A Winter at Hogwarts

Diagon Alley

The rest of the car ride was silent. My mood had dimmed some, and so had Mums after asking her about breaking the secrecy law. I didn't ask any more questions about the wizarding world. It was obvious that things would be clear soon enough. Even if Mum had told me what happens to people who break the law of secrecy, I would have also learned it at Hogwarts soon enough.

The mood was lightened however, when the car was stopped outside of a little pub. I had been by this place before, but I had never noticed the sign above a door that had a big black cauldron that said "The Leaky Cauldron."

"Where did this place come fr-"

"Shush!" Mum whispered, pulling me inside the pub. Once inside, she looked me in the eye and said "You have to be quiet about these things. I know you're excited, but you need to be more careful. Do you understand?

I nodded, remembering the look of fear on her face when I asked about the people who break the wizarding law. "Sorry, Mum."

"You'll get used to it. Now...let's go to the bank." Mum said.

I gave my mother a look of confusion and said "But we're in a pub. This isn't a bank."

That got me a few stares. People looked at me and Mum. That's when I noticed something. None of these people were in regular clothes. Yes, they were all dressed, but they were dressed in robes. Some of them were emerald green, and some of them were a light purple, some of them were a dark purple, and some had a mixture of green and gold.

"He's a first year. He's just now learning of this stuff." Said Mum.

The people who were staring looked at me, smiled, and went back to their drinks as if they understood that I didn't know anything about this place, but I was going to know.

"Come back here, Vince." Said Mum.

She lead me to the back of the pub where there was a small broom closet. I thought I was done for. I thought I was going to be lectured on staying quiet again, but when she opened the door further and I got a peek inside, I realized there was someone else already there.

"Dora?" Mum said.

"Lucy?" Replied the other woman.

"Merlin's beard! How are you?!"

"Oh, I'm fine. Just got Jazz her school supplies." Dora said, putting her hand on a girls shoulder. The girl had short brown hair that was short in the back, but longer in the front. Her bangs went slightly over her eyebrows, and looked to be about my age, but I hadn't seen her before. Mum seemed to remember though.

"This is little Jazzlynn?" Said mum.

"Not so little anymore." The woman called Dora said. "She's in her second year."

"Who's this?" I asked.

"Vince, this is my friend Dora. She's an old friend from Hogwarts, and that is her daughter Jazzlynn." Mum replied.

"But...you can call me Jazz." Said the girl standing next to Dora, extending her hand.

"Nice to meet you." I said, shaking Jazz's hand.

"I can show you around if you want." Jazz offered.

Mum and Dora exchanged looks and Dora said "Just don't go wandering too far. Not a toe into Knockturn Alley."

"Okay." Said Jazz.

"Go to Olivanders real quick." Said Mum, pulling out her wand. She walked to the brick wall in the back of the closet, and tapped a few of the bricks in a certain order.