Nobody was surprised when Hermione asked where she could buy books about magic and the magical world. Albus was quite reluctant to give away that information, but her determination to learn made him eventually agree. As usual, he delegated the actual help to Minerva. "She'll come when she has some free time and take you to London, to places where you can buy such books. Most can also be bought in a small village in Scotland, very close to Hogwarts, but that's way too far for merely a short shopping trip."
Knowing Hermione, Harry wasn't sure about the "short" part. Still, London was much closer anyway, and the time saved on the road could be useful for finding some more books.
"I'll be at Harry's home two weeks from now. It would be best if we could visit the shop together," Hermione said.
Discover moreChildrenBrowse ReferenceEnable Safe ModeFind Study AidsFan fiction booksMinerva smiled at her. "I'll make sure to come for you when you're together. I've already noticed how close you feel to each other."
She then frowned and turned to Albus. "We will need some gold for that. They're still too young to have any money of their own."
Mr. Granger was quick to note, "We can afford to buy her books."
Minerva smiled. "I'm sure you can, but I'd rather not spend time waiting for the money to be exchanged. You see, the magical folk use a different currency and you need the magical bank to exchange your currency into that."
That left the Grangers a bit confused.
"I'll make sure you get enough gold for the occasion. We'll handle the mutual debts at another time if you don't mind," Albus said.
Harry had a feeling it would all come from his inheritance, just like the additional help the Dursleys were getting, but he didn't mind. The books would probably be as beneficial for him as for Hermione.
–..–
Minerva was unable to do that two weeks later, but another fortnight after that, she visited the Granger home early enough to have practically a full day for exploring. She only debated within herself about the best way to take the two children to London.
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The Grangers solved her dilemma. "We can drive to London. During weekends, the road is mostly free and we can reach there in less than an hour. Where do we need to go in London?"
Minerva smiled. "It's near Charing Cross Road. You may park in one of the nearby side streets and we can walk the rest."
Discover moreWatch Sci-Fi FilmsRead Sci-Fi BooksFind Family LawyerCompare CarsHire BabysittersLuckily, Mr Granger's car was large enough to let three sit comfortably in the back. Harry also suggested sitting in the middle, letting the ladies enjoy the better seats, gaining himself nods of appreciation from the adultsand a thankful smile from Hermione. Harry couldn't care less about where he sat, as long as Hermione was at his side, and he considered the middle seat only marginally less comfortable.
–..–
Minerva enjoyed the car ride. She had never toured that part of the island. As a matter of fact, she barely ever toured anywhere. It was fascinating to see the various places, although there wasn't much to see when on the highway. She also enjoyed hearing the children talking enthusiastically about what they were going to see. Neither had any idea, of course, but their enthusiasm was endearing.
It was also interesting to see Muggle London that way. Normally, she used either apparition or the Floo to reach her destination, rarely needing to walk the streets or use any form of public transportation. Seeing it with the children and the parents gave her a new perspective on things. Some of the muggle buildings, especially the modern high risers, seemed to dwarf Hogwarts. Some of the other, more ancient buildings were also magnificent, even if not so large.
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Discover moreWriting softwareCreative writing coursesOnline writing communityFan fiction merchandiseAuthor collaboration toolsThey left the car parking on a side street and walked, enjoying the unusually nice weather that day. Minerva took the lead, of course.
Once they approached the Leaky Cauldron, it became very clear who was magical and who wasn't. The children were fascinated when they saw the sign from quite a distance. The adult Grangers were unsure what the children were so excited about. They could only notice the sign and the pub when standing less than a foot away from the entrance. From farther away, it looked just like a plain white wall.
As previously agreed, Harry had a skin-coloured band-aid on his scar. He wasn't sure why he needed it, but hiding his scar was something he wouldn't argue about. He had never liked that scar, especially since it reminded him of his loss.
The leaky Cauldron was empty this early in the weekend. Tom, the bartender, only nodded his greeting to Minerva and her entourage. He trusted Minerva and didn't need to ask about the Muggles. The mere fact they were with her was proof enough that they were eligible to pass there.
Discover moreDigital book publishingStory writing promptsFan art commissionsWriting contest entriesBook review servicesMinerva enjoyed the gasps of surprise when she opened the wall to make the archway entrance to Diagon Alley. Although she had similar reactions each summer, when leading the first-year muggle-born students, this time they were already acquaintances, so it was more meaningful.
Once on the street, she waited for them to absorb the views and the sounds, so different from what could be found on the other side of the Leaky Cauldron. Harry thought she was quite smug about the first impression that place made.
Indeed, it looked like it came out of a book about Medieval England. The style of most buildings, the signs above the shops, the clothing of most people and even the merchandise on display. They were all medieval, or close to it. Only the large white building at one end of the street seemed more modern. Harry wasn't sure, but he thought that would fit the eighteenth or nineteenth-century building style.
Minerva gave them a short respite to get accustomed to the views and the sounds and then urged them lightly. "I believe we wanted to check some books. Let me lead you to the bookstore. The rest is not relevant before the children become immersed in the magical world."
Harry felt Hermione's hold on his hand tighten as she walked with him, following the tall witch. Her parents also held hands and followed them.
Harry thought he'd get some pains in his neck after turning his head in all directions, trying to see everything all at once. The three Grangers weren't acting differently, although the adults tried not to look too overwhelmed. He didn't think they did a good job in that.
It wasn't a long walk to the bookshop. It also looked very old, with furniture and arrangements that no modern bookshop would accept, but it was arranged logically enough for them to find their way.
Discover moreCrossover story ideasAnime merchandiseBooksRead Bestsellersbook"I suggest you start with the history and culture. There's no point trying to learn spells as you won't get your wands before your eleventh birthday. You may find some theory books about whatever you want more useful, though," Minerva told them.
Hermione's parents seemed to agree with her. Such books could also prove useful for them, especially those not dealing directly with Magic. Harry thought they were as eager as their daughter to learn all they could about this new world they unexpectedly found. In a way, so was he.
Harry wasn't too surprised that they only left the bookshop about an hour after lunchtime. He originally thought it could take much longer. Not looking for any "hands-on" books shortened their stay there, so it seemed. And then, Harry also checked quite a few books.
He also looked at the less obvious places, finding some books that made Minerva frown but say nothing. One was about mind control and shields. It was quite thin, so Harry suspected they could learn it quite quickly. Another had pictures of animals on the cover and was about the Animagus training. It wasn't too thick either.
–..–
They returned to the Leaky Cauldron for a belated lunch. That was nothing new for Minerva, but the others found it fascinating.
"Why don't you try the soup with noodles?" she suggested.
Then, when the children started eating the soup, the animal-shaped noodles tried to evade their spoons and then wiggled in their mouths. It first frightened them, but once they understood these were just enchanted this way, they fully enjoyed the new sensations.
Mrs Granger had a suggestion after lunch. "I think it would be wise if we buy some clothes of the kind normally worn here. I have no doubt that Hermione will want some more books, once she finishes studying these, and we shouldn't depend on you for that. It's better if we don't attract undue attention as outsiders."
Minerva had to agree. She led them to Madam Malkin's robes shop, where they bought appropriate robes for the adults.
"Children wear whatever comes to hand. No need to buy robes for them now, especially since they may become too small in a matter of months, at most," Minerva told them. The Grangers agreed, especially when seeing Madam Malkin nodding too.
They spent the rest of the afternoon just exploring the street. Harry thought that the tall witch sounded a bit like a tour guide, as he'd occasionally seen, yet she didn't seem to mind. He thought she even enjoyed herself.
They glimpsed into some of the shops, too. The pet shop didn't look too impressive, although some animals could be interesting. The broom shop wasn't much better, although they saw some young wizards getting excited about this or that model. Harry thought they all looked like misshapen brooms, not quite useful for sweeping any floor.
The luggage shop was slightly more interesting, making them think of trips, vacations, and reaching Hogwarts when a bit older.
"Normal trunks have one compartment only, just like ones made by non-magical folks. The more interesting trunks have several compartments, each at least as large as the main one, allowing the user to store much more than normally possible in such a trunk. The most expensive ones even have a fully equipped apartment in one of their compartments. Most students need no more than the basic model, of course," Minerva explained.
They still wanted to see a three-compartment trunk and one with seven. Even Minerva was impressed.
They also visited Gringotts, only to get an impression. Minerva explained in a hush, "I'll leave with you all that remained of the money intended for this outing, but you can come here to exchange British currency for our money. It costs a small fee, of course, but you can exchange as much as you need. Harry has some money in his vault, but he can't access it before reaching eleven, at least."
–..–
They finished the tour at Fortescue's Ice Cream parlour, each enjoying a serving of their choice. The children were fascinated by it almost as much as by the bookshop.
Minerva led them back to the Leakey Cauldron, where she took her leave. "You can find your way in London even better than me, and I can use the Floo from here to reach my office directly."
That was naturally followed by an explanation about Floo travel, its plusses and minuses and a promise to let the children experience it some other time.
–..–
London didn't look so exciting after Diagon Alley, but Hermione's parents knew how to enchant the children some more. They only passed by the parked car, leaving their purchases in the car's trunk, and then walked the streets, finally reaching the famous toy store — Hamleys.
That proved almost too much. The children could lose themselves in there, spending days only watching the various toys and games. Still, two hours later, the children became too tired to mind. Mr Granger instructed the others to wait in an appropriate place and walked briskly back to the car, coming with it to collect the others. The children, as expected, fell asleep almost as soon as the car started moving.