Diagon Alley

Professor McGonagall brought Yulian and his parents to the backyard of the pub. It wasn't very large, with only some odds and ends piled up there. A trash can sat against the wall at the back.

"See this spot, Yulian?" Professor McGonagall pointed at the trash can. "Remember the sequence: three bricks up, two to the side, then knock hard three times. With your wand, of course. We'll be buying one later."

"Professor McGonagall, what if the trash can gets moved?" Yulian had been curious about this for a long time.

"Do you think the location of the door bricks never changes?" Professor McGonagall shot him a look. "You'll understand in the future. It has to do with spatial magic and alchemy."

Professor McGonagall had no time to argue with Yulian, so she demonstrated first. As she knocked, the bricks began to tremble, rotate, and rearrange themselves. In the end, they slid away to both sides, forming an arched doorway.

On the other side of the doorway, the sun shone brightly and voices filled the air. A cobblestone street wound into the distance, lined with dazzling shops. Their windows were packed with flying broomsticks, moving cauldrons, sparkling Crystal Balls... This was Diagon Alley.

"My God..." Clara covered her mouth, her eyes full of wonder. Altair, meanwhile, looked like a country bumpkin seeing a city for the first time, staring dumbfounded at a rope by the nearest shop entrance that was automatically tying up packages.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley." There was a hint of pride in Professor McGonagall's voice.

After entering Diagon Alley from The Leaky Cauldron, they followed the cobblestone street forward. Professor McGonagall led them to their first stop after entering the Magical World:

A towering white building that stood out sharply among the surrounding shops, guarded at the entrance by strange sentries in scarlet uniforms trimmed with gold.

These guards were much shorter than adult wizards, with thin bodies and bald heads disproportionate to their frames. Their facial features were sharp, their chins protruded, and their noses were long and pointed, some even hooked. If Yulian had to describe them, they looked like the goblins from comics in his previous life.

Seeing that Clara seemed frightened and was clutching her husband's arm, Professor McGonagall explained that there was nothing to fear. This was the wizard bank—Gringotts.

And these were Goblins. They were highly sensitive to numbers and specialized in handling wizards' finances and managing the bank.

"They certainly don't look like good people." Altair lowered his voice.

"I completely agree with your assessment." Professor McGonagall did not deny what Altair had said. "However, rest assured about one thing: your money is absolutely safe in Gringotts. They will guard your money more carefully than they guard their own."

The doors of Gringotts were decorated with bronze and silver and engraved with warnings. Put into the form of a couplet, they meant:

First line: If you're insatiably greedy, please leave.

Second line: Gold and treasure, roll on in.

Horizontal inscription: Stranger, enter bearing money.

Under Professor McGonagall's guidance, Yulian's family entered Gringotts nervously.

The interior of Gringotts was spacious and lofty, with tall counters lining both sides of the first-floor hall. Behind every counter, a Goblin watched each visitor who entered with shrewd, cold eyes.

A Goblin behind one of the counters seemed to recognize Professor McGonagall and greeted her first. "Hello, Professor McGonagall." The status of a Hogwarts professor still commanded respect.

"Hello, Griphook." Professor McGonagall led them toward that counter. After explaining the absurd exchange rates of wizard currency, Yulian's parents exchanged some pounds for Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts.

However, as Professor McGonagall had warned them, the amount they could exchange was limited. Fortunately, Yulian's parents had prepared in advance. They had brought several gold and silver ornaments and a small box of uncut gemstones.

"Will these do?" Clara asked the Goblin behind the counter somewhat nervously.

The Goblin picked up a gold ring and examined it carefully through a magnifying glass. Then he held up a ruby to the light, before revealing a greedy smile. "Excellent quality, madam. We can offer you a very... fair price."

The transaction was soon completed, and Yulian's trouser pockets instantly became heavy. After all, this was the first time he had possessed his very own "Galleons," and his heart swelled with happiness.

The first thing they bought was school uniforms.

Between Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, with its plain signboard, and Madam Rose's Wizarding Attire, decked out in colorful floral decorations, Professor McGonagall unhesitatingly led Yulian and his family into Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.

The shop was warm and comfortable. The air carried the fresh scent of new cloth, the faint spiciness of star anise, and the barely perceptible burnt smell of an iron.

All kinds of robes hung from the walls: standard black robes for new Hogwarts students, Divination cloaks covered in sun-and-moon patterns, and ball gowns trimmed with buttons that blinked.

They dazzled Clara's eyes and even made Professor McGonagall take a couple of extra glances at several formal dresses.

"Oh, my dear Minerva, you've brought another little Hogwarts wizard!" Madam Malkin warmly came forward to greet them. She wore a dark green iris-velvet dress, her hair arranged impeccably. The measuring tape in her hand seemed almost alive as it twisted nimbly around her fingers.

"Let's see... Besides the standard first-year robes, three sets... For winter, shall we add a winter cloak as well? One with silver clasps..." Madam Malkin could tell that this family was not short of Galleons.

Yulian's parents immediately accepted Madam Malkin's suggestion.

The measuring tape instantly flew up on its own, whirling around Yulian's body from top to bottom as it measured his shoulders, arms, and waist, moving so quickly that it nearly left afterimages.

Yulian stood rigidly, afraid to move. But inside, he complained, If this thing goes any faster, it'll be able to tie me up.

"Madam Malkin..." Seeing his mother and Professor McGonagall drawn toward the formal gowns in the distance, Yulian suddenly lowered his voice. "Besides the standard robes, could you make me a few more... practical school uniforms?"

"More practical?" Madam Malkin stopped what she was doing, and the measuring tape halted in midair like a puzzled snake.

She pushed up the round spectacles on the bridge of her nose and looked at the serious-faced boy in confusion. "Dear, Hogwarts uniforms have strict regulations. You can't wear the Weird Sisters' stage costumes to Transfiguration class, can you? Professor McGonagall would turn you into a slipper." As she spoke, she nodded toward Professor McGonagall's back.

"Not anything strange." Yulian hurriedly clarified. "I just mean... making some improvements to the standard design."

"Improvements? Hogwarts uniforms have undergone years of revisions to arrive at the most suitable design we have today. How could they be improved further?"

"Of course. I didn't mean to deny the merits of Hogwarts uniforms." Yulian quickly explained. "I mean, you could add a few custom-made sets based on my personal needs. Just make some minor modifications."

"Why don't you tell me specifically?" Madam Malkin seemed interested now.

"For example, trousers suitable for wizards, but with slightly narrower legs to make running easier;

"The cuffs could have hidden clasps or elastic bands, so my hands can move freely... Er, of course, mainly to prevent them from getting splashed while brewing Potions;

"The cloak's lining should preferably use a protective material, in case it rains or... I'm affected by Petrificus Totalus or something. I mean, at least I wouldn't catch a cold.

"Oh, and it would be even better if you could sew a few hidden pockets into the inside of the robes. They could hold a quill, Potions ingredients, or... a wand."

"Look at the sleeve of the clothes I'm wearing. If I pull here, a dagger will spring out automatically... Of course, don't be nervous. I haven't bought a wand yet, so I'm just using the dagger as an example."