Chapter 6: The Granger Family And Guo Guo Cha
Vaughn glanced back and saw a thin, stern-faced witch leading a young couple and a little girl out of a narrow archway.
That was the Leaky Cauldron, Vaughn had been there, but unfortunately, the hunchbacked boss Tom was unwilling to serve him Butterbeer.
When he read the novel in his past life, he had been curious about what that drink tasted like.
The young couple were clearly Muggles, because they were wearing suits and dresses, which was too normal and made them look out of place in Diagon Alley.
Molly also saw them and immediately showed a surprised expression, calling out from afar: “Professor McGonagall, Professor McGonagall, Merlin’s beard, it’s so good to see you.”
Professor McGonagall obviously knew Molly well; five of the Weasley children were already enrolled at Hogwarts, and all of them were in Gryffindor, making it hard not to be familiar.
Her stern expression relaxed slightly as she walked over with the Muggle family, “Mrs. Weasley, bringing the children to buy school supplies?”
“Yes, Professor McGonagall… Oh, and this young lady, is she also a first-year student at Hogwarts this year?”
“That’s right, Mr. Granger and Mrs. Granger, and their daughter, who is also a first-year student at Hogwarts this year, Hermione Granger.”
Professor McGonagall introduced them, glancing at Vaughn and Ron, but her gaze was mainly focused on Vaughn: “Mr. and Mrs. Granger, this is Mrs. Weasley and her two sons, Vaughn Weasley and…”
“Ron, Professor McGonagall!”
“…Ron Weasley.” Professor McGonagall nodded at Ron, who was shyly hiding behind Molly, her lips pursed. She soon looked back at Vaughn, a barely perceptible smile appearing at the corner of her mouth.
She bent down and gently shook Vaughn’s hand, “Mr. Weasley, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Likewise, Professor McGonagall.”
Vaughn smiled politely, then he looked behind Professor McGonagall at the Muggle couple, who were awkwardly greeting Molly, and the little girl who was curiously looking at him.
Snap!
Vaughn snapped his fingers, and a faint magic was transmitted.
The messy bangs of hair that fell over the girl’s forehead immediately floated up like seaweed.
It was just a trivial trick, not even requiring a wand.
But for the uninitiated Muggle family, it was clearly magical enough, and the Grangers covered their mouths in astonishment!
The girl’s eyes widened, and as she curiously tried to smooth down her floating hair, she kept looking at Vaughn, eager to ask him how he did it.
Professor McGonagall coughed a few times: “Ahem, Mrs. Weasley, I still need to take the Granger family to Gringotts to exchange money, so I won’t disturb you any longer.”
As she spoke, she hesitated, then glanced at Vaughn, “Mr. Weasley, I hope you won’t perform such little tricks in front of other Muggles; you know, it’s strictly forbidden by the Ministry of Magic.”
Vaughn nodded with a smile, “Alright, Professor McGonagall!”
As the group left, Hermione Granger was still looking at Vaughn. Vaughn smiled at her, and the little girl froze for a moment, her face suddenly flushing.
What a lovely girl!
Vaughn watched the girl who kept looking back as she walked away, then he heard Ron grumbling impatiently beside him:
“Aren’t we going to buy a wand yet? Maybe Ollivanders will be crowded today and we’ll have to queue?”
His mind was now full of a new wand, as for the Muggle family he had just interacted with…
Who were they? What did they have to do with him?
Vaughn looked at him with a strange expression. Ron felt inexplicably flustered and touched his face, “What, what are you looking at?”
“Nothing, as long as you’re happy!”
Ron was certainly happy. This was his first time in Diagon Alley, and he was overwhelmed by everything he saw. Although he was urging them to buy a wand, when they passed by Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour, his legs seemed to be welded to the ground, and he couldn’t move.
Perhaps fearing that he would be upset later seeing Vaughn buy new books and robes.
Molly, for once, indulged him and bought him an ice cream.
With the ice cream in hand, he finally stopped being so impatient. Molly then took Vaughn to Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions, Flourish and Blotts, and other shops to buy robes, books, and supplies.
Fortunately, these shops provided owl delivery services, so the family was spared the predicament of carrying large bags.
“Books, robes, cauldrons, scales… Oh, right, you can also bring a pet. Over there are Eeylops Owl Emporium and the Magical Menagerie. Vaughn, what pet are you planning to get?”
Looking at Ron, who was still gnawing on his ice cream, oblivious to his surroundings, Vaughn said with a touch of mischief, “I want a cat.”
Ron froze, his face turning pale.
He seemed to have foreseen Scabbers’ miserable life at home in the future.
But… a new wand…
The devil’s whispers swirled and roared in his mind, suppressing his resistance along with the ice cream. He ultimately said nothing.
The Magical Menagerie was the largest pet shop in Diagon Alley. Apart from Magical Creatures strictly forbidden by the Ministry of Magic, almost all pets suitable for wizards could be found here.
Its boss was a witch wearing thick black-rimmed glasses. She warmly welcomed the Weasley family and, upon hearing Vaughn’s request, quickly waved her wand, bringing over a string of cages.
“Your choice is very discerning, Mr. Weasley. Many young wizards don’t understand the importance of a pet, always choosing owls first, prioritizing function over affection, which is quite unfortunate… Oh, please look, these are all the cats currently in our shop. We have a complete variety, and I’ll quietly tell you, many of them have Kneazle blood, making them very intelligent!”
Meow~
The cats were indeed intelligent. As if sensing someone wanted to buy them, many who had been lazily lying down stood up and meowed softly at Vaughn.
Among them was a particularly large one. While other cats were at most about two feet tall, this one was a full four feet!
It had a robust build and beautiful fur, with long hair covering it, making it look two or three sizes fatter than the other cats. It was also the most proactive, its serious face pressed against the cage. When Vaughn extended his hand towards it, it eagerly tried to squeeze through the bars.
“Oh, Mr. Weasley, it seems this little lady likes you very much. This is a Maine Coon Cat with Kneazle blood. It’s currently only bred in America, and very rare in Europe.”
Vaughn reached out to pet it. The cat retracted its claws and held his finger with its thick, padded paw.
Its docile demeanor pleased Vaughn. Especially its fur color, a mix of orange-red and golden yellow, which reminded him of a tea drink he had in his past life.
“This one!”
After paying, Vaughn walked out of the shop with the cat. This creature was heavy, at least 15 pounds, and at four feet long, it was difficult for the still-developing Vaughn to carry.
When it appeared before Ron, Ron’s face grew even paler.
“This… this is a cat?”
Vaughn laughed happily, “Of course it’s a cat. I’ve named her Guo Guo Cha. Guo Guo Cha, go sniff Ron’s rat smell!”
Meow~
