August 1,1971, Diagon Alley
On the morning that he was to go to Diagon Alley for the first time,James Potter awoke bright and early. It was a clear,calm day,filled with promise.
Lukie, the Potter family’s house-elf,had cooked James a special breakfast today:blueberry pancakes,apple pie,and milk. James ate it happily,and even had seconds. Afterwards,he went to the living room to prepare for the trip.
Shortly before 8:00 am Dorothea walked into the living room,wearing a smart dress with azaleas on it. James wore a neat brown shirt,slacks,and a tie.
”Are you ready,James?”
”You bet I am,Mother”
They got into the fireplace. Dorothea gathered some powder from a can on the left side of the mantelpiece and gave some to James. At the count of five,they both shouted “DIAGON ALLEY!” as loud as they could.
————
A few moments later,when the world stopped spinning,James and Dorothea found themselves on the front porch of a pub. The sign hanging over the door proclaimed it to be the Leaky Cauldron.
Dorothea smiled with approval. She said “We’re going to have breakfast here before the shops open”.
Inside,it was loud. Wizarding music played from a radio at one end of a dusty bar,behind of which was a carousel containing a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Most of the tables were occupied by groups of three or four wizards and witches. A couple of them nodded at Dorothea and James as they walked by. They got a table near the back end,by a door that led to the bathrooms.
“Hello,Lady Potter’, said a young wizard with short blonde hair and a quick smile. “Hello to you as well,Heir Potter.”
”Do we know you?”
”I’m Tyrion Brown,Heir to the Most Noble and Elder House of Brown. I’m entering my sixth year at Hogwarts.”
”Oh! Those Browns. Well,why don’t you come and have a seat with me and my mother?”
”Very well.”
Shortly afterwards,a middle-aged waiter with long brown hair and a handlebar mustache came up to them and asked them what they wanted for breakfast. Dorothea ordered a cheese omelet and iced tea. James ordered waffles and milk. Tyrion ordered French toast and apple cider.
”So,Tyrion,how’s life at Hogwarts?”
”It’s good,James. I got good results on my OWLs. Astronomy-A. Care of Magical Creatures-P. Charms-E. Defense Against the Dark Arts-E. History of Magic-E. Herbology-O. Muggle Studies-E. Potions-A. Transfiguration-E. My parents are very proud of me.”
“What do you want to do after you graduate?”
”To be honest,I am not sure. I should like to study deeper into History of Magic. My father says that I’ve got a natural talent for remembering things. And it’s true. I know all 14 of our house-elves by name,I know the names of all 92 portraits in our house,and I can name each Lord or Lady of my House,their lifespan,their years of Lordship or Ladyship,their accomplishments,their children,and who they were associated with in the Wizengamot. Last year,for my OWLs,I spent much of my free time reading books about the history of our world,as well as my family’s place within it.”
”What house are you in?”
”Hufflepuff. My great-great-uncle is also my house head. He used to teach Astronomy for quite a few years. He spends most of his time working on his plant care potions and tending to Madred- that’s his old owl that he’s had since 1948.”
”How long do owls usually live?”
”About 50 years,if accidents or some Muggle hunter don’t do them in first. What house do you want to be in?”
”Gryffindor,like my mum and dad.”
“That’s nice. I think you’ll make a lot of friends in Gryffindor.”
Right about then,the waiter arrived with their meals.
———-
After breakfast,Dorothea and James emerged into the Alley for the first time. It was mid-morning,and the sky was clear in all directions. The Alley was full of people who were shopping,and shops lined both sides of the cobbled road as far as the eye could see. Here it was time for Tyrion to leave them. Tyrion shook James’ hand,promised to look him up at Hogwarts,and then disappeared into the crowd.
Dorothea and James’ first stop was Eeylops Owl Emporium. The Emporium occupied a Victorian-style building with a large porch. The porch had a table upon which sat many cages,most occupied by owls. The interior of the shop had owl cages on almost every available surface.
After a while spent looking at the various owls,James was aware of a tall man with auburn hair walking towards them.
”Hello,Mr.Potter. I understand you’re looking for an owl?”
”Yes,sir.”
”You’ve come to the right place,then. I’m Trebor Jordan,co-owner.”
”Then there’s no Mr.Eeylops?”
”That’s right. The last Eeylops died in 1674. Anyways,here we are.”
The main room of the shop was filled with all sorts of owls. There were both free-range owls and caged owls of nearly every type. James walked over to a cage containing a white owl with auburn streaks on its tail feathers. Almost as soon as it saw James,the owl’s eyes assumed an expression of delight. James knew that this owl was the one he wanted to take to Hogwarts with him.
”I’ll say,Mr.Potter! This is the first time in almost ten years a student has selected an owl on their first try! What would you like to name him?”
”How about Stafford?”
Jordan laughed,and the owl hooted in delight. “He definitely seems to like it,Mr.Potter!”
—————-
With Stafford in a brand new cage,the Potters’ next stop was Madam Malkin’s Robes for all Occasions. The shop was located in Historic Alley,an offshoot of Diagon Alley that led to the Muggle shopping establishment called Carkitt Market. The tall building with its high mullioned windows looked almost like home to James. He felt happy just entering.
Behind a high oaken desk was a tall woman with plaited auburn hair who was perhaps a few years younger than Dorothea. She wore earrings embossed with the Ravenclaw eagle and an auburn cloth-of-gold robe with a magical tapestry embroidered into it depicting all sorts of summer vegetation. She stepped out from behind the desk and looked at James.
”Welcome,Heir Potter,to my humble establishment. Welcome to you as well,Lady Potter. We’ve been expecting you.”
”I am honored,ma’am.”
”Likewise. I am Heather Malkin,the newest proprietress of this shop. The shop has been in my family since 1486,not that you’d know it from my sign. I have a selection of nearly 4500 men’s robes alone,and just about as many women’s robes. Why don’t you go have a look?”
”I will,ma’am. Thanks for letting me browse.”
—————
There were many aisles of robes in the back of the shop. They were placed on silver racks that were charmed to float in the air. As James was browsing,he thought he heard voices.
”It will fit,Madam,of that I am sure”
”Now,now,Heir Malfoy,you want to look good for your prefecture,don’t you?”
Malfoy? Lucius Malfoy? Only the most richest,jerkiest Slytherin boy to walk the halls of Hogwarts,if the rumors were true? And he was to be a Prefect? If what James had heard of him was true,then Gryffindor would be in negative points by no later than the Halloween feast. He ducked under an old robe that smelled faintly of Bundimun droppings.
“Madam,I must get away. I have an appointment at Gringotts to withdraw the sum of 6,100 galleons from my account”
”Very well,then. I won’t detain you any longer”.
James emerged from behind the robe just as Lucius left,pushing the wooden door behind him.
”Now,Heir Potter,let’s get you fixed up”
————
After a few minutes of evaluating various robes,they selected a set of red and gold robes to reflect James’ hope of getting into Gryffindor. The robes came with an edgéd fur trim and integrated warmth charms.
“Where next,sweet?”
”Ollivander’s! I really want to get a wand,mum.”
”If you insist.”
The walk to Ollivander’s was a short one. However,James quickly learned that walking in Diagon Alley was a dance. You constantly had to sidestep other people,some of whom were carrying crates,cages,or bags. James knew that fifty falls or more in a shopping day wasn’t considered unusual by the Alley’s denizens.
A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single, spindly chair that Dorothea sat on to wait. James felt strangely as though he had entered a very strict library; he swallowed a question that had just occurred to him and looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. For some reason, the back of his neck prickled. The very dust in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic.
“Good morning," said a soft voice. James jumped. Dorothea must have jumped, too, because there was a loud creaking noise and she got quickly off the spindly chair.
An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.
"Hello," said James awkwardly.
"Ah yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. James Potter. How many years has it been?”
”Three and a half,sir. You performed a magic show for us kids at the Turpins’ Christmas ball.”
“Ah,yes,I did. A fine show,that was,and no use gainsaying it. I was sorry to hear that old Lord Matthias passed on this April. A hundred and thirty,he was. Lord of the family for 46 years,after Alekyne died. Maybe you’ll be Lord Potter for that long,or longer.”
Mr. Ollivander had come so close that he and James were almost nose to nose. James could see himself reflected in his misty grey eyes.
“Hmmm," said Mr. Ollivander, giving Dorothea a piercing look. "Well, now - Mr. Potter. Let me see." He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"
"Er - well, I'm right-handed," said James.
"Hold out your arm. That's it." He measured James from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round his head. As he measured, he said, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Mr. Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand. Now let’s try you out.”
The first wand James tried was 11 inches long,elm,with a heartstring of a Peruvian Longhorn dragon as a core. It sent blue sparks flying prettily about the shop,and it didn’t feel right to James. The second wand was a 14 inch oak wand with a thestral hair core,but it didn’t work either.
But as with many situations,the third try proved the charm today. A 12 inch pear wand with a fairy’s hair as the core sat lightly in James’ hand,and he felt a sudden warmth in his fingers. He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls.
”Bravo!”, Ollivander cried as he clapped,a beatific smile on his face. “Splendid job,Mr.Potter! I think we have found you a wand! That’s a self-sacrificing wand, Mr. Potter. I’ve not known of any wizard with a wand like that, who has not died a hero’s death,or lived a long and healthy life. I think it will be the latter for you.”
Dorothea too was smiling.
”What do you say we go to Flourish and Blotts,then have lunch,and go to Gringotts to finish it all off?”
James nodded.
—————
Flourish and Blotts was not as dusty as Ollivander’s,which came as a relief to James. Shelves of books reached many stories into the air,and workers were running around tending to everything. The books covered almost all magical subjects,ranging from the history of the higher pureblood families to the life cycle of the greater Atlantic hippocampus. Even if I had 90 years at my disposal,James thought to himself,I wouldn’t be able to read all of that. And the library of Hogwarts is ten times as large as this place!
James was distracted from his ruminations when an auburn-haired girl walked up next to him. “Aren’t you James,the Heir Potter?”
”Yes,I am. Who are you?”
”Marlene,Heiress McKinnon.” She stuck out a hand for shaking. “I’m beginning my first year at school.”
”So am I. What house do you want to be in?”
She laughed. “Gryffindor,stupid. Where else? All the McKinnons have been in Gryffindor,going back 700 years to Gedmund McKinnon,the last Earl of Cleristory. Don’t you Potters usually go to Gryffindor?”
”Dad was a Hufflepuff. Mum was the Gryffindor. She’s the second daughter of Lucas Strahan. And my great-great-great uncle Lawrence was a Slytherin.”
”My mum was in Ravenclaw. Guess that completes the circle.” She laughed again,tossing back her long auburn hair. “Let’s go looking for books. I’ll show you around. My grandfather was a clerk here when he was younger.”
It didn’t take them long to find a few different books. James got The Annals of the Wigtown Wanderers and A Wizard’s History of Muggle Spaceflight off of a self-mobilized bookcart,while Marlene picked out Diary of a Muggleborn Slytherin and Divination:Facts and Myths,which had a moth-eaten cover. After that,they picked out their schoolbooks. The only incidence was when The Monster Book of Monsters:The Americas tried to chase Marlene down an aisle of Potions textbooks,but a store employee quickly neutralized it with his wand.
——
Dorothea wasn’t surprised in the least when James came back to the lobby with a girl. She was just surprised that he was now friends with the Heiress of the McKinnons. The Potters and the McKinnons were friendly families,but disagreed on a few matters of politics.
As they headed back to the Cauldron,they heard a wizard speaking to another wizard leaning against a wall:
”....A couple of days ago, I found a gnome sitting on the sofa. I've no idea how it got there, since I didn't leave the door open and I'm pretty sure Bran didn't either. Needless to say, I got it dizzy and threw it out.
The next day, though, there it was again on the sofa - and yes, it seems to be the same one. Again, swing and throw.
And now, I've just woken up and the thing is sitting on my desk, singing to itself. Yes, singing.
Now, my question is: is it normal for creatures in this place to be off their rocker, or did I just get myself a really ugly admirer?”
”I don’t know,but.....”
———
The Cauldron was just as noisy as it had been at breakfast. James sat next to Marlene,who kept primping her hair.
”So,what’s life like at McKinnon Manor?”
”It’s dusty,that’s for sure. Lion statuary all over the place,crup puppies running around,and Dad’s potions lab are the main highlights. We’re beginning to renovate the gardens.”
”What’s that like?”
”Mostly it involves Mum using various charms and Dad and me looking on.”
James laughed and returned to his sandwich.
————
“Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed,
For they who take, but do not earn,
Must pay most dearly in their turn.
So if you seek beneath these floors
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there.”
James stared up at the hulking mass of Gringotts Bank’s main branch,then back at the menacing words carved in silver and bronze above the entrance. The Sun was shining almost directly on them,and it threw a golden beam of light across the 60 marble steps. Above them were the famed golden doors known to every witch and wizard in Britain. They were carved with runes in the goblin-tongue of Gobbledegook,intended as further wards against thievery. Flanking them were columns carved with floral designs,an amusing contrast to the seriousness of the rest of the design.
Marlene entered the bank first,leading James as she did so. Dorothea walked next to them. James found himself asking Marlene “So,where are your parents?”
”Mum’s shopping for my school robes. We get ours from Twilfitt and Tatting’s.”
”I got mine from Madam Malkin’s earlier this morning,and narrowly missed Lucius Malfoy. He’s to be a Prefect this year. A bloody Prefect! Of all the injustice.....”
They were now almost to the teller stations. A blue-robed wizard bearing the Rivers crest stood at one,arguing with its attendant goblin in Latin,which caused James to giggle. He looked up at the ceiling. Like the ceiling of the Great Hall at Hogwarts,it was charmed to resemble the outside sky:today it was bright and clear.
Their little party finally stopped before an assistant teller whose name plate read Griphook. He was clearly a young goblin,his incisors only partially grown in. He wore a simple pinstripe suit with a Gringotts badge.
”May I have your names,please?”
”I am Dorothea Potter,Lady Potter. This is my son James,and Marlene,the McKinnon Heiress.”
”Heiress McKinnon,Amælric here will conduct you to your vaults. Lady and Heir Potter,follow me.”
They walked into an alcove at the back of the room,where there was a line of over 300 carts. Griphook walked them to a cart embossed with the number 56 on the side. Dorothea and James strapped themselves into the back and Griphook strapped himself into the front. He moved a silver lever,and off the cart went.
For a brief moment,James felt sick,then he recovered his equilibrium. When he did,he found that they were already far beneath the Earth. Griphook stopped the cart and led them to Vault 713.
The vault was of solid beryllium,and its doorway was built like a submarine hatch. The Potter stag was engraved on it,below the Latin for 713,DCCXIII. Griphook turned a lever and the door opened.
———
James couldn’t believe the sight. Towers of Knuts,Sickles,and Galleons were contained in the vault. Bookcases filled with books on magical lore,wandlore,the history of the Potter family,and other subjects lined the walls. James couldn’t wait to get his hands on prime reading material.
Before he could do anything,however,Griphook spoke to him.
”Mr.Potter,might you let me cut your hand open? It would be just a sliver. Your hand will heal instantly. I just need three drops of blood.”
”Why?”
“Your inheritance test.”
Now James remembered. The test that would count his relations back to his 10th great-grandmother,list his properties,his Wizengamot seats,etc. The test that would determine his place in the Wizarding community of Britain.
They went to Griphook’s office for the test. The office was dimly lit,but well appointed. Griphook had s handsome desk made of elm wood.
James let Griphook cut his hand with a dwarf-made knife. When Griphook was done,he summoned a scroll. The scroll read:
Inheritance test of James Erik Potter, Heir of the NMH Potter, performed at 13:52 Britannian time on 1 August 1971, YG 1020
Race
Human (Wixen)
Parents
Charlus Noel Potter
Dorothea Emilé (Strahan) Potter
1st Godparents
Brendan Moon
Samantha (Wilkins) Moon
2nd Godparents
Walton Boot
Tessa (Abbott) Boot
Families
Potter (birth,father)
Strahan (mother)
Corner (grandmother)
Midgen (great-grandmother)
Tuttle (great-great-grandmother)
Rivers (4great-grandmother)
Montague (5great-grandmother)
Walsh (6great-grandmother)
Macmillan (7great-grandmother)
Snyde (8great-grandmother)
Ogden (9great-grandmother)
Davies (10great-grandmother)
Brown (ancestry)
Runcorn (ancestry)
Joubert (ancestry)
Snyde (ancestry)
Toke (ancestry)
Jones (ancestry)
Edgecombe (ancestry)
Robins (ancestry)
Vaisey (ancestry)
Higgs (ancestry)
Clearwater (ancestry)
Black (ancestry)
Avery (ancestry)
Tessanon (ancestry)
Finnigan (ancestry)
Boot (ancestry)
Abbott (ancestry)
Selwyn (ancestry)
Gouillain (ancestry)
Bell (ancestry)
Cornfoot (ancestry)
Titles
Baron of Summercreek
Baron of Lisdoonvarna
Baron of Widecombe
Lord of Llanwrtyd Wells
Earl of Harrogate (unclaimed,can be ceded to House Edgecombe)
Properties
Standecombe Hill, Godric’s Hollow (current residence)
Dréisec Vale, Lisdoonvarna
Purcell Hall, Surrey
Tyirikoirin Monastery, Finland
Wizengamot seats
Potter Heir seat
Potter Lord seat,when applicable
Magic Blocks
None
Intra-systemic Potions
None
Contracts
None
James read the scroll. He re-read it,and then handed it to his mother.
”We’re done for today,James. Let’s go back home.”
”What about my cauldron? My apothecary supplies? My other things?”
”I got them while you and Marlene were looking for books. Let’s go back home.”
———-
At supper that night,Charlus addressed his son.
”Are you looking forward to anything at Hogwarts,James?”
”Is anybody prominent in my year?”
”The Black Heir,Sirius. Rumors have reached my ears that he’s a troublesome sort. The Lupin boy. He’s a werewolf. The Moon twins. The Rowle Heiress. The Parkin Heiress.”
”That’ll be a distinguished crowd,at the least.”
So James went to bed. And when he dreamed,he dreamt of Hogwarts. He was wandering the great halls,learning magic from some of Britain’s best wizards and witches,playing Quidditch like a pro,making many a friend,having a good time. And he was loving it.