First Encounter with Draco Malfoy

The moment she stepped into the green flames, Hermione felt a dizzying spin, as if she had been stuffed into a massive, high-speed rotating pipe.

Colorful lights and shadows howled past her, and she squeezed her eyes shut, stifling the scream in her throat.

She felt her arm gripped firmly by a steady, powerful hand, steadying her stumbling form.

A few seconds later, the unpleasant sensation of pressure and spinning abruptly stopped.

"You can open your eyes. We've arrived." Caesar's voice sounded in her ear, calm and flat, as if he had just walked down an ordinary flight of stairs.

Hermione cautiously opened her eyes and found herself standing in a small pub that looked rather grimy, dim, and cramped.

The air was thick with the mixed smell of aged wood, burnt bread, and some strange spice.

A few figures in shabby robes, looking oddly shaped, whispered in the corners.

Behind the bar, an old man who was almost completely bald and missing most of his teeth was slowly wiping a glass.

This was the first stop in the magical world?

A flicker of surprise passed through Hermione's mind. It was completely different from the magnificent entrance she had imagined.

She instinctively moved closer to Caesar, her fingers unconsciously grabbing the cuff of his robe.

Caesar looked down at her, his gaze pausing for a moment on her slightly pale face before he explained, "This is the Leaky Cauldron, the entrance to Diagon Alley."

Then, his voice lowered, carrying a soothing force, "Most newcomers find it quite... distinctive."

Caesar led her through a few crooked tables toward the pub's backyard.

The bald old man, Tom, when he saw Caesar, a flicker of respect passed through his cloudy eyes, and he nodded slightly.

In the backyard, there was only a small, grimy walled yard piled with trash bins, looking utterly unremarkable.

"Remember this," Caesar said, drawing his wand and tapping it precisely on a brick in the wall. "Three up, two across..."

With his tapping, the brick he touched began to tremble violently, and then the bricks around it started to shift and rotate.

A narrow archway rapidly expanded, eventually forming a wide, winding street paved with cobblestones.

Sunlight poured down instantly, illuminating a magical world Hermione had never imagined.

A bustling crowd in robes of all colors filled the street. Shop windows displayed flying broomsticks, winking owls, bubbling potions with strange vapors, and golden cauldrons glittering in the sun.

In the distance, a towering white building, Gringotts Wizarding Bank, overlooked the entire street.

The air was filled with all kinds of sounds: vendors hawking, owls hooting, children screaming with excitement, and a faint, ever-present hum of magic.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley, Hermione."

There was a barely perceptible hint of amusement in Caesar's voice as he watched Hermione's small face, frozen in shock and ecstasy, her mouth slightly open and eyes wide.

Hermione was completely speechless.

She let go of Caesar's sleeve, took a few steps forward, stood under the archway, and greedily took in everything before her.

This was the magical world of her dreams!

Full of color, life, and infinite possibilities.

"Our shopping list is long," Caesar said, walking up to her and handing her a piece of parchment.

"First, you need a wand—that's the most important thing. Then we'll go to Flourish and Blotts for books, followed by a cauldron, scales, and a telescope."

Caesar's words pulled Hermione back from her shock.

She took the list and nodded firmly, a determined light burning in her eyes.

She was no longer the little girl hiding behind her parents. She stood here, in the heart of the magical world, with a guide she trusted by her side.

"Let's go, Teacher Caesar." She lifted her head, her voice crisp, carrying unprecedented courage and anticipation.

"Let me remind you again: only at school, when other students and teachers are present, do you need to call me 'teacher.'" Caesar nodded slightly and stepped first onto the glittering cobblestone path.

"...Okay, Caesar."

Hermione was taken aback for a moment, then a triumphant glow bloomed on her face.

Taking a deep breath of the magic-filled air, she closely followed his steps, taking her first truly meaningful step into the magical world.

"Oh? Look who we have here—a new face."

Just as Caesar and Hermione were about to head toward Ollivanders Wand Shop, a slightly sharp, arrogant voice cut in.

Hermione turned her head at the sound and saw a pale boy with a pointed chin.

He had platinum blonde hair slicked back with gel, perfectly in place, and wore an expensive-looking robe that was clearly tailor-made.

Beside him stood a couple with the same haughty air: the man had a cold, stern face and leaned on a silver serpent-headed cane; the woman was tall and thin, with a scrutinizing gaze like she was appraising an antique.

But what really caught Hermione's eye was the small creature behind them, dressed in a tattered pillowcase-like garment, with bat-like ears.

Its large, tennis-ball-sized green eyes were full of fear and servility, and it nervously twisted its long, thin fingers.

"Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy."

Caesar nodded slightly, his tone flat and polite, revealing neither pleasure nor displeasure. He stepped half a pace forward, subtly positioning himself half in front of Hermione.

"Good day. This is Miss Hermione Granger, a new student at Hogwarts."

"Muggle-born?"

The platinum-haired boy was none other than Draco Malfoy, and at this moment he made no effort to hide his scrutiny as he looked Hermione up and down.

His gaze swept over her bushy hair and slightly ordinary clothes, the corner of his mouth curling downward.

Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father, swept his cold gray eyes over Caesar, then glanced past Hermione.

He gave a light snort through his nose, deeming that a sufficient greeting.

Then, his attention seemed to focus more on Caesar as he asked, "Professor Caesar Habs, I didn't expect to run into you here. I hear you're teaching at Hogwarts now?"

"Yes." Caesar's reply was curt.

Though he knew the Malfoy family was a bit unhinged, Draco's attitude still rubbed him the wrong way.

If it provoked Hermione's anger, he wouldn't mind settling things here and testing Lucius's strength firsthand.

At that moment, however, Hermione's attention was almost entirely captured by the small creature.

She completely ignored Draco's rude comment, leaning forward slightly, peering at it with curiosity, and quietly asked Caesar:

"What is that? Why is it wearing clothes like that? And it looks really uncomfortable."

Her voice was soft, but everyone present heard it.