Hogwarts Outsider

After the previous “false alarm,” Matthew became cautious and refrained from acting rashly.

He dutifully remained at the Honeyduke, playing the role of an ordinary temporary clerk.

His daily routine was extremely regular, avoiding any actions that might attract attention.

He dared not venture near the Hog’s Head Bar anymore, where the Alliance continued their plans to cath the remaining Order of the Phoenix members.

Matthew never breathed a word about the events in the Hog’s Head Bar to anyone, and he didn’t attempt to contact anyone from the Order of the Phoenix.

Likewise, no one from the Order of the Phoenix initiated contact with him, as if the organization had vanished from the wizarding world.

…

Unbeknownst to him, a month slipped by in this manner.

Throughout July, business at the Honeyduke boomed.

It was incredible how many wizards in Britain, regardless of age or gender, had an insatiable love for sweets.

Foreign wizards also flocked here in admiration.

From morning until night, the candy store welcomed a continuous stream of customers, with business peaking at dusk.

The store’s owners, the Flumes, and their helper, Matthew, were stretched to their limits every day.

The shop was so busy that it was challenging for him to take a day off.

Now, Matthew desperately needed a day off for a normal reason: July was coming to an end, and it was time for him to visit Diagon Alley to purchase necessities for the new school year at Hogwarts.

As a third-year student, he would have several new electives: Ancient Runes, Muggle Studies, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, and Arithmancy, from which he would need to choose three.

Matthew selected Ancient Runes, Care of Magical Creatures, and Divination.

Additionally, he needed new textbooks for other courses, some due to textbook updates and others because of new professors.

To complete his third-year coursework, he needed to purchase the following books:

– “Intermediate Transfiguration Guide” by Emeric Switch

– “The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 3” by Miranda Goshawk

– “Book of Potions” by Zygmunt Budge

– “Unfogging the Future” by Cassandra Vablatski

– “Mowen Dictionary” by Arafat Horst

Additionally, as two years had passed, Matthew’s previous Hogwarts robes (school uniform) and pointed hat were clearly too small.

He needed to buy a new set.

In summary, Matthew was in dire need of a day off.

After much persuasion, Mr. Flume (the store was doing exceptionally well during this period, and the Flumes alone couldn’t handle the workload) reluctantly agreed to grant Matthew a day off on the final day of July.

…

The last day of July arrived.

In the early morning, Matthew reached the fireplace at the Honeyduke.

He lit the fireplace and retrieved a small handful of Floo powder from a flowerpot on the side, tossing it into the flames.

As the emerald fire blazed, Matthew shouted, “Diagon Alley!”

In an instant, he vanished into the emerald-green flames.

Floo travel was an experience that left much to be desired.

It felt like riding a roller coaster, but even more uncomfortable.

After a few moments, Matthew successfully emerged in front of another fireplace.

This was a familiar place, the “Leaky Cauldron” in Diagon Alley.

Old Tom, the toothless innkeeper, observed with a slow shuffle, clearly accustomed to wizards suddenly emerging from the inn’s fireplace.

He didn’t display any surprise.

“Good morning, Mr. Abbot!” Matthew greeted him before proceeding to the backyard patio, making his way into Diagon Alley.

…

Diagon Alley, the United Kingdom’s largest wizarding shopping street, appeared emptier than usual.

Many shops in the vicinity were shuttered, and there were few pedestrians on the street.

However, it was possible that this was because it was early in the day.

Thankfully, several crucial stores were still open.

Matthew first headed to the bookstore to purchase the necessary books.

However, he didn’t go to Flourish and Blotts this time, as it had closed down a year ago.

Instead, he opted for another book store.

Then, he went to a nearby leather shop to acquire a set of Dragon-hide protective clothing.

Following that, he purchased a crystal ball from a magical item shop.

Finally, he stood outside Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions.

Madam Malkin, a short and stout witch dressed in purple, welcomed him.

“Are you here for a new robe, dear?” she asked as she stood at the shop’s entrance.

She didn’t wait for Matthew to respond and continued, “May I inquire which house you belong to?”

“Slytherin,” Matthew replied honestly.

“Then you can try this one,” Madam Malkin said as she retrieved a silver-green robe from a hanger. “We have plenty of these in stock. To be honest, we’ve had quite a few young folks in for fittings.”

“Thank you,” Matthew responded.

Behind the shop, several tall boys stood on footstools, and a few witches were adjusting their robes.

They were clearly several years older than Matthew, and the robes they held were yellow and black, indicating they were Hufflepuff students.

Madam Malkin instructed Matthew to stand on a nearby footstool and put a robe on him, making adjustments with pins for proper fit.

While Matthew was being fitted, he couldn’t help but overhear the senior Hufflepuff students chatting:

“Have you heard about Professor Snape?” a freckled student asked mysteriously. “Rumor has it he’s left Hogwarts!”

“What happened? I kind of liked him!” a shorter student expressed surprise.

“His true identity was exposed… Severus Snape was just an alias; his real name is Remus Lupin, a Werewolf registered with the Ministry of Magic,” the freckled student continued. “Although it’s gossip, many people seem to know about it!”

“Werewolves… We spent a year with a Werewolf? That’s terrifying!” a pale, thin youth remarked with concern.

“My dad said that Professor Grindelwald has always been a bit unpredictable in his choice of teachers…”

“And with the late Professor Slughorn gone, we’re likely to have two new professors next year.”

Upon hearing Professor Slughorn’s name, Matthew’s eyes welled up with emotion.

“Don’t stiffen up, kid; relax!” Madam Malkin reminded him.

Matthew nodded in agreement.

“No, actually, it’s three…” the freckled Hufflepuff student continued. “Rumor has it we might be getting a new Divination professor too.”