HP: Hogwart's Model Wizard

The Leaky Cauldron, established in the early 16th century, was one of the most popular gathering spots for wizards, and it was also the only wizarding street in the English magical world with an entrance to Diagon Alley.

When Diana pushed open the door, leading Kyle by the hand, the previously noisy and chaotic pub seemed to be paused in time, instantly falling into complete silence.

It was as quiet as a study session on the evening of the third year in high school, where the sound of a falling needle could be heard.

The strange atmosphere lasted until Chris entered. At that moment, the eerie silence finally broke, but it didn't return to its original state. It was as if everyone deliberately lowered their voices.

However, there were exceptions.

The pub owner, Tom, walked over with a look of surprise: "Oh, Diana, long time no see. Would you like a drink? My treat."

"Next time, Tom."

Diana smiled, patted Kyle on the shoulder, and pointed to the Weasley family walking towards them. She said, "We still need to buy some things in Diagon Alley. We might be running out of time."

"Oh, of course."

Tom nodded, understanding: "Time flies, doesn't it? Little Kyle is already eleven. So, you're here to buy his school supplies for Hogwarts?"

"Yes." Diana nodded with a smile.

"That's definitely cutting it close. Hurry up, you know where it is."

Tom stepped aside, clearing the path. But then, he looked down at Kyle and said, "I have to remind you, little Kyle, if you move that trash bin again this time, I'll write a complaint to Hogwarts."

"Merlin's beard, do you know how frantic the new students get when they find they can't get into Diagon Alley? You can't always give a poor old man unnecessary work."

Being pointed out for his past actions made Kyle feel a little embarrassed.

Clearly, this wasn't his first time at Diagon Alley.

But honestly, as someone from another world, would it even be right not to move the trash bin in Diagon Alley?

That's just how it is.

However, he couldn't say that in front of his parents. Kyle could only give an awkward laugh and say, "I'll be sure to do it next time."

Hearing this, Tom didn't seem to mind. But beside them, Diana raised an eyebrow, looking thoughtfully at her son.

Her intuition told her there was something off about that remark.

But with the Weasley family already arriving, she didn't say anything further.

"Oh, Kyle, darling."

Mrs. Molly Weasley enthusiastically gave Kyle a big hug and then pulled Diana aside to chat.

Meanwhile, Mr. Arthur Weasley naturally walked up to Chris to start a conversation.

The two families were very close. Diana and Molly were best friends who shared everything, and Chris and Arthur were close friends as well. After Kyle was born, they had moved to live with the Weasley family at their invitation.

This was all something the adults talked about during their gatherings, and Kyle had overheard quite a bit.

Because of the bond between the two families, Kyle and the Weasley children had naturally become friends.

Just as the adults walked off, two arms landed on Kyle's shoulders, one on each side.

"Hey, Fred, look who's here."

"This is this year's new student at Hogwarts."

George's voice was especially clear when he said the word "new student."

"Hogwarts is really dangerous, especially for new students like you…"

"Of course, if you're willing to say something nice, maybe we'll give you some help."

Kyle ignored these two, instead greeting the other redheads nearby: "Long time no see, Percy, Ron, and Ginny."

They all smiled at him and nodded.

"Long time no see, Kyle." *3

The Weasley family originally had seven children, but Bill had gone to Egypt, and Charlie had disappeared a month ago, so only five of them were here today.

As they spoke, they arrived at the Leaky Cauldron's backyard, the entrance to Diagon Alley. Mr. Weasley, walking in front, immediately found the correct brick and tapped it with his wand.

At the same time, the Weasley twins, who had been at the back of the group, exchanged a glance and raised an eyebrow in perfect synchronization, deciding to teach a little lesson to a certain impolite junior.

For example, with the jumping powder they had just invented, they only needed to sprinkle a bit on someone's hair, and they would experience an unprecedented tingle.

They had tried it on themselves, and the effect was excellent. Honestly, who has ever tried going ten days without washing their hair?

It was absolutely awful.

If they were lucky, they might even trigger a hidden bonus, giving them a taste of what middle-aged gentlemen go through.

Without a second thought, the twins took out the jumping powder, ready to act. But just as they were about to, Chris's voice suddenly rang out from the front.

"Hagrid? What are you doing here in Diagon Alley!"

His voice was no longer calm but instead laced with suspicion, immediately drawing the twins' attention.

There was no way they could ignore that tone. They had heard it far too many times; it was automatic reflex for them.

"No, nothing."

When Hagrid, the three-meter-tall, two-meter-wide half-giant, saw Chris, he actually flinched involuntarily and looked a little disoriented.

But soon after, he seemed to remember something, and his whole demeanor relaxed. He pulled out a small package from his pocket and said, "Harry Potter will be coming to Hogwarts next year. As a gift, I want to make him a birthday cake by hand, so I came to buy some berry seeds."

"Really?"

Chris's tone didn't relax much as he eyeing the small package suspiciously: "If I remember correctly, with the ingredients in Hogwarts' kitchens, you should be able to make at least ten cakes, right?"

Honestly, Chris's tone was a bit sharp here, sounding almost confrontational. Anyone who didn't know the situation might mistake him for a villain.

But Kyle, the twins, and even the Weasley couple, who were well-acquainted with Hagrid, didn't react at all. They didn't even change their expressions, as if everything was perfectly normal.

And in truth, it was normal.

As the Deputy Director of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures and Head of the Beast Division, Chris knew Hagrid all too well.

If Chris had to choose someone he least wanted to see, it would undoubtedly be Hagrid, the famous half-giant, keeper of the keys at Hogwarts.

Merlin's beard, the trouble he caused took up more than one-tenth of Chris's yearly workload.

Especially the hybrid magical creatures he'd created, which had driven Chris absolutely mad.

By the way, what was that creature from last time? Right, the Chimera. A two-tailed snake created by crossbreeding a tail-end dog with a Nundus.

God knows where Hagrid keeps getting all these magical creatures from; Chris certainly didn't remember there being any Nundus in the Forbidden Forest when he was at school.

As a traditional magical zoologist, Chris considered this kind of human intervention in magical animal breeding to be heretical—an evil practice that should be strictly forbidden.

Unfortunately, this wasn't illegal, and despite Chris drafting several bills on the matter, he had never received any response. Recently, when Cornelius Fudge took office, Chris even went to the Minister's office specifically about it, only to be delayed by Fudge's expert "muddying" tactics, and the matter had been dropped entirely.

Clearly, in the new Minister's eyes, the bill on magical creatures wasn't a priority. Rather than dealing with that, it was better to make a few extra trips to Hogwarts' headmaster's office to improve his own image with the public.

So, Chris couldn't really do anything to Hagrid.

Moreover, those magical creatures Hagrid was meddling with, well, they were still new lives, and it wasn't like he could simply discard them.

Chris could only bite the bullet and observe, record, and categorize them.

Over time, Chris's resentment towards Hagrid had reached its peak. The only reason he didn't act on it when they met was because there were children present.

Otherwise, no matter what Hagrid said, Chris would've gladly punched him, even with Dumbledore standing right there.

Don't be surprised. Although Chris held the position of Deputy Director, he still spent most of his time on the front lines, dealing with magical creatures. He was no slouch when it came to his skills.

A pure-blood giant might be difficult, but a half-blood giant without a wand? Chris was still quite confident.

Hagrid, knowing he was in the wrong, opened the package without protest. Inside, there was indeed nothing but a bunch of unfamiliar seeds.

"In Dumbledore's name, I really did come to Diagon Alley just to buy seeds this time," Hagrid said.

Upon hearing this, Chris finally relaxed his furrowed brow and stopped his questioning. After giving a few brief instructions, he allowed Hagrid to leave.

Given Hagrid's respect for Dumbledore, it was unlikely that he would lie about something like this.

As Hagrid walked away, Kyle turned and gave his retreating figure a thoughtful look.

"It wasn't this time," Kyle thought, "but what about the other times?"

Kyle recalled the three-headed dog, Fluffy, from the first book. Hagrid had bought it from a Greek man at a bar. He wasn't sure whether it had been the Leaky Cauldron or the Hog's Head Tavern, but it didn't matter much.

Don't be fooled by the Leaky Cauldron's reputation. There were plenty of shady deals going on there. It was one of the few places that offered accommodations without checking identification, which made it a popular spot for smugglers who had small quantities of goods and no criminal records.

With fewer goods, it was easier to slip things into a box. Nobody would notice.

And it wasn't uncommon for business transactions to take place while having a meal.

There was also the fact that Hogwarts had a gamekeeper who had a great passion for magical creatures. This was well known among brokers in the magical community.

It wasn't hard to learn about his activities.

"Tsk, who said Hagrid was all thick-headed? He's not as simple as he seems."

Kyle thought to himself that his father probably still didn't know about Fluffy, but he wasn't planning to report it.

After all, who could refuse a three-headed dog?

(End of Chapter)