The first thing Zhang Xiao did when he opened his eyes the next morning was feel around for the envelope he had left beside his pillow.
He turned it over several times before finally confirming, with a silly grin, that everything that had happened last night had not been a dream.
That left him looking positively radiant-perhaps a little too radiant.
Eventually, Zhang Xiao had to remind himself, It's only Hogwarts. Between my two lives, I'm forty years old. I need to act my age!
What? There's Daoist cultivation too?
Then to hell with acting my age! I'm on cloud nine!
The family finished breakfast in cheerful harmony. As soon as he put down his chopsticks, Zhang Xiao asked eagerly:
"Dad, when are we leaving?"
Zhang Chengdao gave his wife a helpless smile.
"Now!"
And so, half an hour later, all three of them were sitting in the family's battered car. Thanks to London's dreadful traffic, they had not even made it five kilometers from home.
Judging by the traffic, they still had a good while to go. To relieve the boredom, Zhang Chengdao began giving his son an introduction to the Western wizarding world.
Zhang Xiao had not expected his father to know so much about the wizarding world, but on reflection, it made sense. As one of the Daoist Order's heirs, he could hardly have come to the West completely unprepared.
The Daoist Order had probably provided some intelligence as well.
"The place we're going is called Diagon Alley. It's pretty much the busiest wizarding street in Britain.
"Its entrance is inside a pub. I went a few times when we first came to Britain. It's a little smaller than our cultivators' markets, but it has its own charm."
Li Qingshu glanced at him from the passenger seat and added:
"Your father sounds like he knows everything now, but he made quite a fool of himself back then."
Zhang Chengdao gave a few embarrassed coughs.
"Don't bring up my embarrassing moments in front of our son. Ahem... anyway, where was I?
"The pub at the entrance is called the Leaky Cauldron. Ordinary people could go inside in the old days. It was only hidden by magic in the past few decades.
"There's an amusing story about that, too. In the early nineteenth century, the nonmagical government planned to rebuild a street here. Under their original plan, the pub was supposed to be demolished.
"The Minister for Magic at the time... you know what the Ministry of Magic is, right? It oversees these wizards. Basically, it's the government of the wizarding world."
Zhang Xiao was engrossed in the story and nodded eagerly.
"Yes, yes! What happened next, Dad?"
"Well, that Minister for Magic was a stubborn old man, still clinging to the old doctrine that the magical and ordinary worlds should remain separate. He didn't want to deal with ordinary people, so he thought he might as well let their government demolish it.
"But the ordinary folk of the wizarding world weren't having it. They cast spells together, altered the plans, and saved the pub.
"That caused the designers no end of trouble. They practically tore their hair out trying to understand it.
"Why was there a blank space on the plans, and why couldn't they find the place it represented?
"Over time, it became a legend. Whenever their students and successors ran into a difficult problem, they'd clutch their heads and cry,
"'Oh, God! Another empty plot on Charing Cross Road!' (Note 1)"
Uh, those poor designers...
Zhang Xiao silently lit a candle in his heart for the designers responsible for the plans, then rather unkindly joined his parents in laughing.
The car was soon filled with merriment.
His father went on to share a few more amusing tidbits, none of which Zhang Xiao had encountered in the books in his previous life.
For instance, the Leaky Cauldron served a famous drink called Gamp's Old Gregarious, which had a history stretching back some three hundred years.
Anyone who finished a pint would receive a reward of one hundred Galleons!
Unfortunately, no one had ever claimed that reward-it tasted that awful.
Hmm... I could recommend it to Ron someday, assuming Tom, the owner, is willing to sell beer to minors.
He probably would.
Another example was a travel agency in Diagon Alley called Horror Tours.
Its main selling point was its consistently high tourist mortality rate. Its tours included:
"Renting a vampire's ancient castle in Transylvania, following the 'zombie trail,' coming face-to-face with the living dead, taking a cruise through the Bermuda Triangle, and more..."
No wonder there are so few people abroad! Back home, the victims' families would have stormed a company like that ages ago. Apparently, even wizards can't escape the urge to get themselves killed...
Time passed quickly amid the family's laughter, and his father parked outside the Leaky Cauldron.
Zhang Xiao carefully studied the famous pub, one of the iconic landmarks of the Harry Potter story.
The pub stood between a large bookshop and a record shop, whose speakers were playing Blur's "There's No Other Way."
Every so often, customers drawn by the lilting tune and explicit lyrics stepped into the shop, in stark contrast to the deserted pub.
Still, there was an upside. At least the space outside the pub was empty, making parking easy.
Zhang Xiao looked at the dilapidated pub and the modern shops. They were like the wizarding world and modern society: one ancient and decaying, the other brimming with life.
Then he caught himself. What did any of that have to do with him?
I'm just an international student from China.
Just as the books had described, the place was terribly dark and dirty.
Several old women sat in a corner, drinking unidentified liquids from small glasses. One of them was smoking a long pipe.
A little man in a top hat was chatting with the pub's owner, who was almost completely bald and looked like a shriveled walnut.
The atmosphere inside was lively. Almost everyone was excitedly discussing something, and Zhang Xiao vaguely caught Harry Potter's name.
Had Harry and Hagrid already been here? Zhang Xiao could not be sure, since the timing did not quite line up. Still, he felt a faint anticipation, wondering whether Harry Potter was the same adorable little boy he had been in the films.
Zhang Chengdao said quietly:
"You'll find all sorts here, good and bad. Until you can protect yourself properly, it's best not to come alone."
Zhang Xiao nodded to show that he understood. Tom, the pub's owner, saw the visitors head straight past the bar toward the courtyard, but made no attempt to greet them. Instead, he eagerly continued his conversation.
The family entered the courtyard. It was a very small space, containing only a rubbish bin and a few weeds.
"This is quite a clever magical mechanism. The key is a wand, though anything else containing magical power will work too."
Zhang Chengdao pointed at the brick wall as he spoke to Zhang Xiao.
"Of course, aside from opening the entrance normally, you can also do this."
His fingers rapidly shifted through several strange positions as he muttered under his breath. Then his entire figure suddenly became hazy and indistinct.
It was like looking at something through dirty glass.
Zhang Chengdao walked straight toward the wall and passed through without the slightest resistance. A moment later, he came back through and smiled at his son.
"The Wall-Passing Spell. Very useful! When your mother and I used to come here for fun, we always thought the entrance took too long to open.
"Of course, it only works on ordinary walls without any protection. Wizarding buildings usually have Protective Charms on them, so use it carefully!"
Excitement surged through Zhang Xiao as he watched. Whether Daoist arts or magic, he wanted to start learning right away. A magnificent new world lay before him-who could possibly hold back?
Li Qingshu stepped forward, counted the bricks, and tapped one with the knuckle of her index finger.
"All right, stop showing off. Can't you see our son is already dying to get inside?"
The bricks quivered and began to move. A small hole appeared in the middle, growing larger and larger until a broad archway stood before them, leading onto a winding cobbled street whose end was hidden from view.
Li Qingshu stroked Zhang Xiao's head and said with a warm smile:
"This is Diagon Alley!"
Before you continue