James and Sirius began to explore Diagon Alley enthusiastically. The first store they visited was: Gambol and Japes Magical Prank Shop. Located on the south side of Diagon Alley.
This store sold a wide range of joke items and other products that served as entertainment. The owner was a man with a white beard and mustache.
James and Sirius stocked up on many dungbombs. Each one they bought for 1 Sickle and 21 Knuts. They also bought fabulous no-heat and wet-start fireworks from Dr. Filibuster or that was his slogan. And lastly, they bought non-exploding light globes, each for 25 Knuts.
"Why do you keep checking your money?" asked James as he walked out of the store next to Sirius.
"I need to have about 350 Galleons left... Well, I still have enough for books and about 50 Galleons left over..." replied Sirius, sighing helplessly. He never thought there would come a day when he would be worried about money.
Ever since last year, when he was in Gryffindor and started to rebel against his mother and the ideals of the family, he was getting less and less money from his mother, unlike before when he could afford whatever he wanted without having to worry about it.
Sirius' mother only gave him just enough for food, books, and school supplies.
James was aware of this situation, "What do you want to spend so much money on? You'll be poor again," James commented.
"Isn't it obvious? To buy the Nimbus 1001!" replied Sirius with a smile.
James was surprised to hear this, but a smile formed on his face, "Really? You'll buy it? Come on. Let's get going!" said James enthusiastically. It was a special occasion when someone would buy such a nice and expensive broom.
Last year, he remembers when his parents bought it for him. It was very exciting to see it being wrapped and delivered to him. Its price was very expensive. 350 galleons, but it was worth every one.
The price converted to pounds sterling would be equivalent to 1,725 pounds or $2,285. A very high price for it to be the gift of an 11 or 12-year-old boy. For the Blacks, it would be no big deal, but Sirius's mother had no plans to spoil him after he had defied her time and time again.
Excitedly they made their way to the Nimbus broom store which as usual was full of enthusiastic Quidditch boys milling around the large window display and drooling over the professional brooms inside.
One of the store clerks when Sirius asked for the Nimbus 1001 thought he just wanted to annoy and waste his time, but when Sirius with a haughty look pulled a bag full of Galleons out of his pocket, he quickly brought it over and showed it to him.
"I'll take it," Sirius said smugly, as he took the broom wrapped in an expensive wooden box. All the boys looked at him enviously.
Sirius had so many Galleons thanks to the bet from when James won the duel, and realizing that his mother was getting stingier and stingier he began to save what money he had on hand.
After buying the broom, they went to buy the second-year books, since Sirius had not bought them. Finally, they went to Madame Malkin's store and had to stand for an hour to get their robes of finery.
They both asked for orange-red robes referencing their Hogwarts house, Gryffindor. "Let's go back to my uncle's," said Sirius as he carried various things.
"How did your mother let you go with your uncle?" asked James, curious. Last he knew Sirius was grounded and using his brother to get letters.
"Don't make me remind myself..." said Sirius with a disgusted expression. "I had to start behaving according to what my mother wanted. These days I think I attended four bloody meetings," he added, and James patted his shoulder.
A few minutes walk later, they reached Charing Cross Street and entered the wizard-only bar.
For a famous place, it was dimly lit and run down. It had a bar and several tables in the shadows in the corners. A few old ladies were sitting in one corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry. One of them smoked a long pipe. Magicians who looked like dwarves were arguing enthusiastically about something James didn't understand.
Alphard was at the bar drinking from a jug and talking to a bald old man who looked like a toothless walnut.
"I've been waiting for you!" said Alphard, who at the sound of the door turned his head and noticed his nephew and James. Alphard emptied the decanter at a great rate and stood up. James could see that Alphard's beard was frothing from the beer or whatever it was he was drinking.
"Tom, we'll use the fireplace and your floo powder," said Alphard tossing a couple of galleons to the bald man who caught the money in mid-air with a grin missing a couple of teeth.
Alphard looked at the wooden box Sirius was carrying. On one side it said elegantly: Nimbus 1001. However, he didn't think much of it. He wasn't a fan of Quidditch.
"Where are we going, exactly?" asked James, who had to know the name of the place to use the floo powders.
"Upper Flagley, a small town in Yorkshire. Specifically to Mario Rummage Chimney Shop," replied Alphard.
"He already knows we're coming. He's a wizard, and his shop at this hour is closed. Let's go," said Alphard as he took the floo powders and said as he threw them, "Mario Rummage's store in Upper Flagley!"
Then it was Sirius' turn, and when he disappeared it was James' turn. It was very difficult to throw the floo powder carrying so many things, but somehow he made it and came out through a large red brick chimney.
'How many chimneys are there in here,' thought James as he walked out, and everywhere he looked he could only see rows and rows of chimneys.
"Oh yeah! Uncle, I made it out through the green chimney! You owe me 20 galleons!" exclaimed Sirius with a grin, as he stepped out of a chimney that was 5 chimneys away from where James was standing.
"Tsch, beginner's luck," cursed Alphard, exiting through another chimney and seeing that Sirius was in front of the green fireplace. He didn't mind paying 20 measly Galleons. He minded losing.
After greeting the store owner, they left and began walking through the small town. James noticed that it was much smaller than Godric's Hollow. Alphard's house was on the outskirts of the village. It was a large two-story house that was almost the height of a mansion.
Sirius told him that there was a home for old wizards and witches in the village, basically an old people's home, but magical. Why was he telling him this? To play a harmless prank or two on the cantankerous old men there.
"Welcome. This is Alphard's house. Alphard's liquor. Alphard's muggle magazine. Make yourself at home," Alphard said as he entered his house and made a brief introduction to James.
'Why is he named in the third person...?' thought James with a strange expression.
"Thanks..." said James as he looked around the large house. The outside was very nice, but the inside was a mess.
There were objects scattered everywhere, dirty clothes in the corners, muggles, and magical objects everywhere. James even saw three cats. He guessed they must be where the smell of piss came from, who knows where they did their business.
"Come on. I'll show you our room," Sirius said as he started up the stairs.
Sirius opened the third door on the second floor and entered a large room with two large windows. On the right side, there was a bed made up of posters of the Beatles and motorcycles, there was also a bookshelf with many books and magazines.
On the left side, there was another bed, but unlike the other side, there was no customization. It was the part of the room that would belong to James. He left his backpack in a hangar and his suitcase on the floor.
"Then we will unpack. Come on, I'll show you the house," Sirius said, leaving his Nimbus 1001 on his bed and covered with a sheet as if it were a baby.
James nodded and followed Sirius. Alphard's house was much larger than his house in Godric's Hollow. On the second floor alone, James counted that they entered ten different rooms, which took them considerable time to explore.
The bad thing was that each room was full of both magical and muggle objects. It was very difficult to walk through. As if it were a labyrinth, but with mountains of objects, they had to be very careful not to collide or an avalanche of objects would fall on top of them.
"Your uncle is a big hoarder..." commented James as he walked out of the last room. This room was full of artistic things, paintings, pictures that moved on their own, etc.
"Yes, to the point where it's already compulsive," said Sirius, closing the door.
"Why does he have everything so messy?" asked James. The only salvageable room was Sirius's. James realized why he had to share a room with him.
"He's too lazy to tidy up. I told him to have a house elf, but he prefers to be alone," replied Sirius, shaking his head. After that, they headed off to explore the floor below, though Sirius was just acting as a guide.