Chapter 6: At The Leaky Cauldron
The summer of 1991 was already drawing to a close.
In a standalone villa in Hampstead, London, on the second-floor balcony.
A young girl with brown hair sat cross-legged on the ground, holding a Children’s Encyclopedia in her hands, with a thick dictionary placed beside her.
The sky was a brilliant blue with a few soft clouds drifting by, a gentle breeze moving the white clouds slowly along, the sunlight seemingly edging the clouds with gold, making the pages shine brightly, dazzlingly bright.
The whole world seemed to consist only of the sound of turning pages.
The paper was new, the sound crisp.
Hermione Granger had loved reading since she was very young; before she started school and learned to read, she could only look at the pictures in books, but after learning to read, she could appreciate the fun in books even more and became even more immersed.
Compared to other children’s entertainment methods, reading didn’t disturb her parents’ work and didn’t require peers to participate.
So she wouldn’t be excluded.
Hermione’s parents ran a dental clinic; dentistry was a very good job with generous salary and ample holidays, but every summer they were always busy without touching the ground, the home telephone ringing nonstop, procuring medicines for the next month, organizing patient files, liaising with insurance companies—after all, it was their own business, so they had to personally oversee everything, and occasionally deal with kids with cavities…
The Encyclopedia was turned to the next chapter when another burst of telephone ringing came from downstairs.
“It’ll be good once the summer vacation ends…”
Hermione muttered softly, as if remembering something, her fair little face scrunching up.
The summer vacation’s end meant she would go to school.
“North London Collegiate, Westminster School…”
The little girl recited these school names, closed the book and dictionary, and as per her mother’s eye-care instructions, looked up and gazed into the distance every half hour.
The sky was so bright it was a bit glaring, the soft clouds moving slowly, and a black dot that kept growing caught her attention.
“That’s…”
Hermione’s squinted eyes soon widened round, and she couldn’t help crying out: “An owl?”
……
“Hoo hoo.”
The call of a barn owl rang out in the suburbs of Ottery St. Catchpole village in Devon, the sound steady, the flapping of wings producing a slight wind noise—it was clearly an experienced owl postman.
Rustling sounds came from the shrubbery on White Stalk Hill, that was weasels and goblins fleeing.
The afternoon at the Diggory mansion was quiet and leisurely, every tiny sound clear; the owl folded its wings and perched quietly on a beechwood branch in the backyard, waiting.
From the nearby stone path came quick, steady, light footsteps.
The person welcoming the owl was tall and slender, handsome in appearance, wearing a bright yellow robe in this midsummer afternoon, carrying an overly long broomstick in his right hand, leather boots on his feet, and covered in sweat.
“Long time no see, Nibs.”
“Hoo hoo.” The owl named Nibs lowered its head and dropped the envelope it was holding in its beak.
“New school year items list, let me see…”
Cedric opened the parchment letter stamped with the Hogwarts crest, skipped the usual opening notices and precautions, and went straight to the textbook list, reading the contents softly: “Magical Potions and Potions, Standard Spells, Grade Three, Intermediate Transfiguration…”
Last year it was《Standard Spells: Grade Two》,《Elementary Transfiguration》.
Compared to these required course series book lists, he was more curious about the elective courses.
“Peering into the Future, Runic Dictionary, Easy Introduction to Ancient Runes, Muggle Studies…”
Cedric’s gaze moved to the last line, and he raised an eyebrow in slight surprise: “Muggle Studies class textbook not yet determined, to be uniformly distributed by Professor Melvin Levent after term starts?”
“New professor…”
Before the words finished, there were more sounds of owls beating wings, rustling in the mountain shrubbery.
Several black dots were gradually becoming clear.
Cedric couldn’t help closing the envelope and looking up.
Three or four owls flew past one after another, over White Stalk Hill, heading toward the other side of the village—that was the direction of the Burrow.
Counting their family’s youngest boy, there would be four red-haired Weasleys at school this year at the same time; that scene must be interesting.
……
The Leaky Cauldron was located on Charing Cross Road, with a dirty, messy signboard and a narrow storefront.
As the passage connecting the British Wizarding World and the Muggle perspective, as a wizard tavern founded in the 16th century, the Leaky Cauldron had been passed down for nearly five hundred years to the present, experiencing many changes, its history even longer than《Secrecy Law》. In other words, in the first two hundred years, it had hosted countless Muggles and many wonderful stories had happened here.
Of course, the current owner Old Tom had no blood relation to the witch who built the tavern.
“Daisy Dodderidge…”
Melvin sat in the tavern corner, looking with interest at the painting on the wall; the once vibrant oils had faded with weathering, covered in a layer of greasy grime.
Faint magic reflected on the oil painting’s surface, proving it had once been a magical portrait; if properly maintained, the witch in the painting might still chat and laugh with the tavern’s patrons.
Melvin sipped his mojito; the taste was much better than expected.
Fresh scent, light alcohol flavor.
It didn’t match the tavern’s decor at all.
Actually, the food in the tavern was quite good too—no fish heads stuck in pancakes as Starry Night, no soup juiced from fish meat, and the signature fish and chips were pretty tasty, completely unlike the stereotype of a culinary desert in his memory.
Moreover, the Leaky Cauldron provided lodging services, with comfortable, spacious rooms on the second floor, 24-hour hot water, and Old Tom was enthusiastic to guests and well-informed, able to help answer any questions.
But Melvin chose a chain hotel three streets away.
Because the environment here was really nothing to compliment: the old solid wood furniture long neglected maintenance, surfaces full of fine cracks, gaps filled with grease and stains, ultimately forming a layer of unidentified waxy substance, the entire first floor permeated with an indescribable smell.
Tavern owner Old Tom had no intention of cleaning at all, leaning on the bar reading the newspaper, chatting idly with a few old witches.
From afar, the《Daily Prophet》cover could be seen, two witches of different appearances facing off, the front-page headline clearly visible.
「Clash Between Superior and Subordinate: Director of the Office for the Misuse of Magic Dolores Umbridge Publicly Rebukes Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement Amelia Bones on Wizengamot Vote Regarding Muggle Studies.」
That was already news from a few days ago.
After convincing several old wizards at the Examination Board, things didn’t progress as smoothly as expected; a group of pure-blood supporters emerged from nowhere, led by Dolores Umbridge, claiming that changes to teaching content required Ministry of Magic approval.
Because that doll-voiced witch spoke too offensively, Madam Marchbanks was too lazy to debate her and directly called for a Wizengamot vote.
What followed was internal British Ministry of Magic matters, and Melvin didn’t participate.
“Chief Wizard Dumbledore was the first to voice support for Muggle Studies teaching reform, Madam Marchbanks seconded, numerous Wizengamot members expressed agreement…
“Umbridge raised a protest, protest invalid, heh heh…
“Madam Amelia Bones announced on the spot that the motion passed smoothly, Minister Cornelius Fudge offered no comment.”
Old Tom snorted twice: “For something Dumbledore agrees with, when was it Umbridge’s turn to oppose? That pink toad doesn’t know what she’s thinking.”
“Exactly right!” the old witch nearby agreed.
“When was it the Ministry of Magic’s place to interfere in Hogwarts matters?”
“Exactly right!”
Old Tom grinned, looking like a shriveled walnut, flipped the newspaper to the next page, and his gaze was immediately drawn to the article title, his face showing an interested expression.
“Why Do Witches Make Things Hard for Witches? The Origins of Wizengamot Infighting, the Beginning of All Conflicts, Star Reporter Rita Skeeter Exclusively Reveals: New Muggle Studies Professor Melvin Levent’s Disruptive Speech: I Have a Dream!”
「A thousand years ago, four great wizards founded Hogwarts, and today we are gathered here because of this school.
This ancient castle is like the light of a beacon, pointing the way for thousands of young wizards wandering lost in the magical wilderness. Its arrival was like a joyful dawn, ending the long night of wizards’ ignorant darkness.
Yet two thousand years later today, we must face the tragic fact that wizards are still mired in ignorance…」
It seemed like some extraordinary content.
Old Tom became more and more engrossed as he read.
Melvin sat quietly in the corner, a spot where he could hear the bar conversation without drawing attention, just able to make out Old Tom’s low reading voice.
Those old wizards even older than a certain headmaster certainly wouldn’t be convinced by a single speech; they had only passed the onboarding examination. What remained was Madam Marchbanks’ dissatisfaction with the Muggle Studies course content for her age group, willing to see what changes a young person could bring.
Teaching content, textbook selection, grades and influence…
Half a glass of cocktail remained in the cup; his fingers shook it, the liquid swirling, clear and transparent, light refracting through the glass cup and liquid, reflecting into his dark eyes, forming shifting shapes, the depths like a deep pool flowing with profound, obscure substance.
Dumbledore probably hadn’t expected that star reporter to sneak into the Ministry of Magic meeting room, even recording his speech and publishing it directly in the《Daily Prophet》supplement.
But this could be considered a gift, perfectly verifying his guess.
“A wizard’s soul…”
Melvin quietly savored it for a moment, then drained the glass.
By the time Old Tom finished reading the article, the young wizard in the corner had quietly left.
Melvin passed through the front hall to the open space behind the bar, found an idle trash bin, and following the guidance of the magic fluctuations, soon noticed an unusual red brick above the trash bin.
This magic’s concealment wasn’t particularly strong, mainly a Muggle-Repelling Charm and a faint Confundus Charm; if a Muggle accidentally intruded, they would soon feel uneasy and leave quickly under subconscious suggestion. The rest was an Undetectable Extension Charm, paired with a few Transfiguration techniques.
The spell techniques weren’t difficult, but the concept was ingenious.
Wizard settlements around the world had similar designs.
Melvin drew his wand and tapped the red brick lightly, waited a few seconds; the brick loosened and receded into the wall, then the entire brick wall began to move, revealing an opening in the middle that grew larger and larger, soon exposing a wide path.
Leading to Diagon Alley.
……
North side of Diagon Alley, Flourish and Blotts.
Melvin wandered between the bookshelves.
The bookstore manager followed behind, beaming with an enthusiastic smile: “Professor Levent, finally meeting you. I’ve read your speech; it was so sincere and well-argued, truly moving…
“Our bookstore has a long-standing partnership with Hogwarts. No matter how rare the books professors select as textbooks, we can provide stable, ample stock and guarantee regular annual restocking.”
Melvin remained unmoved; based on the magic feedback, the manager’s emotional fluctuations weren’t as strong as he displayed.
He reached out and pulled a finely bound book from the shelf, flipping it open casually.
《Philosophy of the Muggle World: Why Muggles Refuse to Dig to the Root》
Author: Modric Egg
The bookstore manager immediately introduced: “Sharp eye, Professor Levent. Modric Egg was once a Hogwarts Muggle Studies professor. In this book, he delves deeply into a phenomenon: even when excuses are completely untenable, Muggles universally ignore the existence of magic, just like the three wise monkeys on the cover—they see no magic, hear no magic, speak no magic.”
Melvin directly flipped to the publication info on the back.
「Publisher: Dust and Mold Publishing」
Publication Date: 1969-09-01
The bookstore manager immediately fell silent, quietly averting his gaze.
Melvin found it somewhat amusing: “Sitting in the warehouse for twenty years, just like the publisher’s name—covered in dust and mold, right?”
“That’s the style of DF Publishing—not chasing bestsellers, exploring the true essence of profound matters.”
Melvin suddenly felt a surge of respect: “Is that so? What books have they published recently?”
“They went bankrupt.”
“…”
Pausing the chit-chat, he began flipping through all the Muggle-related books in the store.
Affected by the war over a dozen years ago, the atmosphere in the entire British Wizarding World was relatively conservative; Muggle-related reading material was mainly survey reports and autobiographical novels, popular science books either superficial or outdated, with only a few valuable magazine articles, but none systematic enough for use as textbooks.
Seeing he made no move, the bookstore manager tentatively asked: “Not finding suitable textbooks? There’s some stock in the underground book vault if needed…”
“No need.”
Melvin closed a recent magazine; the page title was exactly Caridwen Bubaj’s article,《Preparations for a Witch Entering Muggle Society》.
He thought for a moment, then turned and asked: “Can you get books from Muggle publishers?”
“We can, but…” The bookstore manager hesitated.
“Have you heard of《Children’s Encyclopedia》?”
——
《The Leaky Cauldron in History》
The Leaky Cauldron was founded by Daisy Dodderidge in the early 16th century, address: 1 Diagon Alley.
In 1692, with the《International Confederation of Wizards Secrecy Law》implemented, Magic Minister Ulick Gamp permitted the tavern to continue operating; out of gratitude, the Leaky Cauldron launched a new beer product—Gamp’s Old Gregarious Brew. The taste was utterly awful; even with a 100 Galleon reward, no one could finish a pint.
At the end of the 19th century, the Muggle government planned to redevelop Charing Cross Road; Minister Faris Spavin, following secrecy ordinances, took no remedial measures. Diagon Alley wizards spontaneously organized, using massive Obliviate spells to erase all related personnel’s memories, even infiltrating the Prime Minister’s residence to alter blueprints, thus saving the Leaky Cauldron.
