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BOOK ONE: CHAPTER THREE

Veronica woke up earlier than she ever had. Today was the day: she was finally going to Hogwarts. She had been waiting for this day for the last month, and it couldn't have come any faster. At 7 AM sharp, Hagrid had picked her up from outside her house, and they were now standing on Charing Cross Road in front of a pub and inn called "The Leaky Cauldron."

Veronica looked up at the pub with her eyebrows furrowed. She had walked along this street everyday on her way to school, and she was certain that it had not been there before. Veronica was an observer; she loved to explore the world around her. She had taken time to memorize every street and every shop she passed. This pub had been a broken-down old shop front.

"Hagrid? Is this pub new?"

"No, it's been here since the 1500's."

"But... that's impossible. I walk along this street everyday, and I've never seen it."

"Well, that's because you were born to two Squibs who have no knowledge of magic and believe they are muggles. They raised you as if you were a muggle too."

Veronica looked up at the giant man next to her with curiosity in her eyes. "Squibs? Muggles? I've never heard those words before. What do they mean?"

"Muggles are non-magic folk... just regular people born to a family of non-wizards. Squibs on the other hand, like your parents, are people that were born to at least one magical parent, but they themselves have no magical ability. Most Squibs have knowledge of magic and the wizarding world, but according to Dumbledore, your parents were devastated when they didn't exhibit any magical abilities. So much so that they were going around trying to expose our world to the muggles, which is strictly forbidden. They hoped this would force Dumbledore to let them into Hogwarts, but instead, the Minister for Magic had no choice but to wipe their memories of anything related to magic and the wizarding world. This broke your grandparents' hearts, but they knew it was for the best, so they stopped using magic in front of their kids and kept them away from the wizarding world. The Leaky Cauldron, just like Hogwarts, is hidden from muggles. They can't see it. So your parents wouldn't have been able to see it, and even though you were technically a witch at the time, you didn't know that you were. That's why you also couldn't see it."

"Hogwarts is hidden too? What if muggles come across it? Do they walk right through it without realizing?"

Hagrid was surprised. He expected Veronica to react in some way to the story about her parents, but it didn't seem to phase her at all. She moved past it as if she wasn't surprised by their behavior at all. Hagrid decided to do the same. "Hogwarts, when looked upon by muggles, is bewitched to resemble a smoldering old ruin with a sign on the entrance saying 'DANGER, DO NOT ENTER, UNSAFE.' It has been quite successful at keeping them out, I must say. Now come on, we'll be late."

Together, they entered the pub, and Veronica could not believe her eyes. All around her, wizards and witches were using magic to complete regular daily tasks. From a broom sweeping the floor to a spoon stirring a cup of coffee, there was magic all around her. And she couldn't contain her excitement.

Veronica hadn't realized she had stopped in the middle of the room until someone bumped her shoulder as they passed. Apologizing to the frustrated wizard, she quickly caught up with Hagrid as they made their way through a back door to the back of the building where they came across a brick wall blocking their way. Hagrid pulled out a pink umbrella and tapped one of the bricks in the wall. Suddenly, the whole wall began to cave into itself, as if being sucked into a black hole. Then, just as quickly, a large archway had formed, and Veronica could see a long street with shops on both sides.

As they both entered through the archway, Hagrid turned to Veronica. "Listen carefully, Veronica. Next year, you'll be making the trip to Diagon Alley alone, so you'll need to remember this. In order to pass through the wall, you need to tap on the brick that is three up and two across from the trash can. Got that? Three up and two across."

"Three up and two across, got it."

"Good. And another thing, if you ever find yourself stranded or need to get somewhere quickly in the middle of the night, you can summon the Knight Bus by raising your wand arm in the air. It will take you where you need to go."

"To enter Diagon Alley, I need to tap the brick that is three up and two across from the trash can, and to summon the Knight Bus, I raise my wand arm. Got it. Don't worry, I have a good memory."

"Good. Now that that is taken care of, I'd like to officially welcome you to Diagon Alley. This is where you will be buying all your school supplies, but first you need money. So our first stop is Gringotts bank." As they entered Gringotts, Hagrid pulled out a key from his pocket and handed it to Veronica. "This is the key to your grandparents' vault. It's yours now; keep it safe."

Veronica nodded without saying another word. All around the room, there were small little creatures that she had never seen before. The words had left her lips before she could stop them.

"What are they, Hagrid?"

"Goblins." Hagrid whispered. As they reached the end of the long hall, they approached the goblin in charge. "Ms. Singer would like to enter her vault."

"The Singer's and Royal's, between whom the vault was shared, are dead. If this is their granddaughter, Veronica Singer, to whom they have left their riches, then she must present the key."

Veronica stared at the goblin with her mouth agape. The way he spoke about her grandparents' death in such a nonchalant way upset her, but she didn't want to make a scene. She needed the money to buy her school supplies; she couldn't afford to get kicked out. Instead, she held her tongue and handed the goblin the key Hagrid had just given her.

After examining the key, the goblin seemed satisfied. "Follow me."