The Hogwarts Emerald

Chapter 4 The Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley
Professor McGonagall looked at Ada, and her emerald eyes became dull. Professor McGonagall asked, "What's wrong? Don't you want to go?"

"No, I am very fascinated by the magical world you described, and I am willing to go to Hogwarts to study!" Ida raised her head, her eyes sparkled, but then dimmed in an instant, "But I have no money, and my savings may not be enough to support me to go to Hogwarts."

"This is an easy problem to solve." McGonagall said as she took out a leather purse from her pocket. "There is no tuition fee at Hogwarts, and we also have a scholarship fund specifically for those who need help buying textbooks and school robes. However, you may need to buy some second-hand goods."

"No problem." Ada replied, and then pointed to her clothes. "I grew up here, and I have been using second-hand items since I was a child, so buying second-hand goods is not a problem at all. It's just that I don't know where to buy them."

"Everything you need can be bought in Diagon Alley. I can take you there, and you can also bring your savings and exchange them for some wizarding currency if you need it."

"Then when can we set off?"

"Now. You can pack first. I'll wait for you at the door of the orphanage. Remember to take your shopping list. It was sent with the letter." After saying that, Mag stood up and walked out. Only Ada was left in the room.

Ida was quite satisfied with her performance just now. She just did what a child who grew up in an orphanage and had never heard of the magic world should do. Ida didn't want to act too magical or attract too much attention. She was too weak now, not even as strong as an ant.

After putting the items in the room in order, she took out all her property - part of it was from her own work, and part of it was from the two couples who had adopted her. This money could not do anything big, but at this moment it was all that Ada had.

The magic world is a journey that looks a little dangerous but is sure to be colorful. Ada walked to the window and saw Professor McGonagall standing in the yard through the window. Although she was very old, her back was still straight.

Ada chose to accept her fate and meet the challenge.

Professor McGonagall and Ada used Muggle transportation to travel across half of London and arrived at this ordinary street, which was crowded with ordinary people.

"Here we are, the Leaky Cauldron," Professor McGonagall paused. "Muggles won't notice it."

Following the direction of Professor McGonagall's finger, Ada also saw the legendary Leaky Cauldron. It really lived up to its reputation, dirty, small, and inconspicuous, let alone Muggles. If it weren't for McGonagall's guidance, I would never have noticed it.

When we entered the bar, we found it was dark and dirty, which was very worthy of its appearance.

There were a few wizards sitting in the bar in twos and threes. They all seemed to know Professor McGonagall and greeted her one after another. Even the bar owner came over to greet her.

"Professor McGonagall, would you like something to drink?" said Tom, the bar owner, attentively.

"No, I have something else to do." Mag said as he walked forward, and Ada quickly followed.

Passing the bar, the two men came to a small courtyard surrounded by walls, where there was only a trash can and some weeds.

"Remember, Miss Drizzt, count three bricks upwards and two bricks horizontally." Mag first motioned Ada to come over and watch her count the bricks, and then asked Ada to step back after she saw clearly. Mag used her wand to gently tap three times on the wall where she had counted before.

As Professor McGonagall knocked, the brick began to move, and a small hole appeared on the wall, which then grew larger and larger. After a while, a wide archway appeared in front of them, leading to a cobblestone street with no end in sight. Although I had seen this scene in a movie in my previous life, I was still shocked when I saw it in person.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley, Miss Drizzt." Professor McGonagall looked back at the surprised Ada, then walked forward first, and Ada hurriedly followed.

The endless flow of people made the originally wide streets very crowded. People were talking loudly, greeting each other, and bargaining. The Crucible Shop, Eeyore Owl Shop, the Broomstick Shop surrounded by boys, and many other strange shops. It seemed that the merchants in Diagon Alley sold everything they could imagine.

"Do you need to exchange some gold Galleons? Gold Galleons are the currency in the wizarding world. One Galleon can be exchanged for seventeen Silver Sickles, and one Silver Sickle can be exchanged for twenty-nine Copper Knuts." Mag said to Ada. "I have some savings and want to exchange them for wizard currency."

"Follow me."

Led by Professor McGonagall, the two came to a tall snow-white building. Next to the shiny bronze door stood a goblin in a scarlet and gold-studded uniform. On the way here, McGonagall introduced Gringotts to Ada and naturally mentioned goblins.

In fact, Ada was a little puzzled. The final winner of the war between wizards and goblins was the wizard, but the wizards handed over finance to the goblins. If the goblins launched a currency war, the wizards who were high up would probably have a miserable life in the future. The lifeline of the economy is in the hands of the goblins. I really don’t know which wizard came up with this idea.

The two goblins bowed to them and led them into a tall marble hall. Professor McGonagall said to one of the goblins, "Miss Drizzt is a student who will be enrolled this year. She needs to exchange some Galleons."

"Okay. Today's exchange rate is one to five, which means five pounds can be exchanged for one gold galleon." The goblin looked at Ada and asked, "So how much does Miss Drizzt plan to exchange?"

After exchanging the money, Ada left Gringotts under the guidance of Mag. Ada exchanged 100 gold Galleons. This was all she had and she could only exchange so much. Muggle-born children can exchange a certain amount of currency at Gringotts before the beginning of each school year to ensure that these little wizards have money to buy the supplies they need. At the same time, in order to prevent bank runs, the goblins at Gringotts limit the amount of exchange. After all, if wizards want, Muggle currency is much easier to earn than Galleons.

Ada put the leather purse containing Galleons in her pocket. This leather purse was enchanted by the fairies, which expanded the internal space of the purse to store coins. The person carrying it would not feel the weight. Magic life is indeed convenient. Ada also had a Galleon in her hand. She played with it. The gold Galleon was not pure gold. Ada estimated that it should be an alloy made by the fairies through magic. "Professor, where should we go next?"

"Go buy a uniform." Simple and to the point.

But in the end, at Ada's request, the two did not go to the second-hand store, but went to Madam Malkin's robe store, where the price was much higher than second-hand. At Madam Malkin's door, Mag decided to split up, because the efficiency of two people together was too low. She let Ada buy the robe alone, and she went to buy other things such as crucibles, telescopes, and balances.

Madam Malkin was a short, plump witch with a sweet smile and dressed in purple. She looked at Ada who came in alone and asked, "Are you going to buy a Hogwarts uniform, dear?"

"Yes."

"Come on, this way, dear."

Madam Malkin led Ada to the back of the shop, where she stood on a footstool and put a gown on her, pinning it to fit her.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry, can the dress be made a little bigger?" Ada asked. She had nothing to be embarrassed about.

Madam Malkin measured Ada's body and replied, "No problem, dear." Madam Malkin heard Ada's words, and because Ada came alone, she naturally knew that the child's condition might not be good. She hoped that the clothes would be larger so that she could wear them for an extra year. Ada was not the first child to make such a request.

After trying on the clothes, paying the money and leaving her address, Ada came out and found Professor McGonagall waiting for her at the door.

"Except for books and wands, I have bought everything else." It must be said that Professor McGonagall is really efficient and capable. "Now let's go buy some books."

"Okay, Professor." Ada replied, and then followed Mag to a second-hand bookstore. They were going to buy the textbooks that Ada needed in the second-hand bookstore.

Maybe it was because the school was about to start, the second-hand bookstore arranged the books needed by each grade in different categories for selection. Ada picked carefully and flipped through the books one by one. She didn't want her textbooks to have missing pages or blurred parts. Professor McGonagall was also helping to pick books, and she picked more carefully than Ada. The two of them picked for a long time in the bookstore and finally found the books they were satisfied with. At the same time, under McGonagall's guidance, Ada also picked some other books, which could help Ada better understand the magical world. Of course, these extra books cost Ada's own money.

Now, the two of them only had one last thing to buy, the wand.

(End of this chapter)