Professor McGonagall explained that she was a teacher at Hogwarts and that she was head of Gryffindor House. Once Ariadne got there, she would be sorted into one of the four houses. Her father had been part of Slytherin, but her uncle had been a Gryffindor like McGonagall. Professor McGonagall refused to go into further detail, stating she hadn’t known either well, but Ariadne could see something behind the professor’s eyes.
Professor McGonagall offered to escort them to a wizarding shopping district so she could get the school supplies she would need, referring to the list that came with her acceptance letter. After reading through it, Ariadne looked up.
“Will the school have any of these books available or do I need to purchase all of these?” Ariadne’s brow was furrowed. It was a long list that included new clothing, potion materials, and a wand. She couldn’t begin to guess how much any of that cost, but they weren’t exactly a rich family. Regulus hadn’t known that his girlfriend, whom he hid from his parents, was pregnant and hadn’t provided Ariadne with any sort of inheritance. Her mother had been a seamstress and her Grandpa Chester worked as a telemarketer, neither of which paid a great deal.
“You won’t be able to look them over before you enter the school and not all of them may be readily available. You will be able to purchase many, if not all of them secondhand, and if you can’t afford potion ingredients, the school will be able to provide them.” Professor McGonagall gave her a reassuring smile. “Since you live with muggles and are unfamiliar with the workings of the wizarding world, the school is also willing to offer you a grant to make sure you get what you need.”
The small family were led to a seemingly normal street in London. Ariadne spotted where they were going from a block away, but her grandparents didn’t seem to notice the little in and pub until they were opening the front door. Grandpa Chester and Grandpa Lawrence turned their noses up at the gritty little pub called The Leaky Cauldron, unimpressed with the cleanliness and crowd. The barman seemed to be ancient, his knobby old hands failed to clean a glass to Grandpa Lawrence level standards and though he greeted them politely, neither of her grandparents seemed willing to say so much as a “hello” back.
Ariadne’s eyes slid over every little detail, desperate to remember everything. She followed Professor McGonagall excitedly into the back of the pub and up to a blank brick wall. She watched carefully at spot on the wall she tapped with her wand and was amazed as the bricks seemed to simply hop out of the way to reveal a bustling alleyway filled with witches and wizards.
“We shall start with Gringott’s, there you can learn how to exchange muggle money for wizarding galleons.”
Ariadne was fascinated by the goblins of Gringott’s. They sneered at the muggles with an obvious sense of superiority as they explained the currency exchange. One golden galleon was about the equivalent of £5. Ariadne examined one of the golden galleons with great interest, but glancing at the pale faces of her grandparents, she realized they’d hardly taken in a word.
As they entered more shops, Professor McGonagall happily explaining all the best stores to get supplies, the muggles’ apprehension became greater and greater. Ariadne couldn’t take in enough of the fantastical environment. Nearly everyone besides her little family wore long robes and cloaks, their belts heavy with money bags. Wizard children ran around excitedly from an ice cream parlour called Florean Fortescue’s and what appeared to be a sporting goods shop called Quality Quidditch Supplies.
As she was being measured by Madam Malkin in a robe shop, she asked if she was allowed to make her own clothing. Madam Malkin smiled amusedly. “Do you like sewing, dear?”
Ariadne gave her a bright smile. “Yes, my mother taught me how to sew.”
A nearby girl who was trying on a new set of robes gave an obvious scoff. Ariadne turned to look at the girl. This girl had short, frizzy, blond hair and a very pronounced upturned nose that brought up images of Miss Piggy. Ariadne had a hard time repressing a sneer of her own.
“I like working with my hands,” Ariadne said slowly. “It makes it easier for me to control my temper.”
The girl snorted, clearly unimpressed. Ariadne didn’t feel the need to prove herself. The girl was no older than her and was quite clearly spoiled. She turned away so as not to further acknowledge the rudeness.
Ariadne soon found that Slug and Jigger’s Apothecary was the most interesting store in Diagon Alley. It stunk of compost, but it wasn’t at all unpleasant. The shelves were filled with jars containing all sorts of plants and animal parts she had never heard of. Some things seemed to coo or reach out toward her as she passed. A little animal scurried across their path looking something like a hedgehog. The whole place made Grandpa Lawrence turn a little green.
The next best store was Flourish and Blotts, a book store. Every single surface of the shop was covered in books of all colors and sizes. Ariadne looked over at Grandpa Chester, he was the biggest reader of the family and normally would be delighted to find himself in such a treasure trove. His mood, however, didn’t seem at all improved. He eyed a couple of floating books whose covers showed moving pictures of wizards and witches flying on broomsticks with dislike.
How could they not be amazed and impressed? Every detail of today would be a precious treasure in Ariadne’s eyes. Her grandfathers’ clear unhappiness was like a painful rock in her shoe, dampening the mood and making her uncomfortable.