[Chapter Size: 2200 Words.]
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Soon Amanda spotted a young man sitting in a shadowy corner, his back turned toward them.
The reason she was almost certain it was Professor Quirrell was the enormous purple turban wrapped around his head, making him look rather odd, and even comical, despite the Leaky Cauldron being full of eccentrically dressed people.
Amanda tried to spot something unusual in the turban.
Unfortunately, who else in this world but her would know that Voldemort was hidden at the back of Professor Quirrell's head?
Amanda sighed.
Sadly, she wasn't Harry. At least for now, she could see nothing beyond the intricate purple turban of Quirrell's headdress.
"Miss Merlin?"
Professor McGonagall had followed her gaze.
"This is Professor Quirrell, Hogwarts' Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Though he may appear a little strange, he is still a responsible professor."
With that brief introduction, McGonagall made no move to approach or greet Quirrell.
"I think we should be going."
"Oh, all right."
Amanda followed Professor McGonagall through the pub and into a small courtyard enclosed by high brick walls. Only a few weeds grew there, and a dustbin leaned against one side.
McGonagall looked at Amanda, and for once, a rare smile touched her face.
"Miss Merlin, though I could Apparate us straight to Diagon Alley, I think this way might be far more enjoyable for you, don't you agree?"
She drew her wand and tapped a few bricks above the dustbin.
"Three up… two across… yes, that's it."
The brick trembled, and the entire wall rippled like the surface of water disturbed by a stone. The bricks shifted, sliding apart and folding back slowly like a receding tide.
A wide archway emerged, and beyond it lay a winding, cobblestoned street.
Amanda's mouth fell slightly open in wonder.
Though she had imagined this scene countless times, seeing it with her own eyes was far more astonishing.
Professor McGonagall said, "Welcome to Diagon Alley."
And in her heart, Amanda whispered to herself:
Welcome to the wizarding world.
…
We have the full range of models, pewter, brass, copper, and silver cauldrons. They can stir themselves and even fold away when not in use.
Amanda looked up at the sign for the Potage's Cauldron Shop.
The sign swung above a stack of cauldrons piled outside. They gleamed in the morning sunlight, dazzling her eyes.
She couldn't help but take a second look.
"For Potions class… you'll need to buy one. But first, Miss Merlin, we must visit Gringotts to exchange your money."
"Okay."
Before the trip, Headmistress Oceana had prepared enough pounds to last Amanda the entire term.
All she needed now was to visit Gringotts, the goblin-run bank, and exchange them for wizarding currency.
As they walked, Amanda took in everything around her with wide-eyed curiosity, just like every young witch stepping into the magical world for the first time.
At the same time, she quietly memorized the items for sale and the location of each shop.
Quality Quidditch Supplies… and just behind it, Scribbulus Writing Implements… then Flourish and Blotts.
"Professor."
Amanda spoke up first.
"What is it, my dear Miss Merlin?"
"After we withdraw the money, may I buy the supplies on my own? I think I can manage it by myself. Besides… I'd like to linger here a little longer. Would that be all right, Professor?"
The girl before her was only about eleven years old, and Professor McGonagall hesitated.
Perhaps Amanda's eyes revealed the same look as McGonagall's own, a mixture of loneliness and determination.
That look unsettled the professor, reminding her of herself at eleven years old.
Professor McGonagall pointed toward an ice cream shop not far away, Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour.
"All right, I'll be waiting there. If you have any questions, or if you run short of supplies, come find me."
"Okay, thank you, Professor."
Amanda's decision to shop alone wasn't impulsive. She hadn't forgotten her purpose that day: to change the circumstances of Harry and Draco's first meeting.
The most urgent step was to find either Harry or Draco first.
After that, following them would be simple.
…
"The current exchange rate is one Galleon to five pounds. How much would you like to exchange?"
A goblin perched on a high stool behind the counter spoke to Amanda in a drawn-out tone, his half-lidded eyes fixed on her.
"The currency in the wizarding world consists of Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts. One gold Galleon equals seventeen silver Sickles, and one silver Sickle equals twenty-nine bronze Knuts."
"All right."
Amanda handed over the pounds she had prepared.
But as she raised her arm and placed it on the counter, the drowsy goblin was about to take the money when his eyes suddenly caught the bracelet on her left wrist.
He froze, his expression twisting with astonishment, and even forgot to take the money Amanda had offered.
He struck the goblin beside him sharply with his thin hand.
"Wake up! Look! Do you see this? Am I imagining things?"
The other goblin adjusted his gold-rimmed spectacles, peering closely.
"…What's all the fuss about! Ah… merciful gold… it's real…" He was so shocked he nearly gouged his own eyes with his fingernails.
Perhaps their reactions were a bit too exaggerated, because they soon drew the attention of other goblins.
The goblin weighing gold coins froze before he could set the counterweight on the scales; the one keeping the ledger smeared ink across his parchment; and the goblin examining a ruby didn't even notice when it slipped from his hand and clattered onto the floor.
"Oh, by the goblin's gold… quickly, notify the bank president!" The first goblin confirmed he wasn't mistaken after seeing the others' responses.
He immediately stretched out his long, dark fingers and dialed the numbers on an old-fashioned phone with expert precision.
Amanda and Professor McGonagall exchanged bewildered glances. Neither could make sense of why the goblins were reacting so strongly.
The only certainty was this: they all recognized the bracelet, and its former owner.
…
A goblin led Amanda and Professor McGonagall through the snow-white marble hall.
They passed one doorway after another until they stopped before a tall silver door.
"Ladies, please enter. Our president, Mr. Gulichi, is expecting you."
The goblin opened the door for them.
Inside was an office of striking luxury. A translucent marble desk was covered with exquisite collectibles: a small crystal hourglass, a golden scale etched with intricate patterns, and several bronze goblin statues with varying expressions.
Seated before them was a goblin who appeared extremely old. He sat on a high chair adorned with an enormous sapphire, his back slightly hunched, his sharp eyes regarding them with a malicious glint.
"Miss, the bracelet you are wearing belongs to me."
…
Professor McGonagall stepped forward, shielding Amanda from view.
"With all due respect, Mr. Gulichi, goblin law applies only to goblins."
"It is mine, without question."
The old goblin glared at her fiercely.
The core of the dispute lay in the stark difference between goblin and wizard concepts of ownership.
Wizards believed that possessions became inheritance after death, to be passed down by order of succession.
Goblins, however, held that anything they had forged remained theirs, and should return to them once its user died.
Countless clashes, and bloodshed, between goblins and wizards had sprung from this very conflict.
"Merlin is dead! Only God knows how long I've searched for this thing. We were in the deep forest one afternoon when that young man walked in and traded it with me…"
Gulichi began to mutter in a low, rambling tone, his words slipping into half-coherent fragments too ancient for Amanda to understand.
He cast McGonagall a venomous glance as he spoke.
"Mr. Gulichi, I assume you don't wish to set yourself against Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall reminded him coldly.
The goblin's glare darkened further, but the warning had clearly struck its mark.
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then leaned forward across the desk, his sharp gaze settling on Amanda.
"If you hand it over… well… let me think. I could craft you a new key to the Merlin family vault. How does that sound?"
"The Merlins haven't been here for centuries… I'd wager some foolish heir lost the key long ago."
"Miss Merlin, your family's vault holds many treasures of great value…"
"Something far better than that bracelet. Are you certain you don't wish to open it? Everything inside is yours."
His half-lidded eyes gleamed with unmistakable greed.
"So, Gringotts still held the Merlin vault, sealed for centuries. If Gulichi spoke truth, it must contain remarkable things."
The temptation tugged sharply at Amanda.
After all, she was only an orphan, and painfully poor. If Dean hadn't given her a few hundred pounds, she wouldn't even have been able to afford school supplies.
But…
"I'm sorry. This bracelet is the only relic my family left me. I cannot trade it for a vault key."
Amanda cut him off decisively, pressing hard on the words my family.
Gulichi's honeyed tone had nearly swayed her.
But the Merlin vault was hers by right. Even if she couldn't open it yet, she would not gamble away the single proof of her identity.
Besides, goblins were cunning by nature. If she surrendered the bracelet, she doubted she would ever see it again in this lifetime.
Her ancestors had entrusted the bracelet to her alone, an orphan girl. It must hold some deeper secret.
"Hmph! That vault can only be opened with a key forged by goblin hands!"
"There is only one such key in the world. Have you thought of that?"
"I stand by my words, Mr. Gulichi."
The goblin gave a harsh snort, baffled that the young girl before him remained unmoved by his offer.
"Mr. Gulichi," McGonagall said firmly, "as you can see, Amanda has made her decision. May we be excused?"
A goblin attendant escorted them back into the main hall.
Their return caused an immediate stir.
The goblins gasped and exchanged stunned looks when they saw the Sage's Ring still gleaming on Amanda's wrist.
Such an uproar. Clearly, the ring was far more than a goblin-made artifact.
It must carry hidden enchantments of immense power.
If the goblins would not reveal its secrets, Amanda would simply have to uncover them herself, slowly, in time.
There was also the matter of the Merlin family vault key. One day, Amanda would find it, or forge a new one.
She was determined to reclaim everything that belonged to her, without being tricked out of it.
After exchanging the necessary gold Galleons, she left Gringotts.
…
Watching Professor McGonagall's back as the older witch walked toward Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, Amanda turned her gaze to the shops lining Diagon Alley and began plotting her shopping route.
Of course, she hadn't forgotten her other mission for the day.
She looked up at the sky.
The August sunlight was already blazing, even before noon.
There was no doubt: Harry and the others had not yet arrived at Diagon Alley.
Amanda decided to start by buying her school supplies while keeping an eye out for Draco Malfoy.
After all, a platinum-blond head was hard to miss in a crowd.
Diagon Alley wasn't especially large. Amanda walked its length several times, but she never caught sight of the bright blond hair she was looking for.
At one point, she spotted another fair-haired boy lingering outside Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop, but quickly shook her head.
Draco Malfoy would never be so tall at eleven, and he certainly wouldn't be standing at a window, staring longingly at ridiculous prank toys.
She wondered when Harry and Draco would finally arrive in the Alley.
Shaking her head, Amanda decided her first stop should be Ollivanders.
A wand chooses the wizard, and it could take quite some time to find the right match.
Amanda paused at the doorway of Ollivanders, her stomach fluttering with equal parts excitement and nerves.
She was about to receive her very own wand.
"Good morning, Miss Merlin."
Before Amanda could settle onto the dusty wooden chair inside, a soft voice drifted from behind the counter.
If she hadn't been prepared, she might have jumped.
Drawing a steadying breath, Amanda replied, "Good afternoon, Mr. Ollivander."
A thin, elderly man emerged from behind the counter, his wide silver eyes fixed intently on her.
"Merlin… It has been a very long time since a member of the Merlin family has come to buy a wand here. You are a rare visitor indeed, Miss Merlin."
Mr. Ollivander stepped closer, studying her with unblinking fascination.
"That hair… those eyes, the colour of a frozen lake in winter. Without question, the very image of the Merlin line."
"So why has Miss Merlin come to seek a wand? …Ah, forgive me, I don't mean to pry into family secrets. It's only that the Merlins have always been… very particular with wands. Few can withstand the power they wield."
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