SS Chapter 5 PT 2

Reflection From Last Week:

We started to delve into Chapter 5 Diagon Alley, and we looked into the Supply List for Hogwarts First Year Students, The Leaky Cauldron, and met a few of the witches and wizards that were present upon Harry’s return to Wizarding society after 10 long years. At this point Harry and Hagrid left the hut on the rock, traveled through London, and made it to the Leaky Cauldron. It’s time to explore Diagon Alley and all of its wonders!

Diagon Alley:

Before we get into the shops, we need to get the history of the Diagon Alley! As was mentioned in last week’s look into The Leaky Cauldron, The Leaky Cauldron’s address is 1 Diagon Alley, which makes it seem as though it was the first building on the street. It was from there that Gringotts was built and is theorized that the rest of the shops sprouted up on the street that connects the two buildings. In 1692, Diagon Alley had an assortment of highly complex concealment charms upon it as it was at high risk of breaking the newly instated Statute of Secrecy. This is one of the only two wizard only locations, the other being Hogsmeade Village,  in the UK and welcomes any and all wizards to shop and take refuge on their travels through the country. Diagon Alley is home to a multitude of wizarding shops but we will be focusing on Gringotts Wizarding Bank, Madam Malkin’s, Flourish and Blotts, Eeylops Owl Emporium, Quality Quidditch Supplies, And Ollivander’s Wand Shop!

Gringotts and Wizard Currency:

Gringotts Wizarding Bank is one of the oldest buildings of Diagon Alley, dating back to 1497. The bank was created and  operated by a goblin named Gringott and was taken over by the Ministry of Magic shortly after. It wasn’t until 1865 that Gringotts went back to being run by the goblins. With a motto of Fortus Quo Fidelius, which means Strength in Loyalty, the multitude of goblins of Gringotts work day in and day out to ensure that the gold and treasures that are stored there are safe and secure. Gringotts is the only known wizarding bank that creates a labyrinth of tunnels filled with vaults far under the London streets and underground transports. The bank is well stocked with wizarding currency which include gold Galleons, silver Sickles, and bronze Knuts. There are 29 Knuts to a Sickle, 17 Sickles to a Galleon, and a Galleon is worth about £5 or $6.60. The pound to galleon conversion rate is important, as muggleborn witches and wizards will have to come to Gringotts to procure wizarding money for the shops in Diagon Alley, as well as anywhere else that requires wizarding money. 

Gringotts is regarded as the safest place to keep valuables, except maybe Hogwarts. There are a plethora of security measures that the goblins employ to keep the treasure and vaults safe. One such security measure includes the Mine Cart Track that is only operable by a goblin. This track is the only way to navigate through the maze that is the Gringotts vault tunnels. In this chapter, we see that Harry cannot keep up with the different turns and changes in directions on the way to his own vault. The Thief’s Downfall is another measure which comes in the form of a magical waterfall that washes away magical concealments or transfigurations.  The lowest level, high security vaults that belong to the oldest wizarding families have extra enchantments and, in the case of the Lestrange Vault, dragons guarding the possessions of the “valued” clients. Gringotts boasts its impenetrability and full proof security and claims to be impossible to steal from, but, after 1991, there are several instances when Gringotts is broken into and the perpetrators escape. 

Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions:

 Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions is the shop owned by its namesake, Madam Malkin. This is a clothing store that Hogwarts go to to pick up their school robes and other outwear that is needed during their term. Madam Malkin provides Hogwarts House robes for older students as they grow out of their first year robes. Aside from school uniforms, Madam Malkin offers a variety of gloves, dress robes, traveling coats, and, sometimes, invisibility cloaks, all available in different materials. It is unknown how long the shop has been open for, but it remained open well after the Battle of Hogwarts in 1998.

Our first time seeing Madam Malkin’s Shop is in Sorcerer’s Stone, where Harry encounters a certain “pale faced boy with a drawling voice,” who becomes named in subsequent chapters as Draco Malfoy. Harry walks in and it seems as though the process for getting plain Hogwarts robes is quick. He comes in and Madam Malkin begins taking his measurements, then bustles off leaving Harry to have a very brief exchange with Malfoy. Harry will return to get new robes from Madam Malkin’s in Prisoner of Azkaban, after growing 3 inches over the summer between second and third year, and it can be inferred that Harry’s dress robes for the Yule Ball were custom made during the Triwizard Tournament in Goblet of Fire. 

Flourish and Blotts:

Flourish and Blotts is a bookstore located in the middle of the street between the Leaky Cauldron and Gringotts Bank. This particular bookstore sells brand new copies of all the books that are on the students supply lists. Its only known competition is a secondhand bookshop that sells used books. This is where Ron, Ginny, and the other Weasley children usually get their school books from. 

Flourish and Blotts was established in 1654 and is a small shop that is full of book strewn shelves all the way to the ceilings. Flourish and Blotts stocks not only the Hogwarts school books, but other magical books as well, including The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore, The Invisible Book of Invisibility, and the collection of Gilderoy Lockhart.

In 1927, Flourish and Blotts and Obscurus Books held a book launch for Newt Scammander’s first release of Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them. It was here where the journalist of the popular magazine Spellbound misidentified Leta Lestrange as Newt Scammander’s finance, which caused the rift between Tina and Newt.

Eeylops Owl Emporium:

Eeylops Owl Emporium is actually part of a chain of shops that sell owls and supplies and equipment necessary to care for them. This particular shop is described as small and dark and full of cages with owls of all shapes, sizes, and breeds. Aside from the owls themselves, the shop carries a variety of cages, Eeylops Premium Owl Treats, and other types of owl food for older owls that aren’t able to hunt. 

Hagrid buys Harry a large, white snow owl for his 11th birthday on Harry’s first trip into Diagon Alley, who Harry later names Hedwig. We see Harry return to Eeylops with Ron, where they purchase boxes of owl treats for Hedwig and Pigwidgeon right before their 6th year. It is unclear how much the owl treats cost, but it can be easily inferred that they cost less than 10 Galleons, as the least expensive owls that Eeylops sells are priced at 10 Galleons. These include barn, brown, and tawny owls. Snowy and screech owls are 15 Galleons, and barred owls are 11 Galleons.

Ollivander’s Wand Shop:

Known as the greatest wandmaker in Britain, Garrick Ollivander resides in a suite above his shop, Ollivander’s Wand Shop. Olivander’s was founded in 382 B.C., meaning that the family has produced a male heir for centuries! The original Ollivander traveled from the Roman Empire to the Great Britain area and set up a side stand where he sold his wands. The stall evolved and eventually turned into the shop that we know today. 

Ollivander, like his ancestors, studied wandlore and understood the nature of and bond between the wand wood and core and witch/wizard. Ollivander uses 3 types of wand cores: unicorn tail hair, dragon heartstring, and phoenix tail feathers. Coupled with premium wand wood, the quality of an Ollivander wand is unparalleled. 

Ollivander’s is on the list of shops to stop at for all first year students. A witch/wizard is able to purchase their first wand only when they have turned 11, which means that the month before the Hogwarts term is the busiest time of year for this little shop. This, however, doesn’t mean that the shop doesn’t see business year round. While the quality of an Ollivander wand is outstanding, normal wear and tear coupled with dueling and times of war can cause wands to break and need replacing. Ron and Neville are clear examples of people who need replacement wands.

Garrick Ollivander is a peculiar man, but he understands wands well. Aside from his knowledge of wandlore, he also understood the nature of the Elder Wand, the Wand of Destiny, the Deathstick, and was able to track its path through history. This will be very important in the last book and we will touch more on it then!

Wrap It Up:

Diagon Alley is my favorite chapter of the Sorcerer’s Stone! There is so much information and recurring elements that come back later on in the series. I could realistically spend another post talking about it, but I think it’s time to move to chapter 6! If you’re reading along, get ready to hop on the Hogwarts Express as we approach Platform 9 ¾!