Hermione Granger and the Discovery

Chapter 3

I waited anxiously by the door, not that anyone else would be able to tell by looking at me, that would be embarrassing. Today Professor McGonagall was coming to pick me up and get my school supplies. My parents were, unfortunately, unable to come with me as they both had work. That being said, they had left me with plenty of money, enough that I would be able to splurge on my supplies and buy some other items. Even then, I would likely still have a lot leftover.

Ding-dong

The doorbell rang. I took a calming breath before straightening myself out, counting to ten in my head (I couldn't let her think I was waiting for her on bated breath), and opening the door.

"Good afternoon, Professor, how are you?"

"Hello, Ms. Granger, I'm fine. How about yourself?"

After we exchanged pleasantries, she directed me to grab her arm. She then explained to me that we would be apparating, a form of teleportation used by witches and wizards and that it would be quite uncomfortable until I was able to do it on my own. I grabbed her arm before we disappeared with a sharp crack. Stumbling, I retained my balance on the other side. The apparition was not pleasant. It created pressure everywhere, making a person feel like they were being pushed and pulled in every direction at once.

We had appeared before a worn down pub with a sign calling it "The Leaky Cauldron" posted above the doorway. The smell of alcohol and fried food hit me like a brick wall as I walked into the dingy tavern. The building was worn and in need of repair as well as regular cleaning. The corners of the room, in particular, had enough dirt in them that there were visible piles. Despite the obvious neglect of the place, it still had a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Following the Professor, I was led out to a small outdoor area that was completely walled in.

Then, seemingly at random, Professor McGonagall tapped one of the bricks in on the wall. I quickly memorized which brick it was as there was no way of telling if it was useful or not yet, but it was better to be on the safe side. My doubts of its usefulness immediately disappeared as what was formerly a wall opened up into a gateway into the oddest and most colorful shopping district I have ever seen.

"Miss Granger," began McGonagall, "this is the entrance to Diagon Alley from the muggle world. If you ever need help getting in, Tom, the bartender, will help you."

"Alright, thank you."

Although I knew I wouldn't be needing his help, it was best to let the adults believe I would go along with it and that I had no way of accessing the wizarding world on my own.

McGonagall then explained to me that we would be going to the bank so that I would be able to set up an account and exchange the money my parents had given me for wizarding currency. As we walked, she explained the monetary system to me. Apparently, there were no bills, only coins. It seemed so medieval that witches and wizards were still using gold and silver coins! Furthermore, the number of Knuts to a Sickle and Sickles to Galleons was entirely random! It didn't even reflect the value of the metal!

As we approached the bank, apparently called Gringotts, I was impressed with its snow-white marble exterior. The building towered over all of the other shops in the area, an imposing presence that likely served to ward off thieves. As we entered the building, I was immediately struck that Goblins seemed to be manning the counters.

"Professor, why didn't you tell me there were Goblins? Or that they ran the bank? Are there other magical creatures as well? Are they all conscious and intelligent?"

Professor McGonagall laughed before replying, "I didn't know you were so interested! But yes, there are many other magical creatures, although, not all of them are considered intelligent life forms. Most that are intelligent are considered human-like creatures because they often share some features with us. However, humans are still more intelligent than all but their greatest geniuses, except for maybe the vampires as they were human at one point."