บท 2: Chapter 2: Starting from the Leaky Cauldron
After leaving the coffee shop, Eisen momentarily forgot his worries. Watching the vehicles whizzing past on the street, he suddenly found even the smoke in the sky endearing. Although he still felt a tinge of uncertainty about the future after acquiring the golden finger, deep down, he had found his footing.
It was understandable, really. Who wouldn't feel that way after obtaining the golden finger? As Eisen strolled down the street, his gaze swept over the neighboring bookstores until a peculiar establishment caught his attention.
"This is..." Eisen turned his head, examining the exterior of the dilapidated, pitch-black building. "Yes, this is Charing Cross Road, lined with many bookstores." He murmured to himself, lifting his gaze once more.
Sure enough, nestled between a bookshop and a record store, an area he had previously overlooked now housed a shabby, black storefront. Eisen found himself perplexed. He frequently passed through this street, even during his morning commute, yet he had no recollection of such a place existing. How could it have materialized so abruptly? Surely, he couldn't have been oblivious to it all this time, could he? That seemed too far-fetched!
"Am I hallucinating?" The thought flashed across Eisen's mind, but he quickly dismissed it. Then, as he noticed the faded lettering on the sign, the words "Leaky Cauldron" appeared before his eyes.
Instantly, an unbelievable notion emerged from the depths of his memory—this was the Leaky Cauldron!!!
This was an unfathomable conclusion for Eisen, yet its presence here seemed so logical. After all, at this point in time, the Harry Potter series had not been released, so it couldn't possibly be someone cosplaying. Previously, Eisen had entertained the idea of plagiarizing the Harry Potter novels, but he had never imagined that magic would manifest itself in reality.
Yes, Eisen had unexpectedly acquired the golden finger and awakened his extraordinary magical abilities today. As he pondered whether he had entered a parallel world endowed with supernatural powers, the answer had abruptly presented itself before him.
After careful observation, Eisen was convinced he wasn't mistaken. An establishment had indeed appeared in a previously overlooked location. To him, this was likely a change only perceptible due to his newfound magical abilities. After all, the Leaky Cauldron was rumored to be concealed by a Muggle-repelling charm, visible only to wizards.
However, to validate his theory, Eisen decided to enter the neighboring bookstore.
"Young man, can I help you find a book?" A man wearing a brown leather coat and jeans greeted Eisen, evidently the bookstore's owner.
Eisen engaged in casual conversation with the man under the pretext of browsing, and a few minutes later, he purchased a copy of the Encyclopedia Britannica.
"By the way, do you know what kind of store that black establishment next door is?" Eisen casually inquired as he was leaving.
"Black establishment? Next door is a record store! There's no black establishment," the owner responded with a puzzled look, giving Eisen an odd glance.
"Oh, my mistake." Eisen feigned realization and promptly left. Back on the street, he subconsciously clenched his fist, his mind fixated on a single thought: "It seems to be the Leaky Cauldron, after all."
After a moment of contemplation, Eisen decided to investigate further. If it was indeed the Leaky Cauldron, he needed to determine if he could access Diagon Alley.
Of course, realizing that this was the Harry Potter world did leave Eisen a bit disgruntled.
After all, he was already eighteen years old, far too old to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. At this thought, Eisen's heart filled with resentment. Why didn't the golden finger appear and awaken his magical abilities when he was eleven?
But now that he found himself in this situation, he knew he must visit Diagon Alley, purchase his own wand, and acquire some spell books. In that moment, Eisen realized that the magical abilities he had awakened were meant for casting spells. Thus, self-studying magic became his immediate priority.
However, could he just waltz in like this? Eisen glanced down at his formal work attire, pondering the thought. But as he noticed the Encyclopedia Britannica he had just purchased, a smile crept across his face. Yes, that's it; he could pretend to be a wizard researching Muggle life and customs.
Afterward, Eisen approached the wooden door of the Leaky Cauldron and pushed it open, stepping inside. In an instant, he felt as though he had entered a different realm, separated from the outside world.
The dimly lit pub had a bar counter and a few scattered tables, some shrouded in shadows. Candles flickered on a few tables, providing dim illumination. But the most captivating sight was the elderly witches and wizards donning robes, their magical identities unmistakable.
There was no doubt—this was the Leaky Cauldron! Witnessing this scene, Eisen's suspicions were confirmed.
Behind the bar stood a balding, walnut-like old man, undoubtedly the Leaky Cauldron's proprietor, Tom. Some wizards paid no heed to the young newcomer, while others scrutinized Eisen with curious glances.
"Hi, young man, can I help you?" Noticing the twenty-something black-haired youth approach, the barkeeper greeted him directly.
"Well, I was recently studying a fascinating spell when my wand accidentally got damaged, so you know, I need to get a new one from Diagon Alley," Eisen responded smoothly, having rehearsed his explanation thoroughly. He made a concerted effort to appear natural and conceal any signs of deception.
"Alright, follow me." Whether convinced by Eisen's convincing demeanor or simply too apathetic to delve deeper, the barkeeper nodded and motioned for Eisen to follow.
They passed through the bar and entered a small courtyard enclosed by walls, containing only weeds and a trash can.
"Count three bricks up and two across from the trash can, then tap it three times," Eisen silently recited as he watched the barkeeper tap the bricks with his wand.
The bricks began to shift, creating a small hole that rapidly expanded into an archway. In an instant, a pathway appeared before Eisen's eyes. There was no mistaking it—this was the renowned Diagon Alley of the wizarding world.
"Alright, young man, be more careful when studying spells next time," the barkeeper offered a word of advice.
"Yes, sir, I must be more cautious," Eisen nodded with a smile before officially stepping into Diagon Alley. Glancing back, he noticed the archway had once again transformed into a solid wall.
"Magic truly is extraordinary!" Although Eisen's expression remained impassive, his heart was filled with awe. Gazing around, the narrow street was bustling with shoppers and passers-by. As it was the time for new students to enroll at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the entire alley was lively.
Owl emporiums, broomstick shops, stores selling peculiar silver instruments, and more—despite his mental preparation, Eisen couldn't help but feel overwhelmed.
"This is the wizarding world, the wonderful wizarding life, and I'm here!" he shouted internally, a wide grin spreading across his face.
However, his immediate priority was to exchange some Galleons; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to purchase anything. Following the flow of pedestrians, within minutes, Eisen found himself standing before a towering white building that stood out among the surrounding shops. Unmistakably, this was the wizarding bank, Gringotts.
As a newcomer to the wizarding world, Eisen had no choice but to exchange currency here. After passing through the bronze doors, he encountered a rather grotesque-looking creature—a Gringotts goblin. Eisen found it perplexing that such an unsightly creature would be dubbed a "goblin," a term typically associated with something enchanting.
Eisen then approached the second set of silver doors, engraved with ominous warnings. Inside, he entered a marble hall with long counters on either side, behind which sat hundreds of goblins busily attending to their tasks.
"Hello, I'd like to exchange 200 Galleons," Eisen said directly as he approached one of the counters, taking out one thousand pounds. Yes, using British pounds to exchange for Galleons was the necessary procedure. As for why he didn't exchange more, there was a limit on how many Galleons could be obtained with pounds.
Regarding Eisen's request, the goblin before him didn't question further. In truth, Eisen harbored some doubts about whether Gringotts would exchange Galleons for a seemingly random wizard like himself. If they only did so for newcomers to the wizarding world, then Eisen would need a more plausible excuse.
Perhaps claiming he had been living among Muggles for research purposes and now intended to delve deeper into the study of magic, and so on. Fortunately, the goblin didn't pry. After exchanging for 200 Galleons, Eisen departed from Gringotts.
(End of chapter)
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