[ Volume I: "HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY YR. 1" ]
[ Chapter XI (11): "HARP ALCHEMY SHOP" ]
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[ JUNE 14, 1989 ] [ WIZARDRY WORLD, DIAGON ALLEY ]
They have!
Dumbledore leaned on the glass, his breath practically visible as he looks at the different assortment of magically enchanted candies, snacks, and chocolates on display. Being created, and displayed.
Rainbow slimes that can turn people's hair into a random color. Chocolate chip cookies that can make people look like cookies.
Bugs living in different climates that has different flavor based on their climate, and type. Wands, cauldron, quill, and any everyday object turned into either sweets, or chocolates that changes flavor on each bite.
Dumbledore didn't care about prestige at all, or about shame, he noticed those said sweets and chocolates — which activated something inside his childish mind, now he wants them. No matter the cost.
[ "Excuse me." ]
[ "Please." ]
[ "Coming through." ]
Dumbledore could hear hundreds of wizards and witches chattering on the background, discussing, gossiping, about to buy inside, about to go home, or is just passing by.
But he doesn't care about that, as he made his way as politely as he could make his way inside the alchemy/book/sweet store. All of those being in one place, having their own different sections.
The first section belongs to the candies. The second section belongs to the alchemical products. And finally the last section belongs to the books.
Dumbledore could see it as he looks at the magically enchanted drawing placed right in front of the store, before anyone could entry they could visibly see the map of the store.
This store, the Harp Alchemy Shop having three floors. While waiting in the line of the slow moving crowd, Dumbledore who is still amazed by the architecture and the slight glimpse inside the store could be seen impatiently yet patiently waiting in line — both arms besides his sides.
People of all ages could be seen talking to themselves and one another, clearly excited, even the adults which have went and go there for at least once, and to some who are confused like him. People on the side, on the line could be seen explaining the store.
From what Dumbledore could gather, the store itself is gigantic. Bigger than normal, not just the length of the place, but also the width, the place even being said to be "bigger than the Gringgots bank" from what he heard — hopefully those prideful goblins doesn't hear of this comment.
Slowly moving in line, Dumbledore who's under disguise could be seen keeping his ears perked, as he listens to the people who describe the place.
And to some who even make exaggerations as to say, a gigantic dragon doll could be seen roaming the second floor for all times.
Which to Dumbledore who have seen the appearance of those small alchemical products, and the difficulty in creating one, the complex wiring that needs to be done in order to create one makes him doubtful — but also excited.
Dragons? There are many types of dragons but extinct or not, all deadly, all considered very difficult to capture, and also difficult to raise.
So do tell, how can this alchemy shop contain inside of it a dragon doll created in the image of dragons — how did Felix Harp, that perfectionist even found a dragon to sample in the first place.
And why is Dumbledore only hearing this about now, that itself is something that should be written about in the Daily Prophet, or some wizardry newspaper. Why hasn't it been published yet?!
Dumbledore couldn't explain why, he thought that it is probably just a mirage created through magical objects, and isn't really a magical dragon doll created in those dragons images.
Or perhaps a spell that can cloud one's mind, he knows of one that can confuse people fairly easily.
So, that's most likely it.
Dumbledore doesn't fully understand the inside of the store, which caused his excitement to raise more and more. And it reached the peaked when he could see the inside of it through the door in front of him, one where people could be seen entering in quick haze each time.
[ "Arm." ]
[ "Huh...?" ]
Five people in front of Dumbledore, he could see a wizard dressed in green sparkling robes in a hat, looking confused at the woman who's wearing a standardized dark-green and a white long skirts — nameplates on the left side of her chest surrounded by weird-looking stickers that relates to both muggle side of the world, and wizardry side of the world.
Looking at it closely, Dumbledore could see that they are actually animated. A broom could be seen moving in circles, a cauldron being steered clockwise, then counter-clockwise. A dragon badge spewing fire, and finally a... Pen? scribbling on paper. All being in black, with no color.
Interesting...
The woman motioned for the man to raise his arm, making a motion as if to say "show me your wrist, sir" — in seeing that he followed the procedure, and before he could notice it, a string of dark-green colored paper with the name "Alchemy Shop Guest" in it strapped itself around his arm.
[ "What in merlin's name is this?!" ]
[ "W-why are you strapping this on us?!!"
The man stared at it in confusion, then back at the lady again, then at the thing again. Seemingly being offended in having something strapped in his arms, a paper, which plausibly can be enchanted to have some weird side effects — Dumbledore knows, he have experienced some of them itself, some curse can even be applied to smaller objects, like bronze knutz.
The effects vary, it can cause your body hair to either disappear or grow. Change the color of your skin to black, white, brown, blue, green, or any other, or more than one color at the same time. Cause you to swell, or even vomit bugs, or frogs in some case. A very deadly nasty thing indeed.
And it seems this wizard have experienced some of those said experience first-hand, and not liking them in any way, shape, or form. So the confusion, anger, betrayal, and doubt in his voice and eyes could be justified.
This caught the attention of others, and Dumbledore also who have been eavesdropping since earlier.
The lady, proud worker of the Hary Alchemy Diagon Alley Branch could be seen not caring at all about the man at all, as if having encountered this kinds of doubts is an every day occurrence.
And why wouldn't it be, this is one of the biggest shops in Diagon Alley, if not on the outside then on the inside — undoubtedly countering the Gringgots Bank in some cases.
And besides, the shop have only been opened less than a month, only been operating for a week actually. So, how can everyone knows the basic informations, the glory, and procedures of their Store...
Easy answer, they don't. So it is up to her, Anna according to her name tag to explain, and calm down the customers — and in some cases like this, guide them.
Opening her mouth, Anna began to explain the reason on why they needed to be tagged — a term which her boss said is procedural for everyone who wishes to enter the store.
[ "This is not a common paper sir, but is instead a magically enchanted object that can track the wearers location as long as they are within the premise of the store." ]
[ "This is commonly found on people who are... As funny as this sounds, inside the store, take it off, and you'll be kicked out of the store without a single doubt by the store itself." ]
[ "It is connected to a wise map inside our lounge room, inside the guards area. They are tasked to guard the place, and also keep track on people and their belongings." ]
[ "More than 45 individuals have forgotten their wands inside this store after all, and in some red hair family's case — children." ]
What?!
[ "Thankfully Mrs. Weasley found them not short after, nice lady, really." ]
Oh...
Dumbledore and the others who are listening, the people who have shut up for the sake on hearing her explanation actually for once — listened, making Anna relieved, she done this more than she could ever count, and in most cases people doesn't listen.
Causing incidents to happen both inside, and outside the store, hopefully that wouldn't be a problem here.
[ "Oh-oh, where was I?" ]
[ "Yes, yes, explanation." ]
Seemingly lost in thought, she began to pick up where she left off. Looking proudly at the wizards and witches who are watching her with anticipation, having her head held right up, even though her stature is the shortest amongst the adults, this made her look like she's above them for this single moment.
[ "Harp Alchemy Shop is one of the safest stores all-around the wizardry world, no matter the branch." ]
[ "May it be Diagon Alley of Britain, or to Steward Square of the States. The Harp Alchemy Store welcomes all." ]
[ "We only ask that you enjoy the experience, and are hopefully entertained by the wonders of our shop." ]
She rehearsed all of that while talking to herself in the mirror. Not like she's gonna admit it though, in seeing the amazed and awe gazes she's receiving. So feeling slightly shy from the attention she's receiving, she motioned for all of them to come.
[ "Please, come in." ]
Which caused pandemonium to occur.
O-oh dear, I shouldn't have said that.
[ "P-please get in line!" ]
I should have NOT said that.
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[ WRITTEN: 01/17/2025 ]
[ POSTED: 01/17/2025 ]