"George, thank you for leading me out!"
Stepping out of the eerie Knockturn Alley and into the bustling Diagon Alley, Harry finally let out a sigh of relief and immediately thanked George.
He felt that if George hadn't guided him out, the strange and sinister wizards along the way might have devoured him.
"Harry! Harry!"
Just then, a girl with a bushy mane of brown hair came sprinting down the street toward them.
"I'm so happy to see you! Why are you covered in dust? And your glasses—"
"I'm happy to see you too, Hermione."
Harry adjusted his cracked glasses, a delighted smile spreading across his face.
"It was an accident."
"Alright, let me fix them for you. Reparo!"
Hermione pulled out her wand and cast the Mending Charm on Harry's glasses.
As if time had reversed, the shattered lenses repaired themselves in seconds, looking brand new again.
"I really need to practice that spell too."
Harry examined his now-pristine glasses and couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
Unlike Hermione—who had not only mastered all the first-year spells but also taught herself several others—he still struggled with even the basics, including the Mending Charm.
George, standing nearby, had the exact same thought.
The Mending Charm wasn't just for small items like glasses. Mastered properly, it could effortlessly restore collapsed buildings.
Back in the Marvel world, this spell alone could make him a fortune.
"And you are...?"
After fixing Harry's glasses, Hermione turned to George, her expression puzzled.
"This is my new friend, George. George, this is Hermione Granger."
Harry quickly introduced them.
George extended his hand with a smile.
"Hello, Miss Granger. You're quite lovely."
"Hello, George."
Hearing George call her pretty, Hermione's impression of him instantly soared. She happily shook his hand.
Apart from her parents, no one had ever called her pretty before—though plenty had praised her intelligence.
"Harry, now that your friend is here, I should head back. See you at Hogwarts."
After shaking Hermione's hand, George didn't linger. With a wave, he turned and walked back into Knockturn Alley.
For a first meeting, a simple introduction was enough. Overdoing it would seem too deliberate. Besides, his time was precious—he still had spells to study.
More importantly, he had no intention of stopping Lucius Malfoy from slipping Tom Riddle's diary to Ginny.
The diary contained a piece of Voldemort's soul and could manipulate minds. Even with his psychic abilities, he wasn't confident he could resist its influence, so he had no plans to take it for himself.
There was also no need to interfere—Dumbledore was watching, and the whole ordeal would just become another trial for Harry. No students would actually get hurt.
In fact, he hoped to use the situation to his advantage.
"He seems nice. How come I've never seen him at school before?"
Hermione watched George's retreating figure, her tone curious.
George looked about their age—either in their year or one above—so she should have recognized him.
Harry chuckled.
"That's because he's starting Hogwarts this year as a first-year. Of course you haven't met him."
"Oh, so he's younger than us. How did you two meet?"
As Hermione led Harry toward Flourish and Blotts, she pressed for details.
Harry began recounting his earlier misadventure.
Meanwhile, when George returned to his shop, he was surprised to find an enormous figure loitering at the entrance.
"Enormous" was an understatement—the man's height far exceeded human limits.
A rough estimate put him at around eleven and a half feet tall. Standing next to him, George doubted he could even reach the man's waist. The sheer presence was overwhelming.
Why is he outside my shop?
The man's size and attire made his identity obvious.
This was Rubeus Hagrid—Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts, half-giant, and master of magical creatures.
Thinking of Hagrid's lineage, George couldn't help but mentally salute Hagrid's father, Mr. Hagrid. What a legend.
Average giants stood around twenty-five feet tall. For a wizard of normal stature to... mingle with a female giant and produce offspring? That took some remarkable talent.
"Excuse me, sir. Can I help you with something?"
George approached and called out.
Hagrid turned and looked down, spotting the small, thin wizard. His voice softened.
"I'm lookin' fer a potion to get rid o' flesh-eating slugs. Heard only this shop carries it. Shame it's closed."
Though his tone was gentle, Hagrid's sheer size made his words boom like a shout to George's ears.
"The previous owner, Mr. Mereton, passed away in a potion accident recently. I've taken over the shop. I know the potion you need—I can get it for you."
George unlocked the door, quickly retrieving a vial from the counter.
Dora might not have brewed potions, but as the shop's assistant, she'd memorized every potion's use to help customers.
"Pest-Bane Potion. Works on flesh-eating slugs, cabbage caterpillars, and heartworms."
"Oh, thank yeh, little proprietor."
Hagrid accepted the vial, pleasantly surprised, and broke into a grin.
"How much?"
"Fourteen Sickles."
George held out his hand with a smile.
"Cheaper'n I expected."
Hagrid dug into his massive moleskin coat, pulled out a handful of silver Sickles, and counted out fourteen into George's palm.
He'd assumed such a rare potion would cost at least two Galleons.
"I'm heading to Hogwarts soon, so I'm in a good mood. Gave you half off."
George dropped the Sickles into the shop's cashbox, deliberately sounding cheerful.
Since his psychic abilities allowed him to communicate with animals—giving him the potential to become a magical creature expert—he saw no reason to waste the opportunity.
Building a rapport with Hagrid meant access to extra knowledge about magical creatures, whether for profit or to raise some for protection.
So upon recognizing Hagrid, he'd decided to befriend him.
Hagrid was warm, kind-hearted, and straightforward—easy to get along with.
Sure enough, hearing George's words, Hagrid paused, his demeanor instantly friendlier. He studied George's face and grinned.
"Ah, a new student! I'm Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper o' Keys an' Grounds at Hogwarts. Come visit me at school sometime—I'll make yeh some rock cakes."