The Leaky Cauldron
Whereas the other stores on the street would be selling purely Muggle wares, the Leaky Cauldron would offer a selection of both typical British fare, as well as food and beverages of a more wizarding nature, such as Butterbeer.
Its shabby exterior belying its spacious interior, besides its common drinking hall, the pub would also have private parlours and rooms that could be reserved.
Greeting all new entrants into the pub, Tom the ancient barkeep, would direct seekers of a different world into a dark, walled courtyard. A friendly wizard or witch, smoking a pipe in the yard, would offer his/her assistance.
Whipping out his/her wand, the wizard/witch would tap a brick on the wall with it, causing a small pinhole of light to appear at the same spot. The hole would grow rapidly to become an archway revealing the twisted cobbled street of Diagon Alley beyond.
While tapping the wall, the friendly wizard/witch would covertly activate a mechanism that would pull apart triangular slices fitted seamlessly together so that they all touch at their thinnest point. Much like the slices of a pizza, pulling them apart just a little would create a small perfect circle, a tiny hole allowing light from the other side to shine through. After a brief pause, the slices would be yanked simultaneously into the hallow recesses of the wall and floor surrounding the archway.
Its shabby exterior belying its spacious interior, besides its common drinking hall, the pub would also have private parlours and rooms that could be reserved.
Greeting all new entrants into the pub, Tom the ancient barkeep, would direct seekers of a different world into a dark, walled courtyard. A friendly wizard or witch, smoking a pipe in the yard, would offer his/her assistance.
Whipping out his/her wand, the wizard/witch would tap a brick on the wall with it, causing a small pinhole of light to appear at the same spot. The hole would grow rapidly to become an archway revealing the twisted cobbled street of Diagon Alley beyond.
While tapping the wall, the friendly wizard/witch would covertly activate a mechanism that would pull apart triangular slices fitted seamlessly together so that they all touch at their thinnest point. Much like the slices of a pizza, pulling them apart just a little would create a small perfect circle, a tiny hole allowing light from the other side to shine through. After a brief pause, the slices would be yanked simultaneously into the hallow recesses of the wall and floor surrounding the archway.