Shopping and Goblins
It felt like being sucked down the drain of a bathtub, he was spinning rapidly, and there was such a roaring in his ears, drowning out any other sound. He opened his eyes, only to be met with an impenetrable wall of green flames on all sides. And then suddenly, there wasn’t any flames. No greens but the colourful people and stores surrounding him.
With wide eyes, and a soft smile of wonderment, Remus stepped forward. He couldn’t take it all in with his two eyes, instead, he whipped his head around with dizzying speed. The same scent that was attached to Dumbledore -metallic, and different- was everywhere here, stuffing itself up his nostrils and into his lungs. It smelt like his father, like home. Like magic.
Remus had never truly felt at home with the Pentworth’s, even though they were distant relatives. He couldn’t entirely remember his life with his mother and father, as if his mind was subconsciously conserving the memories for when it would be safe of Remus to remember, safe to be happy. But this place, these people, the magic; this was home.
Dumbledore appeared to Remus’ left, shocking him out of the revelation. The old man was smiling down at Remus, observing his open expression, his wide eyes, and relaxed posture.
Suddenly self conscious, Remus snapped his jaw shut, and looked down at his clothes, noting the soot and ash from traveling by Floo. He quickly ran his hands down his sweater, only achieving to smudge the muck further on the thick wool. He frowned, muttering under his breath, “Oh, bollocks, this was one of my favourites.”
The principal beside him appeared to have heard his quiet cursing, because he ‘tsked,’ before pulling out his wand and said, “Tergeo,” and the soot stains miraculously disappeared, leaving the sweater clean and pristine.
Remus jumped in surprise, before beaming up at the headmaster, “Thank you, sir.”
Dumbledore chuckled, placing a hand on Remus’ back and guiding them down the street. They passed many strange and wonderful shops; shops with owls perched on posts and in cages, shops with broomsticks -Remus noted there was a large throng of people who looks close to his age crowded inside that store, all chattering away animatedly,- one store had lots of black cauldrons piled atop one another, creating an archway for the stores door, probably held up by some sort of magic. Every person they passed was wearing peculiar colourful clothing, usually robes and pointed hats, and everyone seemed to know the headmaster walking beside Remus. They would wave, or smile, some would even stop to chat like old friends.
They finally stopped outside of a giant, multi storied building made from pure marble that seemed to be twisting this way and that. It had tall columns, and a sign carved into the marble itself, proudly displaying the name ‘Gringotts Bank.’ Dumbledore turned to Remus, resting a gentle had on his shoulder,
“Remus, this is where I must leave you,” dread coiled in Remus’ gut, “I have a very important matter to deal with immediately. Although, do not fret, my boy, Gringotts Bank is one of the safest and most secure places in all of the UK, apart from Hogwarts, of course.” The old man pulled a large golden key out of his pocket and handed it to Remus, “This is the key to your father’s vault in the bank, tell the Head Goblin your name, and hand them the key, someone will help you to the vault. Use your money wisely, Remus,” he smiled at the younger boy, “Oh, and before I forget,” he pulled out the satchel of Floo Powder and handed it to Remus, “To get home, find any fireplace and use this again, just like I taught you. I look forward to seeing you at Hogwarts this coming September, Mr Lupin.” And with that, the headmaster winked, pulling out his wand and casting some sort of spell, causing him to swirl into nothingness, leaving Remus alone and confused.
***
Stealing a few minutes to gather the courage, Remus puzzled over the fact that Dumbledore just disappeared, he had just turned in a half circle and vanished.
Shaking his head in amazement, Remus started towards the entrance doors to Gringotts Bank. Once he was inside, he had to physically clench his jaw to stop it from falling open in awe. He was surrounded by small, stocky people. They all had long fingers and finger nails; big, pointed ears; and hawked noses. Their skin was wrinkled and pale with age, but they moved with the agility of someone Remus’ age. “Goblins,” Remus breathed in awe. He had be surrounded by ‘normal’ people his whole life -except his father, he thought- and suddenly, a letter had arrived in the post, opening so many doors to new possibilities. Goblins, for goodness sake.
Remus walked towards a tall desk at the far end of the grand room-presumably the ‘Head Goblin’s’ desk,- his footsteps echoing along the marble floors.
When he stood before the tall desk, back straight and chin high, he cleared his throat and a wrinkled head popped over the edge of the desk. The Head Goblin was wearing a small pair of reading glasses, sliding down his nose. His spindly fingers curled around the edge of the desk as he looked over it at Remus. “Yes?” It sniffed, looking down his long nose at Remus.
Remus cleared his throat again, “My name is Remus Lupin, I am here to get some money out of LyallLupin’s -my father’s- vault,” he showed the goblin the golden key, which was promptly snatched out of his hand by another goblin which had crept up beside Remus.
The goblin beside Remus said as the Head Goblin went back to his paperwork, “I will take you to vault 329, Mr Lupin.”
***
Half an hour, a terrifying experience, and a lot of coins later, Remus was standing out the front of Gringotts again, pockets full of his father’s money and slightly queasy from the railway roller coaster ride inside the tunnels of the bank.
He pulled out the list of necessary items for Hogwarts he had stashed in his trouser pocket before leaving through the fireplace back at the Pentworth’s house. He decided he would start in the clothing department.
He needed:
- Three plain work robes
- A pointed had
- Dragon hide gloves
- A winter cloak
And so off he went. He wandered around Diagon Alley until he had a bag full of six items of clothing, and six items ticked off the long list.
Next, he needed a copy of eight different, and very strangely named textbooks for each of his classes. About spells, transfiguration, history of magic, magic theory, herbs and fungi, potions, magical creatures, and dark arts. He found all the books at a shop called ‘Flourish and Blotts,’ which contained more books than Remus had ever seen in one place, in his entire life.
After deciding he had spent enough time on his feet, purchasing books and clothes, Remus decided it was due time for a break. He stopped at a store called ‘FloreanFortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour,’ and helped himself to the most delicious double scoop, mint choc chip -his favouriteflavour- ice cream he had ever tasted. Magic. That was the only way to explain it. The ice cream was magic.
Feeling content with his stomach full of delicious ice cream, and filled with a new found energy, Remus set off again to complete the list, all he needed was a wand, a cauldron, a telescope, a set of brass scales, and a set of crystal phials.
Remus visited a cauldron shop first, it was called ‘Potage’s Cauldron Shop,’ and was the store he saw when he first arrived in Diagon Alley with Professor Dumbledore, it had an archway made of cauldrons outside the entrance of the shop, and a hanging wooden sign, carved into the 2D shape of a cauldron. He quickly purchased a pewter cauldron, standard size two, before leaving to search for a store selling telescopes and crystal phials, luckily he found them at ‘Wiseacre’s Wizarding Equipment.’ The store had a floating golden structure, featuring the earth with stars and constellations surrounding it, it spun as he shopped, mimicking the turning of the actual earth in space. After paying for the phials and telescope, Remus went in search for scales. He found then some time later in a store called ‘Slug and Jiggers Apothecary,’ which also sold an array of colourful, bubbling potions, and many peculiar potion ingredients.
With only a wand left on Remus’ list of necessary items for school, Remus dawdled on his way to ‘Ollivanders.’ He peered into windows, stopped to pet the owls, and other animals that were out for purchase, wandering whether he should get one himself. When he had finally made it to ‘Ollivanders,’ his arms full of books, a cauldron, clothes, and other miscellaneous necessities; he took a minute to take in the beautiful store front. On either side of the old wooden door, there were two turret windows, reaching up to the second story of the store, on each turret, the name ‘Ollivanders’ was proudly displayed, and above the door, similarly inscribed with gold lettering, were the words “Makers of fine wands - Since 382B.C.”
As Remus entered, a tinkling bell sounded somewhere in the shop, announcing his presence. That was the first thing he noticed, the next was the layer of dust coating everything in the tiny, cluttered shop. The third -‘Which probably should’ve been the first,’ Remus thought- was the thousands of thin boxes covering every shelf and smooth surface. The shop smelt strongly of magic, very metallic, it made the hairs of the back of Remus’ neck stand up.
“Ah. Remus Lupin, I was wondering when I would meet you,” came an old voice from behind the counter ahead of Remus. He looked up and was met with a pair of shiny, pale eyes staring down at him. The man didn’t blink, he just cocked his head to the side and smiled at Remus, his teeth were yellow and crooked with age. “You look so much like your father, although I assume you’ve been told. Sold Lyall a great wand, 9¼ inch long, made of alderwood and contained a phoenix feather core.”
Remus offered a half smile in return, putting his previous purchases on the one clean surface in the store: a small, rickety stool. The wand maker continued, “You see, Mr Lupin, I remember every wand I have ever sold, just as I demonstrated to you with your fathers wand; I will remember your wand.” Mr Ollivander disappeared behind a shelf filled to the brim with wands, Remus could still hear his slightly muffled voice as he spoke from behind it, “The wand chooses the wizard, you must understand that, Mr Lupin, it is not the other way ‘round.” he reappeared, holding a thin wand box, his lips still spread into a smile, “Let’s give this one a try, yes?” He handed the box to Remus, who gently pulled the lid off and picked the wooden wand out of the protective fabric.
“10¼ inches long, made of cypress and contains a unicorn hair core,” Mr Ollivander murmured lightly as Remus studied the wand, wander widening his eyes. Remus tentatively turned the wand around in his hand, marveling at the smooth dark wood and how it felt warm to touch, comforting even. There was a ball of carved, wood at the end of it, the hand had a swirled pattern etched into it, which slowly faded out into smooth wood.
“Well, go on then,” Mr Ollivander’s voice snapped Remus out of his thoughts, “give it a whirl,” the man was smiling encouragingly at Remus.
“Oh, okay then.” Remus awkwardly held the wand at eye level and twirled it in the air. Almost immediately, colourfulsparks shot out of the tip, spraying like fireworks midair in the tiny shop. Remus almost jumped in surprise, but all Ollivander did was clap his hands happily.
“Good, good,” he muttered as he shuffled back over to the counter, “Good, easy customer is Remus Lupin.”
Remus smiled proudly to himself, staring down at the seemingly useless -but definitely not- stick in his hands.
***
After paying for the wand, Remus was finally finished with his shopping, and decided it was best if he headed back home before it got too dark.
As he meandered passed the slowly emptying stores of Diagon Alley, Remus couldn’t help but feel giddy at the prospect of going to a school his father went to, and was well known at, let alone the fact that Hogwarts was a magic school.
He smiled happily to himself as he stopped before the fireplace he and Dumbledore had gone through to enter DiagonAlley many hours before. Pulling out the small satchel of Floo Powder the headmaster had left for him, he sprinkled it over the flames, stepping in with a lot less trepidation than the first time. “The Pentworth’s house,” he murmured into the flames, suppressing the urge to cough and splutter, and was sucked into the magical green flames, all the way home.
As he stepped out of the hearth back at the house, he was met by the furious eyes of Mary and Rupert, hands on hips, and faces flushed with rage. Remus sighed, so much for being excited, he still had to wait till September, and would still need to deal with the Pentworth’s until then.