"I've seen you before, once in a shop. You bowed to me."
"He actually remembers!" Diggle shouted to everyone present. "Did you hear that? He remembers me!"
This person became so overexcited upon hearing Harry remembered him that he dropped his top hat.
So Harry kept shaking hands over and over.
Harry could see their emotions were genuine and sincere now.
If he were still his pre-crossing self, when they discovered he had no obvious differences from other young wizards, with a huge gap from the famous "savior" and "verifiable record of defeating the Dark Lord at age one"—
Once fan filters shattered, such emotions might quickly change.
But now, filled with kingly bearing and 5 points of Charisma, Harry satisfied all their fantasies.
If Harry wished, he could immediately recruit some of these fanatically loyal wizards into a mage legion, registering them in the system as direct subordinates.
Harry glanced at Hagrid. There was still time before school started—he could stay at the Leaky Cauldron during this period.
With people coming and going, he could conveniently recruit some adult wizards for errands.
When school started, he'd have them collect intelligence and resources outside.
Just then, a pale young man approached, looking extremely nervous, one eye twitching.
"Professor Quirrell!" Hagrid said. "Harry, Professor Quirrell will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts."
"P-P-Potter," Professor Quirrell stammered, grasping Harry's hand. "I c-can't tell you how p-pleased I am to meet you."
Harry frowned.
Hogwarts was indeed a dragon's den and tiger's lair.
A teacher actually harboured killing intent toward a student...
This person concealed extremely strong murderous intent. Harry had already tensed his body.
There was an obvious power gap between them—the opponent had ordinary human strength. At this distance, with his hand already grasped, if the other party tried anything, even moving a finger, he could instantly subdue him.
But wizards probably competed through magical power. Grand mages could cast spells with mere thoughts. He hadn't yet tested how well Divine Power and Stamina could suppress Magic.
He could only sense the opponent had two different magical energies, but couldn't determine specific values.
Also, Hagrid's information was wrong.
He should have no enemies except Voldemort...
This person definitely wasn't Voldemort, meaning he was probably Voldemort's subordinate or worshipper.
Harry could believe this person's killing aura came from murdering hundreds.
As for Quirrell being Voldemort himself? Harry thought it unlikely.
Wizards might shapeshift and disguise themselves, but if Voldemort at full strength didn't dare enter Hogwarts, where would the obviously weakened Voldemort get the courage to face Dumbledore directly... Unless he'd lost his mind over these ten years?
Unlikely—as the main villain, no matter how low his intelligence, there had to be limits.
For infiltration and undercover work, you definitely sent minions—no boss personally went undercover.
One of Voldemort's subordinates had killed so many people. Hagrid's information was far too inadequate.
Though perhaps because wizards cast spells from range?
This person's killing intent felt impure—part cruel, part cowardly, like a split personality.
"What kind of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?" Harry stared at him, maintaining his grip.
"D-Defence Against the D-D-Dark Arts," Professor Quirrell mumbled, seeming to think it better not mentioned. "N-not that you n-need it, eh, P-P-Potter?"
He laughed nervously.
"I expect you're g-going to buy your things? I must g-go myself; I need a new b-book on vampires... P-Potter, could you release me?"
Harry hesitated two seconds. Did Headmaster Dumbledore know about Quirrell's abnormality?
Probably not.
The school was full of children.
If he knew, he wouldn't let Quirrell take the position.
He'd thought Dumbledore, described by Hagrid as possessing world-shaking wisdom, must be extraordinary.
Turned out he was just so-so, easily deceived.
With enemies still lurking, no rush—there was plenty of time. Harry applied slight pressure with his right hand, transmitting an inconspicuous light spell mark through contact.
Quirrell, was it? He couldn't escape.
Bidding farewell to the crowd, they passed through the bar into a small walled courtyard containing nothing but a trash bin and weeds.
Hagrid grinned at Harry.
"Told you, didn't I? Told you you were famous. Even Professor Quirrell was trembling before you—though I should warn you, he trembles often."
Harry rubbed his chin. "Is he always so neurotic?"
"Oh yes. Poor fellow. Brilliant mind, excellent student. But then he took a year off for firsthand practical experience... They say he encountered vampires in the Black Forest, and a hag gave him serious trouble. After that, he became completely different. Afraid of students, afraid of his own subject... Oh, where's my umbrella?"
Vampires? Hags? It was Voldemort, wasn't it? Had he been hiding in forests these ten years? Perhaps the current Voldemort wasn't truly resurrected, just not completely dead, lacking much combat power.
Harry thought when Quirrell travelled to forests, he'd secretly follow—perhaps finding Voldemort then.
Of course, before that, he needed preparation.
This world's legendary wizards might have low intelligence, but their combat power shouldn't be underestimated.
He had to recover his body and return to peak condition, learn more spells, equip himself properly, and prepare carefully to avoid failure.
Hagrid said wizards could all teleport, with much higher mobility than himself. If he couldn't win, he might not escape.
Hagrid was now counting bricks above the trash bin.
"Three up—two across—" he muttered softly. "Right then, Harry, stand back."
He tapped the wall three times with his umbrella tip.
The brick he'd touched quivered, beginning to move. A small hole appeared in the middle, growing larger.
Soon they faced a broad archway wide enough for Hagrid, leading to a winding cobblestone street extending beyond sight.
"Welcome," Hagrid said, "to Diagon Alley."
Hagrid grinned at Harry as they walked through the archway. Harry looked back to see it narrow again, returning to solid wall.
"Without a wand, couldn't someone just climb over this wall?"
Hagrid wanted to say the wall could transform and grow taller, impossible for ordinary people to climb.
Then thinking of Harry's physical abilities, he scratched his head. "You could try."