"Ugh~"
On a street with few passersby, Jerry braced his right hand against a wall. His stomach churned, and nausea rose toward his throat.
"Professor, how are you completely fine?"
"Ride it a few more times and you'll get used to it. Besides, don't you find it fun? Exciting?"
Heh. That blasted Knight Bus will shake your old bones apart one day.
Professor Dumbledore had arrived at the Orphanage early that morning to take Jerry to Diagon Alley. Jerry had thought they would travel by Apparition. Instead, Dumbledore had treated him to a ride on one of the Wizarding World's distinctive forms of transport: the Knight Bus.
The Knight Bus traveled incredibly fast, automatically swerving around every obstacle in its path.
But it was hardly comfortable. It careened wildly along the road and always slammed on the brakes at each stop. Passengers' belongings rolled everywhere, and the passengers themselves could fall out of their seats or throw up from motion sickness.
Jerry swore that even if it killed him—even if he had to jump off Hogwarts Castle—he would never ride that bus again.
"Professor, is this the Leaky Cauldron you mentioned?" Standing at the intersection, Jerry looked around. There weren't many pedestrians, but not one of them seemed to notice the pub.
"Come on. Let's go in."
Once inside, Jerry found a cramped, filthy pub.
It was dim and shabby, with a bar and a few tables tucked into the shadows of a corner.
Dirty, messy, and run-down—that was Jerry's first impression. He had no idea how wizards managed to eat here.
"Good morning, Professor Dumbledore! What brings you here today? Care for a Butterbeer? It's on me." Tom, the pub's owner, greeted them warmly.
"Not today. I'm taking a new student to Diagon Alley. Perhaps next time."
Tom glanced at Jerry. "I see. Follow me."
They went around the bar of the Leaky Cauldron and entered a small courtyard enclosed by walls.
At first glance, it held nothing but a rubbish bin and a few weeds. But the bricks above the bin concealed the passage into Diagon Alley.
"Watch closely, little fellow. Count three bricks up from the rubbish bin, then two across. Tap that brick lightly three times with your Wand, and the entrance to Diagon Alley will open."
After three light taps of the Wand, the brick began to tremble. The surrounding bricks moved with it, shifting and rearranging themselves into a round opening. It grew larger and larger until it became an archway, revealing a long cobbled street.
"Sir, what if someone moves the rubbish bin?"
"Haha, plenty of people have asked that. Try it."
Jerry ran over, dragged the bin aside, and let go. As if it could sense where it belonged, it slid back to its original position.
"Tom put a spell on the bin so it returns on its own," Dumbledore explained.
"What if I steal the bin? All right, no one would be that bored."
"The bin isn't what matters. It's the brick you tap with your Wand."
"Come along. It's time to buy your supplies," Dumbledore said gently. He took Jerry's hand and led him into Diagon Alley.
"First, Gringotts. We'll exchange some money for Galleons. Muggle money won't get you anywhere in the Wizarding World. Wizards have their own currency. Galleons are made of gold using special magic. One Galleon equals seventeen Sickles, or four hundred and ninety-three Knuts."
"Wizard exchange rates are terrible. Can you lot even keep track?" Jerry couldn't help remarking.
Dumbledore burst out laughing.
"Professor, do the Goblins refuse everything Muggles bring them?"
"Not necessarily. They'll take gemstones and precious metals, but be prepared for them to drive a hard bargain. The Goblins at Gringotts are very greedy."
Before long, they reached Gringotts, a towering white building.
Goblin guards in scarlet-and-gold uniforms stood at the entrance, bowing to arriving customers.
It was Jerry's first time seeing Goblins. He looked them over carefully. They were short, with pale skin, flat noses, and protruding eyes. They certainly looked strange.
He and Professor Dumbledore approached a second set of doors, made of silver. A warning was engraved on them: "Enter, stranger, but take heed of what awaits the sin of greed. For those who take, but do not earn..."
Jerry had to wonder how the Goblins' minds worked. What good was a warning like that? Anyone robbing a bank was already ready to risk their life. Who would care about a few words on a door? They would be better off hiring more guards.
Beyond the silver doors lay a spacious marble hall. Around a hundred Goblins sat behind a long counter, hastily making entries in enormous ledgers. Some weighed coins on scales; others inspected gems through eyepieces.
Once inside, a Goblin in a suit and tie led Jerry and the professor to a small counter off to one side.
"A new Muggle-born student?"
"Yes, sir."
"New students can borrow up to a hundred Galleons per term. Give me your admission letter."
"Sir, can I exchange pounds for Galleons?"
"Only new students can, and only a limited amount."
So much for that. Jerry had been planning to exchange pounds for Galleons in the future.
Jerry handed over his admission letter. Soon, the Goblin returned it along with a bag of Galleons.
"You may go, Mr. Green."
Huh. Were Goblins always this efficient?
Jerry counted the Galleons in the bag. Once he was sure the amount was right, he left the counter.
"Professor, it's done. I didn't expect Goblins to be so efficient."
"Of course. People who deal with money usually are."
"Where are we going next, Professor?"
"Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. It's next to Flourish and Blotts."
Diagon Alley wasn't very large. Before long, the two of them reached the robe shop.
"Welcome to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions." The speaker was a short, plump witch.
"Why, Professor Dumbledore! Are you taking students to buy their school supplies this year?"
"When you get old, you feel like getting out and about. I haven't had much to do lately, so I came to help Professor McGonagall."
"Is this one of this year's new students? Wait just a moment, little fellow. I'll come measure you shortly."
"Of course, madam," Jerry replied politely.
Besides Jerry, three other students were in the shop: two boys and a girl, all about his age. They were probably new students this year too.
One look at them told him they came from Pure-blood families. They might as well have had pride written across their faces. All three had black hair, so they probably weren't Malfoy and his friends.
Come to think of it, Jerry had been in Diagon Alley for almost half a day and still hadn't run into a single important character.