On July 30th, the doorbell of the Wick household rang.
When the door was opened, a tall woman stood there.
She wore a deep green robe and square glasses on her stern face.
Given this appearance, there was no mistaking that it was the Quidditch-loving Deputy Headmistress.
Minerva McGonagall, a professor at Hogwarts and head of Gryffindor House.
McGonagall politely nodded first and then inquired of the stunned John.
"Minerva McGonagall. John Wick, may I come in?"
Seeing a character from the books for the first time, John snapped back to reality and flashed a brilliant smile, inviting Professor McGonagall inside.
The Wicks, who didn't believe their son, were also stunned. They exchanged glances, wondering if their child had hired someone to play a role.
Holding onto their doubts, the couple sat on the sofa while Professor McGonagall took a seat on the other side.
Meanwhile, the protagonist, John, turned into a servant, serving tea and water.
Once seated, Watson Wick spoke first, "So, you're the teacher from Hogwarts?"
His expression and tone were filled with skepticism.
Professor McGonagall, having encountered countless parents like this, wasn't angered. With a courteous correction, she said, "It's Hogwarts, and to be precise, I'm a professor."
The couple looked at John in unison, unable to help but wonder if their son hadn't lied to them.
John put on an innocent face, as if to say, "I told you it was true."
Watson wasn't easily convinced and changed his posture, leaning slightly forward. He gestured with his hands and, with a skeptical tone, said:
"So, my son is a wizard? Do you guys pull off dead people's fingernails and nail black cats to doorposts?"
Such arrogant and doubtful remarks were indeed unfriendly. Even McGonagall frowned and sternly said:
"Mr. Wick, only Dark wizards pull off dead people's fingernails. Hogwarts is a proper school of magic."
"Sorry."
Watson realized his words had gone a bit too far, but it was still hard for him to fully believe.
McGonagall knew that it wasn't easy for Muggle families to accept having a wizard among them, so she drew her wand and waved it.
The teacup in Watson's hand turned into a rat, which scurried up his sleeve, making Watson scream.
John, witnessing magic for the first time, especially such advanced Transfiguration, couldn't help but feel excited.
After this incident, Watson completely believed what John had been saying.
No matter how skilled a magician was, it was impossible to transform a cup into a rat across a table.
After seeing McGonagall off that day, Watson became extremely curious:
"John, turn the cup into a rat."
"John, make the broom sweep the floor by itself."
"John, can you fly on a broomstick?"
"John..."
John was overwhelmed by the barrage of requests and finally resorted to his ultimate weapon—having Mrs. Wick step in to shoo Watson out of the room.
...
On July 31st, John needed to prepare for school.
"This should be the place."
Charing Cross Road.
A dirty, narrow pub stood in stark contrast to the large bookstore and record shop on either side.
Yet this conspicuous spot was completely ignored by passersby.
Muggle-Repelling Charm.
Anyone familiar with Harry Potter would recognize this place—it was where Harry's dream began and the gateway to Diagon Alley.
This dirty, narrow pub had a famous name: the Leaky Cauldron.
Before entering the pub, the beautiful Mrs. Wick expressed her concern: "John, you're still a child. You can't go into a pub."
John confidently reassured her that he wouldn't.
After all, it was hard to find such an environment appealing.
Upon entering the Leaky Cauldron, the combined stench of sweat and sour beer created a peculiar smell that made the entire family frown.
They thought the outside was already filthy, but the inside was even more alarming.
John even wondered how these wizards could tolerate such a smell, especially the guy with a turban on his head.
Out of 100% of the smell, that person probably contributed 60%.
The bald bartender stepped out from behind the bar and, seeing how the family was dressed, immediately understood.
"Come on, you're costing me a few Knuts just standing here."
The money-loving bartender grudgingly moved aside, his words expressing his displeasure with the family, which made Mrs. Wick think wizards were indeed rude.
Led by the bartender, the family arrived at the entrance to Diagon Alley.
The bartender demonstrated how to access the entrance: "Count three bricks up from the trash can, then two across."
As he tapped the wall, it parted to reveal a path to the magical world.
"This is... magic..."
John was stunned, as if the scenes from two different worlds appeared before his eyes.
Even in the future, when he would recall this moment, it would still be so vivid.
"Sorry, coming through." A rough voice sounded from behind.
A giant figure, standing at least three meters tall, came into view.
A super-sized mole-skin coat emanated a smell that was an indistinguishable mix of wild beast and too-long-unwashed odor.
Next to the giant was a small boy who looked undernourished, likely from years of poor nutrition.
His oversized clothes made him look even more frail, and he wore round glasses, with a pair of attractive green eyes peering out from beneath them.
Seeing the lightning-shaped scar under his messy hair, John immediately recognized the boy.
Having watched Harry Potter in his previous life, even though it had been over a decade, such a distinctive duo was impossible to mistake.
The Boy Who Lived.
"Hagrid and Harry."
John muttered, while his parents were too stunned to speak.
Transforming a teacup into a rat had been astonishing enough, but the sight of Hagrid's clearly non-human height left them in shock.
Watching the duo of Hagrid and Harry walk away, John refocused.
Though he was eager to chat with them, now was clearly not the right time.
He had a lot of items to buy, but first, he needed to exchange some money at Gringotts.
Ignoring the bewildering exchange rates at Gringotts.
The Wick family had a decent income.
Watson Wick was a manager at a company, and Mrs. Wick ran a beauty salon.
They exchanged £2,000 for 400 Galleons.
John recalled the goblin's greedy and cunning expression at the counter, feeling like they'd been scammed.
Regardless, they now had funds for their shopping.
John ignored Watson's constant muttering about showing the Galleons off to his friends and began exploring Diagon Alley with his family. He saw dragon liver, and his foodie genes from China stirred, making him want to buy some to taste.
To the Wick parents, however, it was just a pile of bloody liver to be avoided at all costs.
…
Flourish and Blotts.
Watson nearly had his fingers bitten off by the Monster Book of Monsters due to his curiosity.
John methodically bought all the books on his list and a few extra books about the magical world. He struggled to tear his eyes away from the thick Hogwarts: A History.
…
Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.
Madam Malkin was a short, plump witch with a contagious smile.
She was very pleased with John, who was a natural clothes horse; every piece of clothing fit him perfectly.
After he left, Harry arrived and encountered the spoiled Draco Malfoy.
…
Cauldron Shop.
John worked hard to dissuade Watson from buying a self-stirring cauldron to take home, explaining it would make a mess of their house.
But Watson thought it might serve as a good stew pot. When Mrs. Wick heard he wanted to put it in the kitchen, she firmly put her foot down, making Watson drop the idea.
…
Apothecary.
The family stared at the bizarre items floating in jars of liquid, and Mrs. Wick quickly covered her precious son's eyes in fear.
Watson looked like he was about to throw up but couldn't, feeling as if the bacon from breakfast was squirming its way up from his stomach.
In the end, the family fled the apothecary in a hurry.