4 The Beginning(3)
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Power comes in response to a need, not a desire. You have to create that need -- training Maniac
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**Charing Cross Road, London**
"We have arrived at the location, so Miss McGonagall, where is the entrance to the wizard world?" asked Mr. Granger, looking at the shops on the road, where there were bookshops and a record shop.
Kal remembered the moment when Hermione revealed that she was a witch, but at first, they didn't believe her. He did, however. Then, Miss McGonagall turned the table into a pig, proving that magic is real, and now, here they were.
"The entrance to the wizarding world cannot be in plain sight, Mr. Granger. Follow me," said McGonagall, walking toward the shop between the bookshop and the record shop.
"Is that odd-looking pub the entrance to the wizarding world where we get supplies for Hermione, Miss?" asked Kal, looking at the pub.
"Wait, can you see the pub, Kal?" asked McGonagall, shocked.
"Yes, it's visible to the naked eye, and it's an old, dirty-looking pub," said Kal, observing McGonagall's unusual reaction.
"See, Kal, only wizards can see the entrance. It's charmed so that Muggles will not notice it," explained McGonagall.
"But I cannot see any pub," Mr. Granger chimed in, followed by Mrs. Granger agreeing with her husband's statement.
"Well, I can see it. Wait, does that mean Kal is also a wizard?" Hermione asked, hopefully.
"No, Hermione, he's not a wizard. I would know if he were a wizard, as I am the messenger for Muggles," said McGonagall. Then, she turned to Kal and asked"do your grandparents have any ties to wizardry?"
"No, neither my parents nor my grandparents are wizards. I'm sure of it," replied Kal, confident in his answer but puzzled about why he could see the entrance.
"Hmm, well, let's go to the Leaky Cauldron first to get Hermione her supplies," said McGonagall after some deep thought without finding a solution.
As Kal, Hermione, and her parents entered the pub, they observed the bar where a middle-aged man served a guest. They looked around and noticed that everyone in the pub was wearing wizard outfits, with robes and hats, laughing and drinking.
McGonagall greeted the pub owner, Tom, and led them through the laughter to the back of the pub.
"Watch this carefully, Hermione, as you'll need to remember how to get to Diagon Alley next time," said McGonagall, taking out her wand and tapping a brick from a rubbish bin. She tapped it three times up and two times across. The wall initially formed a small hole but then expanded into a large archway.
"Now, this is the entrance to the wizard shopping area, Mr. Granger," said McGonagall, admiring the awe-stricken expressions of the audience.
"First, we will go to Gringotts to exchange Muggle money for wizard money," McGonagall announced, leading the way to the north side.
Kal and Hermione glanced at the various shops selling coats, books, and potions as they followed McGonagall. Their journey came to a sudden stop as they gazed at a snowy white building that towered over the other shops.
"I want you to be on your best behavior, as goblins do not like wizards or Muggles," warned McGonagall, guiding them to the entrance of the building.
A set of white stairs led to a pair of burnished bronze doors, flanked by a goblin in a scarlet and gold uniform. Kal paused and considered whether to fight the goblins, a wicked smile forming on his face.
Observing Kal's intentions, Hermione grabbed his arm and pulled him inside, preventing any potential chaos.
Inside the building, they entered a small entrance hall and found another set of silver doors. Engraved on these doors were the following words:
Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed
For those who take, but do not earn,
Must pay most dearly in their turn.
So if you seek beneath our floors
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there.
Beyond these doors, also flanked with goblins, was a vast marble hall with long counters stretching along its length and doors leading to the vault passageways. Approximately a hundred goblins sat behind these counters.
McGonagall approached a seated goblin and said, "Excuse me, we've come to exchange Muggle money for wizard money."
Meanwhile, Kal and Hermione were engaged in an argument, as Kal was eager to confront the goblin in armor, his blood pumping with excitement. Hermione tried to dissuade him from causing a commotion.
"Kalister Dolittle, you must not fight them!" Hermione finally shouted, fed up with the argument. The entire building fell silent, and all eyes were on them. Hermione felt embarrassed and hid behind Kal.
Seeing the situation, McGonagall began to speak but was interrupted by the head goblin.
"All of you, get to work and stop staring. Kid, are you a wizard or a Muggle?" the head goblin asked.
Kal, unsure why the goblin was suddenly interested in him, replied, "No, I don't belong to either category."
The head goblin signaled to another goblin employee and whispered something in his ear.
"Well, I want to test something. Follow me," the head goblin said, leading them deeper into the building.
"Don't worry; he won't harm us. I don't know why he wants us to follow him," assured McGonagall uncertain of the motive
They arrived at a private chamber where the head goblin took a piece of paper and a knife from an employee goblin.
"Kid, come over here. I want to test something. You said your last name is Dolittle, right?" the head goblin inquired.
"Yes, my name is Kalister Dolittle. But why the test?" asked Kal. The goblin didn't respond but simply took Kal's hand, pierced his finger with the knife, and allowed a drop of blood to fall onto the paper. As the blood made contact with the paper, words appeared magically.
"Oh," said Kal.
"It's an inheritance test. But Kal is not a wizard, and I don't recall any wizards with the surname Dolittle," McGonagall explained.
"As I suspected, you are a descendant of the great Dolittle family," the head goblin revealed, laughing.
"What does that mean?" Kal asked, questionly.
The head goblin burned the paper with a torch behind him and explained, "Welcome to the descendants of the great Dolittle family. Your ancestor, the great Robert Dolittle, helped many magical creatures and us during the Middle Ages, a fact unknown to the present wizarding world. He is a great warrior, but he was cursed by a blood witch not to have any wizard descendants. For generations, there have been no wizards in the lineage of his family, until now."
All members in the chamber were shocked by the revelation, including Kal, who had an open mouth. "So, does that mean I am a wizard?"
"No, you're not a wizard; your descendants will be," the head goblin replied.
"Then what am I?" Kal asked, frustrated.
