Chapter 4: Diagon Alley

Minerva McGonagall wasn't wearing her usual emerald-colored robe that day. Instead, she was dressed in Muggle attire as she headed towards her destination. She was on her way to Diagon Alley, accompanying a Muggle-born girl who was about to start her first year at Hogwarts.

(When it comes to Muggle-born children learning about magic, they can either become anxious or be eager to know more. Hermione was definitely the latter. She asked a lot of questions when we first met, and I hope her thirst for knowledge continues to make her a great witch after entering Hogwarts.)

McGonagall was looking forward to Hermione Granger's future as she pressed the doorbell. Hermione, unable to contain her excitement, was already waiting by the front door with a big smile on her face.

"Good morning, Professor McGonagall. I'm ready for today. Thank you for doing this."

"Good morning, Miss Granger. It seems you're well-prepared. Shall we begin?"

McGonagall was about to Apparate them both to Diagon Alley, but Hermione had a question.

"Professor, where are we going today? If possible, I'd like to go with my friends."

"Miss Granger, today we're going to Diagon Alley for your school supplies and magical items. It's a place called Diagon Alley, and Muggles cannot enter there, so you'll have to leave that thought behind."

"My friends come from a wizarding family, and they're starting at Hogwarts this year. They wanted to shop for school supplies together."

"Well, in that case, it's not a problem. But I must say, you being Muggle-born, I assumed your friends were also Muggles..."

"I only found out yesterday that they're wizards too. Would you mind walking with us to the meeting place?"

McGonagall agreed, and the two of them made their way to the library.

Outside the library,

When they arrived at the library, Leo was already waiting for them.

"Good morning, Hermione. The lady next to you must be Professor McGonagall, right? Nice to meet you. I'm Leonard Taylor, and I'll be starting at Hogwarts this year."

Upon hearing Leo's name, McGonagall was taken aback. Leonard Taylor was a well-known name in the wizarding world.

"I can't believe it, is that Leonard Taylor? I remember seeing his name on this year's enrollment list... I never expected you to appear as the friend of a Muggle-born child."

Hermione was unaware of the intricacies of the wizarding world or Leo's circumstances, but she sensed that Leo was not an ordinary child from McGonagall's reaction.

(Leo is amazing, after all!)

Despite her surprise, McGonagall quickly remembered the purpose of today.

"Let's go buy our school supplies then. The two of you, follow me, and I'll Apparate us to Diagon Alley."

Hermione seemed curious about the unfamiliar terms. Leo admired her proactive attitude towards learning.

"Diagon Alley is located at a pub called the Leaky Cauldron in London, serving as the entrance to the wizarding market. It's hidden from Muggles by a concealment spell, so they won't notice it. Apparation is essentially teleportation in Muggle terms, like something out of science fiction. Since I'm accompanying you, think of it as Professor McGonagall taking us there. I'm sure you'll have many more questions today, but feel free to ask me anything. If I can answer, I will."

"Thank you, Leo!"

The two of them grabbed onto McGonagall's arm, and with a sensation akin to their navels being pulled, they vanished.

The next moment, they were standing in front of the Leaky Cauldron, not where they had been just moments ago.

Hermione felt a bit queasy from her first Apparation experience, but her excitement over the magic she had just witnessed quickly overpowered any discomfort.

As the three entered the pub, they found it unusually crowded. It was never this noisy here.

McGonagall asked Tom, the owner, if something had happened. Tom, clearly excited, began to explain who had just arrived at the pub.

"It's Harry Potter! The 'Boy Who Lived' was here! Oh, it's so exciting to see that hero finally returning to the wizarding world!"

McGonagall and Leo understood the commotion, but Hermione didn't quite grasp why a famous person visiting was such a big deal.

After leaving the pub, they passed through the archway and entered Diagon Alley. Beyond the archway lay a world of magic, filled with countless magical items that Hermione had never seen before, and whose uses she could only imagine.

Leo was captivated by the colorful and magical scenery of Diagon Alley, filled with various enchantments, using his "eyes."

First, they went to the only wizarding bank to exchange money and make withdrawals. Then they purchased textbooks, cauldrons, and other supplies. Leo used a Transfiguration spell to send the purchased items home, so they didn't need to carry anything.

As for pets, neither of them had an interest at the moment.

Next, they headed to "Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions." However, there was an unusually large man standing in front of the shop, causing quite an obstruction.

"Hagrid, standing in front of the door like this makes it hard for other customers to enter. Could you move aside a bit?"

"Oh, it's Professor McGonagall! My apologies for that. So, are you here today for new students' shopping?"

McGonagall had some business with Hagrid, so Hermione and Leo proceeded to purchase their uniforms.

Inside the shop, two boys were having a conversation. The one with a pale face seemed to finish first and left the shop, while the other boy, still being measured for his robes, looked somewhat exhausted.

Hermione and Leo patiently waited their turn since they had little interest in small talk.

Leo was next in line for measurements, and Hermione stood beside the remaining boy.

"Hey, are you two going to Hogwarts as well?"

"Yes, we are. Are you too? Nice to meet you."

"Me too. Nice to meet you."

"Uh... are your parents wizards or Muggles?"

"Why do you ask?"

"The guy who was here earlier was talking about how you need to be from a pure-blood family or have wizard parents to attend prestigious schools. It got me curious..."

"Ah, that's pure-blood ideology, valuing old bloodlines. I don't really care about that. I think it's all nonsense."

In response to those words, the weariness on the boy's face seemed to lessen somewhat.

As they continued to chat about what it would be like once they enrolled at Hogwarts, the boy finished his measurements, received his robes and uniform, and left the shop. It appeared he was heading off with the large man who had been waiting by the door.

Leo noticed that the boy seemed to be enveloped in a thin, golden veil-like magic. It was likely some form of protective spell, its gentle hues and intricate design making it quite beautiful. Leo couldn't help but feel a pang of regret; he wished he could have analyzed it more thoroughly, given the chance.

Leo and Hermione finished their shopping and left the store. They met with McGonagall as planned and set off to buy wands.

"The best place to buy wands is at Ollivanders," McGonagall asserted confidently. "I, too, found my wand there. I'm sure you'll each find the perfect wand for yourselves."

They entered a small shop with a sign that read 'Ollivanders - Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC'. Despite McGonagall's assured words, the shop appeared rather shabby, and Leo couldn't help but feel that the already small shop seemed even more cramped with the ceiling-high stacks of wand boxes.

After waiting for a while inside the shop, the owner Mr. Ollivander, appeared.

He began by explaining the significance of wands to Hermione before proceeding to meticulously assess each wand's compatibility with her. After some time, it seemed a wand with dragon heartstring and vine wood, the wand of a grapevine with a dragon's heart, had chosen her. Hermione got the Dragon Heartstring Core wand.

"Now, then, shall we select a wand for the young man over there? May I ask your name?" Ollivander inquired.

"I'm Leonard Taylor. I won't be purchasing a wand today; I already have one I've crafted myself," the boy replied.

"Ah, Leonard Taylor, you say? I see. I didn't expect that. To be both a craftsman and a wizard... I would very much like to discuss wand crafting with you if the opportunity arises."

"Given the chance, I'd be delighted."

Having acquired their wands and gathered all the necessary school supplies, the two of them were ready for the day's end.

"Thank you for today. I have some other matters to attend to, so it's best if you both return home using Muggle transportation. Oh, that's right. Here, take these. They are your tickets for the Hogwarts Express. Mr. Taylor should know where to find it. I look forward to meeting you both at Hogwarts," McGonagall said with a smile before disappearing from sight.

With that, the two of them headed home via the train. Hermione beamed as she looked at her Hogwarts Express ticket, clearly overjoyed by the day's experiences.

"Leo, what's the deal with Platform 9¾? Are you keeping it a secret like today's leaky cauldron?" Hermione inquired.

"That's something to look forward to on the actual day. For now, let's stick to our promise of studying together starting tomorrow. We can do it at my place since going to Hermione's house or the library won't work. I'm looking forward to seeing how much we can accomplish before our enrollment. Will you be up for it?" Leo replied.

"Of course! My goal is to surpass you in the world of magic!" Hermione declared.

And so, Hermione's first day in the magical world was coming to a close, filled with excitement and hope.

Leo pondered how he would train Hermione starting tomorrow and eagerly anticipated the kind of magic she would create as she grew.

Leo, despite being underage, is using magic via special permission based on his research findings. 

Hagrid and McGonagall were discussing the recovered Philosopher's Stone.

When Leo met Harry, he didn't realize it was Harry Potter since he couldn't see the lightning bolt scar on his forehead. He only sensed the protective magic of Harry's mother but refrained from analyzing it in detail out of courtesy during their first meeting. However, Leo is curious about why Harry survived the Killing Curse and plans to investigate further.