HP: Hogwart's Journey

What is the world of wizards truly like? 

To Muggles who have never seen wizards in real life, wizards are mysterious, powerful, and perhaps even frightening—until they witness the day-to-day life of wizards firsthand. 

Elsa and Cliff stood dumbfounded, staring at the bustling street before them. 

Potage's Cauldron Shop, Eeylops Owl Emporium, Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, the stationery store, the Magical Menagerie, Quality Quidditch Supplies... Some shop names were vaguely familiar, while others were completely new to them. But for Robert, they all evoked a strong sense of nostalgia. He couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. 

Street vendors selling all sorts of trinkets had managed to squeeze their stalls between the more permanent shops. A young witch wearing a pointed hat dashed through the crowd, a lollipop in hand. Children about Robert's age gawked at window displays, marveling at the products inside. Robert even spotted two wizards walking past with shovels and rakes in hand. 

Cliff finally snapped out of his daze and exclaimed in delight, "Oh, Robert, I just had the most brilliant idea—retro fashion! So this is how people dressed in the Middle Ages!" 

Robert felt a bit embarrassed. "Middle Ages" seemed like a bit of an exaggeration. 

Thankfully, Cliff quickly caught himself and offered an apologetic glance at Robert. "Ah, sorry about that. Got carried away." He stepped aside to let a witch pass by. 

The witch, clutching a paper bag, muttered under her breath, "Good heavens, the price of dittany has gone up by another Sickle! They might as well be robbing us." 

Nearby, a plump woman was wrangling two young children, a girl and a boy, while two identical boys played noisily behind her. Trailing at the back was a slightly older boy, his face etched with resignation. 

"Fred! Stop teasing your brother! He's your sibling, not a toy! You're starting at Hogwarts this year; it's time to act your age!" The woman's booming voice snapped Elsa and Cliff out of their astonishment. 

They stared at the group of red-haired people in shock. Cliff swallowed nervously and leaned toward Robert. "Robert, be honest with me—does becoming a wizard improve, uh, reproductive..." 

"Cliff!" Elsa's elbow jabbed him sharply in the ribs. 

"Ow! I'm sorry! I was wrong!" Cliff apologized immediately. 

Ignoring him, Elsa took Robert's hand and approached the chaotic family. 

"Excuse me, ma'am. Sorry to bother you." Elsa extended her right hand, her tone soft and earnest. "This is our first time in Diagon Alley. Just now, I overheard you mention your child is also starting at Hogwarts this year. Could we possibly ask for a bit of guidance?" 

"Oh! Hello there. I'm Molly Weasley, and these are my children," the woman replied warmly, shaking Elsa's hand. She then proceeded to introduce her children. 

Elsa's conversational skills must have been maxed out because, to Robert's surprise, the two women quickly became fast friends. 

"Hi, I'm George. Are you a first-year too?" one of the red-haired boys said, slinging an arm over Robert's shoulder in greeting. 

His twin stood by with an enigmatic grin. 

Robert had a good impression of the pair—they were the comic relief of the entire Harry Potter story. He reached out to shake George's hand. 

"Hello, Fred. I'm Robert Leslie. Nice to meet you. Oh, and you too, George," he added, shaking the other twin's hand. 

The twins froze, startled. 

"How on earth did you figure that out?" Fred asked, astonished. 

Robert grinned mischievously. "That's a secret!" 

[You have bested Fred Weasley in a prank. Prank experience +1.] 

[You have bested George Weasley in a prank. Prank experience +1.] 

[Skill: Pranking Level 0 (2/10).] 

What a pleasant surprise. Robert couldn't help but wonder—what exactly was the point of this Pranking skill? Would it improve his success rate with pranks, or perhaps offer him some creative ideas? 

"Hey, Mom! Sorry I'm late," came a voice from behind. Two more redheads joined the group. The younger one was Charlie, the future dragon enthusiast in Romania, while the older one was Arthur Weasley—the man brave enough to transform a car into something straight out of a sci-fi movie despite the Ministry's strict regulations. 

Robert felt his legs go weak. Throughout the entire Harry Potter series, the character he admired most wasn't the most powerful white wizard, Albus Dumbledore, nor the Chosen One, Harry Potter—it was Arthur Weasley. This man had essentially created a non-transforming Transformer in the wizarding world! 

"Oh, Molly, I'm so sorry I'm late," Arthur greeted, kissing his wife on the cheek before greeting each of his children. Then his gaze landed on Elsa and Cliff—two Muggles. 

Real, living Muggles! 

At that moment, Robert swore he saw stars shining in Arthur's eyes. 

Molly introduced her family to the newcomers, mentioning how proud she was of Charlie for becoming both a Gryffindor prefect and Quidditch captain in 1989. 

The two families quickly struck up a conversation. Arthur pointed out that, as a Muggle family visiting Diagon Alley for the first time, they should exchange their currency at Gringotts. 

Hearing this, Robert hesitated for a moment before sighing and pulling out a gold Galleon. "Mr. Weasley, is this the wizarding currency you were talking about?" 

Arthur was taken aback. "Oh, my boy, yes, that's a Galleon! It's worth 17 Sickles or 493 Knuts. But how did you get this? Muggle households don't have access to wizarding money." 

Elsa looked shocked, her voice tinged with anxiety. "W-What? Robert, where did you get this coin?" She seemed alarmed, fearing that a mysterious wizard might have appeared near Robert without their knowledge. 

Under their scrutiny, Robert hesitated before cautiously explaining, "Well, after I received the owl's letter, I found a basement at home and discovered a little secret. It seems… both my parents were wizards." 

Arthur and Molly were just as stunned. This sounded like something straight out of a magical tale—an orphan discovering his wizard heritage only after receiving a letter from the magical world. 

Fortunately, Arthur recovered first. "My boy, if you don't mind, could you share the full story with me? Perhaps I knew your parents! By the way, I'm Arthur Weasley, head of the Ministry's Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office. Of course, it'd be best if your guardians joined the conversation; they seem quite worried about you." 

(End of Chapter)