A man in his mid 30s and an eleven years old boy could be seen standing in front of a dingy looking pub.
"So, this is it?" Ezekiel asked
"Yes, it really is hard to look for, even when I have already come here." Alex said with a frown.
"May be it's something to do with magic", Ezekiel said.
"Yes, the professor said, it was non magical people repellent or something." Said Alex, "Okay, let us hurry, I don't have much time."
They went inside the Leaky Cauldron, it wasn't like in the movies or books at all. The exterior and interior didn't match, it was like entering a different place. The exterior looked very dingy shabby little house. But interior. It was marvellous. Clean hard wood floor, nicely dressed stone walls, the pub had double floored height, from where candle chandeliers hung, the lights were coming from large glazed windows. Even the area of the pub was huge, 'maybe space-dimensional magic I guess' thought Ezekiel.
Then Alex went near the counter and asked Tom the bartender to escort them to the gateway.
Tom led them to the back. When they reached there, Ezekiel was shocked again. It was supposed to only be a brick wall on the back of the pub, but in reality, there was a wide open space, and in the middle was a gate like structure, an entrance to a big temple or chapel. They went near to the structure, Ezekiel could see that the structure was made by highly skilled craftsmen. It had a heighted platform where there was a pair of columns made out of a dark marble, which had fine details of dragons and many other magical creatures, which supported a piedmont that had carvings of angels and mythical creatures. Whole structure looked like a portico which had a wall, made entirely of crystal blocks. The wall gave off a very powerful magical feeling. Tom went near there and just like in the movies and books, he tapped on the wall with his wand. Then light particles started to gather around the wall, the crystal wall glowed, then the wall changed into thick smoke. As the smoke disappeared, what awaited was a magnificent view of a town like it was just out of a fantasy world.
"Welcome to the Diagon alley!" said Tom looking at Ezekiel.
The place was magical, with things flying, changing shapes and sizes. With long cobblestone roads, buildings on either sides of it with Victorian to gothic architecture.
"WOhhhh!" Ezekiel couldn't help but exclaim his excitement.
'What's happening, it looked like a portal, and this, this is just ridiculous, how is this even possible? How have they even kept this place a secret from the muggle world. This diagon alley, is just huge, and those buildings, how tall even are they, and that shape, how is that even possible!' thought Ezekiel.
"Alright, lets go." Alex's voice woke him from his daze.
Ezekiel looked at Tom and asked, "How.. just how is this possible? This… How could it have been a secret all along, how have muggles not found out about this place?"
Tom gave a weird expression and said, "How can they? They can't find this place even when they search for hundred years."
"Why? This place is huge…" said Ezekiel who was now even more confused.
"Because this place is not in this world, its in a complete different dimension…" Tom was answering him but was interrupted by a new customer who needed him in the pub, "Ah sorry boy I need to go, but you can find the answers in there" pointing towards the portal and ran towards the pub.
Looking through the portal, Ezekiel gave out big sign. 'looks like its gonna be more dangerous than I thought' he said to himself.
"Okay let's go." He said to Alex
"Let's go to the Gringotts first for the money." Alex said which received a nod as a reply.
As they were walking on the wide cobblestone street, Ezekiel was looking at everything and everywhere. The place was very magical and developed than in the books, some people were travelling through carriages on the street and others were flying on brooms or flying carpets or flying carriages.
He found out that he could see thestrals, at first glance he got scared, as the animal looked ominous with its black, thin bony body and wings, a demonic beast one would call it if they didn't know what it really was.
They reached their destination, Gringotts, it was a very tall imposing snow-white multi-storey building that towered over the surrounding building. As they entered, he found out that the insides were much bigger than how it was seen from the outside. 'Magic is just so amazing' he thought.
About goblins, they looked just as they looked in the movies, very unapproachable, they all had scowl as they were interacting with the humans.
They exchanged about a million pounds into galleons, which was about 202,839 galleons. The Goblin gave it in a Mokeskin pouch which had expansion enchantment on it. Ezekiel was flabbergasted by the amount of money they had just exchanged, and then again thought looking at Alex, 'well it's not my money, I can buy anything I want, good for me.'
For the shopping, they went to get the trunk first. For the trunk, he chose a leather ones, which looked quite stylish and had a modern look to it. It was actually big in size, and the insides were even bigger. It was like a room about 6mX6m. There were others, which had even bigger space inside it, but they were ugly looking, so he settled with the leather ones which looked like a stylish suitcase.
He then asked for a tent, as he remember that wizard tents had so much spaces that there were even rooms inside it, so he had to buy it for Hogwarts.
The shopkeeper showed some catalogues to him, 'I must say, I am quite impressed... It's much better than I thought...' thought Ezekiel.
There were some that actually looked like a house inside, with two bedrooms with attached bathroom/toilet, kitchen, dining, a huge living room/ great room, office/library and even a big garden. So he chose it, and also told for some customizations, like interiors should be made out of hard wood floor, white coloured partitions and bigger garden which had swimming pool. For furniture, he needed to do some shopping. As for the exterior, he said simple white ones were good enough. Another thing that amazed him was that instead of dissembling the tent, the tent just folds on itself into small cube by only a flick of a wand and saying the password that was specified for it. The furniture inside doesn't get affected at all. Also, you don't have to pin it down on the ground, if it was used for indoor purpose. It was a fantastic invention.
So he asked the shopkeeper about the person who came up with this idea and he said it was his own and everything that was found in the shop was his own. He told him that he was a muggle-born and all the inspirations came from the movies and cartoons he watched in his childhood.
The shopkeeper said that it would take a day for the customization so, to look for the insides of the tent they just looked in one of the sample ones. The insides were very fancy and mystical, for lightings, there were lamps…? there was a crystal ball in the middle of the ceiling. You just have to give a simple wave with your wand and voila, a very bright light turns on lighting up the whole room. It's just ingenious idea.
After coming out of the tent, Alex gave the new address to him, the tent would be delivered there the day after.
After the case with the tent and trunk was done, they went for the uniform to Madam Malkin's shop. Everything was ordered to be in high quality with different useful charms like anti-dust, anti stains, thermal maintenance charm and many different protective charms. Also, Ezekiel made some changes to the uniform as to not have baggy pants and loose shirts. Because this is the 90's and everything used to be baggy, so he had to tell them that he needed a fit uniform, like how uniforms were in his previous life. Also, he made sure to add re-adjustable charm, then a charm that will get rid of the smells and gives a smell of chocolate.
After that, Alex went to get other school supplies and Ezekiel went to get the books. Entering Flourish and Blotts, all he could see was rows and rows of books, and the shop was huge. He asked shopkeeper for Hogwarts book, Hogwarts a history, Wizarding world a history and all the basic magic books, from cooking to cleaning, offence to defence, animals and creatures to plants. After paying him, he came out of the shop buying more than 200 books, kept inside his newly bought trunk.
"Damn, people really won't say that I don't know how to spend my money." he said with a big smile, skipping and strolling his trunk behind him.
After about 15 minutes he reached the Ollivanders shop for his wand. It was a narrow, Victorian styled old looking shop. Peeling gold letters over the door read 'Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C., but this was also different from the movies, all the buildings were bigger and physics defying structures. Beside the shop, Alex was standing with his school supplies. Ezekiel couldn't even believe that Alex was helping him with the shopping, matter of fact it has hard to believe he was here at all. Reaching him, Ezekiel put all the supplies inside his trunk, then they entered the shop.
As they entered the shop, smell of wood and dust welcomed them.
'If it was me from previous life, I would have already been crying my eyes out, because of my allergies.' Ezekiel thought.
Suddenly an old man, with wide pale eyes, said, "Good afternoon"
Both Alex and Ezekiel jumped hearing him.
Alex greeted him with not so impressed look and told him that they were here to get Ezekiel's wand and asked to speed up the process as they had a long way to go after the shopping.
So, he started his thing.
"So, which is your wand arm?" he asked
"It's right hand sir." Ezekiel said
Then he measured Ezekiel from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round his head.
Ezekiel was just very confused as why he had to do that, but he put the thought aside when the old man started to say, "All the wands have different powerful core and different woods which make it prefer different wizards with traits of its preference. So to conclude that wands are the ones that chooses a wizard."
Then he went to a near shelf where wands were stacked and brought few boxes, he opened one of it and took out a white wand he signalled the boy to take it. He took it and gave it a little flick but the shop's window glass cracked. Then without saying anything he took it and brought another wand, it was a dark green in colour. Ezekiel was about to hold it but Mr. Olivander pulled it away saying, "No no, definitely not."
Then he opened another, inside it, there was a black smooth polished wand. Just looking at it made the boy tempted to touch it. He held it in his hand and a light golden light came out of his body with a little bit of breeze that had a smell of forest. Sounds of animals, birds and flowing river was also heard. Slowly, ground beneath him started to grow grasses and flowers.
*Clap* *Clap*
Everybody inside the shop started to clap their hands, which woke him.
"What a beautiful show of magic!" said Mr. Olivander
"….." Alex just clapped his hand but had a surprised look on his face.
"Ahh hahaha… Thank you." Ezekiel said in a soft voice as he was feeling warmth from the wand making him very comfortable.
Then he looked at the wand, it had changed. Previously, it had smooth polished black surface but now, it had vines like golden carvings on it which sparkled like gem stones.
"Mr. Olivander, the wand, it changed!" he told the old man in a little startled voice
He took my wand and examined it. "Wonderful!!" he shouted startling the other two
"What is it?" the boy asked
"AH! Sorry about that outburst. But let me explain to you about this wand first. It's a 13 and half inch long, Elm and Leshen's blood, nice and supple. The wand is very powerful, that produces the fewest accident and errors that can do the most elegant charms and spells, making the wand very noble. And now, about the new carvings, it must be your magic that the wand really liked, making it be one with you. Also, it seems you are very connected to the nature, as you have displayed just now *pointing towards the patch of grass and flowers on the floor*. It might be the reason why Leshen's blood accepted you." Said the old man
"Leshen?" he asked because Leshen that he knew was a tutelary deity of the forests in pagan Slavic mythology.
"Yes, they are creatures that loves and protects nature. They are powerful with humongous body. They wear their parent's skull on their head. A terrifying creature they are I tell you. And the blood that is in your wand is of a very pure and powerful Leshen. That's why only a drop of its blood was used in your wand, not a drop more, as no wand can handle any more than a drop of it." He said returning the wand back to its new owner.
"Wow!!! Amazing!!" the boy said taking the wand back. "Do we have something to maintain the wand and also, is there something to put the wand in?" he asked the old man
"Ah yes, here's the cleaning kit and yes, I have something, the thing that you are looking for is called a holster." He then took out cleaning kit and wand holster and gave it to me.
Ezekiel thanked him and paid for the stuffs and exited the shop.
As they exited the shop and were heading towards the pet shop, Alex asked, "Just your pet is left now, have you decided on which animal you are going to buy?"
As Alex asked him, Ezekiel remembered the things written on the letter about the pets. In the books and movies, students only had four options, owl, cat, rat and toad, but here in this world, you can take in any animal you want unless they are not of domesticated one. Also, you can bring as many as you like, but you should be able to take its responsibility, feed it and tend to it, by yourself. So that's why people only take one pet with them to not be burden by multiple pet's responsibility. And if they tend to have two pets then, people generally choose owls as they are used for sending letters. Smiling he said, "I haven't really thought about it yet. I'll see all the creatures there and pick the best one."
"Okay, but pick fast, its taking longer than I thought. I don't have much time, just pick anything once you get there." John said in an annoyed tone.
'I didn't even asked you to come along with me, what's even with your attitude!' thought Ezekiel glaring at Alex
'Now that I think about it, what should I pick? An owl? Maybe other birds? A cat? Maybe an exotic animal? Or may be a wolf?' thought Ezekiel.
Just when he was thinking that a small blue bird flew out from his cardigan pocket and sat on his head.
"Ah, I completely forgot about you, little fella" he said grabbing the bird and putting it on his hand, "~Did you get enough sleep?~"
"~yes~" tweaked the bird.
As he looked at the bird, it was quite unusual, at first glance it looked like owl, but it was tiny and it was blue in colour and had white belly. He decided to look at it more nicely when he reaches home.
'A beautiful bird it is' he thought, then he placed it on his shoulder and not his head.
"~It's more comfortable here~" he said to the bird
"~Okay~" tweaked the bird.
'So cute' thought Ezekiel, smiling he was heading towards the pet shop.
"We're here" said Alex
We reached a very big shop, not like any other shops, this shop was big and noisy. With the presence of different creatures, different shouts could be heard, and different types of smells were coming out of it.
They went inside, there were many different types of creature, snakes, cats, rats, fox, peacock and many different magical creatures he didn't know about.
Ezekiel looked at an owl, which was just beside me in a cage, he said, "Hello!"
It greeted me back.
But what was surprising was that, all the creatures started to talk to him and he understood all of them. But it started to become irritating because of all the noise.
"~Shut up!~" he screamed and all the animals became quite.
The shopkeeper looked at him and asked, "Is everything alright, young lad?"
"Yes…. Everything's alright. I was just overwhelmed by the noise" he replied
"Ah yes, these animals, they keep shouting sometimes." The shopkeeper said, "So, what can I do for you today?"
"~Papa?~" Ezekiel heard a weak voice of a little girl.
He went near to the source of the sound. Then at the back of the store, there was a small cage, there was a small white fur ball, with golden eyes. It seemed weak and small, was barely able to stand.
"~Hello?~" he said
"~Papa?~" the small fur ball said in a weak voice.
Then he picked the cage up and brought it up front.
"What is this creature sir?" I asked the shop keeper
"Ah that's a kitten, one of the cats that was pregnant gave birth to it. I sold it a few days ago, but the buyer didn't want the baby. You see it was very sickly so the buyer thought it was a waste to buy a dying kitten so they only took the mother." Said the shopkeeper
"What a horrible person!" hearing that Ezekiel was furious
"What's its breed sir?" He asked
"It's a Scottish fold." The shopkeeper said.
Ezekiel looked at the fur ball and thought it was more than just a cat, he could feel it. So he made up his mind.
"I'll take it." he said
"Are you sure boy?" asked the shop keeper smiling as he was having a hard time not being able to sell the kitten.
"Yes, absolutely. Also, show me some of its foods, toys and bed." he said to the shopkeeper and he complied with his request.
"Are you certain? Picking a sickly cat?" asked Alex, who seemed to have a scowl on his face. He was the kind of person, who needed everything of the best quality. So, buying a sickly weak kitten was not the best idea for him.
"Yes, I can feel something from the kitten, there's something more to it." Ezekiel answered
Rolling his eyes, Alex said, "Whatever, just be done with it."
He ended up buying a magical cat tower, which had 5 storey with playroom to sleeping space to toilet. Also it was portable as well. It can be resized with just a flick of the wand.
'Ah Magic, what a wonderful thing you are.' he thought as they exited the shop.
Then they headed to his new home, where he will be staying for a month.