Chapter 3: Chapter 3: A Giant’s Arrival
The sun streamed through the wide windows of Harry Potter's room in the Chocolate Factory. The warm glow of the morning light illuminated the jars of colourful candies, neatly stacked on shelves, and the faint hum of the factory's machinery echoed in the background.
It had been a year since Harry had taken over the factory, and in that time, he had transformed it into an even greater wonderland. People from all over the world came to taste his unique creations, from Fizzing Fireflies to Chocolate Lava Bursts.
On the morning of his 11th birthday, Harry sat by his window, enjoying a cup of tea while staring out at the lush green hills surrounding the factory. He wore a contented smile, but his fingers absentmindedly played with the dragon-shaped ring wrapped around his finger.
Suddenly, a shadow passed across the sunlight. Harry looked up just in time to see a large owl swoop down and land gracefully on the windowsill. The bird stared at him with intelligent amber eyes, a parchment envelope tied to its leg.
"Well, aren't you a peculiar guest?" Harry said with a chuckle as he reached out to untie the letter. The owl gave a dignified hoot and fluffed its feathers before perching on the edge of his desk.
Harry examined the envelope. It was thick and yellowish, addressed in emerald-green ink:
Mr H. Potter
The Chocolate Factory, Personal Quarters
Breaking the wax seal, Harry unfolded the letter inside. As he read, his eyes widened in amazement:
"Dear Mr Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…"
Harry blinked, rereading the letter. A school of witchcraft and wizardry? he thought. He glanced at his ring, the dragon etched into the silver glinting faintly. A slow grin spread across his face.
"Well, I suppose there's no harm in seeing what this is about," he muttered to himself. Grabbing a quill, he quickly wrote a response, agreeing to attend, and tied the note to the owl's leg.
The owl hooted again, gave him a sharp nip on the finger as if to say, Good choice, and flew off into the morning sky.
Later that day, Harry found Willy Wonka in the Inventing Room, experimenting with a new type of candy that sparkled like stardust.
"Wonka," Harry began, holding up the letter, "it seems I've been invited to a… magical school."
Wonka turned, his face lighting up with intrigue. "A magical school, you say? Fascinating! Of course, you must go. It'll be an adventure, Harry!"
Harry hesitated. "But the factory—"
Wonka waved a hand dismissively. "The factory will be fine. I'll keep an eye on things while you're away. Besides, this could be the key to unlocking even more magical recipes!"
The two of them laughed, and Wonka handed Harry a small pouch of money. "For your journey," he said with a wink.
A week later, Harry's peaceful morning was interrupted by a loud thud-thud-thud at the front gates of the factory.
Peeking out of his window, Harry was astonished to see a giant of a man standing there, holding a pink umbrella and wearing a coat that looked several sizes too small.
Harry hurried down to meet him. The giant smiled warmly. "Harry Potter! Blimey, I've been lookin' forward to meetin' yeh. Name's Rubeus Hagrid. Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts."
Harry tilted his head. "You're here to take me to Hogwarts, then?"
"That's right," Hagrid said, beaming. "But first, we've got ter get yeh some school supplies. Got a list right here."
Harry nodded and introduced Hagrid to Wonka, who insisted on giving them additional funds for their trip. "Make sure to bring back some stories, Harry!" Wonka said with a grin.
They took a train to London and made their way to a small, grubby-looking pub called the Leaky Cauldron.
Inside, Harry was startled when the entire room went silent. Heads turned to look at him, and murmurs of "Harry Potter" filled the air.
Hagrid chuckled. "Yer famous, Harry. But I'll explain later. Come on."
Hagrid led him to a brick wall in the back courtyard and tapped it with his umbrella. The bricks shifted and rearranged themselves, revealing a bustling cobblestone street filled with shops and stalls.
"Welcome to Diagon Alley," Hagrid said, grinning.
Harry's jaw dropped as he took in the sight. Wizards and witches in robes bustled about, cauldrons and owls in their hands. Shops advertised everything from spell books to dragon liver.
Their first stop was Gringotts, the wizarding bank. The imposing white building loomed over the alley, guarded by goblins.
Inside, Hagrid handed a goblin Harry's key and explained that they'd be exchanging some Muggle money for Galleons.
As Harry counted his new golden coins, a thought struck him. "Hagrid, is it possible to learn more about my family here?"
The goblin behind the counter raised an eyebrow. "We offer bloodline checks for a fee."
Intrigued, Harry agreed. The goblin pricked his finger and placed a drop of blood on a glowing parchment.
Words began to appear, listing his heritage: House of Potter, House of Black, House of Gaunt.
Harry stared at the parchment, stunned. "What does this mean?"
The goblin smirked. "It means you come from three powerful wizarding families, Mr Potter."
Hagrid gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Blimey, Harry, yer full o' surprises!"
They left Gringotts and continued their shopping. At Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, Harry met a pale boy with sleek blond hair.
"Hogwarts too?" the boy asked as Harry was being fitted for robes.
"Yes," Harry replied. "I'm Harry Potter."
The boy's eyes widened. "The Harry Potter? My name's Draco Malfoy."
They shook hands, and Draco began talking about the school, his family, and Quidditch.
Harry found Draco's company amusing, though he could sense an air of arrogance about him.
After robes, Hagrid took Harry to Ollivanders for a wand.
The shop was dimly lit, with shelves packed to the ceiling with narrow boxes.
Mr Ollivander himself appeared, his silver eyes gleaming. "Ah, Mr Potter. I was wondering when I'd be seeing you."
Harry tried several wands, none of which seemed right, until Ollivander handed him a holly and phoenix feather wand.
As soon as Harry held it, a warm glow enveloped him.
"Curious," Ollivander murmured. "Very curious…"
Harry raised an eyebrow. "What's curious?"
"The phoenix whose feather is in your wand gave another feather. Its twin resides in the wand that gave you that scar."
Harry's hand instinctively went to his forehead.
With his wand in hand, Hagrid took Harry to a pet shop, where he picked out a snowy white owl.
"Name her Hedwig," Hagrid suggested.
As the sun began to set, Hagrid led Harry to the Leaky Cauldron, where they booked a room for the night.
Sitting by the fireplace, Harry reflected on the day's events.
He had discovered a magical world, learned about his extraordinary heritage, and even made a friend.
The dragon ring on his finger seemed to shimmer brighter, as if sensing his excitement.
"Tomorrow's a new adventure," Harry whispered to Hedwig, who hooted softly in response.
As he drifted off to sleep, dreams of magic and chocolate danced in his mind.