Diagon Alley

After Professor's departure, life didn't remain quite so peaceful for me.

Mary asked me for details about magic, and I gladly shared them. She visited so often that Sean, the kid in the neighboring room who first found me while I was injured, overheard one of our conversations and learned I was leaving for boarding school.

And thus, the pandemonium began. I was bombarded with question after question from the other kids. Some of them were so attached to me that they even refused to leave my room.

Thankfully, Mary intervened whenever they went overboard, though she didn't really try to keep them away; she seemed to enjoy watching me deal with the mess.

And no, the problems didn't end there. The real trouble came when my "secret stash of gold and jewelry" was brought out to the orphanage... I had forgotten that I'd have to explain the amount of gold and where I got it.

I had to lie and told her it was an investment, throwing in some random business terms to make it sound more believable.

Then, the day arrived when Professor McGonagall came back. Of course, she had to apparate away and return with a bag enhanced by an Undetectable Extension Charm after seeing the amount of gold.

Mary couldn't come with us to Diagon Alley because she had to look after the kids; if you leave them for even a few seconds, l am certain they stir up disasters.

I made sure to change my appearance to that of a random blond-haired boy, though I didn't know why Professor McGonagall stiffened for a moment upon seeing me, as if it reminded her of something unpleasant... curious.

After that, we finally apparated to our destination.

At first, it felt like something was tugging at my belly, and then, all of a sudden, I was being squeezed through a narrow pipe. The pipe itself felt like the bridge I had traveled through, but without the colors. It felt more cramped, and then, with another tug at my belly, we suddenly stood in front of a shabby, old pub.

You'd think I wouldn't feel discomfort, given my previous encounter with "the bridge," but apparently, facing something worse doesn't make you immune to a less extreme version. Same was the case for me. At least I didn't through up my lunch and was able to keep my cool after few moments.

Professor seemed to predict my situation and waited for me to get my bearings.

Once we arrived at the pub's door, Professor McGonagall gave me a stern warning, "Please do not wander away from me; it would be in your best interest," to which I nodded.

We finally entered the Leaky Cauldron.

I was greeted by the sight of a nearly empty bar with patrons wearing robes that obscured their features, sitting in various corners with little to no chatter, creating a gloomy atmosphere.

The pub's walls were adorned with posters of either missing or wanted people.

Behind the bar, a hunchbacked, bald man was cleaning some tableware. Seeing us, he greeted us warmly, "Ah! Professor McGonagall, what can I get for you?"

"Just here to escort a new student, maybe another time," Professor McGonagall replied curtly, and we made our way to the back of the pub into a courtyard enclosed by walls, with only a dustbin in the corner. "Remember the sequence: three up and two across," she said as she tapped the bricks with her wand.

Before my amazed eyes, the bricks in the wall began rearranging themselves to open up a hole that widened into an archway leading to a cobblestone road.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley."

I expected to see desolate streets, judging by the atmosphere in the pub, but surprisingly, there was a fair crowd. I suppose that there aren't many gathering places for wizards, and so even in wartime as main commercial hub, Diagon Alley still held some importance, although the increasing number could be accounted for the new academic year for the hogwarts.

As we made our way through the cramped streets, I noticed several individuals with strong magical presences, some alert and others blending into the crowd.

Maybe Aurors. Still, I kept my guard up; Professor McGonagall might be magically powerful, but she's just one person against many.

At the end of the street, an odd building came into view. It was made of white marble, tilted slightly to the right as if it might fall at any moment. Another peculiar thing about the building was the guard standing in front of the large bronze gates: short, fair-skinned, bald-headed, with long pointy noses and ears.

The first magical creature I saw in the wizarding world: goblins. As I focused my magical senses on them, I detected magic within them, though it was minimal compared to mine. Their magic also had a large amount of yellow coloring—whatever that means.

I wonder which side the goblins are supporting in the war. Being money-hungry creatures, I'm pretty sure they've got some dark dealings here and there.

"They are goblins; they work at Gringotts, the wizarding bank, safeguarding money. They hate our kind, so be mindful of them," Professor McGonagall explained.

As we neared the building, I noticed bold words written on the door:

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.

---

Thanks for reading the chapter guys.

If you liked it please give powerstones, and comment too.