"[Third-year students require: …]"
"[The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 3, by Miranda Goshawk]"
"[Break with a Banshee, by Gilderoy Lockhart]"
"[Gadding with Ghouls, by Gilderoy Lockhart]"
"[Holidays with Hags, by Gilderoy Lockhart]"
"[Travels with Trolls, by Gilderoy Lockhart]"
"[Voyages with Vampires, by Gilderoy Lockhart]"
"[Wanderings with Werewolves, by Gilderoy Lockhart]"
"[Year with the Yeti, by Gilderoy Lockhart…]"
"Alright then—Gilderoy Lockhart, just as expected."
Staring at the freshly delivered book list in his hands, Avada rubbed his temples. "This year's Defense Against the Dark Arts class is basically a write-off… though to be fair, it wouldn't mean much to me anyway."
Having endured Professor Baker's hellish training, possessing predictive Magical Perception, and taken part in several real battles, Avada's actual combat ability already far surpassed that of his peers—even if his natural athletic talent was merely average. And the feat of sealing Voldemort alone practically qualified him for the title of Dark Arts Defense master. Once he graduated, an invitation from the International Dark Magic Defense Alliance was practically guaranteed.
"That said, if his books can sell nationwide—and even Professor Baker praises them—then there must be some real substance in there. Makes sense, really. He plagiarized other masters' work anyway. Buying them isn't a total loss… especially since he'll be exposed in the end."
He clicked his tongue at the price of the "Lockhart Collection," which was nearly fifty percent more expensive than the other books, then continued reading down the list.
"[In addition to the seven core subjects, third-year students must choose at least three electives from Care of Magical Creatures, Ancient Runes, Muggle Studies, Divination, and Arithmancy. After deciding, please purchase the relevant textbooks and submit your choices at the start of term…]"
"Let's stick to the original plan."
After a brief moment of thought, Avada quickly picked up a pen and checked off three options: Divination, Care of Magical Creatures, and Ancient Runes.
He had always planned to keep his electives to the bare minimum. He needed time for far more important things—Horcrux research, Professor Baker's books, and now Nicolas Flamel's newly acquired research notes. The effort he poured into these extracurricular pursuits had long since surpassed what he spent on formal coursework.
His choices were all made to support his research. Ancient Runes was a prerequisite for advanced alchemy; Care of Magical Creatures would give him a systematic understanding of magical creature anatomy, laying the groundwork for studying Thestrals…
As for Divination—it had taken him a long time to decide.
Avada knew perfectly well that he wasn't a natural Seer, so from a conventional standpoint, taking Divination would be a waste of time. But his Magical Perception disagreed.
Once inside a Divination classroom, he would come face to face with Professor Trelawney—a seemingly unreliable teacher who nevertheless possessed genuine prophetic ability. That alone gave him a chance to glimpse the true essence of Divination through her unique magical structure.
He wasn't about to miss that opportunity.
As for the two electives he'd rejected, they genuinely held little value for him. Muggle Studies was little more than a time sink, good only for mild amusement. And Arithmancy… in Avada's opinion, one might as well attend a Muggle university and study mathematical modeling instead.
"…That settles it."
He folded the book list and slipped it into his pocket, then picked up his suitcase containing his wand. "Time to head to Diagon Alley!"
"..."
"..."
"…Wait."
A rather serious problem suddenly dawned on him.
No one had ever told him how to get to Diagon Alley.
His first year, Dumbledore had taken him there directly by Apparition. The second year, he'd used the fireplace at Shafiq Manor. When he ordered materials by owl, it had all been done through correspondence.
Which meant—
He didn't even know where the Leaky Cauldron was.
Sure, he could Apparate straight into Diagon Alley. But if he got away with it unnoticed, fine. If anyone saw him, though, he'd be in serious trouble. Unauthorized Apparition and tampering with the Trace were more than enough to earn him a lengthy stay in Azkaban.
"…Alright."
Left with no choice, Avada hauled his suitcase to a remote area far from the city—so deserted it was practically wasteland—then raised his wand.
BANG!
A moment later, a violently purple, triple-decker bus appeared out of nowhere with a deafening explosion, screeching to a halt in front of him. Across the windshield, golden letters gleamed:
THE KNIGHT BUS
A conductor in a purple uniform hopped off the bus and flashed Avada a professional smile."Welcome to the Knight Bus—emergency transport for stranded witches and wizards! Just hold out your wand hand, hop aboard, and we'll take you anywhere you need to go. Name's Stan Shunpike, conductor at your service!"
Stan Shunpike looked young—barely out of school. He had a pair of prominent ears and a face dotted with acne. After delivering his spiel, he finally took a closer look at his passenger and raised an eyebrow.
"Student?"
"Yeah."
"You don't look particularly stranded," Stan said suspiciously. "Did you sneak out from a Muggle household or something?"
"No. I'm going to Diagon Alley to buy textbooks for the new term."
"Taking the Knight Bus to Diagon Alley?!" Stan repeated in shock, then frowned. "The Leaky Cauldron's less than five miles from here!"
"I'm aware. That's actually the problem—I don't know where the Leaky Cauldron is."
"..."
Stan fell silent for a long moment. Judging by his expression, he was seriously considering whether Avada was a foreign fugitive disguised as a student using Polyjuice Potion.
"Don't guess—I really don't know," Avada said patiently. "The first two times I went, someone Apparated me there or I used a fireplace. Since enrolling, no one's ever told me exactly where it is in London."
Stan's cheek twitched. "That professor who guided you into school really dropped the ball… Must've been a newly hired one, right? Don't tell me it was one of those Defense Against the Dark Arts professors—no, wait, they usually don't handle Muggle-born orientation…"
Avada: …
Sometimes powerful people were just like that. Once they got used to faster, more convenient methods, they subconsciously discarded the basics—and forgot that newcomers actually needed those basics.
Come to think of it… did Dumbledore even remember which bricks you had to tap to enter Diagon Alley?
Seeing Stan about to ramble on, Avada quickly cleared his throat to interrupt."So—how much is the fare to the Leaky Cauldron?"
"Two Sickles," Stan replied, snapping back to attention. "Three more gets you hot chocolate, another Sickle for a hot water bottle and a toothbrush… though you won't need those. We'll be there in seconds."
"..."
(End of Chapter)