The motorcycle appeared quite dilapidated, but once seated, it was surprisingly stable and fast, emitting no gasoline smell, a true eco-friendly marvel.
"This bike is pretty good," Zhao Lun remarked earnestly as they traveled.
"It was a gift from someone. Honestly, I regret bringing it here," Hagrid seemed unwilling to continue discussing the vehicle.
Zhao Lun refrained from asking further and focused on his own thoughts as they continued their journey.
Regarding the Potter films, he had watched them, though not in their entirety. However, the books—he had read all seven in their physical form, and they were authentic copies. He had borrowed them from a fellow Potter fan and had devoured them in one go. Whether through the books or the films, he felt that these things did not have the same profound impact as real-life encounters.
Both the Hagrid from the movies and the one in the books seemed less direct compared to meeting the giant in person.
And this world—he still couldn't claim to fully understand it.
The motorcycle was fast. Zhao Lun barely had time to ponder before they arrived at the town.
As they passed through the small town on their way to the station, many passersby stared at them, then turned to gaze at the towering Hagrid.
Zhao Lun was now the wealthiest person in town, and such encounters with him were rare. Hagrid, being twice the height of an average person, was constantly pointing at even the most mundane things, acting as if they were the most astounding sights. His demeanor made him appear like someone who had just stepped out of a distant corner of the world, an image both unsettling and hard to ignore.
His words only made things worse—referring to "Muggles" with a certain disdainful glance, leading others to question whether he had recently escaped from an asylum or was some sort of racist.
Zhao Lun felt embarrassed. It was unexpected that someone like Hagrid, a proud wizard, could look down upon Muggles in such a manner.
"Hagrid, could you tell me how to exchange money?" Zhao Lun asked, trying to steer the conversation away.
"You go to Gringotts, the bank. Wizards can store their money there. It's the safest bank, full of goblins and dragons. Speaking of dragons, oh, those creatures are so adorable, I almost want to keep one," Hagrid continued, his speech veering towards dragons, his tone full of excitement. "But you mustn't tell anyone about this. The Ministry of Magic forbids wizards from keeping dragons."
"Oh? Why? Isn't it good to have dragons?" Zhao Lun asked, still intrigued by the legendary creatures. "Are they vicious or powerful?"
"They're not vicious, just temperamental. Only a powerful wizard can tame them," Hagrid's eyes lit up at the mention of dragons, and his desire for them was clear.
The train system in Britain was highly developed, and there was a station in Trissie Town.
Hagrid was still unaccustomed to using Muggle money to buy tickets, so he had Zhao Lun do it. Zhao Lun had taken the train to London a few times, so there was no problem for him.
On the train, Hagrid took up two seats, leaving Zhao Lun to sit beside him, unnoticed.
"By the way, don't forget your letter," Hagrid said as he rummaged through his belongings.
Zhao Lun took out the parchment and showed it to him.
"Oh! Nice," Hagrid smiled. "Did you see the part at the back? I'll take you to buy those things."
"Can I find them in London? I've been here before and didn't notice anything to buy."
As they spoke, the journey passed without boredom.
"We're almost there. Once we arrive, you'll understand."
Hagrid seemed to know exactly where they were going, but he was clearly uncomfortable with the crowded train. He had been blocked at the metro ticket gate and complained loudly about the small seats and slow train. "The Hogwarts train is far better than this."
"Without magic, I truly don't understand how Muggles manage."
Their path was challenging for Hagrid, given his towering height. Every step was a struggle, as he constantly bumped into things.
At that moment, they were laboriously climbing a broken escalator leading to a noisy, bustling street lined with many shops.
Zhao Lun was speechless, having lost count of how many times this had happened on their journey.
Hagrid's large size made it easy for him to push through the crowded people, and Zhao Lun simply followed behind. They passed by bookstores, music shops, hamburger joints, and cinemas, but had yet to reach their destination, surrounded only by ordinary people.
Zhao Lun had been here several times and never found any magic shops. He was curious how Hagrid would locate them, planning to remember the route in case he needed something in the future.
"Here it is," Hagrid said, heading towards a small station.
"The Leaky Cauldron," a famous spot.
Had Hagrid not pointed it out, Zhao Lun would never have noticed this small, run-down place. Even if he had, he wouldn't have considered entering.
Passersby hurriedly walked by, their eyes sliding from the large bookstore on one side of the street to the record store on the other, as if they couldn't even see the Leaky Cauldron.
"Muggles can't see it. Only wizards can," Hagrid explained.
Despite its fame, the interior was dark and shabby. Perhaps it was still early in the afternoon, for there were no patrons except for the bartender.
As they entered, the old bartender waved and reached for a glass, calling out, "Care for a drink, Hagrid?"
The Leaky Cauldron's small owner was Tom, Zhao Lun thought.
"Not today, Tom. I have business to attend to," Hagrid replied, not pausing for a drink.
"You seem like a new face," Tom remarked, looking at Zhao Lun. "Could he be a first-year student?"
"Yes, Allen. First year. Alright, that's enough for now. We still have many things to buy," Hagrid said, ushering Zhao Lun out.
Outside, a small courtyard surrounded by walls appeared to have nothing but trash bins and weeds. But on closer inspection, the bricks above the trash cans revealed an entrance to Diagon Alley.
"Three blocks up… two blocks across…" Hagrid murmured, tapping the bricks on the wall with his wand. The brick shook and revealed a small opening, which gradually transformed into an archway leading to Diagon Alley.
This archway led to a cobbled street that wound into the distance, invisible at the end.
"Let's go," Hagrid continued leading the way.
Zhao Lun flipped through his mental map, comparing what he saw to his memories.
Hagrid was enthusiastic but not as grand as the savior figure from the tales. The two walked in silence, with Zhao Lun content to observe and let his mind record everything, mentally creating a virtual world based on what he saw.
Together, they passed through the arch, which immediately turned into a solid wall once they crossed.
The next stop was the Puddifoot's Cauldron Shop.
This was the nearest store to the Leaky Cauldron, offering various types of cauldrons in different materials: copper, brass, tin-plated, and silver, all available in an array of models, including self-stirring and collapsible versions.
"You need to buy a cauldron, but first, we'll need to exchange some money," Hagrid said.
A soft, mellow voice came from a dimly lit store, with a sign reading "Eeylard's Owl Emporium"—featuring owls of various colors, from brownish to snowy white.
Boys around his age pressed their noses against the shop windows, gazing longingly at the flying broomsticks—Nimbus 2000.
There were many other shops—Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, telescopes, strange silverware, shelves stacked with bat spleens and eel eyes, precariously piled spell books, parchment scrolls, potion bottles, and spherical trinkets.
"This is the wizard's bank—Gringotts," Hagrid said.
They arrived at a gleaming white building, much taller than the surrounding shops. Next to the bronze gates stood goblins dressed in deep red and gold uniforms.
One of the goblins, much shorter than Zhao Lun, had a sharp, dark face with pointed beard, and long fingers and toes.
Gringotts had two sets of doors:
The first was a shiny bronze door, guarded by goblin sentinels in scarlet and gold, who bowed as clients entered.
The second was silver, engraved with a warning:
"Enter, stranger, but beware: Greed is punished harshly, Those who seek without toil Shall suffer the consequences. If you take what doesn't belong, Thief, heed this warning— What you seek may not be treasure, but ruin."
Passing through the second silver door led to a spacious marble hall, where about a hundred goblins were hastily entering entries in large ledgers. Some weighed coins on scales, while others inspected gems with magnifying glasses.
"Good afternoon, we've come to exchange some money," Hagrid said.
"Please proceed to this counter for Muggle currency exchange," a goblin gestured.
"Place your money here," the goblin said, holding a tray for them to place their money.
"Is a check fine?" Zhao Lun asked, producing a check.
"It is," the goblin responded.
Zhao Lun placed it on the tray.
"The check is fine, five thousand pounds, which will exchange for one thousand Galleons, seventeen thousand silver Sickles, and four hundred ninety-three thousand Copper Knuts. What would you like to exchange?" the goblin inquired.
"Hm—exchange nine hundred Galleons, one thousand three hundred sixty silver Sickles, and the rest into Copper Knuts," Zhao Lun answered.
"Nine hundred Galleons, one thousand three hundred sixty silver Sickles, and nine thousand eight hundred sixty Copper Knuts, is that correct?" the goblin asked.
"Correct," Zhao Lun confirmed.
"Here you go." The goblin placed three bags on the tray and slid them toward them for inspection.
"Everything seems fine," Hagrid said, checking them before handing the bags to Zhao Lun. "Keep it safe. Now, let's go buy what you need."
The Galleons were cumbersome to carry, so Zhao Lun placed most of them in his enchanted bag, leaving only a small amount in his backpack.