“Phew… I’m finally here!”
Luke fought the urge to shout.
Turning around, he saw James and Hermione standing frozen, staring in amazement at the scene before them.
“Welcome to Diagon Alley.” Luke grinned.
“Let’s head to Gringotts Wizarding Bank first and exchange some money. Gringotts is run by goblins.”
“I feel like we’ve traveled back in time,” James said in amazement.
“Everything here looks like it came from centuries ago.”
“Goblins?” Hermione asked curiously.
“Are they the goblins from fairy tales?”
“Come on.” Luke smiled.
“Let’s begin the first stop on our magical journey.”
He deliberately avoided answering her question, intending to let her see for herself.
The street was bustling with activity.
Vendors lined both sides of the road with their stalls, witches and wizards haggled over prices, and children crowded around shop windows displaying Quidditch equipment.
The three of them walked through the lively crowd and soon arrived in front of a magnificent white building.
Standing beside its gleaming bronze doors was a goblin dressed in a scarlet uniform trimmed with gold.
Having arrived in Diagon Alley two years ahead of schedule, Hermione stared at the goblin with unconcealed curiosity.
“Let’s go inside,” Luke said.
“Goblins are very clever, but they’re not always friendly. Stay close to me, Hermione.”
Passing through the entrance hall, they arrived before a second silver door.
Inscribed upon it were several warning lines.
Please enter, stranger, but take heed…
Of what awaits the sin of greed.
For those who take but never earn,
Shall pay the price before they learn.
…
“Security here is extremely tight,” Luke explained quietly.
“After all, this is the only wizarding bank in Britain. There are even dragons guarding the vaults underground.”
Beyond the silver doors lay an enormous marble hall.
Hundreds of goblins sat on high stools behind a long counter, weighing coins on brass scales, examining precious gems through eyepieces, and recording transactions in enormous ledgers.
“Dad, can I have the pounds you prepared? I’m not sure whether they’ll let us exchange all of it.”
James handed over a bundle of cash.
“Will this be enough? I brought a little extra just in case.”
Luke quickly estimated the exchange.
At the current rate, 200 Galleons would cost roughly £980.
“This should be enough.”
Walking up to the counter, Luke suddenly realized something awkward.
Although the Marrow Cleansing Pill had improved his physique, he was still only ten years old and barely tall enough to reach the counter.
Tilting his head upward, he politely said,
“Hello, Mr. Goblin. I’d like to exchange some Galleons. How many pounds would I need for 200 Galleons?”
The goblin looked down at him.
“At the current exchange rate, £980.”
“Then I’d like to exchange for 200 Galleons, please.”
“Very well. One moment.”
The goblin accepted the money.
While waiting, Luke asked curiously,
“Mr. Goblin, is there a limit on how many pounds can be exchanged for Galleons?”
“There is no formal limit,” the goblin replied.
“However, we generally do not exchange large amounts of Muggle currency.”
Watching the goblins work so efficiently, Luke suddenly thought of a famous saying.
“What famous saying?” Hermione asked immediately.
Luke smiled.
“Time is money, my friend.”
He deliberately said it in an odd tone, making Hermione giggle.
“Very true, little wizard,” the goblin behind the counter replied with a nod.
A few moments later, the goblin returned with a heavy pouch containing 200 Galleons and led them aside to verify the amount.
“They’re all gold coins!” James exclaimed as he picked up a Galleon and examined it closely.
£980 for a bag full of gold coins—it felt almost unbelievable.
Hermione also curiously picked one up and examined the intricate designs engraved on its surface.
After confirming the amount, the three of them left Gringotts.
“Let’s do some shopping first,” Luke said.
“Hermione, weren’t you curious about the wizarding world? We can buy a few books later to help you learn more.”
Hermione looked a little embarrassed.
“But… I didn’t bring any money.”
“It’s okay.” Luke smiled.
“I’ll buy a few extra books, and we can exchange books later.”
He pointed toward a nearby bookstore.
“That’s Flourish and Blotts. I’ll be buying most of my Hogwarts textbooks there in the future. They even offer owl delivery.”
Luke knew Hermione was too proud to simply accept gifts from him, but exchanging books was a different matter.
“Owl delivery?” Hermione looked toward several owls perched outside a nearby shop.
“Can they really deliver packages?”
“They can.” Luke nodded.
“Wizards use owls to deliver letters and parcels. Remember when Grandpa wrote to his friends? He used an owl.”
He continued,
“Once you attend Hogwarts, you’ll be writing home by owl too. Muggle technology doesn’t work inside the school.”
“We’re here.”
Luke pushed open the door to Flourish and Blotts.
“Let’s each look around for the books we’re interested in. We’ll meet back here in a little while.”
After entering, Luke asked the shopkeeper for a pen and a sheet of parchment.
He quickly wrote down every book he wanted to buy.
Besides the complete set of Hogwarts textbooks, he added nearly every book that had appeared in the original series and that was publicly available, excluding Lockhart’s books, books from the Restricted Section, and books available only to old wizarding families.
In total, the list contained forty-two books.
Luke mainly wanted to see whether it was possible to combine or improve wizarding magic with the spells granted by his cultivation system.
Soon, he found Hermione again.
“So, how was it?” Luke asked.
“Did you find any books you like?”
“There are so many books here that I don’t even know what to choose!” Hermione exclaimed.
She looked at the list Luke had written and her eyes widened.
“How did you pick so many? There are seven Standard Book of Spells books alone, plus Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Transfiguration, Advanced Potion-Making, and so many others…”
“Most of them are Hogwarts textbooks,” Luke replied casually.
“I’m just buying them early so I can study in advance.”
Hermione nodded.
“Then let’s just buy the ones on your list. They’ll keep us busy reading for a long time.”
“Have you two finished choosing?” James walked over.
“I’ve got everything written down.” Luke looked at him.
“Dad, is there anything you want to buy?”
James looked around before shaking his head.
“I don’t see anything I can use.”
“Don’t be sad, Dad.” Luke grinned.
“I’ll buy you an ice cream later.”
“You brat.” James laughed.
“Do you think I’m Anna?”
Still chatting, Luke walked over to the shopkeeper.
“Excuse me, could you help me gather all the books on this list? Do you have bags or baskets?”
The shopkeeper glanced over the list in surprise.
“For purchases this large, we can provide delivery service or lend you baskets.” He looked at Luke in disbelief.
“Young wizard, are you really buying all of these? This includes every Hogwarts textbook, along with several very advanced books.”
Luke simply smiled.
“Knowledge is meant to be learned. How much is everything?”
Turning to James, he added,
“Dad, could you grab a few baskets to carry the books?”
“What a diligent young wizard.” The shopkeeper smiled approvingly.
“I’m sure you’ll become an outstanding wizard one day.”
He quickly totaled the bill.
“The total comes to sixty-six Galleons, five Sickles, and twelve Knuts.”
He paused before smiling.
“I’ll round it down for you. Sixty-six Galleons.”
Luke counted out sixty-six Galleons and handed them over.
“Please check.”
The shopkeeper counted the coins before nodding with satisfaction.
“Perfect.”
“You’re welcome back anytime. We also offer owl-order delivery. Just send us your book list by owl.”
Clearly, he appreciated customers who spent this much.
James carried the baskets, and the three of them left the bookstore.
“Dad, could you and Hermione wait here for a moment?” Luke suddenly said.
“I just remembered there’s one important book I forgot to buy.”
Without waiting for a reply, he hurried back inside.
A few minutes later, Luke returned with another book tucked under his arm.
“Hermione, this one’s for you.”
“I think you’ll really like it.”
Hermione looked down at the cover.
“Hogwarts: A History.”
Her eyes lit up.
“Thank you, Luke!”
Unable to contain her excitement, she stepped forward and hugged him.
“Haha… you’re welcome.”
Luke scratched the back of his head awkwardly, his face turning slightly red.
He hadn’t expected Hermione to hug him.
“Dad, come over here for a second,” Luke called from a quiet corner nearby.
James walked over with a smile.
“What is it? You finally remembered I exist?”
The moment he finished speaking, every basket suddenly became empty.
James blinked.
His first thought was that someone had stolen all the books.
Then he realized that wasn’t possible.
He looked at Luke in confusion.
“I’ve already put them away,” Luke said.
“There’s no need to carry them anymore. Let’s go get some ice cream.”
“Huh?” Hermione looked around.
“Where did all the books go?”
“I stored them somewhere. Carrying that many books is inconvenient.”
He pointed at the book Hermione was holding.
“Just put that one in Dad’s basket for now. Let’s go get some ice cream.”
James watched in astonishment as Luke casually led Hermione toward Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour.
“This kid…” James chuckled.
“I’ll have to tell Helen about this when we get home.”
Then he followed after them.
“Dad, I got you the chocolate nut flavor,” Luke said.
“Hermione and I both chose chocolate raspberry. Those are two of their best-selling flavors.”
James took a bite.
“It’s really good.”
He smiled.
“It’s a shame Anna isn’t here. She would’ve loved this.”
“We’re just getting familiar with Diagon Alley this time,” Luke said.
“Next time we can bring Mom and Anna.”
He hadn’t been certain James would even be able to enter Diagon Alley today, so he hadn’t wanted to bring the whole family.
As they enjoyed their ice cream, Luke introduced James and Hermione to many of the famous shops along the street, including the Quality Quidditch Supplies shop, Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop, and Ollivanders Wand Shop.