Hogwarts: A little lion in the skin of the Eagle School

Diagon Alley, the commercial center of the British wizarding world.

This place is home to all sorts of shops in the wizarding world, supporting the daily needs of wizards.

It is also where new students at Hogwarts buy their school supplies.

John and his family were captivated by the sight of the dazzling array of goods on the commercial street.

Previously, they had only met a few wizards who could use magic, but this time they truly witnessed a microcosm of the wizarding world, making them realize how magical they were in.

After the family passed through the archway into Diagon Alley, the red brick wall behind them slowly began to return to its original state. Before it closed completely, the owner, Tom, said "Good luck" and disappeared from their sight.

"Let's go to Gringotts first and exchange some Galleons."

John composed himself and spoke to his parents beside him.

The group then walked into Diagon Alley together. Gringotts is located inside Diagon Alley; it's a tall white building managed by goblins. They only need to walk straight ahead to see Gringotts.

John looked around as he walked along this commercial street in the wizarding world. The shops were diverse, including wizard snack shops, bookstores, clothing stores, pet shops, and even a wand shop that claimed to be a thousand-year-old establishment.

According to the requirements on their acceptance letter, they have to buy quite a few things today.

They soon found Gringotts, which was indeed a white building. Whether it was the designer's fault or the engineer's, Gringotts was built crookedly, which triggered Mr. Merrick's obsessive-compulsive disorder and caused his blood pressure to spike.

Fortunately, once inside Gringotts, the magnificent and well-arranged Gringotts lobby calmed Mr. Merrick's blood pressure.

Most of the staff here are fairies, and occasionally a few wizards walk by. There are two rows of tall tables on both sides of the hall, and the fairies are working behind the tables with their heads down.

John went straight to the lobby manager at the back. Any wizard who needed to conduct business could simply go to the lobby manager.

"Hello, we need to exchange some Galleons," John said, looking up at the fairy on the high seat.

"use."

The fairy on the high seat didn't even look at John, but just wrote something while speaking casually.

"Purchase the supplies needed for Hogwarts enrollment."

"prove."

John handed over the acceptance letter, and the fairy finally looked at John and took the letter.

After carefully reading the letter, the fairy returned it to John, saying, "Muggle currency can only be exchanged for Galleons, with a maximum of 100 Galleons per month."

As she spoke, the fairy quickly wrote a certificate and handed it to John.

"Go to the second counter on the left to exchange your currency."

After saying that, the fairy buried herself in her work again.

John gave a brief thank you, but received no response. Then John turned and walked toward the second counter on the left.

After submitting the proof, John withdrew £500 and exchanged it for 100 Galleons.

As John weighed the heavy bag of gold coins in his hand, he couldn't help but sigh; 500 pounds was no small sum.

John handled all these matters himself; the Merricks' main focus was on companionship.

John could have come by himself, but his parents insisted on coming along, partly as a precaution since John was only 11 years old, and partly because they were also very curious about what the wizarding world was like.

After leaving Gringotts, John followed the route he had taken and found the nearest clothing store, Lady Malkin's Robes Shop.

Besides this one, there are other clothing stores, such as one called Tuofan Clothing Store. John learned that the prices there are outrageously expensive, and it seems to only accept private customization, targeting wealthy people such as nobles.

There's also a shop called "Secondhand Robe Shop," and you know what that means without even asking.

"Good day, madam. I need three plain robes, a top hat, a pair of protective gloves, and a winter cloak."

"Oh, no problem, child. You must be a new student at Hogwarts. Let me take your measurements."

Mrs. Malkin was a gentle and dignified woman. After taking John's measurements, she immediately took out a complete set of school uniforms in the corresponding size and gave them to John.

-15 Galleons.

Well, it's more expensive than he expected.

John's second stop was Flourish and Blotts, the largest bookstore in Diagon Alley. He chose it because, in addition to the books he needed for the start of school, he also wanted to buy some books that would help him understand the wizarding world.

For some reason, the shop assistant's expression turned a little sour when he heard that John had come to buy books for Hogwarts, but his expression returned to a smile when he saw that John's list included books for first-year students.

While the clerk was preparing books for him, John didn't sit idle; he browsed around the bookstore.

During this time, he found the history of Hogwarts, but he didn't need it anymore, since he had already gotten Professor Snape's book for free.

Finally, John also bought "The International Law of Secrecy," "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," "Quidditch Origins," "The Guide to Living Harmoniously Between Muggles and Wizards," and "The Tales of Beedle the Bard."

The rest of what he wanted to know happened to be in the textbooks required for enrollment, such as the history of magic, magical theory, and black magic self-defense, all of which Hogwarts would teach.

The books required for enrollment were originally 8 Gallons, but John bought his own books, bringing the total cost to 13 Gallons.

The next stop is Patchi's Crucible Shop, and next door is Giggs Pharmacy.

These things seem to be prepared for Potions class: a cauldron, a balance scale, a crystal vial cover, a basic potion kit, and... a telescope?

Although he didn't understand, John still bought all the items and spent another 15 Galleons.

The last stop is Ollivanders Wand Shop, where John needs to buy his first wand.

Pushing open the quaint wooden door, a bell rang, and John saw a dazzling array of wand boxes filling all the cabinets in the shop; wands were everywhere he looked.

"Hello, I need to buy a magic wand."

John entered and spoke to the shopkeeper at the counter.

The owner, Ollivander, was a sprightly old man with gray hair. He looked up at John after hearing the bell.

"Of course, child. Every little wizard should have his own wand." Old Ollivander smiled at John, then stepped out from behind the counter and stood before John.

"Your dominant hand."

Upon hearing Ollivander's words, John instinctively extended his right hand, as if taking a pulse for a traditional Chinese medicine doctor.

Ollivander looked at John's hands, then at John himself.

"Oh, I see, that wand is definitely for you."

After saying that, old Ollivander turned around, climbed the shelf ladder in the store, and pulled out a box from the top.

He took the box down, opened it in front of John, and took out a wooden amber-gold wand with silver-plated vine patterns wrapped around its handle, which was quite beautiful.

"The staff is made of olive wood with a phoenix feather core. It is 14 inches long and medium to stiff."

"Come on, give it a try."

Old Ollivander handed the wand to John. The wand felt smooth and substantial in his hand, something he had always thought wands were about the same weight as chopsticks.

John waved his staff gently, and the tip emitted a soft light. Magic rose like ribbons, encircling John's body.

"Oh, very good, very good. This wand has been with me for almost fifty years without finding a master. It was only after that that the wands I made became more common."

"Now that it has chosen you, my wish has been fulfilled."

Old Ollivander laughed happily when he saw that the wand recognized him as its owner.

"If we were talking about prices fifty years ago, this wand would cost 10 Galleons or more, but now, it's only 7 Galleons."

"Wands should not be the barrier for young wizards to learn magic."

After thanking him, John took his wand and left the shop, thus concluding his shopping trip for the day.

The acceptance letter states that you can bring one pet, but it's not mandatory.

Although he quite liked furry animals like cats and dogs, he thought about it and decided against it.

Once you decide to buy a pet, you must take responsibility for it.

However, the process of learning magic in the future is still uncertain. If the burden of studies makes it impossible to take good care of this pet, it would be better not to buy it in the first place.