Diagon Alley, the commercial center of the British wizarding world.
Various wizarding shops gathered here to support the daily needs of wizards.
It was also the place where Hogwarts freshmen bought their school supplies.
Looking at the dazzling array of shops along the commercial street, John’s family was completely captivated.
Previously, they had only seen a few wizards using magic.
This time, they truly saw a glimpse of the wizarding world and realized just how magical this place was.
Once the family passed through the archway into Diagon Alley, the red brick wall behind them slowly returned to its original state.
Before it closed completely, the landlord Tom said, “Good luck to you,” and disappeared from sight.
“Let’s go.
We’ll head to Gringotts first to exchange for some Galleons.” John composed himself and spoke to his parents.
They walked into Diagon Alley together.
Gringotts was a tall white building inside Diagon Alley, managed by goblins.
They only needed to walk straight ahead to see it.
Along the way, John looked around at the wizarding commercial street.
There were all kinds of shops: wizard snack shops, bookstores, clothing stores, pet shops, and even a wand shop that claimed to be a thousand-year-old establishment.
According to the requirements in the acceptance letter, they had to buy quite a few things today.
They soon found Gringotts.
It was indeed a white building, but whether due to the designer or the builder, Gringotts was constructed at a noticeable tilt.
As an engineer himself, Mr.
Merrick felt his OCD flare up and his blood pressure rise.
Fortunately, after entering Gringotts, the magnificent and neatly arranged lobby helped calm Mr.
Merrick’s blood pressure.
Most of the staff here were goblins, though a few wizards occasionally walked by.
On both sides of the lobby were two rows of high desks, behind which goblins worked with their heads down.
John walked directly to the floor manager at the far end.
Any wizard needing to conduct business would go straight to the floor manager.
“Hello, we need to exchange for some Galleons,” John said, looking up at the goblin seated high up.
“Purpose.” The goblin on the high seat did not even look at John.
He continued writing something as he spoke indifferently.
“To buy supplies for Hogwarts enrollment.” “Proof.” John handed over the acceptance letter.
The goblin finally glanced at him and took the letter.
After reading it carefully, the goblin returned it to John and said, “Muggle currency exchange for Galleons is limited to a maximum of 100 Galleons per month.” As he spoke, the goblin scribbled out a certificate and handed it to John.
“Go to the second counter on the left to process the exchange.” With that, the goblin lowered his head and returned to work.
John thanked him briefly, though he received no response, and then walked toward the second counter on the left.
After submitting the certificate, John took out 500 pounds and exchanged them for 100 Galleons.
Weighing the heavy bag of gold coins in his hand, John could not help but sigh.
Five hundred pounds was not a small sum.
All these transactions were handled by John himself, while the Merricks mainly accompanied him.
John could have come alone, but his parents insisted on joining him.
One reason was that he was only eleven years old, and the other was that they were very curious about the wizarding world.
After leaving Gringotts, John followed the same path back and found the nearest clothing store, Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions.
Besides this shop, there were other clothing stores, such as Twilfitt and Tatting’s.
From a quick inquiry, John learned that their prices were ridiculously expensive.
They seemed to only accept custom orders and catered to wealthy families.
There was also a shop called the Second-Hand Robes Shop.
He did not even need to ask to know what it sold.
“Hello, Madam.
I need three sets of plain work robes, one pointed hat, one pair of protective gloves, and one winter cloak.” “Oh, no problem, dear.
You must be a Hogwarts freshman.
Come, let me take your measurements.” Madam Malkin was a gentle and dignified woman.
After measuring John, she directly brought out a full set of school uniforms in the right size for him.
Fifteen Galleons.
Well, it was more expensive than he had imagined.
John’s second stop was Flourish and Blotts.
This was the largest bookstore in Diagon Alley.
He chose it because, besides the required school books, he also wanted to buy some books that would help him better understand the wizarding world.
For some reason, when the shop assistant heard that John was buying books for Hogwarts, his face looked a bit troubled.
But after seeing that the list was for first-year books, his expression returned to normal.
While the assistant prepared the books, John did not stay idle.
He began browsing the bookstore.
During that time, he saw ‘Hogwarts: A History,’ but he did not need it anymore since he already had the copy from Professor Snape.
In the end, John also bought ‘A Popular Interpretation of the International Statute of Secrecy,’ ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,’ ‘Quidditch Through the Ages,’ ‘A Guide to Harmonious Coexistence Between Muggles and Wizards,’ and ‘The Tales of Beedle the Bard.’ Other things he wanted to know about happened to be covered in the required textbooks, such as ‘History of Magic,’ ‘Magical Theory,’ and ‘Defense Against the Dark Arts.’ These were all subjects taught at Hogwarts.
The required school books would have cost eight Galleons, but with the extra books John bought for himself, the total came to thirteen Galleons.
The next stop was Potage’s Cauldron Shop and the Slug & Jiggers Apothecary next door.
These were items needed for Potions class: a cauldron, scales, a set of crystal phials, a basic potion ingredients kit, and… a telescope?
Although he did not understand why a telescope was needed, John still bought everything, spending another fifteen Galleons.
The final stop was Ollivanders Wand Shop.
John needed to buy his first wand.
Pushing open the quaint wooden door, a bell rang.
John saw wand boxes filling every shelf in the shop.
Wands were everywhere he looked.
“Hello, I need to buy a wand.” After entering, John spoke to the owner behind the counter.
The owner, Ollivander, was an old man with white hair and bright, piercing eyes.
He looked up at John after hearing the bell.
“Of course, child.
Every young wizard should have a wand of their own.” Old Ollivander smiled at John and stepped out from behind the counter to stand in front of him.
“Your wand hand.” Hearing Ollivander’s words, John subconsciously held out his right hand, as if he were having his pulse checked by a doctor.
Ollivander looked at John’s hand, then at John himself.
“Oh, I see.
That wand will surely suit you.” With that, old Ollivander turned and climbed the ladder to the shelves.
He pulled out a box from the very top.
After bringing the box down, he opened it in front of John and took out an amber-gold wood wand.
The handle was wrapped in silver-plated vine patterns.
It was very beautiful.
“Olive wood, phoenix tail feather core, fourteen inches, fairly stiff.” “Here, try it.” Old Ollivander handed the wand to John.
It felt warm and smooth in his hand, and it had quite a bit of weight to it.
He had always thought wands were light.
With a gentle wave from John, the tip of the wand emitted a soft glow.
Magic floated up like a silk ribbon and circled his body.
“Oh, very good, very good.
This wand has been with me for nearly fifty years without finding an owner.
After that, the wands I made became more mainstream.” “Now that it has chosen you, it can be considered a fulfillment of my wish.” Old Ollivander smiled happily as he saw the wand accept its master.
“According to the market price from fifty years ago, this wand would have cost ten Galleons or even more.
But now, it will be seven Galleons.” “A wand should not be a barrier to young wizards learning magic.” After thanking him, John left the shop with his wand.
Today’s shopping trip could be considered complete.
The acceptance letter said one could bring a pet, but it was not mandatory.
Although he quite liked furry animals like cats and dogs, he thought about it and decided against it.
Once a decision was made to buy one, responsibility had to be taken for the pet.
However, there was still uncertainty in the process of learning magic in the future.
If the academic burden became too heavy and he could not take proper care of a pet, it would be better not to buy one from the start.