They walked down the streets of London and looked for The Leaky Cauldron after getting off of the train. Normally, they don't come all the way to London-- the few times any trips were made was if Rune's father had to deliver any goods that far off. His parents were linked arm to arm while he walked with his sister by his father's side. They all kept their eyes ahead of them to spot the sign that would lead them to their destination. When they eventually did see the sign, it was attached to a building shrouded completely in black-- they could barely even see the sign with how dark it was. It was as if the building and anything attached to it was covered in a layer of rubbed on soot. Dust even covered the windowpanes and cobwebs were in the top corners of them.
His mother looked at her husband with unease, not quite fond of the odd appearance contrasting the typical sights of London. His father gently squeezed her hand before using his free one to open the the door. Rune was able to step through first and his parents followed behind, shutting the door behind them.
The place was packed with people.
Actually, it was so packed that they could almost not get around without having to push through loads of people. Everyone sat at tables and chattered loudly into the building. At the back wall across from the entrance stood a bar with a man working behind it to fix drinks and clean used glasses so they could be reused.
"Let's go ask the barkeep." Rune jumped at the sudden voice next to his head, looking to see his father standing back up to lead the way. His free hand took Rune's now, tugging him and his mother forward through the crowd.
It was a bit of a tight squeeze, but they managed. His hold on Rune's hand moved around his shoulders when they stopped in front of the bar. He straightened his posture and spoke with a slightly raised tone as to catch the barkeep's attention, "Excuse us?"
The man paused his actions, the rag he was using to polish the sparkling glass freezing. He had a kind, old gaze with a smile to match it upon spotting Rune's father. The glass and rag were sat down as to put his full attention on the potential customers before him, "Ah, yes. What can I do for you?"
"We're looking for Diagon Alley, sir. We were told we could find it through here-- but we aren't quite sure how to get to it. Would you mind pointing us in the right direction?"
"Oh!" The barkeep's eyes lit up in recognition. "Of course-- Ahem!" He turned to look at one of the men sitting at the bar, tapping on the wooden counter to gain his attention.
The man nearly jumped in surprise at the sound and quickly looked over to the barkeep and then to them when he noticed them there. He wore black robes and a purple turban wrapped securely around his head. "Do you mind opening the way to Diagon Alley for them, Quirrell?"
The man sat up in place before sliding off the stool, "Y-Yes! Yes, of course. Uh--.. R-Right this way!" Quirrell gave a kind, almost nervous, smile to Azriel's too before carefully pushing through the crowd. As they followed, they got a couple of glances and glares from those they maneuvered around— it had to be dozens of people.
The only thing they could really do is let out a quick, murmured apology before continuing forward. Quirrell opened a door ahead of them, stepping out into a small bricked off clearing. With small, it mean too, small. The four of them barely fit within the clearing-- maybe only one other person could fit if they stood close enough to the wall.
Runw watched closely as Quirrell began to pull a wand from his robes. The tip of it was tapped around an indention in the bricks-- probably caused by some sort of accident and corrosion. The pattern went counter clockwise, starting from the 12 o'clock position. When finished, he stepped back and allowed the magic to work as intended.
Rune was left in a bit of awe as he watched the bricks move and shift in place. The same must've been for his parents, hearing his mother mutter noises of awe to his father who didn't speak just yet. Quirrell let out a slight chuckle at their reactions.
"Th-There you go." He held his hands in front of him as he looked down at Rune. "I'll s-see you at Hog-Hogwarts then?"
See him at Hogwarts?
Rune looked at him confused, but before Rune could ask about his affiliation with this magical school, he spoke, "I-I'm a P-P-Professor there. Y-You'll be learn-learning Defense A-Against the D-D-Dark Arts with me."
"It's very nice to meet you, Professor. Thank you." Rune spoke politely to him, giving him a final kind smile before turning to walk into the bustling shopping district.
His parents spoke their thanks as well before following Rune. Behind them, the brick wall closed as Professor Quirrell headed back inside. The last thing they could see before the brick wall closed was the teacher closing the door behind him as he entered the building.
The streets ahead of them were lined with people in robes and witches hats. Some came in and out of stores while others simply admired the shops' items through the windows. Some shops held mannequins with similar robes to the ones the onlookers wore, others held things like books and brooms.
Rune couldn't help but stare at each store they began to pass in a bit of awe. This is where real wizards and witches go to get what they needed in the wizarding world and Rune, one of the newest witches of this generation, was going to shop here. It was almost unbelievable. "Rune, dear-- What does the list say you need?"
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TO BE CONTINUED.....