Chapter 3: Meeting Harry Potter
After they finished shopping, Professor McGonagall saw them out of Diagon Alley and left, as she had another young wizard to guide. Mr. and Mrs. Gray stood outside The Leaky Cauldron, looked at each other, and grinned simultaneously.
"Let's find a hotel first—"
"I think The Leaky Cauldron also offers accommodation—"
"No! What if we run into bad wizards? It's safer to stay in a normal hotel."
"You're right, Miss Fiona! I remember there's a nice hotel nearby that allows pets."
"What are we waiting for? Let's go!"
Wade feigned helplessness, shaking his head. He carried the owl cage, while the couple helped him with his books and cauldron, and they quickly checked into the hotel.
After dropping off their things, they were back in front of The Leaky Cauldron in less than half an hour.
Upon entering, Mr. and Mrs. Gray simultaneously pulled out bags and took out wizard robes.
Seeing Wade look at them in surprise, Fiona blinked and whispered, "While you were getting your robes custom-made, I took the opportunity to buy some ready-made ones. Don't just stand there, there's one for you too, go change!"
The three of them put on their robes in a corner. Luckily, it was hot summer, so they weren't wearing much to begin with, and the robes didn't look bulky over their clothes.
Fiona also added a hooded cloak for herself. With the hood up, only a small part of her chin was visible, making her look very cool and mysterious.
At this point, they seemed to blend perfectly with the mysterious, dim atmosphere of the pub.
Ferdinand, pretending to be a regular, ordered lunch. While waiting, he quietly told the other two, "Though this place might not be the cleanest, I want to try it."
"Mhm, mhm," Fiona nodded, saying solemnly, "I understand! Me too."
"What's the difference?" Wade grumbled, "What's the best food in England? Foreign food!"
Sure enough, when lunch was served, Mr. and Mrs. Gray stared at it for a long time, their eyes wide, not daring to eat with the seemingly unwashed fork on the black, dirty table.
Finally, Fiona used a handkerchief to pick up a piece of bread and forced herself to eat a few bites, while Ferdinand drank a few sips of rum.
"It's no different!"
"It tastes worse than what you buy at the supermarket…"
As they spoke, the door suddenly swung open with a resounding bang, and a massive figure completely blocked the light at the entrance.
Mr. and Mrs. Gray looked up and gasped.
"Oh—my goodness—" Ferdinand groaned, instinctively shielding his wife and son, "God save us—"
An incredibly tall and burly man stood there. He bent down to squeeze through the doorway, his head nearly touching the ceiling.
His presence was so powerful that most people completely overlooked the small figure walking in front of him.
Only Wade looked at the scrawny child and, as expected, saw above his head—[Harry Potter], and…
[Tom Riddle].
Unlike the terrified Mr. and Mrs. Gray, the others in the pub were delighted to see the big man. Everyone smiled and greeted him, and the pub owner's voice grew warmer: "The usual, Hagrid?"
"Nope, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business!" the giant said gruffly.
"That's great! Looks like he's not a dangerous person." Ferdinand breathed a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"What did he say, Hogwarts?" Fiona, however, had noticed his words: "Wade, is he a teacher at the school too?"
She craned her neck to look, only to see everyone else in the pub stand up and gather around, lining up to shake hands with the big man's… little companion.
"Oh, oh, oh, looks like someone important has arrived!"
Fiona immediately jumped up, abandoning her half-eaten bread, and cried out, "Quick! Ferdi, Wade, let's go too!"
Ferdinand never refused her impulsive requests unless absolutely necessary, especially for something so trivial.
So he pushed back his chair and walked over, imitating the others and shaking the boy's hand, all while saying earnestly, "It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Potter!"
As if he truly knew who Harry Potter was.
Surrounded, Harry Potter found himself shaking hands with one stranger after another, bewildered by their worship and lavish praise.
He inadvertently met the gaze of the dark-haired boy at the back of the crowd, and under the other's curious stare, he felt a little awkward.
Harry still couldn't adapt to his sudden celebrity status, always feeling as though this fame was stolen.
Meanwhile, Wade had already turned his attention to another person—
A pale young man with a purple scarf wrapped around his head tentatively approached Harry Potter. He looked very nervous and spoke haltingly, as if easily startled.
Seeing this, Fiona kindly made room for him so he could shake hands with the "famous" Harry Potter.
And in Wade's eyes, that young man also had two names, almost overlapping, above his head—
[Quirinus Quirrell]
[Tom Riddle]
...............
"Wow, wizards and ordinary people aren't so different after all! They even fangirl!"
Fiona was still excited when she returned, though Wade didn't understand what she was so excited about.
"So, is that kid like a child star in the wizarding world? Everyone seems to know him," Fiona said.
"Judging by his age, he should be in Wade's class."
Ferdinand wasn't swayed by the crowd's enthusiasm; he saw more. "But that child looks a bit malnourished, and his clothes don't fit well. It seems his guardians haven't been taking good care of him."
"Hmm? That's unlikely, isn't it?" Fiona guessed. "His clothes… I'd say that's just wizarding fashion, maybe? These wizards don't seem to understand how Muggles dress."
"Well… perhaps." Ferdinand looked at his son. "Wade, a moment ago we also saw a Hogwarts professor, the young man with the purple turban. You really should have come over and introduced yourself."
"Forget it. That professor didn't seem very reliable to me," Wade said, lacking interest.
Ferdinand thought for a moment, finding it hard to argue—because he also doubted the professor's competence, as he couldn't even speak a complete sentence fluently.
"Alright, are you done eating?" Fiona pushed her plate away, pretending not to notice that more than half of her lunch remained, and enthusiastically said, "Let's go shopping again!"
How could a quick round trip through such a wondrous Diagon Alley satisfy their curiosity about the magical world?
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