Let me show you a new way Chapter 223

1989, London, England.

Two years before the official start of the Harry Potter storyline.

The Leaky Cauldron.

This was the intersection of the wizarding world and the Muggle world. A Muggle-repelling charm, maintained for hundreds of years, prevented those without magic from discovering it.

Most people who came here shared a common trait: peculiar clothing.

They either wore strange robes and ridiculous pointed hats, or they combined normal clothing in an odd fashion.

At least, Lin Dong saw a man wearing provocative red lace suspenders, holding a wand, excitedly walking towards the Leaky Cauldron.

Lin Dong sighed and followed him.

It wasn’t Lin Dong’s first time entering a world with magic, but undoubtedly, the wizarding community in this world was the most peculiar.

Lin Dong first encountered and learned magic in the world of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. In that world, the number of sorcerers was scarce, especially in modern times. Apart from the protagonist and antagonist—a mere handful—it was almost impossible to find any true sorcerers.

The righteous sorcerer in that world, Balthazar, was an immortal who loved to speed and possessed considerable knowledge of physics.

Balthazar’s apprentice, also the inheritor of the supreme Merlin and the protagonist of that world, was a chuunibyou loser but also an academic prodigy at school.

In that world, to become a sorcerer, one’s intelligence couldn’t be low. So, although sorcerers hid their magic, they weren’t completely isolated from modern society. While using magic, they also enjoyed the conveniences of technology.

Lin Dong’s second encounter with the magical world was in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Here, Lin Dong encountered a second magical system, which significantly strengthened his research into magic. It was also during this time that Lin Dong’s power began to skyrocket.

Wizards in the Marvel world also concealed their identities, but they were numerous and particularly fond of building magical structures in bustling urban areas, in crowded places, much like the Leaky Cauldron and Platform 9¾ in Harry Potter.

But the difference was that while wizards in the Marvel world didn’t reveal magic to the public, choosing instead to hide themselves, they weren’t unfamiliar with the outside world. On the contrary, they kept up with social trends. When Kamar-Taj got Wi-Fi, many young apprentices screamed with excitement.

But only in this world, the world of Harry Potter, did wizards always exist on the fringes of the technological world, developing their culture casually and willfully.

They didn’t care about technological development; they didn’t even know how trains worked. Many insisted that trains were enchanted. (Though the train at Platform 9¾ was indeed enchanted.)

Yet, on the other hand, they had sufficient control over Muggle society. They had a magical portrait installed in the British Prime Minister’s office, constantly monitoring them. And when needed, Aurors would be dispatched to them, highly trained Aurors whom even the Prime Minister couldn’t detect the slightest flaw in.

On one hand, this world was extremely conservative. Troublesome quill pens had been used for thousands of years without being phased out; students had to re-dip their pens every few sentences. And communication relied on owls to deliver letters.

On the other hand, they weren’t lacking in innovation. All sorts of new spells emerged endlessly, and magical brooms became increasingly powerful. And if they wanted to converse, they could use Floo powder, treating fireplaces like landlines.

This was a world with peculiar settings, full of a fairy-tale atmosphere.

Lin Dong shook his head and pushed open the door.

A small bell on the door jingled as Lin Dong moved. His arrival drew the attention of many. The old wizards, dressed in their peculiar clothes, looked at Lin Dong entering with surprise.

Lin Dong wore a clean white shirt that perfectly fit his physique, simple gray trousers, and an unassuming ring on his right middle finger.

No wand, no wizard’s robes, and an adult—so he couldn’t be a Muggle-born student about to start school.

Had the pub’s magic failed?

These wizards stared at Lin Dong, who had walked in, thinking he was a Muggle who had stumbled in by mistake. They wondered if they should inform the Ministry of Magic.

“Hello, stranger. Can I help you?” The elderly pub owner, Tom, calmly asked, wiping a glass in his hand.

“I’m going to Diagon Alley,” Lin Dong shrugged, walking straight towards the back door of the pub without looking back.

As soon as they heard Lin Dong’s words, the wizards lowered their heads in disinterest, yawning and resuming their conversations. Since he knew about Diagon Alley, he was probably an Auror or something, and the absence of a wand could also be explained; those law enforcement officers particularly liked to hide their wands in places that were easily accessible yet undetectable.

“Alright, esteemed sir, do you need my help? After all, you don’t seem to have a wand?” The elderly pub owner, Tom, asked considerately, subtly probing for information about Lin Dong.

As the owner of the Leaky Cauldron, Tom was well-traveled and knowledgeable. Lin Dong was a complete stranger to him, someone he had never seen before, so he subtly probed him.

“No, thank you! I can manage myself!” Lin Dong unceremoniously declined his offer, walking towards the pub’s backyard without looking back.

Tom shrugged, said nothing more, and swayed back to the bar.

Lin Dong walked into the pub’s backyard, where a sturdy brick wall blocked his path.

“Three up from the dustbin, then two across…” Lin Dong murmured, recalling the information he had received earlier.

He found the brick, then extended a finger, concentrating magic at his fingertip, and gently tapped it.

The next moment, the wall began to rumble and shift. The bricks trembled, gradually revealing a wide, cobblestone path.

Inside, an alley filled with magical aura came into view: shouting magical merchants, brooms displayed on counters, strange magical artifacts, and magnificent robes.

This was a true magical world. Although Lin Dong had traveled further than anyone on the path of magic, it was his first time in such a magically imbued place.

This wasn’t like Kamar-Taj, where sorcerers would listen to music with headphones while reviewing spells, nor would they watch American TV series on laptops during their free time, quietly discussing plots in the library.

Diagon Alley was a magical world. Even though New York’s commercial street was not far away, it felt like a secluded haven, a magical atmosphere Lin Dong had never experienced in other worlds.

“I’m starting to like this place more and more!” Lin Dong murmured.