While he didn't show it, Johnny was very nervous to be meeting someone new. He had a hard time making friends in Primary School, most of the kids mocked his accent and pushed him around because Johnny was small for his age. Yet, Johnny remained hopeful that Hogwarts might be different.

At ten thirty, Johnny's head perked up from where it rested on his elbows. Professor McGonagall was walking up his front garden, a girl with bushy hair trailing behind her.

The girl looked around, and noticed Johnny staring at her, making both of them blush and look away.

Johnny quickly ran to put his leather jacket on and meet the Professor at the door.

"Mr. Scaletta," Professor McGonagall smiled. "This is Hermione Granger, you are a few days older than her so I thought I will take you both at the same time."

Johnny nodded, offering Hermione a small smile in greeting.

"Hello," Johnny waved. "Johnny Scaletta."

Hermione, who was taken off guard slightly by his accent, smiled shyly, what once was her confident demeanour crumbling around her. Hermione and Johnny followed Professor McGonagall throughout London, chatting quietly to themselves.

"I didn't have any friends in school," Johnny said, placing his hands in his leather jacket. "They mocked my accent and pushed me around."

"Everyone thought I was too much to handle and way to bossy," Hermione explained, her mind telling her that Johnny thought the same, that Johnny was just too nice to tell her, he was sympathetic for her and would leave her alone when they got to Hogwarts. Hermione even started to tear up at the thought, until,Johnny placed a hand on her shoulder.

Johnny clearly wasn't used to physical contact with a person who wasn't his father or sister, as shown by the awkward look on his face as he patted Hermione's shoulder as they walked, his free hand holding out a handkerchief he pulled out of the breast pocket of his jacket, holding it out to her.

"Well, you've been pretty shy so far," Johnny smiled. "And I'm not intimidating, so it must be my good looks."

That brought a giggle from the girl, who embarrassedly wiped her eyes with the handkerchief. The two followed Professor McGonagall to a shabby looking pub.

"This must be where they're going to kill us," Johnny whispered, looking down at Hermione who was just shorter than him. Hermione giggled once again, nudging Johnny in the ribs lightly. "What? You can never be sure."

"Have you got your letters?" McGonagall asked, turning to face the two kids.

Hermione took the parchment envelope out of her pocket, while Johnny patted his inside pocket.

"Good," said McGonagall. "There is the list there of everything you will need."

Hermione unfolded the piece of paper, and read to Johnny:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL o f WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

UNIFORM
First-year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags

COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:

•The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk

•A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

•Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

•A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

•One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

•Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

•Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

•The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble

OTHER EQUIPMENT
•1 wand

•1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

•1 set of glass or crystal phials

•1 telescope set

•1 brass scales

•Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

"Can we buy all this in London?" Johnny wondered aloud, sharing an alarmed look with Hermione who shrugged.

"If you know where to go," said McGonagall, entering the pub. Johnny and Hermione followed her through the crowd of older wizards and witches, Johnny taking a weary glance around. McGonagall led the two to a solid brick wall.

McGonagall tapped the wall three times with the tip of her wand.

The brick she had touched quivered. In the middle, a small hole appeared. It grew wider and wider and a second later they were facing an archway large archway that led onto a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight.

"Welcome," said Professor McGonagall, "to Diagon Alley."

McGonagall smiled at their amazement. The three stepped through the archway. Johnny looked quickly over his shoulder and saw the archway shrink instantly back into solid wall.

The sun shone brightly on a stack of cauldrons outside the nearest shop. Cauldrons -- All Sizes -- Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver -- Self-Stirring -- Collapsible, said a sign hanging over them.

"Yes, you will need one of them," said McGonagall, "but we have to get your money first."

"Gringotts," said McGonagall.

"Bless you," Johnny said, thinking the Professor sneezed. Hearing Hermione giggle and seeing the glare McGonagall sent his way, Johnny lowered his head in embarrassment. They reached a snowy white building that towered over the other little shops. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was --

"Yes, That is a goblin," said McGonagall quietly as they walked up the white stone steps toward him. The goblin was about a head shorter than Johnny and Hermione. He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and, they noticed, very long fingers and feet. He bowed as they walked inside. Now they were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them:

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.

A pair of goblins bowed them through the silver doors and they were in a vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these.

"Good morning," said McGonagall to a free goblin. "I have come to take money out of the Muggle-Born Fund Hogwarts have set up.."

"You have the key, ma'am?"

"Yes," said McGonagall, pulling a tiny golden key out of her handbag, which definitely wasn't there before.

The goblin looked at it closely.

"That seems to be in order."

The goblin led the three to a cart, which sat on a set of rails which reminded Johnny of a rollercoaster.

At first they just hurtled through a maze of twisting passages. Johnny tried to remember, left, right, right, left, middle fork, right, left, but it was impossible. The rattling cart seemed to know its own way, because Griphook wasn't steering.

His eyes stung as the cold air rushed past them, but he kept them wide open. Once, he thought he saw a burst of fire at the end of a passage and twisted around to see if it was a dragon, but too late -- they plunged even deeper, passing an underground lake where huge stalactites and stalagmites grew from the ceiling and floor.

"I never know," Johnny called to McGonagall and Hermione over the noise of the cart, "what's the difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite?"

"Stalagmite's got an 'm' in it," said Hermione. "And don't ask me questions, I think I'm gonna be sick..."

She and McGonagall did look very green, and when the cart stopped at last beside a small door in the passage wall, Hermione got out and had to lean against the wall to stop her knees from trembling.

"Are you okay?" Johnny asked her, awkwardly patting her on the back.

"Fine," Hermione said, blushing a deep crimson as Griphook unlocked the door. A lot of green smoke came billowing out, and as it cleared, Hermione and Johnny gasped. Inside were mounds of gold coins. Columns of silver. Heaps of little bronze Knuts.

"All yours," smiled McGonagall. "Of course, next year you'll both have separate vaults, but for now you two shall share. Hogwarts will enter a sum of cash at the start of each year."

All there's-- it was incredible.

Johnny helped Hermione pile some of it into her bag, his own slung over his shoulder.

"The gold ones are Galleons," McGonagall explained. "Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle, it's easy enough. Right, that should be enough for this year , we'll keep the rest safe for next year." Shee turned to Griphook. "Can we go more slowly?"

"One speed only," said Griphook.

One wild cart ride later they stood blinking in the sunlight outside Gringotts. Hermione and Johnny didn't know where to run first now that they had a bag full of money. Johnny didn't have to know how many Galleons there were to a pound to know that he was holding more money than he'd had in his whole life.

"You should get your uniform first," said McGonagall, nodding toward Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. "Would you mind if I slipped off for a sit down in the Leaky Cauldron?" She did still look a bit sick, so Hermione and Johnny entered Madam Malkin's shop alone, feeling nervous.

Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve.

"Hogwarts, dears?" Madam Malkin asked, ushering the two children up onto stools, an enchanted measuring tape taking their measurements and an enchanted pencil jotting it all down on a piece of paper.

"So, what do you think of the Wizarding World so far?" Hermione asked, glancing at Johnny who had the tape wrapped around his neck.

"G-great," Johnny choked out, letting out a relieved sigh as the tape let go. "What about you?"

"Well," Hermione mumbled. "I made more friends in this world than I did in the normal one."

Johnny smiled sympathetically.

"If it's any consolation," Johnny began, taking the bundle of clothes from Madam Malkin. "You're my first friend too. Which makes us best friends."

"R-really?" Asked Hermione, a wide smile stretching across her face.

"Of course," Johnny said, taking a pen and his supply list out of his pocket. "Should we get our trunks and then books?"

Hermione nodded enthusiastically and led the way to the nearest trunk shop. Once their trunks were bought, Hermione eagerly took ahold of Johnny's hand and proceeded to drag the boy to Flourish & Blotts, the book shop.

"Wow," Hermione muttered in awe as she pushed the door to the book shop, her eyes glancing over the high selves filled to the brim. Johnny chuckled, easily squeezing past her. He grabbed her list from her hand and handed both over to the nearest store clerk, who went on the search while Hermione swept the shop, her eyes glassed over.

"We should both get this!" Hermione said excitedly, holding up Hogwarts: A History. "There's some really interesting stuff about the school and stuff!"

"Then should definitely get it," Johnny nodded in agreement as Hermione beamed at him, taking two copies of the book and placing them on the counter, where the store clerk was waiting with their stack of books. After paying, and then buying whatever necessities, they headed down the street towards Oliviander's, the wand maker.

"I don't think I'll get a pet just yet," Hermione explained as she walked in front of Johnny, who was heaving both their cases. He had offered after seeing Hermione struggle.

"I think I might get a cat," Johnny said, smiling in thought. The two children entered the shop, which eerily quiet and very dusty, making Johnny sneeze.

"Hello?" Hermione called out.

Very suddenly, a man with grey hair popped his head out from behind a shelf, making both children jump.

"Ah, yes," the man muttered, looking down at the two. "Muggle-Born, difficult to match but not impossible."

"Creepy," Johnny whispered to Hermione as the man walked away.

"With impeccable hearing!" The man called from the back, making Johnny blush furiously.

"Minchia!" Johnny muttered, his ears perking up as he heard Hermione giggle at him once again.

Johnny let Hermione get her wand first, and then he stepped up.

"Hmmm," said Mr. Ollivander, giving Johnny a piercing look. "Well, now. Let me see," he pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"

"Er -- well, I'm left-handed," said Johnny.

"Hold out your arm. That's it," he measured Johnny from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round his head. As he measured, he said, "Every Oliviander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Oliviander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand."

"That will do," he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. "Right then. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. just take it and give it a wave."

Johnny took the wand and (feeling foolish) waved it around a bit, but Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of his hand almost at once.

"Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try--"

Johnny tried -- but he had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was snatched back by Mr. Ollivander.

"No, no -- here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, go on, try it out."

Johnny tried. And tried. He had no idea what Mr. Oliviander was waiting for. The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the spindly chair, but the more wands Mr. Oliviander pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become.

"Tricky customer, eh? Not like your friend. Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere -- I wonder, now -- yes, why not -- unusual combination -- snakewood and unicorn feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."

Johnny took the wand. He felt a sudden warmth in his fingers. He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls. Hermione whooped and clapped and Mr. Oliviander cried, "Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good."

Johnny smiled in relief, paying Oliviander the correct money and leaving the shop with Hermione in toe, feeling immensely proud of himself. The last thing he wanted was a pet, and Hermione offered to wait outside with the trunks while Johnny looked around the shop. His eyes glanced over the owls, the snakes, the rats until they landed on a small kitten in the corner, clearly the runt of the litter. The kitten was black while all his brother's and sisters were white.

"That one," Johnny pointed at the black kitten.

After finding out the small kitten was a female, Johnny decided to name her Cuore, meaning heart in Italian, as he headed home with his new school supplies and friend.