What was Wade Gray's background? Although he was a descendant of wizards, both his parents were Squibs, making them no different from Muggles in the eyes of true wizards.
Ferdinand thoroughly explained to Wade the recent wars caused by Grindelwald and the brutal massacres brought by the second Dark Lord.
In fact, the last news they received about the magical world was that both their parents had been killed in the war.
"Wade, you are incredibly bright, and you always make your mother and me proud. But you need to know that in the wizarding world, what people value most is lineage."
"Pure-blood, half-blood, Muggle-born—in many people's eyes, there's a natural hierarchy. About a decade ago, the most powerful dark wizard of that time—the mysterious person—was an extreme advocate of blood purity. He and his followers brutally murdered many Muggles and Muggle-born wizards, as well as pure-bloods who opposed him."
"Your mother and I were forced to completely cut ties with the wizarding world around that time... Even though peace has returned now, there are certainly still many wizards who believe in pure-blood supremacy. I have no doubt they will pass on this prejudice and malice to their children..."
"Wade, I'm very worried... Hogwarts might not be as wonderful as we imagine..."
Ferdinand spoke with deep concern.
Wade listened, then quietly smiled.
"Don't worry, Dad. There will definitely be classmates from similar backgrounds as mine at school. As long as I have enough friends by my side, others won't dare to easily pick on me, right?"
He paused, then added, "Besides... no matter where you are, absolute strength can shatter any prejudice. I will study hard and try my best to become the most outstanding one."
Ferdinand didn't feel much relief after hearing this. He worriedly thought, But son... you've never shown any magical ability. Perhaps your magic is only slightly stronger than a Squib's...
How can you talk about strength then?
But out of respect for his son's pride, Ferdinand didn't voice his thoughts.
Minerva McGonagall arrived faster than Wade expected.
The day after they sent the letter, while the Wade family was having breakfast, they suddenly heard a knock at the door. Wade put down his knife and fork, opened the door, and instantly recognized the person standing there.
It wasn't because she looked exactly like in the movie—Wade had long forgotten most of the movie plots he'd watched years ago, and the actors' appearances certainly hadn't left much of an impression.
Nor was it because the stern-faced lady in front of him was wearing a striking green robe, something no ordinary person would wear.
It was because there was a string of handwritten names above her head—
[Minerva McGonagall]
Wade fell silent, doubt creeping into his heart again—Was all of this real?
Or did he transmigrate not into the world of Harry Potter, but into a game world called Harry Potter? Was he just an NPC who had awakened his past life's memories and self-awareness...?
"Hello, Mr. Gray."
While Wade's thoughts were wandering, Minerva McGonagall tried to smile as gently as possible, but still looked very serious.
"I am Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts and Transfiguration professor."
Wade quickly reined in his scattered thoughts. "Welcome, Professor McGonagall. Please come in for some tea."
The Grays, hearing the voices, also hurried out. They looked at the witch, who seemed to exude mystery and an unapproachable aura, with awe. For a moment, they couldn't find their voices and stammered, "Yes, welcome—welcome—Professor, Madam, please come in and sit down!"
Ferdinand squeezed out an enthusiastic smile while quickly glancing at his son, seemingly worried that the witch might cast a dark spell on him.
Wade, however, was much more composed, as he knew this lady was an extremely upright and kind person.
He controlled his gaze, refraining from looking at her head, and stepped aside to let her in.
McGonagall's visit had two purposes: first, to prove the authenticity of the magic school and persuade the couple to allow their child to attend; second, to take Wade to purchase his school supplies.
Having encountered many Muggle families who disbelieved in magic, suspected her of trying to abduct children for secret experiments, or preferred their children to attend Muggle schools, she had already prepared several sets of persuasive arguments.
However, this family didn't question magic much; instead, they were more concerned about the learning environment, which made her first task surprisingly easy.
Soon after, the group arrived at Charing Cross Road in London. Professor McGonagall led them into the dirty, tiny Leaky Cauldron pub.
Perhaps it was too early, but there weren't many customers in the pub. A hunchbacked man cleaning tables greeted them, "Good morning, Professor McGonagall."
He glanced at the Muggle-dressed family of three, focusing on Wade, who was much shorter than the others, and casually asked, "Is this child a new student for Hogwarts this year?"
"Good morning, Tom," Professor McGonagall said. "I've brought Mr. Gray to buy his school supplies."
The group passed through the pub to the small courtyard at the back. Professor McGonagall stood by the rubbish bin, took out her wand, and instructed, "Mr. Gray, please remember this place. To enter Diagon Alley, you need to pass through here. Three up, two across..."
The wand tapped a brick on the wall three times.
All the bricks in the wall began to move as if an invisible hand was rearranging them. In the blink of an eye, a wide archway appeared in the wall, and the clamor of voices rushed out.
"Wow—"
The Gray family gasped involuntarily.
Before them was a winding street, with shops on either side displaying all sorts of strange and wonderful things.
Wizards in robes bustled to and fro, haggling, children whining to their parents, chasing and playing—creating an especially noisy and lively atmosphere.
McGonagall led the three through many shops to Gringotts. Ferdinand had already prepared the money he needed to exchange. He pulled out a large bag of clinking British pounds and exchanged them for fifty gold Galleons.
Before leaving the house, Professor McGonagall had reminded them that Muggle paper money had a limited exchange rate at Gringotts, but metal coins, gold, or jewels had no such restrictions.
Subsequently, under Professor McGonagall's guidance, they bought school uniforms, textbooks, scales, cauldrons, wands, and other items. Finally, they also bought an owl as a pet.
With Professor McGonagall of Hogwarts accompanying them, even when the shopkeepers saw them dressed in Muggle clothes, they were still very polite.
It's worth mentioning that Wade's wand was made of aspen wood with a unicorn hair core, twelve inches (about 30 cm) long. Aspen wood symbolised rebirth, which Wade found particularly peculiar.
It was as if the wand had seen through his secret.