Chapter 2: Chapter 2
The Leaky Cauldron Tavern, established in the early 16th century, is one of the favorite gathering places for wizards and also serves as the sole entrance to Diagon Alley, the only wizarding street in the English magical community.
When Diana led Kain through the doors, the previously noisy tavern seemed to pause as if someone had hit the mute button, instantly falling silent.
It was as quiet as a senior high school study hall at night, where you could hear a pin drop.
The eerie silence continued until Chris also entered. The atmosphere didn't return to normal but seemed as though everyone deliberately lowered their voices. However, there were exceptions.
The bar owner, Tom, walked over with a surprised look: "Oh, Diana, long time no see, would you like a drink? It's on the house."
"Next time, Tom."
Diana smiled, patted Kain on the shoulder, and pointed to the Weasley family approaching: "We still need to shop in Diagon Alley and might be running short on time."
"Oh, of course."
Realization dawned on Tom: "Time flies, doesn't it? Kain is already eleven, so this means you're here to buy his Hogwarts supplies?"
"That's right," Diana nodded with a smile.
"That's indeed a bit rushed, go ahead, you know where it is."
Tom stepped aside to clear the path, then looked down at Kain and warned: "I must remind you, Kain, if you move that trash can again, I'll have to send a complaint to Hogwarts. Do you know how frantic the new students were when they couldn't find the entrance to Diagon Alley? You shouldn't always add unnecessary work for an old man with mobility issues."
Being directly pointed out for his deeds made Kain somewhat embarrassed.
Obviously, it wasn't his first visit to Diagon Alley.
But to be fair, as someone who has traveled through time to Diagon Alley, not moving a trash can wouldn't quite fit the traveler profile, would it?
That's spot on.
However, in front of his parents, Kain could only respond with an awkward smile: "I'll make sure it doesn't happen next time."
Tom didn't seem to mind, but Diana raised an eyebrow, looking thoughtfully at her son.
Her instincts told her there was something off about that statement.
But since the Weasley family had arrived, she left it at that.
"Oh, Kain, dear."
Mrs. Weasley warmly embraced Kain and then pulled Diana aside to talk.
Mr. Weasley naturally joined Chris in conversation.
The families were close; Diana and Molly were best friends who shared everything, and Chris and Arthur were also good friends, especially since Kain was born. At the Weasleys' warm invitation, they had even moved in to live nearby.
These were topics often discussed during dinners, and Kain had heard plenty from the sidelines.
Due to the adults' friendship, he and the Weasley children naturally became friends as well.
No sooner had the adults departed than two arms draped themselves over his shoulders.
"Hey, Fred, look who's here."
"Isn't this Hogwarts' new student this year?"
George emphasized "new student" with particular clarity.
"Hogwarts can be quite dangerous, especially for someone new like you..."
"Of course, if you say some nice things, maybe we could help you out."
Kain ignored the two, instead greeting the other redheads: "Long time no see, Percy, Ron, and Ginny."
They all nodded back with smiles.
"Long time no see, Kain."
Although the Weasley family had seven children, Bill was in Egypt, and Charlie had left somewhere a month ago and was not home, so today only five came.
During their conversation, they reached the backyard of the Leaky Cauldron, where the entrance to Diagon Alley was located. Mr. Weasley quickly found the correct brick and tapped it with his wand.
Meanwhile, at the back of the group, the Weasley twins exchanged glances and raised their eyebrows, planning to teach a certain impolite junior a small lesson.
For instance, they had just invented "Bouncing Powder," which when sprinkled a little on the hair, offered an unprecedented tingling sensation.
They had tested it on themselves, and the effect was excellent. Imagine not washing your hair for ten days; how would that feel?
Absolutely brilliant.
If lucky, they might even trigger a hidden bonus and get a taste of what middle-aged gentlemen often endure.
Ready to act, the twins pulled out the Bouncing Powder and were about to proceed when suddenly Chris's voice came from ahead.
"Hagrid? What are you doing in Diagon Alley!"
His tone was no longer calm but somewhat guarded, which immediately caught the twins' attention.
"Nothing much."
Seeing Chris, Hagrid, a half-giant standing three meters tall and two meters wide, instinctively shivered, his gaze shifting nervously.
But then he seemed to remember something, relaxed considerably, and pulled out a small package from his pocket: "Harry Potter will be coming to Hogwarts next year, and I want to make him a birthday cake myself, so I came to buy some berries."
"Really?"
Chris's tone didn't relax much, eyeing the small package warily: "If I remember correctly, the ingredients in the Hogwarts dining hall should be enough to make a hundred cakes, right?"
Honestly, Chris's tone was somewhat aggressive, and to the uninformed, he would definitely appear as a major antagonist.
But for Kain, the twins, and even the Weasleys who were close to Hagrid, this was nothing new, and their expressions remained unchanged as if everything was as it should be.
As the Deputy Head of the Magical Creature Regulation and Control Office and the Head of the Beast Division, Chris knew Hagrid all too well.
Let's say, if Chris had to choose the least desired person to meet, it would undoubtedly be the famous half-giant, the keeper of keys at Hogwarts, Rubeus Hagrid.
By Merlin's beard, the troubles caused by Hagrid alone accounted for more than a tenth of Chris's annual workload.
Especially those hybrid magical creatures Hagrid concocted, which almost drove Chris mad.
For instance, the last time, it was a Snake-tail Beast, a hybrid of a Crup and a Runespoor.
Heaven knows where Hagrid got all those magical creatures, surely not all from the Forbidden Forest, as Chris didn't recall seeing Runespoors there during his school days.
As a traditionalist in magical creature studies, such man-made hybrid activities were considered heresy and absolutely forbidden by Chris.
Unfortunately, such actions weren't illegal. He had drafted several bills, but they never received any response. Recently, after Cornelius Fudge took office, Chris had even visited the Minister's office specifically for this issue, only to be put off by Fudge's adept stalling tactics, leading to nothing.
Clearly, to their new Minister, a bill on magical creatures was too trivial. He would rather make multiple visits to the Hogwarts Headmaster's office, which at least would keep him more at ease and enhance his image among the people.
Thus, Chris couldn't do much about Hagrid.
Moreover, those creatures Hagrid concocted were new lives after all; it wouldn't be right to completely ignore them and just discard them.
Chris had no choice but to observe, record, and categorize.
Over time, Chris's resentment towards Hagrid had reached its peak, and it was only because children were present that he didn't confront him directly.
Otherwise, he would have definitely taken action, even if Dumbledore were there.
Don't be surprised; although a Deputy Head, Chris was still actively involved in handling magical creatures on the front lines and was quite capable.
A pure-blood giant might be a challenge, but a half-blood giant without a wand was something Chris was confident he could handle.
Hagrid knew he was at fault and conscientiously opened the package, which indeed contained only a bunch of unknown seeds.
"In Dumbledore's name, I really came to Diagon Alley just to buy some seeds this time."
Hearing this, Chris's furrowed brows finally relaxed, and after a few more instructions, he let Hagrid leave.
Given Hagrid's respect for Dumbledore, he wouldn't lie about such matters.
But Kain, thoughtful, turned to watch Hagrid's retreating figure.
"Not this time," he thought, "but what about other times?"
Kain remembered the three-headed dog, Fluffy, from the first book, which Hagrid had bought from a Greek in a pub. Whether it was the Hog's Head or the Leaky Cauldron, he wasn't sure.
Don't think the Leaky Cauldron is all above board; there's plenty of shady dealings. Moreover, it's the only place that offers accommodation without checking IDs, so many smugglers with little cargo and no criminal record choose to stay here.
Having little cargo means convenience; just stuff it into a box, and no one would notice.
It's normal to have a meal out and do a deal with a customer on the side.
And with a gamekeeper at Hogwarts who is extremely fond of magical creatures, it's well known among the brokers.
Finding out about him wasn't difficult.
"Who said Hagrid was straightforward? He's quite sly, too."
Kain figured his father probably didn't know about Fluffy yet, but he wasn't planning to snitch.
After all, who could refuse a three-headed dog?
(End of Chapter)
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