Two days later.
Vade had just finished breakfast and was preparing to go out for a walk when the doorbell suddenly rang.
Vade paused for a moment, then immediately realized that the guide from Hogwarts had arrived.
He quickly opened the door and saw a witch with a kind, gentle smile. She wore dark green robes, square spectacles, and a black pointed hat.
"Mr. Vade Moria?"
"That’s me. And you are?"
"Minerva McGonagall, Professor of Transfiguration at Hogwarts and Head of Gryffindor House."
Vade was surprised. It was not that he had never heard of this professor, but he had not expected a deputy headmistress to personally serve as his guide. Wasn’t that a little extravagant?
"Hello, Professor McGonagall. Please, come in and have a seat."
Vade stepped aside and gestured for her to enter, doing his best to appear polite.
McGonagall smiled and nodded before walking into the house.
She sat down on the sofa in the living room. Vade poured her a cup of hot tea, then sat across from her like an obedient student.
"There’s no need to be so nervous, Mr. Moria."
"I’m sorry, Professor McGonagall.
This is my first time meeting a witch, so I can’t help feeling a little excited," Vade said, deliberately putting on an excited expression.
"It was only a few days ago that I learned the strange abilities I occasionally displayed were actually magic, and that there were many others like me in this world.
I certainly didn’t expect you to come personally and guide me."
"It is quite necessary. Every year, Hogwarts sends professors to guide young witches and wizards raised by Muggles, ensuring that no student is overlooked."
"Muggles?"
"That is what ordinary people without magical ability are called in the British wizarding world.
However, you are a half-blood wizard. Your father was a wizard, while your mother was a Muggle."
"I never met either of them. They died when I was born."
Vade smiled and shook his head, pretending not to care.
McGonagall’s expression froze, and an inexplicable sense of guilt rose within her.
What had she just done?
She had brought up an orphan’s parents and reopened a child’s old wounds.
"Professor McGonagall, can we leave now?
To be honest, I’m really looking forward to it."
"Of course. Have you prepared everything you need?"
"I have, although I’m not sure whether it will be enough."
Vade asked her to wait a moment, then ran upstairs and returned with two heavy gold bars.
After receiving Hogwarts’ reply, he had converted most of his assets into gold, leaving only a thousand pounds for his daily expenses in the Muggle world.
It was not that pounds could not be exchanged for wizarding currency at Gringotts, but those greedy goblins clearly preferred gold.
"That will certainly be enough." McGonagall nodded approvingly. "Still, I suggest that you spend carefully. You will need to purchase new textbooks and equipment every school year.
Hogwarts can also arrange loans for new students from families with financial difficulties, should you need one..."
"That won’t be necessary, Professor McGonagall. I don’t like the feeling of owing money."
McGonagall respected his decision. An orphan without parents must have endured many hardships and grievances to grow up this far. It was only natural for him to have his own views.
"Then let us be on our way, Mr. Moria.
We still have plenty of time today. We should be able to purchase everything you need for the start of term in Diagon Alley.
Please stay close to me and make sure you don’t get lost."
"All right."
Vade locked the door and followed McGonagall.
The two of them walked for more than half an hour before entering an Underground station and boarding a train.
After leaving the station, they made their way through the bustling crowd and stopped in front of a pub.
The Leaky Cauldron was wedged between a bookshop and a record shop. Its entrance was narrow and grimy, yet the passing pedestrians seemed unable to notice it, never even glancing in its direction.
"Do you find it strange?"
"A little. Can only witches and wizards see it?"
"It has been enchanted. Muggles instinctively overlook this place."
McGonagall did not answer directly. She pushed open the door and led Vade inside.
Compared with the surrounding shops, the Leaky Cauldron seemed remarkably old-fashioned. It was still lit by candles, leaving the interior rather dim.
Most of the patrons wore robes similar to McGonagall’s, while others were dressed in even more unusual styles.
Some were drinking, some were smoking, and others were chatting. Combined with the classical music, the pub was exceptionally noisy.
"Good morning, Professor McGonagall," the landlord greeted her. "You seem quite busy lately. I only saw you bring a young girl through here a few days ago."
"Guiding young witches and wizards is very important."
McGonagall gently patted Vade on the shoulder, then led him past the bar and into a small courtyard behind the pub.
Apart from several dustbins, the courtyard held only a few stubborn weeds growing in the corners.
McGonagall walked over to the brick wall beside the dustbins.
"Three bricks up, then two across, and then..."
She tapped several bricks with her wand.
The entire wall began to tremble. The bricks rearranged themselves, twisting and sliding apart to both sides until they formed a wide archway.
Beyond the archway lay a winding cobbled street whose end could not be seen.
"This is Diagon Alley. You can purchase most of the things a witch or wizard might need here, including, but not limited to, everything on the Hogwarts supply list."
Vade looked at the old-fashioned buildings, which were completely different from anything in the outside world, and at the witches and wizards filling the street in robes and pointed hats. His eyes widened despite himself.
Although he had been mentally prepared, he still could not suppress his amazement when he saw it with his own eyes.
"It is always this lively before the start of term. Of course, it is usually quite lively as well," McGonagall said with a smile. "First, we need to visit Gringotts and exchange your money."
"Wizarding currency is different from Muggle money. It consists of gold Galleons, silver Sickles, and bronze Knuts.
One Galleon is worth seventeen Sickles, and one Sickle is worth twenty-nine Knuts," McGonagall explained as they walked.
"That conversion system is far too complicated. Couldn’t they have made it decimal?"
"Goblins enjoy making things difficult for wizards with such conversions, but it is not much of a problem once you become accustomed to it."
They passed cauldron shops, owl shops, ice cream parlours, apothecaries, and all manner of stalls both large and small before stopping in front of a tall, snow-white building.
A flight of white stone steps led up to a pair of gleaming bronze doors. Beside them stood a goblin dressed in a scarlet-and-gold uniform.
The goblin was only as tall as a human child. He had a shrewd, greedy-looking face, sparse hair and a thin beard, a long pointed nose, pointed ears, and slender, sharp fingers.
(To be continued.)