Chapter 3: Meeting Harry Potter

After finishing their shopping, Professor McGonagall bid farewell to the Gray family outside Diagon Alley and left to guide her next young wizard. Standing outside the Leaky Cauldron, Mr. and Mrs. Gray exchanged glances and grinned in unison.

“First, let’s find a hotel—”

“I heard the Leaky Cauldron actually offers rooms upstairs—”

“No way! What if we run into a bad wizard? Staying in a regular hotel would be safer.”

“You’re absolutely right, Miss Fiona! I remember there’s a decent hotel nearby—pet-friendly, too.”

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go!”

Wade feigned exasperation, shaking his head as he carried the owl cage. The couple helped him— one holding his books, the other lugging the cauldron and various supplies—quickly checking into the hotel.

Once they’d dropped off their things, they returned to the Leaky Cauldron’s entrance in under half an hour.

Inside, Mr. and Mrs. Gray simultaneously pulled out their shopping bags and pulled out robes—ready-made wizarding robes.

Seeing Wade’s surprised expression, Fiona winked and whispered, “While you were getting your custom robes made, I snuck in a pair. Don’t just stand there—there’s one for you too. Go change!”

In a quiet corner, all three slipped into their robes. Fortunately, it was summer, and they were already dressed lightly, so the robes didn’t feel bulky.

Fiona added an extra touch—a hooded cloak. She pulled the hood up, leaving only a sliver of her chin visible. She looked cool, mysterious, and perfectly at home in the dim, magical atmosphere of the pub.

Now, they blended seamlessly with the atmosphere.

Ferdinand, playing the role of a regular, ordered lunch. As the food arrived, he murmured, “I know this place might not be the cleanest, but I really want to try it.”

“Mm-hmm,” Fiona nodded seriously. “I get it. Me too.”

“What’s the difference?” Wade muttered. “What’s the best food in Britain? Foreign food, obviously.”

Sure enough, when the meal was served, the Grays stared at the blackened, greasy plate for far too long, too afraid to use the visibly unwashed fork.

In the end, Fiona used a handkerchief as a barrier and managed to eat a few bites of bread. Ferdinand sipped a few mouthfuls of rum.

“Not that bad…”

“Worse than supermarket bread…”

Just then, the door creaked open with a sudden, heavy thud. A massive shadow blocked out the sunlight.

Mr. and Mrs. Gray looked up—and instantly gasped.

“Oh—my God—” Ferdinand groaned, instinctively stepping in front of his family. “Holy heaven—”

A towering, broad-shouldered man squeezed through the doorway, his head nearly brushing the ceiling. His presence was so overwhelming that most people barely noticed the small boy walking just ahead of him.

But Wade did.

His eyes locked onto the thin, quiet boy—

And instantly, two names flickered above his head:

Harry Potter

Tom Riddle

Unlike the Grays, who were visibly shaken, the rest of the pub’s patrons greeted the giant with warm smiles. The bartender’s tone warmed instantly.

“Same as usual, Hagrid?”

“No, Tom, I’m on Hogwarts business today!” the giant boomed, grinning.

“That’s great! So he’s not some dangerous lunatic after all,” Ferdinand sighed, wiping sweat from his brow.

“Hogwarts?” Fiona perked up. “Wait—so he’s a teacher there?”

She craned her neck, only to see everyone in the pub rise and line up to shake hands with the boy the giant had brought.

“Ohhh—looks like a big deal!”

Fiona leapt up instantly, tossing aside the half-eaten corner of her bread. “Come on, Ferd, Wade—let’s go!”

Ferdinand, never one to resist her sudden whims—especially for something so trivial—pushed his chair back and joined the line, mimicking the others as he shook the boy’s hand.

“An honor to meet you, Mr. Potter!” he declared with mock seriousness, as if he truly knew who the boy was.

Surrounded and overwhelmed, Harry Potter endured one awkward handshake after another, listening to strangers praise him with exaggerated awe.

Then, his gaze accidentally met the dark-haired boy at the back of the crowd.

In that moment, the boy’s curious stare made Harry feel strangely self-conscious.

He still hadn’t adjusted to being famous. The attention felt stolen, unnatural.

But Wade had already turned his attention elsewhere.

A pale young man with a purple scarf wrapped tightly around his head was nervously inching toward Harry. His expression was strained, his voice stammering—jumpy, fragile, easily startled.

Fiona noticed and quietly made space for him. “Go on, take your turn. The big star won’t bite.”

And in Wade’s vision, two names hovered above the man’s head—nearly overlapping:

Quirinus Quirrell

Tom Riddle

“Wow… wizards aren’t so different from ordinary people. Even they get starstruck.”

Fiona returned, still buzzing with excitement. Wade didn’t understand what had her so thrilled.

“Seriously, is that kid a child celebrity in the wizarding world? Everyone knows him.”

“Judging by his age, he’s probably Wade’s classmate,” Ferdinand said, still observing.

He wasn’t fooled by the crowd’s enthusiasm. “But that boy looks underfed. His clothes don’t fit. He’s not being cared for properly.”

“Wait… really?” Fiona frowned. “Maybe it’s just wizard fashion? They probably don’t know how normal people dress.”

“Hmm… maybe.” Ferdinand glanced at his son. “Wade, you should’ve come over earlier. We just saw a Hogwarts professor— that scarf guy. You could’ve made a connection.”

“Nah,” Wade said, uninterested. “That professor doesn’t seem reliable.”

Ferdinand paused. He couldn’t argue. The man hadn’t even managed to speak a full sentence clearly.

“Alright, enough eating,” Fiona declared, shoving her plate aside despite the food still half-full. “Let’s keep exploring!”

How could they possibly satisfy their curiosity about this magical world with just a single trip through Diagon Alley?

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end