Bitter Revelations & Diagon Alley
Harry tapped his feat against the pavement as he sat and waited, he couldn't contain his excitement, not in the slightest. Today wasn't just any Sunday, it was the day that Mrs. Grimore and Griselda had asked him to accompany them on a trip to a wizarding community. All he knew was that it was magic, not that Harry needed to hear more, he was sold.
It had been a bit of a headache asking Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia to go but a phone call from Griselda's mother and a few well placed lies about a trip to the mall smoothed things over. It was best this way, the less the Durselys know the better, anything magic after all would most likely make Uncle Vernon blow a gasket.
Lost in his thoughts Harry didn't see Griselda until she had snuck up behind him, snaking her nimble hands around his neck and shoulders and she threw herself across his back. “Hiya Harry! Guess who it is.”
“Zel get off the young man before you both end up on the ground.”
Mrs. Grimore stepped forward looking rather done up in a dark emerald skirt and matching capulet ringed in silver. Despite its strangeness, not one of the passing commuters or business men on their way to work seemed to notice. How odd Harry thought to himself.
“Griselda sighed, despite looking thoroughly chastised there was a fair glimmer of rebellion in her eyes. “Yes mother, you don't have to be so angry, I was just saying Hi is all.”
“I'm sure young mister potter knew it was you without you having to assault him from behind darling.” Despite the firmness of her rebuke Mrs. Grimore smiled warmly. She stepped forward and wiped a black smudge off Harry's cheek, he hadn't exactly gotten scot free from his chores and the oven had been rather filthy. “Hello dear, I hope it wasn't too much of an issue with your aunt and uncle.
“No ma’am it was nothing. Thank you for allowing me to come along.” It had meant he was put to work on the chores he would be missing in a quarter of the usual time, but that was not worth letting his new friends know.
“Oh how sweet of you dear, but it is truly my pleasure, I'm just glad you wanted to come along, my zel can be so much and to combine that with a day trip to Diagon will make this quite the day.”
“Diagon?” Harry questioned, she hasn't mentioned a place name before.
“Yes dear, Diagon Alley, that's where we will be going. It's the economic centre of the British wizarding world.”
“How do we get there?” oh it's rather simple Harry dear, the entrance is just over there.” Mrs. Grimore lifted a pale ring covered finger to point out a building. That? That is the entrance, some rundown pub? It was a rather rundown establishment, windows caked and covered in grime, wood finish rotting and aged.
“I know it doesn't look like much but it was once a rather fine establishment even from the outside. It mostly looks like that as a deterrent, see how they pass it by.” Mrs. Grimore indicated for Harry to watch, and Harry was amazed as all those who passed by it went on as if it did not exist. If they could see it they would most likely have some curiosity. It was quite the sight to behold in modern london.
“Why don’t they see it?”
“The Statute Of Secrecy, a wizarding law enacted as a result of the souring of magical-muggle relations which forced us into hiding.”
“Hiding?”
“Yes, due to the unfavourable reactions to magic, witchcraft, witch hunting and such we were forced to erase ourselves from our previous mutual history. Hundreds of years now we have lived like this, the only muggles to know are those whose family are witches or wizards, the family of muggleborns.”
“Is that why Aunt Petunia and my relatives, the Dursleys, hate magic?”
“They do? Perhaps, it can be rather jarring to be a sibling of a witch and not have magic yourself. It would be rather painful I imagine, to know you are so close to a gift you can witness but never possess.”
With that Harry lapsed into silence, deep in thought the cogs in the machine that was his mind turning. Things began to make sense, flashes of memory adding up with the ideas he had been given, the sum was as clear as glass. He wasn't a freak was he, Aunt Petunia was just a jealous bitter woman.
“Are you ready to go, Harry?” Griselda's hand on his shoulder shook Harry from his thoughts.
“I am, how do we enter?”
“Just follow Mama, it's not gonna be anything difficult, don't worry Harry.”
“Who said I was scared!” Harry groused, pouting at the accusation of cowardice.
Griselda giggled behind her hand twirling her long white hair absently, “It's okay you can tell me!”
“Come along children!” Mrs. Grimore called having already taken off ahead of them to walk towards the derelict storefront. Running to catch up they pulled up behind the woman just as she opened the door. Turning to smile at Harry, Mrs. Grimore beckoned the children inside.
Harry didn't quite know what he had been expecting, but it was certainly not this. It was a bustling pub, a whole cacophony of voices greeted Harry, grizzled scary looking figures stoically lying in wait as well as wizen old men sat at low round tables hunched and whispering. There ladies young and old in an odd assortment of hats, cloaks and colourful ensambles cackling and carousing, telling jokes only they could hear. There were others, more solemn hunched silently and darkly over a tankered or glass, glasses stirring themselves, books turning without touch, it was wonderful and at once overwhelming.
Gripping Harry's shoulder firmly Mrs. Grimore bent down to whisper in his ear, “Keep close, we don't want anyone knowing who you are, Harry, it would only cause problems. Someone wanted you to stay out of the limelight, and before we know who it's best to keep that you’re in the magical world under wraps.”
She then promptly led them both by the hand to the back storage room and produced a long stick of spiral dark coloured wood surrounded by that of a lighter one, almost like a vine. Stepping forward she tapped the bricks of the storage room in a highly purposeful pattern and took a step back once she had finished to admire her work. Amazingly, before Harry's very eyes the bricks peeled away, shuffling to disappear into the walls and reveal a bustling bright cobble street and a chaotic alley filled with shops and shoppers in full swing of the day.
“This Harry Is Diagon Alley. Mrs. Grimore said, voice bursting with enthusiasm. It wasn't every day one got to show a new member of the magical community around their first truly magical location was it.
“I-its very magical.”
Griselda giggled and grabbed Harry’s arm, “of course it is silly! Now lets go explore. Mama, can we take Harry to Sycamores Sweets? Pleaseee pleaseeee!”
“Later darling, we need to take care to show him the important things first.”
Harry couldn't care less what he saw first, to him this was nothing short of wonderful, Christmas had come early, and for once in Harry Potter's short life he felt rather blessed. The Grimores introducing him to the world of magic, their world of magic, his world of magic was the greatest gift Harry could have received. It really was that finally, Harry Potter felt at home.