The Chronicles of Sasha Leone & Trials of the Curse-Breaker (Hogwarts Mystery)

Chapter Two: Diagon Alley

By the next day, Sasha's mother was amazed and proud of her daughter for receiving the Hogwarts acceptance letter. But she reminded Sasha not to do anything crazy, like search for the Cursed Vaults or anything of the like.
Sasha soon entered a tiny, grubby-looking pub knowing it's called the Leaky Cauldron. But for a famous place, it was a tiny, grubby-looking pub. If her parents hadn't pointed it out, Sasha 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, Sasha had the most peculiar feeling that only she could see it.
Without another word, Sasha had stepped into the pub.
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 low buzz of chatter stopped when she walked in.
She tapped the wall three times with her right hand, without too much trouble. The brick she had touched quivered — it wriggled — in the middle, a small hole appeared — it grew wider and wider — a second later she was facing an archway large enough even for Hagrid (Jacob and her parents mentioned him), an archway onto a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight.
Sasha's eyes widened with amazed recognition. She stepped through the archway. Sasha looked quickly over her shoulder and saw the archway shrink instantly back into solid wall.
She always dreamed of the day when it was her turn to shop for school supplies, walking down Diagon Alley with her brother and mother at her side. They would look at quills, gush over the latest brooms, and check out the bookstore. And with their mother's back turned, Jacob would sneak some extra chocolate frogs into her satchel, the very satchel he had gifted to her a few years ago and the very brown satchel currently hanging from her shoulder.
But he was gone, missing off of the Earth.
But Sasha did have her mother with her. Just, not at the current moment. Sasha was given a purse of coins before her mother ventured off to the bank, leaving Sasha to start shopping by herself. It wouldn't be her first time there, as she had accompanied her brother and mother quite a few times over the years, but she was never left alone.
She turned her head in every direction as she walked up the street, trying to look at everything at once: the shops, the things outside them, the people doing their shopping. A low, soft hooting came from a dark shop with a sign saying Eeylops Owl Emporium — Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown, and Snowy. Twenty minutes later, she left the Eeylops Owl Emporium, which had been dark and full of rustling and flickering, jewel-bright eyes. Sasha now carried a large cage that held a handsome sandy-brown pharaoh eagle-owl, fast asleep with his head under his wing. She decided to name the handsome owl Cadmus and placed him into her bag with the rest of her things.
Several boys of about Sasha's age had their noses pressed against a window with broomsticks in it. There were shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments Sasha 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. Sasha had bought school supplies, ingredients, and a decent cauldron for Potion Class as well as new robes that was made by Madam Malkin for Hogwarts.
Still stuck in her own mind, she nearly ran into someone. Quickly steadying herself, she went to apologize. "Oh, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"
Thankfully, the person just laughed it off as she gets up from the floor with some books in her hands. Apparently, the person was the same age as she is. The girl has shoulder-length black hair and a coppery complexion, while her dark brown eyes were gleaming with friendly curiosity and bold intelligence underneath her glasses. She was wearing a white button-up shirt with a simple black skirt, complete with a peachy pink cardigan. "Don't worry about it. I'm Rowan Khanna! Are you a new student at Hogwarts too?"
"Yup, I'll be a first year. You?" Sasha glanced at Rowan, curious of why she's not wary of her like the others are back in her neighborhood.
"Same here! I've been so excited. I've been reading Hogwarts: A History in preparation so I'd like to think of myself as an expert on Hogwarts." The two of them shared a quick giggle. "Have you done your shopping yet?"
Sasha shook her head. "Not yet. I still need some things."
"Oh!" Rowan beamed at Sasha eagerly. "Then you'll be needing your books! You can get those at Flourish and Blotts. I've already got mine, but I can take you there."
She couldn't help, but freeze. Did Sasha need to buy new books? Despite her mother's joking mumbles about Jacob not using his books often, they all knew he was an exemplary student at Hogwarts. Sure, he was a troublemaker sometimes, but he was smart and excelled wonderfully in his classes. It was one of the reasons why Sasha looked up to him so much.
Sasha decided against using his old books. She knew how much he treasured them, and she couldn't bring herself to barge into his room and rummage through his things to look for some books.
She hadn't ventured into his room for years and wouldn't do so any time soon, especially for some simple books. "Yeah, that would be great. Thanks."
Rowan motioned for her to follow and they ventured down the street of Diagon Alley, pushing through the masses of other witches and wizards and students while making small talk about the weather and how excited for school they were. It didn't take them long to get there, it was only a few stores down from where they were. They quickly entered to escape the crowd.
Despite the masses outside, there were very few inside the little shop. It took Sasha a few seconds to take everything in. The warm lighting from the candle chandelier above made the place feel so cozy. The bookstore was filled to the brim with books. Shelves upon shelves lined the walls, from ceiling to floor. The books were of all sizes and different varieties. The front windows usually contained displays of gold-embossed spellbooks the size of paving slabs. Coming from a Wizarding family, Sasha had seen her fair share of books, but she had never seen such a ratio of books to space before. She absolutely loved it.
After paying for her books, she turned to Rowan as they started to head back outside, holding her precious books to her chest and giving them a quick squeeze before gently storing them in her satchel. "Thanks for your help, Rowan. I probably would've been looking around in there all day. It's absolutely wonderful in there."
Rowan smiled brightly at Sasha. "No problem! I'm always glad to help. Oh, I was so excited to meet another First Year I forgot to ask your name."
"Oh!" Sasha mentally facepalmed herself for not introducing herself in the first place. "Sorry. I'm Sasha."
Sasha stuck out a hand and Rowan quickly shook it. "Pleasure to meet you, Sasha."
"Me, too," admitted Sasha with a smile. "I'm so excited to get to Hogwarts. Holding those books... it's finally hitting me. This is actually happening."
A big smile exploded on Rowan's face. "Me, too! I haven't been able to stop staring at my acceptance letter since it arrived. Oh, my mum gave me just enough extra money to get something special for school. I want to let everyone at Hogwarts know that I'm a serious intellectual who is well on her way to becoming Head Girl. What do you think I should get, Sasha?" They both moved away from the busy main street, huddling together next to an alleyway, trying to avoid the blinding sunlight.
Sasha ponders the question, looking Rowan up and down with a serious expression. "You already have the glasses." They both couldn't help, but giggle at that. "What about a scarf?"
"Great idea!" Rowan exclaimed excitedly, clapping her hands and making Sasha flinched instinctively. "Scarves make everyone look scholarly. How about this? While I go look for a scarf, you should go get your wand of Ollivanders?!"
A tingle of anticipation spread through her body, she nearly shook from excitement. "That sounds great! How about we meet back here after?"
With the two girls excited about their journey ahead, they split off and blend in with the crowd. Sasha quickly made her way to Ollivanders, making sure not to step on anyone's feet. Finally finding the store, she let out a sigh, pushed the door open and stepped inside. Much like Flourish and Blotts, Ollivanders was a small store packed to the brim. However, it was completely empty, save for one man behind the front desk. The place was quiet and dimly lit, quite comforting actually. On every shelf and bookcase were boxes of wands, stacked on top of each other with barely any room to breathe. The man looked up from his papers when she entered and offered her a warm smile. He has fluffy gray hair and many smile lines seem to be surrounding his eyes. His wide, pale eyes were shining like moons through the gloom of the shop. He was dressed in a dark purple robe, which quite matched the store's ambiance.
She walked up to the desk timidly, full of both nerves and determination. Not because of the man behind the desk, but at the thought of finally getting her wand.
"Hello," the man greets softly. "Garrick Ollivander is my name. Here to receive your first wand, yes?" He looks her over and from under the desk, he pulls out a box. From it, he retrieves a beautifully made wand and extends it to her. "I have just the thing. Applewood wand, dragon heartstring core, nine inches, ridgid. Go on, give it a twirl."
The wand was so light in her hands. Holding it gently yet firmly, Sasha nervously gave it a gentle flick. Suddenly, a gust of wind came out of nowhere and blows all of Ollivander's papers to the ground. She quickly gives it back to him with a sheepish smile. "Sorry about that, Sir."
Ollivander lets out an amused chuckle as he gently put the wand back. "It's not your fault. The wand chooses the witch, and that is clearly not the wand for you." Giving her a look with an amused twinkle in his moony eyes, he smiled at her gently. "I recall your brother exploded my favorite inkpot when we tried his first wand."
At the mention of her brother, Sasha quickly perked up, looking at him with wide, expectant eyes, and glued herself to the front of the desk. It had been so long since someone mentioned her brother, especially with such affection. "You knew my brother?"
"I remember every wand I've ever sold. His was maple wood, dragon heartstring core, ten inches. A fine wand." As he recalled Jacob's wand, he looked so proud, but then his expression turned sorrowful and he shook his head. "Shame they snapped it in half when he was expelled. I understand that he ran away from home after being expelled, and has been missing ever since. That must have had a profound impact on you..."
She looked away from his sympathetic gaze with an aching heart. "He loved us, and he loved Hogwarts. I just hope he's okay..." She let out a sigh and glanced at Ollivander. "I just want to know what happened."
He hummed, deep in thought. Turning around, he ventures into the room behind him, looking left and right. Sasha tried to get a better look. Before she could actually see anything, he pulled out a box from the middle of a shelf and began to return. "Sensitivity can be a great strength. I think I have just the wand for you. Acacia wand, unicorn hair core, twelve inches, pliable." He extended the wand to her with a knowing look in his eyes. She could only look at it, worried that it wasn't fit for her either.
With a trembling hand, Sasha took another deep breath, swallowed her nerves and carefully the newly presented wand. Inwardly bracing herself, she gave the wand a twirl of itself. But instead of summoning another whirlwind, she could feel a sudden change in her. She could feel the magic inside of her. She felt the magic warm her body while it extend to every limb and down to the tips of her hair. A gentle glowing breeze hugged her body and quickly disappeared. She knew it in her heart and soul. This was her wand. For a brief moment, she wondered if her older brother had felt the same when he received his first wand and wished he was there to experience the moment with her.
With a bright smile on his face, Ollivander clapped his hands with joy. "Wonderful! Inside the box will be a care guide for your wand, do be sure to read it. I'll be interested to see what path you choose."
"Thank you, Mr. Ollivander," Sasha said with a wide smile.
With her new wand and feeling all excited inside, she quickly placed the wand into its box for some protection before placing it into her satchel. Hurrying out the door, she couldn't wait to show Rowan. Navigating through the crowd, Sasha finally made it back to their meeting spot, finding Rowan had already returned before her, and with quite a... unique-looking scarf.
"Sasha." Rowan slightly twirled to allow the scarf to flow back and forth. "How do you like my scarf?" It was a simple scarf with layer upon layer of bright colored stripes of pink, red, yellow, green, and white. It wasn't the best scarf Sasha had ever set her eyes upon, but she couldn't quite hate it either. Especially since it made Rowan look so happy.
"It... suits you," said Sasha with a smile. "You'll look like the smartest First Year at Hogwarts."
"It was your suggestion," Rowan said excitedly. "I'll be coming to you for all of my future fashion advice!"
Sasha couldn't keep the smile off her own face and made a mental note to research current fashion trends in the future. "I look forward to it." Suddenly remembering her own excitement, she quickly pulled out her wand box and opened it. "Rowan, check out my wand—"
"Wait! Is that an acacia wand?!" Rowan's eyes widened in amazed surprise.
Surprised, Ray's eyes widened, and returned her wand to her satchel. "...Yes, how did you know?"
With a look of pure pride, Rowan smiled at her. "My family's tree farm supplies wood for wands and brooms. I know a thing or two." But she quickly turned sheepish and swayed a little bit, seeming a little embarrassed. "That's why I love staying inside and reading. It keeps me from going outside and farming. That, and the fact that I don't have any friends..."
"We can be friends." Sasha looked at her expectantly.
Rowan perked up eagerly, but also looked slightly confused. "You don't think I'm too weird? People usually think I'm too weird."
"People say the same thing about me," Sasha replied with an empathetic smile.
"Why would anyone say that about you?" asked Rowan curiously.
"My brother is Jacob Leone," Sasha admitted.
Rowan's eyes widened and nearly jumped with surprise. "The same Jacob Leone who was expelled from Hogwarts for breaking school rules in search of the fabled Cursed Vaults?! That was a massive story in the Daily Prophet. Everyone at school will know about that."
Her heart sunk a little as she felt the old hurt enter her heart, but managed to keep her smile on her face, though a grimace did manage to escape. "I know. And they'll all think I'm weird."
She quickly found her hands incased in Rowan's hands, who looked at her with a large smile. "We'll both be weird together! What should I do if someone gives you trouble over your brother?"
Her heart swelled with warmth. Their friendship had barely just begun, but Sasha was loving it. After news of her brother spread, Sasha had decided to withdraw herself from everyone (except her family) before she could fear their rejection of her. Sasha knew a new barrier has been made regarding her, so she decided to keep herself occupied with books and the wildlife that her Mom sometimes take in. This friendship, Sasha was determined to keep and protect. "Just follow my lead. I can stand up for myself, but I'd feel better if I knew you were on my side."
"Understood." Rowan smiled at her mischievously. "I'll use my extensive vocabulary to verbally pummel anyone who attempts to besmirch your reputation."
"That, umm, won't be necessary, I think," Sasha said, chuckling. "I'd like to avoid any more attention. Especially since I'm going to try and find out what happened to Jacob. I need answers." Her expression softened as she gazed at Rowan. "It will be nice to see a friendly face at school. Especially one who knows Hogwarts so well."
"Me too, Sasha!" Rowan smiled brightly at Sasha. "See you in September on the Hogwarts Express."
Sasha smiled at her. "Same here amiga. I'll see you soon."
But Rowan seemed to remember something. "Oh! I need to head off, I promised to meet my parents soon. Bye, Sasha!"
"See ya, Rowan!" Smiling, Sasha watched as Rowan bounced away and into the crowd, her scarf trailing behind her.