novelhk Page 3
Page 3
The soup spoon suddenly started shaking, and then it bent sharply.
If this were in the world of Pokémon, Professor McGonagall's accuracy would be lower.
“Very precise control, well done.” Professor McGonagall’s eyes lit up as she looked Levin over again.
From a purely visual perspective, this little trick doesn't seem to possess any particularly powerful magic.
But Professor McGonagall knew very well that being able to focus on bending the spoon without affecting the other dishes on the table meant that the young wizard in front of her had excellent control over magic.
This is something many junior wizards cannot do.
It seems that this is a very talented child.
"Well then, since it's still early, Mr. Green, come with me. I'll take you to buy some things you need for school."
“You can call me Levin, Professor McGonagall. Before I leave, I’d like to say a few words to the Dean.”
Professor McGonagall waved her hand: "No need, we can't explain these things too clearly to Muggles."
If that woman wasn't the orphanage director, but rather the parent of some Muggle wizard...
It is indeed necessary for them to know where their child has gone.
They have this power, even the Wizarding Secrecy Act allows it.
But if they are from an orphanage, that's a different story.
Professor McGonagall did not consider her Levin's guardian, which is why she used the Confusion Charm on him.
However, Levin's questions didn't end there. He said somewhat embarrassedly, "Um... Professor McGonagall, I'd love to go shopping with you, but... I don't have any money. I've only saved 9 pounds and 15 pence over the years..."
Nine pounds and 15 pence is only enough to buy a shirt. What can you do with that in the Wizarding World?
Professor McGonagall smiled gently: “Mr. Levin, I think you don’t need to worry about this. This isn’t the first time Hogwarts has accepted a student like you. We have a plan for this. Every academic year, we will prepare an interest-free student loan for you. You only need to repay it after you graduate and find a job.”
There are even interest-free student loans?
What a conscience!
It's far more ethical than American universities, and even comparable to those in China.
……
and many more,
Professor McGonagall claimed this wasn't the first time she had received...
Could the last person like me have been Tom Riddle?
Chapter 3: A Wizard's Life Begins with a Loan
After settling the money issue, Professor McGonagall led Levin to a nearby alley.
The Leerke Orphanage was located in a remote area.
There wasn't a soul in sight in the vicinity of this alley.
Levin immediately sensed something was wrong.
Then he heard Professor McGonagall speak:
“Mr. Levin, to save time, we need to use magic to get to our destination. It might be uncomfortable, so please bear with it.”
"Okay... okay."
Levin was already aware of what he was about to experience.
"Then, please take my hand... Apparition!"
Levin suddenly felt uncomfortable all over, as if he had been stuffed into the drum of a washing machine and then spun dry.
A second felt like an eternity.
When Levin felt his feet touch the ground again, he almost collapsed because his legs went weak. His stomach was churning, and he almost threw up the cheap bread he had eaten for breakfast.
Professor McGonagall patted Levin on the back and handed him a chocolate frog.
"Excuse me, Mr. Levin, how are you feeling?"
"We have a lot of new students to greet these days, so I have to use this kind of travel method. Have something to eat, it will make you feel more comfortable."
"No...it's alright, Professor McGonagall, I'm fine."
Put the chilled chocolate frog in your mouth.
Feeling the frog legs thumping in his mouth and the cool sweetness, it instantly outweighed all the inferior desserts he had eaten in the past eleven years.
Sure enough, even if it's just for the sake of food, one has to go to Hogwarts.
You personally experienced apparition, and you found this mode of travel painful, thus you mastered the spell [Dimensional Anchor].
【Spatial Anchor】: This spell can temporarily imprison space and prevent others from using spatial teleportation spells.
Why did I not master Apparition, but Dimensional Anchor?
Levin suddenly felt a pang of regret. If his first reaction had been enjoyment instead of disgust, perhaps he would have mastered this incredible movement skill by now.
However, on the other hand, the dimensional anchor restricts all spatial movement, which is at least more useful than the anti-apparition array that only targets apparition.
Levin looked up and saw a tiny storefront, about a third the size of the orphanage's gate; anyone who didn't know better would mistake it for the door to a public toilet.
On either side of the storefront is a bookstore and a record store.
Compared to the colorful neon lights of its neighbors, the sign here was very retro—it was just a big wooden sign with no words on it, but instead a picture of a leaky pot, which Levin felt he could crawl into.
The place has a quirky and eye-catching style, but people passing by don't even glance at it.
“So, this is our destination, the Leaky Cauldron on Charing Cross Road,” Professor McGonagall explained. “It’s been cursed with a Muggle-repelling spell, so Muggles can’t see here.”
She took the lead, pushed open the door, and led Levin inside.
The bar was dimly lit, and surprisingly, oil lamps were used for illumination.
Levin thought that with the brightness here, if a disco ball were added, it would practically be a nightclub.
Unfortunately, the magical world uses electrical appliances.
As a famous place, it was incredibly dirty and chaotic. The room was filled with long, square, or round wooden tables, and some wizards were drinking and chatting. They all looked strange and were a perfect match for the bar.
Upon seeing someone enter, many people took the initiative to greet Professor McGonagall.
Tom Abbott, the bald owner behind the bar, put down his glass and waved to the two of them: "Oh, Professor McGonagall, it's been a long time. Are you going to pick up this year's freshmen?"
Professor McGonagall nodded: "Yes, Tom, a Muggle-born wizard, I took him to Diagon Alley to buy things."
"Welcome, little one." The shopkeeper nodded to Levin again, his expression very friendly. "Look, what a wonderful young man. By the way, my granddaughter is also a freshman this year, so you will be classmates."
Levin sensed that his passive ability, [Charm of Humans], had taken effect.
“Hello, Mr. Tom, I am Levin Green. It is an honor to be your granddaughter’s classmate.”
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Professor McGonagall led Levin out of the back door of the Leaky Cauldron.
It seemed to be a dead end, with a trash can placed against the wall.
Professor McGonagall came to the wall.
“Remember how to open it.” Professor McGonagall said, demonstrating as she spoke: “Starting from the dumpster, count three blocks up, then two blocks horizontally, and tap it with your wand.”
The next moment, the seemingly very thick brick wall began to change.
"Giggle!"
The bricks began to recede and overlap, creating an arched passageway.
Inside the passage is a winding, seemingly endless cobblestone street.
Levin followed Professor McGonagall inside.
The streets are lined with shops selling all kinds of cookware, animals, herbs, books, and flying brooms.
Wizards dressed in various costumes moved in and out of the shops, while owls flew to and fro in the sky...
This is Diagon Alley, the starting point of the magical world!
Levin was stunned by the dazzling array of goods; it was far more exciting than any movie.
Professor McGonagall smiled slightly: "Alright, Levin, there will be plenty of time to surprise you later. Now, let's go to Gringotts first. You have quite a few things to buy..."
Professor McGonagall strode forward, pulling Levin along with her.
After walking for five or six minutes, the two came to a fork in the road, and Professor McGonagall finally stopped.
Across the fork in the road is a three-story white building, Gringotts.
Among the ordinary wooden buildings, this tall stone building stands out, looking quite impressive from afar.
Of course, this only applies to viewing from a distance.
Once inside, Levin discovered that the white marble columns outside Gringotts were actually crooked!
Not only are they crooked, but what's worse is that each stone pillar is crooked in its own unique way. They can't even be connected in a line, and they're not even in the same direction!
For Levin, an engineering student with mild obsessive-compulsive disorder, this was incredibly difficult.
He secretly vowed that if he ever had the chance in the future, he would definitely reinstall it.
At the bronze entrance to Gringotts stood goblin guards dressed in red uniforms with gold trim.
Although they were short, their arrogant expressions and the way they looked at people made him unhappy.
Ignoring these annoying fellows, the two walked further in and came to a large, silver-white door with a row of large, eye-catching characters engraved on it:
"Please come in, stranger, but be careful, for greed will have its consequences."
"Those who take without giving and seek to gain without working will be punished most severely."
"You want to take a fortune from our underground vault that never belonged to you."
“Thief, you have been warned that what you will gain is not treasure, but retribution.”
"How do you feel about seeing this?" Professor McGonagall asked Levin at the opportune moment.
Instead of showing awe and obediently offering standard reflections like a typical young wizard, Levin snorted coldly:
"All I saw was their bluster and cowardice."
Professor McGonagall was taken aback for a moment before nodding, "You...you're right."