Diagon Alley of His Dreams

Diagon Alley of His Dreams

"Wait!" Matron looked somewhat surprised. "You mean that school that teaches magic? You really aren't..."

Matron did not say the words "joking around." After all, Professor McGonagall's presence and expression naturally inspired far more respect.

It was the sort of bearing only a dean of students with many years of experience could possess.

A wand appeared in Professor McGonagall's hand. She lightly pointed it at Matron and seemed to murmur a string of indistinct sounds.

Then Matron's attitude changed. "Oh, welcome, Professor McGonagall. I hope little Ted can attend your school. That would be wonderful. You two talk, I'll go make some tea." With that, she walked away.

Ted looked at the wand in Professor McGonagall's hand. "Is that magic? It won't have any harmful effects on Matron, will it?"

Professor McGonagall's expression relaxed slightly, a rare sight, and the corners of her mouth lifted. "Rest assured, Mr. Epiphany, this spell will have no harmful effect on her. She'll simply think that you've been admitted to an excellent school and will be quite relieved."

She tapped the plate on the coffee table with her wand. The plate suddenly turned into a sparrow, flew around the room once, then landed on the coffee table and turned back into a plate.

Ted put on an expression of surprise and excitement. "Wow! Amazing!"

Professor McGonagall nodded. "Mr. Epiphany, you have special abilities that other children do not, correct?"

Ted glanced at the guitar beside him. She can't mean my busking, can she?

"You mean this?" Ted stretched out his hand toward the cup on the table.

The cup began to tremble, then flew into his hand.

"Oho~ Well done." Professor McGonagall examined Ted anew.

Very few Little Wizards could control their Magic Power before receiving an education.

This was a very talented child.

"Then come with me. I'll take you to buy some necessary things."

"Professor, I want to let Matron know."

Professor McGonagall waved her hand. "There's no need. After all, we can't explain such matters too clearly to Muggles. She'll believe that you've been admitted by us..."

If the parents of a Muggle-born Little Wizard were involved, then they needed to know where their child was going.

They had that right, and even the Statute of Secrecy allowed for it.

But an orphanage Matron was a different matter. She could not be considered Ted's guardian, so Professor McGonagall had resorted to this method—she had used a Confundus Charm.

Ted hurriedly asked, "Then should I bring my luggage?"

"No, there's no need. You'll be coming back after we buy everything. There are still two months until school starts."

Once outside, Ted said, "Um... Professor McGonagall, I don't have any money. I only have 22 Pound Sterling and 16 pence on me. Is that enough?"

Professor McGonagall said, "Mr. Epiphany, I don't think you need to worry about that."

"Just call me Ted."

"Very well, Ted..."

It turned out that Hogwarts had prepared an annual interest-free student loan for special students like Ted.

It certainly would not be much, but it would be enough to complete his studies. He could repay it after graduating.

How conscientious! Wait, could the last person to receive a student loan have been Tom?

Professor McGonagall led Ted into a nearby alley, the corners of her mouth faintly lifted, her expression a little subtle.

"Ted, to save time, we need to use magic to reach our destination. It may not feel very pleasant, so bear with it."

"Okay."

"Then take my hand... Apparition!"

Ted immediately felt himself being spun around and squeezed into a narrow tunnel. After a violent ordeal, it finally stopped.

When his feet touched solid ground again, his legs nearly gave out beneath him. His stomach churned violently, and it took more than ten seconds before he managed to suppress the nausea.

Professor McGonagall, meanwhile, showed no discomfort at all. Instead, she was studying Ted. I didn't expect his adaptability to be this strong.

Ted now seriously suspected that he had been retaliated against! In fact, he had. Normally, they should have taken a car.

But Professor McGonagall had wanted little Ted to experience the charm of magic ahead of time, hadn't she? So he would understand that some Cats were not meant to be petted!

This older cat lady was rather petty too.

Ted: Were you doing that on purpose, or was it an accident?

Professor McGonagall: On purpose! Ted: Then I'd better not get sorted into Gryffindor and end up in your hands.

But honestly, he really wanted to try it once! When the time came, he would do this, then that, and then this again...

The little daredevil could not help beginning a spiritual victory routine.

The system seemed to sense something—

"Ding~ Mission triggered:

Once Is Not Enough, Pet Her Again! (Green).

What's wrong with petting a Cat? What's wrong with petting a Cat? If you turned into a hedgehog, wouldn't I stop petting you?! Objective: Pet Professor McGonagall again while she is in Animagus form.

Reward: 250 XP, +Lv.1 Transfiguration.

Stop whining and pet her!"

Th-this... I was joking! Why are you taking it seriously?! How am I supposed to complete that?!

"All right, Ted, we're here. The Leaky Cauldron on Charing Cross Road." Professor McGonagall looked at the dazed Ted and felt that her pre-enrollment education had worked quite well.

"Pay attention. This place has a Muggle Repelling Charm on it. Muggles—that is, ordinary people—cannot see it."

Ted looked up. It was an extremely tiny storefront, probably not much wider than a single door.

An iron rod extended from the signboard, suspending a wooden sign. There were no words on it, only a painting of a leaking cauldron. A huge one, the kind that could stew a child.

It stood between a large bookstore and a record shop. Though its style was strange and eye-catching, passersby did not spare it a glance.

Professor McGonagall pushed open the door and led Ted inside.

The pub was rather dim, and it actually used oil lamps. No wonder it was so dark—it felt like a nightclub.

Right, the Magical World seemed unable to use electrical appliances.

Then why not at least use magic lamps? Oil lamps and candlesticks were far too outdated.

Long, square, and round wooden tables were scattered haphazardly around the room. Some wizards dressed in bizarre, strange-looking clothes drank and chatted.

Quite a few people took the initiative to greet Professor McGonagall.

Tom, the bald owner behind the bar, set down his glass and greeted Professor McGonagall. "Oh, Professor McGonagall, it's been a long time. Are you picking up this year's new students?"

Professor McGonagall nodded. "Yes. I'm taking him to Diagon Alley to buy supplies."

"Oh, wonderful. My granddaughter is also starting this year."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Professor McGonagall led Ted out through the back door of the Leaky Cauldron. It looked like a dead end, with a rubbish bin against the wall.

"Remember how to open it," Professor McGonagall said. "With your wand, count three bricks up from the rubbish bin, then two across. Give it a tap~"

Then the solid brick wall began to change. Amid a clacking sound, the bricks slid back and overlapped, revealing an arched doorway.

Beyond it lay a lane about four or five meters wide. The cobblestone pavement had been worn smooth, and strange shops lined both sides.

All sorts of incomprehensible goods were displayed by the roadside. Wizards in robes went in and out of the shops, while many Owls flew overhead...

This was Diagon Alley, the starting point of the Magical World! Even though Ted had seen it countless times in films and videos, the sight still shocked him. He nearly forgot about the system in his mind.

"Ding~ Mission triggered:

Explore Diagon Alley (Green).

The most famous wizarding shopping street in Great Britain—shouldn't you take a proper look around? Not a single shop can be missed! Objective: Reach 100% exploration of Diagon Alley.

Progress: 1%.

Reward: 100 XP, random card.

Combat is much more fun than visiting shops~"

Seeing Ted stare in stunned disbelief, Professor McGonagall smiled faintly. "All right, Ted, you'll have plenty of time to be surprised later. For now, let's withdraw some money first. You have quite a lot to buy..."

Professor McGonagall walked quickly, pulling Ted along without slowing down.

Ted looked left and right, his eyes unable to take it all in. Dazzled by everything around him, he could only follow along.

After walking for five or six minutes, they reached a crossroads, where Professor Mc