Chapter 7: Return to Diagon Alley

"Look at this trash can, count three bricks up, then two across, and tap three times with your wand. That will open the passage to Diagon Alley," Tom explained to Mr. Granger and Hermione.

Mr. Granger was Hermione's father, a kindly-looking man with gold-rimmed glasses, who appeared quite cultured. As a dentist running a clinic in London, Mr. Granger could certainly be considered an intellectual. However, in the magical world, regardless of whether you were a doctor or a plumber, in the eyes of wizards, you were still a Muggle. Faced with the magical world, Mr. Granger was naturally nervous. Therefore, he welcomed Tom, who had come to them.

Entering Diagon Alley, Mr. Granger and his daughter were astonished by what they saw: shops filled with owls, women buying dragon liver, display windows with broomsticks… They were like Liu Laolao entering the Great View Garden, full of curiosity and awe for everything.

"Shall we go to Gringotts to exchange money first?" Tom suggested. Touring the magical world was similar to international travel: first, you get a visa, then you exchange currency... The process was the same.

This analogy eased the tension in Mr. Granger and Hermione's hearts, and they suddenly became calm.

Tom led the father and daughter to the most imposing building in Diagon Alley—Gringotts.

Gringotts was a towering white building standing above the surrounding shops. Beside its bronze doors stood a goblin dressed in crimson and gold uniform.

"Yes, that's a goblin," Tom explained to Mr. Granger and Hermione in a hushed tone. They watched as a giant figure led a small boy into Gringotts ahead of them, and they followed closely behind, walking up the white marble steps to the entrance of Gringotts. The goblin bowed and greeted them. Passing through the bronze doors, they found themselves facing a silver door engraved with verses.

"Is that a giant?" Hermione whispered to Tom as they walked through the corridor. She had seen the giant who entered Gringotts ahead of them and was curious.

"No, that's a half-giant. True giants are even taller," Tom replied, also in a hushed tone. The three of them walked straight in.

Under the guidance of two goblins, they arrived at a grand marble hall. Inside, about a hundred goblins were sitting behind a row of long counters, performing various tasks such as counting coins, inspecting gemstones, and writing. The hall had countless doors, and goblins would occasionally come out of them or usher customers inside.

Tom walked up to a counter and greeted a goblin who was not busy.

"Good morning. We'd like to exchange some money."

The goblin looked up, examined the attire and appearance of the three, and showed a barely discernible disappointment. "I'll need your identification, sir. Students have a limit of ten Galleons for currency exchange per term."

Tom took out his acceptance letter to Hogwarts and placed it on the counter, along with several banknotes. He then produced three gold bars, and when the golden bars appeared on the counter, the goblin's expression visibly softened. The goblin carefully took Tom's gold bars and placed them on a scale for weighing. As for the pounds, he glanced at them and swept them into a drawer without much attention.

These gold bars were obtained by Tom and Yuri separately in a black market. Due to the questionable source of the gold, they were cheaper than what was available in regular banks. With a total of 180 grams of gold bars, along with Tom's annual allowance of ten Galleons, he exchanged them for 46 Galleons in Gringotts in an instant. This substantial sum of money made him feel quite comfortable—of course, 20 Galleons of that would be transferred to Hogwarts, as he had already deposited it in the school's account. Tom had no habit of owing money.

Mr. Granger was no exception; he exchanged 200 grams of gold and 50 pounds for 50 Galleons. The background check done by Hogwarts was well done; according to Hermione's family situation, they didn't need any financial assistance, and her family was wealthier than some pure-blood families.

The arrival of several hundred grams of gold made the goblin behind the counter smile widely. He even handed a business card to Mr. Granger, hoping for future cooperation. Under his appreciative gaze, the three left Gringotts.

"Alright, what shall we buy next?" Tom asked when the three stood on the sunny street again.

"I want to buy books!" Hermione's eyes were shining. She had been looking forward to magical books for a long time and wished to spend all her vacation time reading them.

"Sure, and I also need to get some textbooks." Tom readily agreed and took Hermione to Flourish and Blotts.

"Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1," Hermione listed. "A History of Magic," "Magical Theory," "One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi," "Magical Drafts and Potions," "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them." Each book was priced at two Galleons. "Dark Arts: A Guide to Self-Protection," one Galleon. In total, 13 Galleons.

The shopkeeper handed Tom the bundled books. "You forgot to buy 'A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration'!" Hermione quickly noticed that Tom had forgotten one book.

"Professor McGonagall gave me her old one," Tom replied with a smile. Hearing this news, Hermione became excited. "Really? That's great! It's Professor's book! Can I read it with you?"

Mr. Granger also generously invited Tom to stay at their house for some time during the holidays, and they could all go to King's Cross Station together on September 1st. Tom naturally agreed—why stay in a bridge when you had a villa? He wasn't that foolish.

After leaving the bookstore, Hermione went to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions to buy her school uniform. They also purchased various other odds and ends, such as quills, cauldrons, parchment, and more.

They encountered the tall boy again, and Tom overheard his conversation with the black-haired boy:

"... The school has four houses. They say Hufflepuff has many duffers, but—"

"I think I'll definitely be sorted into Hufflepuff."

"I'd rather be in Hufflepuff than Slytherin! Dark wizards all come from Slytherin, and the Death Eaters are among them..."

I'll start with this chapter for three reasons: collecting, investing, and recommendation votes!

(End of this chapter)