Chapter Five: A Trip To Diagon Alley
Lina woke extremely early the next morning, still in her pyjamas and clutching her wolf bear she ran into her uncle's room jumping on his bed to wake him up. Remus once awake laughed and calmed his niece down. "Go and get dressed then we'll leave."
Lina jumped off the bed and ran back to her room, getting changed into jeans, a yellow flowery shirt, a white cardigan and white trainers, brushed her teeth and hair and sat down at the kitchen table all under thirty minutes.
"You still have to eat breakfast" Remus reminded Lina when he saw her sitting patiently at the kitchen table, she huffed and when two slices of toast were placed in front of her she barley chewed wanting to leave as quickly as possible, all Remus could do was chuckle remembering how excited he was the first time he went to Diagon Alley.
After an easy journey by Floo Network, the pair arrived at Diagon Alley. Lina stood in awe watching hundreds of witches and wizards going from shop to shop or stopping to talk to each other, Lina had of course been here before to run errands with her uncle but they had always been quick trips but today there were here for her and there was no rush.
"First stop Gringotts, come on" Lima held her uncle's hand as the pair walked towards the bank, Lina looked all around her taking in every sight that Diagon Alley had until the pair reached the snowy white building of Gringotts.
"Hello, we've come to take some money out of Evangelina Blacks vault," Remus said once he got to a station with a goblin present.
"Have you got Miss Blacks vault key" Remus let go of Lina's hand to dig through his pocket to get the key, once found he gave it to the goblin.
"Very good" the goblin called over another goblin over to the pair "Bogrod will take you to Miss Blacks vault." With Lina's hand back in her uncles the pair followed Bogrod through a side door into a small stone passage, the goblin whistled and a second later a cart big enough for the three stopped in front of them. Once they had all climbed in the cart took off.
Lina who had never been to a vault of her own watched with wide eyes at all the twists and turns of the track, with every sharp turn her grip of Remus's hand tightened. Further and further down they travelled, at one point passing an underground lake until finally, they stopped.
"Vault seven hundred and eleven" Bogrod announced, the three of them stepped out of the cart which stayed stationary.
Bogrod unlocked the door and when it opened Lina gasped. Inside were mountains of coins, thousands of golds, silvers and bronze as well as different artefacts lined up neatly by the walls. Lina whose mouth was hanging open looked from the piles of money up to her uncle "but how?"
"Your father only had one brother who died a year after you were born and with your grandmother disowning your father the Black inheritance goes to you."
"Woah" Lina walked further into the vault, there were piles of money that were even taller than her "there's so much."
"And then there is also your mothers family vault" Lina spun back around, she didn't need that one to be explained.
"Woah, okay then."
Remus chuckled and handed Lina a purse, she stuffed as much money as she could into the purse when she was done the pair left.
***
"So where to next?" Lina's hand was once again holding Remus's, in his other held the Hogwarts letter.
"Why don't you decide" he replied handing the letter to her, Lina began to read what she now needed.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY
Uniform
First-year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags
Set books
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginners Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs And Fungi by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self - Protection by Quentin Trimble
Other Equipment
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring an own Or a cat OR a toad
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS
"Well since the first thing on the list is the uniform we should do that first."
"Very well then, on we go." The pairs shopping trip was uneventful with them easily buying everything Lina needed, her paying for everything much to Remus's dismay but as she just found out she had money and plenty of it she'd feel bad letting Remus buy anything for her.
Soon the only thing she had left to get was her wand. "What if no wands want me?" Lina asked as the pair stood in the doorway of Ollivanders.
"It doesn't work like that Lina, trust me you'll find one" Remus squeezed Lina's hand and the pair entered.
The shop inside was tiny with only a chair big enough for one person tucked in the corner, that was where Remus sat with all the packed up items they had already bought. In front of Lina who was now standing alone was a wooden counter, behind the counter was thousands of narrow boxes pilled in shelves from the floor up to the ceiling, Lina marvelled at the sight.
"Good afternoon" Lina jumped and turned to the voice, an older man with wide pale eyes stepped out of the darkness of the back of the shop.
"Hello" Lina replied her voice soft.
'It's been a long time since a member of the family of Black stepped into my shop. Your father, oh yes I remember him, your father's wand, red oak wood, Phoenix feather core, 12 1/4, good for duelling" Mr Ollivander walked closer to Lina who felt like shrinking back but stayed strong. "And your mother, she was particularly good at wandless magic if I remember correctly but still acacia wood, ten inches, unicorn hair core, fairly rigid, a good loyal wand. Both wands of good quality, a great shame what happened, a great shame indeed."
His eyes then settled onto Remus who was still sitting quietly on the chair "ah Mr Lupin, 10 1/4, cypress wood, unicorn hair core, how is it?"
"Still as good as the day I bought it."
"Good, good. Now miss Black let's get started" he pulled out a long tape measure from his pocket "what is your wand arm?"
"Right."
"Good, hold out your arm" Lina complied and the measuring started, her shoulder to finger, them wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and around her head. "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance Miss Black. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers and the heartstrings of dragons. No two wands are the same as I'm sure you are aware of Miss Black, and of course, you will never get such good results with another wizards wand. Lina looked over to Me Ollivander who was back in between the shelves.
"That will do" the tape measure crumpled up on the floor.
"Try this one Miss Black, ten inches, Maple wood, dragon heartstring, very rigid" Lina barely had the wand in her hand for a second before it was snatched away "definitely not."
"This one, 10 3/4, red oak wood, unicorn hair, quite bendy" when Lina held the wand it felt right like it was hers and hers alone. "Go on give it a wave" Lina pointed it at the potted plant pot on Mr Ollivanders counter which homed a dead plant but instantly sprouted a fresh bright yellow sunflower "oh how wonderful, wonderful, this is the wand for you."
Lina couldn't contain her smile as she handed Mr Ollivander seven golden galleons.
***
"Did you see that uncle Remus, it was so cool."
Remus chuckled at his overexcited niece who was quite literally jumping up and down as they walked through Diagon Alley "it was very impressive indeed. Now we have one more shop to go to then we can go home."
Lina's eyebrows furrowed "but we've already got everything on the list."
"Not everything" Lina followed her uncle silently until they stopped outside a shop, Magical Menagerie, Lina looked up to her uncle one eyebrow raised "a late birthday present, you can bring a cat, owl, or toad and I know how long you've wanted a cat so......"
Lina squealed and hugged her uncle before rushing into the shop, Remus following behind. "How can I help you?" An elderly woman asked the pair.
"We're looking to buy a cat" Remus answered.
"Oh that's easy" she lead Remus over to a nice looking black cat "our most popular choice" Remus looked down expecting to see Lina but she wasn't there.
"Lina?" He questioned
"Over here" Remus walked over to find Lina sitting on the floor playing with a snowy white kitten with Heterochromia eyes, one blue one almost gold.
"Poor things been here for weeks, no one wants her," the elderly witch said.
"I do. Please, uncle Remus."
"Oh go on then."
Remus bought the cat and everything else they needed to care for it. After getting some ice cream from Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour - both chocolate flavour - the pair headed home after a long, exciting and tiring day.