Diagon Alley

"Can't Muggle currency be used in the magical world?"

"At Gringotts, you can exchange Muggle currency for Galleons—five Pounds to one Galleon—but you can't exchange too much, at most a hundred Galleons." Professor McGonagall, having handled admissions for years, was well-versed in all sorts of questions, though she doubted Anduin had much savings; perhaps just some pocket money he wanted to convert.

"Oh, so that's how it is. Then I've got money." With that, under Professor McGonagall's astonished gaze, he pulled out a stack of Pounds, licked his finger with practiced ease, and began counting. "Enough. The extra can buy a few things on the way back."

Professor McGonagall led Anduin out of the orphanage and turned into a deserted alley nearby. "Normally, I'd have you take Muggle Transportation or the Knight Bus to Diagon Alley, but the magical world has been unsettled lately. I'm afraid you'll have to bear with me and Apparate there."

With that, she drew her wand. "Come, grab my hand, Anduin."

The magical world unsettled? Anduin processed her words as he reached out his hand.

Then, with a series of sharp cracks, Professor McGonagall and Anduin vanished from the spot.

"Ugh!" The moment Anduin Disapparated with Professor McGonagall, he couldn't help but lean against the wall and retch. The sensation was unbearable—like being tossed into a pitch-black washing machine on the highest spin cycle, his whole body squeezed by some unseen force. In the end, he even hallucinated, feeling as if he'd been compressed into a tiny ball.

"Sorry, I didn't feel great the first time I used that spell either." Professor McGonagall pointed her wand at Anduin, and a soft stream of light emerged from its tip, gradually seeping into his body, easing his discomfort.

Fortunately, Anduin had always been in good physical shape with a solid sense of balance. After a brief recovery, he calmed down.

So this is magic? It doesn't feel quite like I imagined. Not even opening a magic door for transport—how lame, Anduin grumbled inwardly, though his expression remained composed.

"Where to next? Do we need to Apparate again?"

"That wasn't Apparition—it was Apparition and Disapparition. It's a common travel spell for Adult Wizards. You'll learn it in your seventh year."

"And don't worry, we're almost there."

Professor McGonagall led Anduin out of the alley they'd appeared in, walked along the street for a bit, and stopped between a record shop and a bookstore. Anduin kept his eyes peeled and noticed that wedged between the two stores was a pub whose style clashed sharply with its neighbors, yet passersby paid it no mind.

"They can't see this pub?"

"Excellent observation, Anduin. It's been layered with heavy Concealment Charms. Muggles can't see the Leaky Cauldron." Professor McGonagall explained as she guided him inside.

"Professor, what exactly do you mean by 'Muggle'? Is it just ordinary people who can't do magic?" Anduin found it absurd. He vaguely remembered impressions of 'Harry Potter' from his previous life, but now that he was actually experiencing it, he still lacked any basic common sense.

"Yes, Anduin. We generally call ordinary people who don't believe in magic—or non-magical humans—Muggles. Because of the International Statute of Secrecy, Muggles are unaware of our existence."

Whether the International Statute of Secrecy could continue to hold in the British Magical World, Professor McGonagall wasn't sure. Thinking of the current state of affairs, she frowned slightly.

"I see. Then my parents were Muggles too." Anduin recalled his parents, who had passed away shortly after his birth. He'd looked into it at the orphanage before and found nothing unusual—just ordinary people. He attributed all his magical talent to his reincarnation.

"Perhaps one of your ancestors was a wizard. That said, children with magical talent can also be born to Muggles. Hogwarts' duty is to teach you to control your own magic."

Chatting as they went, Anduin and Professor McGonagall entered the pub. The interior was dim and shabby, with terrible lighting—a bar counter and a few tables tucked into the shadowy corners.

It didn't seem busy. The owner was alone at the bar, silently wiping a glass.

"Tom, how's business lately?" Professor McGonagall appeared to know the owner well.

"What can I say? It's getting messier by the day. Last night, Aurors and them clashed again in Knockturn Alley. The explosions nearly shattered my glasses. Business is getting harder and harder..." Tom, as if starved for conversation, launched into a stream of complaints.

"Enough, Tom. There's a young gentleman here."

"A New Student?" Tom glanced over, likely unfazed by such sights.

"Hello, sir." Anduin, hailing from a land of propriety, was perfectly polite.

"Go on in. It won't be safe once it gets dark." Seeing Anduin's courtesy, Tom offered a kind warning.

Professor McGonagall nodded to the pub owner and led Anduin through the bar to a small courtyard behind the Leaky Cauldron. "Inside is Diagon Alley. You'll buy all your school supplies here. Take a good look—you'll have to come on your own in the future."

"Tap the specific brick on the wall above the trash bin—three up from the bin, then two across—with your wand, and you can enter."

With that, Professor McGonagall drew her wand and tapped the corresponding spot. The old brick wall rippled and shifted, gradually forming a tall archway.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley, Anduin."

Anduin's mouth fell open slightly at the sight, his longing for the magical world growing. Stepping through the arch, he saw a long street paved with cobblestones, lined with all sorts of shops.

But he noticed that Diagon Alley wasn't as bustling as he'd imagined. A few shops on either side were shuttered, and some passersby in trench coats didn't seem to be shopping so much as patrolling.

"Professor, those people in trench coats don't look like customers... Could it be..." Anduin voiced his suspicion, connecting it to Professor McGonagall's and Tom's earlier words, and a grim thought took shape.

"Those are Aurors, keeping the peace here. The magical world hasn't been very stable lately, but this is the busiest commercial street in the British Magical World—it's quite safe. They're just on routine duty. And don't worry, you'll be very safe at Hogwarts, I promise!" Professor McGonagall explained.