Chapter Three
Between the spent barrels of Butterbeer and empty Firewhisky bottles in the backyard of The Three Broomsticks, stood a group of witches and wizards, amongst them Hermione stood, checking her watch and staring at a rather tatty old cloak.
"Five... four... three." A wizened little witch said, "Everybody take hold of the portkey." Hermione grasped the cloak. "Two... one!" Hermione felt the familiar sensation of tugging behind her navel as the portkey summoned her towards her destination, waves of nausea washed over her, she always suffered from portkey sickness and wasn't certain that that would ever change, but at least this method of travel was faster than a broom and less dangerous than apparition, she had never quite trusted it since Ron's splinching accident, back in her school days.
Soon enough the sickening spinning and lurching was over and Hermione found herself in the Portal Vaults beneath Diagon Alley. The vaults were full of witches and wizards who had travelled from all over the magical world to spend their holidays in London. Diagon Alley had had a wonderful restoration after the Battle of Hogwarts and was now bigger and more popular than ever before.
As Hermione followed the thronging crowd up the wide stone staircase the sounds from the street began to filter down the stairs and echoed throughout the passage. She could hear revelry and jovial vacationers taking in the sights.
Hermione loved coming back to Diagon Alley, she felt nostalgic as she recalled all her girlhood memories there. She could smell the hot chestnuts from the new food cart Cormac McLaggen had opened on the Alley ('McLaggon's Wagon'o'Treats'), the smell was delicious and Hermione was tempted to stop for a snack but the weight of her case changed her mind for her and she pushed on through the beautifully decorated Alley towards The Leaky Cauldron.
Despite the refurbishment of the rest of Diagon Alley, The leaky Cauldron somehow remained as dingy as ever. Tom the Landlord, was older, balder and more toothless than ever but he welcomed her warmly with a gummy smile, and gave her the key to her room.