Back in Diagon Alley, it was as lively as it had been that morning, but without the stern Professor McGonagall, the Gray family felt much more relaxed, and their shopping became more enjoyable.
The Grays meticulously visited almost every shop—oh, except for one selling animal organs and eyeballs. The moment they stepped in, they saw a giant, rolling eyeball, which scared Fiona so much she shrieked and immediately ran out.
Ferdinand bought some exquisite magical creations, such as an automatically sweeping broom, a tiny golden bird that could fly around, and talking wizard chess pieces. When paying, he repeatedly confirmed with the shop assistant that these items were absolutely free of any "dangerous" or "harmful" magic.
Wade spent over an hour in the bookstore; he had so many books he wanted to buy. But considering that school started in just a month and Hogwarts would surely have more books, he ultimately picked only a few he most desired: Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1, A Healer's Handbook, and Easy Introduction to Ancient Runes.
He also bought two self-writing quills, though the shop assistant warned him that such pens weren't suitable for homework because they meticulously wrote down every thought in the owner's mind, even if a person had practised extensively, they could accidentally write something embarrassing.
As Wade walked out of the bookstore with his new books, he saw his parents sitting by an ice cream stall, eating ice cream. Ferdinand was holding a golden owl cage, inside which a particularly robust-looking little fellow was squatting, drawing circles with its head.
"Dad, did you buy another owl?" Wade asked.
"That's right," Ferdinand chuckled. "Considering you'll definitely be taking your owl to school, what if your mother and I want to send you a letter? I heard Muggle post offices can't deliver letters to Hogwarts, so we bought one too. Oh, by the way, he's General Bard, a magnificent lad."
Wade bent down to greet it. "Hello, General Bard."
General Bard opened its mouth and yawned.
"Look, I bought a little one too." Fiona leaned over and opened her hand, revealing a tiny white hamster nestled in her palm, looking very well-behaved.
"Isn't she adorable?" Fiona said with delight. "I found that wizarding pets, whether they've eaten some sort of smart pill or not, seem much smarter than regular animals! She isn't afraid of people at all, and it seems she can even understand my commands."
"Cute is cute, but Mom, aren't hamsters on an owl's diet?" Wade asked.
He had only learned that owls primarily eat rodents, birds, fish, or insects—in short, they're carnivores—after buying his own owl and being informed by the shop assistant when purchasing owl food. Thinking back to the handful of pine nuts he'd given the school owl earlier, Wade inwardly apologised.
"It's fine, your dad will keep a close eye on his owl! Oh, right, this is Miss Mirian." Fiona said earnestly, "Wade, you should name your owl too!"
"Hmm..." Wade's gaze swept over, landing on an Avent stationery shop. The letters "EVA" at the beginning shimmered brightly in the sunlight, very conspicuous.
"Let's just call her Eva," he said casually.
The Gray family lingered in Diagon Alley for several days. Ferdinand could now effortlessly discuss Quidditch matches and various models of the Firebolt 2000 with others, while Fiona had bought a complete set of miniature furniture (with automatic cleaning spells applied) and various little dresses, wizard robes, hats, and rainbow-coloured socks for her hamster, Miss Mirian.
Of course, as the parents of a new Hogwarts student, they had signed a confidentiality agreement with Professor McGonagall on the first day, promising not to disclose anything about the magical world to non-magical people and to fulfil their duty of care, preventing magical items from entering the Muggle world.
A month passed in the blink of an eye. On the morning of September 1st, Fiona once again checked Wade's trunk, ensuring he had packed everything he needed—from nail clippers and ear picks to autumn and winter clothes. Ferdinand drove him to King's Cross Station.
Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, the starting point of the magical journey, appeared from the outside to be just an ordinary dividing wall.
Wade pushed his trunk, with the owl cage on top of the trolley. He walked to the front of the dividing wall, then turned back to see his parents smiling and waving at him.
Wade smiled and waved back, then turned and charged straight through the dividing wall.
Fiona covered her mouth, suddenly letting out a sob.
Ferdinand put his arm around her shoulder and sighed, "If only we could go to the platform to see him off—"
"Don't tell him—I don't want Wade to be sad," Fiona sniffled. "Going to school—it should be a happy occasion—"
Ferdinand gently patted her, comforting her. "Don't worry. I've gathered a lot of information these past few days—the wizarding world is very peaceful now. Dumbledore, the greatest wizard of our time, is their headmaster. Wade will be fine at school."
"Oh—excuse me—"
A timid voice spoke nearby. Ferdinand looked down and immediately recognised the boy in front of him.
"You are—Harry Potter?!" he exclaimed in surprise.
"Yes, that's me." Harry self-consciously brushed his fringe over his scar. He had forgotten meeting this couple at the Leaky Cauldron before—mainly because there were too many people shaking his hand at the time, and the pub was very dimly lit. Now, with a hint of pleasure, he cautiously asked, "I heard you talking about Hogwarts just now... I mean—I'm not sure how to get there—"
"Oh," Ferdinand realised. "See that wall? Just push your trunk and charge right through it. If you're scared, just close your eyes. Don't worry, you won't bump into it."
This wasn't something Professor McGonagall had told them, but rather something Ferdinand had heard from his own parents when he was a child. Back then, he hadn't yet been confirmed as a Squib, and his parents had told him many little stories about the magical world. It was only later that they stopped mentioning those things.
"Oh, okay—"
Harry was somewhat incredulous. He tentatively gauged the couple's expressions—they seemed kind, but he wondered if they were teasing him...
Seeing them looking at him with encouraging eyes, seemingly waiting to watch him pass through the wall, Harry, too embarrassed to ask anyone else, gritted his teeth and pushed his trunk forward, not very fast.
I'll just stop if I hit the wall... it's not a big deal if they laugh at me...
The boy thought nervously, but he never met the anticipated obstacle. In one instant, his ears were suddenly filled with a buzzing murmur of voices, and what abruptly appeared before his eyes—
Was a massive, deep-red train, its endless tracks winding into the distance.