Days at Hogwarts

Chapter 766 The Last School Opening Purchase

Diagon Alley, Leaky Cauldron.

Hermione and Loren walked into the tavern side by side, looking around curiously.

The waiters in the tavern were new faces; a tall, thin young man was slacking off in a corner, not even greeting customers as they entered. He vaguely resembled Old Tom. Behind the counter, a middle-aged woman, slightly plump, was mixing drinks with practiced ease.

During that tense period, this dirty and cramped bar was closed for a while, but when it reopened, it was much cleaner.

Several elderly witches sat in a corner, slowly sipping small glasses of sherry. One of them was smoking a long pipe, the smoke choking and drawing curses. The old witch didn't care about the curses, just smiled and took a puff, wisps of smoke escaping from her dry lips.

"Merlin's stinking pipe! Old Tom, aren't you going to do anything about it!"

The short male wizard wearing a top hat grumbled and cursed.

The tavern owner, who shared the same name as the Dark Lord, remained silent, leaning lazily against the window. His hair was almost completely bald, and the bright sunlight shining on his shiny head was somewhat dazzling, making him look like a dried-up walnut.

He slowly turned the page of the newspaper, squinted as he read, and occasionally let out a rough chuckle.

During this period, newspapers and magazines basically had only one theme: Voldemort's complete downfall.

For the first few days, the wizards celebrated all night long. After calming down, they began to carefully read the whole story and found that newspapers and magazines were still referring to Voldemort as the mysterious man. They then suspected that this downfall might be the same as sixteen years ago and were vaguely worried that Voldemort would make a comeback.

It wasn't until the Ministry of Magic invited Dumbledore to endorse Voldemort and mandated that all publishers use his name or print his real name "Tom Riddle" that Voldemort's biography was published in the Daily Prophet.

Written by renowned journalist Rita Skeeter, this biography introduces the now-extinct Gauntlet family and the Muggle Riddle family, who were wiped out by Voldemort. It details his origins, deeply analyzes the cold and empty nature of his soul, and provides a well-balanced account of his upbringing.

The novel provides a detailed description of his twisted and dark mental state, a brief overview of his research into dark magic, and information about Horcruxes is completely omitted.

Rita Skeeter spent several years studying for a Muggle magazine, refining her writing style and weaving suspense together. She turned the biography into a series of reports, published in over a dozen issues, making it just as captivating as the serialized novels of former popular author Lockhart.

This greatly satisfied the wizards' curiosity.

"Tom Riddle possessed exceptional talent in the realm of Dark Arts. By studying the materials left behind by Helbo and Slytherin, he mastered forbidden Dark Magic rituals, using cruel and painful methods to modify his body in order to pursue greater magical power and evade Death's pursuit..."

Old Tom muttered an article from the newspaper.

The tavern gradually quieted down.

The lazy young waiter in the corner moved closer to old Tom, standing behind him and glancing at the contents of the newspaper. The grumbling wizard quietly sat down next to him, and even the old witch who was smoking a pipe put it out and patiently listened to him read the newspaper.

Loren and Hermione ordered raspberry ice cream and sat at the table to enjoy it slowly.

"So mysterious... Voldemort was actually a half-blood, right?" one customer muttered.

No one paid any attention. Old Tom shook the newspaper and continued reading: "After graduating from Hogwarts, he promoted the idea of ​​pure-blood supremacy, bewitched a group of young wizards, gathered a group of ambitious middle-aged wizards, and used cruel methods to intimidate and control a group of wizards who controlled resources, thereby establishing the Death Eaters organization, which continued to expand..."

"A bunch of idiots."

"Shut up, Cordori."

"..."

"First Fall: In the late October night of 1981, Voldemort's body was destroyed by ancient magic left behind by Harry Potter's mother, Lily Potter, during his attack on Harry Potter. He became a ghost, possessing animals and escaping, and has been wandering the forests of Albania ever since..."

"The Second Fall: In early August 1997, Voldemort led his Death Eaters to plan an attack on Harry Potter at New York Airport. Dumbledore and the Ministry of Magic intercepted the plan in advance, and the Ministry of Magic, in conjunction with the Magical Congress of the United States, set a trap..."

"The Death Eaters have all been captured. Voldemort was defeated in his battle with the mysterious wizard, and his body and soul were completely consumed by flames... completely consumed by flames..."

Old Tom repeated it twice, clicked his tongue, shook his head, and revealed a satisfied smile.

"Who do you think this mysterious wizard is?" the wizard named Cordori couldn't help but ask.

The patrons gathered around immediately began to chatter amongst themselves:

"Could it be Dumbledore?"

"I think it's Harry Potter. Remember that prophecy?"

"..."

Cordory shook his head: "If it were them, the Ministry of Magic and the Magical Congress of the United States wouldn't have kept it a secret."

"Although I don't know the identity of the mysterious wizard, I do know other information."

The old witch in the corner lit her pipe again, took a puff, and said, "I have a nephew who works in the Department of International Cooperation. He told me that the International Wizarding Federation will have new members joining, not representing wizards from any region or country, but just individuals. The Minister's Office is proposing to add new Wizengamo seats, and the Order of Merlin will also have new members joining."

"Another legendary wizard."

The patrons in the tavern took a sip of their drink and clicked their tongues in appreciation.

"We'll probably see it in Chocolate Frog cartoons in a few years, right?"

"Speaking of legendary wizards, I remember when Dumbledore rose to fame, I was still very young then..."

"I remember, I remember! You were drunk then, and you were yelling that you wanted to marry Dumbledore!"

"You fucking bastard!"

"Hahaha……"

The dilapidated old tavern has become lively again.

The raspberry ice cream is almost gone.

Loren went to the counter to pay, while Hermione waited quietly in her seat, listening to the discussions around her.

She always planned to change the Ministry of Magic, the wizarding world, and even the world after graduation, but that was still a very distant future. The person in front of her, who usually seemed lazy and complained about how troublesome and difficult things were, had already genuinely changed many things, making the world a better place.

Hermione could clearly feel a pleasant sense of pride rising within her.

As they walked out of the Leaky Cauldron side by side, Hermione looked at him with a bright smile.

"Do you think that if Minister Scrimgeour reveals your identity, some drunken witches will start clamoring to marry you?"

"Even without revealing my identity, witches are still clamoring to marry me."

"Who?"

"Whoever you say it will know."

"..."

Hermione's expression became slightly unnatural, and she subtly shifted her gaze: "Who's been clamoring to marry you!?"

Holding his wand, he tapped on the brick wall, causing it to part and reveal a passage behind it. Loren walked towards Diagon Alley, slowly helping her recall:

"A few days ago, when we went to the wedding, we parted ways after leaving the dance floor. You and Ginny went to chat with Fleur, and after I finished talking with Dumbledore, I went to find you. I heard you saying something inside the tent—"

Hermione's mind raced through the conversation from that night, and her breathing quickened as a wave of intense shame washed over her.

"Stop talking!"

"You said Furong's veil is really pretty."

"You were eavesdropping on the girl!"

"Furong said she'll give you an even prettier one when you get married."

"Stop talking!"

"So Ginny asked you when you were getting married."

"Shut up!"

"And then you say 'hiss...'"

Loren attempted to launch a mental attack using demonic whispers, but then his soft waist was subjected to a physical attack.

The girl pinched a tiny bit of skin and twisted it, making her even more vicious than a witch in a fairy tale.

……

When I arrived on the street, the sun was shining brightly.

The streets were packed with wizards, a spectacle that had been going on for some time now, as if wizards from all over the world had gathered in Diagon Alley. Wizards of all ages wore all sorts of bizarre costumes; some had parrots perched on their hat brims, others had venomous snakes coiled around their necks, creating an eerie and terrifying scene that might make one think they had stumbled into Knockturn Alley.

Yet all the wizards wore smiles on their faces, each one more amiable than the last, their attitude far more civilized than that of Muggle society, several centuries ahead.

Loren held Hermione's hand tightly, not to show affection, but to prevent her from being overwhelmed with shame and doing something impulsive again.

I passed by one shop after another along the street.

Some of the signs are still the same ones I remember, but they've been decorated with colorful ribbons. If you read the notices on the glass windows carefully, they're mostly about special offers, to celebrate Voldemort's downfall and the resurgence of Diagon Alley. Some even incorporate Muggle lottery promotions. Business is booming, and the owners are so busy they can't stop smiling.

Ollivanders Wand Shop was a bit unfamiliar. The gold signboard had been re-framed, and the words "Made fine wands since 382 BC" shone brightly. The originally small and shabby store had been expanded, revealing the extraordinary grandeur of a wand-making family.

The shop window was filled with magic wands, their surfaces gleaming with a dark, oily sheen.

As Loren passed by, he glanced inside and saw Mr. Ollivander reprimanding a young man with a stern face and harsh words, but with a gentle smile in his eyes.

I don't know if he's a newly recruited apprentice or a younger member of the family.

As I was leaving, I overheard the young man retort, "That's not what my uncle said. We should be brave enough to try new core materials."

Ollivander, enraged, roared, "This is Ollivander! Not Grigovich!"

The wizard passing by the shop couldn't help but smile; what intricate story lay hidden inside...?

Some shops have changed owners and couldn't survive that difficult and dark period. They had to be sublet or sold, and new shops opened in familiar locations. The sign for Florin's Ice Cream Shop has been taken down, and only half of the new sign is up. It's about flying magic or some kind of equipment, probably related to Quidditch.

The most dazzling attraction was Weasley's Magic Tricks Shop, with its colorful windows displaying all sorts of incredible merchandise. The spinning, twitching, flashing, and jumping gadgets were sure to catch the eye and attract customers to stop and linger, their faces showing expressions of fascination and excitement.

The giant poster had a new design, but the text remained bright and eye-catching:

"I told you there was no need to worry about the mysterious man."

You still need constipation relief!

Below was another notice, the handwriting so small that Hermione had to lean in to read it.

"The truancy series products, such as Nosebleed Nougat and Fever-Boosting Candy, are sold out. The homework series products, such as Clever Quill and Automatic Error Correction Parchment, are sold out. The Daydream series products are sold out..." Hermione read aloud. "In addition, the Dark Magic Protection series products are non-refundable and non-exchangeable once sold."

Loren leaned to the side to look inside. The shop shelves were packed with people, leaving no room for the sales staff to pass.

The two exchanged a glance and quickly reached an agreement:

"Forget it, let's not go in."

"agree."

First, we went to the robe shop to choose a wizard's robe. Several new students were waiting in the shop to have their robes made. Madam Malkin was there to greet them. She was short and plump, wearing a purple robe with the back trailing on the ground, and she still had that same amiable smile.

"Are you buying Hogwarts school uniforms, darling?"

"We have plenty here. To be honest, there are always young people trying on clothes inside."

"It's already been tested, darling."

Madam Malkin appeared leisurely, yet her movements were swift and efficient. As the freshmen left with their new clothes, they secretly glanced back at Loren and Hermione, who were waiting, as if observing what the upperclassmen looked like.

"Alright, it's your turn, darlings."

Loren and Hermione went into the men's and women's fitting rooms respectively.

As Hermione walked out of the fitting room and left the store, she looked somewhat dejected. Her height hadn't increased much compared to last year, while Loren had grown a few centimeters taller.

The days of looking down on Loren are gone forever.

Looking back, all that's left is nostalgia...

"Ugh."

Hermione looked up at the top of his head and sighed deeply.

"?"

Loren felt completely bewildered.

Flourish and Blotts bookstore was right next to the robe shop, and the manager was the same one who greeted the two of them with a smile.

The year Hagrid became a professor, he designated "The Monster Book of Monsters" as the textbook for protecting magical creatures, which gave the manager a lot of trouble. To this day, he still remembers the solution that Loren taught him.

Therefore, this year's textbooks are 6% off again.

They didn't leave Diagon Alley until the sun was setting. The shopping trip had actually taken less than an hour; the rest of the time they strolled hand in hand. It was more of a walk than a shopping trip. They went from Partridge's Cauldron to Eeyore's Owl Shop, then to Ink Stationery, and even visited Mrs. Primpinnil's Beauty Potions Shop.

Loren only looked but didn't buy anything. Sometimes she would pull the shop assistant aside and ask all sorts of questions, like, "Add more white phthalate to this acne-removing magic potion," or "How can your whitening magic potion burn the surface of the skin and then spur new skin growth? Is there a risk of cancer?"

Despite the fiery stares of the shop assistants, Hermione remained calm, her heart unmoved; she had grown accustomed to this feeling.

"Another back-to-school shopping trip completed!"

As he walked out of the Leaky Cauldron, Loren sighed with emotion, "Thinking back to the last time I did my pre-school shopping, it was just the last time..."

"..."

Hermione ignored her.

She was recalling her first visit to Diagon Alley, which was six years ago.

(End of this chapter)