"Are you alright?" Professor McGonagall asked, her voice tinged with concern.
Jerry smiled reassuringly and waved his hand. "I'm fine, just a bit dizzy. Where are we exactly?"
Though he didn't reveal it, Jerry recognized that Professor McGonagall had just performed Apparition, an advanced magical technique that only adult wizards could master. The fundamental principle was simple: teleportation to any location firmly held in one's memory, making it one of the most efficient methods of wizarding travel.
Yet Apparition was notoriously difficult to learn. Many fully-qualified adult wizards failed to perform it perfectly, risking spatial splinching, a horrific outcome where parts of the body might be left behind. The distance one could Apparate depended on both magical power and proficiency; some wizards managed only short jumps of a few hundred meters, while others could transport themselves across entire countries.
Professor McGonagall clearly belonged to the latter category. What impressed Jerry even more was that she had performed Side-Along Apparition, not only teleporting herself but safely bringing him along, a feat requiring considerable skill and control.
Jerry had expected they would appear directly in Diagon Alley, but instead, they stood on what seemed to be an ordinary Muggle street.
"This is Charing Cross Road in London," Professor McGonagall explained, straightening her robes. "It houses one of the entrances to Diagon Alley from the Muggle world. You must remember this location, as you'll need to find your way here independently when you return in the future."
Jerry nodded attentively, understanding why McGonagall had chosen this approach. To her, he was a child completely unfamiliar with the wizarding world. It made perfect sense that she would teach him the standard route that wizards used to access Diagon Alley, ensuring he could navigate it on his own later.
"Look there," she continued, pointing across the street. "That establishment is our gateway."
Following the direction of her finger, Jerry's gaze moved past a gleaming cinema with its marquee displaying the latest blockbuster, beyond a bustling burger restaurant wafting delicious aromas, finally settling on a narrow space between a large bookshop and a record store.
There stood a tiny, shabby-looking pub with a weathered wooden door. Above hung a small, cracked sign that read "The Leaky Cauldron" in faded lettering that tilted slightly to one side.
The grimy establishment looked utterly out of place nestled between the pristine, modern shops on either side. Yet what struck Jerry most was how the pedestrians hurrying past seemed completely oblivious to its existence. Their eyes slid from the bookshop directly to the record store, as if the pub simply wasn't there.
Jerry knew this was the effect of Muggle-Repelling Charms, powerful enchantments that rendered magical locations invisible and uninteresting to non-magical people, ensuring the wizarding world remained hidden in plain sight.
"Come along now," McGonagall said, guiding him across the street.
The small bell above the door jingled softly as Professor McGonagall ushered Jerry into the Leaky Cauldron. The interior was dimly lit and considerably more spacious than the exterior suggested, another magical trick. A haze of pipe smoke hung in the air, and the rich smell of hearty stew mingled with the sharper tang of various alcoholic beverages.
Only a handful of patrons were present, seven or eight witches and wizards in various styles of robes, engaged in quiet conversations over their drinks. At the sound of the bell, all eyes turned toward the entrance.
Recognition dawned on their faces as they spotted Professor McGonagall, and several nodded respectfully in greeting. As Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts and Head of Gryffindor House, McGonagall was something of a celebrity in wizarding Britain. Most adult wizards in the country had been her students at some point during her long teaching career.
Jerry recalled information from his previous life that Professor McGonagall had been teaching at Hogwarts for at least fifty years, possibly much longer, having appeared in Newt Scamander's memories in the early 20th century. Her influence on wizarding education was immeasurable.
"Why, Professor McGonagall!" called a cheerful voice from behind the bar. "Can I offer you something to drink?"
The speaker was an ancient, balding wizard whose wrinkled face resembled a shriveled walnut. His stooped posture couldn't conceal the warmth in his eyes as he greeted the professor.
"Not today, thank you, Tom," McGonagall declined with a polite wave. "I'm escorting a new Hogwarts student to purchase his school supplies."
Jerry studied the barkeeper with interest as they crossed the pub toward a back door. This was Tom, proprietor of the Leaky Cauldron for decades. Jerry noted that the man appeared remarkably old, he must have been running this establishment since before Voldemort's first rise to power, perhaps even sharing the same first name as the future Dark Lord.
Since her husband Elphinstone's tragic death from a Venomous Tentacula bite years ago, McGonagall rarely left Hogwarts except for official duties. Her presence here, guiding a Muggle-raised student, was itself an indication of how seriously she took her responsibilities.
They emerged into a small, walled courtyard behind the pub. It contained nothing more remarkable than a trash can and a few weeds growing between the cobblestones. McGonagall approached the brick wall opposite the door and withdrew her wand.
"Observe," she instructed Jerry. "This is how you'll enter on your own in the future. Count three bricks up above the trash can, then two across to the left. Tap that brick three times with your wand, and the entrance will appear."
She demonstrated the procedure. The moment her wand retracted after the third tap, the targeted brick quivered, almost as if alive. It wiggled and squirmed, and then a small hole appeared in its center. The hole expanded rapidly as surrounding bricks folded themselves out of the way, creating an archway large enough for several people to walk through side by side.
Beyond the archway stretched a cobblestone street that twisted and turned out of sight, lined with the most extraordinary collection of shops Jerry had ever seen.
"Welcome," said Professor McGonagall, "to Diagon Alley."
As they stepped through the archway, Jerry couldn't suppress his genuine wonder. Though his mind contained memories of seeing this place in films during his previous life, nothing compared to experiencing it firsthand. The vibrancy, the sounds, the smells, it was utterly overwhelming in the best possible way.
Unlike the Muggles on Charing Cross Road dressed in their summer attire and carrying shopping bags from conventional retailers, Diagon Alley teemed with witches and wizards in robes of every imaginable color. Nearly everyone carried a wand, and many were accompanied by magical creatures: owls perched on shoulders, cats weaving between legs, and even the occasional toad bulging from a pocket.
Jerry caught glimpses of house-elves hurrying behind their masters and, further down the street, the unmistakable profile of goblins entering a grand white building that could only be Gringotts Bank.
The cacophony of merchants hawking their wares added to the sensory experience:
"Cauldrons, copper, brass, pewter, and silver! All sizes! Self-stirring, collapsible, and portable models available!" shouted a round-faced wizard outside a shop overflowing with stacked cauldrons that glinted in the sunlight.
"Finest selection of owls! Tawny, barn, screech, brown, and snowy, perfect companions for the discerning wizard!" called a witch from the entrance of a dark shop from which hoots and rustling feathers could be heard.
"The Nimbus 2000, fastest racing broom on the market! Just arrived! Come see why professionals choose Nimbus!" proclaimed a sleek sign outside Quality Quidditch Supplies, where a crowd of young wizards pressed their noses against the window display.
"Dragon liver, seventeen Sickles an ounce! Bat spleens, three Knuts each! Eel eyes, salamander blood, spell books, quills, parchment, everything a student needs at unbeatable prices!" announced a shopkeeper from the doorway of an apothecary, the pungent smell of his merchandise wafting into the street.
As they approached a shop with "Potage's Cauldron Shop" emblazoned above its entrance, Professor McGonagall turned to Jerry, who was still absorbing the spectacle around him.
"Did you bring your letter?" she inquired.
"Yes, I have it right here," Jerry replied, pulling the parchment envelope from his pocket and showing it to the professor.
McGonagall nodded approvingly. "Good. There's a list of required supplies inside. We'll procure each item systematically."
Jerry carefully extracted the second page from the envelope and unfolded it:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY
Required Equipment List:
Uniform:
Three sets of plain work robes (black)
One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
One winter cloak (black with silver fastenings) All items should carry name tags
Textbooks:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble
Other Equipment:
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring ONE of the following pets:
Owl
Cat
Toad
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS ARE NOT PERMITTED TO BRING THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS.
Jerry folded the parchment carefully, his eyes shining with anticipation. The adventure was truly beginning.