Hogwarts: The Exemplary Wizard I Am Chapter 700: The Grangers at the Leaky Cauldron - Novel Cool

Chapter 700: The Grangers at the Leaky Cauldron

Chapter 700: The Grangers at the Leaky Cauldron

After breakfast, the Weasley children made their way to Diagon Alley.

As one of the busiest places in the British magical community, the Ministry of Magic had arranged for the tightest security here. At the entrance of the Leaky Cauldron, there were at least three Aurors inspecting the coming and going witches and wizards.

Anyone who wanted to pass through the back courtyard also had to undergo a test with a Revelashun Potion to ensure they were not Death Eaters disguising themselves with a Polyjuice Potion.

While some people grumbled about these measures, most complied willingly, understanding that stricter checks meant greater safety for all.

Some witches and wizards even booked long-term rooms at the Leaky Cauldron, choosing to reside there with their families.

The rooms were always fully occupied, and old Tom had never seen business this good. He was all smiles, telling everyone who would listen that the Ministry finally had a diligent and responsible Assistant Minister.

Yes, the idea to tightly secure the entrance to Diagon Alley had come from Kyle, as written in that small booklet.

When the Weasley clan arrived, Qiu and Hermione were already there waiting.

"I just need one room..."

Hermione was speaking to the pub owner, "Size doesn't matter, and I can pay in advance."

"Sorry, miss," Old Tom said without looking up, "I've made it very clear that we currently have no vacancies. If you're willing to wait, perhaps a room will open up in September."

"But I'll be off to Hogwarts in September, so I won't be able to come and book a room then!" Hermione said.

"Then there's nothing I can do." Tom looked up, "Unless you can find someone willing to give up their room for you."

"Hey, what are you lot up to?" Fred asked as he walked over.

"Hermione wants to rent a room here for her parents," Qiu explained, "But it looks like we're out of luck."

"You want to live here?" George asked in surprise.

"Just considering it," Hermione sighed, "I assume you've all read that booklet on self-protection as well."

"Yep,"

"That's why," Hermione said, "My parents are Muggles, and with Dementors roaming about, it's too dangerous. Just the other day, someone at my dad's workplace was attacked.

"The news on TV claimed he was startled and went crazy, but I know it was the work of a Dementor."

"So you want to find a safer place for them?" Fred asked.

"Exactly," Hermione sighed, "I finally convinced my dad to temporarily close his dental clinic, but I never expected the Leaky Cauldron to be fully booked."

"Hmm..." George pondered the situation.

It would be simple if it were just Hermione—she could stay at 12 Grimmauld Place or the second floor of their shop.

However, accommodating the Granger couple was a bit more tricky.

Just as they were fretting over this, a familiar voice called out from behind them.

"What are you all doing here?"

"Long time no see, Qiu, Hermione..."

George turned to see Kyle and Cedric approaching.

"Isn't it work hours?" he asked, "Why aren't you two at the Ministry?"

"Who says work has to be done in the office?" Kyle glanced at him, "We had some business to take care of outside. What about you lot, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, it's about Hermione," Fred said, "She wants to rent a room here for her parents, but there aren't any vacancies... Good timing that you're here, any ideas?"

"It's mainly because of the Dementors," Hermione quickly explained, "The gray mist has been getting thicker these past few days, and I'm worried they'll show up in our neighborhood. But they wouldn't dare come to Diagon Alley, right?"

"Not necessarily," Kyle said, "But it is much safer here, that's for sure." He glanced at Tom, intending to ask him again, as they were old acquaintances.

The friendship forged from moving trash bins might not be incredibly strong, but it was better than what Hermione had.

Before he could say anything, however, Old Tom spoke up, "There's one more room on the third floor, a double deluxe room for only one Galleon and ten Sickles a night."

"Wait..." Hermione hurried forward, "Didn't you just say there were no rooms available?"

"There aren't," Old Tom smiled, "That room was intentionally left vacant for emergencies. But seeing as you're friends with young Kyle here, I can let you have it.

"So, do you want it?"

Hermione frowned.

One Galleon and ten Sickles a night... To be honest, this price was a bit steep for her. All her savings wouldn't even cover a month's stay, and she still needed to set aside some money for textbooks and potion ingredients.

There were quite a few books to buy for their sixth year.

But the next second, Hermione gritted her teeth and said, "I'll take it..."

She then turned to Kyle, a little embarrassed, and said, "Can I borrow some money from you?"

"Of course, take however much you need," Kyle said casually.

Hermione did a quick calculation, "Fifty Galleons should be enough."

"Alright." Kyle nodded and handed her fifty Galleons.

"Thanks," Hermione said, "I'll definitely pay you back as soon as I can."

"No rush."

If the issue of Dementors could be resolved, she wouldn't need to have her parents stay at the Leaky Cauldron.

"I have no reason to deceive you," Kyle shrugged, "but it certainly won't happen overnight. I suggest you rent for a month first, and then decide whether to continue after assessing the situation later."

"Okay." Hermione agreed without hesitation and proceeded to the counter to complete the check-in formalities with Tom.

"Follow me." Tom pushed open a door next to the counter and led Hermione up the stairs at the back.

In a distant corner, a couple exchanged glances, hesitating to follow. They were the Granger couple, who had accompanied Hermione.

Although it wasn't their first time in Diagon Alley, Hermione had always been by their side on previous visits. Now that she had left, they felt a bit uneasy in this environment filled with witches and wizards.

They had heard from Hermione that some wizards looked down on Muggles like them, who couldn't perform magic.

After some hesitation, the couple finally decided to follow Hermione upstairs.

Mr. Granger prepared to pick up the large and heavy-looking box on the ground, but as he bent down, he was surprised to see the box floating in mid-air.

Magic!

Mr. Granger quickly guessed the reason for this, assuming that Hermione had returned. However, when he looked up, he saw a young boy standing before him... one of his daughter's classmates, perhaps?

Mr. Granger recalled that his name was Kyle, and although they had met in Diagon Alley before, the encounters were fewer compared to those with Harry and Ron.

Moreover, he seemed to be one of the top students at Hogwarts, as Hermione had mentioned him several times during the holidays a few years ago, expressing her determination to outperform him academically.

However, in the past two years, she hadn't mentioned anything about academic rivalry with him.

Furthermore, Mr. Granger could also tell that the pub owner's sudden change in attitude and offer of a room were likely due to Kyle's influence.

Although he wasn't a wizard, in some respects, wizards and Muggles weren't all that different.

"Thank you, young man. You must be Kyle... Hermione's classmate?" Mr. Granger took the initiative to greet him.

"Yes, something like that." Kyle nodded, "But I'm a year above her. Let me help you with your luggage. These stairs can be tricky; they bite if you're not careful."

Stairs that... bite? Mr. Granger wondered if he had heard correctly. He couldn't quite imagine how stairs could bite, but then again, this was a wizarding pub, so perhaps anything was possible.

"Thank you." He expressed his gratitude once more.

"You're welcome." Kyle led the way with the luggage, while the Granger couple cautiously followed behind.

The Leaky Cauldron had old, wooden steps that were coated in a layer of dusty patina, making it impossible to discern their original color. Each step creaked loudly under their feet.

When they reached the second floor, Mr. Granger finally understood what Kyle meant by "stairs that bite."

Before his eyes, the staircase suddenly split open, revealing a gaping maw filled with sharp teeth that snapped menacingly at them.

However, Kyle showed no sign of stopping and simply stomped his foot down, forcing the menacing mouth shut.

"This is it..." Kyle continued up a couple more steps and turned to explain, "Just treat these stairs like a wizard's guard dog. The solution is simple—don't try to avoid them, just step on them firmly, and you'll be fine."

The Granger couple froze in their tracks, staring at the menacing maw that had reappeared, unsure if they should proceed.

Despite Kyle's reassurance, the sight of those sharp teeth made them hesitant. If they were bitten, the consequences could be far worse than a mere scratch.

In hindsight, they wondered if they should have stayed at home after all. The Dementors might not have been able to find them there.

But now that they had come all this way and the room was booked, they couldn't very well turn back.

Mustering his courage, Mr. Granger took a deep breath and stepped forward, gritting his teeth as he placed his foot down.

Contrary to his expectations, there was no searing pain of being bitten. Instead, it felt like stepping on a soft cushion, and he easily made his way past the treacherous step.

Encouraged by her husband's success, Mrs. Granger also steeled herself and crossed the threshold.

"Magic is truly fascinating." Mrs. Granger couldn't help but comment, "Although it can be rather dangerous. Those Dementors have been causing Hermione a great deal of worry lately. We've even considered asking her to leave Hogwarts."

"Hermione wouldn't agree to that." Mr. Granger said.

"Dementors?" Kyle furrowed his brow, "You mean, 'Soul-Sucking Monsters?'"

"Ah, yes, that's the name." Mr. Granger confirmed, "According to Hermione, the black mist in the sky is caused by them, and a few days ago, someone at my workplace suddenly collapsed. Hermione is certain it was the work of those monsters.

"The incident attracted a lot of police attention, and the road was even blocked off. Many patients who had appointments to see the dentist had to cancel."

As they chatted, they continued their ascent to the third floor, where they happened to run into Hermione, who was hurrying in their direction.

He surveyed their surroundings and couldn't help but exclaim, "So this is where wizards stay? It's certainly an eye-opener."

In this short walk, Mr. Granger had already encountered the biting stairs, the chatty portraits, and the self-lubricating suit of armor, all of which completely overturned his decades of preconceived notions. For the first time, he felt that staying here for a while might not be such a bad idea.

"Thank you, Kyle," Hermione quickly added. "I was planning to come and get them after I had everything sorted out."

"It's no trouble at all, don't mention it," Kyle waved his hand dismissively. "So, how do you like the room?"

"It's great," Hermione said. "It's similar to the dorms, not too big, but it's definitely comfortable enough for them."

"That's good," Kyle said. "By the way, I have something I need to ask you."

"What is it?"

"I just heard Mr. Granger mention that there have been Dementors near your home?" Kyle inquired.

"That's right," Hermione confirmed. "Not far from where my dad works, someone was attacked by a Dementor. To be honest, if it weren't for this, I wouldn't have thought of bringing them to the Leaky Cauldron."

"And where exactly is that?" Kyle asked.

"Hertfordshire..." Hermione provided an address, then led the Granger couple to go and check out the room.

The room itself was much more ordinary, with Mr. Granger curiously examining a faded cabinet by the door.

"I'd say it's at least two hundred years old."

"Maybe even older," Hermione added. "The Leaky Cauldron was established in the 16th century, and usually, wizards don't replace their furniture very often."

"Then it must be quite expensive here," Mr. Granger frowned. "Do you have enough wizard money? Do they accept pounds?"

"Definitely not, but I have more than enough," Hermione said, holding up a bag that jingled with the sound of coins. "See, I still have plenty left."

Only then did Mr. Granger feel relieved. He then noticed a stack of newspapers on the table, with moving images that resembled a television.

"Oh, that's the Daily Prophet," Hermione explained. "It's the wizarding newspaper, and the photos are enchanted to move using a potion."

"You never told us about wizarding newspapers before," Mr. Granger said, his tone carrying a hint of reproach.

Hermione remained silent.

The reason she hadn't told her parents about the Daily Prophet was also to avoid worrying them.

But now that they were staying in Diagon Alley, such things would be hard to hide.

Mr. Granger picked up a newspaper and curiously scanned its contents. Suddenly, he paused and looked up.

"Hermione, is this Kyle's father? He has the same name."

"What?" Hermione leaned over to look. "No, that's Kyle himself."

"Are you sure?" Mr. Granger looked confused as he studied the article. "It says here that he's an Assistant to the Senior Minister at the Ministry of Magic... Shouldn't Kyle still be a student?"

"Oh, he was appointed through special dispensation," Hermione explained briefly. "He's the youngest Assistant Minister."

After hearing this, Mr. Granger was at a complete loss for words.

Based on his understanding, the Minister of Magic would be akin to the wizarding world's equivalent of a Prime Minister...

And a seventeen-year-old was the Prime Minister's assistant?

Despite having seen a fair bit of the world, Mr. Granger was still astounded by this revelation.

No wonder the pub owner's attitude had changed so drastically.

Then, knowing very little about the wizarding world, Mr. Granger felt like he had discovered a new continent as he began to peruse the newspaper with great interest.

Hermione helped Mrs. Granger tidy up their luggage briefly before glancing at the time.

"Mom, I have something I need to do, so I have to leave now," she said.

"Go ahead if you have something to do," Mrs. Granger replied.

Hermione went to the door and turned back once more to instruct them, "You can go downstairs to the pub for meals, or you can have them sent up here.

"If you feel bored, you can also take a walk down to Diagon Alley."

"Can we?" Mr. Granger looked up. "We don't know any magic."

"It's fine..." Hermione said, "It's quite common for students' parents to come here. You just need to follow a wizard, and you'll be able to get in."

"Oh, and one more thing..." Hermione took out several Galleons and placed them on the table. "If you see something you like, you can buy it."

"No, you keep it," Mr. Granger said, patting his pocket. "We can go to the wizarding bank and exchange some money if we need to. I brought plenty of pounds with me."

He had intentionally brought a large amount of money with him for this trip.

"You use it first, and I'll go exchange some when I have time," Hermione said, glancing at the time once more before rushing out of the room.

(End of Chapter)

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