0026 Diagon Alley

Words : 1980 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

While Harry was unwrapping the birthday present from Adrian, Adrian himself had already apparated with a faint to the bustling, cobblestoned streets of Diagon Alley. Adrian's destination this time was the Magical Creatures Shop in the south. As the name rather straightforwardly suggested, this shop specialized in the sale of magical creatures, such as owls, fire crabs, puffskeins, and other pets. The shop was particularly busy during the late summer months when eager Hogwarts first-years would arrive to purchase their very first magical companions. The Magical Creatures Shop had, over the decades, established itself as the most reputable and sought-after pet shop in all of wizarding Britain. Its remarkable success had led to the opening of numerous branches in various magical communities across the country. The original Diagon Alley location, however, remained the flagship store, with the widest selection and most knowledgeable staff. "Welcome!" A melodious voice greeted Adrian the moment the enchanted bell above the door announced his arrival with a tinkling chime. The interior of the shop was filled with various sounds and smells—the soft hooting of owls mixed with the occasional grumble of more interesting birds, while the air carried the distinct aroma of fresh hay, magical creature feed, and the faint scent of various animal habitats being maintained with cleaning charms. "Are you looking to find a magical companion today?" As soon as Adrian entered, a witch approached him—a female shop assistant. "We've just received a particularly magnificent batch of owls this morning—barn, tawny, and even a few spectacular snowy ones. They've all been raised from hatchlings by our specialist in the Orkney Islands!" Adrian shook his head slightly and responded politely: "Thank you, but I'm not here to buy a pet. Is the owner in?" Upon hearing Adrian's inquiry, the shop assistant's cheerful demeanor weakened, her smile remained but a shadow of uncertainty flashed across her face. "Sir," she began, pausing momentarily as she chose her words with care, "the owner is quite occupied with inventory management this morning. Perhaps you could share your requirements with me? I'm fully authorized to handle most transactions and inquiries. If your needs are truly beyond me, I would be happy to relay your message and arrange a future appointment." Adrian was about to give a more detailed explanation when a flash of recognition suddenly appeared over the young witch's face. Her eyes widened slightly as they fixed upon Adrian's eyes. She seemed to realize something "Oh! Forgive my oversight—might you be Mr. Westeros?" Adrian nodded. After receiving confirmation, the shop assistant's expression changed to one of sudden realization. She quickly put on an apologetic smile: "I should have recognized you immediately! Ms. Ruskin mentioned you would be visiting today. Please, follow me—she's waiting for you in the consulting room at the back of the shop." "Thank you." Following the assistant's guidance, Adrian walked through a small corridor in the shop and arrived at a wooden door. "Ms. Ruskin? Mr. Westeros has arrived for his appointment." The assistant said knocking on the door. "Please, do come in," replied a crisp voice from within the chamber. The assistant opened the door, and Adrian walked in. The consulting room that Adrian stepped into was considerably simpler than one might expect from the owner of such a shop. Instead of luxurious furnishings or flashy displays of wealth, the space was functional and clearly designed for work rather than impression. An oak table was placed at the center of the room, its surface was barely visible beneath stacks of parchment, open reference books, and what appeared to be international shipping clips. Two simple but well-crafted chairs faced each other across the table, their cushions showing signs of frequent use. The walls were adorned not with the expected decorative items but with moving magical portraits of various rare and exotic creatures in their natural habitats. Adrian's attention was immediately drawn to a particularly impressive depiction of a Graphorn—a large, purple-gray beast with two long, sharp horns—as it trudged across a rocky mountainous landscape. Ms. Ruskin had black, slightly curly hair and wore an elegant gray robe. She appeared to be about the same age as Adrian. Adrian was surprised; the owner was much younger than he had imagined. Being so young yet managing such a successful shop, Adrian couldn't help but view her with increased respect. Ms. Ruskin, whom the assistant had mentioned, was sitting at the table, which was piled with various books and documents. Evidently, she had just been handling these documents. "Hello, Mr. Westeros," She greeted him with a smile extending her hand across the table. "Lyra Ruskin. I've been looking forward to our meeting." After returning the handshake, Adrian didn't engage in further pleasantries and got straight to the point, as he was there to make a purchase. He had already paid quite a bit in advance as reservation! "Ms. Ruskin, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, I trust my order specification reached you without issue?" Adrian asked directly to the point. "Of course, of course," Ruskin responded, turning her attention to the chaotic arrangement of documents in front of her. She rummaged through the pile of documents for a moment and finally pulled out a crumpled piece of parchment. "Ah, here it is." She looked somewhat embarrassed, trying to flatten the parchment. After glancing at it a few times, she looked at Adrian: "To be honest, when I first received your order, I thought you were joking, so I almost threw it away." "Can't you procure these?" Adrian asked, somewhat disappointed. Ruskin chuckled as if she had heard an enormous joke. "Mr. Westeros," she said after composing herself, though her eyes still sparkled with humor, "I believe you should take a moment to review exactly what you've included in this order of yours." She slid the parchment across the desk toward him, tapping at specific items on the list. "Murtlap specimens—certainly, we import them regularly from coastal areas. Porlocks—a bit more challenging but well within our area. Fwoopers—we maintain an excellent relationship with African magical wildlife preserves, so these colorful songbirds present no particular difficulty, though the silencing charms are an additional expense... ah, all these are still normal " Her finger continued down the list, coming to rest at the final entries. Her voice took on a tone of mock strictness, though her lips twitched with barely suppressed amusement. "But then, Mr. Westeros! What am I to make of these final requests? A Nundu? A fully grown Runespoor? Are you perhaps attempting to arrange my residence in Azkaban? The paperwork alone for Class XXXXX creatures would require approval from no less than seven departments at the Ministry, and that's assuming one could even locate a Nundu without ending up as its afternoon meal. Their breath alone causes disease capable of eliminating entire villages!" Adrian nodded inwardly, having anticipated this response. He had included those particular creatures on his list for several reasons. First, to test the boundaries of what Ruskin's shop could legitimately provide, and second, as a form of negotiation tactic—by including some obviously outlandish requests, the rest of his substantial order might seem more reasonable by comparison. He hadn't really hoped to buy those magical creatures here. Even if Ruskin could procure them, he couldn't afford them. And even if he could afford them, he wouldn't dare display them in front of Hogwarts students. The primary purpose of his order was to prepare comprehensive specimens for the upcoming Care of Magical Creatures curriculum at Hogwarts. As the professor responsible for the course, the burden fell upon him to ensure appropriate educational materials were available for proper instruction. "If you could somehow circumvent the Ministry's regulations..." Ruskin suddenly interjected into his thoughts with a wink as she leaned slightly forward and added, "I wouldn't say it's entirely impossible to arrange such procurements." Now it was Adrian's turn to be surprised. "Really?" "Just having a bit of fun," Ruskin responded with a casual shrug of her shoulders, leaning back in her chair. Despite her dismissive words, something in her demeanor gave Adrian the impression that her statement wasn't entirely in jest. "Alright, ma'am," Adrian waved his hand, "let's end the joke there. Apart from those last ones, do you sell the others?" Ruskin carefully examined the list again, her face displaying a confident smile. "Hmm, the rest are no problem." She asked, "Mr. Westeros, are you sure you want everything on the list? That's a lot of Galleons!" "Indeed, all of them," Adrian nodded with obvious satisfaction, "Oh, and please send the bill to Hogwarts." At that moment, far away at Hogwarts, Dumbledore sneezed violently. ............................. After concluding what had proven to be an exceptionally successful business meeting, Adrian departed from the Magical Creatures Shop with a sense of accomplishment. Having secured such a significant purchase for Hogwarts, Adrian felt a celebratory drink was entirely appropriate. Fortunately, he met many familiar faces in the Leaky Cauldron. "Good morning, Hagrid." Adrian spotted Hagrid sitting in a corner, contentedly drinking a mug of mead. Hagrid looked up when he heard someone call his name. Upon seeing Adrian, he broke into a radiant smile, put down his mug, and patted the seat beside him. "Ah, Professor Adrian, come sit! Would you like a drink too?" After Adrian sat down, he also ordered a mug of mead. "Do you come here often, Hagrid?" Adrian asked casually. A look of pleasure flashed across Hagrid's face, and he said in a low voice: "I make me way here or to the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade fair regularly, especially durin' the summer holidays. Yeh understand, when all the students and most o' the staff are away, Hogwarts becomes eerily quiet—jus' me an' Fang rattlin' around the grounds, with only the occasional visit from Dumbledore or Professor McGonagall who stay to handle school business." He took a long sip from his mug, leaving a foam mustache on his real one, before adding, "Besides, the drinks here are proper good, aren't they?" Adrian nodded, chatting casually with Hagrid for a while. Soon the topic turned to Harry. "Harry is such a good lad," Hagrid rubbed his eyes, then said: "When we came to Diagon Alley yesterday, he even bought yeh a gift." "For me?" Adrian was surprised; this was unexpected. "What did he buy me?" S~eaʀᴄh the Nôvel(F)ire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Hagrid's beard twitched with amusement. "Seems yeh haven't received it yet," he observed with a satisfied smile. "Best not to spoil the surprise then, eh? Some things are better experienced firsthand, I always say." Their conversation continued pleasantly, filled by occasional refills of their mugs and sharing of Hogwarts anecdotes. Hagrid was midway through recounting a particularly amusing incident involving Peeves the poltergeist and Professor Flitwick's choir practice when he suddenly fell silent, his attention was drawn to a figure sitting on the opposite side of the crowded pub. "That gentleman over there," Hagrid said in a low voice, "that's our new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor." Adrian looked in the direction Hagrid was pointing. A person wrapped in a thick turban was sitting on the other side of the Leaky Cauldron, with his back to them. Adrian thought. Adrian mentally reached out to the Tree of Wisdom. [Name: Quirinus Quirrell] [Occupation: Wizard] Immediately following Quirrell's information came another set of data: [Name: Tom Marvolo Riddle] [Occupation: Wizard] The Tree of Wisdom immediately provided him with information on two people. It seemed that Quirrell had already been possessed by Voldemort. Adrian thought grimly. All he had for Voldemort was hatred.

0026 Diagon Alley

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