Chapter 5: Diagon Alley
The next day, Vernon went to the bank to withdraw the money Harry had asked for and to also open a bank account for him. Harry had made sure that only he had access to his bank account to avoid any unnecessary worry in the future.
Harry then took the £5,000 loan from Vernon and deposited £3,000 to his own account and took the remaining £2,000 with him in £50 notes.
This process took all morning to complete. Upon reaching home, Harry asked Petunia to go to the Diagon Alley with him to make a few purchases of books. At first, she was slightly reluctant to go with him, but she then got convinced when Harry showed her his puppy eyes.
Before leaving for Diagon Alley, Harry made sure to wear a large hat that placed a shadow over the majority of his face to cover his scar. This was to make sure that Tom, the barman of the Leaky Cauldron could not recognise him and report him to Dumbledore. After all, he was not supposed to know of his heritage until he was ready to start Hogwarts.
Petunia did not question him on his choice to wear that large hat as she found it amusing and cute.
They then took a taxi to Charing Cross Road and spent the journey quietly.
After reaching Charing Cross Road, Petunia asked Harry how he knew where to go, Harry responded by saying he is not sure; he just has a feeling to go there, like a homing beacon. This was, in fact another bulshit coming out of Harry's mouth. A nonsense that Petunia bought easily.
Harry purposely wandered around the street and made a few turns. He then stopped in the middle of a book shop and a record shop.
"This is it," whispered Harry excitedly.
"Is it that book shop you need to go to?" whispered Petunia back.
"Book shop? No. It's the pub next to it," whispered Harry.
"Pub? That a record shop," whispered Petunia, looking from the bookshop to the record shop. "Why are we going to a pub for books?"
"What? You can't see it?" asked Harry, pretending to be confused. "There's a pub there calles the Leaky Cauldron."
"See what? There's nothing else there."
"I see, that makes sense then."
"What does?"
"It seems that people who don't have magic can't see it."
"Are you sure?"
"I think so ...," said Harry, as he looked up and down to make sure no-one was around. "You might be able to enter if I invite you in. Let's go in."
Harry grabbed Petunia's hand and lead her towards the leaky cauldron. He walked inside as he pushed the door open. What followed was surprising for Harry and shocking for Petunia as she let out a yelp. She thought she was goint to hit a wall.
It was surprising for Harry as it looked and felt exactly as it was described in the book. It was dark and shabby but had a welcoming atmosphere. There were a few witches and wizards sitting on different tables drinking from small glasses what Harry recognised as sherry.
'Wow, this feels like in the first book,' thought Harry as he scanned around the room. 'I just wish it was more crowded.'
"Good afternoon," said the barman from behind the bar. "First time in here, I presume?"
'Wow, he really looks like a toothless walnut,' thought Harry as he walked up to the barman with Petunia. "Hello, are you Mr. Tom?"
"Hello there, young man," said the barman with a toothless smile. "That's right, I'm Tom. Who might you be?"
"Wow, I guessed right," said Harry happily. "My name is Fred Imago and this my mother Hestia Imago. My father couldn't come with us today and he said I should ask you for help to go inside."
'Judging from how shocked she looks, she must be a Muggle,' thought Tom as she looked at the pale Petunia. "Right, I understand. Come with me, young Fred. I'll open the door for you to Diagon Alley. Is your father going to be coming?"
"I'm not sure, he said he'll try as soon as he finished from work," said Harry politely.
"Right, here we are," said Tom as he led Harry and the pale faced Petunia to the back of the bar.
Tom started counting the bricks on a wall above a trash can and tapped them 3 times on one with the tip of his wand.
The brick he had touched quivered and wriggled as a small hole appeared in the middle. It grew wider and wider and a second later they were facing an archway large enough even for even a giant to pass through. It was an archway onto a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight.
"Welcome to Diagon Alley, young Fred, Mrs Imago," said Tom as Petunia's face grew even more pale. "I trust you know where you're going?"
"Ah, yes, thank you, Mr. Tom," said Harry, smiling Happily.
"You're welcome, Fred," said Tome, grinning toothlessly as he lowered his head. "Look after your mother, will you? She seems to be in a shock."
"Of course, I will, Mr. Tom," said Harry. "It's her first time coming here."
"Hmm ... Muggles tend to react that way when they first arrive here," said Tom with a knowing smile. "Though, she's reacting a little worse than some."
"Yes, she's still adjusting," said Harry. "Father kept his magic a secret until last year when I accidentally used magic. He thought if she comes with me to Diagon Alley might help her adjust better."
"A fine idea, young Fred, a fine idea, indeed," said Tom, nodding his bald head.
"Well, bye bye, Mr. Tom," said Harry, waving Tom goodbye as he entered Diagon Alley.
"Good day to you, young Fred," said Tom. "I hope to meet again."
Tom went back to manage his bar after waving Harry goodbye thinking, 'What a polite young boy.'
The sun shone brightly as Harry and the still pale faced Petunia made their way through the cobbled street. Harry noticed Petunia turning her head in every direction as they walked up the street, trying to look at everything at once: the shops, the things outside them, the people doing their shopping.
They saw the shop selling cauldrons, an Apothecary, and shops that had signs on them sayings as Eyelops Owl Emporium. There were also shops selling robes, and strange silver instruments Harry had never seen before, windows stacked with tottering piles of spell books, quills, and rolls of parchment, potion bottles, globes of the moon ... and many more.
"Gringotts?" muttered Petunia loud enough for Harry to hear as they stopped in front of a snowy white building that towered over the other little shops. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was -
"Is that -?"
"Yeah, that's a goblin," said Harry quietly as they walked up the white stone steps toward him.
The goblin was about a head shorter than Harry. He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and, Harry noticed, very long fingers and feet. He bowed as they walked inside.
Now they were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them:
"Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed
For those who take, but do not earn
Must pay most dearly in their turn.
So if you seek beneath our floors
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there.
"Wow, I'd have to be mad to try and steal from them," said Harry, more to his aunt than to himself.
A pair of goblins bowed them through the silver doors and they were in a vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses.
There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these. Harry and Petunia made for the counter.
"Morning," said Harry to a free goblin, who Harry recognised. "We've come to exchange some money."
"What are you exchanging?" asked the goblin.
"We have Pound Sterling," said Harry. "What's the current exchange rate?"
"It's £4.93 per Galleons, £0.29 for Sickles and £0.01 for Knuts," said the goblin. "How much would you like to exchange?"
"I have £1,000 with me to exchange and it's all in £50 notes," said Harry. "I'll also be exchanging for more in the near future so I hope you can offer me a slightly better exchange rate."
"Exchange rates rates are fixed and cannot be changed," said the goblin flatly. "Don't try to baragin with further, young wizard. I will not change the rates."
"Very well," sighed Harry, shaking his head. "Here. £1,000."
The goblin took the money and started counting the wizarding money behind his desk. A few minutes later, he got three different money pouchs that had 200 Galleons, 24 Sickles and 6 Knuts. Each of the money pouches had the respective colouring for each of the coins; gold for Galleons, Silver for Sickles and bronze for Knuts.
"The money pouches are enchanted so they are weightless and have enough space inside to fit 500 of each coins," said the goblin once he had handed them over to Harry. "Normally they cost 10 sickles each, but I threw them in free of charge since you made a big exchange. As you can see, they're colour coded for convenience. Look after them well. Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"Thank you, Mr. Goblin," said Harry. "I appreciate that. I wanted to ask whom should I approach if I wanted an artifact forged by a Goblin?"
The Goblin's eyes shot wide open in surprise once he heard the question. He then narrowed it as he examined Harry for a few moments before, "The price for such a service is not going to be cheap."
"I understand," said Harry, nodding his head in acknowledgement.
"When you are ready to seek such services, you can seek us through these instructions," said the Goblin, passing Harry a parchment.
"Thank you, Mr. Goblin," said Harry, taking the parchment as he scanned its contents. After doing so, he folded it and placed it in his pocket.
"Look after yourself, young wizard," said the Goblin with a smile. "We'll be seeing each other again."
"Until next time," said Harry, returning the smile as he turned to leave with Petunia who was had been fearfully looking at the Goblins.
Petunia heaved a sigh of relief once she was outside with Harry and was very glad to be away from the Goblins. She found them quite irksome and she did not want to see them again.
"Want a drink?" asked Harry, noticing his Petunia's pale complexion. It would appear that it was all a bit too much for her to take it.
"Yes, please," replied Petunia gratefully.
"Tea or something stronger?" asked Harry, raising an eyebrow.
"Tea would be nice, I think?" replied Petunia, still reeling from the shock of seeing live Goblins.
"Something stronger it is," mumbled Harry to himself.
He was beginning to need a strong drink himself. Maybe he could steal a few sips from Vernon's old whiskey? 'I could make a Manhattan.'
Harry looked around and the streets, reading the signs left and right, until he found the street he was looking for; Horizont Alley. Harry had remembered while reading online about the making of the Harry Potter world that there were three different alleys that could be accessed from The Leaky Cauldron; Diagon Alley, Knockturn Alley, some Horizont Alley. There was also a market that went by the name of Carkitt Market.
There, they stood in front of another pub that was much similar to The Leaky Cauldron called The Fountain of Fair Fortune. Harry and Petunia walked in through the door.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Profound1
Profound1 Not sure how to describe The Fountain of Fair Fortune. If you have any good description for it, please drop it in the comment section.
Also, let me know of any grammatical errors that I may have missed.
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