Led by Professor McGonagall, the group set off toward their next destination.
Before long, they arrived at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, a shop standing right beside Gringotts.
As soon as they stepped in, a short, plump witch with a warm smile and a purple robe approached them—Madam Malkin herself.
"Good afternoon, Professor McGonagall. Here for school uniforms, I presume?"
Without waiting for an answer, she turned her gaze on Loren and Hermione.
"Ah, so it's these two young ones who'll be needing them?"
She wasted no time, taking each child gently by the hand and leading them toward the back of the shop.
By the time McGonagall and the four parents followed, Loren and Hermione were already standing on stools, draped in measuring robes while Madam Malkin and an assistant witch worked with pins and enchanted tape measures.
"They'll need some time. Let's go purchase the books first," McGonagall said, turning to the fathers.
Mr. Angus and Mr. Granger agreed—they were holding the exchanged Galleons after all. The mothers, however, decided to stay and explore the robe shop, curious about wizarding fashion, and perhaps even purchase something for themselves.
So it was that Loren and Hermione stood patiently while being measured, the two witches bustling about with pins, while the mothers wandered through racks of clothing, commenting on this or that garment.
They soon discovered that though the robes had marvelous functions—self-ironing, self-repairing—the styles were entirely medieval. Such outfits on a Muggle street would look like stage costumes rather than everyday wear.
Hearing their remarks, Madam Malkin smiled and said as she measured Loren's sleeve,
"We also offer custom robes. Bring us a picture or sketch, and we can recreate any Muggle fashion. Though of course, bespoke work costs more."
Delighted, both mothers promised to return another time with photos.
The conversation soon turned into an enthusiastic discussion on fashion. Madam Malkin and her assistant spoke of wizarding trends, while the two mothers countered with Muggle fashions, and Hermione, unable to resist, joined in eagerly with her own thoughts.
This lively debate lasted until McGonagall returned with the fathers—both men now stacked high with books.
"Ladies, forgive the interruption," McGonagall said firmly. "We've not finished our shopping, so let's save the fashion talk for next time."
Reluctantly, the mothers followed her out. Loren and Hermione left as well, their robes ordered.
Outside, they saw Mr. Angus and Mr. Granger waiting with teetering piles of books. Clearly, they hadn't only bought the set texts.
"Besides the required books, we bought a few extras for you to read before term starts," Mr. Angus said proudly.
"These were recommended by Professor McGonagall and the bookseller," added Mr. Granger. "They'll help you better understand the wizarding world."
Loren glanced over the stacks—titles like *A History of Magic*, *Hogwarts: A History*, and *The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts*. Most were heavy on history, but certainly useful.
Watching the men juggle their burdens, Loren winced in sympathy. He turned to McGonagall.
"Professor, do they sell enchanted bags like the one Gringotts gave me? I'd like to buy a few for the books—otherwise we'll be overloaded before we're even done shopping."
Knowing Loren had money to spare, McGonagall nodded. She sent the others to a nearby café for tea and sweets, then accompanied Loren to a magical goods shop.
Half an hour later, they returned. Hermione, seated under the café's parasol with a book in hand, spotted Loren and waved him over. Around her, stacks of new books piled at her feet. The parents were divided across two tables—the mothers chatting about fashion, the fathers marveling over magical curiosities.
Loren showed Hermione the enchanted handbag he had bought her—its interior the size of a small room, though weightless. Even with all her books inside, it wasn't a quarter full.
He had also bought gifts for the adults: purse-style bags for the mothers, large satchels for the fathers, each with enough room for multiple suitcases' worth of belongings. For himself, he purchased a backpack-sized enchanted bag, filling it with potion vials, a telescope, and a brass balance from the magical goods shop. In truth, he hardly needed it—his personal mental space was vast and secure—but appearances mattered.
Once reunited, McGonagall led them onward.
Next stop was the stationery shop beside Madam Malkin's, where they bought parchment, quills, and an assortment of magical inks—color-changing, disappearing, and more. The fathers were fascinated, but Loren grimaced. After a lifetime with ballpoints and fountain pens, the idea of scratching away with quills felt clumsy and old-fashioned.
By now, only two items remained on their list: a cauldron, and pets. The cauldron would be last, near the entrance. For the pets, Hermione asked McGonagall's advice.
McGonagall explained patiently:
A young wizard's first pet formed a magical bond with its owner, strengthening them in subtle ways. The letter had listed the three most common:
* Toads, once standard, could be used safely in potion trials and offered protection for a child's fragile soul. But with new enchantments woven into school robes, few students kept them now.
* Cats were guardians, shielding their owners from spiritual disturbances and unwanted entities.
* Owls were the most practical, serving as loyal messengers once bonded.
After some discussion, Hermione chose a cat, while Loren opted for an owl.
Twenty minutes later, they emerged from Eeylops Owl Emporium, Loren carrying a cage with a long-eared owl. His mischievous side couldn't resist naming it "Emergency Rations." After all, in his view, delivering letters was only its part-time job.
They then explored the Magical Menagerie, marveling at strange creatures: orange poisonous snails, jewel-encrusted tortoises, slick clever black rats, ravens, multicolored cats, puffskeins, shape-shifting rabbits, and more.
The adults, fascinated, considered buying some for themselves. Hermione was utterly dazzled—until her eyes locked on a ginger cat with a squashed, grumpy face. Loren recognized him at once: Crookshanks, straight out of the novels. A shop assistant confirmed the name.
Meanwhile, at McGonagall's suggestion, the parents bought puffskeins—harmless little creatures that lived off dust and bogeys, perfect for Muggle households.
Their last stop was Potage's Cauldron Shop, where they purchased the final item. With their list complete, McGonagall guided them back through the Leaky Cauldron.
At the door, she handed Loren and Hermione their Hogwarts tickets, reminding them to be punctual for the train, before Disapparating away.
The six of them, now laden with pets and enchanted bags, returned to their cars and drove home.
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