Harry's POV443Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLM1m32NesG
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For a famous place, it was very dark and shabby. A few old women weresitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry. One of them was smoking a long pipe and a little man in a top hat was talking to the old bartender, who was quite bald and looked like a toothless walnut. The low buzz of chatter stopped when the three of us walked in. Everyone seemed to know Hagrid though; they waved and smiled at him, and the bartender reached for aglass, saying, "The usual, Hagrid?" 443Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡztBifXjMor
"Can't, Tom, I'm on official Hogwarts business," said Hagrid, clapping his great hand on my shoulder and making my knees buckle. "Taking young Harry and Katrina here to buy their school supplies."443Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY93MxnrdQ8
"Good Lord," said the bartender, peering at me, "is this...can this be?" The Leaky Cauldron suddenly went completely still and silent. 443Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQQyfO0S8AU
"Bless my soul," whispered the old bartender, "Harry Potter... what an honor."He hurried out from behind the bar, rushed towards me and seized my hand, tears in his eyes."Welcome back, Mr. Potter, welcome back." I didn't know what to say. Everyone was looking at me and I was beginning to feel self-conscious. The old woman with the pipe was puffing on it without realizing it had gone out. My eyes met Katrina's who looked just as shocked by the reaction I was getting as I was, but she simply shrugged her shoulders in equal confusion.443Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ijzpXLMI3
Then there was a great scraping of chairs and the next moment, I found myself shaking hands with everyone in the Leaky Cauldron. 443Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKXEQIr2UKc
"Doris Crockford, Mr. Potter, can't believe I'm meeting you at last." 443Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4gvl0zFCqk
"So proud, Mr. Potter, I'm just so proud." 443Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzOZdAfQhdO
"Always wanted to shake your hand...I'm all of a flutter." 443Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvFCdGcAqYQ
"Delighted, Mr. Potter, just can't tell you, Diggle's the name, Dedalus Diggle." 443Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwmHPh0em1O
"I've seen you before!" I said, as Dedalus Diggle's top hat fell offin his excitement. "You bowed to me once in a shop." 443Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFzHsDTiEkN
"He remembers!" cried Dedalus Diggle, looking around at everyone. "Did you hear that? He remembers me!" I shook hands again and again. Doris Crockford kept coming back for more.443Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZF7e8Kyru
The sheer number of people coming up to greet me was overwhelming and I could feel my face redden as I continued to become more and more flustered. Suddenly, I felt a small hand take mine and gently squeeze it. I looked over and saw Katrina's twinkling blue eyes staring into mine as she gave me a reassuring smile. "Thank you" I mouthed as Hagrid dragged the two of us over to a corner and introduced us to a odd-looking man wearing a purple turban. 443Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnZQR9lo3A3
"Professor Quirrell!" said Hagrid. "Harry, Katrina, Professor Quirrell will beone of your teachers at Hogwarts."443Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxcV4ekGU4G
"P-P-Potter, K-Katrina" stammered Professor Quirrell, grasping our hands,"c-can't t-tell you how p- pleased I am to meet you." 443Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTQVV5l0aW9
"What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?" I heard Katrina ask politely. 443Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwIfxk97OOL
"D-Defense Against the D-D-Dark Arts," muttered Professor Quirrell, asthough he'd rather not think about it. "N-not that you n-need it, eh,P-P-Potter?" He laughed nervously. "You'll be g-getting all your equipment, I suppose? I've g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on vampires,m-myself." He looked terrified at the very thought and suddenly dashed off before I could think of a good response.443Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmDoEvlSFgq
It took almost ten minutes to get away from them all. At last, Hagrid managed to make himself heard over the babble."Must get on...lots ter buy. Come on, Harry, Katrina." 443Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvmpc8nrYKM
As we left, I noticed Katrina glancing back at the man in confusion and wincing as she rubbed her collar bone. She noticed my concerned expression and reached over to grab my hand again as we continued to follow Hagrid as he led us through the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a trash can and a few weeds.443Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp709OO5C44
"Told yeh, didn't I? Told yeh you was famous. Even Professor Quirrell was tremblin' ter meet yeh. Mind you, he's usually tremblin'." Hagrid said as he grinned down at me.443Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIgC2twFLL7
"Is he always that nervous?" 443Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDp313kFYKo
"Oh, yeah. Poor bloke. Brilliant mind. He was fine while he was studyin' outta books but then he took a year off ter get some firsthand experience....never been the same since. Scared of the students, scared of his own subject now, where's me umbrella?" 443Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7NiDfQhrx1
"Hagrid, why are we just standing in front of a brick wall?" I asked him in confusion. He ignored me and muttered under his breath as he pulled out his pink umbrella and tapped the stones in a particular order. 443Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnoZzYNz4TS
"Three up... two across he muttered. "Right, stand back, you two." 443Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXC4TVxsjZ4
He tapped the wall three times with the point of his umbrella and the brick he had touched slowly quivered then wriggled to life.443Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBaOXyPHwsC
I felt Katrina's grip tighten on my hand as we watched in amazement as the bricks started shifting around and an archway appeared large enough even for Hagrid. I looked at Katrina; my eyes wide, as together we stepped through the arch and into the bustling crowd of shoppers. 443Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXXb246ZWR8
"Welcome," said Hagrid, "to Diagon Alley." 443Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY3g5pokZGU
The sun shone brightly on a stack of cauldrons outside the nearest shop.Cauldrons -- All Sizes - Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver -- Self-Stirring-- Collapsible, said a sign hanging over them. 443Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPTla5eop0i
"Yeah, you'll be needin' one," said Hagrid, "but we gotta get yer money first." 443Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbPo2NTJQ0e
I turned my head in every direction as the three of us walked up the street, trying to look at everything at once: the shops, the things outside them, the people doing their shopping. A plump woman outside an Apothecary was shaking her head as we passed, saying, "Dragon liver, seventeen Sickles an ounce, they're mad...." 443Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgiepA0OyiR
I heard Katrina giggle as she yanked me by the arm and tugged me back and forth across the streets trying not to miss anything. Her enthusiasm was infectious and I laughed harder than I had in a long time as I let her take the lead. 443Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6zet0S1Rws
Several boys of about our age had their noses pressed against a window with broomsticks in it.443Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4zthaN372I
"Look," I heard one of them say, "the new Nimbus Two Thousand...fastest ever!" 443Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhk4gRuG4T
There were shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments I had never seenbefore, windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eels' eyes, tottering piles of spell books, quills, and rolls of parchment, potion bottles, globes of the moon, animals of all shapes and sizes, you name it.443Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU5zNxQcnZc
Katrina was so focused on weaving back and forth across the streets to make sure she didn't miss anything that she quickly forgot to watch out for what was in front of her.443Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7F9Ub3JOji
"Ow!" I heard her cry out as she stumbled into Hagrid. I couldn't help it and burst out laughing and when she glared at me, it only made me laugh harder. She managed to keep her angry glare for about 30 seconds before she lost control and smiled with me. When I finally managed to contain myself I noticed that we had reached a snowy white building that towered over the other little shops and had the words; "Gringotts Bank" written in large gold lettering across the entrance.
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