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Chapter 4 Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone Chapter 6

Diagon Alley[]

Synopsis[]

Harry wakes up thinking it might all have been a dream, and that the tapping sound he hears is Aunt Petunia tapping on his cupboard door. Then he opens his eyes--he's in the shack, with Hagrid sleeping on the sofa, and an owl with a newspaper is tapping on the window. He opens the window to let it in, and it flies in and drops the newspaper, then pecks at Hagrid's coat. Hagrid mumbles sleepily to give it some money, five Knuts, and Harry manages to find it in Hagrid's coat and give it to the owl, which flies off.

This makes Harry think about his lack of money to pay for Hogwarts, but Hagrid assures him that his parents left him lots of money in Gringotts, the wizards' bank. He says it's one of the safest places to keep anything, and he has to go do some business there for Dumbledore anyway.

As they leave the shack, Harry sees that there's only the one boat tied up. Hagrid says he flew over the night before, but now that he's got Harry he shouldn't do more magic. Still, he taps the boat with his umbrella after they get in, and it starts moving across the water. Hagrid tells Harry more about Gringotts, and how safe it is, and then starts reading his newspaper, the Daily Prophet. Hagrid mutters about the Ministry of Magic, and then explains the Ministry's purpose to Harry. He says that since Dumbledore turned down the job of Minister, they've had to settle for Cornelius Fudge, who is, in his opinion, incompetent. whgt

The boat reaches the dock and they walk to the train station. Hagrid is far from inconspicuous, both from his size and his tendency to exclaim at ordinary Muggle objects like parking meters. Harry asks about the dragons Hagrid mentioned guarding Gringotts, and Hagrid says he'd love to have one. Hagrid lets Harry buy the tickets (though he provides the Muggle money), and knits something large and yellow while they travel. He tells Harry to read his Hogwarts letter for a list of everything he'll need to buy.

In London, they ride on the Underground, walking down an ordinary street, until they reach a pub called the Leaky Cauldron, which Hagrid says is famous. Harry notes that, apart from Hagrid, nobody else even seems to notice it. Hagrid takes them inside. The barman seems to know Hagrid, and offers him his usual, but Hagrid says he's on official business. The barman, Tom, and the rest of the clientele notice Harry and know instantly who he is.

One of the people in the pub is Professor Quirrell, who Hagrid introduces to Harry. He will be teaching Defense Against The Dark Arts at Hogwarts, and is there to pick up a new book on vampires. He is nervous and twitchy. Hagrid eventually separates Harry from the crowd and takes him into the back courtyard. Hagrid says that Quirrell had a brilliant mind, but his actual experiences with monsters seem to have affected him, and now he's scared of his own subject. He counts bricks in the back wall of the courtyard and taps the wall with his umbrella, and it soon opens up into an archway onto Diagon Alley.

Harry and Hagrid step through the archway, and it closes behind them. The street is filled with magical shops selling cauldrons, owls, brooms, and other fantastic things. They soon arrive at Gringotts, and Harry sees his first goblins. Inside the bank building, they are taken to a magical cart that rides on train tracks at high speed, down into the vaults. There, after the vault is unlocked with Hagrid's key, Harry sees the money that his parents left him, and realizes that it's a small fortune.

Then they go to Vault 713, to retrieve the secret item for Dumbledore. This vault doesn't open with a key, but at the touch of the goblin who accompanied them. The vault is nearly empty except for a small package which Hagrid tucks into his coat.

Next, Hagrid takes Harry to Madam Malkin's to be fitted for some robes. Hagrid himself has to dash off to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink to settle himself after the harrowing cart-ride. Madam Malkin seems to know what is required, and brings Harry back to where another Hogwarts student is being measured. That student(who will later be identified as Draco Malfoy)soon strikes Harry as being spoiled and prejudiced, especially against Muggle-born wizards, and Harry is glad when he is finished and can meet Hagrid outside.

Harry asks Hagrid about Quidditch, which the boy in Madam Malkin's had mentioned. Hagrid had forgotten that Harry wouldn't know about it, and Harry tells him what the boy said. Hagrid reassures him that Muggle-born wizards, like Harry's own mother, are some of the best. Then he tells Harry about Quidditch and the houses in Hogwarts.

Next they buy Harry's schoolbooks at Flourish And Blotts. Hagrid has to restrain Harry from getting a book of curses to try on Dudley, admonishing him that he could get in trouble for using magic outside of Hogwarts, and he's probably not skillful enough anyway. After buying most of the rest of Harry's supplies--a cauldron, scales, a telescope, and some potion ingredients--Hagrid says all that's left is the wand. He remembers he was going to get Harry a birthday present, so they go off to get him an owl, then go to Ollivanders for the wand.

The shop seems deserted at first, but then Mr. Ollivander appears, recognizing Harry at once and remembering his parents' wands. He also remembers the wand that gave Harry his scar. He recognizes Hagrid, remembers his wand, and how it got snapped when he was expelled. Hagrid insists that he's not using it, but he clutches his umbrella as he says it.

Ollivander measures Harry with his magical measuring tape while he searches for different wands. Harry barely touches them before they are whisked away as unsuitable. They try more and more, all unsuitable, Mr. Ollivander getting happier and happier, until they try a particular wand with a phoenix feather in it. As the wand is being wrapped up, Ollivander says that, as he recalls, the same phoenix gave one other feather--for the wand that gave Harry his scar.

They leave Diagon Alley, through the now-deserted Leaky Cauldron, and back on the London Underground. Hagrid buys Harry a hamburger before he leaves on his train. Harry says he feels a bit strange, being so famous for something he can't even remember. Hagrid tells him that everyone starts from the beginning, and he'll learn fast enough. He gives Harry his ticket for the train to Hogwarts, and sends him on the train back to the Dursleys.

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Plot Points[]

  1. Hagrid's secret mission to Gringotts for Dumbledore is retrieving the Philosopher's Stone from its vault.
  2. The Potters had a lot of money, which they kept at Gringotts even before their death.
  3. Hagrid loves dragons and would love to have one.
  4. Hagrid illicitly uses magic, and undoubtedly has his old wand fragments in his umbrella.
  5. Professor Quirrell is at Diagon Alley at the same time Hagrid retrieves the Philosopher's Stone from Gringotts; he is not yet wearing his turban.
  6. Harry ends up with a wand using a feather from the same phoenix as Voldemort's.
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