Hogwarts: I'm Harry's older cousin

Chapter 29. Vernon: Hopefully the exchange rate won't be too high.

"I didn't expect this scarf to suit you so well."

Hermione stepped forward, her face slightly flushed as she looked at the scarf around Dudley's neck.

"I really like it," Dali said softly, touching the scarf.

Standing behind the two, Harry overheard their conversation and suddenly realized that the girl was the one he had seen in the classroom. His gossipy nature ignited instantly.

Eat melons and eat melons

"I didn't expect you to be a student there too. I was thinking it would be boring without you."

The once domineering little hen is now like a little quail, speaking in a soft, gentle voice.

Penny and Mrs. Granger followed behind the two, whispering to each other, while Vernon and Mr. Granger were already discussing when to go fishing again.

"Ladies and gentlemen, don't forget we have important business to attend to. I think it's about time we left."

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat when she saw that the group was talking nonstop.

Everyone then realized what had happened and apologized to Professor McGonagall. They also realized that her family had produced a young wizard and quickly congratulated her.

"It's alright. Since you two know each other, that makes things much easier."

Professor McGonagall isn't a rigid person. Since they know each other and have a fairly close relationship, it will be easier for her to mentor them.

Now that we've picked up the person, let's set off for the magical world. Our destination this time is a bar.

That is the entrance to a magical world.

Of course, there really isn't a single wizard in the St. Johnswood neighborhood; there isn't even a Muggle wizard within a ten-kilometer radius. The wizarding family named Jensen that Professor McGonagall mentioned earlier moved away five years ago.

After all, this is a commercial street for Muggles, a bustling area, and wizards who consider themselves aloof naturally dislike such a noisy environment.

After parking the car, the group of people arrived at a dirty and cramped pub on a street in London.

"Oh, this bar looks really vintage."

Vernon frowned at the filthy sign; he wouldn't go into this run-down tavern even if they offered him a free drink.

The Grangers also frowned at the same time.

Only Penny peered into the tavern through the dimly lit glass with great interest. Perhaps because the glass hadn't been cleaned in a long time, Penny couldn't see anything clearly inside.

Professor McGonagall was already used to this, and simply took out her wand and waved it in front of the group.

"Huh?" Vernon touched his forehead.

That feeling of resistance, that reluctance to enter, was dispelled.

"This place is under a spell; most Muggles can't see it, and even if they could, they'd be repulsed by it," Professor McGonagall explained simply.

The Muggle Expulsion Charm can expel Muggles, preventing ordinary people from entering the place.

It is said that those with a strong will will not be affected by this magic.

"Lily had mentioned it to me before, but I never expected Leaky Cauldron to be here."

Penny's exclamation made Professor McGonagall glance at her again.

Accompanied by the crisp sound of bells, the dirty door was slowly pushed open.

Upon entering the tavern, everyone was immediately struck by its beauty.

The interior of the tavern was much larger than it appeared from the outside, at least ten times larger.

It's no exaggeration to say that there's something extraordinary inside.

A few oddly dressed customers sat sparsely at the tables; their robes and top hats resembled Professor McGonagall's current attire. Several elderly women sat in a corner, drinking sherry from small glasses, one of them smoking a long pipe. A small man in a top hat was chatting with the bar owner, a man with almost no hair and a shriveled walnut-like appearance.

The chatter stopped abruptly the moment they entered, and they all gave Professor McGonagall friendly looks.

"Professor McGonagall, hello. Are these the new students at Hogwarts this year?"

The bar owner spoke very respectfully.

Professor McGonagall simply nodded politely to the group before leading them through the bar to a small courtyard surrounded by walls. Mr. Granger and Vernon were eager to order a wizarding drink, but Professor McGonagall's serious demeanor made them hold back.

"I will only demonstrate once, please remember that."

Professor McGonagall took out her wand and tapped three times lightly on one spot on the wall.

Then a magical scene unfolded: the brick he had struck began to shake and move, creating a small hole in the middle. The hole grew larger and larger, and soon a wide archway appeared before them, leading to a winding, endless cobblestone street.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Diagon Alley."

Shortly after they crossed the archway, they found themselves back in solid walls.

"Amazing!" Mr. Granger couldn't help but exclaim.

Mrs. Granger and Vernon were also very curious about the scene around them, not to mention Harry and Hermione, who looked around curiously. Even Dudley couldn't help but take a closer look.

The road was lined with all sorts of shops: crucible shops, quill pen shops, material shops, pet shops, parchment scroll shops, herbal shops, and so on. Wizards bustled about among these shops, and the flow of people was no less than that of a typical commercial district, making it quite lively.

Diagon Alley can be considered the commercial street of the Wizarding World.

The young wizards buy most of their daily necessities here while studying at Hogwarts.

Aside from Professor McGonagall, the only one who remained calm was Penny. She calmly said to Professor McGonagall, "Professor McGonagall, I think we should go and exchange some wizarding world money first."

Neither the Grangers nor the Dursleys possessed a single Nat, the Wizarding World's currency.

"I almost forgot, we need to go to Gringotts first."

With that, he led the group toward the central street area.

"I don't know if I brought enough."

On the way, Dudley heard Vernon mutter to himself. Vernon's right pocket was bulging with pounds.

Vernon went to the bank specifically to withdraw this money the night before.

The group arrived in front of a tall, snow-white building in the style of medieval Europe, with a large, polished bronze door directly in front of it.

"This is Gringotts."

Professor McGonagall explained, then pointed to the servants in front of the gate and said, "Those are goblins."

Looking in the direction she pointed, I saw several short creatures with pointed ears standing in front of the gate.

The Grangers and Vernon looked on with curiosity; it was the first time they had ever seen such a creature that was different from humans.

"I must warn you first: do not get too entangled with these demons."

"Fairies are known in the wizarding world for their greed; they will do anything for money."

Upon hearing Professor McGonagall's words, Vernon unconsciously tightened his purse, feeling even more that he hadn't brought enough money.

"Hopefully the exchange rate won't be too high," Vernon thought to himself.

With these thoughts in mind, the group stepped through the gates of Gringotts.

(End of this chapter)