Categories > Books > Harry Potter > Phoenix Eclipse
Chapter Three- Diagon Alley Part 1
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Professor Minerva McGonagall watched as the siblings entered her office, young Hala Suha barely walking on her own. Her little hands were clutching on Shyamal's cloak as she half walked to her desk. The twins on the other hand were bouncing on the soles of their feet, no doubt excited about going to the Alley for their school supplies.
"Have you ever travelled by floo?" She received a no. From the top of the mantle, she grabbed a box and opened it up, revealing a glittering powder inside. "Well, you will each take a pinch of floo powder and while you are throwing it into the fire, yell out the name 'Diagon Alley'. You will come out in the Leaky Cauldron which the pub that is the entrance to the Alley. As soon as you appear, move out of the way and stay close to the fire grate."
Shyamal moved forward first, eyes flickering to the roaring fire. Grabbing a pinch, he threw it into the fire, yelling out the words. McGonagall watched as the boy was sucked in, the flames turning back to their original color. The remaining Suha children gulped audibly. "Next."
The younger twin, Cosmas, walked forward. "Just say Diagon Alley and that's it?"
"Yes. Make sure the pronunciation is clear and precise."
"Okay." He stepped up to the grate. "Diagon Alley!" The emerald flames roared out, sucking in the next twin. The next two went in without handling.
"Hmm, perhaps, they'll be in Gryffindor." Minerva said to herself. Grabbing a pinch of floo, she followed them.
The moment Shyamal had stepped in, the roaring fire turned green, sucking him forward. It felt like he was being sucked down a pipe, flickering flames spiraling around him. Dozens of what looked like fireplaces flew past him with astonishing speed as he continued to spin down the pipe. After what seemed like an eternity, Shyamal fell out of a fireplace, stumbling into onto the floor. Just like he had been taught, he rolled to the side, rising to his feet as he opened his eyes.
The airy room was filled with tables, patrons talking, eating, and drinking. To his right, the bar stood, an old man cleaning a tankard with a wet rag. A second later, Cosmas came sputtering out. Shyamal grabbed him and drew him to the side.
"Oh, what a ride." Cosmas sarcastically muttered as he rubbed his eyes. "I hate traveling by floo now." Damian came out, stumbling to the bar. Hala followed then Professor McGonagall. Shyamal was jealous as she lightly stepped out without a single misstep.
"You learn quickly. Now follow me." Without another word, she walked toward the back after giving a brief nod to the bartender. There, in the small garden, they came before a brick wall which Shyamal briefly remembered. McGonagall took out her wand and tapped a single stone three times. The brick wall immediately started shifting apart, rolling back to leave an archway. "Welcome to Diagon Alley."
"Wicked." Cosmas tapped at a brick as they passed on by. "Huh, I need to find out how it does that." He watched as the wall reasserted itself, the bricks folding back into its original position.
"Where would you like to go first, Mr. Suha?"
"Perhaps it would be prudent if I opened a bank account first at Gringotts and exchange the few gems I have left over from Sylvia's inheritance."
The professor lead them down the Alley toward the white marble building in the middle of the street, passing stalls, stores, and dozens of shoppers. Shyamal and Hala had to pull at their siblings when they caught sight of the Quidditch supply shop, the Firebolt still shown in the display case. Hala gave a sharp 'eep' when she saw the Magical Menagerie store and the animals in the window. Shyamal was still deciding on whether or not they'd each be getting an owl for post and such.
Passing through the doors into the inner sanctum of Gringotts, McGonagall lead them to a free goblin who was counting money. The goblin looked at them through the monocle, his hands swiping the final galleons off the top and into a drawer. "What service may I be of today for you, professor?"
"School business. These are Shyamal, Cosmas, Damian, and Hala Suha, transfers from Durmstrang. This is Ironclaw, the primary accountant for Hogwarts. They would like to open a vault here at Gringotts and exchange gems into wizard money."
The goblin peeked up, the magnified eye now fixed on Shyamal. "What type of vault do you plan to open, Mr. Suha?"
"A low security vault will do for now. I would also like to be in complete control of the account with my siblings being the only ones beside myself to have access to the vault."
"And what about your parents?"
"Our parents died when we were young and I have been the guardian for my siblings." Shyamal's tone dictated that was the end of the matter.
The goblin grabbed a folder from somewhere behind the desk. Opening it, he used an ugly quill to write information on the first sheet. "A low security vault will carry the charge of seven sickles a month. There are no fees on transactions with other accounts unless it is from a high security account to yours. Only four people with be able to access the vault, with the eldest sibling in charge." Ironclaw pulled out something from the desk. It was bronze key that multiplied to four when the goblin tapped on it with a claw. He passed a dagger to the siblings. "A drop of your blood, please, on the head of the key." The four nicked their fingers and let a single drop on the keys. They glowed a bright blue color before turning back to bronze. The goblin tapped Shyamal's key again, the head forming a fancier look than the other keys which he handed to the teenager. "Your key is the master key. Now, for the exchange; what is it are you exchanging for wizard money?"
Shyamal pulled the bag of gems from where they had been tied to the back of his belt. "They are gems given to us by someone who had watched over us before she died."
Ironclaw pulled open the pouch and spread out the stones. His eyes widened in surprise, a greedy gleam entering them. "I can trade them all for 750,000 galleons."
"1 million galleons." Shyamal stated, eyes flashing in determination.
"800,000."
"1 million or I will be attending to my business in another bank." Shyamal stated firmly, already starting to sweep the gems back into the pouch.
The goblin laid a rough hand on the pouch. "1 million galleons it is then." The gems were swept into the bag then disappeared into the goblin's desk. He tapped the folder which immediately copied itself on another folder. "This is your copy. The original will be kept in the Records here at Gringotts. Vault 3158 will be your vault."
"I would also like to visit my personal vault as well, Ironclaw." Professor McGonagall stated.
The goblin nodded as he snapped his fingers, a second goblin appearing at next to McGonagall. "Griphook, lead our customers to Vault 185 for the professor and Vault 3158 for Mr. Suha. They have just opened a vault."
"Follow me." Griphook lead them down to the door which opened out into what looked like a loading dock. As the goblin stepped up, a cart sped into the room stopping right before them all. The group climbed in and sped off just as Shyamal entered it. The cart sped on and stopped a minute later at a large door. Shyamal and his siblings stayed in the cart with Griphook as McGonagall attended to the vault and came back tying a pouch to her belt.
A rickety ride later, the cart stopped before a second vault with bronze doors. "Vault 3158." Griphook walked up to the doors and held out a clawed hand. "Keys." Taking them, he slid a finger down the middle of the door, revealing the keyhole. Whispering a word in the goblin language, he inserted the keys one by one into the vault. They glowed blue before fading to white. "Your blood has been transferred to the wall itself which will now recognize you and any goblin working for Gringotts." He handed the keys back as the doors opened. Inside was a large pile of gold coins.
Shyamal walked up to the pile and scooped them into his pouch until it was full. Taking out three smaller pouches he did the same. Tying the bigger one to his belt, he handed the smaller pouches to his siblings. "Make sure you take care of it. I don't want to be coming back here every few days because you're on a spending binge."
"We would never do such a thing." Cosmas stated innocently. Shyamal snorted as the group headed back to the cart. Ten minutes later they were walking out of the bank.
Professor McGonagall looked at them. "Perhaps it would be prudent if we went to Ollivander's' to see what is wrong with your wands." Receiving a nod, Minerva led the group into the dusty old shop, her sharp eyes immediately seeing the shop owner in the gloom, standing among the hundreds of wand boxes. The students followed her in, stepping over discarded boxes and old newspaper.
"Minerva McGonagall, ah yes, I remember you. 17 inches, ivy, griffin feather core; a very good wand for advanced Transfiguration." The old man ranted off as he approached the group, his eyes going over the group.
"Mr. Ollivander. These students are requesting to see you about the wands they purchased in a town in Romania. Last night at dinner, they confessed their wands do not fully comply with their wishes."
One of Ollivander's eyebrows rose. "Curious, extremely curious, perhaps you have been defeated by another student?" The four heads shook in answer to his question, their eyes on the wand maker. A calloused finger pointed at Shyamal. "Let me see you. Summon the vase."
Giving a glance at his siblings, Shyamal waved his wand, summoning the broken and dusty vase in the soar window. Nothing happened. He tried again, forcing his will on the wand.
Ollivander was watching him with a critical eye. "I believe the wand refuses you as its master. Perhaps it will be the same with all of you if you are all having the same problems. Tell me of the store in Romania where you bought your wands."
"It wasn't a store. A wand maker was traveling through our town before school started for me. Since the closest store was miles away and the journey tiring for our caretaker, we decided to purchase our wands off him. He just immediately said that our wands had chosen us when it gave some feeble sparks." Shyamal glanced at McGonagall. "Now that I think about it, he left pretty quickly after that."
The wand maker snorted in disgust. "Absolutely revolting, no doubt the wands he sold you were stolen and he was trying to get rid of them. Since you never defeated the previous owner, they will not obey your commands. You four will have to purchase new wands."
"What about the people who got theirs stolen? Will you be able to find them?" Hala spoke up.
"Finding the wizard or witch who owns the wand will be hard. Quite a few wands are stolen every year. But I will no doubt alert the Ministry who will contact their familiars in the Romanian Ministry." Ollivander took their stolen wands, never knowing the children before him had stolen the wands for their cover story. Tucking them in a black box that he hid under the table, he turned to the group. "Now for your wands."
Shyamal stepped up, waving the first wand Ollivander gave him; an oak wand, twelve and a half inches, with a dragon heartstring as its core. The vase that had been chosen before broke into thousands of ceramic pieces. Ollivander immediately took the wand back, shoving another in Shyamal's hand. Boxes flew from the shelves. Wand after wand was tried but the same results were given. "Ah, difficult customer you are going to be." The wand maker walked to the back, eyes roaming the untidy rows of boxes.
Cosmas leaned toward his twin. "Isn't me or is the old coot getting more excited the more wands Shyamal tries."
"Nah, he's really getting hyper."
Finally Ollivander came back to them, holding a particular box reverently. "This here wand, Mr. Suha is holly, phoenix feather core, eleven inches."
The moment the holly wand touched his fingers, he could feel the vibrations of the wand as it bonded to him. Warmth spread up through his body, a flush breaking out on his cheek, his arm raising. Giving it a wave, gold and red sparks flew out the end, the colors reflecting in Shyamal's eyes.
"It seems the wand has chosen you, Mr. Suha." A slight look of confusion covered his face. "The most curious thing is that the wand you hold in your hand is the brother of another wand." Everyone turned to the wand maker, wondering where he was going with this. "You see, Mr. Suha, that wand's brother belonged to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."
The professor's head spun toward him, eyes narrowing behind her square eyeglasses. He felt his siblings bunching up behind him. "To the Dark Lord?" He asked, a unsettling weight sinking into his stomach.
Ollivander rubbed his chin. "Yes. He was a great wizard, performing great feats of magic. Terrible, yes, but nonetheless great." The old man leaned toward Shyamal. "Perhaps you are destined for great things as well." A chill went up Shyamal's spine as he gazed into aged eyes. He felt like the wand maker knew his identity, feeling as if the man was looking into his very soul.
The feeling was broken when Ollivander stood up, clapping his hands as his gaze settled on the twins. "Now, for you young ones."
It was an hour later and 25 galleons lighter when the group left. Shyamal had bought them wand holster that fitted over their forearms. McGonagall stopped them before Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour.
"I did not count on the shopping for taking so long and I have to work on the schedule for this year's classes which I must have done before the start of the term. It would be better if we split up and shop separately to get done." The professor looked at her watch. "We will meet back here in three hours from now. That should be enough to get our shopping done."
"Of course, I'm sure I can ask for directions if we get lost." The two groups parted ways. Shyamal took out his list for the next year and saw the greatest amount of items from the book. "We should get the books first."As they headed toward their next destination, Hala looked over her new possession.
"I can't believe I have my own wand; nine and three-quarter inches, hazel with a heartstring from a Hungarian Horntail." Hala looked up at her brothers. "I still can't believe you almost got the same wand type."
Cosmas rolled his eyes. "Almost being the operative word. We both may have gotten reed wands that are ten and a half inches but the cores are different. Mine's a phoenix feather while Damian's is a sliver of a horn of a unicorn."
"Just tells us exactly who is more mischievous of the two then? Don't unicorns mean innocence?" Damian teased.
"I think it reflects more of the fact that both of you have been trained in the healing arts." Shyamal noted. "I mean both are used in various healing potions."
"Maybe Hala's came from the fact her temper is one not to be messed with- OW!" Cosmas whined as he jumped on one foot as the other had been stomped on by Hala.
Damian smiled. "Serves you right." His twin just huffed as they entered the bookstore. The four split up after taking a basket.
Shyamal looked at his list. "It looks like the lists are about the same. I'll get the books for Defense, Arithmancy, and Magical Creatures. Damian, you get the books for Charms, Ancient Runes, and Transfiguration. Cosmas, the books for Potions and Herbology are yours. Hala, books for History of Magic and Astronomy. Meet back near the counter." Shyamal watched as his siblings sped off to their assigned categories, Damian and Cosmas heading up to the second story for theirs and Hala to the left. Going to the right, Shyamal never saw the black-haired boy entering the shop or the red heads heading straight for the counter.
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Hala looked at her list as she quickly trotted down the aisles of the bookstore, trying to see what book she needed for second years. She was so engrossed in her shopping that she didn't see the large mass in front of her until she had walked into it. Falling on her rear, she looked up as the boy turned to her, hazel eyes fixed on her with a glare.
"Watch where you're going, girl."
Anger immediately sparked up in Hala. "Well, I was going to say I was sorry but obviously a pompous git like you doesn't deserve to hear it." She got up and dusted off her robes.
The boy turned to her fully, eyes glaring even harder under the black messy hair. "Watch how you speak to your superiors. I'm the Boy Who Lived-"
"More like the Boy Whose Head is too Big to Fit in a Door." Two red heads came up beside Hala, a boy and a girl who were no doubt siblings. It had been the boy who had spoken. "I'm surprised you made it into the store with your parents performing the Reducing Charm on your head before entering."
The first boy snorted in disgust. "Like you have anything to say to me, Weasley. Hand-me down robes, second hand books, barely able to rub two knuts together, I'm surprised you're even here."
The Weasley girl stepped forward into the boy's face. "You're disgusting, Potter. You act just like the Malfoy family and you're supposed to be a leader of light when you grow up."
"What's going on here?" A Flourish and Blotts employee entered the aisle, her eyes taking in the scene before her. "Mr. Potter, I'm sure the manager spoke with your parents after the debacle last year. One misstep and you will no longer be allowed to shop here in person." The boy huffed and walked away. The employee turned to the Weasleys and Hala. "I'm sure you know what to do but I'm still forced to warn you. Stay away from the Potters."
"We would have but he was starting to pick on another customer." The Weasley boy pointed at Hala.
Seeing the employee's stare, Hala explained. "I accidentally bumped into him and he started to rant."
"Yes, well, ever since that day in 1981, the Potters took a turn for the worst. Just please be careful." The employee walked away.
"So that was Edward Potter, the Boy Who Lived? My name is Hala Suha. I'm here with my brothers."
"Yup, my name is Ron Weasley and this is my sister Ginny." Ron pointed a finger at the letter in Hala's hand. "Going to Hogwarts?"
"Yes. We just recently transferred to the school from Durmstrang. My older brother felt it was more comfortable and safe if the rumors about Voldemort are true." Hala pulled a book from the shelves, and after making sure it was the right one, placed it into her basket. "What year are you in?"
"Ron is entering his fifth and I'm entering into my fourth year. We have two more brothers who are entering their final year." Ginny lead them to the front of the store where a group of red heads was standing, talking to the employee behind the counter. "That's our parents, Molly and Arthur Weasley. The twins are George and Fred."
"Oh, two of my brothers are identical twins too."
"There you are, dearies. We're just about to buy your school books."Mrs. Weasley said, handing the cashier a small amount of galleons, some sickles, and a couple of knuts. "Have you made a friend, Ronald?"
The boy blushed but answered. "Yes. It seems she's transferred to Hogwarts this year."
"Hala!" Shyamal and the Suha twins came up behind her, carrying their assigned books. Mrs. Weasley quickly shrunk her purchases and handed them to her children to allow the new arrivals to place their books on the counter. "Thank you, ma'am. Hala, where have you been?"
"I was looking for the last of my assigned books when I stumbled into a git. Shyamal, Cosmas, Damian, this is Ron, Ginny, George, uh, Fred, and their parents, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. These are my older brothers."
"Transfers? From what school?"
"Durmstrang. We felt Hogwarts was a safer school with the rumors going around." Shyamal quickly paid the cashier.
"If you would like, you can us. We just started our shopping." Ron asked, his pleading eyes going to his parents.
Shyamal shifted, sensing Hala was pleading at him with her eyes. "We're here with Professor McGonagall. She was escorting us but the shopping was taking a bit longer than we expected so we decided to split and meet back at the Ice Cream Parlour in about 2 and half hours time."
"Well, now. We better be off if you are to make it on time." Mrs. Weasley stated, hustling her children out the door. Shyamal was grateful that she didn't hustle his siblings too. Already, Hala was talking with Ginny.
Suddenly Cosmas was choking, his body sprouting bright yellow feathers. Shyamal's eyes narrowed on the Weasley twins whose grinning faces immediately telling the elder Suha sibling who was at fault.
"Fred! You better have not given the boy a Canary Cream!" Came Mrs. Weasley's voice.
"Sorry, mum. We were just sharing some treats we had with us. We didn't mean to give him one."
George spoke up. "It will wear off soon." The words had barely left his mouth when Cosmas gave a chirp, a second later the feathers shedding in clumps. "See no harm done."
Cosmas flicked off a feather that had fallen on his shoulder. "What was that? It was wicked!"
"It's been some pranks and jokes we've been working on." Fred explained. "This particular treat turns the consumer into a canary for a short time. We've been trying to find a way on how to prolong the effect but no luck so far."
"Fred! George! No more or you both will be regretting it!" Mrs. Weasley said, bearing down upon her sons. "I have better not see a Canary Cream or a Fake Wand or anything of the sort for the rest of the day." She disappeared into the Slug and Jiggers Apothecary shop, the group following her.
The twins gulped. "Sure, mom."
"So you two are pranksters?" Damian asked.
"Of course we are!"
Ron leaned toward Shyamal. "Don't get them started. Ever since they beat Edward Potter and his gang of cronies in the Prank War of '91, they've been insufferable about their titles."
"What happened?"
"You see, Edward Potter is the son of James and Lily Potter. The bloke is one of the Marauders who were very infamous pranksters back in their days at Hogwarts. The group would come up with loads of pranks that were hilarious but also on the borderline of danger. The git thought he was entitled to the King of Pranks when he came to Hogwarts, challenged my brothers the first week. By the first weekend, no one was taking him seriously. Some even think that he shouldn't even call himself a Marauder as his jokes were really poor in taste." Ron said.
Shyamal noticed Cosmas and Damian had bunched up with George and Fred, all four of them huddled together. "Well it seems our brothers have bonded."
"Then I hope Hogwarts is prepared for this year." Ron said, giving his list one last look. "I think that's all the ingredients I need for this year, just had to stock up on the monkshood."
"We have to buy the stuff you guys got in the first year except the books, ingredients, etc, have to be for the year we're starting in." Shyamal said, making sure he had one Grade 5 pack, two Grade 4 packs, and one Grade 2 pack on the counter. "That should last until the end of the year right?"
"Yeah, if you really have to, you can stock up on the Hogsmeade visits." Ron said, gathering his purchases in his hands. "Once I turn 17, I won't have to have to wait for mum to shrink everything." Hala giggled, knowing that Shyamal already could due to his status as their guardian.
The four pranksters came up, carrying some suspicious supplies. Shyamal rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to ask but don't get into trouble. I've already bought the ingredients for all four of us. Where's Hala?"
"We promise we'll do our doggone hardest not to get caught." Cosmas winked at him. "Back near the front with Ginny. They're awing over some unicorn horns."
Shyamal nodded before turning back to Ron. He had barely left the odorous shop when he stopped, Damian bumping into his back as he caught sight of the group leaving the Quidditch supply shop, the people excruciating familiar.
The Marauders and the Potters.
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Professor Minerva McGonagall watched as the siblings entered her office, young Hala Suha barely walking on her own. Her little hands were clutching on Shyamal's cloak as she half walked to her desk. The twins on the other hand were bouncing on the soles of their feet, no doubt excited about going to the Alley for their school supplies.
"Have you ever travelled by floo?" She received a no. From the top of the mantle, she grabbed a box and opened it up, revealing a glittering powder inside. "Well, you will each take a pinch of floo powder and while you are throwing it into the fire, yell out the name 'Diagon Alley'. You will come out in the Leaky Cauldron which the pub that is the entrance to the Alley. As soon as you appear, move out of the way and stay close to the fire grate."
Shyamal moved forward first, eyes flickering to the roaring fire. Grabbing a pinch, he threw it into the fire, yelling out the words. McGonagall watched as the boy was sucked in, the flames turning back to their original color. The remaining Suha children gulped audibly. "Next."
The younger twin, Cosmas, walked forward. "Just say Diagon Alley and that's it?"
"Yes. Make sure the pronunciation is clear and precise."
"Okay." He stepped up to the grate. "Diagon Alley!" The emerald flames roared out, sucking in the next twin. The next two went in without handling.
"Hmm, perhaps, they'll be in Gryffindor." Minerva said to herself. Grabbing a pinch of floo, she followed them.
The moment Shyamal had stepped in, the roaring fire turned green, sucking him forward. It felt like he was being sucked down a pipe, flickering flames spiraling around him. Dozens of what looked like fireplaces flew past him with astonishing speed as he continued to spin down the pipe. After what seemed like an eternity, Shyamal fell out of a fireplace, stumbling into onto the floor. Just like he had been taught, he rolled to the side, rising to his feet as he opened his eyes.
The airy room was filled with tables, patrons talking, eating, and drinking. To his right, the bar stood, an old man cleaning a tankard with a wet rag. A second later, Cosmas came sputtering out. Shyamal grabbed him and drew him to the side.
"Oh, what a ride." Cosmas sarcastically muttered as he rubbed his eyes. "I hate traveling by floo now." Damian came out, stumbling to the bar. Hala followed then Professor McGonagall. Shyamal was jealous as she lightly stepped out without a single misstep.
"You learn quickly. Now follow me." Without another word, she walked toward the back after giving a brief nod to the bartender. There, in the small garden, they came before a brick wall which Shyamal briefly remembered. McGonagall took out her wand and tapped a single stone three times. The brick wall immediately started shifting apart, rolling back to leave an archway. "Welcome to Diagon Alley."
"Wicked." Cosmas tapped at a brick as they passed on by. "Huh, I need to find out how it does that." He watched as the wall reasserted itself, the bricks folding back into its original position.
"Where would you like to go first, Mr. Suha?"
"Perhaps it would be prudent if I opened a bank account first at Gringotts and exchange the few gems I have left over from Sylvia's inheritance."
The professor lead them down the Alley toward the white marble building in the middle of the street, passing stalls, stores, and dozens of shoppers. Shyamal and Hala had to pull at their siblings when they caught sight of the Quidditch supply shop, the Firebolt still shown in the display case. Hala gave a sharp 'eep' when she saw the Magical Menagerie store and the animals in the window. Shyamal was still deciding on whether or not they'd each be getting an owl for post and such.
Passing through the doors into the inner sanctum of Gringotts, McGonagall lead them to a free goblin who was counting money. The goblin looked at them through the monocle, his hands swiping the final galleons off the top and into a drawer. "What service may I be of today for you, professor?"
"School business. These are Shyamal, Cosmas, Damian, and Hala Suha, transfers from Durmstrang. This is Ironclaw, the primary accountant for Hogwarts. They would like to open a vault here at Gringotts and exchange gems into wizard money."
The goblin peeked up, the magnified eye now fixed on Shyamal. "What type of vault do you plan to open, Mr. Suha?"
"A low security vault will do for now. I would also like to be in complete control of the account with my siblings being the only ones beside myself to have access to the vault."
"And what about your parents?"
"Our parents died when we were young and I have been the guardian for my siblings." Shyamal's tone dictated that was the end of the matter.
The goblin grabbed a folder from somewhere behind the desk. Opening it, he used an ugly quill to write information on the first sheet. "A low security vault will carry the charge of seven sickles a month. There are no fees on transactions with other accounts unless it is from a high security account to yours. Only four people with be able to access the vault, with the eldest sibling in charge." Ironclaw pulled out something from the desk. It was bronze key that multiplied to four when the goblin tapped on it with a claw. He passed a dagger to the siblings. "A drop of your blood, please, on the head of the key." The four nicked their fingers and let a single drop on the keys. They glowed a bright blue color before turning back to bronze. The goblin tapped Shyamal's key again, the head forming a fancier look than the other keys which he handed to the teenager. "Your key is the master key. Now, for the exchange; what is it are you exchanging for wizard money?"
Shyamal pulled the bag of gems from where they had been tied to the back of his belt. "They are gems given to us by someone who had watched over us before she died."
Ironclaw pulled open the pouch and spread out the stones. His eyes widened in surprise, a greedy gleam entering them. "I can trade them all for 750,000 galleons."
"1 million galleons." Shyamal stated, eyes flashing in determination.
"800,000."
"1 million or I will be attending to my business in another bank." Shyamal stated firmly, already starting to sweep the gems back into the pouch.
The goblin laid a rough hand on the pouch. "1 million galleons it is then." The gems were swept into the bag then disappeared into the goblin's desk. He tapped the folder which immediately copied itself on another folder. "This is your copy. The original will be kept in the Records here at Gringotts. Vault 3158 will be your vault."
"I would also like to visit my personal vault as well, Ironclaw." Professor McGonagall stated.
The goblin nodded as he snapped his fingers, a second goblin appearing at next to McGonagall. "Griphook, lead our customers to Vault 185 for the professor and Vault 3158 for Mr. Suha. They have just opened a vault."
"Follow me." Griphook lead them down to the door which opened out into what looked like a loading dock. As the goblin stepped up, a cart sped into the room stopping right before them all. The group climbed in and sped off just as Shyamal entered it. The cart sped on and stopped a minute later at a large door. Shyamal and his siblings stayed in the cart with Griphook as McGonagall attended to the vault and came back tying a pouch to her belt.
A rickety ride later, the cart stopped before a second vault with bronze doors. "Vault 3158." Griphook walked up to the doors and held out a clawed hand. "Keys." Taking them, he slid a finger down the middle of the door, revealing the keyhole. Whispering a word in the goblin language, he inserted the keys one by one into the vault. They glowed blue before fading to white. "Your blood has been transferred to the wall itself which will now recognize you and any goblin working for Gringotts." He handed the keys back as the doors opened. Inside was a large pile of gold coins.
Shyamal walked up to the pile and scooped them into his pouch until it was full. Taking out three smaller pouches he did the same. Tying the bigger one to his belt, he handed the smaller pouches to his siblings. "Make sure you take care of it. I don't want to be coming back here every few days because you're on a spending binge."
"We would never do such a thing." Cosmas stated innocently. Shyamal snorted as the group headed back to the cart. Ten minutes later they were walking out of the bank.
Professor McGonagall looked at them. "Perhaps it would be prudent if we went to Ollivander's' to see what is wrong with your wands." Receiving a nod, Minerva led the group into the dusty old shop, her sharp eyes immediately seeing the shop owner in the gloom, standing among the hundreds of wand boxes. The students followed her in, stepping over discarded boxes and old newspaper.
"Minerva McGonagall, ah yes, I remember you. 17 inches, ivy, griffin feather core; a very good wand for advanced Transfiguration." The old man ranted off as he approached the group, his eyes going over the group.
"Mr. Ollivander. These students are requesting to see you about the wands they purchased in a town in Romania. Last night at dinner, they confessed their wands do not fully comply with their wishes."
One of Ollivander's eyebrows rose. "Curious, extremely curious, perhaps you have been defeated by another student?" The four heads shook in answer to his question, their eyes on the wand maker. A calloused finger pointed at Shyamal. "Let me see you. Summon the vase."
Giving a glance at his siblings, Shyamal waved his wand, summoning the broken and dusty vase in the soar window. Nothing happened. He tried again, forcing his will on the wand.
Ollivander was watching him with a critical eye. "I believe the wand refuses you as its master. Perhaps it will be the same with all of you if you are all having the same problems. Tell me of the store in Romania where you bought your wands."
"It wasn't a store. A wand maker was traveling through our town before school started for me. Since the closest store was miles away and the journey tiring for our caretaker, we decided to purchase our wands off him. He just immediately said that our wands had chosen us when it gave some feeble sparks." Shyamal glanced at McGonagall. "Now that I think about it, he left pretty quickly after that."
The wand maker snorted in disgust. "Absolutely revolting, no doubt the wands he sold you were stolen and he was trying to get rid of them. Since you never defeated the previous owner, they will not obey your commands. You four will have to purchase new wands."
"What about the people who got theirs stolen? Will you be able to find them?" Hala spoke up.
"Finding the wizard or witch who owns the wand will be hard. Quite a few wands are stolen every year. But I will no doubt alert the Ministry who will contact their familiars in the Romanian Ministry." Ollivander took their stolen wands, never knowing the children before him had stolen the wands for their cover story. Tucking them in a black box that he hid under the table, he turned to the group. "Now for your wands."
Shyamal stepped up, waving the first wand Ollivander gave him; an oak wand, twelve and a half inches, with a dragon heartstring as its core. The vase that had been chosen before broke into thousands of ceramic pieces. Ollivander immediately took the wand back, shoving another in Shyamal's hand. Boxes flew from the shelves. Wand after wand was tried but the same results were given. "Ah, difficult customer you are going to be." The wand maker walked to the back, eyes roaming the untidy rows of boxes.
Cosmas leaned toward his twin. "Isn't me or is the old coot getting more excited the more wands Shyamal tries."
"Nah, he's really getting hyper."
Finally Ollivander came back to them, holding a particular box reverently. "This here wand, Mr. Suha is holly, phoenix feather core, eleven inches."
The moment the holly wand touched his fingers, he could feel the vibrations of the wand as it bonded to him. Warmth spread up through his body, a flush breaking out on his cheek, his arm raising. Giving it a wave, gold and red sparks flew out the end, the colors reflecting in Shyamal's eyes.
"It seems the wand has chosen you, Mr. Suha." A slight look of confusion covered his face. "The most curious thing is that the wand you hold in your hand is the brother of another wand." Everyone turned to the wand maker, wondering where he was going with this. "You see, Mr. Suha, that wand's brother belonged to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."
The professor's head spun toward him, eyes narrowing behind her square eyeglasses. He felt his siblings bunching up behind him. "To the Dark Lord?" He asked, a unsettling weight sinking into his stomach.
Ollivander rubbed his chin. "Yes. He was a great wizard, performing great feats of magic. Terrible, yes, but nonetheless great." The old man leaned toward Shyamal. "Perhaps you are destined for great things as well." A chill went up Shyamal's spine as he gazed into aged eyes. He felt like the wand maker knew his identity, feeling as if the man was looking into his very soul.
The feeling was broken when Ollivander stood up, clapping his hands as his gaze settled on the twins. "Now, for you young ones."
It was an hour later and 25 galleons lighter when the group left. Shyamal had bought them wand holster that fitted over their forearms. McGonagall stopped them before Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour.
"I did not count on the shopping for taking so long and I have to work on the schedule for this year's classes which I must have done before the start of the term. It would be better if we split up and shop separately to get done." The professor looked at her watch. "We will meet back here in three hours from now. That should be enough to get our shopping done."
"Of course, I'm sure I can ask for directions if we get lost." The two groups parted ways. Shyamal took out his list for the next year and saw the greatest amount of items from the book. "We should get the books first."As they headed toward their next destination, Hala looked over her new possession.
"I can't believe I have my own wand; nine and three-quarter inches, hazel with a heartstring from a Hungarian Horntail." Hala looked up at her brothers. "I still can't believe you almost got the same wand type."
Cosmas rolled his eyes. "Almost being the operative word. We both may have gotten reed wands that are ten and a half inches but the cores are different. Mine's a phoenix feather while Damian's is a sliver of a horn of a unicorn."
"Just tells us exactly who is more mischievous of the two then? Don't unicorns mean innocence?" Damian teased.
"I think it reflects more of the fact that both of you have been trained in the healing arts." Shyamal noted. "I mean both are used in various healing potions."
"Maybe Hala's came from the fact her temper is one not to be messed with- OW!" Cosmas whined as he jumped on one foot as the other had been stomped on by Hala.
Damian smiled. "Serves you right." His twin just huffed as they entered the bookstore. The four split up after taking a basket.
Shyamal looked at his list. "It looks like the lists are about the same. I'll get the books for Defense, Arithmancy, and Magical Creatures. Damian, you get the books for Charms, Ancient Runes, and Transfiguration. Cosmas, the books for Potions and Herbology are yours. Hala, books for History of Magic and Astronomy. Meet back near the counter." Shyamal watched as his siblings sped off to their assigned categories, Damian and Cosmas heading up to the second story for theirs and Hala to the left. Going to the right, Shyamal never saw the black-haired boy entering the shop or the red heads heading straight for the counter.
__________
Hala looked at her list as she quickly trotted down the aisles of the bookstore, trying to see what book she needed for second years. She was so engrossed in her shopping that she didn't see the large mass in front of her until she had walked into it. Falling on her rear, she looked up as the boy turned to her, hazel eyes fixed on her with a glare.
"Watch where you're going, girl."
Anger immediately sparked up in Hala. "Well, I was going to say I was sorry but obviously a pompous git like you doesn't deserve to hear it." She got up and dusted off her robes.
The boy turned to her fully, eyes glaring even harder under the black messy hair. "Watch how you speak to your superiors. I'm the Boy Who Lived-"
"More like the Boy Whose Head is too Big to Fit in a Door." Two red heads came up beside Hala, a boy and a girl who were no doubt siblings. It had been the boy who had spoken. "I'm surprised you made it into the store with your parents performing the Reducing Charm on your head before entering."
The first boy snorted in disgust. "Like you have anything to say to me, Weasley. Hand-me down robes, second hand books, barely able to rub two knuts together, I'm surprised you're even here."
The Weasley girl stepped forward into the boy's face. "You're disgusting, Potter. You act just like the Malfoy family and you're supposed to be a leader of light when you grow up."
"What's going on here?" A Flourish and Blotts employee entered the aisle, her eyes taking in the scene before her. "Mr. Potter, I'm sure the manager spoke with your parents after the debacle last year. One misstep and you will no longer be allowed to shop here in person." The boy huffed and walked away. The employee turned to the Weasleys and Hala. "I'm sure you know what to do but I'm still forced to warn you. Stay away from the Potters."
"We would have but he was starting to pick on another customer." The Weasley boy pointed at Hala.
Seeing the employee's stare, Hala explained. "I accidentally bumped into him and he started to rant."
"Yes, well, ever since that day in 1981, the Potters took a turn for the worst. Just please be careful." The employee walked away.
"So that was Edward Potter, the Boy Who Lived? My name is Hala Suha. I'm here with my brothers."
"Yup, my name is Ron Weasley and this is my sister Ginny." Ron pointed a finger at the letter in Hala's hand. "Going to Hogwarts?"
"Yes. We just recently transferred to the school from Durmstrang. My older brother felt it was more comfortable and safe if the rumors about Voldemort are true." Hala pulled a book from the shelves, and after making sure it was the right one, placed it into her basket. "What year are you in?"
"Ron is entering his fifth and I'm entering into my fourth year. We have two more brothers who are entering their final year." Ginny lead them to the front of the store where a group of red heads was standing, talking to the employee behind the counter. "That's our parents, Molly and Arthur Weasley. The twins are George and Fred."
"Oh, two of my brothers are identical twins too."
"There you are, dearies. We're just about to buy your school books."Mrs. Weasley said, handing the cashier a small amount of galleons, some sickles, and a couple of knuts. "Have you made a friend, Ronald?"
The boy blushed but answered. "Yes. It seems she's transferred to Hogwarts this year."
"Hala!" Shyamal and the Suha twins came up behind her, carrying their assigned books. Mrs. Weasley quickly shrunk her purchases and handed them to her children to allow the new arrivals to place their books on the counter. "Thank you, ma'am. Hala, where have you been?"
"I was looking for the last of my assigned books when I stumbled into a git. Shyamal, Cosmas, Damian, this is Ron, Ginny, George, uh, Fred, and their parents, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. These are my older brothers."
"Transfers? From what school?"
"Durmstrang. We felt Hogwarts was a safer school with the rumors going around." Shyamal quickly paid the cashier.
"If you would like, you can us. We just started our shopping." Ron asked, his pleading eyes going to his parents.
Shyamal shifted, sensing Hala was pleading at him with her eyes. "We're here with Professor McGonagall. She was escorting us but the shopping was taking a bit longer than we expected so we decided to split and meet back at the Ice Cream Parlour in about 2 and half hours time."
"Well, now. We better be off if you are to make it on time." Mrs. Weasley stated, hustling her children out the door. Shyamal was grateful that she didn't hustle his siblings too. Already, Hala was talking with Ginny.
Suddenly Cosmas was choking, his body sprouting bright yellow feathers. Shyamal's eyes narrowed on the Weasley twins whose grinning faces immediately telling the elder Suha sibling who was at fault.
"Fred! You better have not given the boy a Canary Cream!" Came Mrs. Weasley's voice.
"Sorry, mum. We were just sharing some treats we had with us. We didn't mean to give him one."
George spoke up. "It will wear off soon." The words had barely left his mouth when Cosmas gave a chirp, a second later the feathers shedding in clumps. "See no harm done."
Cosmas flicked off a feather that had fallen on his shoulder. "What was that? It was wicked!"
"It's been some pranks and jokes we've been working on." Fred explained. "This particular treat turns the consumer into a canary for a short time. We've been trying to find a way on how to prolong the effect but no luck so far."
"Fred! George! No more or you both will be regretting it!" Mrs. Weasley said, bearing down upon her sons. "I have better not see a Canary Cream or a Fake Wand or anything of the sort for the rest of the day." She disappeared into the Slug and Jiggers Apothecary shop, the group following her.
The twins gulped. "Sure, mom."
"So you two are pranksters?" Damian asked.
"Of course we are!"
Ron leaned toward Shyamal. "Don't get them started. Ever since they beat Edward Potter and his gang of cronies in the Prank War of '91, they've been insufferable about their titles."
"What happened?"
"You see, Edward Potter is the son of James and Lily Potter. The bloke is one of the Marauders who were very infamous pranksters back in their days at Hogwarts. The group would come up with loads of pranks that were hilarious but also on the borderline of danger. The git thought he was entitled to the King of Pranks when he came to Hogwarts, challenged my brothers the first week. By the first weekend, no one was taking him seriously. Some even think that he shouldn't even call himself a Marauder as his jokes were really poor in taste." Ron said.
Shyamal noticed Cosmas and Damian had bunched up with George and Fred, all four of them huddled together. "Well it seems our brothers have bonded."
"Then I hope Hogwarts is prepared for this year." Ron said, giving his list one last look. "I think that's all the ingredients I need for this year, just had to stock up on the monkshood."
"We have to buy the stuff you guys got in the first year except the books, ingredients, etc, have to be for the year we're starting in." Shyamal said, making sure he had one Grade 5 pack, two Grade 4 packs, and one Grade 2 pack on the counter. "That should last until the end of the year right?"
"Yeah, if you really have to, you can stock up on the Hogsmeade visits." Ron said, gathering his purchases in his hands. "Once I turn 17, I won't have to have to wait for mum to shrink everything." Hala giggled, knowing that Shyamal already could due to his status as their guardian.
The four pranksters came up, carrying some suspicious supplies. Shyamal rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to ask but don't get into trouble. I've already bought the ingredients for all four of us. Where's Hala?"
"We promise we'll do our doggone hardest not to get caught." Cosmas winked at him. "Back near the front with Ginny. They're awing over some unicorn horns."
Shyamal nodded before turning back to Ron. He had barely left the odorous shop when he stopped, Damian bumping into his back as he caught sight of the group leaving the Quidditch supply shop, the people excruciating familiar.
The Marauders and the Potters.
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