After finishing their shopping, Professor McGonagall saw the family out of Diagon Alley and then left; she had another young wizard to guide. The Grays stood outside the Leaky Cauldron, exchanged glances, and both grinned.
"First, let's find a hotel—"
"I think the Leaky Cauldron might also offer accommodation upstairs—"
"No! What if we run into bad wizards? It's safer to stay in a normal hotel."
"You're right, Miss Fiona! I remember there's a nice hotel nearby that allows pets."
"What are we waiting for? Let's go!"
Wade feigned a helpless shake of his head. He carried the owl cage, while his parents took turns carrying his books, then his cauldron and other items. They quickly went to the hotel and checked in.
After dropping off their things, they were back in front of the Leaky Cauldron less than half an hour later.
Upon entering, the Grays simultaneously pulled out bags and produced wizard robes.
Seeing Wade's surprised look, Fiona winked and whispered, "While you were getting fitted, I took the opportunity to buy ready-made wizard robes. Don't just stand there,1 there's one for you too! Go change!"
The three of them slipped into their robes in a corner. Fortunately, it was hot summer weather, so they were lightly dressed to begin with, and the robes didn't look bulky over their clothes.
Fiona even added a hooded cloak for herself. With the hood up, only a small portion of her chin was visible, making her look incredibly cool and mysterious.
At this point, they seemed to blend perfectly with the pub's mysterious, dim atmosphere.
Ferdinand, feigning familiarity, ordered lunch. While waiting for their food, he quietly told the other two, "Although this place might not be very hygienic, I want to try it."
"Mm-hm." Fiona nodded solemnly. "I understand! Me too."
"What's the difference?" Wade quipped. "What's the best food in Britain? Foreign food!"
Sure enough, when lunch was served, the Grays stared at each other for a long time, unable to muster the courage to eat with the seemingly unwashed forks on the dark, dirty table.
Finally, Fiona picked up a piece of bread with a handkerchief and managed a few bites, while Ferdinand took a few sips of rum.
"No different, huh!"
"Tastes worse than what you buy at the supermarket..."
As they spoke, the door suddenly creaked open, and a colossal figure completely blocked the light from the entrance.
The Grays looked up and instantly gasped.
"Oh—my goodness—" Ferdinand groaned, instinctively shielding his wife and son. "God preserve us—"
An extremely tall and broad man stood there. He bent to squeeze through the doorway, his head almost touching the ceiling.
His presence was so overwhelming that most people completely overlooked the small figure walking in front of him.
Only Wade looked at the slender child, and, as expected, saw—[Harry Potter], and...
[Tom Riddle] above his head.
Unlike the Grays' panic, everyone else in the pub was delighted to see the large man. They all smiled and greeted him, and the pub owner's tone became warmer. "The usual, Hagrid?"
"Nah, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business!" the giant said gruffly.
"That's great! Doesn't look like a dangerous person." Ferdinand sighed in relief, wiping sweat from his brow.
"What did he say, Hogwarts?" Fiona noticed his words. "Wade, is that a teacher from your school too?"
She craned her neck to look, only to see everyone else in the pub stand up and gather around, lining up to shake hands with the big man's... companion, a small boy.
"Oh, oh, oh, looks like a big shot has arrived!"
Fiona immediately jumped up, abandoning her barely touched bread, and exclaimed, "Quick! Ferdie, Wade, let's go too!"
Unless absolutely necessary, Ferdinand never refused her impulsive requests, especially not for something so minor.
So he pushed back his chair and walked over, imitating the others as he shook the boy's hand, while solemnly saying, "An honour to meet you, Mr. Potter!"
As if he genuinely knew who Harry Potter was.
Surrounded, Harry Potter helplessly shook hands with one stranger after another, feeling overwhelmed by their various expressions of admiration and praise.
He unintentionally met the gaze of the dark-haired boy at the back of the crowd, and under the other boy's curious scrutiny, he couldn't help but feel a little awkward.
Harry hadn't yet adapted to his sudden celebrity status and always felt as though this fame was stolen.
Meanwhile, Wade was looking at another person—
A pale young man with a purple turban wrapped around his head tentatively approached Harry Potter. He looked very nervous and stammered when he spoke, appearing easily startled.
Seeing this, Fiona kindly made room for him, so he could shake hands with the "famous" Harry Potter.
And in Wade's eyes, that young man also had two almost overlapping names above his head—
[Quirinus Quirrell]
[Tom Riddle]
"Wow, wizards aren't so different from ordinary people after all! They even have celebrity crushes!"
Fiona was still excited when she returned, and Wade couldn't understand what she was excited about.
"By the way, is that child a child star in the wizarding world? Everyone seemed to know him," Fiona said.
"Judging by his age, he should be Wade's classmate."
Ferdinand wasn't swayed by the crowd's enthusiasm and saw more. "But that child looks a bit malnourished, and his clothes don't fit well. It seems he hasn't been properly cared for by his guardians."
"Hmm? That's unlikely, isn't it?" Fiona guessed. "Clothes... I guess it's a wizarding fashion? These wizards don't seem to understand Muggle clothing much."
"Hmm... perhaps." Ferdinand looked at his son. "Wade, we also saw a Hogwarts professor earlier, the young man with the purple turban. You really should have gone over to meet him beforehand."
"Forget it. That professor didn't seem very reliable," Wade said, uninterested.
Ferdinand thought about it and couldn't immediately refute him—because he also doubted the professor's competence, as he couldn't even speak a full sentence fluently.
"Alright, eaten enough?" Fiona pushed her plate away, pretending not to notice that most of her lunch was still there, and said eagerly, "Let's continue shopping!"
How could a single quick trip satisfy their curiosity about the magical world, especially in such a wondrous place like Diagon Alley?