Put A Spell On Me

Diagon Alley

I look up at Dad and I know this is no joke. They were never playing me. Its all real! All of it!

We start to walk into the street and I look around. There are many many shops which sell everything I need for school, and things I dont need for school. But there are two shops that catch my eye:

Flourish and Blotts-a book shop

And

Ollivanders-a wand shop.

I love reading and I just can't wait to get my wand. Mum and Dad follow my every glance. I see a lovely market where children are buying sweets and toffee apples. We pass a shop selling coloured robes and brooms. Dad sees where I am looking.

"Its called Quidditch." He says. He looks at my odd expression.

"Its a sport played on brooms in the air. There are seven players: 3 chasers, they handle a red ball called a quaffle, and throw it through one of 3 hoops to score 10 points, 2 beaters, they have clubs that beat flying balls called bludgers, at the opposite team to knock them off their brooms,  1 keeper, they defend the hoops, and the seeker." He continues.

I look at him, stunned that he knows so much about this sport. I really want to play it.

"Hang on. What does the seeker do?" I ask

"Ah. Now, the seeker has the best job. They have to try and get a tiny gold flying ball called The Golden Snitch. They have to catch it before the opposite teams seeker. If they catch it, their team receives 150 points and instantly wins the game!" He adds excitedly.

"Did you ever play?" I ask dad as I watch all of the kids at the window.

"Yep. Chaser. Great fun!" Dad laughs. Wow. My dad played quidditch. I really want to watch a match!

I stop outside the shop with broomsticks and see a very glam broom in the window. Nimbus 2000. It says on the handle. Its the newest and fastest model yet. Mum has to drag me away from the window as my nose is pressed against it.

"Right. First stop is Gringotts. The wizard bank. " Mum states and points down the busy road.

I nod. We reach the end of the street and I look back at all of the shops we passed. Its amazing! When I turn back round im amazed at the sight. We are standing outside a great big marble building.  Two pillars stand on either side of the entrance. And outside the doors stand two short figures. We approach them and they almost survey us. Eventually they let us in.

"What were they?" I whisper, looking back as the doors close.

"Goblins!" Dad whispers back. Goblins?

I open my mouth to say something but am stopped when we reach another set of doors and another pair of Goblins. But this time they let us through immediately.

We enter a huge hall. On either side, a long,  high wooden table is set and around 20 goblins sit on high stools behind it. We carry on walking and I notice that the Goblins are weighing gems of various colours and coins, coloured bronze, silver and gold.

"What are those coins called? " I ask.

"The small bronze coins are called knuts,  the silver are called sickles and the gold are Galleons. There are 17 Sickles to a Galleon and 29 Knuts to a Sickle. Easy!" Replies Dad.

I just stare. Did he say easy? Doesnt sound easy. We walk up to the main Goblins stool, he seems to be writing something.

"Harriet Bowers wishes to enter her vault.  Number 634." Says dad in a very grand voice. It'd different from his normal voice. It's almost funny.