The Magical Food God of Hogwarts

Chapter 24 Diagon Alley

Just as Lucas was about to ask another question, he realized that the two of them had arrived in front of a lonely, abandoned stone house standing in the wasteland. Half of the roof had collapsed, and the windows were dark and gaping, like the eye sockets of a skull.

"Uh... I've heard about this place," Lucas said quietly. "Professor, the villagers all say it's haunted."

"What ghosts?" Professor Sprout's tone turned somber, and he sighed softly. "This used to be the home of a wizarding couple. They were very kind people, but in that disaster more than ten years ago..."

She didn't continue speaking, and pushed open the creaking wooden door.

The room was covered in dust and cobwebs, the furniture was broken and overturned, only the stone fireplace in the center of the living room remained intact. Just as Lucas was about to ask what the disaster was, Professor Sprout drew his wand and whispered, "Whirlwind!"

A small tornado erupted from the tip of her wand, quickly sweeping away all the dust inside and outside the fireplace. She waved her wand again, and several pieces of rotten wood flew into the fireplace, then burst into flames.

"Watch closely, Lucas." Professor Sprout took out a small cloth bag and pinched out a pinch of shimmering silver powder. "This is Floo Powder. It's very simple to use. Grab a handful of powder, sprinkle it into the fireplace, and the flames will turn green. Then, step into the flames and clearly and loudly shout out where you want to go. Remember, 'The Leaky Cauldron!'"

She demonstrated by sprinkling the powder into the fireplace.

With a "boom," the emerald green flames instantly shot up and soared high into the air.

"I'll go over and wait for you."

Professor Sprout handed the bag of Floo Powder to Lucas, then stepped into the fireplace, shouting, "Leaky Cauldron!" Her figure flickered and disappeared in the green flames, and the fire in the fireplace returned to its orange hue.

"That's so cool!" Lucas exclaimed sincerely. He followed suit, sprinkling Floo Powder into the flames and stepping into the green water. A gust of hot air hit him, like being soaked in slightly hot bathwater.

"Break the Cauldron!"

The green flames exploded with a deafening roar, and a tremendous force pulled him into a rapid spin. Countless fireplace exits flashed before his eyes, and he felt like a top being thrown into a washing machine. Before he could react, a force shoved him forward, and he stumbled and tumbled out of one of the fireplaces.

Just as he was about to fall onto the oil-stained wooden floor, a pair of warm hands caught him.

When I opened my eyes, I saw Professor Sprout's kind smiling face.

"You did it, Lucas. We're here."

"Oh, a new student at Hogwarts!" another hoarse voice rang out beside him. Lucas turned around, dizzy, and saw a bald, wrinkled old man who looked like a dried walnut wiping the bar with a rag, grinning at him.

As Professor Sprout brushed the dust off Lucas's robe, he introduced him, "This is the bar owner, Mr. Tom Abbott. This is the Leaky Cauldron."

"Thank you, Professor. Hello, Mr. Abbott."

Lucas greeted the crowd, looked around, and found himself in a dimly lit, filthy bar. A number of oddly dressed people sat around grimy wooden tables, sipping unreadable drinks and conversing in hushed tones. The air was thick with the strange stench of alcohol and cheap spices.

Professor Sprout didn't linger. She first led Lucas out of the bar, where they were greeted by the noisy street scene of Charing Cross Road in London, with the sounds of car horns and pedestrian conversations filling the air.

It's unbelievable! Just a moment ago I was in the Scottish Highlands, and in the blink of an eye I've traveled thousands of miles to the streets of London.

“Remember this place, Lucas,” Professor Sprout said, pointing to the run-down bar nestled between a bookstore and a record store, seemingly invisible to the surrounding Muggles. “This is the gateway between the two worlds.”

She then led Lucas back into the bar, across the bar counter, to the small courtyard in the backyard.

"Remember the secret of this passage, and you can come here by yourself in the future." Professor Sprout took out his wand and tapped it three times rhythmically on a brick wall above the trash can.

The bricks began to surge like waves, being pulled from the middle outwards, as if someone were carrying them away one by one from the inside, and the wall quickly opened up to form an archway.

A world that Lucas had long imagined burst into his eyes.

The cobblestone street meandered forward, its sides crowded with all sorts of strange and wonderful shops. The shop windows displayed self-stirring crucibles, brooms suspended in mid-air, mannequins dressed in colorful robes waving to customers, layers upon layers of withered animal limbs, and a pile of spellbooks tumbling together, vying for the most prominent spot.

The air was filled with a strange mix of scents: the fragrance of parchment and books, the sweet aroma of candy, cakes, and ice cream, and the strong, peculiar odors of herbs and animal products emanating from the apothecaries. Wizards and witches, dressed in all sorts of robes, chatted and laughed in the streets.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley." Professor Sprout chuckled and patted him on the shoulder. "We have plenty of time to explore. Now, let's head to Gringotts and exchange your Muggle currency for Galleons."

Professor Sprout had just finished explaining the strange exchange rates of Galen, Sickle, and Nat to Lucas when Gringotts arrived.

It was a towering white marble building, much taller than all the surrounding shops. A fairy in a scarlet uniform stood before the bronze doors.

Even though Professor Sprout had already introduced Lucas to the "fairy" race, Lucas still found it hard to look away when a real fairy appeared before him.

They are like dwarfs from a fairy tale, but their dark faces reveal a shrewdness, their small eyes sparkle, and their long arms and legs make them look anything but simple and honest.

How many intelligent races are there in the magical world, and what are their respective food cultures? Lucas couldn't help but fantasize as he stepped through the second silver door, inscribed with a poem warning thieves, and entered the tall, spacious hall.

There were several long counters, with hundreds of fairies sitting behind them, the sound of gold, jewels, and coins jingling.

When a fairy saw Professor Sprout leading Lucas in, a warm smile immediately spread across her face.

"Professor Sprout of Hogwarts, welcome, welcome! This esteemed gentleman is a new face. You brought him here to open an account and deposit money, right?"

"Excuse me, these are the new students of Hogwarts," Professor Sprout said. "We need to exchange Muggle currency for Galleons."

Upon hearing this, the fairy's smile instantly froze.