Handshake-Harry Potter

Hairy Man and Tube to London | Harry

HARRY'S POV

It had been roughly one hour since a giant hairy man bust down the door, gave my cousin a pig's tail and whisked me away from the little hut in the middle of nowhere. We were sitting on the train on our way to London. Hagrid, the abnormally large and hairy man, claims that there is a wizard place there. A month ago, I would have thought this man was out of his mind. But in the past hour, I've been starting to think that anything could be possible. I mean, he's an 8 foot man who used a pink umbrella to magic a little tail on Dudley's bum. He also gave me a passage away from the Dursleys. All things I never thought possible.

"First year students will require three sets of plain work robes, one wand," I looked up wide eyed at Hagrid,  who was sitting across from me.

"Essential bit of equipment, Harry," he replied with a nod.

"One pair of dragon-hide gloves," I continued. "Hagrid, do they mean from a real dragon?"

"Well, they don't mean from a penguin, do they?"

Dragons. What else could there be? Unicorns? Mermaids?

"Crikey, I'd love a dragon," Hagrid continued, a dreamy look on his face.

"You'd like a dragon?" I asked. Was he not worried of the dragon eating him alive?

"Fast and misunderstood beasts, Harry. Fast and misunderstood."

The cabin was empty except for one other lady, sitting a few seats down. She looked up from her newspaper at Hagrid, looking rather concerned with our conversation. Hagrid smiled and nodded a hello to her. I liked this guy. The lady stared at him for a second and wet back to her paper. Hagrid turned back to me with a look that might've said These people.

One pewter cauldron, standard size 2, 1 set glass or crystal phials, 1 telescope, the list kept going. Could I really buy all this in London?

Eventually we arrived in London. I had never been to London before, and I was very excited. As we walked down the streets, Hagrid was getting a couple of funny stares, probably due to his unusual size. 

We walked past book shops and music stores, hamburger bars and cinemas, but nowhere that looked like it could sell a magic wand. After walking for a while, Hagrid came to a halt at a dark and shabby building. 

"This is it, the Leaky Cauldron. Famous place."

I would have walked right past the building without giving it a second thought if Hagrid hadn't stopped me. Most people hurried straight past it, eyes sliding from the bookstore on one side to the record shop on the other, as if they couldn't see it. Though I have a feeling only Hagrid and I could see it. 

The pub was small and grubby-looking and didn't look at all famous. There was a few old women sitting in a corner, drinking and smoking. A little man was talking to the old barman, who turned to Hagrid and said, "The usual, Hagrid?"

"Can't, Tom. I'm on Hogwarts business." Hagrid clapped an enormous hand on my shoulder. My knees buckled under the sudden weight.

"Good Lord," gasped Tom the barman. He peered at me. "Is this - can this be -?"

Suddenly the whole bar was silent. "Bless my soul," whispered Tom. "Harry Potter... what an honour."

He came out from behind the bar and shook my hand, tears in his eyes.

"Welcome back, Mr. Potter, welcome back."

Suddenly everyone was looking at me, and then they were all coming in my direction, and I was shaking a million hands. They were all introducing themselves, telling me how proud they were, how excited they were. One man who said his name was Dedalus Diggle, looked familliar.

"I've seen you before! You bowed to me once in a shop."

His top hat fell off his head. "He remembers! Did you hear that? He remembers me!"

A pale young man made his way forward. He looked very nervous; one of his eyes was twitching

"Professor Quirrell!" Hagrid said. "Harry, Professor Quirrell will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts," he then directed to me.

"P-P-Potter," he stammered, grasping my hand, "c-can't t-tell you how p-pleased I am to meet you"

"What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?" I asked, just to diffuse the poor man's tension.

"D-Defence Against the D-D-Dark Arts," muttered Professor Quirrell, as though he'd rather not think about it. "N-not that you n-need it, eh, P-P-Potter?" He laughed nervously. "You'll beg-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. 

After ten minutes, Hagrid and I were finally able to get away from the crowd. 

"Must het on - lots ter buy. Come on, Harry" Hagrid said, guiding me out the back door. There was nothing outside but a dustbin and a few weeds. Hagrid turned and grinned at me.

"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. He was fine while he was studyin' outta books but he took a year off ter get some first-hand experience... They say he met vampires in the Black Forest and there was a nasty bit of trouble with a hag - never been the same since. Scared of the students, scared of his own subject - now, where's me umbrella?"

My head was swimming. Vampire? Hags? Hagrid, meanwhile, was counting bricks in the wall.

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

He tapped the wall three times with the point of his umbrella. And then the most amazing thing I've ever seen in my life aside from Dudley sprouting a pig's tail happened. The bricks in the wall started quivering, and a small hole appeared. It grew wider and wider, and in a second there was an archway leading to a cobbled street that twisted out of sight.

"Welcome," said Hagrid, "to Diagon Alley."

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A/N

Chapter 2 :D

I took some things from the movie and the book.

Also this was basically taken directly out the book, so I apologise.

Feedback please:)

Thank you and have a nice day/night!