DIAGON ALLEY FIELD TRIP. Open to all students!

[lemondrop-party.livejournal.com]

The Portus spell had always been one of Albus’s favorites. No need to risk splinching half the student body, when one could turn an everyday birdbath into a Portkey!

The assembled students, flanked here and there by faculty who’d volunteered to serve as chaperones, awaited as Albus declared the ground rules for today’s excursion.

"We have arranged with the proprietors of certain Diagon Alley businesses that Hogwarts students will be able to charge merchandise against an expense account maintained by the school. You have each been given a list of the businesses who have acceded to this agreement, along with the items authorised for purchase. There are other merchants in the Alley, of course, and many other things sold, that we have not arranged or authorised, because they are not necessities. Items not on the approved list you will have to pay for yourselves. Of course, we’ve given you a little pocket money –" Kojiro had distributed money pouches, each containing a few Galleons and a handful of small wizarding change in Sickles and Knuts "– for sweets and the like, lest this seem all work and no play."

The list read:

Participating merchants, and authorised items:

Cauldron Shop – cauldrons
Eeylops Owl Emporium – owls
Flourish & Blotts – textbooks
Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions – school uniform robes
Magical Menagerie – pets and pet supplies
Ollivander’s – wands
Quality Quidditch Supplies – brooms and Quidditch supplies
Scribbulus Everchanging Inks – inks, quills, and parchment
Slug & Jiggers Apothecary – potions supplies (nonrestricted and harmless only)

Attached to each copy of the list was a map , along with a small flier which read:

Today Only, all Hogwarts Students receive an extra 15% off trick wands and 30% off all Skiving Snackboxes at WEASLEY’s WIZARD WHEEZES!

What can we say? Albus had always been in favor of supporting Hogwarts alumni-run businesses.

"Now, single-file, please: we will proceed to touch the Portkey, one at a time, and it will transport us to Diagon Alley. When you wish to return, do the same with the identical birdbath in the Alley, and it will bring you back to this spot on Hogwarts grounds." Albus had deemed it unwise to overestimate the brainpower of some of the students, and thought it best to make the correspondence of object to Portus as clear as possible.

“I will go first, and Santa Claus will bring up the rear.”


(( OOC NOTE: PLEASE READ. You are welcome to NPC store clerks; however, they cannot be the proprietors specified in canon, e.g., Madam Malkin, Florian Fortescue, Ollivander, because those are canon characters who are themselves appable and playable in HH. Indeed we have already had an Ollivander who is presently popcorn! And as for Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes, obviously we have an active Fred and George Weasley who would not appreciate being godmodded ;)

Nor should this RP be taken as license to create OCs for continued use. Remember that OCs are not permitted in HH save as squibbait. You cannot backstory that the guy who works at Terrortours is your character’s old childhood BFF and lost his virginity to your character and he’s going to give you a free trip to Romania, etc etc; and you cannot use the pet store as an excuse to create sentient animal OCs. The only pets that can be bought are nonspeaking animals -- pace the Harry/Hedwig shippers out there, the animals bought at Alley shops in canon are not telepathic speaking critters. And if they were, you'd have to app them.

Finally, if your character is just such a horndog that s/he can’t resist a random hookup behind some random Diagon Alley shop, and finds love among the dumpsters to be a turn-on, please splinter that thread off to a separate RP post so that you can post a content warning there.

When in doubt, err on the side of caution, or give a shout to Dumbledore-mun via e-mail or chat. Have fun! A map of Diagon Alley is here, in the HP Lexicon. Detailed descriptions of the shops are linked here. Threads for each of the major shops have been provided. ))

Comments

Arrival

[lemondrop-party.livejournal.com]

(( RP your arrival / reaction to Diagon Alley in this thread. ))

Re: Arrival

[tomatohacker.livejournal.com]

"Ooooooooooo." Ed was so excited! A place where she can get stuff! And there were lots of people! Ed began running around, too excited to really pick one place to go. She wanted to go to them all!

Re: Arrival

[ghostorangel.livejournal.com]

Silas wasn't sure what he'd been expecting of Diagon Alley, but he'd been in no way prepared for what he found. The idea of a sub-society of magical people he had just about accepted; the idea of their own cities and villages, completely separate from the outside world, he had not yet grasped.

He found himself staring at everything, peering out from the safe shadow of his hood, wondering for the first time just how many witches and wizards there actually were in the world--it had never occurred to him to think there were any outside of Hogwarts, and now that he saw this place he wondered how it had not.

Re: Arrival

[lady-h3ath3r.livejournal.com]

Heather greeted Diagon Alley with a blase expression. After the Vegas Strip, this was downright placid. She was quite sure she'd be able to manage here.

Re: Arrival

[ka-click.livejournal.com]

The Rabbit hops around a little bit, studying the place. And then he gnaws at his own fur. " Which way to the strip club?"

Re: Arrival

[lareinette.livejournal.com]

Reinette steps out onto cobbled street, elaborate skirs swishing, and stares in awe. An entire shopping district dedicated to the strange and magical all at her fingertips. More than just a shopping excursion though, this is going to be the perfect place for her to get her bearings. “Now then, “she says determinedly, taking her shopping list in one hand and a map of Diagon alley in the other, “better get started.” She makes a mental note as some hurried shoppers bump into her extensive bustling that maybe a new wardrobe of clothes wouldn’t be remiss. Perhaps she’d ask Penny about that when she returned to the school…

Cauldron Shop

[lemondrop-party.livejournal.com]

(( This thread is to RP interactions and transactions that take place in the Cauldron Shop. ))

Re: Cauldron Shop

[lareinette.livejournal.com]

Reinette enters this particular shop a little nervously; coming from a pretty catholic background cauldrons were never something she’d ever expected to require. But hey, she thought, once more glancing at her shopping list, when in Rome…

Eeylops Owl Emporium

[lemondrop-party.livejournal.com]

(( This thread is to RP interactions and transactions that take place in Eeylops Owl Emporium. ))

Re: Eeylops Owl Emporium

[lareinette.livejournal.com]

Reinette stumbles into this shop accidentally in an attempt to escape the rushing hoards of excited shoppers out in the street. Her skirts once again catch on the doorframe and she stifles a curse as she frees herself. Once inside Reinette scrunches up her nose a bit. It smells rather funny in here. Looking around supplies the reason for this, there are caged birds everywhere; presumably for sale.

“Can I help you,” Reinette looks up to see a matronly looking woman with a kind face approach her. “You look a little,” the woman eyes Reinette’s elaborate dress cautiously, “*new* here.”

“Ah, yes,” Reinette answers once again glancing to her list, “This says that owls are permitted, but I’m not sure why I’d need one.”

Reinette listens patiently while the clerk explains how owls are the messengers in this strange new world. “Besides,” the woman adds while delicately stroking a tiny brown owl sitting on a perch, “they make lovely companions.”

This strikes home for Reinette as she realizes that since she’s arrived here she’s been quite a bit lonely. She spots a beautiful specimen across the room with big orange/yellow eyes and white/gray speckled feathers. Two little curved tufts on the bird’s head look like ears, but probably aren’t. The clerk notices Reinette’s interest.

“Ah, she says opening the cage to let the bird jump onto her leather glove, “This is a female South African Eagle owl. Beautiful isn’t she?” Reinette nodds in stunned agreement. “Why don’t you put on a glove and come hold her?”

Reinette does as she’s told and walks across the room. Following the clerk’s instructions she allows the bird to jump up onto her hand. She’s lighter than Reinette expected and only about eighteen inches tall. Copying how the clerk had petted the tiny brown owl earlier, Reinette gently strokes the gray and white feathers with two fingers. She’s rewarded with a low, vibrating trill. Its love at first sound and Reinette smiles genuinely. “how much?"

Flourish & Blotts

[lemondrop-party.livejournal.com]

(( This thread is to RP interactions and transactions that take place in the Flourish & Blotts bookshop. ))

Re: Flourish & Blotts

[bone-not-rock.livejournal.com]

Billy had meant to get a wand first thing. He really had.

But as soon as he passed the window to Flourish and Blotts, his academic instincts kicked in, and he was drawn to the massive stacks of books. Opening the shop door, Billy was amazed at the rows and rows of bookshelves lining the store, with books stashed in every available crook and cranny.

I'll only take a minute, he thought as he walked down the first row.

Forty-five minutes later he was still standing in the back of the shop, where he was reading a book he'd found a book titled Cavities and Sea Oddities: The Liopleurodon/Candy Mountain Connection.

Re: Flourish & Blotts

[daxtastic.livejournal.com]

Dax fully intended to attend the trip only in a supervising capacity.

...right now, it looked like Flourish & Blotts' latest arrivals needed some supervising. Who was she to be derelict in her duties?

Gringotts

[lemondrop-party.livejournal.com]

(( This thread is to RP interactions and transactions that take place in Gringotts, if you have a character who has an account there or has reason to set one up. ))

Re: Gringotts

[chas-macaulay.livejournal.com]

Charles walked in to Gringotts and was escorted to the desk of a goblin. He cleared his throat.

"I, ahh, I don't know if this will do to set up an account," he said. "I've got some identification, Texas driver's license, but if that won't work or it's not enough I'm pretty sure Professor Dumbledore will vouch for me."

He handed over the driver's license and a check (http://community.livejournal.com/hogwarts_hocus/1337930.html?thread=67892810#t67892810) made out to him. The goblin scrutinized both documents, and then Charles himself, through a pince-nez for several minutes, then nodded.

"This will do, sir," the goblin said severely, and set about drawing up a set of documents, then copying them in triplicate via wand. Charles signed papers until he thought his hand would fall off, but walked out with a Gringott's passbook and some walking-around money.

Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions

[lemondrop-party.livejournal.com]

(( This thread is to RP interactions and transactions that take place in Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. ))

Re: Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions

[charlesofdensen.livejournal.com]

Granted, he's more comfortable in a business suit than anything else, but when in Rome. Or in this case Hogwarts.

Ofdensen got some business robes fitted, then on a rare whim, he ordered three more robes, to wear around school, one black, one blue, and one red.

Magical Menagerie

[lemondrop-party.livejournal.com]

(( This thread is to RP interactions and transactions that take place in the Magical Menagerie pet shop. ))

Re: Magical Menagerie

[lady-h3ath3r.livejournal.com]

Lady Heather walked into the Magical Menagerie and looked around, waiting for an animal to respond to her. She found the reaction, the almost chemical thing that happens when pet and owner find one another, in the kennels behind the shop, and after a little haggling with the salesclerk walked out with a greyhound (http://www.moviepets.ie/gallery/albums/Muscle-Dogs/GREYHOUND_MAT_2.sized.jpg) on a leash in her hand.

Ollivander's -- Maker of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.

[lemondrop-party.livejournal.com]

(( This thread is to RP interactions and transactions that take place in Ollivander's, the wand shop. ))

Re: Ollivander's -- Maker of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.

[richardthegreek.livejournal.com]

I had come on the Diagon Alley trip in need of supplies, as well as as a professor. Keeping an eye on the students, I stopped by Ollivander's Wand shop first. I approached the counter, through a sea of students, and addressed the old man behind the counter.

"Greetings, sir. I am in need of a wand."

The man smiled. "You are indeed, sir," he said, eyeing my school-issue wand dubiously. He looked at me a bit longer, yet said no more. The silence extended, and I began to feel a mite uncomfortable.

"Ahem, what procedure is needed to purchase a wand?" I said, prompting him.

He said nothing, but went in the back of the store, and reemerged with a long, black velvet box. He opened it, and held it out to me. "Yew. Thirteen inches. Heart of a single amethyst."

My eyebrows raised. Yew was an ill-omened wood, associated with raising the dead. But amethyst was supposedly a defense against the madness of Bacchus. I reached out slowly, and took it. Light swirled around me, and a feeling of power rushed through me - rather like Henry had described the Bacchanal emotions to be - and yet, I did not lose my sense of self, or go mad.

The shopkeeper nodded, I handed over some gold, and left the shop - wondering and wondering.

Quality Quidditch Supplies

[lemondrop-party.livejournal.com]

(( This thread is to RP interactions and transactions that take place in Quality Quidditch Supplies. ))

Re: Quality Quidditch Supplies

[forcedexile.livejournal.com]

The Exile volunteered to watch students, yes, but she also had a purchase to make. During her testing of the equipment, she noticed that the set of Quidditch balls were worn from overuse. Quite possibly, they were used for years.

So while she was out, she got a couple new sets of balls for the school. While there, she got a handy tip for protective charms on clothing. She made a note to charm one or two of her Jedi robes for use in refereeing.

Scribbulus Everchanging Inks

[lemondrop-party.livejournal.com]

(( This thread is to RP interactions and transactions that take place in the stationery shop Scribbulus Everchanging Inks. ))

Re: Scribbulus Everchanging Inks

[lareinette.livejournal.com]

Ink, parchment, quils. Check, check, check. Reinette smiles to herself. Now she actually 'can' check these items off her list.

Slug & Jiggers Apothecary

[lemondrop-party.livejournal.com]

(( This thread is to RP interactions and transactions that take place in the Slug & Jiggers apothecary shop. ))

Weasley's Wizard Wheezes

[lemondrop-party.livejournal.com]

(( This thread is to RP interactions and transactions that take place in the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes joke shop. ))

Re: Weasley's Wizard Wheezes

[busty-robin.livejournal.com]

Steph was not going to buy dungbombs. Steph was not going to buy dungbombs. Steph was...probably not going to buy dungbombs.

Oh, who was she kidding? She dropped a few in her basket, and perused the rest of the shop's stock.

random cafes

[lemondrop-party.livejournal.com]

(( There are cafes in Diagon Alley. This thread is to RP interactions and transactions that take place in these random cafes. ))

random scenes in the street

[lemondrop-party.livejournal.com]

(( This thread is to RP interactions that take place in the street / out of doors. ))

Re: random scenes in the street

[researcher42.livejournal.com]

Ford wasn't certain what being a chaperone required, so he'd made an informational sign. He stood in a central location and held up a placard he'd charmed to cycle through various helpful messages: "Directions and Assistance for Hogwarts Students", "Don't Panic", "Official Chaperone", the names of various shops accompanied by an arrow pointing in (hopefully) the right direction, and finally "Sometimes I Just Like Holding Signs".

other shops

[lemondrop-party.livejournal.com]

(( This thread is to RP interactions in other shops not mentioned above, if your character has the money or has gotten lost or is nosy or something or whatever. ))