Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Diagon Alley
"I am the great astrologer - Trelawney!"
[Obtained Skill: Insight Level 0 (1/100)] (Your intuition is sharper now.)
Tom: ...
You could call him lucky, but he seemed to be luckier than expected. That's Tom's current status.
He reluctantly stopped drawing cards. After nearly a hundred draws, he had depleted a third of his savings and had only obtained two Professor Trelawney cards.
He was feeling a bit hesitant to continue, as today didn't seem to be a good day for card drawing. So, he decided to put it on hold.
It wasn't until the next day when Professor McGonagall came to see him that he touched the Wishing System again.
"Professor Dumbledore has allowed you to enter Hogwarts for study," Professor McGonagall smiled. "Congratulations." She handed him a leather pouch. "This is the fund set up by Hogwarts for students in need. It's not much, but with a bit of thriftiness, it should be enough. The Ministry of Magic and the Board of Governors have been reducing the school's expenses over the past couple of years..."
Professor McGonagall paused for a moment in her speech because she noticed that Tom had impatiently opened the pouch and started counting the Galleons inside. However, before she could say anything, Tom spoke, "Professor McGonagall, consider this money a debt I owe to Hogwarts. It's a total of twenty Galleons, and I'll find a way to pay it back."
Professor McGonagall fell silent for a moment. After a while, she said, "Very well."
Then she seemed to remember something and said kindly to Tom, "I suddenly remembered that I still have my textbooks from my school days. If you don't mind that they contain some of my notes..."
"Thank you, Professor," Tom said earnestly and bowed to her.
Mind her notes? Not at all! The notes in textbooks were the most valuable parts! Didn't you see how Harry, with Snape's sixth-year textbook, became like a main character with cheat codes, outclassing even Hermione? If Snape's textbook could do that, how much better would McGonagall's be?
Both of them had genuine smiles on their faces.
In addition to the pouch, Professor McGonagall also handed him a letter, which included the train ticket to Hogwarts and a list of necessary items for the start of term.
"Now, I'm taking you to Diagon Alley today," Professor McGonagall said. She extended her thin hand. "Hold onto my hand."
Tom complied and firmly grasped Professor McGonagall's forearm. The next moment, there was a loud crack, and Tom felt as though everything around him had suddenly gone dark. Pressure seemed to bear down on him from all sides, making it difficult to breathe, as if he had been stuffed into a rubber tube.
Finally, he was "expelled" from the tube, and slightly tainted air rushed into his lungs. After wiping away the uncontrollable tears in his eyes, Tom found himself standing in a dirty and cramped pub. The bar was dimly lit, and a few old ladies sat in a corner, sipping on sherry. A short man wearing a large hat was chatting with the nearly bald and shriveled barkeeper. When they entered, the conversations in the pub ceased abruptly, but after a quick glance at them, the patrons resumed chatting and drinking.
Professor McGonagall led him through the pub, past the bar, and into a small courtyard enclosed by walls on all sides. Here, there was nothing except for a trash can and some weeds. Professor McGonagall pointed to a brick on the wall.
"Remember, count three bricks up and then two bricks across," she instructed. She took out her wand and tapped the wall three times. The wall began to shake and soon formed a wide archway leading to a winding and cobblestone-paved street that disappeared from view.
"Welcome to Diagon Alley," Professor McGonagall said, and together they stepped into this bustling and extraordinary street. The archway behind them disappeared completely.
Tom heard a notification from his system: [Received a task.
Task: Worldly Wanderer. Objective: Explore the magical world.
Phase 1 Progress: 1/1 Unlocked Diagon Alley Map.
Task Description: The magical world is filled with countless places waiting for your exploration. Keep your curiosity alive, traveler! Phase 2: 0/2
Phase 1 Task Reward: Occlumency (Five Stars)]
Tom smiled and learned Occlumency from the scroll, although it was at level 0 and had 0 experience. Occlumency was like antivirus software on a computer—it couldn't prevent all hacking attempts, but without it, you always felt like you were running naked.
Next to them was a shop selling copper cauldrons, and Professor McGonagall quickly bought one for Tom. They then proceeded to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, where they decided to buy his school robes.
Madam Malkin was a plump and cheerful witch with a welcoming smile. She ushered Tom inside and prepared a complete set of Hogwarts student robes for him.
She also tried to recommend some additional sets, but Tom, mindful of his dwindling purse, declined firmly. Madam Malkin could only send him off with a regretful expression, thinking to herself that he was indeed a determined young man. After all, in the wizarding world, very few children could resist her special package deals.
Next, they went shopping for parchment, quills, ink, and other school supplies. Although Professor McGonagall had sorted out the Transfiguration textbook issue for him, after this shopping spree, Tom's Galleons were barely enough. If he wanted to buy brand new textbooks, he would undoubtedly fall short of funds.
"Let's go and buy a wand first. It's best for a new student to have a wand that suits them," Professor McGonagall suggested.
She believed that, compared to brand new books, a brand new wand had more significance. So, they arrived at the front of a small and dilapidated shop with a faded sign that read, "Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands Since 382 BC." But who would believe such a claim? It dated back to 382 BC, the era of Wuzi's reforms!
The shop's display window was empty, with only a single wand placed on a faded purple cushion.
Inside the shop, aside from a long bench, there were thousands of narrow boxes piled up in rows, reaching almost as high as the ceiling.
[End Of Chapter]
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