Draco finally received permission to go and play with Crabbe and Goyle.
Perhaps Narcissa's reminder had made Lucius reflect on how he had treated Draco over the past few days, for he gave Draco quite a lot of pocket money this time.
Draco was full of enthusiasm.
To welcome Draco's visit, both families had made ample preparations at home.
But even after a long wait, neither saw the Malfoy family's private carriage arrive.
By then, Draco had already picked up Crabbe and Goyle and was on his way to Diagon Alley.
Draco sat in the carriage's seat of honor, his bearing aristocratic and his formal robes immaculate.
Crabbe hesitated before speaking. "Draco, are you sure you want to dress like that? I think your clothes will get all crumpled in the crush there."
Goyle agreed. "There really are a lot of people there."
Draco merely gave them both a disdainful look. "What else should I wear? My task is to visit your families, so of course I have to dress properly. We're going to Diagon Alley to buy presents and see whether any new shops have opened while we're there."
Extremely pleased with his explanation, Draco straightened his bow tie, then immediately began urging the servant to hurry.
He could not wait to grind the last Troll.
An hour later, the three finally arrived at Diagon Alley.
Draco instructed one of the two servants accompanying him to buy presents and the other to watch the carriage, then followed Crabbe and Goyle onward.
Draco knew where Knockturn Alley was. As he calculated the distance, he spotted an enormous banner from afar.
It looked like the sort the houses brought out during Quidditch matches, except this banner had no elaborate patterns, only two lines of large lettering.
The first line read: Magic Mobile Phone Official Flagship Store, fifty meters down this alley.
The second line read: One hour of free play every day.
"Wait, is that person Hagrid?"
Crabbe recognized the giant standing beneath the banner and looking up at it at once.
Draco still bore a grudge against Hagrid for taking him into the Forbidden Forest, where he had nearly been killed, and speculated aloud, "He might be going to cause trouble for Quirrell. I heard my father say Quirrell nearly killed Harry Potter."
"Let's follow him." Draco had found another reason to visit the Magic Mobile Phone Official Flagship Store. "We'll see what he wants to do, then stop him."
Crabbe thought this excuse was far too flimsy. How were three first-years who had not even done particularly well in their wizarding exams supposed to take on a giant?
But he said nothing. Instead, he took the lead and brought Draco into Knockturn Alley.
The Knockturn Alley he remembered was not especially tidy, and every few steps they would run into someone fearsome-looking, some with false eyes, others with iron teeth and copper fangs.
But Knockturn Alley looked quite different now.
At least within Draco's field of vision-the fifty meters from the entrance of the alley to the Magic Mobile Phone Official Flagship Store-not only were the surroundings clean and tidy, but the people coming and going were all laughing and chatting cheerfully.
They were even queuing in an orderly fashion.
Astonished, Draco joined the back of the crowd.
"Hagrid's gone in," Crabbe reminded him.
Even Hagrid's enormous frame could fit through the specially heightened glass doors. With a quiet cheer of "Wow," he walked inside with his chest out and his head held high.
Only when it was Draco's turn to enter did he understand why they had to queue outside.
The Magic Mobile Phone Official Flagship Store already had a very large shop floor, with enough customer space to fit a Chinese Fireball. Yet the hall was packed, and every oddly shaped, enormous phone set against the walls had all its seats occupied.
"What huge Magic Mobile Phones," Draco marveled.
"They're really just enlarged Magic Mobile Phones." Goyle took his place behind a machine with practiced ease. "And you don't have to hold them anymore. Just put your hands on this stone slab, and you can control your character freely."
"If you want to play 'Street Wizard Fighter' with someone else, you only need to put one hand on it." Crabbe followed Goyle and joined the queue too. "Stand behind him like this, and once his playtime reaches the limit, it'll be your turn."
Crabbe and Goyle clearly intended to play the new game, but Draco's mind was still on the Troll he had been longing for. He found a normal-sized public Magic Mobile Phone with no queue and took his place behind it.
Wait, where was Hagrid?
Hagrid had gone upstairs.
He knew perfectly well that his huge frame would not fit on the little stools, so he had decisively come to find Lorne instead.
It was Lorne who had invited him.
Carrying ice cream in a new flavor and new packaging from Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, he knocked on the door marked "Workshop."
The door opened automatically. Lorne and Quirrell were drinking tea together.
"Hello, Hagrid." Quirrell tactfully stood up. "You two chat. I need to go downstairs and check on the shop."
"Don't rush off, Quirrell." Hagrid took an ice cream out of his bag. "To celebrate you getting out of your post at Hogwarts. We all know the Defence Against Dark Magic Class professor can't possibly stay on for a second year."
Overwhelmed by the unexpected kindness, Quirrell thanked him repeatedly.
The broad sofa in the room looked sturdy. Hagrid plopped down onto it and let out a long, comfortable sigh.
"And to celebrate you passing your end-of-year exams at Hogwarts, Lorne."
Hagrid took the other ice cream out of the bag, while Lorne was pulling a parcel out from behind him.
"I have a present for you too."
Lorne placed the parcel on the table and tore open the wrapping. Inside was a Magic Mobile Phone twice the normal size.
"This is a special model customized just for you."
Lorne chuckled. In fact, the price in the system shop was the same. When purchasing a Magic Mobile Phone, there was an option to select a race, and races whose builds differed from wizards', such as giants and goblins, had specially designed sizes.
Because giants were not particularly proficient in magic, theirs even came equipped with an auxiliary magic array.
"Good heavens, I heard you can't buy these anywhere." Hagrid excitedly accepted the Magic Mobile Phone. "So while they still have to queue outside, I can play in comfort in Hagrid's Hut?"
"Magic Mobile Phones won't go on sale for at least another month, just before Hogwarts starts. That's when there'll be the most foot traffic."
Lorne did not consider this a trade secret. He would have loved Hagrid's big mouth to do some publicity for him.
"When that happens, the equipment in the shop will switch to paid sessions. They'll have to pay to play on the Magic Mobile Phones, but you're my friend. This is a special perk for a friend."
Even more touched, Hagrid pushed the ice cream toward him. "Eat up, Lorne, or it'll melt."
When Hagrid had nothing to do, he would sometimes go drinking at the Leaky Cauldron or The Three Broomsticks. The hottest topic among the drinkers these days was the Magic Mobile Phone.
Hagrid had certainly been surprised when Lorne told him he owned the Magic Mobile Phone shop, but he had not sought any special treatment. He had watched others play in the shop too, but the Magic Mobile Phones were simply a little too small for him.
Now that problem was solved. Lorne had actually designed a model especially for him.
Given their current popularity, this special Magic Mobile Phone could sell for at least several dozen Galleons.
Hagrid felt incredibly fortunate to have made a friend like Lorne.