Chapter 75 – Make Him Spit It Out Later!

In the British wizarding world, two major trading centers stand out: Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley.

Knockturn Alley, adjacent to Diagon Alley, is a notorious hub filled with questionable individuals and dark magic merchants. Most wizards look down upon it.

This alley is lined with sinister shops, the largest being Borgin and Burkes, which is infamous for selling cursed objects and artifacts of dubious origins. It even houses a Vanishing Cabinet that connects to the Room of Requirement in Hogwarts.

For dark wizards and Death Eaters, this place is a paradise. While it harbors many dangerous elements, it also offers rare and powerful materials—exotic potions, cursed relics, and magical artifacts that defy imagination.

Noah had always wanted to visit Knockturn Alley, but his age made it impossible. Sometimes, he daydreamed about disguising himself with Polyjuice Potion, maybe even transforming into Hagrid, just to sneak in unnoticed.

Of course, that was a matter for another time. Right now, Noah was headed to Diagon Alley with Ms. Haifin.

This bustling commercial district was the heart of Britain's wizarding economy, boasting flagship stores of all major magical brands. Hidden behind the Leaky Cauldron in London, it remained completely invisible to Muggles due to various enchantments. Wizards entered by tapping a specific brick in the wall behind a trash bin.

To Ms. Haifin, the experience was surreal. She couldn't see the pub at all, nor could she even approach it. But with Noah leading the way, she followed him straight through the seemingly solid wall—only to find herself stepping into a completely different world.

"Didn't you say you've never been to a pub before?"

"Uh… Well, I didn't actually stay in the pub. The first time I came, I walked right in, but they wouldn't sell me anything. Don't worry, this place is protected by a Muggle-Repelling Charm, or maybe a Confundus Charm—that's why you couldn't see it."

"That's incredible!"

"It really is. But keep your voice down, Avril. You don't want them realizing you're a Muggle."

Noah took Ms. Haifin's hand and led her inside. Their arrival went unnoticed amid the bustling crowd.

But once they entered Diagon Alley, familiar faces began to appear.

Ms. Haifin was captivated by everything around her. Diagon Alley was a long, cobblestone street lined with fascinating and bizarre shops. Wizards of all ages filled the area—young students shopping for school supplies, parents bargaining for potions, and shopkeepers promoting their wares.

To Noah, this place wasn't just a market; it was prime real estate.

"If you had money, you could buy property here, set up a business, or just rent out the space and collect galleons every month. It would be incredibly profitable."

He muttered this quietly, but Ms. Haifin nodded in agreement.

Indeed, the sheer number of people here ensured a thriving economy. Owning land in Diagon Alley would be like holding a golden goose.

"Do you plan to do that?" she asked.

"Just joking. I don't have the money. But if I ever get the chance, I'd definitely consider it—with a few good partners, of course."

"Then I hope you become a successful businessman, Noah."

"Thanks." Noah chuckled.

Even the Weasley twins had managed to open Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, turning it into one of the most popular shops in the alley. So why not him?

But that was for the future. Right now, Noah and Ms. Haifin were headed to Flourish and Blotts.

This wizarding bookstore was massive, with towering bookshelves crammed full of magical literature. It was best known for supplying Hogwarts textbooks, though its selection extended far beyond just school materials.

Noah had always sympathized with the shop assistants here. Their job wasn't easy, considering the troublesome books they had to deal with—like The Monster Book of Monsters, which had a habit of biting people, or The Invisible Book of Invisibility, which was… well, impossible to find.

But worst of all were the book signings.

When Flourish and Blotts hosted author events, the crowds became absolute chaos. Today was no exception.

At the center of attention stood Gilderoy Lockhart, grinning smugly as he signed books and posed with Harry Potter for photos. Below, a frenzied mass of fans surged forward, completely overwhelming the shop staff.

Noah sighed. Of all the days to visit, why did he have to run into this fraud?

"Noah, what's going on?" Ms. Haifin whispered near his ear, not wanting to seem out of place.

"Nothing much, just an annoying guy. Forget it. Let's get our books and leave."

Noah didn't want to deal with Lockhart's fanatics.

This year's Hogwarts book list was ridiculous. Aside from "Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2" and a guide on magical creatures, everything else was Lockhart's nonsense.

"Gadding with Ghouls", "Holidays with Hags", "Travels with Trolls", "Wanderings with Werewolves"—what kind of garbage was this? And to top it off, they were outrageously expensive!

"The prices aren't too bad. These are your required books, right?" Ms. Haifin noted.

Noah sighed. Unfortunately, yes. Even if they were utterly useless, he had to buy them or risk losing points for Ravenclaw.

But Noah silently vowed—when this was all over, he would make Lockhart spit out every last Knut!

After purchasing the books, they were about to leave when Noah spotted Lucius Malfoy and his son Draco blocking Harry and his friends. Even more coincidentally, Hermione Granger was with them.

Noah shook his head. "The inertia of history is really strong." It seemed that, no matter what, certain events were bound to happen.

He turned to leave, not wanting to get involved.

"Noah!"

Just as he reached the doorway, Hermione's voice rang out behind him.

Noah winced. So much for slipping away quietly.

Ms. Haifin turned to look.

"Isn't that your classmate?" she asked curiously.

"Yeah… what a coincidence." Noah forced a smile.

"She seems to be in some trouble. Aren't you going to check?"

Noah hesitated but sighed.

"Alright, let's go see what's happening. It's probably just a minor issue."

With that, he turned back toward Hermione.

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