The world shifts violently around me. One moment I am standing in the quiet orphanage, letter in hand. The next, the air is thick with magic, crisp and tingling, and I feel the familiar weight of teleportation—Dumbledore's magic guiding me.
Diagon Alley.
I step onto the cobblestones, absorbing everything with precision: the way merchants shout, the smell of baked bread mixing with cauldron smoke, the subtle pulse of magic in the air. My senses are sharper than they've ever been. Every detail is catalogued in my mind, every opportunity noted.
Dumbledore is beside me, calm and efficient as always, his presence reassuring yet commanding. He leads me toward Gringotts, the towering spires of the wizarding bank looming over the street.
Inside, goblins greet us with wary eyes. Dumbledore waves a hand, and a small, ancient ledger opens itself from his robes. Numbers and vault identifiers dance across its pages. I watch him communicate silently with the goblins, drawing from Hogwarts' private vault a sum of wizarding gold sufficient for any first-year student's needs—and then some.
He hands the coins to me with a faint smile.
"Enough to purchase everything you require," he says. "Books, robes, wands… and a bit extra for… incidentals."
I nod, accepting the gold carefully, counting it mentally in a single glance. Enough, yes. More than enough. I tuck it away, feeling the weight of potential in my pocket. Power isn't just magic; it's resources. And I am well-prepared.
But then he checks his watch—or perhaps something deeper, some unspoken obligation. His expression tightens.
"I'm afraid I cannot accompany you through the rest of Diagon Alley," he says, voice clipped yet polite. "I have urgent matters to attend to… Grindelwald's rise has made this era particularly unstable. I must act quickly."
I incline my head, polite, calm. "Of course, sir. I understand completely. You have more pressing matters."
He hesitates for a moment, eyes studying me. Perhaps he suspects something beneath the surface, but the mask I've perfected holds. A humble, obedient child, eager to learn. The perfect student in his eyes.
"Very well," he says finally. "Do be careful, Tom. And remember… conduct yourself in a way that reflects well on your future."
"Certainly, sir," I reply, voice even, composed. Not a hint of the thoughts churning beneath the surface: strategy, observation, and endless calculation.
He disappears with a faint shimmer, leaving me alone in Diagon Alley.
Alone.
A thrill runs through me—not fear, not uncertainty, but opportunity.
I glance at the bustling street. Shops line the cobblestones like treasures waiting to be claimed: Flourish & Blotts, the wandmaker's emporium, the sweet shop, the potion ingredients store. Every merchant, every customer, every wizard is a variable in the equation. And I am the constant, the observer, the strategist.
[System Notification: New Environment Detected — Diagon Alley][Quest Available: Acquire School Supplies][Tips: Identify potential allies, threats, and opportunities]
I take a measured breath, counting my coins again. Enough for the basics. Enough to make calculated purchases.
First, books. Knowledge is power. I will study everything I can, memorizing every page, analyzing every spell and potion. Then, robes and equipment—tools are extensions of will. And perhaps… if I feel daring, I might observe the alley itself, the behaviors of the wizards and witches, the patterns of transactions, the hidden vulnerabilities of the environment.
I smile faintly. Alone, yes… but entirely capable. Entirely prepared. Entirely in control.
Dumbledore left me here, but he underestimates me. They all will.
And that… is perfect.