July 25th, 1991

Harry followed his new professor as she walked out of the house and down the street silently. Every little turn she took seemed to lead them somewhere, after about five minutes she stopped in a secluded alleyway and turned to Harry.

“Mr. Potter, please take my arms and do not let go.” Professor McGonagall said as she held out her arm for Harry to take. Harry slowly took hold of her arm and held on tightly. If he was holding to hard McGonagall said nothing. “This may be a bit uncomfortable,” she said before turning.

Harry felt as though he was being squeezed through a very small tube. The pressure he felt was very unpleasant and he gripped Professor McGonagall’s arm tighter. The sensation only lasted a few seconds and then it was over and Harry saw himself standing in another alleyway, this one brightly lit.

Harry released her arm and looked around the small alleyway. Professor McGonagall looked down at him and gave him a slight smile. She walked out of the alleyway and into a long street like place. “Welcome to Diagon Alley, it is here that you will acquire your school supplies for each year.”

His eyes landed on all the shops full of wonderful and mysterious things. Harry looked at every shop they passed. There were so many, Harry noticed many second hand shops and shops that sold new. They walked to the partway down the alley to a large imposing snow white building.

Professor McGonagall climbed the steps leading to the entrance to the building. Harry followed her through the bronzed doors and into a small entrance hall with a pair of engraved silver doors.

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.

Harry looked at the eerie warning and shivered a little as Professor McGonagall pushed opened the doors into a vast marble hall. Professor McGonagall led Harry up to one of the strange creatures, Harry noticed working for this bank.

Professor McGonagall spoke to the creature while Harry’s eyes wandered around the bank. Harry turned back to Professor McGonagall to see her hand the creature a small golden key. The creature took the key, examined it and then handed it back before motioning for another to escort them.

Harry followed in silence through a door off to the side of the hall and into a dimly lit hallway. The hallway led to a dark platform where an old rusting cart sat on some tracks waiting for them.

The three road the cart for a long time. Five minutes into the ride the card slowed to a stop and they all climbed out and onto the platform.

“Vault 687,” the creature Harry now identified as a goblin said as he approached the vault door. “Key please.” Professor McGonagall handed the goblin the key and he opened the door. Harry’s eyes widened when he seen the mountains of gold, hills of silver, and piles of bronze coins.

“Eighty galleons should be more than enough to buy all your school supplies and have a little extra spending money during the school year.” Professor McGonagall said to Harry. Harry slowly walked into the vault and grabbed handfuls of the gold coins in the small tan bag McGonagall had given him. Harry knew what the galleons were because he had seen them in many of his dreams.

The journey back to the top seemed to be much quicker than the ride down did. Once at the top Professor McGonagall decided that it would be best if they started with his school robes.

Harry looked around Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions, he was currently being fitted for his school robes. It was a completely new experience wearing robes. McGonagall watched Harry with small smile on her face, she seemed to be lost in memories.

After he was all fitted and had his robes purchased him and McGonagall decided to head over to Twit’s Trusty Trunks. Harry looked around at all the trunks, they were all like something out of a fairy tale and yet they were completely real.

Harry walked over to Twit’s Auror Quality Trunks, they were all very expensive and had multiple compartments. McGonagall had headed over to the Standard School Trunks and started to look for an inexpensive standard trunk for harry to take to school.

“Mr. Potter,” McGonagall said. “The school trunks are over here.” Harry didn’t say anything just kept looking at the newest trunk on the market, a house style trunk. The trunk had a kitchen; two bathrooms, which Harry would have to ask about; two bedrooms, a master and a standard size; a common room; and at least ten other rooms which can be chosen from a list of room styles. They offered everything from dueling rooms to a potions lab.

McGonagall came over and looked at what Harry was looking at. “Mr. Potter you won’t be needing one of those, a standard school style trunk will do.”

Harry was quiet for a while before he looked up at his soon to be new professor. “Professor I was wondering if I could get this new style of trunk.” McGonagall was about to say something but Harry stopped her by continuing. “It’s just this trunk will have to last me all through school and I hope that I can continue to use it after school is over.”

Professor McGonagall was about to say they came out with a new trunk every year but she also knew Harry could get his trunk updated as the years went on and the look in his eyes told her that there would be no arguing with him. He wanted this trunk style and she wasn’t going to be able to talk him out of it.

She smiled at him and called over the sales associate. Harry ended up getting the new house style trunk. He decided that he was going to get only six extra rooms Harry’s trunk had a bedroom with a closet and bathroom, a library, quiddich pitch and pool, potions lab, dueling room, and a large kitchen. Harry and McGonagall had agreed that he wouldn’t really need anything else.

Even though McGonagall was hesitant at first but Harry’s smile was completely worth it when he paid for his trunk and received it. Harry paid the merchant and took his trunk, he was surprised when he was told the trunk had a button on it that let him shrink the trunk with a push of the button.

Next they headed to Flourish and Blotts to get all of the required books. While there Harry was allowed to pick up some more advanced books on all his subjects as well as some political and family history books. He couldn’t get a book on the Potter family history but he got one on general noble family traditions.

McGonagall and Harry hit Slug & Jiggers Apothecary for potion ingredients, Scribbulus Writing Instruments for quills and parchment, and Potage's Cauldron Shop before going into Ollivanders Wand Shop for his wand.

Everything was like it was in his dreams. If it wasn’t for Professor McGonagall being there Harry would think he was in his dream. Mr. Ollivander creeped Harry out as much as he had in the dream. Harry told Professor McGonagall he wanted an owl so they headed to Eeylops Owl Emporium and there Harry found his snowy white owl, Hedwig.

McGonagall got Harry ice cream before heading back to the Dursley’s home. Harry didn’t want to go but Professor McGonagall told him she was but an owl away. He didn’t want to stay with them but she explained it would be the safest place for the time being.

Professor McGonagall threatened the Dursley family and told Harry that she would arrange for someone to come and pick him up on September 1st to take him to the train station.

Harry hid away in his room for the remainder of his time with the Dursleys’. With each passing day Harry’s dreams showed him what they years to come would be like.