By the time the (rather leisurely) ice cream lunch was over (culminating with a presentation by the sharp-eared Florean Fortescue of a 10 gallon tub of ‘zero calorie’ ice cream for “dear little Harry’s little cousin”) Petunia was shocked to find that it was half past two.

“We must be getting back, Dudders is due home by six and we have to get the bus, then there’s the train journey and it’s a bit of a walk from the station…”

“Tunia” Severus said, digging out the remains of his (liquid on more ways than one) lunch from the sundae glass “We do have ways of getting you home rather more quickly than damn British transport.”

“By magic?” Harry asked, eyes round as Galleons. Severus’ heart lurched; the child’s expression was so similar to that of Lily’s on her first visit to Diagon Alley.

“Yes, there are a number of ways.” Lucius stated “Severus and I can both Apperate, which is where a wizard transports themselves from one place to another instantaneously, however it is something of an… acquired taste and the first side-along apperation is usually not a pleasant experience”

“Yeah! I puked the first time!” Draco said joyously.

“Beautifully put, Draco. Yes, it can induce nausea. Now, due to my influence at the ministry, I could get you hooked up to the floo network. The floo network is…”

“Rather like the Tube, but instead of getting into a carriage, you step into a fireplace and are instantaneously transferred to another fireplace.”

“What’s the Tube?!” Draco asked

“An underground train that muggles use.” Severus replied

“Cool!”

“But we don’t have a fireplace, do we auntie?” Harry said

“Well, we do but it’s bricked up.” Petunia replied “I don’t think this Flue thing will work.”

Lucius looked momentarily crestfallen, then grinned “Well, I do have one more idea…”

“Lucius” Severus said reprovingly

“Oh come on, Severus, we’ve all made the odd portkey one time or another and I have never even received a warning. So, do not worry Petunia, we’ll see you and dear Harry home at around five o’clock. Now, shopping!”

“Smug git” Severus said in an undertone, as the chairs scraped back and they collected their bags, coats and cloaks. Draco and Harry looked shocked but Lucius almost preened.

//They’re all the same// Petunia thought, remembering Vernon’s pride at not once having received a speeding ticket, despite being caught by every bobby within a twenty-five mile radius //It’s like they think its clever, having enough money to make people turn a blind eye//

As they walked towards Flourish and Blots, Severus had a thought.

“Petunia, have you exchanged your money yet?”

“What?”

“Have you exchanged your pounds into galleons?”

Petunia looked blank for a second before the memory flooded back “Oh, right. You use different money, don’t you?”

Severus was already stepping back when Lucius strode up, looking like a child at the fun-fare gates. “Ah, now I can get you a very good exchange rate.”

“Oh Dad..!” Draco moaned.

Petunia found herself almost frogmarched to an impressive, golden building, the huge sign proclaiming itself to be Gringotts bank.

“Now, how much have you brought with you?”

“A hundred and fifty” Petunia found herself handing over her purse and, before she knew it, Lucius was deep in conversation with a strange creature, small as a house-elf but greenish in skin-tone and distinctly more knobbly.

“And this is where you see a magic more powerful than anything taught at Hogwarts” Severus said wryly “The normal exchange rate is £5 to a galleon. Gringotts will usually give you a rate of £6.75 to 1 galleon so you should be getting around 22.20 galleons. However, by Griphook’s expression, you may find yourself pleasantly surprised.”

“He is so embarrassing” Draco said to Harry, with the delicate scruples of one who has always been too wealthy to even think of not paying the full asking price, however inflated, and cannot believe that their father would ever descend to haggling.

When Lucius turned around, he looked like the cat whose won not merely the cream but the cow and dairy besides.

“35 galleons! I got them to round up, no point in having loose sickles.”

Petunia couldn’t help but smile at his pride and pleasure “Thank you. Severus was telling me about the normal exchange rate.”

“Well, my investment in Gringotts is rather substantial.” Lucius said airily.

“Daddy has millions and millions!” Draco added proudly “He’s the richest wizard there is!”

“Now, Draco, it is unbecoming to discuss money.” Lucius said gravely. “One either boasts or whines and neither makes for good conversation.” Severus rolled his eyes.

Lucius’ cheerful hypocrisy peeked its head above his suavity in almost every shop “We wish to buy two sets of books, as I am sure will be reflected in the price”, “Good afternoon Mr Smith, the gold cauldron? Yes, very satisfactory, as my dear friend Severus can attest, a birthday gift. Two standard school caldrons for the price of one? My dear sir, you are very kind”, “Ah, Madam Malkin! Yes, the full kit for each boy. A complementary cloak lining, oh I am sure that the children will be very grateful.”

For Petunia’s part, it was all she could do to persuade Lucius to allow her to pay half the purchase price of every other thing that Lucius bought; he gave in with the graciousness of someone to whom the cost of the children’s school kits were mere pocket-change but who recognised the importance of allowing someone to maintain their pride.

Harry had, at first, felt slightly embarrassed at Lucius’ generosity but Draco, who was capable of the occasional insight, whispered “Oh, don’t worry about it. Father always pays for everything- he hates it if anyone pays a single knut when he’s with them. I haven’t spent my pocket money in years! Now, what lining do you want for your cloak? I want green velvet- I’m going to be in Slytherin!”

 
And Harry had happily chosen black velvet with silver stars, drawing the compliment from Lucius “Ah Slytherin silver, very good” and a sad smile from Severus, who had longed for the same material, all those years ago. Lucius had bought him a cloak lined with it for his twelfth  birthday and, as a secondary present, had given James Potter detention for a month for tearing it with a curse which he really should not have known yet. Lily had received a detention too, for hexing James silver- the spell had lasted for a week, much to the amusement of all and sundry.
 

As Lucius was charming the socks off Petunia (based on the old rule of politics ‘Win the witch’s heart, win the wizard ear’) and Draco was alternatively distracted by his father’s conversation (so many faux pas, so little time) and the interesting things in the windows, Severus found himself spending most of the trip walking quietly next to Harry.

Unlike Draco, who (like a certain character in Sense and Sensibility) was wildly excited to buy everything new but was too quickly distracted by the next potential purchase to make it into the shop, Harry viewed Diagon Alley with a quiet wonder. Apart from a bag of sweets (Draco had bought enough confectionary for both but Petunia had wanted Harry to have his own money) Harry had not asked for anything, merely being content to enjoy the experience.

Severus had enjoyed the peace but, just as he would have done for a child who showed a fascination for potions, he found himself quietly providing a commentary.

“The little shop squeezed into the corner is the museum of Wizarding Curiousities. It has been in Diagon Alley since 1458, although the exhibits were mostly live ones, it started out as a zoo.”

“It’s very small!”

“Ah, it’s rather bigger on the inside.”

“Wow. And what does that one sell? It’s got nothing in the window but a bunny rabbit?”

“Hm, that I have never been quite sure about myself. I have never quite had the courage to find out.”

Draco, overhearing, made a beeline for the door. Lucius, quick as a snake, hooked the serpent head of his cane into Draco’s collar.

“Not this time Draco, perhaps when you are 17.”

Petunia blushed and Draco looked confused “Why Daddy? I wanted to see!”

“It’s a girls shop” Petunia said quickly “Full of ribbons and lace and pink things, I expect”

“Eww!”

“Indeed!” drawled Lucius “Not at all suitable for little boys”

“Was it like this when my mother was a kid” Harry asked

“Very similar. Diagon Alley has been a major wizarding area for almost ten centuries and one thing that you will find as you grow older is that people change very little. Salazar Slytherin himself would have walked down this street and entered much the same shops and bought many of the same things; books, parchment, quill tips, ink, groceries, sweets, potion ingredients, clothes, even gadgets and new technology- a telescope, perhaps, or a self-filling quill, for they were new and exciting ideas once.”

“Are some shops really that old?”

“Let me put it this way, the Ministry records last entry for a “Blotts” was in 1,248 and yet you have just visited a shop which bore his ancestors name.”

“Really?!” Harry thought for a moment “That’s kind of sad. What happened to them?”

“The Blotts? I think the name merely died out; it happens. Our society is small, most families only have one or two children and, if one of those children is not a son, the family name will not be passed on to the next generation.”

“Like me.” Harry said thoughtfully “I’m the only Potter, aren’t I? If my Dad had brothers or sisters, someone would have come to see me, or sent me a birthday card. Unless… unless they didn’t like Dad marrying my Mum?”

Severus shook his head “No, Harry. Your father was an only child, as was his father. I am afraid that your only living relatives are your aunt and cousin.”

“So, if I don’t have kids, there’ll be no more Potters?”

Severus smiled “It’s a little early to be worrying about that just yet.” He caught Lucius’ eye. The man was looking distinctly thoughtful.

0o0o0

Having all but bought-out most of the shops in Diagon-alley, the boys reached their final destination with no small amount of excitement; Ollivander’s wand shop.

“I can’t believe I’m actually getting a wand!” Harry said, gazing with wide green eyes into the (somewhat dusty) window, which showcased a number of (equally dusty) wands.

“Is this… er… the best place?” Petunia asked, wrinkling her nose slightly “It’s a bit poky and er… well…”

“The sign of genius, or so Ollivander would like us to think” Lucius sniffed. “The shop is filled beyond capacity with wands and the man’s every spare moment is spent making or tracking down ingredients for new wands.”

“He’s loooooopeeee!” Draco added cheerfully

“I would try to keep a civil tongue, Draco. You may find yourself with a unicorn hair and rosewood wand.”

Draco was just configuring a suitably disgusted gurn when the door of the wand shop popped open, revealing a man who looked like the BFG’s (much) smaller cousin.

“Rosewood for a Malfoy? Dear me, whatever will the world come to next. I did meet a rather magnificent unicorn several years ago, oh he was a one- proud as the devil and feisty to boot. I would never have been able to pluck a hair had he not had this habit of looking at his reflection…”

Lucius carefully ignored the laughter which flashed in Severus’ eyes “Good afternoon, Mr Ollivander. We wish to buy wands.”

“Oh, yes of course. Perhaps Master Malfoy first, the shop is regrettably small.”

With a look of relief, Petunia drew back. “Would you like to look in the owl shop whilst we wait, Harry. We were rather rushed the first time. Perhaps, Severus, you could let us know if we need anything?”

“Thanks aunt Petunia” Harry grinned.

A book, a bag of owl treats and a handy cover later, and Harry, Petunia and Severus made their way back to the wand shop, outside of which Draco was standing, proudly holding his new wand aloft.

“I GOT THE UNICORN HAIR!!!” Draco all but screamed “He was huge- twenty five hands and I bet he was a Malfoy unicorn, we used to breed them in the twelve-hundreds!”

Lucius shot Severus a look which dared him to betray even a hint of a smile.

“Which wood?”

“Hawthorn!” he said proudly “But my unicorn, he was so big and so strong and he almost speared Ollivander in the unmentionables!”

 Ollivander poked his head around the door “Young Mr Potter? Ah, and Mr Snape. Come in if you please!”

Severus rolled his eyes “My wand is fine, Mr Ollivander.”

“Your wand chose your mother. You need one to choose you, dark times are ahead.”

Severus shook his head “I will see.”

Draco grinned at Harry “Good luck!”

Inside the shop it was just as dusty as the outside and rather more cramped. Petunia, spying a single spindly chair in the corner, quickly dusted it over and sat down.

“Now, who would like to go first?”

Harry was looking around at the thousands of thin, cardboard boxes with awestruck eyes. “Are all of these wands?”

“Indeed, indeed!”

“And, did you make them all yourself?”

“Most of them, I still have some of my father’s stock.”

“Wow! Are they all made of different things?”

“The main cores I use are unicorn hair, phoenix feather and dragon heartstring: very stable cores, not inclined to be temperamental kelpie hair, for instance. The wood types, however, are more diverse. I have almost everything.”

“What’s the most unusual one?”

Ollivander smiled “Oh, it is difficult to say. Hmm. I suppose that question could be narrowed down to two wands. This” a very dusty, rather ragged box flew out from the back “this was from a very strange tree. Called the hangman’s tree, found it in Russia. Used it to execute their dead. The wand chose a phoenix feather for its core; it wanted to give life, not death. The tree, you see, appears to have been a misjudged innocent.”

Harry’s green eyes opened so wide that Petunia thought for a moment that his contact lenses would pop out. The wand did not disappoint: it was a deep, reddish black and was carved into a triangular form, the sides deeply curved, and the end pointed so it looked a little like an arrow. The carvings along the wand were a type of celtic knotwork.

Before he knew what he was doing, Severus found his fingers twining around the wand. A bright, white halo surged from the tip of the wand, along with a burst of song.

Ollivander looked at Severus with raised eyebrows “Well, indeed Mr Snape. It could have taken me years to find your match had provenance not pointed us in the right direction.”

Harry’s face was a picture of wonderment “What’s your second most unusual wand.”

“Well” Ollivander said slowly “it is not strange in itself, holly and phoenix feather is a very good combination; fire and protection in equal measure, life in the darkness. No, the wand is strange because it shares a core with one other wand, just one other. You see, the phoenix whose feather is in the core of this wand gave one more feather and that feather resides…”

“In the dark lord’s wand?”

“Indeed! A very good guess, Mr Snape.”

“Dumbledore’s wand is rather older” Severus replied dryly

“Oh, yes, yes it is very old…” Ollivander said, a slightly perturbed look on his face. Absentmindedly he drew out a box “the Holly and phoenix wand.”

Harry looked into the box; the wand looked small, innocent. He picked it up. Golden sparks, another burst of song, and a groan from aunt Petunia.

“Ooops” Harry said.

“Perhaps there is another wand” Petunia started “I don’t think… well, it’s rather morbid, after what.. what the other wand did!”

Ollivander had a faraway look in his eyes “The wand chooses the wizard yet it is the wizard who wields the wand. He who must not be named did great things, terrible, yet great and his wand may have mourned what he had become, what it was used to do. The feather came from Fawkes.”

“Fawkes? Dumbledore’s Fawkes?” Severus exclaimed

“Indeed.” Ollivander’s pale eyes lingered on Severus “Purity and life within the everlasting life of death. Yet Harry’s wand is purity and life, within purity and life.”

In thoughtful silence, Harry and Severus paid for their wands.

Outside, Draco was agog.

“What did you get!”

“Holly and phoenix feather” Harry said looking at his new wand.

“Oh, that’s cool. Not as good as my unicorn, of course… but the holly is a very magical tree, isn’t it Severus?”

“Indeed.”

 Lucius looked at Draco, who had quite enough excitement for one day, in his opinion, and at Harry, who appeared slightly shell-shocked, and looked at his fob watch “I believe we should be getting Harry and Petunia home”

“Oh, Dad!”

“You will see Harry soon enough, Draco.” Lucius said firmly “Now, let me see”

He pulled out a very cream smart paper bag with coiled, black silk handles and “Snaffles; procurers of fine foods” written in deep, shiny black lettering. “Now, if you take hold of this bag, it should activate in about two minutes.”

Harry and Petunia each took a handle “Thank you for an… interesting day, Lucius Severus. It was lovely to meet you Draco”

Draco grinned “Thanks. Bye Harry!”

“Bye. Thank you Mr Malfoy and Mr Snape” Harry said shyly

“We will see you on the 31st” Lucius said, smiling.

“Goodbye Petunia”

“Goodbye Severus.”

And, before there was time for another word, Petunia and Harry felt a strange tugging at their navel, followed by the feeling of being in a vacuum.

Petunia sat down heavily on the sofa of number 4, Privet Drive, the bag on her lap. Harry fell beside her.

After a minute, Petunia said “That was quite a day.”

Harry nodded. Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

“Oh, Dudders!”

Petunia scrambled for the door and was soon after followed by Dudley, who was grinning widely.

“Sweets!” He cried, chucking a large bag at Harry, who ducked.

“Right back at you” Harry threw his own paper bag of wizarding sweets at Dudley, who caught it clumsily.

“Whoa, what are these!”

As Harry and Dudley excavated, explained and tasted their hoard, Petunia sat back on the sofa. Her side brushed the bag, which, whilst feeling too light to contain anything, appeared to have something bulky inside.

Petunia pulled open the bag and, to her surprise, pulled out a large, muslin covered tray, then another, a heavy pot, then a big box.

Inside the pots were chicken kiev for three, green beans with garlic butter, dauphinoise potatoes and, to Dudley’s delight, a huge mound of profiteroles, filled with white chocolate cream and raspberries.

“Well” Petunia said, slightly awestruck “That’s sorted out dinner”

Harry looked over her shoulder at the thick, vellum card

“Dear Harry and Petunia

Dad wanted to take you to dinner but I know you had to get home so we went and bought you MY favourite supper. I hope you both enjoy it.

Yours sincerely

Draco Malfoy.”

“Who is Draco?” Dudley asked

Harry looked up at his aunt “Shall we tell him?”

“I think we’d better!”