Chapter 4 The Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley

Professor McGonagall looked at Ada, her emerald-like eyes losing their luster. Professor McGonagall asked: "What's wrong? Are you unwilling to go?"

"No, I am very yearning for the magical world you described, and I am also willing to go to Hogwarts to study!" Ada raised her head, her eyes became brighter, but then dimmed in an instant, "But I don't have money, I My savings should not be enough to support me going to Hogwarts."

"This is an easy problem to solve." McGonagall said as she took out a leather purse from her pocket. "Hogwarts does not require tuition fees. At the same time, we also have a scholarship fund specifically provided to those who Funding is needed for people to buy textbooks and school uniforms. However, you may need to buy some second-hand items.”

"No problem." Ada replied, and then pointed to her clothes, "I grew up here, and I have used 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 to exchange for some currency used by wizards, if you need it."

"Then when can we set off?"

"Now. You can sort it out first. I will wait for you at the entrance of the orphanage. Remember to take your shopping list. It was sent with the letter." After Mag said, he stood up and walked out. Ada was the only one left in the room.

Ada 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 magical world should do. Ada doesn't want to act too magical or attract too much attention. She is too weak now, not even a strong ant.

After arranging the items in the room, she took out all her property - part of it was saved by her part-time job, and part of it was given by the two couples who had adopted her. This money can't do anything big, but at this moment, it means everything to Ada.

In the magical world, this is a journey that may seem dangerous but will definitely be exciting. 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 upright.

Ada chose to accept her fate and meet the challenge.

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

"We're here, 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 was really sorry for its reputation. It was dirty, small, and unattractive. Let alone a Muggle, I would never have noticed it if it hadn't been for McGonagall's guidance.

Entering the bar, it is indeed dark and dirty, very worthy of its appearance.

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

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

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

After passing the bar, the two people came to a small patio surrounded by walls. There was only a trash can and some weeds here.

"Remember, Miss Drizzt, count three tiles upward and two tiles horizontally." Mag first motioned for Ada to come over and watch her count the wall tiles, and then asked Ada to step back after Ada saw clearly. McGonagall tapped her wand three times on the wall that she had previously counted.

As Professor McGonagall struck, the brick began to move, and a small hole appeared on the wall, and then the hole became larger and larger. After a while, a wide archway appeared in front of them, leading to an endless street paved with cobblestones. Although I had seen this scene in a movie in my previous life, when I actually saw it, I still felt very shocked.

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

The endless crowds of people made the originally wide street very crowded. People were talking loudly, and the sounds of greetings and bargaining came and went. The Crucible Shop, the Peeping Owl Shop, the Broomstick Shop surrounded by boys, and many more weird shops. The merchants in Diagon Alley seem to sell only things you can’t imagine, and there’s nothing they don’t sell.

"Do you need to exchange some Gold Galleons? Gold Galleons are the currency in circulation in the magical world. One Galleung can be exchanged for seventeen Silver Sickles, and one Silver Sickle can be exchanged for twenty-nine Copper Nuts." Mag said to said Ada.

"I have some savings that I would like to exchange into wizard currency."

"Follow me."

Under the leadership of Professor McGonagall, the two people came to a tall, snow-white building. Next to the shiny bronze door, stood a goblin wearing a scarlet and gold uniform. On the way here, McGonagall introduced Gringotts to Ada, and naturally mentioned the goblins.

In fact, Ada was a little confused. The final winner of the war between wizards and goblins was the wizards, but the wizards handed over their finances to the goblins. If the goblins launch a currency war, then the lives of the superior wizards may be very miserable. The economic lifeline is in the hands of goblins. I really don’t know which wizard slapped his forehead and suggested it.

The two goblins bowed to them and introduced them into a tall marble hall. Professor McGonagall said to one of the goblins: "Miss Drizzt is a student who will enroll 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 galleons." The goblin looked at Ada and asked, "Then how much does Miss Drizzt plan to exchange?"

After exchanging the money, Ada left Gringotts under the leadership of Mag. Ada exchanged 100 gold galleons. She only had this money and could only exchange so much. Muggle-born children can exchange a certain amount of currency at Gringotts before the start 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 a run on the currency, the goblins of Gringotts limited the amount of exchange. After all, if wizards wanted to, Muggle currency was much easier to earn than galleons.

Ada put the leather purse containing galleons in her pocket. This leather purse had been cast by the fairies, which expanded the interior space of the purse to store coins. The carrier would not feel the weight. Magic Life is indeed convenient. Ada also had a Galleung in her hand. She was playing with it. The gold Galleung was not pure gold. Ada estimated that it was an alloy refined by goblins through magic. "Professor, where should we go next?"

"Go buy uniforms." He said concisely.

But in the end, at Ada's request, the two of them did not go to the second-hand store, but went to Madam Malkin's robe store, where the prices were much more expensive than second-hand ones. At Madam Malkin's door, McGonagall decided to split into two groups. It was too inefficient for two people to work together. She asked Ada to buy robes alone, while she went to buy crucibles, telescopes, scales and other things.

Madam Malkin is a short, fat witch with a pleasant smile and dressed in purple. She looked at Ada who came in alone and asked: "Are you going to buy Hogwarts school uniforms, dear?"

"Yes."

"Come on, this way, honey."

Under the leadership of Mrs. Malkin, Ada came to the back of the shop. Madam Malkin made Ada stand on a footstool and pulled a robe over her, pinning it to fit her length.

"Madam, I'm sorry, can the clothes be made a little bigger?" Ada said. She had nothing to be embarrassed about.

Mrs. Malkin measured Ada's figure and replied: "No problem, dear." Mrs. Malkin heard Ada's words, and since Ada came alone, she naturally knew the child's identity. The conditions may not be good, and she hopes that the clothes will be larger and can be worn for one more year. Ada is not the first child to make such a request.

After trying on the clothes, paying the money and leaving her address, Ada walked out. Professor McGonagall was 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 books."

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

Maybe it’s because the school is about to start, so the second-hand bookstore has put the books needed by each grade in categories for selection. Ada picked carefully and read each book one by one. She did not want her textbooks to have missing pages or blurry parts. Professor McGonagall was also helping to select books, even more carefully than Ada. The two of them picked in the bookstore for a long time, and finally found satisfactory books. At the same time, under Mag's guidance, Ada also selected some other books, which could help Ada better understand the magical world. Of course, these additional books cost Ada her own money.

Now, there was only one last thing the two of them needed to buy, which was the wand.