The next day, Dumbledore took Y/N to Diagon Alley, a magical marketplace hidden in the heart of London. Their first stop was Ollivanders, a narrow, shabby shop that sold wands.

Inside, the walls were lined with thousands of narrow boxes, each containing a wand. The shopkeeper, Mr. Ollivander, was a thin man with wide, silvery eyes. He looked at Y/N with a curious gaze. "Ah, a Gryffindor," he murmured, "I've been expecting you."

He handed Y/N a series of wands to try. Some were too heavy, others too light. Some made the lights flicker, others sent a gust of wind through the shop. But none felt right.

Finally, Ollivander handed her a wand made of holly with a phoenix feather core. The moment Y/N touched it, she felt a surge of warmth spread through her fingers. She gave it a wave and a shower of red and gold sparks erupted from it, illuminating the dim shop.

Ollivander clapped his hands together, a gleam in his eyes. "Very extraordinary indeed! Holly is a rare wand wood known for its protective qualities. And a phoenix feather core signifies great power and potential for leadership. This wand, Y/N, shows that you are destined for great things."

After leaving Ollivanders, Dumbledore led Y/N to the Magical Menagerie, a shop filled with all sorts of magical creatures. "Every Hogwarts student is allowed a pet," Dumbledore explained, "It could be a cat, an owl, or a toad."

As they walked through the shop, Y/N was drawn to a glass enclosure. Inside was a small, silver snake with bright, intelligent eyes. The snake seemed to be watching her, its gaze curious and friendly.

Y/N felt an inexplicable connection to the snake. She reached out and the snake slithered towards her, its tongue flicking out as if tasting the air. "Hello," Y/N found herself saying, and to her surprise, the snake responded with a series of hisses that Y/N understood as a greeting.

Dumbledore, who had been watching the interaction, looked surprised. "You're a Parselmouth, Y/N. That's very rare," he said. Parselmouths were wizards or witches who could talk to snakes, a trait that was very uncommon.

Y/N decided then and there to take the snake as her pet. She named her Estela, a name that meant 'star', for the snake's silvery scales reminded her of the night sky. Estela became Y/N's first friend in the magical world, a symbol of the extraordinary journey she was about to embark on.

After purchasing Estela, Y/N and Dumbledore continued their shopping. They visited Flourish and Blotts for textbooks, Madam Malkin's for robes, and Potage's Cauldron Shop for a shiny new cauldron.

As they were leaving the Apothecary, laden with potion ingredients, Y/N noticed a boy around her age. He had slicked back blonde hair and was dressed in high-quality wizarding robes. He was standing across the street, watching her with a sneer on his face.

Feeling a surge of defiance, Y/N met his gaze and glared back. The boy seemed taken aback, then his sneer deepened and he turned away.

Dumbledore, who had noticed the exchange, leaned down to Y/N. "That's Draco Malfoy," he said, "His family is... well, let's just say they have a different viewpoint on the world than we do."

Y/N nodded, storing the information away. She had a feeling that she would be seeing more of Draco Malfoy in the future.