The next morning, dawn.
Though the crisp morning air hadn't completely lifted, the wooden cabin by the lake had already received a visitor.
She was an elderly woman wearing square spectacles, her black hair curled and pinned in a high bun. She wore a Scottish plaid blouse beneath deep green robes.
The old woman donned a tall hat and carried a slender wooden staff. Her expression was stern, her gaze sharp to the point of severity, radiating an aura of gravity.
"Is this the place?"
Looking at the cabin before her—not exactly shabby, but hardly refined either—the woman frowned briefly before stepping forward to knock on the wooden door.
"Coming!"
A youthful yet gentle voice immediately responded from within.
Soon, the door opened.
"You are...?"
The same gentle voice, now tinged with curiosity.
The elderly woman studied the boy who was curiously examining her, and despite her stern demeanor, a hint of admiration flickered in her sharp eyes.
What an exceptionally refined young boy...
"Hello, Mr. Byrne. I am Minerva McGonagall. I believe you should recognize that name."
The woman looked down at Yake, and though her eyes held some admiration, her face and voice remained as serious as ever.
"Yes, Professor McGonagall, I certainly know you—the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You're the one who sent me the letter."
Yake bowed politely to McGonagall while mentally comparing the person before him to his impression of the character.
Hmm... She looks different from the movie version, but matches the description from the original novels.
"Thank you for being so courteous, though you may call me Professor now, since you've decided to attend Hogwarts."
McGonagall was unaware of the young boy's inner thoughts, but she was quite pleased with his politeness.
Though this was only their first meeting, based solely on Yake's outstanding appearance, temperament, and manners, McGonagall had already categorized this soon-to-be student as a "good child."
If only those energetic troublemakers in her house could be like this, she wouldn't be so exhausted.
At this thought, McGonagall sighed inwardly before continuing.
"I should mention that I'm also the Head of Gryffindor House and the Transfiguration professor. For the next seven years, I'll be teaching you Transfiguration." McGonagall was clearly someone who disliked wasting time. After finishing her introduction, she immediately continued: "As for why I'm here... for children like you from Muggle backgrounds or those unfamiliar with the magical world, Hogwarts sends a staff member to visit, explain everything to your parents or guardians, and guide you through enrollment and purchasing school supplies."
McGonagall peered past Yake into the cabin.
"But from the current situation, it seems I won't need to speak with your parents or guardians, will I?"
Clearly, McGonagall had realized that this young boy was living alone.
Where were his parents or guardians?
McGonagall didn't ask, as she had already guessed the answer.
This child who had made such a good impression on her had likely lost someone important.
"I apologize for the awkward situation," Yake smiled with a maturity beyond his years, saying naturally, "There's only me here, so you'll only need to communicate with me, Professor."
"Poor child." McGonagall instinctively reached out to pat Yake's head. "Please don't worry. Hogwarts has many young wizards your age who will keep you company. You won't feel lonely."
"I'm already looking forward to it," Yake said, shifting uncomfortably to avoid McGonagall's hand. "Would you like to come in and sit for a moment, Professor?"
"No." McGonagall shook her head without hesitation, speaking with characteristic efficiency. "Since there's no need to speak with your guardians, let's not waste time. We'll head straight to Diagon Alley for shopping."
Yake blinked.
"Diagon Alley?"
"It's the magical world's commercial district. Wizards can find virtually everything they need related to magic there."
McGonagall patiently answered Yake's appropriately expressed confusion.
"Don't worry, young man. I'll take you there and show you around so you'll be able to shop in Diagon Alley on your own in the future—provided you have enough money."
At this, Yake nodded and pulled a stack of bills from his pocket.
This represented his entire savings from the past year.
Initially, when he'd found himself in desperate straits, he'd discovered this location and the abandoned cabin by the lake. After considerable effort to make it habitable and establishing that he could survive primarily by fishing, he'd begun exploring the surrounding area.
Fortunately, he'd eventually found a village and had gradually sold his excess catch there over the past year, earning some money.
Aside from purchasing the most basic necessities, he'd saved everything else.
His original plan had been to save enough money before deciding whether to move to the nearby village or even a town, but naturally, he wouldn't be maintaining those plans now.
Though the money wasn't much, it would have to do.
"Excellent." Seeing that Yake had prepared everything in advance, McGonagall nodded approvingly, then placed a hand on his shoulder. "I had planned to guide you there on foot, but this place is too remote. Walking would be far too time-consuming."
"So please remember, Mr. Byrne, we're about to travel to a wizard-exclusive tavern located on Charing Cross Road in Westminster, London—the Leaky Cauldron."
As soon as McGonagall finished speaking, Yake heard a sharp crack in the air. The next moment, he felt as though he'd been stuffed into a flushing toilet, his entire body spinning wildly until even his inner ear seemed to be screaming in protest.
Fortunately, the sensation came and went quickly. Yake soon felt everything around him returning to normal, and he could even hear voices nearby, making him realize he'd arrived somewhere quite bustling.
When Yake's vision cleared, he found himself on a busy street, facing a large bookstore and a record shop.
"Follow me, Mr. Byrne."
Seeing that Yake had quickly recovered and showed no obvious discomfort from the Apparition, McGonagall smiled slightly and led him toward the bookstore and record shop.
As McGonagall approached, a building suddenly appeared between the bookstore and record shop, as if it had been squeezed out of thin air, materializing before Yake's eyes and filling him with both surprise and wonder.
"Is this the Leaky Cauldron?"
Following McGonagall into the tavern's interior, Yake continuously surveyed his surroundings.
The tavern's interior was quite dim and crude—shabby, even. Apart from a few tables tucked away in shadowy corners, there was only a grimy bar counter.
Perhaps because it was still early and not yet operating hours, the tavern had no customers, and even the bar was empty. However, sounds came from the room behind the bar—likely the owner preparing for business.
McGonagall showed no intention of greeting the tavern's proprietor. With practiced ease, she led Yake around the bar to a small courtyard enclosed by walls on four sides.
There was nothing here except garbage bins and some weeds.
"Remember what I'm about to do—next time you'll need to come here yourself," McGonagall instructed. "Count three bricks up from the trash bin on the wall, then two across, and tap three times with your wand."
McGonagall demonstrated with the wooden staff she'd been holding, pointing up three times, then across twice, and finally tapping gently three times at that spot.
The next second, the brick McGonagall had tapped began to tremble, and a small hole appeared in its center.
The opening grew larger and larger until it became an archway, revealing a bustling street beyond.
Watching this scene unfold, Yake's eyes sparkled with wonder.
The magical world he'd been anticipating was finally revealing itself to him for the first time in the most direct way possible.