Chapter 3: Meeting Harry Potter

After finishing the shopping, Professor McGonagall escorted the family out of Diagon Alley and then left, as she had another young wizard to guide. 

The Grey couple stood outside the Leaky Cauldron, exchanged a glance, and smiled.

"Let's find a hotel first—"

"I noticed that the Leaky Cauldron also offers accommodation upstairs—"

"No way! What if we run into some bad wizards? It's safer to stay in a regular hotel."

"You're right, Fiona! I remember there's a nice hotel nearby that even allows pets."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Wade shook his head with a pretend look of helplessness while carrying the cage with the owl. The couple swiftly took the books and cauldron and quickly checked into a hotel.

After dropping off their things, it took them less than half an hour to return to the entrance of the Leaky Cauldron.

Once inside, the Grey couple simultaneously pulled out bags and took out wizard robes.

Seeing Wade's surprised expression, Fiona winked and whispered, "While you were getting your robes tailored, I took the opportunity to buy some ready-made robes. Don't just stand there, there's one for you too. Go change!"

The three of them put on their robes in a corner. Fortunately, since it was summer and they were already wearing light clothing, adding the robes didn't make them look bulky.

Fiona had also bought herself an extra hooded cloak. When she put the hood on, only a small part of her chin was visible, making her look quite cool and mysterious.

At this point, they blended perfectly with the mysterious and dim atmosphere of the bar.

Fred, pretending to be a regular, ordered lunch. While waiting for the food, he whispered to the other two: "Although this place may be a little unhygienic, I want to give it a try."

"Mm-hmm." Fiona nodded seriously, "I understand! I feel the same way."

"What's the difference?" Wade complained: "What's the best food in the UK? Foreign food!"

Sure enough, when the lunch was served, the Grey couple stared at each other for quite a while, neither of them mustering the courage to eat from the dirty-looking forks on the grimy table.

Finally, Fiona used a handkerchief to hold the bread and managed to take a few bites, while Fred sipped some rum.

"Not much different!"

"Worse than what you'd buy at the supermarket..."

As they spoke, the door suddenly creaked open, and a huge figure completely blocked the light from the entrance.

The Grey couple looked up and gasped.

"Oh—my God—" Fred groaned, instinctively stepping in front of his wife and child. "God help us—"

A towering, burly man stood there, bending down to squeeze through the doorway, and his head was nearly touching the ceiling.

His presence was so overwhelming that most people completely overlooked the small figure walking in front of him.

Only Wade noticed the small, thin child and, unsurprisingly, saw something on his head—[Harry Potter] and…

[Tom Riddle]

Unlike the terrified Grey couple, the other patrons in the bar were delighted to see the giant, greeting him with smiles. Even the bartender spoke more warmly, "The usual, Hagrid?"

"No, Tom, I'm on official Hogwarts business!" the giant said good-naturedly.

"Thank goodness! Looks like he's not someone dangerous," Fred sighed in relief, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"Did he say 'Hogwarts'?" Fiona had caught what the giant said, "Wade, do you think he is also a teacher from the school?"

She craned her neck to get a better look, but saw that everyone in the bar had stood up and was lining up to shake hands with the child that the giant had brought in.

"Oh, oh, oh, looks like a big shot is here!!"

Fiona immediately jumped up, tossing aside the bread that was missing only a corner, and exclaimed, "Quick! Ferdie, Wade, let's go too!"

Fred rarely refused her spontaneous requests, especially when it was something this trivial.

So, he pushed his chair back and walked over, mimicking the others as he shook hands with the boy, saying with seriousness, "It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Potter!"

It was as if he truly knew who Harry Potter was.

Surrounded by strangers, Harry Potter was forced to shake hands with one person after another, bewildered by their admiration and effusive praise.

He accidentally made eye contact with a black-haired boy at the back of the crowd. His curious gaze made Harry feel a bit embarrassed.

Harry still hadn't adjusted to his sudden fame and felt as if this reputation had been undeservedly thrust upon him.

Meanwhile, Wade's attention shifted to another person—

A pale young man with a purple turban on his head cautiously moved toward Harry Potter. He looked extremely nervous, speaking in a stuttering manner, as if he was easily startled.

Seeing this, Fiona kindly stepped aside to make room for him so he could shake hands with the "famous" Harry Potter.

In Wade's eyes, the young man had two nearly overlapping names above his head—

[Quirinus Quirrell] 

[Tom Riddle]

...

"Wow, wizards don't seem all that different from regular people! They also chase stars!!" Fiona was still excited when she returned, though Wade couldn't understand what she was so thrilled about.

"By the way, is that kid a child star in the wizarding world? It seems like everyone knows him," Fiona said.

"Judging by his age, he might be Wade's classmate."

Fred, not swayed by the crowd's enthusiasm, observed more keenly, "But that child seems a bit malnourished, and his clothes don't fit well. It looks like his guardians haven't been taking good care of him."

"Hmm? That can't be right, can it?" Fiona speculated, "The clothes... Maybe it's just wizard fashion? These wizards don't seem to understand regular clothing very well."

"Perhaps..." Fred looked at his son, "Wade, we just saw a Hogwarts professor, the young man with the purple turban. You really should have come over and introduced yourself."

"Forget it, that professor doesn't seem very reliable," Wade said disinterestedly.

Fred thought for a moment and found it difficult to refute—he also doubted the professor's competence since the man couldn't even seem to speak a full sentence fluently.

"Alright then, we're pretty much done eating, right?" Fiona pushed her plate away, pretending not to notice that more than half of her lunch was still uneaten. She eagerly suggested, "Let's go shopping again!"

How can such a marvelous place as Diagon Alley possibly satisfy their curiosity about the magical world with just a quick visit?