Chapter 5

Albert descended into the main hall and said to Kreacher, "Kreacher, you know where The Leaky Cauldron is, don't you?"

"Of course, sir. I've taken most of the family there before."

"Then take me there; I need to buy books and school supplies."

"Very well. Shall we go now?"

"Yes."

"Alright, sir. Take my hand."

Albert could have apparated there himself, but one condition for apparition was having previously visited the intended location.

Kreacher snapped his fingers, and within moments, Albert found himself standing before three large streets. The first had a sign reading "No. 24," and the third "No. 25." However, the second street in between had no sign at all.

Before Albert could ask, his eyes fell on an old, shabby pub squeezed between a record shop and a bookstore, with a wooden sign above it reading "The Leaky Cauldron."

"Thank you, Kreacher. You can return home. I'll take it from here."

"Very well, sir."

Kreacher snapped his fingers and disappeared from Albert's sight.

Albert walked straight towards the pub and pushed open the door.

He glanced around at the decor. The pub was styled after the medieval era, not particularly tidy, with dim lighting. Everything was made of wood—from the floors to the tables, chairs, and even the mugs. A few patrons in the corners, dressed in robes and odd clothes that defied description, were drinking or playing dice.

He might have stood at the door for a bit too long, lost in thought, when an old, hunched man, resembling a toothless walnut, who seemed to be the pub owner, approached him.

The old man stopped in front of Albert and said, "I'm Tom, the owner of The Leaky Cauldron, and it looks like you need something."

Before Albert could respond, Tom continued, "I suppose you're here to get your Hogwarts supplies?"

"Yes," Albert replied. "I've never been here before. How do I get to Diagon Alley? I need to buy things for Hogwarts."

Tom gave a crooked smile. "Isn't someone supposed to accompany people like you? Oh well, follow me." He led Albert to the back courtyard after saying that.

Tom pulled out his wand and pointed it at the back wall. "Next time, knock three times with your wand on the bricks in the same sequence I'll show you!"

When Tom tapped the bricks, the wall shook and began to move, revealing a wide passageway leading to a bustling, winding cobblestone street. It was a sight so magical that it was worth taking in.

"Wake up, boy... Tsk, you don't seem like you'll get far in Hogwarts with that kind of focus. You'd better head to Gringotts first. Just go straight and look for the tallest white building to exchange your money." After saying that, Tom put his wand away and was about to leave when he suddenly turned back as if he had forgotten something.

"By the way, my pub isn't a free passageway. Next time, it'll cost you 15 Knuts (a bronze coin)."

"Tsk, what a mean old man. Life must not have been kind to him. He kind of reminds me of Eustace from a cartoon I used to watch as a kid. Well, it's not like I'll ever need to pass through his pub again."

(Should I put special markers for internal thoughts or leave it as is?)

After Albert passed through the back wall, he walked slowly, taking in the sights, the buildings, and the various shops. Although each detail, when viewed in isolation, might seem odd, discordant, or even ugly, when seen together, they formed a masterpiece.

After enjoying the atmosphere and wandering around, Albert decided to start by purchasing the more familiar items first. He visited various shops, buying magical robes, schoolbooks, cauldrons, scales, crystal vials, and other items on his list.

Once he'd bought everything required, only two things remained: a pet and a wand.

So, he headed to the pet store without hesitation.

Albert opened the door to the shop and was greeted by the owner, a woman named Malsin.

As she saw the child enter her store, Malsin asked, "Child, did you come here to buy something? Where's your guardian? Did you lose your way?"

"Well, ma'am, I came to buy a pet to accompany me."

After carefully examining Albert's appearance, Malsin noticed he was wearing a thick black leather shirt and well-decorated black and white trousers, both of which looked quite expensive. Malsin realized that this child came from a wealthy family and could afford to pay.

Changing her demeanor to please her potential customer, Malsin said, "Well, little one, what kind of pet do you like? We have all sorts of lovely, well-behaved, and easy-to-train animals here. We have owls, cats, frogs, turtles, and things you've never seen before."

Albert wandered around the shop, looking at the cages and trying to decide which pet he would take with him.

He looked carefully and saw a large white owl staring back at him with a cold, indifferent gaze.

Albert spoke up, "Ma'am, I'd like to buy this owl. How much does it cost?"

Malsin replied, "Oh, it's a wonderful owl. Well, since you're such a polite and sweet child, I'll sell it to you for four Galleons. I usually sell it for five. What do you say?"

"Deal."

Albert took out four gold coins from his pocket and handed them to Malsin.

"Good, the owl is yours."

Albert took the cage and said, "Thank you."

He left the shop and headed towards his final destination.

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