#77 - Chapter 77 The Dark and Dirty Leaky Cauldron

Because they had made a ruckus very late last night, Sebastian simply invited everyone to stay at Swan Manor.

The next morning, Lupin had already quietly left.

Sebastian, however, stood with Harry and Hagrid in front of the gates of Swan Manor.

He stretched out his right hand, raised his wand towards the empty street, as if making a gesture to hail a cab.

Before Harry could figure out what this action meant, he saw a black shadow speeding from afar, and with a whoosh, it stopped steadily in front of the three of them.

The door opened, and a conductor stepped out: "Welcome to the Knight Bus!"

"The Knight Bus will take you anywhere you want to go. I'm Stan Shunpike, the conductor."

A bus?

Harry rubbed his eyes hard, finding it hard to believe everything in front of him.

Weren't they supposed to go to Diagon Alley today?

Why not use the fireplace?

Take a bus?

This is too un-magical, isn't it.

Harry followed Sebastian onto the bus in a daze, and then found a window seat to sit down.

He had just fastened his seat belt when he heard Hagrid speak to the conductor in his unique booming voice.

"Three people, to the Leaky Cauldron."

"Oh, that's close, we'll be there soon, five silver Sickles each."

As soon as he finished speaking, the bus started, the Knight Bus sped forward, there was no bumping or shaking inside the bus, but the scenery outside the window rushing backwards still made Harry feel a little uneasy.

"Harry," the attentive Sebastian noticed Harry's expression and smiled gently, "The Knight Bus drives very steadily, there's no need to be nervous."

"We're taking the Knight Bus to Diagon Alley today, it's a very convenient way to travel."

"Not every wizard can learn the Disapparation spell."

"And some wizards don't like the squeezing sensation during Disapparation."

"The Knight Bus is designed for these wizards. If you want to ride it in the future, just like me, stretch out your wand and make a hailing gesture."

At this moment, Harry saw the driver charging recklessly on the road, and all the obstacles in front of the vehicle jumped aside on their own.

He was so shocked that his mouth was wide open.

He wanted to apologize for his thoughts just now.

This is simply too magical!

But, can't the Muggles on the road see it?

Before he could ask the question in his heart, the Knight Bus stopped.

"Let's go," Sebastian patted Harry on the shoulder, "The Leaky Cauldron in Charing Cross Road has arrived."

Harry got off the bus and found an unusually narrow pub nestled between a bookstore and a record store.

A dilapidated wooden door hung a rickety sign with the words "The Leaky Cauldron" engraved on it.

There were very few pedestrians on the road, and the occasional passers-by were also in a hurry, as if the pub simply did not exist in their eyes.

Harry followed Sebastian and Hagrid into the pub, and as soon as the door opened, a mixture of beer, tobacco, and damp wood hit his face.

The light inside the pub was dim, with a few old oil lamps emitting a faint yellow glow.

The wooden floor creaked as he walked on it, the walls were covered with a thick layer of dust, and there were some unknown stains in the corners, which looked like they hadn't been cleaned for a long time.

Harry couldn't help but frown, his heart filled with doubt, this was completely different from the brightly lit pub he had imagined.

So dark and dirty!

This was Harry's first impression of the Leaky Cauldron.

He followed Hagrid closely, and he found that Hagrid was like returning home here, everyone here knew him, and everyone greeted him.

Harry's eyes widened, his gaze constantly shifting within the pub.

He never imagined that there would be such a pub in London exclusively for wizards.

Some customers were talking in low voices, some were drinking steaming, strange drinks, and others were staring at some strange magical objects in a daze.

Suddenly, Harry heard Hagrid say his name to the pub owner, and then he saw the pub owner running out from behind the bar with an excited look on his face, and shaking his hand.

"Mr. Potter, welcome to the Leaky Cauldron."

Harry was very uncomfortable. After his last visit to Diagon Alley, he had a certain understanding of his fame in the wizarding world.

However, after learning the truth from Sebastian, he felt from the bottom of his heart that the credit for defeating Voldemort lay entirely with his mother, and he himself was completely unworthy of the title of Savior.

Therefore, for today's trip to Diagon Alley, he specially wore a hat to hide the scar on his forehead.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he entered the Leaky Cauldron, Hagrid pointed out his identity.

To be honest, he felt that Hagrid had tried his best to suppress his voice, but his voice was too loud, even if he lowered his voice, everyone in the pub could hear it clearly.

"Mr. Potter, it's a pleasure to meet you!"

In just the blink of an eye, a long queue formed in front of Harry, everyone wanting to shake hands with this legendary savior.

Harry looked at Sebastian for help, only to find that he was just sitting on a chair at the door, watching him with a smile on his face, as if expecting something.

"P-P-Potter, Mr. Very-very-pleased-to-meet-you."

Harry quickly turned his head and found a pale young man standing in front of him. Perhaps because of nervousness, his voice was a bit stuttering.

"Professor Quirrell," Hagrid hurriedly came up to greet him, "Harry, this is a professor from Hogwarts."

A professor from Hogwarts?

Which subject does he teach?

Harry was extremely curious.

Can someone who stutters also become a professor?

Could it be that he has some special talent, just like Professor Snape is a potions master?

However, stuttering like this, how can he teach students...

Harry suppressed the questions in his heart and politely shook hands with Quirrell.

"Hello, Professor Quirrell, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Just as Harry was about to ask something, Sebastian came up and gently pushed Harry towards Hagrid.

"Harry, you have many things to do, go and help Hagrid first."

"Hagrid is here on behalf of Hogwarts, don't delay his work."

"By the way, you've missed two Potions classes, remember to go to the Potions Materials store later to pick out a few potion ingredients."

Sebastian winked his right eye at Harry.

"Bring the gift directly tomorrow, and your Potions teacher won't make things difficult for you."

"Remember, the rarer the better, if you don't have enough money, just order it first, and I'll help you pay later."

Saying that, Sebastian turned around, grabbed Quirrell, who was about to leave, and greeted him warmly.

"Professor Quirrell, long time no see!"

"I heard you've been traveling in the Muggle world for the past year."

"Let's go, let's go, it's my treat today."

"As future colleagues."

"We must get in touch and build a good relationship..."

Watching the figures of the two professors leaving, Harry smiled at Hagrid, and then followed behind Hagrid, heading towards the back of the pub.