3 Diagon Alley
After Luke provided his response, a rare smile graced Snape's lips briefly, but it quickly faded, replaced by his usual stern expression.
"Very well, Mr. Geralt, please follow me," Snape said decisively, leading the way. Luke trailed closely behind him.
The Leaky Cauldron Bar was bustling with people, mainly wizards from London. However, before Luke could take in the surroundings, Snape guided him into a narrow alley adjacent to a wall. A solitary trash can occupied a corner of this alley.
"Count three bricks above this trash can, then two across," Snape instructed, tapping the designated brick twice with his wand. Suddenly, an enchanting sight unfolded before them.
The bricks began to shift, forming a circular stone gate, revealing the bustling wizarding street within.
"Remember where I tapped just now. You'll need it later," Snape advised. His impression of this young wizard who was about to join Slytherin was generally positive, and there would be more to come.
"Understood!" Luke nodded, curiosity evident in his pale blue eyes as he observed the wizarding street before him.
This was Diagon Alley, the hub for shopping and socializing among wizards.
Upon entering Diagon Alley, the first order of business was exchanging some Galleons, the common currency in the wizarding world. Gringotts, the wizarding bank, was the place for this.
Under Snape's guidance, they soon reached the entrance of Gringotts. The bronze door stood at a street corner, flanked by two impeccably dressed goblins. As they entered, a goblin approached.
"What services do you require?" the goblin inquired.
"I need to exchange for Galleons," Luke replied, opening the backpack he had been carrying. He gently placed the sleeping Frog on his head and produced a gold bar, setting it on the table. A glint of greed flickered in the eyes of the surrounding goblins at the sight.
In this world, goblins were known for their avarice.
With a knowing nod, Luke placed his backpack on the table and emptied its contents. The gold inside was worth a significant portion of his estate, making Luke's wealth more substantial than that of some pure-blood wizarding families.
"How many Galleons can I get for these?" Luke inquired, having already learned about the currency exchange rates from Snape.
Gold Galleons were the most valuable, followed by Silver Sickles and Bronze Knuts.
After exiting Gringotts, Luke now held over 10,000 gold Galleons in his possession. For the moment, he withdrew only 200 Galleons and a key from the Gringotts vault.
Shop now for wands and everyday items.
Under Snape's guidance, Luke entered a room with a sign that read: "Olivander's Wand Shop."
As soon as they opened the door, Ollivander approached with a smile and greeted warmly, "Long time no see, Professor Snape, thirteen and one-half inches long, birch, phoenix feather core."
"Long time no see, Mr. Ollivander," Snape acknowledged, then commented, "Your memory is as impeccable as ever."
"Of course!" Ollivander boasted. "I remember every wand I've ever sold here, along with their owners."
"Is this young one here for a wand?"
He gazed at Luke, who stood behind Snape, his eyes filled with curiosity as he observed the boxes of wands around him.
"Yes, sir. I believe I need a wand," Luke replied, smiling at Ollivander's inquisitive look.
"Each person's wand is unique, and the connection between wizard and wand must be perfect. You must understand that the wand chooses its owner. If you have an ill-fitting wand, your magic will suffer greatly."
"Come, let me take some measurements, young wizard."
With these words, Ollivander picked up a tape measure and began to measure Luke's height, head circumference, arm length, and other details, leaving Luke somewhat puzzled.
"Do I really need these measurements to purchase a wand?"
"It's to ensure we find the perfect match for you, young wizard," Ollivander explained.
After recording the measurements, Ollivander inquired, "Which hand is your dominant hand?"
"Right hand," Luke replied.
"Ah, wait a moment." Ollivander put away the tape measure and went deeper into the shop, retrieved a small box, and extracted a sleek black wand. "Here, try this one!"
"Cedar wood, thunder-bird feather core, thirteen inches, a wand of great potential. Give it a try."
"Just give it a wave, young wizard!"
Luke took the wand and waved it gently, creating a spark of electricity at the tip. He could sense his ability to control that tiny spark.
To the astonishment of Snape and Ollivander, the spark began to slowly trace a pattern in the air. After a while, a golden tree with leaves of shimmering gold appeared before them.
"Beautiful..." a melodious voice chimed in from the doorway. Luke turned to see a delicate-looking young girl with long, fluffy brown hair. Behind her stood a couple.
Luke raised an eyebrow, then controlled the spark to dissipate into the air.
"Thank you, young lady."
"Amazing! It's a perfect match. You're the first young wizard I've seen in years who matched a wand so harmoniously!" Ollivander couldn't help but applaud.
Snape nodded in agreement. It was also the first time he had witnessed such a talented young wizard.
"Thank you for the kind words," Luke replied with a smile.
At that moment, the girl by the door recovered from her amazement at the dissipating golden tree and looked at Luke with her brown eyes. Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating Luke's handsome profile, and his smile was particularly dazzling. In an instant, her fair cheeks turned a shade of rosy red.
After praising Luke, Ollivander turned his attention to the girl by the door.
"Young one, do you need a wand as well?"
"Oh, my name is Hermione Granger, and yes, I do need a wand, sir!" the girl replied excitedly.
Luke stood by, familiar with his wand, and a hint of understanding flashed across his expression.
As he suspected, it was Hermione.
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