Previlion: "Life happens. Life ends. We all just got to keep trucking on. Made this one extra big for being gone so long, apologies for that."

Chapter 14: Shopping

"Alice hurry!" John had a massive grin on his face. Today was the day he would go and buy his school items.

"One moment!" Alice, clumsy as ever, was hoping on one foot as she put her sock on. Once being successful in her fight against her clothes, Alice went to the living room where an eager John was waiting with his ever present top hat.

*John, calm down* Paddy hissed in what seemed to be laughter.

"Alright, we just need to stop by that bank of yours to exchange some money," Alice said, grabbing her purse.

John gave her a confused look. "Alice, they said I had a vault? I'm sure there is some money there?" He was not prepared for Alice to kneel down to his height with a soft smile.

"John dear, let me pay ok? That is your money." She patted his hat.

"But Alice!" John tried before Alice smirked and flicked his nose, causing him to jump back and rub it.

"No buts about it mister," she mused. "Let me be a responsible adult for once."

John grinned mischievously. "First time for anything?"

He giggled as he rushed out the door, Alice running after him.

-Diagon Alley-

The goblins working at Gringotts were very surprised to see the doors of the bank swing open as one John Riddle, with a huge grin, pointed outwards with his other hand on his hip.

"Masters of gold! I have come to do great business with you!" John proclaimed dramatically.

The goblins, not knowing whether to laugh or wonder at the strange boy that made his presence here days ago. Eventually they settled on deep chuckles and a shake of their heads.

John smiled at this before trotting over to a teller.

"Mister Riddle, do we expect such a…extravagant entrance every time you visit?" Griphook asked with a wry snarl.

"Every time good sir," John chirped immediately before looking back.

Alice was panting, hands on her knees as she made it to the bank.

"You…little booger," she said. "Couldn't wait…too much energy…"

John seemed sheepish before Alice caught her breath and marched over.

Griphook was far amused with this display.

"Madame Alice, how can we help you and Mister Riddle today?" Griphook asked, getting down to business.

"Exchanging some moogle muns for wizard, please," Alice said as Griphook nodded.

"I still say we should take some money out of my vault," John said, his head barely reaching above the counter.

Griphook chuckled before turning to Alice. "I believe you mean muggle money, but yes we can certainly do that."

John pouted as his idea was bumped away by both Alice and Griphook.

"Mister Riddle, you may certainly retrieve your money from your vault, but one should always listen to their elders," Griphook said as he started exchanging the money needed to buy the school supplies.

"Yes sir," John said with a sigh, not catching Alice giving the goblin a wink and a thumbs up.

"Everything is in order; this will cover your school supplies on the Hogwarts' list."

Alice took the bag of coins as John peeked in it. "Shiny," he mused.

"Indeed, take care of it," Griphook warned before Alice ushered John out.

"Lets see what we need," John said, pulling Alice over to a bench as he dug out the list. Plopping down on the seat with Alice, they both looked on.

"Huh, so uniforms, books, and equipment stuff," Alice murmured.

"Students can only bring an owl, cat or toad?" John frowned as Paddy hissed.

"Dumbledore knows Paddy, I'm sure he will be fine with it," Alice said with a wave of her hand, as if saying don't worry about it.

Still, it was a worry to be separated from Paddy.

"No time like the present, lets get to work!" Alice got up and tugged John along with her. "That place looks like a clothes place? I think?" She pointed to the building across the way.

"Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions?" John mused before Alice gently bumped him with her hip for that sarcastic remark.

The duo, Paddy included, made their way inside before John was quickly ushered up to a step right away.

"Ah, wait, the hat stays," Alice warned as the worker there was about to touch it. "He doesn't like it off."

Alice learned that after always seeing him wear it, even over his eyes when sleeping.

"Ok?" the worker said, a bit confused as she worked a measuring tape all around John.

The door jingled, the tell of a new customer.

"Be right back sir." John was left alone as he tried to move with the tape wrapping him up.

"Take your time," he said.

"I did not know Hogwarts allowed top hats?" came a curious voice.

John peeked a bit to his right to see a girl with bushy hair looking at him in wonder.

"I might have gotten permission…I think. Really need to talk to him," John murmured a bit at the end, talking about Dumbledore. "So, going as well?"

The girl brightened with a smile.

"Yes! I can not wait, just amazed that magic actually exist!"

John found himself grinning at her happy attitude and wonder to magic.

"Its great," John mused before the tape unwounded himself.

"Off you trott dear," the worker mused before turning to the girl. "Madame Malkin will check you in while I deal with him."

"Thank you," the girl said, nervous now as John stepped down.

"See you at Hogwarts?" John mused and waved to her while he went to the checkout.

"Yeah! Ok!" the girl said happily, brightening up. "See Hermione, one friend down," she whispered to herself. "You can do this."

Alice had packages in her arms when John came up to her. "Here, you hold half," she said as John yelped, almost tripping as two packages dumped in his arms.

"We really should just get a wagon or something," John quipped.

"Hindsight is 20/20 John."

Getting their books was no trouble, but it was hectic to drag John away.

"No John! Put that down!"

"Never!"

With a pouting John being dragged away, both him and Alice had to juggle the books and robe packages.

"Ok…now we need some school supplies," Alice said, sighing.

One equipment run later found the two of them struggling.

"Seriously, how do we carry all of this!" John said before they all suddenly shrank. "What?"

There was a mild chuckle. "That is how."

John and Alice turned to see Lucious Malfoy with his wife Narcissa and son Draco.

"I need to learn that," John said, his eyes wide and eager.

"My father is the best," Draco preened as Narcissa just smiled and rubbed his head affectionately.

While the adults chatted for a bit, Draco showed John how to stack the shrank items into the cauldron.

"I take it you are gathering John's supplies?" Lucious asked.

"Yup, we just need his wand now. Thanks though, for helping us carry it."

"Our pleasure Alice," Narcissa said, a beautiful smile forming across his lips. "We already got our son's needs yesterday, we have a bit of business at the bank." Now her eyes slyly looked to Lucious. "Perhaps my dear husband could escort you to Ollivanders' and help getting luggage for the supplies?"

Lucious faintly looked surprised over this move before schooling his emotions.

"I do not mind," Lucious said with a small smile himself.

"Excellent, come Draco. We can meet father later. Perhaps over tea Alice?" Narcissa said.

"Ah…well…ok?" Alice said, a bit overwhelmed by the tactics of the couple.

"See you Draco," John said as he waved goodbye to the mother and son.

"Shall we?" Lucious said and walked on. Alice and John quickly scampered to follow.

Stepping into Ollivanders was a surreal feeling. It smelled of old wood with a heavy feeling in the air.

"Hello."

John jumped as Paddy hissed from the hat. Alice had tugged John close to her but Lucious did not even move.

"Lucious, wand of elm and dragon heartstring, very powerful and elegant. Still have it?" Ollivander mused, his eyes focused on John.

"Yes, it has served me well." Lucious motioned to John and Alice. "This is Alice and John, a new customer."

"Hmm, yes…familiar. Very familiar but I do not recognize you. No matter, lets start seeing what fits you."

John watched as Ollivander moved to the wands and plucked one out.

"Give it a whirl."

Handing the wand to John, John himself looked at it and shrugged before doing a small wave.

There was an immediate crash and wood splintering as a hole had been punctured through the roof of the shop.

"Oh…" John just stood still.

"…my…," Lucious murmured.

"Holy shit," Alice finished with a slack jawed expression.

Ollivander just ever so slowly eased the wand from John's hand.

"This may take some time…" Ollivander said but he was excited. "Try this."

By this point Alice was hiding behind Lucious who murmured a protego and had a shield lit up.

John looked at the wand before hesitantly waving again.

The chair off to the side erupted in fire for a moment and dusted itself in embers.

John almost threw that wand as Ollivander plucked it out of his fingers.

"Right…well, next one!"

Five wands later found Lucious behind a metal slab that has been dented in and Alice behind it as well. Ollivanders store had multiple holes inside it and a destroyed wall that had been blasted off.

"I am going to imagine you have a lot more magic than a normal person your age," Ollivander said.

"No kidding!" Alice practically screamed behind the metal shield.

'My Lord, your son is frightening,' Lucious thought as he repaired his metal shield. Normal protegos weren't as handy against John's destructive power.

"Perhaps…I had someone else in mind for this wand. But maybe you are its rightful owner." Ollivander came back with another wand. "Holly, phoenix feather."

As soon as John touched it, Lucious and Alice ducked back down again. After waiting a few seconds, their heads peeked out.

John was still standing there, waving slowly. Silver and gold strands of magic extended from the wave.

"And there you go," Ollivander said, looking thankful now.

"This is so cool," John said, amazed as he ended his waving.

But the strands continued as they shot away and made a squiggly lined hole in the wall and more crashes outside.

"I think that is as good as it is going to get," Ollivander said, sighing at the damage of his shop.

With a generous donation from Lucious, apologies from John and Alice and money paid for the wand, they all found their way heading to Alice and John's home.

"We may need to look into getting an adapter for yourself, young John," Lucious said.

"Adapter?" Alice asked him.

"A larger piece of fashioned wood over his wand, until he has a better handle of it," Lucious explained.

"Like a staff?!" John beamed at him.

Lucious was actually thinking of just a piece of wood over the top half of the wand.

"Alice can you make me one?" John was looking up at Alice with wide eyes.

Alice slid her eyes to Lucious.

"I suppose its possible? But the wand movements will be…off?" Poor Lucious, he really tried.

"You at least must make one Gandalf reference," Alice just said to John.

"You got it!"

Previlion: "So, Gandalf staff. Yay or nay?"