Meeting People and Getting Ready

Neptunia shook herself out of her thoughts and smiled at Harry and then they turned to Hagrid,

"Might as well get yer uniform," said Hagrid, nodding toward Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. "Listen, would yeh mind if I slipped off fer a pick-me-up in the Leaky Cauldron? I hate them Gringotts carts. " He did still look a bit sick, so they entered Madam Malkin's shop, feeling nervous.

Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve. Neptunia smiled nervously, "Good Morning ma'am."

"Hogwarts, dear?" she said, when Harry started to speak. "Got the lot here -- another young man being fitted up just now, in fact. "

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

"Yes," said Harry and Neptunia smiled, "Yup."

"My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street looking at wands," said the boy. He had a bored, drawling voice. "Then I'm going to drag them off to took 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 somehow. "

Harry was strongly reminded of Dudley and Neptunia looked appaled, "You ought not to do that! What if you get expelled"

"Have you got your own broom?" the boy went on before turning to Neptunia, "So what? I could go to another school." He turned back to Harry, "Well?"

"No," said Harry.

"Play Quidditch at all?"

"No," Harry said again, wondering what on earth Quidditch could be. Neptunia huffed and sat on a seat nearby waiting for Harry to be done.

"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," said Harry, feeling more stupid by the minute.

"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?"

"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?"

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

"Yes. Well, 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. "

"I think he's brilliant," said Harry coldly and Neptunia pursed her lips and crossed her arms. "He's kind, helpful and amazing. Just you wait. You'll see."

"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, Neptunia nodded and muttered out a 'same'

"Oh, sorry," said the other, not sounding sorry at all. "But they were our kind, weren't they?"

"They were a witch and wizard, if that's what you mean. " and Neptunia popped up, "Does it matter if they weren't?"

"I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you? 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, hopped down from the footstool.

"Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose," said the drawling boy. Harry nodded and turned to Neptunia, "I'll be waiting for you outside."

Neptunia smiled and hopped onto the stool as Madam Malkin helped pin her robes. The boy turned to her, "You're strange."

Neptunia rolled her eyes, "Gee, I hadn't noticed." She wondered if everyone was going to be this rude.

The boy huffed slightly, "What's your name anyway? My name is Malfoy. Draco Malfoy."

"Neptunia. And you really ought to lose that bigoted opinion." Neptunia could see the wheels turning in Draco's head.

"What...bigoted?"

"Well, yes! Do you honestly think that if only Wizarding families were invited or allowed then the population of the community wouldn't greatly stagnate? Besides, If wizard and witches only married other wizards and witches, the inbreeding would destroy their DNA and make them go insane." Madam Malkin smiled up at her and she smiled back. She took off her robes after she was done and paid her. As she was stepping out the door, she turned back to the blonde, "Besides...we all bleed red don't we?"

Leaving the gobsmacked and slightly confused blonde behind, she walked ahead to see a messy tuft of raven hair. She walked forward and looped her arms with Harry, "Shall we?" They walked together towards the ice cream shop.

Harry was rather quiet as he ate the ice cream Hagrid had bought him (chocolate and raspberry with chopped nuts). Neptunia looked at him from time to time as she ate her own ice cream (chocolate and vanilla with chocolate chips.).

"What's up?" said Hagrid.

"Nothing," Harry lied. Neptunia nudged him and whispered, "Liar. It's about that boy isn't it?" Harry nodded and turned to his ice cream.

They stopped to buy parchment and quills. Harry cheered up a bit when he found a bottle of ink that changed color as you wrote and Neptunia was rather delighted when she bought it. When they had left the shop, Harry said, "Hagrid, what's Quidditch?" Neptunia turned her head towards Hagrid, eager to learn more.

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

"Don't make me feel worse," said Harry. Neptunia giggled and nudged him, "We're in this together Harry!!" Harry smiled before frowning. He told Hagrid about the pale boy in Madam Malkin's with Neptunia interjecting in between and telling them about the conversation she had with him.

"-- and he said people from Muggle families shouldn't even be allowed in--" said Harry before he was interrupted by Neptunia.

"Really Harry again? You really shouldn't listen to people like 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!" Hagrid ranted before turning to Neptunia. "And yeh did the right thing Neptunia. O' course, I couldn't 'ave done better, some people are just grown into it and jus' need a fresh perspective. Tha's all."

Neptunia beamed under the praise and her hair turned pink. Harry turned to NEptunia, "Say, Neptune?" Neptunia turned to Harry with a brighter smile because of the fact that Harry felt comfortable enough to use a nickname, "Yea Harry?"

"Why does your hair do that?" Neptunia tugged a strand in front of her face, "I really don't know much about the magical community so I think I'll buy a few extra books to jumpstart. otherwise, I don't know why. I think it is in tune with my emotions." Neptunia turned to Hagrid hoping that he would have the answers.

Hagrid smiled, "Yer not wrong there. Yer a metamorphangus is what."

Neptunia hummed, already well versed in Latin, she knew what it meant. Harry looked puzzled, "A what?"

Hagrid continued explaining, "A metamorphangus is someone who can change their appearance at will but some times their emotions get the best o' them."

Harry nodded as Neptunia focused and changed her appearance. Her hair changed to black and her eyes turned to green from her usual grey. Harry felt weird seeing a copy of him, right in front of him. Neptunia smiled before changing back to normal. They laughed before Harry turned to Hagrid.

"So Hagrid, what is Quidditch?"

"It's our sport. Wizard sport. It's like -- like soccer in the Muggle world -- everyone follows Quidditch -- played up in the air on broomsticks and there's four balls -- sorta hard ter explain the rules. "

Neptunia smiled, "That doesn't sound like the rules..."

Hagrid smiled as his beard twitched, Neptunia was reminded of something else Draco had said, "Hagrid? What are Slytherin and Hufflepuff?"

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

"I bet I'm in Hufflepuff," said Harry gloomily. Neptunia flared up, "HARRY! You shouldn't belie stereotypes. For all we know Hufflepuff could be nice!"

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

Neptunia turned to Hagrid appalled at the discrimination unfortunate nature in the situation, "Hagrid! Just because they turn out to be Slytherin doesn't mean that ALL Slytherins are horrible!"

Harry glanced at Neptunia before asking Hagrid, "Vol-, sorry -- You-Know-Who was at Hogwarts?"

"Years an' years ago," said Hagrid.

They got their books at a shop called Flourish and Blotts where the shelves were stacked to the ceiling with books 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. Harry could see Nepunia's eyes turn a slight shade of gold as she turned from book to book, grabbing something that might be interesting. When she turned to Hagrid, even he couldn't resist her pleading eyes. As Neptunia grabbed another book ( The master's book for Transfiguration), she could have never seen a funnier sight. Hagrid almost had to drag Harry away from Curses and Countercurses (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. "

"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. "

Neptunia winked at Harry behind HAgrid's back before grabbing the book and hiding it in her pile. Harry had to turn away to hide his smile. When they walked outside Hagrid looked at Neptunia's stack of books and sighed with fake annoyance.

Hagrid wouldn't let Harry buy a solid gold cauldron, either ("It says pewter on yer list") and Neptunia was giggling all the time, ("You're such a drama queen Harry!" "Am not!" She stuck her tongue out at him), but they got a nice set of scales for weighing potion ingredients and a collapsible brass telescope. Both of them were looking forward to potions. 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 and Neptunia, Harry himself examined silver unicorn horns at twenty-one Galleons each and minuscule, glittery-black beetle eyes (five Knuts a scoop) and Neptunia was looking around at the Bezoars which Neptunia recognised as a poison cure.

Outside the Apothecary, Hagrid checked Harry and Neptunia's list again.

"Just yer wand left -- A yeah, an' I still haven't got yeh a birthday present. "

Harry felt himself go red and Neptunia hugged him from his right side.

"You don't have to--"

"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'. "

Neptunia smiled, "Oh, Owls are pretty cute too Hagrid!"

Hagrid smiled, "Dead right you are!"

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

"Don' mention it," said Hagrid gruffly. "Don' expect you've had a lotta presents from them Dursleys. Just Ollivanders left now -- only place fer wands, Ollivanders, and yeh gotta have the best wand. "

A wand, Neptunia straightened. She was wondering how they worked and how she would choose it. They were probably millions!

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.

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; 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. Neptunia sucked in a breath of air, this place was amazing. She walked forwards to look at the boxes but then stopped sheepishly. For some reason, the back of their neck prickled. The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic.

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

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

"Hello," said Harry awkwardly as Neptunia waved awkwardly as well, "Good afternoon."

"Ah yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Harry Potter. Neptunia Black." It wasn't a question. He turned to Harry, "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 looked like he was wishing he would blink. Those silvery eyes were a bit creepy.

"Your father, on the other hand, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favored 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.

"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 turned to Neptunia and gazed at her chest. She raised her hand to cover the spot where her scar sat. "Neptunia Black, a spitting image of your mother. I remember when she first came in, bursting with questions. 11 inches, Cedar Wood. The handle was made out of Pawpaw Wood. A core of wolf whisker and troll hearstring. That wand really only favoured those with a sharp mind." He looked into Neptunia's eyes which were grey like her father's

"Your father, however, 15 inches, Ebony wood, phoenix feather core. Not too flexible nor Rigid. He was a good allrounder. Pity though, with what happened."

Neptunia awkwardly smiled, "Thank you?" The man shook his head and to Neptunia and 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.

"Oh, no, sir," said Hagrid quickly. Harry noticed he gripped his pink umbrella very tightly as he spoke. Neptunia zeroed in on the motion before her eyes widened slightly.

"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. 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. "

Neptunia spoke up, "Sir? You said that the wand chooses the wizard or witch. Does that mean that there could be wands with no owners at all?"

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. "Who knows, wand lore is extemely complex." Mr Ollivander moved around before taking out a box.

"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.

"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.

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

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 two others. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother -- why, its brother gave you both those scars. "

Harry swallowed. Neptunia tilted her head and opened her mouth to ask a question when Mr Ollivander turned and smiled at Neptunia, "Now the lady's turn. Right wand arm?"

Neptunia nodded and the man set to work. He brought out a box. " Ash, Phoenix wing feather, Firm, 9 inches. Try-"

Neptunia sighed and raised it before Mr Ollivander snatched it and gave her a new one.

"Hmm- yes, this might. Hawthorn, unicorn mane hair, stiff, 8 inches,"

Neptunia waved it around but to no avail and Mr Ollivander snatched it back and as he turned Neptunia smacked her forehead. "OH! I almost forgot!"

Mr Ollivander turned around, "Yes?"

Neptunia pulled out her necklace and gave it to Mr Ollivander. " I had gotten a letter saying I should show this to you."

Mr Ollivander stared at it before using his wand to take out the crystal gem, making the wings curl out and form a new necklace. He went back and brought out a silver coloured box, he opened it and brought out the most beautiful wand Neptunia had ever seen. It was chestnut brown but it had Mahogany brown vine-like features which formed a cage above the handle. The whole body if the wand had tiny gemstones which varied with colour, at the tip of the wand, it had a small piece of gemstone which was blue.

Mr Ollivander brought the gemstone closer to her wand and the wood moved to let in. "How interesting..10 inches, Holly and elder mix. Phoenix feather with the gems of an elemental fight along with the hearthstone. Flexible but rigid. An unusual combination but one that is noted for protection. How curious. Try."

Neptunia grasped the wand, flicked it and stars came floating out her wand forming a beautiful ambience of safety. Hagrid clapped, Harry gasped and tried to touch one before stopping and Mr Ollivander exclaimed jovially, "How incredible. But curious." As he packed it he was still muttering. "Curious. How Curious..."

Neptunia couldn't help but ask like Harry, "Sorry, but what's curious?"

Mr Ollivander gazed at Neptunia, "It seems that you too have the wand that shared the Phoenix feather." Neptunia turned to look at Harry who also seemed confused.

"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, Ms. Black, Mr. Potter. . . After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things -- terrible, yes, but great. "

Neptunia stared at the man as Harry shivered, she wasn't sure if the man was right in the head or not. They each paid seven gold Galleons for their wand, and Mr. Ollivander bowed them from his shop.

The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky as Harry, Neptunia 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. Neptunia on the other hand was reading a book and raised an eyebrow at the people who stared for too long. Up another escalator, out into Paddington station; Harry only realized where they were when Hagrid tapped him on the shoulder and Neptunia laughed at his startled expression.

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

He bought Harry and Neptunia a hamburger and they sat down on plastic seats to eat them. Harry kept looking around. Everything looked so strange, somehow. Neptunia had mellowed out and wasn't her usual bubbly self.

"You all right, Harry? Yer lookin' anxious. Neptunia? 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. Neptunia fiddled with her newly changed necklace.

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

Neptunia nodded and spoke up, "Not to mention that we don't know anything about the magical world and its customs. Surely you must have some kind of primary school for magic?"

Hagrid leaned across the table. Behind the wild beard and eyebrows, he wore a very kind smile.

"Don' you worry, Harry. Neptunia. 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 and Neptunia on to the train that would take him back to the Dursleys and her to the orphanage, then handed them an envelope each.

"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. And Neptunia, don't go running off using magic alright?"

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. He turned to Neptunia who was grinning. "So, want to read about those spells from the book that you wanted?"

Harry smiled, maybe things won't be too bad. Neptunia smirked and applauded herself mentally for cheering Harry's spirits. After all, it was just the beginning.