The smirk on Toji's face widened as he observed the telltale signs of Quirrell's discomfort—the tightening of his jaw, the faint twitch at the corner of his mouth. It was almost too easy.
"Don't you think the rumors are a tad bit exaggerated?" Toji asked casually, leaning back in his chair with a feigned air of indifference.
Quirrell turned to him, his pale face stiff with forced composure. "What... what do you mean?"
Toji tilted his head, as if pondering his own words. "A baby killing a Dark Lord? Come on, isn't that a bit far-fetched? Clearly, there had to be some third-party intervention."
Quirrell stiffened even further, his grip tightening on the mug in his hands. Toji didn't miss the flicker of something dangerous in his eyes. Sensing blood in the water, Toji continued, his tone light but dripping with mockery.
"But look at things now," he said, gesturing broadly with one hand. "The once-feared Dark Lord, reduced to a bedtime story to scare kids. 'Eat your vegetables, or the Dark Lord will get you!'" He chuckled, shaking his head. "Killed by a baby? Not even a Muggle would be afraid of him. Honestly, it's kind of pathetic, don't you think?"
Quirrell's lips thinned as he bit down hard, his pale face flushing slightly. He looked like he wanted to say something, but the arrival of a new figure shifted the mood in the room.
Toji's sharp gaze caught the boy before anyone else—messy black hair, round glasses, and a lightning-shaped scar etched on his forehead. The Boy Who Lived, he thought, as the whispers around them confirmed it. Harry Potter was here, and judging by the way heads turned, so was the center of attention.
Toji didn't let the opportunity go to waste. With a calculated "slip," he let his glass fall from his hand. The sharp crash echoed through the room, and for a moment, everything stilled.
"Oops," he said, raising his hands in mock apology, his tone deliberately careless. "I'll pay for it, so don't fuss about it."
The noise had startled everyone, even the hulking figure of Rubeus Hagrid, who instinctively pushed Harry behind him. The half-giant scanned the room, his broad shoulders relaxing slightly when he realized it was just a broken glass.
"Blimey, gave me a fright, that did," Hagrid muttered, shaking his head as he looked at Toji with mild irritation. His gaze then shifted to another familiar face. "Professor Quirrell? Didn' expect ter see yeh here!"
Quirrell froze, his body going rigid at the sound of his name. He didn't turn to Hagrid, didn't even acknowledge the giant man's friendly greeting. Instead, he stood abruptly, his chair scraping loudly against the floor.
"I am... busy," Quirrell said, his voice strained, eyes darting toward Harry for the briefest of moments. His expression flickered—frustration, perhaps even anger—before he turned sharply and made his way out of the tavern without another word.
Hagrid raised his bushy eyebrows as he watched Quirrell retreat. "Well, that was odd," he muttered, scratching his head. "Don' reckon I've ever seen him act like that before."
Toji watched the exchange with silent amusement, his smirk never faltering. Hagrid, still muttering to himself, led Harry away, their conversation fading into the background.
As the tavern slowly returned to its usual bustle, Toji leaned back in his chair, with a wide grin on his face.
Hagrid led Harry through the back of the bar, tapping the bricks with his pink umbrella in a precise pattern. As the wall shifted and unfolded, it revealed a bustling magical street that seemed alive with color and motion. Harry's eyes widened in awe as the hidden alley stretched before him, bursting with shops, stalls, and wizards hurrying about.
"Welcome, Harry," Hagrid said with a wide grin, stepping aside to let Harry take in the full view. "Ter Diagon Alley."
Harry's jaw dropped as he looked around, stunned. The sight was beyond anything he'd imagined—cauldrons stacked high, broomsticks displayed in windows, and owls of every size and color hooting softly from their cages.
But before Harry could fully absorb the wonder of it all, a sound behind them broke the moment.
"That's a fancy trick!"
Harry and Hagrid turned, startled, to see a boy stepping out from the shadows. He was a bit taller than Harry, with dark hair and an easy smirk on his face. His sharp green eyes glanced at the wall, then back at Hagrid.
"That's a bad formation spell, though," the boy continued, casually. "No defense. Just fancy! You know I have just read about formation spells that would unalive someone just for walking in with the wrong foot."
Hagrid narrowed his eyes, his tone cautious as he addressed the stranger. "An' who might yeh be? Didn't even hear yeh follow us."
The boy raised his hands in mock surrender, a crooked smile playing on his lips. "Me? Oh, I was just waiting for someone to open the door. As you can see…" He gestured to his side, where no wand was visible. "No wand."
He bowed slightly, his tone light but edged with confidence. "The name's Toji, by the way."
Hagrid's suspicious gaze swept over him, lingering on the sword strapped to his hip. While the boy didn't appear overtly threatening, Hagrid wasn't one to take chances. Still, Toji's casual demeanor and apparent lack of malice eventually won him over.
"Oh... okay," Hagrid muttered gruffly, though he kept a watchful eye. "Get along then, but no funny business."
Toji stayed put, looking up at Hagrid with an innocent expression. "I don't know much about this place," he said. "Think I could tag along with you? You seem like you know your way around."
Hagrid hesitated, clearly weighing his options, but Harry chimed in before he could respond.
"Can't he come with us, Hagrid?" Harry asked, stepping forward. He was already warming to the idea of having someone his age along—especially someone who seemed as clueless as he felt.
Hagrid sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. "All righ', all righ'. Follow along then," he grumbled.
Toji grinned and gave a mock salute. "Thanks, big guy."
As they began walking, Toji turned to Harry with an easy smile. "Hi. I'm Toji, but you already knew that. And you're Harry, right?"
"Yeah, I am," Harry said, smiling back.
"I heard," Toji replied with a chuckle. "The whispers were impossible to miss. The Boy Who Lived, huh? Are you, like, a wizard celebrity or something?"
Harry scratched the back of his head awkwardly, looking down. "I'm not really sure. Everyone seems to know me, but I don't even know why."
Toji shrugged, his tone casual. "Sounds awkward."
Harry nodded, glad to have someone who seemed to understand.
As they walked down the lively street, the two boys chatted about random topics, Harry asking curious questions about the sword Toji carried and Toji pretending to be amazed at the shops and magical trinkets around them.
Hagrid, overhearing some of their conversation, glanced back every now and then, his gruff exterior softening slightly as he saw Harry laughing.
Finally, they stopped in front of a towering white building with bronze doors and goblins standing guard.
"Here we are," Hagrid announced, puffing out his chest slightly. "Gringotts. Finest bank in the wizardin' world."
Harry and Toji both looked up at the grand structure, Harry in awe and Toji with a thoughtful smirk.
"Bit dramatic, don't you think?" Toji said under his breath, earning a warning look from Hagrid.
"Watch yer tongue," Hagrid muttered as he opened the doors. "Yer 'bout to see how goblins handle money. And let me tell yeh—they don' mess about."
With that, they stepped inside, the marble hall gleaming under the soft light of hundreds of chandeliers. The sight left Harry stunned, while Toji took it all in with quiet amusement, his sharp eyes darting around as if taking mental notes.
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Kinda early to plug things but I hope you can also check out my original novel as well.
Mana Forged: Iron Mage
Show some love and thank you for reading!