My necromancer career begins at Hogwarts

Professor McGonagall led Morris out of the alley.

After crossing the street, the two came to a place between a large bookstore and a record store.

For some reason, this place always gave Maurice an inexplicable sense of unease.

Professor McGonagall noticed Maurice's puzzled expression and chuckled, "Doesn't it seem a little strange? Take another look."

After a moment of disorientation.

Morris suddenly noticed that the scenery had changed; between the bookstore and the record store, a dilapidated building began to appear.

A simple sign hangs at the entrance of the house: Break the Cauldron Bar.

This is magic, that's what Morris's subconscious tells him.

Professor McGonagall led him into the Leaky Cauldron.

Just like the dilapidated exterior of the bar, the interior was also dark and old, with a bar counter, a few tables, and messy portraits hanging on the walls.

It doesn't feel like a bar; that was Morris's first impression of the place.

"Don't pay attention to strangers," Professor McGonagall advised Maurice like a mother.

The two did not linger, but went directly through the public area to the backyard.

Strangely, the backyard here is surrounded by walls on all four sides, with only a single trash can leaning against the wall.

"Remember this trash can, Morris. Count three bricks up, then two bricks down."

Professor McGonagall found the spot and gently tapped the stone brick.

Immediately afterwards, the stone brick that had been struck began to shake and slide to both sides, forming an archway large enough for two people to pass through.

Behind the archway is a winding alley, lined with all sorts of houses.

Some of these buildings completely defy the common sense of physics.

It has a very magical world atmosphere.

This must be the Diagon Alley that Professor McGonagall was talking about.

"Follow me," Professor McGonagall reminded Maurice, who was looking around. "We need to buy a wand first; that's the most important thing."

She led Maurice through the bustling crowd, explaining, "Hogwarts has a special fund for students like you, from which all necessities are covered."

"Of course," she added seriously, "this only applies to school supplies, excluding candy or other extra expenses."

Morris nodded, indicating that he understood.

"In fact, no one has used this fund for a long time," Professor McGonagall said casually. "In recent years, you've been the only student from the orphanage, and the last time was..."

She shook her head slightly, swallowing back the words she was about to say. "Olivendine's Wand Shop is just ahead; we're almost there."

Although Morris found it a little strange, he wasn't very interested in the matter and didn't ask any further questions.

......

Ollivander is an interesting old man, at least that's what Maurice thinks.

Choosing a wand didn't take long.

After using his clumsy wand to knock away a chair and the shop's only "light bulb," Maurice successfully chose the one that suited him best.

The hornbeam, the tail feathers of the Thestral, are twelve and three-quarters inches long.

Morris had expected a wizard's wand to have all sorts of special effects, or at least be inlaid with a gemstone, but unfortunately, he only got a thick, black stick.

Apart from some uneven textures, there was nothing on it.

If you give him another one, he might be able to use it as chopsticks.

After Maurice finished making his selection, Ollivander seemed even more excited than him.

"Hornet, Thestral tail feathers, a very good choice, Mr. Black," Ollivander waved his arm, "though it might be a bit stiff. My wand is also made of hornet, and wands made of this material will do their best to assist their determined owners."

"Thank you, Mr. Ollivander."

"You're welcome. Seven Galleons in total. Would you like another wand care set?"

Morris declined.

"Really?" Ollivander looked disappointed. "Take good care of your wand, child."

Morris continued to refuse Ollivander's sales pitch.

After all, he wasn't the one who paid.

Professor McGonagall took a heavy velvet pouch from the inside of her robe and carefully counted out seven glittering Galleons, placing them on the counter.

"Welcome back next time," Ollivander said, expertly sweeping the coins into the drawer and winking at Maurice. "Hornbee wands hate being neglected. Remember to use them often, and you'll develop an extraordinary rapport."

It was nearly noon when the two left the wand shop.

Although they had already chosen the most important wand, they still had a lot of other things to buy.

"This might take longer than I thought," Professor McGonagall said. "Besides the wand, I suggest you buy the rest secondhand. That will save you a lot of money for future expenses."

"What if I buy all new ones?" Morris asked.

Professor McGonagall stopped and looked at him seriously. "The choice is yours. However, in that case, the fund will only cover the cost of school supplies, and you will not have any allowance this semester."

She added, "While Hogwarts provides room and board, there will always be times when additional expenses are required."

Morris sighed.

Poverty is truly a troublesome thing.

I wonder if Hogwarts has any extra scholarships.

Fortunately, he didn't have any problem with secondhand items.

It's just a minor issue.

Apart from his toothbrush, almost everything he used in the orphanage was secondhand.

Otherwise, it's supplies donated by kind-hearted individuals and groups.

However, Morris heard from the caregiver that the government had provided ample funds for daily living expenses, enough to buy new household items.

It's unknown whose pocket that money ultimately ended up in.

It's really scary.

......

Shopping took some time.

Magic wand, textbook, glass bottle, telescope, brass balance, crucible...

All that's left are various kinds of clothes.

"Don't worry about that," Professor McGonagall said. "There are specialized secondhand robe shops in Diagon Alley."

The secondhand robe shop is located in a quiet alley on the north side.

The shop was unusually quiet, with rows of clothes racks neatly arranged, filled with all kinds of robes.

A faint scent of camphor wood wafted in the air, along with jazz-like music drifting in from who-knows-where.

The shop owner was an old woman who wore half-moon glasses.

As soon as Morris entered, he was drawn to something placed in the corner.

It was a skeleton, a human skeleton.

Its perfect proportions resemble a piece of sculpted jade.

The skull has a regular curve, the sutures are tightly closed, the ribs of the ribcage are clearly defined and have a translucent texture, and the bones of the limbs also maintain a perfect shape...

Morris was stunned.

He felt a strange heat rising within him.

It's like an avid collector encountering a priceless treasure.

"..."

Fortunately, he quickly regained his composure and did not do anything inappropriate.

But why would such a human skeleton be in a second-hand robe shop?

Using them as clothing models is somewhat inappropriate.

Unlike Maurice, Professor McGonagall was quite calm—there are dancing skeletons in the wizarding world, so a human skeleton is nothing.

Moreover, this skeleton couldn't possibly be a real one—the real ones are all in the nearby Knockout Alley.

The process of choosing the robe went smoothly.

Even after buying all the items, the image of the human skeleton remained in Maurice's mind.

Damn it, could he really be a pervert?