven gold Galleons for his wand, and Mr Ollivander bowed them from his shop.

The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky as Harry and Hagrid made their way back down Diagon Alley, back through the wall, back through the Leaky Cauldron, now empty. Harry didn't speak at all as they walked down the road; he didn't even notice how much people were gawking at them on the Underground, laden as they were with all their funny-shaped packages, with the snowy owl asleep in its cage on Harry's lap. Up another escalator, out into Paddington station; Harry only realized where they were when Hagrid tapped him on the shoulder.

"For someone so observant sometimes you can really be thick," Ginny said amusement colouring her voice.

"Got time fer a bite to eat before yer train leaves," he said.

He bought Harry a hamburger and they sat down on plastic seats to eat them. Harry kept looking around. Everything looked so strange, somehow.

"You all right, Harry? Yer very quiet," said Hagrid.

Harry wasn't sure he could explain. He'd just had the best birthday of his life — and yet — he chewed his hamburger, trying to find the words.

"Everyone thinks I'm special," he said at last. "All those people in the Leaky Cauldron, Professor Quirrell, Mr Ollivander… but I don't know anything about magic at all. How can they expect great things? I'm famous and I can't even remember what I'm famous for.

Everyone looked at Harry in shock. Could it be true, does he really not like his fame?

Once again Snape pierced Harry with a calculating look.

I don't know what happened when Vol-, sorry — I mean, the night my parents died."

"I do know," muttered Harry

Hagrid leaned across the table. Behind the wild beard and eyebrows, he wore a very kind smile. "Don' you worry, Harry. You'll learn fast enough. Everyone starts at the beginning at Hogwarts, you'll be just fine. Just be yerself. I know it's hard. Yeh've been singled out, an' that's always hard. But yeh'll have a great time at Hogwarts — I did — still do, 'smatter of fact."

Hagrid helped Harry on to the train that would take him back to the Dursleys, then handed him an envelope. "Yer ticket fer Hogwarts, " he said. "First o' September — King's Cross — it's all on yer ticket. Any problems with the Dursleys, send me a letter with yer owl, she'll know where to find me…. See yeh soon, Harry."

"He didn't tell you how to get onto the platform," Remus sighed.

"I got on OK," Harry said smiling at the Weasley's.

The train pulled out of the station. Harry wanted to watch Hagrid until he was out of sight; he rose in his seat and pressed his nose against the window, but he blinked and Hagrid had gone.

"That is the end of this chapter," Pomona announced setting the book down.

"Well I think it is time for lunch," said Dumbledore and the plates all filled themselves,

Everyone began eating, and talking about what they had read so far,

"I can't believe Harry has to put up with those awful muggles," said Lavender to Parvati

"I know it's awful" replied her friend

Eventually when everyone was done Dumbledore stood up and said "Professor Sinistra would you like to read next"

"Of course Albus.'" Aurora Sinistra said grabbing the book from the headmaster.