The Fault In Our Names

Part 1

"Slow down mum," I said. "One thing at a time, okay?"

"Oh. Right", she said, looking disheartened.

Sensing that my mum was sad about my reaction to her over enthusiasm, I said, "So? When do we leave to go shopping?"

That made her happier.

The very next day we took the train to the center of town. We walked past all the places that I had gone shopping with my mum as a kid. It seemed strange not going in and walking straight past the massive shopping center. We walked for a bit longer, and then stopped at a pub called the Three Broomsticks. It was quite dark inside, I could see through the window, and it looked quite worse for wear. When I glanced at my mum, I could see that she was having a bit of trouble with her feelings. I guessed that this place might hold some memories of her and Voldie together.

"Come on mum, I can't wait to see whats inside" I said, hoping to cheer her up. I opened the door to loud, drunk talking, an unusual smell, and people dressed very strangely. When I asked my mum about their clothes, she told me that that was usual for wizards. I hoped that I wouldn't have to wear anything like that for school, I would die of embarrassment. We walked to the back of the room, and out a little door. I was curious about what we were doing here, but I knew better than to ask. My mum took out a wand from her pocket. Yes, a wand! and tapped some bricks. Seconds later, all the bricks on one side of the wall started to disintegrate, and revealed a bustling street beyond.

"Is this diagonal alley or something?" I asked.

"Diagon, not diagonal Tom," my mum said with a laugh. "So, where do we want to go first?"

I remembered what she had said about not having money, and, assuming that she forgot about that I decided to remind her.

"Oh, I forgot about that", she said after I reminded her.

While looking around, I spotted a normal dressed girl with a mum looking around worriedly. I pointed at them to my mum, and said that I thought they were also not magical. We went over to them and asked if they needed help.

"Hello!" Said my mum, being overly cheerful. "I'm Shelby and this is Tom, are you new here?"

The mother looked very relieved to have help, and she introduced herself.

"Oh yes, we are, thank you. I'm Claire, and this is my daughter Zoe, we were just in that bookshop over there but we couldn't pay for the books with pounds, the man at the cashier said that we needed wizard money, but I don't have a clue about where to exchange my pounds to this, wizard stuff," replied Claire.

"Oh, what a coincidence! You are in the same situation as we are!" Said my mum, with the same over cheerfulness that she had earlier. If she didn't stop with this cheery attitude soon, I might have just committed suicide. Claire and Shelby chatted on for a bit, and I'm pleased to say that the got on pretty well. I tried talking to Zoe, but she was really shy and didn't talk much, so in the end I gave up and pulled out my phone. What?! no connection. Oh my god. I just had a terrifying thought. What if there was not internet at the school!

Claire and Shelby had just decided to go to some bank called Gringots (a bit strange to me, because I knew my mum normally refused to use anything except barclays) when a massive man came over to us. And I mean massive like giant type of massive.

"Um, Hello" Said the man. "Me names 'Agrid, and I wos wonderin' if you need any 'elp"

My mum didn't see him until he started talking to us and she got a huge fright.