The air inside the Leaky Cauldron hit Harry with the warmth of crowded humanity, a stark contrast to the sharp spring breeze he'd left behind on Charing Cross Road. It smelled of dust, beer, and something else… something Harry's System immediately cross-referenced against prior data.
🔔 [Environmental Analysis Initiated: New Location Profile.]
[Location Type: Internal Structure - Appears to function as Threshold/Node Connector.]
[Ambient Energy Signature: High concentration of [Unclassified Magical Energy]! Detected consistently within environment boundaries.]
[Anomaly Level: Extreme (Relative to previously surveyed environments).]
[Passive Skills [Situational Awareness Lv. 7], [Observe Lv. 6] actively processing ambient data.]
This was the magic. Thick in the air, settling on everything like dust. It felt vibrant, humming just beneath the surface of his senses. His [Situational Awareness Lv. 7] felt overwhelmed in the best possible way, a firehose of new, anomalous information washing over it. Every object felt... potentially magical. Every person radiated the energy.
He registered the scene quickly: a dark, dingy pub filled with an odd assortment of people talking quietly. A few wore strange robes. Others wore clothes that looked older, stranger than Muggle fashion. None of them looked like the Dursleys or anyone from primary school. His [CHA 20], honed by years of forced pleasantries and navigating varied social signals, noted a general air of casual peculiarity rather than overt threat, but his [Gamer's Mind Lv. 6] kept him alert.
He saw the pub owner behind the bar, a gummy, toothless figure polishing glasses. Harry approached cautiously, maintaining his non-threatening posture and ready to engage [Stealth Lv. 8] if needed. The scroll mentioned midday meeting. It was close to that now. He needed to find the 'representative'.
The barkeep looked up as Harry approached, his eyes widening slightly. He slid a glass aside. "Can I help you, lad?"
Harry spoke, his voice quiet but steady, years of controlled interaction under the Dursleys shaping his demeanour. "Hello. I... I'm here for the meeting. Today."
The barkeep, who the System quickly labeled [PERSON: Tom (Barkeep - Magical). Level: Undetermined. Alignment: Appears Neutral/Friendly.], leaned closer, his gummy smile widening. "Ah, yes, the yearly lot! Bit early for young 'uns usually, but right you are, son. You're expected." He gestured vaguely towards a corner table. "Mistress Vance is just over there, polishing her badge. Said to send anyone fitting the description."
Mistress Vance. Not a monstrous giant like he'd half-imagined delivering letters through walls. A woman. He focused his [Observe Lv. 6] (MP: 42 --> 41, cost noted instinctively) on the corner indicated.
🧍 [PERSON: Elara Vance (Representative - Hogwarts/Magical Authority). Level: Undetermined.]
Current Mood: Patient, Expectant.
Alignment: Friendly (Professional capacity).
Notes: Possesses high level of [Unclassified Magical Energy]. Carries standard [Magical Implement - Wand, Status: Holstered/Inactive]. Wearing standard [Magical Garb]. Currently observing entrance periodically. Appears to be waiting for specific individuals. Threat Level: Very Low (Neutral capacity).
The System processed her details – her alignment, the presence of a wand (classified!), her purpose. A professional from the magical world. Low Threat.
Harry nodded to Tom and made his way to the corner table, navigating the room using his [Situational Awareness Lv. 7] and [Stealth Lv. 8] to slip between tables unobtrusively. As he got closer, Mistress Vance, a pleasant-faced witch with kind eyes, looked up and smiled gently. She wore simple robes, a contrast to the outright strangeness of some others in the room.
"Are you... young Harry Potter?" she asked softly, her voice carrying easily over the pub's low chatter.
Harry reached the table and nodded. "Yes. That's me. I got the message about the meeting... today." He chose his words carefully. Not mentioning how he got it or the Dursleys' efforts.
"Ah, good," she said, her smile warming. "You're right on time. A little sooner than some, perhaps, but punctual all the same. Please, sit." She gestured to the chair opposite her. Harry sat. She produced a small pouch and slid it across the table. It made a faint, musical clinking sound. "Refreshments, on behalf of Hogwarts. Waiting can be dry work."
He thanked her, opening it to find a few strange coins – gold, silver, bronze. His mind immediately jumped to PQ Step 2, Investigate Currency! Muggle money had pounds, pence. This was different. He risked another calculated [Observe Lv. 6] on the coins. (MP: 41 --> 40).
💰 [CURRENCY: Galleon (Gold). Base Unit: Magical.]
Description: Gold coin. Engraved with symbols. Heavy. High energy signature. Value: Significant (Relative to standard Muggle currency). Current Status: Spendable.
💰 [CURRENCY: Sickle (Silver). Unit: Magical.]
Description: Silver coin. Value: Intermediate. (1 Galleon = 17 Sickles - Initial system data sync, pending user confirmation).
💰 [CURRENCY: Knut (Bronze). Unit: Magical.]
Description: Bronze coin. Value: Low. (1 Sickle = 29 Knuts - Initial data sync, pending user confirmation).
Magical Currency. System confirmation! Value: Significant! These were Gringotts money! 17 Sickles to a Galleon? 29 Knuts to a Sickle? It was confusingly different, non-decimal. This was direct, actionable information for PQ Step 2: Investigate Magical Currency. He quickly placed the coins back in the pouch.
"I'm Elara Vance, Mr. Potter," she said kindly. "From Hogwarts. My task today is to meet any prospective students who may have... fallen through the usual cracks in communication, perhaps those being raised outside of our immediate world. We understand that navigating initial requirements can be tricky. Is that the case with you?" Her eyes were gentle, discerning.
Harry met her gaze, relying on his high [INT 22] and [WIS 21] to form the correct response. He needed to confirm his status and need for assistance without revealing the System or his non-standard knowledge of Hogwarts or the letter's content timeline.
"Yes, Mistress Vance," he said, keeping his tone polite but direct. "I live with my aunt and uncle. They don't... they aren't part of your world. I need help understanding things... like where to get my school things."
Mistress Vance's smile softened, understanding dawning in her eyes. "Ah, yes. We gathered as much from the lack of response to the Headmaster's owl." She didn't question the delivery methods; perhaps it was common? Or perhaps she sensed the layers Harry wasn't presenting. She nodded slowly. "Very well, Mr. Potter. That is precisely why I'm here. Hogwarts provides guidance for Muggle-born students, or those in your unique situation, on their first visit to Diagon Alley. It's quite the experience. Do you have... access to any funds? Sometimes setting up allowances can be complex."
He presented his small bundle of Muggle cash. "I have a little. I managed to save some." It felt insignificant after observing the magical coins.
She took the bundle gently, observed it ([Observe]: Muggle Currency. Value: Minimal (relative). Acquired Method: Highly Unusual/Stealthy for context!). She chuckled lightly, a sound that didn't feel mocking. "A resourceful young man. That won't quite be enough for your first year supplies, dear boy, not to worry. Hogwarts arranges... loans and grants for those needing assistance, repayable later from your vaults if circumstances change. Your first stop will be Gringotts Wizarding Bank. It's where you'll need to exchange your Muggle currency and where your... funds for school will be accessed."
Gringotts. Another specific place name, directly tied to PQ Step 2: Acquire Supplies / Investigate Magical Currency. It sounded important. Bank. Money. Exchange Muggle to Magical. This was the concrete next objective.
"Right this way, Mr. Potter," Mistress Vance said, rising. "Diagon Alley awaits. And our first stop is Gringotts."
Harry got up, his MP pool full (42/42), Perk Points (9) unspent but powering his stats, his skills humming with readiness for the unknown. He followed Mistress Vance towards a discreet doorway at the back of the pub, stepping through with a feeling of momentous finality. The other side wasn't just a pub garden. It was a narrow, brick-walled courtyard with a dead end... until Mistress Vance tapped the wall with her wand, performing a quick, silent sequence.
The bricks rippled. The wall melted away, revealing a bustling, cobbled street that stretched further than seemed possible, filled with colorful shops, strange creatures, and witches and wizards milling about.
🔔 [Location Confirmed: [Resource Node: Magic/Commerce - DIAGON ALLEY]! Access Point Activation Detected! ]
[Primary Quest Step 2 Objective: Locate Resource Node - Status: ACHIEVED!]
[Initial System Environmental Scan Initiated: Cataloging structures, items, energy signatures, and entities.]
[System Preparing for Objective: Acquire Supplies via Resource Node Interaction!]
Diagon Alley. It was real. Vibrant, loud, overwhelming, and undeniably Magical, even more intensely so than the pub. Every structure, every object, every single person on the street set off a cascade of rich data within his System, overwhelming his Observer and Awareness in the best possible way, his mind filing it all away with terrifying speed (INT 22, WIS 21 working overtime).
"Welcome to Diagon Alley, Mr. Potter," Mistress Vance said, her voice calm despite the sensory overload. "Quite a sight, isn't it? And there," she pointed towards a magnificent white marble building soaring above the rest, "is Gringotts. Our first stop. Your funds await."
Harry stared at the bank, the sheer solidity and implied power of it registering deep within his bones and his System logs. Gringotts. Money. Supplies. This was where PQ Step 2 truly began. His small hand gripped the invisible strap of his trousers where his meager Muggle money lay. It was a pathetic amount for this world. He needed Gringotts.
The adventure, the real challenge of PQ Step 2 - Acquire Supplies, was just beginning, starting now, here, at the entrance of the Wizarding Bank.