Categories > Books > Harry Potter > Freedom Of Thought
Quiberon Alley
7 reviewsHarry goes shopping for his wand, but picks up a kneazle too, though he isn't quite sure how...
5Original
"Welcome Harry! This is Quiberon's Street." Adele pushed a small jewel on the wall with the tip of her wand and an archway opened out onto a small street. Signs lined the alleyway with pictures of various occupations, some of which were fairly obvious, like the apothecary, which was a large cauldron, and some which were more obscure, like a picture of an owl, which symbolised the post office.
Harry spotted two wands crossed which shot out sparks and looked pleadingly at Adele.
"Can I get my wand? Please?" He begged.
"Not yet, we have to go and get your money out of the bank." She said smilingly. "You still need to check out your inheritance..."
"My inheritance?" Harry said in shock. "But my parents... they weren't... they weren't like me. They were," and here his voice dropped to a whisper, "unemployed."
Adele looked stunned. "But didn't your relatives tell you? They were rich, so they didn't have to work, and very good magic users."
"No, they didn't tell me anything." Harry was disappointed in his relatives, but pleased that his parents were so much better than he had been told.
Adele slowed down slightly and sighed.
"Harry, in England there was a very evil wizard. He didn't really affect things here, but our relatives over the channel were in a lot of danger, and we knew we would be next in his line of countries to conquer." She looked pensive. "Our distant families were dying, and we finally convinced the ministry to send some armed forces over. Before they had even landed on English soil however, a baby defeated the man. He is very famous over there, but here, only a few, those who remember well our history know his name."
Harry was captivated, and asked the question she was waiting for. "What was his name?"
"His name? It was Harry Potter. You were that boy Harry. You were the Boy Who Lived."
They walked on in silence until Harry suddenly piped up again.
"Why did he do all that?"
"He killed all those who weren't 'pure' enough. That means anyone whose parents weren't witches or wizards. He was prejudiced against muggleborns, or those whose parents were muggles. Non-magic folk." She added in response to his puzzled look, and then stared at her shoes. "I'm afraid there are still some who think that way. Some people think I'm a second-class citizen because my father was a muggle."
They walked up the white marble steps of an imposing building. Huge doors stood in front, made of wood and gold, one was half way open, allowing people to enter and exit as they pleased. They stepped through the magnificent doors and stood in front of a wall with a large poem on it. As Harry looked at it, he could see it was written in French, but in his head he could understand it.
Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed
For those who take, but do not earn,
Must pay most dearly in their turn.
So if you seek beneath our floors
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there.
He blinked a couple of times, before realising that Adele had already gone up to one of the counters. He ran and stood behind her, tiptoeing to see over the high, polished counter. The teller turned around and Harry's eyes widened. He stared at the man with his pointy ears, long fingers and pasty skin. The man stared back with an expression of utter loathing and disdain. Actually, he rather reminded Harry of Snape. He squeaked slightly and Adele looked at him.
"He's a goblin Harry." She turned to the goblin, "And Mr. Harry Potter would like to get into his vault."
The goblin sneered. "Key?"
"No. We were hoping for a genealogy potion." He frowned, as though disappointed not to be able to send her away and turned back around, finally getting a miniscule vial, full of a dark red liquid reminiscent of blood. Harry looked at it with an alarmed expression, and the goblin smiled cruelly.
"Drink up." Harry sighed, but did as the goblin directed. It burned as it made it's way down his throat and he gasped as hit his stomach and rolled around inside in a disconcerting movement. Around him he could see lines in various colours rotating and broiling, which seemed to mean something to Adele and the goblin.
The goblin snarled slightly and Harry shrunk back.
"It all seems to be in order." The goblin said disgustedly. "You have two vaults, both in England. You can either go down to the vaults, or simply get an auto-summoning coin purse."
Adele turned to Harry. "It's your decision but if I were you I would go for the coin purse. It's made of moke skin, which means it'll shrink if someone tries to steal it. We can always go look at your vault another day."
Harry considered, and then nodded. The goblin pulled out a small blue-green purse, which looked scaly, and handed it to Harry.
"For it we will remove 7 galleons from your account." Adele nodded, looking as though it was a fair price, so Harry did likewise. The goblin looked grimly satisfied, and turned away, signifying the meeting was over.
Adele and Harry left, though Harry sneaked a look over his shoulder at the goblin before he went through the door. The goblin noticed and glared at him malevolently. Harry shuddered, and quickly went away.
"Next we should get your wand, and pet." Adele marched quickly down to the brightly lit shop Harry had been intrigued by earlier. As they passed through the door it chimed, causing a middle-aged man to rush out of the back. He smiled genially and stood behind the large counter.
"John's Custom Wands, providing custom wands for custom customers." He said this in one go and ended up slightly breathless.
"This is Harry, he needs a wand." She turned to Harry. "Would you mind doing this alone? I have some other business, but I'll meet you in Mim's Magical Menagerie after I'm finished."
"Sounds good, I'll see you then." Harry was happy that his voice didn't shake as he thought about navigating the streets of Quiberon alone.
Adele smiled gratefully, and left the shop. The man, presumably John, turned to Harry.
"Well, let's get started. Run your hands along these wood samples, see if anything feels... odd."
"Odd?"
"It's hard to explain. Everyone sensation is a little different. For me the wood tingled, for some there's shock, and for some, well, it just feels right. Homey you know?"
Harry frowned, but nodded and ran his hands along the wood samples. He went slowly, handling each piece carefully, until he got to alder, where he paused, but continued. He stopped at ash, as warmth rose inside of him.
"This is it." He was surprised at how certain he felt, and John nodded.
"Interesting. Charms should come easily, as should wards, but we'll wait until we see your core for anything specific. Try the same again with these." He pointed to a long row of various coloured items.
Harry repeated the process, stopping on a silver stick, which he picked up and handed to John.
"Why don't you keep looking? Dual cores are fairly common." John suggested, and Harry kept looking. He stopped on a bowl of thick red liquid.
"Interesting choices. Melted occamy eggshells and Re'em blood. Protective and strong. Well, I'll go make it now. It'll take a couple of days." He smiled at Harry's dismayed look. "Don't worry, I use a time turner. I'll just go in and out, and you'll have your wand." True to his word, he stepped in the shadowy alcove at the back of the shop, and came out with a wand, which he handed to Harry. Harry gasped as a shiver ran deep inside his veins and he clutched his wand close, suddenly protective of it.
John laughed, having seen this reaction many times.
"It'll be 12 galleons, and I'll throw in a holster. Can't say fairer than that."
Harry gave him the large golden coins and John handed him a leather holster and showed him how to attach it to his wrist. Harry left with a wave and headed towards the shop with the cat sign.
He walked down the cobbled street and dodged several people. As he walked, he heard snatches of conversations.
"Well, I told him not to bet on quidditch after he was bitten by a malaclaw, but what could I do?"
"I'm sure no one blames you."
Harry vaguely wondered what a malaclaw was, but had walked into Mim's before he had a chance to listen more, and maybe find out.
He walked up and down the small shop. Various cages lined the walls, large enough for the animals inside to play with each other. In the centre of the room was a large pen with fluffy yellow balls inside. The sign called them 'puffskeins' and Harry reached down to pat one. It extended a long thin tongue and licked Harry's hand. He jumped back in shock, but grinned slightly as the ball seemed to wake up, and showed small black eyes.
Behind him he heard purring and saw a large spotted cat had walked up beside him. The cat graciously bent its head for Harry to scratch, and he obeyed, as one would in the presence of such a queen.
"Harry?" He turned to see Adele standing behind him.
"Look!" He said in excitement. "I got my wand!"
Adele caught some of his enthusiasm. "What kind is it?"
"10 ½ inches, Ash, with Occamy egg and Re'em blood centre." He recited, as he had remembered John saying as he had handed Harry's wand to Harry.
"Interesting. Are you planning to get her?" Harry looked down at the cat.
"No..." The cat gave him the most knowing look he'd ever had from an animal. "Yes."
Harry brought the cat up to the front and the shop girl looked at it.
"One female kneazle. Are you planning on getting accessories?"
"Erm, yes?" Harry said uncertainly.
"You'll want food, a toy, and caring information?"
Harry nodded.
"Total comes to..." She checked a pad with prices listed. "13 galleons, 8 sickles, and 3 knuts."
Harry reached into his wallet and handed her the coins.
"Thank you, enjoy!"
"I will." He looked down at the cat. Kneazle. She leaped onto his shoulder, and he looked at her in shock. She didn't seem to be in any hurry to move, even after he gave an encouraging wriggle.
"Well, that's all we need. The rest can be mail ordered once you pick your courses." Adele turned to Harry after speaking. "Grab my elbow and hold on tight." Harry looked puzzled, but complied, and his kneazle obeyed by gripping on to Harry with her claws. There was a rush of colours and sounds and Harry felt like his whole body was being squeezed through a tube. He opened his mouth to scream but was interrupted by his landing with a thump on a smooth green lawn. He looked up at an elegant white castle, like every fairy tale castle you ever imagined.
"Welcome to Beauxbatons!" Adele said with a smile.
I know this is rather a filler chapter, but I did want to show Quiberon Alley. Also: Does anyone know why you shouldn't bet on quidditch after being bitten by a malaclaw? Go the Quiberon Quafflepunchers!
Harry spotted two wands crossed which shot out sparks and looked pleadingly at Adele.
"Can I get my wand? Please?" He begged.
"Not yet, we have to go and get your money out of the bank." She said smilingly. "You still need to check out your inheritance..."
"My inheritance?" Harry said in shock. "But my parents... they weren't... they weren't like me. They were," and here his voice dropped to a whisper, "unemployed."
Adele looked stunned. "But didn't your relatives tell you? They were rich, so they didn't have to work, and very good magic users."
"No, they didn't tell me anything." Harry was disappointed in his relatives, but pleased that his parents were so much better than he had been told.
Adele slowed down slightly and sighed.
"Harry, in England there was a very evil wizard. He didn't really affect things here, but our relatives over the channel were in a lot of danger, and we knew we would be next in his line of countries to conquer." She looked pensive. "Our distant families were dying, and we finally convinced the ministry to send some armed forces over. Before they had even landed on English soil however, a baby defeated the man. He is very famous over there, but here, only a few, those who remember well our history know his name."
Harry was captivated, and asked the question she was waiting for. "What was his name?"
"His name? It was Harry Potter. You were that boy Harry. You were the Boy Who Lived."
They walked on in silence until Harry suddenly piped up again.
"Why did he do all that?"
"He killed all those who weren't 'pure' enough. That means anyone whose parents weren't witches or wizards. He was prejudiced against muggleborns, or those whose parents were muggles. Non-magic folk." She added in response to his puzzled look, and then stared at her shoes. "I'm afraid there are still some who think that way. Some people think I'm a second-class citizen because my father was a muggle."
They walked up the white marble steps of an imposing building. Huge doors stood in front, made of wood and gold, one was half way open, allowing people to enter and exit as they pleased. They stepped through the magnificent doors and stood in front of a wall with a large poem on it. As Harry looked at it, he could see it was written in French, but in his head he could understand it.
Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed
For those who take, but do not earn,
Must pay most dearly in their turn.
So if you seek beneath our floors
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there.
He blinked a couple of times, before realising that Adele had already gone up to one of the counters. He ran and stood behind her, tiptoeing to see over the high, polished counter. The teller turned around and Harry's eyes widened. He stared at the man with his pointy ears, long fingers and pasty skin. The man stared back with an expression of utter loathing and disdain. Actually, he rather reminded Harry of Snape. He squeaked slightly and Adele looked at him.
"He's a goblin Harry." She turned to the goblin, "And Mr. Harry Potter would like to get into his vault."
The goblin sneered. "Key?"
"No. We were hoping for a genealogy potion." He frowned, as though disappointed not to be able to send her away and turned back around, finally getting a miniscule vial, full of a dark red liquid reminiscent of blood. Harry looked at it with an alarmed expression, and the goblin smiled cruelly.
"Drink up." Harry sighed, but did as the goblin directed. It burned as it made it's way down his throat and he gasped as hit his stomach and rolled around inside in a disconcerting movement. Around him he could see lines in various colours rotating and broiling, which seemed to mean something to Adele and the goblin.
The goblin snarled slightly and Harry shrunk back.
"It all seems to be in order." The goblin said disgustedly. "You have two vaults, both in England. You can either go down to the vaults, or simply get an auto-summoning coin purse."
Adele turned to Harry. "It's your decision but if I were you I would go for the coin purse. It's made of moke skin, which means it'll shrink if someone tries to steal it. We can always go look at your vault another day."
Harry considered, and then nodded. The goblin pulled out a small blue-green purse, which looked scaly, and handed it to Harry.
"For it we will remove 7 galleons from your account." Adele nodded, looking as though it was a fair price, so Harry did likewise. The goblin looked grimly satisfied, and turned away, signifying the meeting was over.
Adele and Harry left, though Harry sneaked a look over his shoulder at the goblin before he went through the door. The goblin noticed and glared at him malevolently. Harry shuddered, and quickly went away.
"Next we should get your wand, and pet." Adele marched quickly down to the brightly lit shop Harry had been intrigued by earlier. As they passed through the door it chimed, causing a middle-aged man to rush out of the back. He smiled genially and stood behind the large counter.
"John's Custom Wands, providing custom wands for custom customers." He said this in one go and ended up slightly breathless.
"This is Harry, he needs a wand." She turned to Harry. "Would you mind doing this alone? I have some other business, but I'll meet you in Mim's Magical Menagerie after I'm finished."
"Sounds good, I'll see you then." Harry was happy that his voice didn't shake as he thought about navigating the streets of Quiberon alone.
Adele smiled gratefully, and left the shop. The man, presumably John, turned to Harry.
"Well, let's get started. Run your hands along these wood samples, see if anything feels... odd."
"Odd?"
"It's hard to explain. Everyone sensation is a little different. For me the wood tingled, for some there's shock, and for some, well, it just feels right. Homey you know?"
Harry frowned, but nodded and ran his hands along the wood samples. He went slowly, handling each piece carefully, until he got to alder, where he paused, but continued. He stopped at ash, as warmth rose inside of him.
"This is it." He was surprised at how certain he felt, and John nodded.
"Interesting. Charms should come easily, as should wards, but we'll wait until we see your core for anything specific. Try the same again with these." He pointed to a long row of various coloured items.
Harry repeated the process, stopping on a silver stick, which he picked up and handed to John.
"Why don't you keep looking? Dual cores are fairly common." John suggested, and Harry kept looking. He stopped on a bowl of thick red liquid.
"Interesting choices. Melted occamy eggshells and Re'em blood. Protective and strong. Well, I'll go make it now. It'll take a couple of days." He smiled at Harry's dismayed look. "Don't worry, I use a time turner. I'll just go in and out, and you'll have your wand." True to his word, he stepped in the shadowy alcove at the back of the shop, and came out with a wand, which he handed to Harry. Harry gasped as a shiver ran deep inside his veins and he clutched his wand close, suddenly protective of it.
John laughed, having seen this reaction many times.
"It'll be 12 galleons, and I'll throw in a holster. Can't say fairer than that."
Harry gave him the large golden coins and John handed him a leather holster and showed him how to attach it to his wrist. Harry left with a wave and headed towards the shop with the cat sign.
He walked down the cobbled street and dodged several people. As he walked, he heard snatches of conversations.
"Well, I told him not to bet on quidditch after he was bitten by a malaclaw, but what could I do?"
"I'm sure no one blames you."
Harry vaguely wondered what a malaclaw was, but had walked into Mim's before he had a chance to listen more, and maybe find out.
He walked up and down the small shop. Various cages lined the walls, large enough for the animals inside to play with each other. In the centre of the room was a large pen with fluffy yellow balls inside. The sign called them 'puffskeins' and Harry reached down to pat one. It extended a long thin tongue and licked Harry's hand. He jumped back in shock, but grinned slightly as the ball seemed to wake up, and showed small black eyes.
Behind him he heard purring and saw a large spotted cat had walked up beside him. The cat graciously bent its head for Harry to scratch, and he obeyed, as one would in the presence of such a queen.
"Harry?" He turned to see Adele standing behind him.
"Look!" He said in excitement. "I got my wand!"
Adele caught some of his enthusiasm. "What kind is it?"
"10 ½ inches, Ash, with Occamy egg and Re'em blood centre." He recited, as he had remembered John saying as he had handed Harry's wand to Harry.
"Interesting. Are you planning to get her?" Harry looked down at the cat.
"No..." The cat gave him the most knowing look he'd ever had from an animal. "Yes."
Harry brought the cat up to the front and the shop girl looked at it.
"One female kneazle. Are you planning on getting accessories?"
"Erm, yes?" Harry said uncertainly.
"You'll want food, a toy, and caring information?"
Harry nodded.
"Total comes to..." She checked a pad with prices listed. "13 galleons, 8 sickles, and 3 knuts."
Harry reached into his wallet and handed her the coins.
"Thank you, enjoy!"
"I will." He looked down at the cat. Kneazle. She leaped onto his shoulder, and he looked at her in shock. She didn't seem to be in any hurry to move, even after he gave an encouraging wriggle.
"Well, that's all we need. The rest can be mail ordered once you pick your courses." Adele turned to Harry after speaking. "Grab my elbow and hold on tight." Harry looked puzzled, but complied, and his kneazle obeyed by gripping on to Harry with her claws. There was a rush of colours and sounds and Harry felt like his whole body was being squeezed through a tube. He opened his mouth to scream but was interrupted by his landing with a thump on a smooth green lawn. He looked up at an elegant white castle, like every fairy tale castle you ever imagined.
"Welcome to Beauxbatons!" Adele said with a smile.
I know this is rather a filler chapter, but I did want to show Quiberon Alley. Also: Does anyone know why you shouldn't bet on quidditch after being bitten by a malaclaw? Go the Quiberon Quafflepunchers!
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