The Leaky Cauldron looked pitifully squeezed between two shops from the outside, but once one stepped inside, it was a whole different world.
Though the tables and chairs looked old and worn, and the bar counter gleamed slightly with grease, it somehow carried a sense of age and history.
An opening behind the bar led to an open-air courtyard outside, with its other sides enclosed by brick walls.
As the bell above the door rang, the patrons at the few occupied tables all turned their gazes toward the boy who had just entered.
He looked about eleven or twelve, dressed in close-fitting casual clothes without any labels. He possessed an ethereal, almost exquisite beauty. The delicate features of an Easterner stood in stark contrast to the roughness of Europeans and Americans, making him all the more conspicuous here.
One could not help but feel fondness toward him.
"What a beautiful little boy. Does he have Veela blood?"
"His hair color doesn't look like it. He should be from the East."
"No wand. He looks like he's at the age to enroll, probably a new student."
"But first-years without wands should have some degree of magical outbursts, shouldn't they? I can't sense anything at all. Is his talent too low, or is his control simply that good?"
"..."
Quite a few patrons began whispering among themselves.
When they saw that no adult had accompanied Xu Yue inside, many of them wore amused, teasing expressions.
If he was a new student, he was probably going to Diagon Alley to buy supplies. This was the peak season for students making their summer purchases.
But a new student without a wand could not enter Diagon Alley. Normally, an adult would bring them there for their first visit.
Even young wizards from Muggle families would