4 Diagon Alley

I arrived in Diagon Alley nearly dying from heaving and coughing. ''Damn they should really clean their fireplaces'' I wasn't really nauseous though, it must be because I was an alcoholic in my previous life, and am familiar with the feeling of not being able to walk straight. I looked in a glass pane of a random shop. I had white hair like my mother but it reached shoulder length. My skin was pale, also just like my mum. I had crimson red eyes, a perk of being a vampire. My eyes were really sensitive to light and it hurt being out in the daylight for too long. My mum told me that I could go blind if I was outside for too long during the day. Luckily I had brought my sunglasses so I was fully protected.

Wearing the sunglasses weren't only beneficial for protecting my eyesight but it also meant that other people wouldn't be able to see my red eyes, which obviously would give away that I was a vampire.

I set off outside of the small alley I was in and headed into the main street and it was just as beautiful as it was described in the books. It wasn't really flashy of course the colors were quite mellow but that didn't take away the wonder of being in a magical world.

Owls were flying overhead and shitting everywhere. Like why did they think owls everywhere was a good idea. If they keep this up then the street will be so white as Gringotts. Luckily you could see they clean the street regularly so I wasn't that worried of getting dirty. Along the owls there were origami like paper planes flying everywhere. Which I found odd because I thought that they would only be seen in the ministry but I guess it's more convenient than an owl.

There were shops selling cloaks, shops full of telescopes and wondrous silver instruments that I had ever seen before, shop windows packed with tons of bat moths and eel eyes, shaky, towering stacks of spells books, goose feathers and scrolls of parchment, potion bottles. , globes of the moon.

I had a tingling feeling creep up my spine when I saw the dead bats hanging in front of the Apothercary. First of course the awful hygiene, like do they actively want to start a pandemic? But second was the fact that it was a bat. If I wasn't careful that could be me hanging there.

I had arrived at a snow-white building towering over the other shops. Next to the polished bronze doors, in a fiery red and gold uniform, stood a kobold. Anthony walked up the steps. The goblin was a foot shorter than Anthony, with a shrewd, dark face, a pointed beard, and very long fingers and feet. He bowed as they entered. Now he stood before a second double door, of silver, with an engraved text:

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 𝔥𝔢𝔯𝔢.

Which was just another way of saying don't fuck with us, we have a dragon and a lot of torture techniques. Two goblins bowed to me and opened the silver doors, and I entered a huge marble hall, where another hundred or so goblins sat on high stools at a long counter, scribbling in thick ledgers, coins weighed with copper scales and precious stones examined through a magnifying glass. The hall had innumerable doors, and other goblins would guide people in and out of those doors.

I shuffled towards the nearest goblin, his nose was long, almost piercing my eye. I bet he could still smell me even if I had left Gringotts a week ago. I started speaking ''Hello friend, could I please exchange these pounds for Galleons?'' I held up 250 pounds that I acquired over the years by doing odd jobs for my parents. ''I'm sorry to inform you sir, but you don't seem to magically mature yet so you need a guardian to make trades at Gringotts, inc.''

I was stunned! They let 10 year olds ride on brooms endangering their lives if you fall off at a high altitude but if you want to exchange a little money that would cross the line. I was furious, I didn't go on this trip to be shafted away immediately after I arrived. So I gave the goblin a piece of my mind.

''Listen here Mike Wazowski looking ass, you're going to take the money and be a good little green man for me alright?'' The goblin just looked at me with a straight face and said in his most unamused voice ''What's a Mike Wazowski?''

''I'll do you one better, my friend, why is Mike Wazowski?'' The goblin's face couldn't be any more unamused. He probably would think that it's more interesting to watch paint dry. ''Please move sir, there are people waiting in line'' The goblin lifted his Freddy Krueger like finger and sent me flying a couple meters backwards.

Apparently magical abuse was allowed in this establishment. That wasn't too crazy considering what they do in the backrooms. Luckily I didn't fall on the ground, I was caught by an elderly woman.

''Are you alright my child?'' The woman asked me with a concerned look on her face. ''Yes I'm fine, thank you miss…?'' I observed the elderly woman, she wasn't that tall but looked like she could shatter boulders. Not with her muscles but with her willpower in her eyes. She had a certain fire in her eyes that would definitely set me ablaze being a vampire and all.

''Ah how rude to not introduce myself. I'm Augusta Longbottom, but that's just Miss Longbottom for you my child'' She gave me a maternal smile. I looked at her figure and now I finally knew where the name 'Longbottom' came from.

''Miss Thicc as--- I mean, Longbottom, If it isn't rude, could you exchange these pounds for me. I am apparently not old enough to do it and I need to buy medicine for my mother'' I looked at her pleadingly. So yeah okay I lied, you can boo me all you want but what did you expect. I was at my wit's end I had to think of something.

''Awh aren't you awfully polite, of course I'll exchange these pounds for you. You just wait right here child'' She clearly had pity with me which worked out for me but I still felt bad. It sucked to manipulate people. Ms. Humongous rear-- I mean Longbottom seemed to be kinder that she was portrayed to be in the books.

But I can't really blame her, she had to raise Neville on her own and he was an idiot so it was no surprise that it irked her. Also Neville is a part of the 28 pureblood families who have a standard to keep. His grandma probably tried to get him married to another pureblood to make sure the Longbottom family name was intact.

When I finally snapped out of my train of thought Neville's grandma had returned with Galleons for me. It totalled up to around 50 Galleons. ''Thank you so much Miss. Elongated Buttocks-- I mean Longbottom''

I don't know why but I always thought it was a funny name so now being able to say it all the time and not being looked at strangely was the most fun I've had in a while.

''How about I help you with your shopping? I'll also buy you an ice cream!'' Her offer was very tempting. Even though I wasn't fully comfortable with walking around Diagon Alley with a stranger it was better than being snatched up by some random predator and being turned inside out.

So I agreed ''I'd rather like that, thank you'' I gave her a wide grin and she chuckled at my reaction and pinched my cheek. ''Hold my hand, child. We wouldn't want you to run off or be harassed by someone'' Which gave me really creepy vibes but I did it anyway.

I grabbed her hand and we walked down the street. She asked where I wanted to go first and I said I was quite hungry since I hadn't eaten any breakfast. So we headed to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, and I must say. The hype wasn't for nothing. The ice cream was delicious. After I finished one bowl I asked my escort if I could also have a blood-flavoured lollipop and she gave me a weird look but still obliged.

I didn't care if I was acting suspicious but I simply devoured the lollipop, it was delicious. This made me wonder if actual blood tastes better? I'll have to try once, maybe I'll eat a couple of rats. I wasn't really up for killing humans yet, that felt wrong. And I definitely didn't want to turn anyone into a vampire.

When I was done with the lollipop we headed for Flourish and Blotts. and I was roaming around inside the shop when I spotted a book for occlumency in a dark corner. I really wanted to learn Occlumency because that was maybe the only power in the entire Harry Potter universe that I was actually scared of.

Imagine going insane because someone's penetrating your mind making you unable to sleep because there are only nightmares, adding fake memories and tricking the mind. It was a scary power that's for sure. Luckily not many wizards possess that power because it's a difficult art. But that doesn't mean I won't try. After all, who doesn't want to cast a genjutsu on someone?

After I picked up the occlumency book I also spotted some dark arts books but I wasn't really happy with the supply. It seems he would have to go to Knockturn alley later to maybe find some dark arts books there. I also spotted Book of Spells by Miranda Goshawk. I was ecstatic with the find. This would definitely improve my magic with leaps and bounds!

I went to the counter to pay and my check totalled up to 15 Galleons which was a heavy pill to swallow. But alas, it was for a good cause. I stuffed the books in my backpack and me and Ms. Gigantic Rump entered the main street again. I did a quick 360 and spotted Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. I was really tempted to get a cape, then I would resemble Batman even more, or Dracula of course.

I decided against it and bade farewell to my lovely escort. She asked if I was sure that I wanted to continue alone but I insisted. After all she would never allow me to enter Knockturn Alley and I had to if I wanted to accomplish my goal of being a Master Sorcerer and all-around cool guy. It's not like I wasn't afraid of what I would see in there but I was also curious. Like what were they all doing there? Getting high on Wizarding Weed? One must investigate!

Thus I crept closer to the shadows encasing Knockturn Alley and continued my journey.