ã€ŠA Bite of Hogwartsã€‹


 Chapter 001 - Disappearance of Owls

    Chapter 001 - Disappearance of Owls

    Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, eighth floor of the castle''s main tower, Headmaster''s office.

    It was a large and beautiful square room; bizarre and curious silverware was placed on a table with spindle-shaped legs.

    It was a midsummer, but the fire in the fireplace still danced dazzlingly in the room.

    Standing in the middle of the room was an elder with an elegant, long silver beard - the Headmaster of Hogwarts, as well as the greatest wizard publicly acknowledged by the entire Wizarding World.

    There was an enormous, claw-footed desk in front of him, the wall behind the desk stood a shelf with an old and shabby wizard hat.

    "Dumbledore, what do you think of the lyrics for this year?"

    The hat turned and twisted; a wide gap opened at the brim, and voices came out like a talking mouth.

    "Wonderful singing, I''m certain that the students will love it."

    Dumbledore clapped, full of interest, and his silver beard swayed with the beat.

    "Oh right, other than this, there is something else important. About Harry Potter''s sorting¡­"

    Dumbledore paused and lifted his forefinger in preparation to speak, but suddenly stopped and looked behind him.

    The fire in the fireplace behind him rose sharply and suddenly. With a clear and crisp sound, a woman''s somewhat blameful tone of voice sounded from it.

    "Professor Dumbledore, I hope that the important matter you mentioned in the letter sent by the owl isn''t discussing the lyrics with the Sorting Hat. You should know that the workload isn''t light to send almost a thousand notification letters to students for the new school year."

    A tall, black-haired witch in an emerald-green long robe bent down slightly as she walked out of the fireplace.

    Her jet-black hair was winded into a tight bun; her lips were pursed tightly with slight impatience on her face as if she was handling a thorny problem.

    Minerva McGonagall, the professor of Hogwarts'' Transfiguration Class, the Head of Gryffindor, as well as the school''s Deputy Headmistress.

    "Of course not. I just thought that you might need a little help with this year''s new students'' entry notices. For example, how about some raspberry jam first?"

    Dumbledore turned around and smiled gently. He passed a small jar that''s barely two inches tall, filled with delicious red jam to Professor McGonagall.

    "No, thanks."

    Professor McGonagall replied coldly as she obviously didn''t think that a small jar of raspberry jam could solve her problem.

    "From the magic feedback, it is doubtless that twenty letters sent to Harry Potter through owls have all been blocked by the Dursley family. But if Harry didn''t open the letters himself, the magical quill will automatically rewrite the letter and send it again. That family will compromise to reality sooner or later."

    Dumbledore blinked his blue eyes, nimbly, "If so, leave it to me. I will notify Harry. When necessary, Hagrid will act as my temporary postman."

    "Hagrid? Very well, it looks like you have made your decision, and you always have your reasons."

    McGonagall frowned and snorted lightly without denying and continued, "If that''s all, you could''ve told me through the letter. Is there anything we must discuss face to face?"

    "Yes."

    Dumbledore''s blue eyes flashed under his half-moon-shaped glasses. He picked up a wrinkled piece of paper from the desk with serious expressions, passed it to Mcgonagall and spoke slowly, "In fact, other than Harry, another child didn''t receive the letter this year. To speak more accurately, according to Filch''s record of the owlery, all the owls flew to her residence have lost their traces."

    "Disappeared owls? Do you mean..."

    McGonagall pursed her lips in confusion.

    "I don''t know. But according to the outbursts of magic recorded by the Ministry of Magic, the level o magic inside her has reached the boundary limit. If she continues to live without guidance, she may become an Obscurial."

    Dumbledore shook his head seriously and looked at Professor McGonagall apologetically.

    "I''m very sorry, I should be going myself, but you know what''s going on, Harry''s side. So, I may need you to pay a visit in person."

    "We both understand that a person''s influence is still visible."

    Professor McGonagall pursed her lips and shrugged helplessly incomprehension, "And as the Deputy Headmistress of the school, this is part of my job. What is that child''s name?"

    "Alina. Alina Kaslana is the name she chose for herself, and she''s living in a Muggle''s orphanage on the highlands of Scotland."

    Dumbledore fixed his crooked glasses and added, "Oh right, be careful with the way you communicate with her. If I didn''t remember it incorrectly, she is half Veela, and it may be troublesome."

    Scotland, the biggest inland lake in England, an inconspicuous little town sat by the bank of Lake Loch Lomond.

    There was a simple and humble little church, just behind the church, a small orphanage stand. The priest of the church and the dean of the orphanage is a Spanish man called Benitez.

    The orphanage wasn''t big; the majority of the children were transferred from other orphanages. There were only seven people here, including Benitez.

    Without a doubt, Alina Kaslana was an exceptionally special existence with a pair of lake blue, star-like eyes, and ahead of long silver hair that reached her waist.

    Not only because she was the only child with a family name, but more importantly, the financial allocation and cooking of all three meals were arranged and responsible by Alina.

    Right now, a group of children crowded by the door to the kitchen as they stared at Alina, who was preparing for breakfast for everyone.

    Just like the majority of children in orphanages, the ten-year-old Alina looked thinner and smaller than others of the same age. She was only 120cm tall, and she could only reach the kitchen bench if she stood on a little wooden stool.

    However, no one would expect her to be a little girl that''s barely eleven years old by looking at her skilled and familiar usage of the cooking utensils.

    In a sizzling pan, the delicious smell of pan-fried egg floated in the air, mixing with the smell of previously toasted bread. All the children by the door swallowed hard uncontrollably.

    The orphanage''s fees had always been tight, and they could only smell this at every Sunday''s breakfast.

    Next to the frying pan, a large, black iron pot was stewing some sort of bird. The boiling soup was creamy white, and some golden bubbles of oil floated on top of it. A pure and sweet smell floated in the air, and the smell alone made their bodies feel warm.

    Alina placed the last egg on the iron plate and picked up the spoon to try the boiling soup. She smacked her lips lightly and thought that it needed to be boiled for a while longer.

    Alina bent down and frowned at the not so bright fire beneath the stove. She picked up a stack of thick letters of parchment papers and shoved it in the stove, pounded it with fire tongs, and made the blames roar again.

    After doing everything, the girl jumped down from the little wooden stool lightly and turned around to look at the children who craved for food. Her face became stern as she clapped her hands.

    "Alright, everybody goes back to the table now! Otherwise, no one will have chicken soup today."

    The girl put her hands on her waist and tried to stick out her flat chest to look more imposing as she threatened in a fearful tone.

    "Sister Alina, won''t the priest eat breakfast with us again?"

    The children who asked was the youngest in the orphanage, called Bran. Perhaps because he was the youngest, he was exceptionally clingy, and he was Alina''s biggest follower.

    Aline shook her head and pushed Bran outside the kitchen while replying in an unkind voice.

    "I''ve said it many times. Dean Benetiz hasn''t recovered from his cold yet, and he could easily pass it on to you lot. However, I think that he will be completely recovered after drinking one or two days of chicken soup."

    "Then¡­"

    Bran stood on his tippy toes, and his glance shifted from the table to the boiling pot as he swallowed.

    "After the dean is recovered, can we still drink Scotland round face fat chicken soup every day?"

    "Well¡­"

    Alina turned around and looked at the roaring fire underneath the iron pot. In the dancing flames, letters of thick parchment paper slowly curled up and burnt, a delicate shield-shaped seal on the letters flashed and disappeared.

    Even if she had reincarnated in this strange world for almost six years and as a fan who''s addicted to the book series, Harry Potter, she still recognized the seal at first sight - a golden lion on a red background, copper eager on a blue background, black badger on a yellow background, silver snake on a green background with a big "H" in the capital at the center of the seal - the school badge of the famous Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

    But even if she was a fan of the Harry Potter book series, it didn''t mean that Alina wanted to step into the magical world and go through the plot missions with the Golden Trio.

    She went through reincarnation, and she didn''t want to waste her valuable time on the war between a bunch of middle school students (everyone in Hogwarts) and, at most, the power of a countryside terrorist (Voldemort). The internet era that''s about to start in the Muggle world would be much more interesting than that of the magic world.

    Just as she guessed, some sort of special magic was attached to the Hogwarts letter. It will not only change according to her real address, but the school also uses this magic to check whether the young witches and wizards have opened and read the letter.

    That was also why she caught the owl as soon as she saw it for stews and burnt the letters immediately.

    She believed that if she did this if someone from the school came to investigate, they would be furious and cancel her entry qualification, wouldn''t they?

    Alina squatted down and lightly ruffled Bran''s brown hair. She took off a brownish-black owl feather that accidentally landed on his hair and threw it into the stove behind her. The tongue of the fire licked the feather, and the fire crackled lightly.

    "Don''t worry; we will have this kind of Scotland round face fat chicken every day before I open that envelope."

    "Well¡­ What does the Scotland round face fat chicken look like?"

    Bran asked curiously.

    Alina shook her head without replying and stood up. She ended the discussion on Scotland round face fat chicken and patted Bran''s head with a smile.

    "Alright, you''ll know when you grow up. Now go and sit down in the dining room, you''ll have to be a good boy and do homework with the others after breakfast."

 Chapter 002 - The Future in Her Plan

    Chapter 002 - The Future in Her Plan

    After breakfast, the other children started their morning class just like always, while Alina picked up breakfast and went to take care of Banetiz, who was recovering from cold in bed.

    The orphanage wasn''t big, and Benitez''s room was only a few minutes away from the dining room.

    It was a room made of wood, which was unique in the English region. Although it''s firm, damp proofing was rather horrible.

    Alina pushed the door open and immediately felt the dampness in the room that was built close to a lake. The girl frowned as she put down the tray and opened the window.

    The cool morning breeze swept the dampness away and refreshed them.

    "Good thing that you are here, otherwise the orphanage would be a mess already. Sorry to bother you with all these."

    A deep voice sounded from behind Alina. She turned around and saw Banetiz supporting himself up from the bed as he half leaned against the wall. Although he was still looked somewhat pale from cold and headache, he seemed much more energetic than a few days ago.

    "If you sneak to the underground fist fights for money again without telling me, I swear I will just leave you be next time."

    The girl with silver hair humphed as she approached Benitez''s bed in an imposing manner, her lake blue eyes were filled with blame.

    If there was an award for the goody-two-shoes, Benitez would definitely top the ranking.

    Benitez was born into a big, poor family, and his parents didn''t have money to send him to school. He did drugs, and he had always been a rebel. When he sought help from the priest, he was chased out of the church. Luckily, a Spanish brother took him in, educated him, and made him become a priest.

    Benitez recalls his childhood full of helplessness; he decided to build an orphanage next to his small church. Relying on government funds, charity from society, and his own salary as a priest, he could take care of the children in the orphanage.

    Alina was one of the orphans he took in from the streets of London. When Alina just reincarnated in this world six years ago, she wasn''t even fluent in English yet. If she wasn''t lucky to have met Benitez, it was difficult for her to survive in this world.

    But as the children grew up, the orphanage''s spendings became tighter.

    Benitez was unwilling to give up on the orphans and worked part-time jobs in the nearby towns for money, and a few days ago, he even snuck to the underground fistfights in the city.

    If his headache wasn''t so bad from the cold and forced him to confess to Alina that he needed help, Alina might still be completely in the dark, and she would be enjoying her luxurious meals at ease.

    Alina picked up the bowl and passed it to Benitez angrily as she fired away at him.

    "We should still have a lot of money from the bets at the World Cup last year. Why did you go to underground fistfights? We had a promise that I will think of ways to sustain the orphanage financially. Drink the soup first-"

    Although she wasn''t a devoted fan in her previous life, because of the song "Don''t Cry For Me Argentina," she faintly called that Maradona led the sad Argentine, and she earned almost six thousand pounds by betting the outsider.

    Even if they renovated the orphanage''s dorms and raised the standards of their three meals so logically speaking, they shouldn''t be so poor that Benitez had to go to the underground fistfights.

    Benitez blew into the bowl in his hands, took a small sip, and replied calmly.

    "I helped you saved those six thousand pounds; the cost for the renovation and the meals are taken out from the orphanage''s savings."

    "Why?! Who told you to save that money!"

    The silver-haired girl waved her arms in the air angrily like an angry cat after she heard the reply and glared at the man in front of her.

    If she didn''t put his health into consideration, Alina felt the impulse to beat him up.

    Benitez shrugged as he swallowed the scrambled egg down slowly. He looked at Alina''s threatening gestures but pointed at the empty bowl and asked curiously.

    "Then tell me what this is first. You should know that the Wild Animal Conservation Association came because you were bombing the fishes in the lake. And, I don''t know since when a new species called the Scotland round face fat chicken appeared near here."

    When he asked this before, Alina always found an excuse and tried to fool him, so Benitez was always curious about where these free chicken soups came from.

    Alina shrugged with her hands spread on the side and confessed naturally, "Well, it''s actually owl stew."

    "O... Owl?! Are you satan?!"

    Strange noises escaped from Benitez''s throat. His mouth was so wide that he could shove an egg in it as he looked at Alina with a shocked face.

    He thought that it was some kind of other animal as all sorts of birds resided by Lake Loch Lomond throughout the year.

    "In other words, these few days¡­ Oh, Jesus Christ! You are satan!"

    Benitez was almost recovered, but his head began to hurt again. He lifted his left hand and rubbed his forehead, "Luckily we are not in the Medieval times, you will be treated as a witch and be sentenced to death. Only witches in the stories would eat owls."

    "No. According to what I know, people in the East ate it before too, but owls have understood protection there now. Enough with this, doesn''t it taste good? And I promise that they aren''t some wild animals in the protection area by the lake."

    Alina blinked and smiled in an attempt to please him. She lifted her right hand to make the promise and continued to explain with honest expressions.

    "Owls have great medicinal values. It nourishes the liver and replenishes the essential body fluids. The meat is more tender than normal chickens, and it can be added to medicines entirely after removing its organs. The key point is that owl meat can help with pain relief. Well, I saw that you''ve been having headaches recently, and after pondering about it, I thought that owl stew would be the best to help replenish your body. However, it is a shame that the Gastrodia Elata is only found in the Asian regions. Otherwise, the taste would be wonderful if I add it to the owl stew. Tsk tsk tsk..."

    Bang.

    At this moment, a strange noise sounded by the window. It sounds like someone accidentally hit the half-opened window.

    Alina stopped the conversation in alarm and looked outside the window. She saw a brown and black striped tabby cat fell down from the roof and landed on the half-opened window sill.

    She didn''t expect it to be a clumsy wild cat as it tripped over itself when walking. Life must be hard, isn''t it?

    Alina blinked and picked out a piece of meat from Benitez''s bowl and squatted down, placing the meat in front of the wild cat and smiled.

    "Eat up, kitty, eat."

    However, it was outside her expectation that the tabby seemed to be extremely offended when the meat dropped. It immediately growled lowly and seemed furious.

    Looking at it closely, there was a strange line of fur around its eyes like two squares. At first glance, it looked like a pair of glasses.

    Aline frowned and looked into the cat''s eye. She didn''t know if it was her illusion, but she seemed to read anger and blame in the cat''s glittering eyes like s human.

    A faint idea appeared in the silver-haired loli as she always thought that she forgot about something.

    Oh well, it shouldn''t be anything important. It didn''t take her food and got angry, kitties like this aren''t cute at all.

    Aline shook her head helplessly, and the look in her eyes suddenly stopped. She stretched her hand out like a strike of lightning and precisely picked up the black cat up by its back neck and threw it outside the window mercilessly.

    "Meow? Meow!"

    It was troublesome to get a rabies vaccine in this era, so it was best not to get scratched by a wild cat.

    After the small incident, Alina clapped her hands and looked back at Benitez unkindly.

    "All in all, I confessed my part, and it''s your turn. Why are you working so hard and even going to the underground fistfights to make money?"

    Benitez straightened his back and looked at the girl he brought back from the streets of London six years ago in silence before speaking.

    "You wanted to leave here and study in America, don''t you?"

    "Huh?!"

    "You¡­ I worried about you when you were small; you were always talking in your sleep."

    Benitez looked at her gently and continued, "Although I don''t quite understand you, I can recognize some repetitive words."

    Dream talk?! Luckily she always talks in her dream in English. Alina felt lingering fear but immediately looked at Benitez in confusion, "Words?"

    "Mhm, such as Harvard University, Silicon Valley, Microsoft, Wall Street¡­" Benitez frowned as he tried to recall what she said, "The rest is just strange words. Such as Apple, Blizzard, Amazon, Facebook, Tencent, Alibaba¡­"

    Those are not just strange words. The light in Alina''s eyes flashed.

    In another ten years, they are the things that make the entire Internet. As a reincarnatior, she almost pondered everyday of how to ride the train to the peak of the era.

    Benitez paused for a while and ruffled Alina''s silver hair, "It''s not cheap to study overseas, you shouldn''t be stuck with me here in Scotland. If you don''t mind, I can think of a way to apply for adoption."

    "Dad¡­"

    The silver-haired loli felt overwhelmed and grabbed the big hand on her head with complicated eyes as she was about to talk.

    Knock knock knock.

    Someone suddenly knocked on the door and along with Bran''s intimated voice.

    "Father Benitez, although I''ve repeated many times that you are unwell, this madam called Minerva McGonagall insisted on visiting you, saying something about Sister Alina''s entry for school¡­"

    ¡Ñ?¡Ñ! Wait¡­ Who was it?!

    Alina''s eyes suddenly widened.

    About Alina''s entry to school? Benitez replied loudly without hesitation before Alina could oppose it.

    "It''s fine; I''m almost recovered. Alina''s here too; please invite Madam Mcgonagall in."

    Benitez didn''t notice that in this instant, Alina suddenly shivered and almost subconsciously climbed up the window sill and escape instead of confidently talking about her future plans.

    Minerva McGonagall?!

    That cold-faced professor from Hogwarts?!

    Alina abruptly realized what the faint idea that flashed through her mind for a second was.

    ¡ª¡ªProfessor McGonagall was an Animagus who could turn into a cat.

    In so, the tabby cat who heard the recipe for "Scotland round face fat chicken" and the cat that she threw out¡­

    Oh dear, she was a goner!

    She didn''t want to experience getting turned into an animal due to school rule violations and not mentioning anything else first, but also as a woman, Alina knew that Professor McGonagall wouldn''t be so generous to forget what she had done before.

    Now that even if they hold a knife against her neck, getting starved to death on the streets, or getting run over by a car, Alina swore that she would never take one step into Hogwarts.

 Chapter 003 - Invitation From The Wizarding World

    Chapter 003 - Invitation From The Wizarding World

    "Fine, Father said you might go in."

    Bran stood outside the door with his arms out. He glanced at Professor McGonagall full of doubts and unwillingly made way for her.

    "Thank you."

    McGonagall looked at the little boy who guarded outside the door like a soldier. She shook her head whilst smiling and walked in after thanking him.

    "Hello, I''m Professor Mcgonagall, it''s a pleasure to meet you."

    She nodded friendly towards the two in the room and briefly studied the room.

    Just as she saw when she turned into a cat, the room wasn''t too big. A silver-haired little girl stood next to the bed, the owner of the orphanage, Benitez, was half laying on the bed with unfinished breakfast placed on the bedside table.

    ¡ª¡ª She tried her best to control herself from thinking about the "Scotland round face fat chicken soup."

    Before she came to the orphanage, Professor McGonagall visited some people in the town for information about Alina.

    Different to most orphans, Alina and Benitez''s relationship was more like father and daughter, the two of them worked to keep the orphanage running.

    Hence after considering, Mcgonagall thought that Benitez as Alina''s "guardian," should be aware of Alina''s invitation to study at Hogwarts. It was why she didn''t intentionally avoid him and talk to Alina alone.

    Benitez studied the unexpected guest curiously.

    She looked a little older than him. Black hair rolled up in a tall bun, and the amber-colored square glasses frame was identical to the impressions Benitez had towards those professors, and she wore a coat printed with traditional Scottish plaids.

    In short, she didn''t look like an untrustworthy scammer or an unoccupied person who came to prank them.

    "Professor McGonagall? Please have a seat." Benitez seemed to ponder, "May I ask which school you come from? From what I know, Alina hasn''t applied for any schools in the Scottish region yet."

    Professor McGonagall looked at the still steaming stew on the table and hesitated for a second before pulling the chair beside the bed. She sat down with her back against the wooden table and cleared her throat, looking at Alina with a smile on her face.

    "Our school is called Hogwarts; it is a school for those who possess special abilities. This time, I came here to¡­"

    "No need to continue, I decline."

    Alina shook her head and stopped Professor Mcgonagall mercilessly before she could finish her sentence.

    "I already have my own goal and plan for my future. Not to mention that I don''t think I will be able to learn anything from this infamous school. So, please go back."

    If this world was really the Wizarding World under the pen of J.K Rowling, then Professor McGonagall hated students cutting her off during classes. If she heard this, it''s possible that she will rage and leave immediately.

    "Alina!"

    Benitez frowned slightly on the side. In his impressions, Alina rarely seemed so aggressive, and it was his first time in all these years to see her cutting someone off.

    "I apologize, my child isn''t usually like this," Benitez ruffled the silver-haired little girl''s head and explained to Professor McGonagall apologetically. After a short pause, the man continued with confusion, "But I beg your pardon, it is also my first time hearing the Hogwarts you just mentioned."

    Professor McGonagall smiled in an unconcerned manner and replied rather lightly, "In the Muggle world, hmm, Muggle is a term we use for ordinary people, it is perfectly normal that you have never heard of it before. Hogwarts is a school for magic, a school that guides and teaches young witches and wizards how to control their magic."

    The room fell silent.

    Benitez obviously looked blank by the answer, he swiftly glanced at Professor''s eyes, trying to find any signs of a lie or joke.

    "Ma¡­ Magic?" Benitez repeated softly as he looked at the madam in front of him suspiciously. He began to lean towards Alina''s original thought; it was obvious that Professor McGonagall was a little strange.

    Benitez sat up straight, and he was ready to end this boring prank. After pondering for a while, he replied politely, "Magic, do you mean some sort of acrobatics and acting? I''m sorry, but I prefer Alina to study at a public middle school."

    "No, what I meant was¡­" Professor McGonagall shook her head as her smile became brighter. She took out her wand from her pocket and waved it at the chair. The old, broken wooden chair turned into a gorgeous high back chair made from goose down with a ''pop.''

    "... Like this, real magic."

    After doing all these, Professor McGonagall took out a letter made from thick parchment paper from her coat and placed it next to Benitez''s bed. She patted it lightly and glanced across both of them as she slowed down, "This is the entry notification as we know that you are not an ordinary person. Alina, you were born to be a witch. Joining Hogwarts will teach you how to control and use your talent."

    Benitez kept a polite smile throughout the conversation, but he could no longer stay calm. His pupils shook as he looked at the suddenly different chair in astonishment. His glance shifted between Alina and Professor McGonagall as he attempted to open his mouth to ask something, but no sound came out.

    The entire room fell into a strange silence. The air was like a piece of frozen ice crystal as if a slightly heavier breath would break it.

    Perhaps only a few seconds passed, but it also felt like quite a few minutes had passed. Just like before, Alina, who kept silent, broke the quietness in the room again¡ª¡ª But in a different way to anything Professor McGonagall had imagined.

    The girl replied simply and looked down and swiftly glanced at the envelope she had seen over ten times, but she didn''t have the slightest desire to lift her hand and pick it up.

    "A born witch? The teacher from the Scotland public primary school mentioned more than once that I''m a born mathematician; however, it does not mean that I will study mathematics in the future." The girl replied without expression as she was obviously untouched by what Professor McGonagall had said.

    Alina paused and lifted her head up, taking the initiative to look into Professor McGonagall''s eyes for the first time and questioned her back calmly.

    "I''m sorry, madam. From what I know, the graduation certificate and learning experience from a magic school have no difference to a useless piece of paper in the Muggle world¡ª¡ª Under the circumstance that you will actually give out graduation certificates."

    About the invitation to study at Hogwarts, Alina already thought through it thoroughly after receiving the first owl letter. As a reincarnator, she was well aware that the future from now on belongs to the Muggles.

    Compared to wasting an entire seven years studying things such as charms, potions, transfiguration, and other skills, she''d rather use these precious times to study computer, coding, or enterprise strategies. At least these will make sure that she could live comfortably for decades.

    "Like a magic school that''s been passed on for thousands of years, every Hogwarts graduate who has met the standard requirements will be able to find a rather good job in the Wizarding World; there''s no need to worry about that. It looks like you don''t understand that the world for witches and wizards is a whole different world to that of Muggles. In the Wizarding World, there is a Ministry of Magic, hospital, and schools of such."

    Professor McGonagall shrugged. The majority of children from Muggle families have worries like so, but both the parents and the children will accept the truth after explaining the existence of two worlds.

    "The one who really doesn''t understand is you guys. I know far more about the Wizarding World than you can imagine." Aline sighed. She didn''t plan to continue this conversation, which sounded like they were trying to solve puzzles, her tone of voice sank, and in an instant, she seemed far more mature and serious.

    "Professor McGonagall, sorry for being presumptuous, but what is your monthly salary at Hogwarts?"

    Professor McGonagall stared blankly for a second after hearing the sudden question, but she thought for a while and replied modestly.

    "Eighty Galleons each month, but it''s because I am also the vice Headmistress of Hogwarts at the same time, my monthly salary is naturally higher than the other teachers. Oh, the currency in the Wizarding World is different from the Muggles, so there''s not much meaning in asking this."

    Although she sounded exceptionally modest, Benitez and Alina could obviously feel the pride that hid behind it. It was clear that Professor McGonagall was rather satisfied with her pay.

    "Of course, it is meaningful. We just have to calculate the purchasing power in human society, and we can easily understand all the currency systems."

    Alina raised her eyebrows subconsciously after hearing the answer. The light in her eyes shined brightly, and even by her voice alone, they could feel the strong confidence in her language. It felt like the ruling power of a king who has returned to his territory¡ª¡ª After all, finance was her profession in the previous life.

    The silver-haired loli folded her hands together, and her index fingers tapped each other rhythmically and spoke softly, "If what I know isn''t wrong, one gold Galleon equals 17 silver Sickles, which then equals 493 bronze Knuts. From what I know, half a kilo of potatoes sells for twenty-five Knuts, and at the same time, I just happened to know that one English pound is enough to buy two kilograms of potatoes. In other words, the rather good job that Professor has the monthly payment of approximately 400 pounds."

    Stopping here, Alina tilted her head slightly and exchanged a glance with Benitez, the two of them showed a sense of oddness and amusement at the same time.

    "What do you want to say?" McGonagall frowned and felt the subtle yet inexpressible discomfort was spreading in the air.

    The girl lifted her head up, and pity flashed across her eyes. In an instant, Mcgonagall almost thought that she heard a soft sneer.

    "In this country, I mean the Muggle government in your perspective, an ordinary worker''s weekly average pay is 100 pounds, and an official university professor''s salary is¡­"

    Alina intentionally paused here. She waited until Professor Mcgonagall''s eyes were staring at her straightly before she shook her long silver hair and continued softly.

    "1959 pounds."

    "So what on earth are you trying to say?!"

    Professor McGonagall''s body left the back of the chair, and as she sat up straight subconsciously, questioning her with raised pitch and displease on her face.

    Alina''s lips curved upwards. Next, it''s her showtime.

 Chapter 004 - Alina and Professor Mcgonagall

    Chapter 004 - Alina and Professor McGonagall

    "What I mean is that¡­"

    Alina''s eyes scanned Professor Mcgonagall and stopped on her plaid coat, which was trendy at least six or seven years ago before shrugging, "You were right, we are indeed people from two worlds."

    When she went to university in her previous life, she studied a very interesting unit called socio-economics.

    In that class, the half-bald teacher who seemed to be a little cynical once said something which made Alina feel exceptionally fitting to the current scenario.

    "Mysteries and unknown will only create distance, but not class division."

    Alina stuck a finger up and spoke word by word earnestly, "The only thing that can divide humans, which are born to be social animals, into two worlds, and ultimately, that is poverty!"

    Without a doubt, from the first time, humans learned the existence of magic, witches, and wizards who have supernatural powers do have great advantages in accumulating wealth, power, and prestige compared to ordinary people. After all, the majority of ordinary people''s hard work could not exceed the witches and wizards waving their wands simply for a few times before the explosion of technologies.

    In history, the most renowned twenty-eight Pureblood families in the Wizarding World all have been passed down for over a century, and they were all aristocratic families with illustrious prestige and wealth. Such as the Gaunt family, Longbottom family, and Potter family, they all gathered large amounts of wealth, power, and prestige with their magic powers during that time.

    Hence, someone differentiated the Wizarding World and the Muggle World. The reason it was because the haughty ancient witches and wizards wished to keep themselves mysterious and intentionally raised the standard of entry.

    As time passed, the two world''s positions changed unknowingly.

    One should know that magic isn''t almighty. More accurately speaking, Alina''s positioning of the existence of magic was to provide convenience, breaking the limit of natural law, and add flowers to it.

    It is a shame that the majority of witches and wizards failed to realize this point. Retrogressed exam factory styled education systems even made generations and generations of witches and wizards face the severe trials of earning a living.

    Such as that certain someone who doesn''t wish to tell his name, Voldemort, his mother was born into the Gaunt family, and their ancestors were extremely wealthy. But in the 1900s, they spent the majority of their money and left no industries behind other than an old and shabby house.

    "The time has changed, Professor McGonagall."

    Aline shook her head and spoke softly, "This world is no longer the stage for witches and wizards. I have no interest in the poverty strike and retrogressed Wizarding World. They can''t teach me what I need to know there."

    It wasn''t that the Wizarding World had fallen behind greatly, but because the Muggle World was stimulated greatly by the war of technology and the speed of advancement is indeed fearful. However, the time left for the witches and wizards was too short.

    Even amongst all these, very few wise and farsighted adult witches and wizards could see this. But when they began to try to blend into the Muggle World, they would realize in despair that as someone from the Wizarding World who has never received any basic education, it was even difficult for them to survive in the Muggle World.

    Their tyrannical magic powers could only lead them smoothly on the way to becoming robbers or terrorists; it was almost useless in other areas. Compared to a few centuries ago, a far more distant yet firm barrier was created once again in this world, and Alina had no interest in going on a big ship that''s starting to leak.

    "Poverty-stricken Wizarding World, how dare you to say that?! You have no idea what kind of vast and mysterious world you are facing against!"

    Professor McGonagall deeply frowned as if she was heavily offended. Her voice became stern and argued back instantly.

    "Every adult witch and wizard will study at Hogwarts, taking classes such as potions, the history of magic, astronomy, herbs, transfiguration, charms and many others. Even if they spend an entire seven years on it, they will only learn the very basics of it. No matter which branches under magic, it is enough for a witch or wizard to spend their entire life studying about it."

    "But what''s the value of these classes? If the content of these classes can''t even promise their basic survival, then it is just unrealistic and impractical prattle no matter how profoundly mysterious it is." Alina twirled the silver hair on her shoulders with her fingers and replied carelessly.

    "Every graduate from Hogwarts can find a presentable job in the Wizarding World." Professor McGonagall continued to argue back as she began to feel anger rising from within.

    "If everyone can find a presentable job, then what''s the meaning of working hard? You ought to know that although the Muggle World''s authentication method of academic qualifications and academic degree is not perfect, it reflects the basic abilities objectively. From what I just heard, it seems like working hard or not is not so important in the Wizarding World."

    Alina lifted her head at Professor McGonagall, who looked faithful as always; she twitched her mouth and continued to question her without hesitation.

    Alina thought that she was more aware of the ''adult society'' in the Wizarding World in a way compared to Professor McGonagall. After all, even an extremely smart girl like Hermione Granger only ended up working as staff under the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. The boy who lived, Harry Potter and his friend, Ron, ended up joining the official violence organization of the Wizarding World.

    In other words, the certificates and tests they worried about during school have nothing to do with their actual jobs. How is this bearable to thousands and thousands of Muggles who struggled in the abyss of judicial exams and just to shoulder justice and social orders?

    Professor McGonagall frowned heavily, and a few more wrinkled appeared on her forehead. She had never met such a troublesome new student, and her tone of voice became cold.

    "We will give out O.W.Ls certificate, and the higher level N.E.W.Ts certificate according to the students'' grades. At the same time, the knowledge the students gain throughout their learning at Hogwarts is not independent; they will follow a witch or a wizard for their entire life, and it is far more important than Muggle courses."

    Alina felt Professor''s displeasure, and she shrugged carelessly as she already decided not to attend Hogwarts, "But it doesn''t change the fact that the same person putting in the same amount of time and efforts will earn a more generous reward in the Muggle World."

    The girl looked at the clock hanging by the bed as she talked. The conversation already lasted for about fifteen minutes. Although she was confident enough to fight back every argument Professor McGonagall has from all perspectives, it doesn''t mean that she was interested in analyzing the detriments of the Wizarding World with a granny level witch.

    Alina decided to use her ultimate skill and end this meaningless debate quickly.

    Without waiting for Professor McGonagall to argue back again, Alina put her hand up and cut her off first, "Fine; we won''t discuss whether these classes are actually useful or not. Dear Professor McGonagall, may I ask, can the majority of students completely grasp the contents of the classes Hogwarts teaches? Or, I can change the way of asking it¡­"

    Alina pointed at the luxurious chair Professor Mcgonagall was sitting on and raised her eyebrows, "How many graduates can accurately recreate the transfiguration magic you just performed? How many students actually reached the estimated teaching goal?"

    "In your so-called Wizarding World, how many witches and wizards are actually capable? As a simple example, there is a Muggle evildoer who''s holding a dagger in close proximity, how many witches or wizards can promise that they can bring the evildoer under control 100 percent certain?"

    "..."

    "..."

    Professor McGonagall opened her mouth but sank into an embarrassed silence. By all means, she could say a random number, but her long term habit made her unaccustomed to lie¡ª¡ª the Wizarding World isn''t so strong. Otherwise, the terror Voldemort and the Deatheaters brought decades ago wouldn''t be so severe.n

    Alina wasn''t surprised in the slightest by Professor Mcgonagall''s silence.

    Knowing that the grades of Harry and Ron, who never studied before class, don''t listen in class, and replied majorly on guessing in exams counted towards the middle to good high students, it is imaginable how bad a part of Hogwarts students are. Assuming this way, those young witches and wizards whose grades weren''t even as well as Harry Potter probably won''t be any good after graduation.

    Even so, Hogwarts was still counted as the most outstanding school in the entire Wizarding World; then, it is obvious what the level of education is like in that world. Even children from the distant mountain villages in her previous life were better than these people.

    However, Alina didn''t plan to let go of the silent Professor. She planned to stop all topics of the Wizarding World today and make her life return to her jolly, trade war after being the reborn plot.

    "After all these years, how many students can out of all the students you''ve taught earn a higher salary than you? I think, most of the time, it is getting worse year by year. To be more straightforward, if they encountered some sort of disaster or illness, making them unable to work, perhaps they will have to starve next month. Even giving their children a few pieces of moderate quality clothing would be considered a comfortable life, isn''t it?"

    Professor McGonagall''s breathing became even heavier as her lips pursed into a thin line. In her previous years of students, Lucius Malfoy is the one who''s the most extravagant with spendings, but his extravagance came from the Malfoy family''s savings, and it has nothing much to do with his own ability.

    "So, you have destroyed all your students. Because of your out of date, narrow-minded, completely sealed and irresponsible teaching methods, and the Wizarding World, you are proud of but completely unclear of its stance. The ridiculous thing is that you are taking pleasure in destroying the unlimited possibilities for your students."

    Alina stood up straight and lifted her head up, looking at Professor McGonagall without the slightest timidity as she raised her volume.

    "You are just a bunch of poverty-stricken and out of date terrorists who are stuck in the false fairyland constructed by magic. A bunch of people who are too scared to lift your heads up to look at the outside world and a bunch of incompetent teachers who are leading students astray."

    "I, Alina Kaslana, will never step into that baffling world of yours."

    Professor McGonagall shot up from her chair, and her chest fluctuated violently like a windpipe. Her gaze pierced sharply and furiously on the silver-haired girl''s face like a sharp sword. She opened her mouth in an attempt to argue back, but she made no sound.

    Seeing that Professor Mcgonagall''s right hand clenched her wand tightly and appeared on the verge of a rampage, Alina secretly swallowed hard¡ª¡ª did she go overboard?

    She glanced at the pale-faced Benitez behind her who seemed to fall into deep thought, Alina clenched her teeth and stretched her arms out in front of Benitez, continued to speak fiercely despite being secretly scared.

    "Are you finally out of words and going to attack us? Is it going to be Obliviate or Crucio? Come on, show me what the final pride a great witch is like!"

    "Humph. Remember what you said; we will meet again."

    Professor McGonagall let out a heavy breath then breathed deeply in an attempt to push the fury down her chest.

    She glanced at Alina deeply and took back the wand in her hands. She grabbed the hat placed on the table next to her and strode away in silence as she didn''t even want to ask why Alina knew the spells from the Wizarding World.

    ¡ª¡ª She was afraid that if she continued to talk to this annoying little girl, she would completely lose control of her emotions.

    "So, you are really a professor, but just from the Wizarding World?"

    Benitez, who had been watching from the side, finally somewhat cleared his mind and subconsciously urged her to stay as he looked at the back of her leaving.

    "Since you went out of your way to come here, how about a bowl of warm stew before you leave?"

    "No witches ever eat owls!"

    Professor McGonagall was unable to restrain her anger as she roared from outside. The extremely conserved Madam McGonagall finally cursed and smashed the door close heavily.

    Alina stretched her hands out innocently and shrugged.

    "But that''s Scotland round face fat chicken."

 Chapter 005 - Bring Her to Hogwarts

    The chilly morning breeze of the Scottish highlands blew off Loch Lomond, carrying its moisture into the small town of Luss.

    The gentle breeze allowed Professor McGonagall, who had stormed out of the orphanage in rage, to calm down gradually.

    Now that she was calm, she thought back to the conversation in that room, and she quickly noticed many strange things about it. The most obvious was Alina''s understanding of the Magic World. In no way did this seem like a child who had grown up in the Muggle World.

    As for Alina''s talk about the division between the rich and poor in these two worlds, fine, Professor McGonagall had to admit that she didn''t understand it very much, nor was she interested in researching the consequences of Muggle math and finances.

    But the maturity far above her years and her haughty arrogance had truly Professor McGonagall by surprise.

    McGonagall decided to immediately leave Luss and head back to Hogwarts to seek Dumbledore''s opinion.

    That curse that had no reason to come out of the mouth of a child of Alina''s age was called: the Cruciatus Curse, one of the three Unforgivable Curses, a curse of dark magic.

    ...

    "In other words, Miss Kaslana has a greater understanding of the Magic World than we imagined. To be more precise, she has an even deeper understanding of the Magic World than most of its inhabitants. This is truly rather surprising."

    Back at Hogwarts, in the Headmaster''s Office, Dumbledore crossed his slender fingers and placed them on the table. After listening to Professor McGonagall''s experiences, he emotionally sighed.

    Professor McGonagall empathetically nodded. While she had felt that Alina had stated her bold assertions with a little too much certainty, her points were not entirely unreasonable.

    "Professor Dumbledore, I''m sorry. I should have stayed and talked with her a little more, but for some reason, I found it hard to control my emotions in front of her. More importantly, she ate the owls!"

    McGonagall got a little angry upon mentioning, flailing her right arm in the air. "Dumbledore, can you imagine it? That there would be a new student who would catch and eat the owls delivering letters!"

    "Minerva, calm down. This might not be your fault."

    Dumbledore energetically blinked as he held up his half-moon spectacles. Smiling, he said, "I already warned you that she had Veela blood. Although she''s still young, with her talent, she can still subtly influence your emotions."

    Dumbledore paused for a moment, his smile slowly fading, and his face turning grim.

    "This child is frighteningly determined. She decided long ago that she didn''t want to come to Hogwarts. But that doesn''t mean that she doesn''t understand her potential."

    Professor McGonagall frowned and asked in confusion, "But what''s her goal in doing all this?"

    This was the thing that she found hardest to understand. If Alina learned magic, based on the talent she had already shown, she could have easily achieved her dreams.

    "Because of the International Statute of Secrecy, the Muggle Protection Act, and Wizengamot. As long as she doesn''t step into the Magic World, she can live out the rest of her life as a Muggle, becoming someone who can use magic with none of the restrictions."

    "But she''s only a child..."

    Professor McGonagall almost instinctively replied.

    "To be more exact, she''s a child that can casually talk about the Memory Charm and the Torture Curse."

    Dumbledore shook his head, his expression grave. "I do not doubt that not even most fifth-year students could do such a thing.

    "As a child with Veela blood, she''s naturally closer to the Magic World than the majority of witches and wizards. It''s clear that someone from our world got in touch with her before we did. As for that unease you speak of, I think that you might need to take a look at this..."

    Dumbledore stood up and took out a shallow stone basin from the black cupboard behind him. Runes had been carved on the edges of the basin, and the basin itself contained a strange silver substance.

    It was difficult to say if it was a liquid or a gas. It had a silver luster and constantly shifted around. The surface rippled like the wind was blowing across the water, but it was also like a cloud, dispersing, and turning. It was both like liquid light and as a wind given form.

    "The Pensieve? You''re not saying that you''ve seen that child in your memories, are you?" Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow.

    As Dumbledore''s close friend, she naturally knew that this was an incredible magical object that Dumbledore used to store his thoughts and memories.

    "No, this is a memory from Mister Newt Scamander. Many years ago, another man said something similar, but his standpoint was slightly different."

    Dumbledore extended his hand to Professor McGonagall and pulled her into the memory.

    ...

    Dumbledore''s office suddenly turned upside down, and Professor McGonagall felt her body rush forward, her head dipping into the basin. But her head did not hit bottom. She descended into an icy and pitch-black substance like she was being sucked into a black whirlpool.

    Looking to her left and right, McGonagall realized that she was standing on a circular spectators stand. Above was a sealed stone dome, and her surroundings were packed with witches and wizards wearing clothes in style from fifty to sixty years ago.

    Down below, on a central platform, a black-clothed and white-haired man slowly looked up and her and Dumbledore. To be more exact, he was looking at the witches and wizards around them. This was a man whose handsome face and white pompadour almost any witch or wizard could recognize: Grindelwald, one of the most dangerous Dark Wizards in history.

    Professor McGonagall felt like her heart was being squeezed. Those haughty eyes that were so familiar made her look in shock at Dumbledore, her lips blurting out a question.

    "Grindelwald?! You''re not saying..."

    Dumbledore shook his head and raised a finger over his lips, indicating that Professor McGonagall should be quiet.

    Grindelwald''s slow and clear voice came from down below.

    "My brothers. My sisters. My friends."

    The man''s voice was rather deep, and it seemed to be infused with a magical power that made one want to keep listening, which made one want to trust this man.

    "Many people think that I hate the Muggles, the No-Majes, the Squibs, and all others who can''t use magic. But I have never hated those people. We must admit that witches and wizards are not in the majority.

    "...Magic blooms in only rare souls. So we must hide in the shadows."

    Grindelwald raised an eyebrow, a look of disdain in his eyes. He lightly paced forward and continued. "But the laws of the past are no longer applicable."

    Turmoil appeared among the witches and wizards as Grindelwald spoke. Those who had gathered her tonight whispered into each other''s ears, quite a few of them already guessing at what Grindelwald was speaking about tonight.

    "I dream that we who live for truth and love should fight for our proper place in the world."

    Ignoring the turmoil in the crowd, Grindelwald looked around and spoke with even greater volume.

    "When the time comes, we witches and wizards will be free once more.

    "We have little time left. Here, I have an extremely important prophecy regarding our future that you need to see..."

    Grindelwald raised a mysterious skull with strange words in red daubed upon it.

    Smoke spewed out of Grindelwald''s mouth and into the air, gradually focusing into scenes of ruin and chaos.

    Before Professor McGonagall could make out those scenes clearly, she heard Dumbledore''s voice.

    "Okay, I think that''s enough. We should go back."

    Dumbledore whispered to Professor McGonagall and then pulled her by the elbow.

    Professor McGonagall felt herself slowly rise into the air while the spectators stand, and the central platform dissipated into darkness. Then she felt like she was somersaulting in slow motion, and then her feet were on the floor, and the two were back in the warmth of the Hogwarts Headmaster''s Office.

    "This is?"

    "This is one of Grindelwald''s most famous public speeches, made right before he started the global wizarding war."

    Before Professor McGonagall could even finish, Dumbledore nodded and answered her question.

    He continued to speak as he stirred the Pensieve with his wand, causing Grindelwald''s face to reemerge in the chaotic silver substance.

    "Muggles are not lower beings, nor are they insignificant. Grindelwald might have seen the Wizarding World in decline, but his pride as a wizard made him miss many things. Thus, he attempted to use violence to create change, starting a series of errors that led to his ultimate defeat."

    "You''re too humble." Professor McGonagall shook her head. "The entire Magic World knows that you were the one who dueled and defeated Grindelwald, putting an end to his ambitions."

    Dumbledore''s eyes twinkled. He neither denied nor accepted this fact. With a shake of his head, he changed the subject.

    "But that was a matter from forty-six years ago. What I mean, Minerva is that we''re old."

    While Professor McGonagall had always been focused on her books and teaching, Dumbledore, who had protected Hogwarts and the British Magic World like a guardian god, had long ago seen that massive and nigh uncrossable chasm between the Magic World and the Muggle World. To be more precise, as a close friend of Grindelwald in his youth, Dumbledore even now had an extremely complicated stance toward Grindelwald.

    Several of those alarmist prophecies Grindelwald had made decades ago were now in the middle of being realized. The Muggles had already completely surpassed wizards in several domains. Dumbledore recalled the Muggle weapons known as ''atomic bombs'' that he had happened to experience several years ago.

    It wasn''t as the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office in the Ministry of Magic believed that only wizards could bully Muggles. The non-magic world had already obtained the forbidden power to destroy entire regions.

    Without even knowing it, the Magic World had begun to be abandoned by the mainstream of human society. The most obvious symbol of this was that more and more witches and wizards were finding themselves unable to use non-magic objects...it was like a reenactment of when Muggles couldn''t use magic objects.

    This was why he had ignored the objections of the Board of Governors and the pure-blood families over the last few years and added more and more students from Muggle families. In his view, a day would come when the wall between the two worlds would vanish. They would have to coexist, or one side would have to destroy the other.

    "Alina Kaslana...I sense Grindelwald''s shadow on her. But she is also more capable of remolding the world, a hope that might be able to create a new world. Perhaps she is the one that can change the entire world, both magic and non-magic. The only problem is that she isn''t standing on the side of the Magic World right now."

    Dumbledore''s expression was abnormally solemn, and he turned to Professor McGonagall, and solemnly spoke.

    "Imagine what would happen if a Grindelwald appeared in the Non-Magic World. This wouldn''t just be a disaster for Britain, but the entire world. Crucially, she''s younger, smarter, and more dangerous than all of us."

    "So, Professor Dumbledore, what is it you want?" McGonagall creased her brows in confusion.

    "Bring her to Hogwarts!" After a moment''s thought, Dumbledore added, "Of course, try to use gentler methods. It would be best if she entered school willingly."

 Chapter 006 - Surprise Parent-Teacher Conference

    At this time, on the distant shores of Loch Lomond, Alina had no idea what sort of consequences her words had wrought.

    She had believed that Dumbledore would probably continue with the ''Harry Potter Hero-Training Game'' and would have no time to care about something so minor as a willful girl refusing to enter his school.

    Of course, she couldn''t be blamed for this. After all, the movie ''Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald'' had yet to be released when he crossed over. She would have never imagined that the relationship between the old foes Dumbledore and Grindelwald would finally receive official verification, nor would she have imagined that Grindelwald would espouse such similar ideals to hers.

    The most urgent problem facing Alina at this time was how to break the oppressive silence that had persisted in the small room for almost half an hour now.

    Yes, ever since Professor McGonagall had left, Benitez and Alina hadn''t spoken a single word.

    Alina sat at the end of the bed and played with her fingers while the priest focused on slowly eating his breakfast, working through it so meticulously that it seemed like he wanted to suck the marrow from every tiny bone.

    "Haaaa...so do you plan to remain silent forever?"

    Finally, Benitez helplessly sighed. Putting down his clean soup bowl, he broke the silence.

    "I''m sorry..." The silver-haired girl raised her head and weakly mumbled.

    While Alina usually had a harsh and unforgiving mouth, she regarded this man who had picked her off the streets of London, taught her how to speak English, and then clumsily raised her, like a father.

    But in the end, she found it impossible to tell Benitez about the Magic World and how she had crossed over from another dimension.

    This was perhaps the greatest curse that burdened down all those who crossed over, a secret that they could never divulge.

    "Fine. It seems that this is an even more complicated problem than stealing explosives from the stone workshop and then setting it off in the lake to get fish."

    Benitez comically moved his eyebrows, attempting to make himself seem grave and serious.

    "A hundred times more complicated, and I didn''t steal, I borrowed! I wrote down the contact info for the orphanage and my purpose, and I even gave them half the fish."

    Alina''s cheeks bulged. She had never let this matter go. It was just blast fishing, just humans using their intelligence to catch food. But the fussy conservation association even decided to inform the police and the safety department.

    That was the first and only time Benitez had ever gotten angry at her. At the time, she had even thought about running away at night with her small blanket and bag if the situation turned sour.

    Sitting up, Benitez vigorously rubbed Alina''s little head, ceasing to argue. He was well aware that he was no match for this devil of sophistry.

    "You don''t want to open it and take a look? This letter is from that magic school."

    Benitez took the parchment envelope that Professor McGonagall had left and handed it over with a warm smile.

    There was no postmark on the envelope. The address and recipient had been written in emerald ink.

    [Scottish Highlands, Luss, Hardstone Street, Benitez Orphanage, the Partitioned Room in the Kitchen, For Miss Alina Kaslana]

    "There''s no need. You can open it if you want to read. It should just be the school start date and the materials I need to buy, but it''s not like I''m going there to study."

    Alina took the thick letter from Benitez. She stroked the Hogwarts emblem for a moment before throwing it back to Benitez, silently cursing as she shook her head.

    In her previous world, there had been many unscrupulous authors who had written fan fiction based in the Harry Potter world, and these letters all had the same contents. She could almost recite them from memory...

    "But, I advise you not to open it."

    Alina stopped and then glanced at the empty bowl on the headboard of Benitez''s bed. After some thought, she decided to add a comment.

    "Forget it. It doesn''t matter. They probably won''t send any more letters."

    "Why?"

    Benitez frowned and asked in confusion.

    "Because the Magic World uses owls to send letters. Where do you think I got so many Scottish Round-Faced Chickens from?"

    The silver-haired girl spread apart arms and answered matter-of-factly.

    "Oh...dear God."

    Benitez placed a hand on his forehead, where he could feel it throbbing.

    He immediately understood why Professor McGonagall had stormed out after being invited to breakfast.

    Anyone would get angry over such a thing. This child was truly getting more and more uncontrollable.

    His face darkened. "Alina, come here right now! We need to talk!"

    He felt that he needed to chat with this child and teach her what it meant to have some basic social etiquette. Alas, he had thought that Alina had matured and grown more restrained after the blast fishing incident, but it appeared that she hadn''t changed at all.

    "Nuh-uh! I''m not stupid!"

    After glancing at Benitez''s darkening expression, Alina cutely stuck out her tongue and made a face.

    "Ah, I suddenly remembered that the kitchen doesn''t have any vegetables. I need to go to the market to buy some."

    Without waiting for Benitez to get angry, the girl jumped to her feet, waved goodbye, and rushed out of the room.

    She didn''t want a repeat of last time. If she got careless, Benitez would chatter her ear off for the entire morning.

    "This girl..."

    Benitez watched the silver-haired girl run off like a startled rabbit and helplessly shook his head.

    Perhaps it was as Professor McGonagall said, and this child did possess some mysterious magic.

    Whenever he wanted to teach Alina, this girl would only need to throw a slight tantrum for his heart to soften, and he would end up letting her off with just a few words of reproach.

    It was merely him. Whenever Alina got into trouble, her actions were tolerated to an abnormal degree. It was like she would be forgiven no matter what she did.

    Of course, it could also be that the nuns back in London were right, and he really couldn''t teach children.

    "A...magic school?"

    Benitez looked at the letter Alina had tossed back. His fingers went back and forth across the seal as if what was before him wasn''t a letter, but a frightening Pandora''s Box.

    While outsiders might not know, Benitez, who had watched Alina grow up, was keenly aware that Alina would never invest even a speck of energy in anything that she had no interest in.

    She wasn''t even eleven years old, but she had been able to confront and refute a mature witch of the Magic World into speechlessness. Benitez didn''t believe that Alina was as uninterested in the Magic World as she claimed to be.

    After struggling for ten-some seconds, Benitez glanced at the bowl he had placed on the headboard and had a thought. If he hadn''t been suffering from the cold and migraines, would Alina have used some other method to refuse the invitation from the Magic World?

    Benitez recalled how bright the silver-haired girl''s eyes had been when talking about the stewed owl soup and gave an exhausted sigh. There was simply no way to determine the true reason for the actions of that uncontrollable little ghost.

    Benitez took the thick parchment envelope and once more solemnly examined those rather strange insignias upon it, almost afraid that a monster might suddenly emerge.

    After another few seconds of hesitation, he clenched his teeth and tore the letter open.

    [Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Headmaster:

    Albus Dumbledore (Supreme Mugwump, International Confederation of Wizards, Chief Warlock, Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorcerer)

    Dear Ms. Kaslana, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted by the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. The term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

    Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress]

    Benitez lightly tapped his finger against the letter, pensively gazing at the ornate wooden chair that had been transformed through Transfiguration magic. Perhaps he needed to talk some more with that, Professor McGonagall.

    At the very least, he had been able to tell that when Alina saw Professor McGonagall walk in with that little wooden stick, there had been fear behind that stubbornness. However, this was rather similar to her trembling appearance when her blast fishing had been discovered, though this time, it was eating someone else''s owls.

    The thought of this made Benitez''s head ache once more.

    At a rough estimate, he placed the number of ''Scottish Round-Faced Chickens'' the orphanage had eaten in the past week at around ten. Since he now knew what was going on, Benitez decided to offer compensation if he had a chance to meet Professor McGonagall again.

    "I don''t know if pounds can be converted into wizard currency, but if it''s as Alina says, the prices in the wizarding world should probably be a little lower."

    At this thought, Benitez sighed again. Although Alina had helped the orphanage make quite a lot of money in the last few years, the compensation that had needed to be paid for the trouble she had caused had also been significant.

    At this moment, there was a pop like the snap of a whip from outside the door.

    Then there was a rhythmic knocking and a familiar female voice.

    "Mister Benitez, I am Minerva McGonagall. My apologies for disturbing you again, but if we can talk, I wish to have you understand a little about Miss Alina''s situation."

    The Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall?

    Benitez''s lips curled into a smile. After scanning the letter again, he got out of bed, put away the bowl on the table, and put a jacket over himself. Finally, he gave a firm reply.

    "Miss McGonagall, welcome! I also happened to have a few things to ask you about Alina and this world of wizards."

    Alina, who was fishing by the lake, suddenly felt a chill. It was like...that ill omen one felt when the school sent out notices about a parent-teacher conference?

 Chapter 007 - Roast Fish, Summoning Charm, and the Draught of Living Death

    Among the countries of the world, there was no question that Great Britain ranked in the top three when it came to fish lovers. Although the British mostly cooked fish through deep frying or sauteing, this did not affect their love for fish.

    One had to realize that to export more fish and to provide for more of its population, the British government mobilized its navy multiple times from 1944 to 1975 in the ''Cod Wars.''

    Loch Lomond, which provided the potable water supply for all of Scotland, was the largest lake in Britain.

    It was surrounded by several dozen other lakes and fifty rivers. These cold waters contained all sorts of fish, such as salmon, sea trout, rainbow trout, and river trout. Sometimes there would even be brown trout or snakeheads swimming in the waters.

    Regretfully, the government had banned fishing boats from the waters, and then after a few ''small accidents'' one year ago, had added quite a few strange rules such as ''No Throwing of Any Objects'' and ''Do Not Electrify the Lake.''

    If one wanted to taste the delicious fish of Loch Lomond, one would have to obediently take up the fishing rod and fish on the lakeshore. Any other method would be considered stealing fish.

    But Alina, who boasted of being a veteran foodie, had always been extremely resistant to the idea of fishing.

    Normal people would bait the hook, catch a fish, and then reel the fish in.

    But before Alina caught a fish, she would have to pray that the fish that had taken her bait was not of the several dozen, or perhaps even several hundred kinds of muscular and robust fish that swam the waters of Loch Lomond. The rather weak silver-haired girl had more than once suffered the humiliation of being dragged into the water by the fish she had caught.

    The worst time was when she had been ''fished'' into the water four times in a single day, after which she got so angry that she snuck into the town''s stone workshop in the middle of the night and used the power of science to get her revenge.

    But today was one of her luckier days.

    After leaving Benitez''s room, she had taken her fishing kit to the lakeshore. In less than an hour, she had already caught three salmon and one river trout. This wasn''t much compared to actual fishermen, but it was more than enough for the orphanage.

    Ah, no. To be more precise, it was a little too much.

    Alina glanced at the plastic bucket next to her, which was truly a little too small for the four large fish inside. Most importantly, she didn''t want to go back to the orphanage so soon. If she ran into Benitez and his mood hadn''t improved, she wouldn''t be able to avoid a scolding.

    "This fish is quite pretty."

    She squatted by the bucket and lightly poked at a river trout in the ice-cold bucket. It looked slightly different from its fellows, radiating a faint fluorescence and with a green-brown back and a white abdomen.

    Its head, back, dorsal fin, and pectoral fin were covered in black dots. However, its sides and tail fin were covered in green, red, and black dots, all of the colors bright and flashy.

    "You look so pretty that if I bring you back with the other three, it will start a fight."

    Alina tilted her head and thought to herself. Reaching out with both hands, she skillfully grabbed the tail of the fish and threw it to the ground.

    Pia~Pia~Pia~

    The fish gave a token struggle, flopping around on the ground a few times before growing exhausted and obediently falling to sleep.

    River trout, also known as catfish or brown trout, was a common fish consumed in Scotland and Ireland. The meat was delicious, and the bones were few. They were okay to catch throughout the year, and as long as one removed the scales and guts, one could eat it after washing it.

    You could deep-fry it, boil it, or saute it and still be able to express its flavor fully.

    If there was any flaw, it was that cooking the fish was somewhat troublesome. If one didn''t properly clean the glands, one could easily suffer from diarrhea and vomiting.

    Of course, this didn''t pose much of a problem to Alina. After all, this wasn''t the first time that she was ''forced'' to cook outside.

    Alina found several rocks by the shore and piled them up. She then found a few dry sticks and used an igniter to make a fire. She then took out a kitchen knife that she had accidentally placed in her fishing tool bag and skillfully began to remove the fish''s scales and guts.

    ...

    Pop! Hisss~

    The flames burned away the twigs, producing a pleasant crackling sound. The juices from the tender fish meat dripped onto the burning stones, letting off a soft hiss.

    The tree branches gathered by the lake actually weren''t that suitable to be used as a source of fire, as the smoke they produced was much more irritating, and the smoke would inevitably influence the flavor of the fish.

    However, Alina, who was attentively turning the fish, clearly did not care about such minor flaws.

    "Oh, this really was a pretty one."

    Alina licked her lips as her nose twitched, her two eyes brightly shining at the roasted fish as she swallowed her saliva.

    The tender white fish flesh had already been cooked to a golden yellow. The ban on commercial fishing in Loch Lomond meant that the river trout in the lake were much fatter than those sold in the market. The gleaming fish oil was already beginning to seep out of the cut-open stomach, and she could barely control her fingers.

    "It smells so good! I''m practically drooling. But there''s still the last step.

    As she carefully examined the golden fish flesh, Alina suppressed her urge to take a bite.

    She happily took the salt and pepper cans from next to the stone pile and seasoned the fragrant roast fish, and then she took some oil and spread out across the entire fish so that the taste was evenly distributed.

    "Hahaha, it''s done! Let''s eat!"

    Alina contentedly rubbed her hands and then took the roast fish off the fire. Closing her eyes, she took in a mouthful of the fish''s aroma, her little head swaying back and forth in ecstasy, and when she opened her mouth and impatiently bit down.

    At this moment, Alina faintly heard a rather familiar female voice call out, and then she felt the roasting spit in her right hand suddenly rise into the air.

    "Accio roast fish!"

    Mmm...MM?! Huh?

    After biting down on nothing, Alina opened her eyes in confusion. Her hand was empty, even the metal spit that had been pierced through the fish had vanished. Nearby, standing in front and to the right, was Professor McGonagall in her Scottish overcoat, one hand holding her wand and the other holding the still-hissing roast fish.

    "My fish..." The silver-haired girl was struck dumb. Her eyes moved between her hand, and Professor McGonagall several times before she finally realized what had happened.

    Professor McGonagall had used the Summoning Charm to take her roast fish.

    There were actually people in this world who used the Summoning Charm to steal food! A noble witch used magic to steal a roast fish from a little Muggle girl!

    "Thief! Give me back my fish! I caught it with my own hands and wasted more than ten minutes to cook it finally!"

    Alina''s delicate face immediately turned red with anger, and she lunged to her feet to take back the fruit of her labors from Professor McGonagall.

    Pia~

    She had barely made it two steps when she felt a numbness in her legs, after which the little girl clumsily stepped on her right foot with her left foot and fell to the ground.

    "Ah, that hurts...I was squatting too long and got a leg cramp."

    Alina sat up and cautiously prodded her calf. The shock-like ache that immediately came in response almost caused her to shed a tear.

    Helpless, Alina could only maintain her current position and not move carelessly. She looked up, tears pouring down her little face, and began to yell at Professor McGonagall indignantly.

    "Give me back my fish! You cursed old woman, what are you trying to do?! I said before; I''m not going to study at Hogwarts!"

    Old woman?! Forget it...she wouldn''t argue with this child.

    Professor McGonagall couldn''t stop her eyebrow from trembling, but when she looked at Alina, who had managed the feat of tripping on flat ground, she was both angry and amused. This was truly a stubborn girl. Even though she was already crying, she was keeping up her fierce appearance, her mouth unwilling to admit defeat.

    "Relax. Only willing students have ever studied at Hogwarts. I came at this time so that we could have a good chat."

    Professor McGonagall pointed at Alina''s calf and asked in a gentle tone.

    "Does it hurt? Why don''t I take a look at it?"

    Although it seemed a little too much to delight in someone else''s suffering, Professor McGonagall truly did feel a little more relaxed after seeing Alina''s trip.

    No matter how precocious she was, she was still a child that wasn''t even eleven years old. While she was at her most childish and arrogant, she was also at her cutest and most easily correctable phase.

    As if sensing the laughter in Professor McGonagall''s gaze, Alina clenched her teeth, used her hands to pull up her cramping calf, and wrapped her arms around her knees. She hostilely stared at the witch in front of her.

    "Give me back my fish! Or else we have nothing to discuss!"

    "If you agree to come to tour Hogwarts with me, I will give you back this roast fish."

    Professor McGonagall walked over, casually swinging around the roast fish in her hand. With a calm face, she examined the young girl before her.

    Her conversation with Benitez had gone surprisingly smooth. After giving a simple explanation of her purpose, Benitez had become incredibly cooperative.

    Just as Benitez had said, Alina''s weakness was delicious food.

    The silver-haired girl''s eyes followed the roast fish as it moved right and left.

    "Really?"

    Alina hesitated upon hearing McGonagall''s words. With a suspicious tone, she repeated the request.

    "I''m just touring, nothing else?"

    "Just a tour. Afterward, I''ll send you back."

    Professor McGonagall nodded and sincerely replied.

    "Deal!"

    Alina''s eyes slyly turned as she swiftly agreed. At the same time, she reached out with her hand and sternly repeated her demand.

    "Give me back my fish!"

    "Fine, fine, fine..."

    McGonagall shrugged and helplessly put the roast fish back into Alina''s hand. She truly didn''t understand why such a smart little girl was so obsessed with eating.

    After talking with Benitez, she realized that Dumbledore might have been overthinking things. She might have eaten the owls because she was just hungry.

    "Okay, can you go with me to Hogwarts now?"

    McGonagall warmly asked after Alina had finished eating the fish.

    Burp~

    The silver-haired girl squinted her eyes and gave a happy belch. Licking her lips, she stood up, patted the grass off her clothes, and smiled. "Apologies, I tricked you."

    After all, according to the ''Muggle Protection Act,'' as long as Alina didn''t attack Professor McGonagall, Professor McGonagall was not allowed to use any magic on her. If the mighty Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts was arrested by the Ministry of Magic for using magic on someone who wasn''t even an adult, that would be the true joke.

    Alina fearlessly looked at Professor McGonagall, a smug smile on her lips. She waited expectantly for the witch to show either shock and rage or helplessness.

    "That''s fine. I know."

    "Eh? Alina''s face froze, and she instantly sensed that something bad was about to happen.

    Professor McGonagall smiled, her tone flat. "So, I put a few drops of the Draught of Living Death on the fish."

    When it came to persuading Alina to go to Hogwarts, Benitez had emphasized three things.

    One, don''t try to speak reason with Alina.

    Two, you will never persuade Alina.

    Three, even if you persuade her, she''ll find a way to get out of it.

    "Draught of...what?!"

    The silver-haired girl''s eyes went round as she pointed at Professor McGonagall in disbelief.

    Before she could finish, intense drowsiness assaulted her. Her eyelids became heavy, and her body went limp. Swaying, she fell asleep in Professor McGonagall''s bosom.

    "I''ll have to rely on Professor Dumbledore for the rest." McGonagall held the sleeping girl and raised the wand in her right.

    There was a crisp crack in the air, and the two vanished from the lakeshore.

 Chapter 008 - Nice to Meet You, Hogwarts

    Hogwarts.

    The common room of Gryffindor Tower.

    There was still a month until school started, so the room decorated in scarlet and gold was abnormally quiet.

    "Mmm..."

    The dreamy mumblings of a little girl, like the mewing of a newborn kitten, came from within the room.

    A small figure sat up from a bed near the door and stretched. A waterfall of silver hair draped down from her head as she rubbed her eyes, and sleepily took in her surroundings.

    "Haaa...this place is?"

    Alina yawned, unconsciously hugging the soft down pillow as she looked around in confusion.

    Beneath her was a warm and comfortable bed, and the bed had four posts, one on each corner. There were four or five other identical beds. This seemed like those legendary dormitories usually found in the schools of nobility.

    As she stared in a daze at the deep red flannel curtains hanging down from the end of her bed, Alina slowly began to focus. She began to recall what had happened. She had been roasting a fish by the lake, and then she ran into Professor McGonagall, and then they had a conversation...

    Hogwarts?!

    "This place can''t be..."

    Alina jumped from her bed, her bare feet treading on the carpet as she rushed to the door.

    What greeted her eyes was a seemingly familiar round lounge, soft armchairs scattered around. Across from the extinguished fireplace were two spiraling staircases that led to two other rooms. At this time, she was standing at the entrance to one of these rooms.

    Various paintings were hung upon the walls of the lounge. When Alina appeared, the people in the paintings turned as one to her and then began to whisper among each other.

    "...the Gryffindor Common Room?" Alina gripped the railing of the spiral staircase and gave a complicated and powerless groan.

    Moving magic portraits, the large beds in the dormitories, the color pair of scarlet and gold...and the common room that she had dreamed about countless times in her previous world. When all of this information was brought together, she had enough information to determine where she was.

    Pop!

    There was a soft explosion from the air next to Alina.

    A strange creature appeared at her side. It had delicate features, long drooping ears, bulging green eyes the size of tennis balls, and a rather long nose.

    "Miss Kaslana, welcome to Hogwarts."

    It placed a hand on its chest and gracefully bowed to Alina like it was a butler.

    House-elves were a species that wizards had subjugated in an ancient war. From birth, they underwent slavish training and would have to serve their masters as slaves for generation after generation.

    Each house-elf belonged to its own family. Normally, house-elves knew domestic magic that they used for cleaning or cooking.

    But house-elves knew far more magic than that. Many families used house-elves not for their domestic skills, but their extraordinary magic. In reality, the majority of house-elves were far more capable of magic than their masters.

    "You can just call me Alina. Who are you? Can I ask if there''s any special reason why I''m here?"

    Alina curiously looked at the house-elf''s large ears. There were more than one hundred house-elves in Hogwarts, and they were tasked with all the domestic affairs of the school, such as cooking and cleaning. But students normally wouldn''t realize their existence.

    "Boli, Miss. I am Boli, a house-elf of Hogwarts." The house-elf answered, "Professor Dumbledore had me wait here for you to wake up and tasked me with being your temporary guide through the school."

    "Temporary guide?"

    Alina harrumphed, raising an eyebrow as she repeated the term.

    Her lake-blue eyes inspected Boli, and she suddenly asked, "But what if I don''t want to take a tour?"

    "Professor Dumbledore said that you are free to leave at any time. He''s currently in the Headmaster''s office. Does Miss Alina want to leave?" the elf swiftly replied.

    "Hm..."

    Alina pensively glanced at the house-elf, somewhat unable to predict what Dumbledore was thinking. Was it really as Professor McGonagall had said, and that she was just being invited to take a tour of Hogwarts?

    "...Of course not."

    Her lips curved into a smile as she lightly tapped the wooden railing, her eyes brightening.

    "This might be the only time I can get into Hogwarts. I at least have to take a stroll around first."

    She turned around, placing her hands behind her back, and skipped back into her dorm, where she began to put on her shoes.

    This Hogwarts, a place bursting with mystery, a place where dreams began. In her previous life, when she had been obsessed with the Harry Potter series, she had spent almost every night traveling through every corner of this castle in her dreams.

    ...

    The Gryffindor Common Room was located on the eighth floor of the main tower of Hogwarts, connecting the main tower to Gryffindor Tower.

    Alina had been sleeping in the female dormitory, located within Gryffindor Tower. From her window, she could see the gleaming waters of the lake and a corner of the Forbidden Forest.

    Guided by Boli, Alina exited the Gryffindor Common Room through the Fat Lady''s portrait. Regretfully, the Fat Lady had run off to another portrait, so Alina was not able to meet with the portrait that most frequently appeared in the novels.

    Not far from the Gryffindor Common Room was the Headmaster''s office.

    "Miss Alina, this is Headmaster Dumbledore''s office. He''s waiting for you inside."

    Boli extended a skeletal arm and pointed at a spiral staircase up ahead.

    Normally, a massive and ugly stone monster would be standing guard at the door to the Headmaster''s office. One would need to recite the right password before the stone beast would jump aside and allow one to access the automatic stairwell behind it.

    At the end of the stairs was a shining oak door with a bronze knocker in the shape of an eagle-headed lion. In her last life, many people had speculated that the Headmaster''s office had been the room used by one of the four founders of Hogwarts, Godric Gryffindor.

    But at this time, the stone beast in front of the stairs had already shifted to the side, yielding the path to the stairwell.

    "Oh, I know."

    Glancing in the direction Boli had pointed, Alina courteously nodded and then turned around and began walking in the exact opposite direction. She certainly didn''t want to get into a fight with the most enigmatic wizard in the Magic World right after waking up. How depressing would that be?

    As for Dumbledore? He could just keep waiting. Once she finished walking around, she would go and find him again.

    Standing in the center of the corridor, she looked at the staircase in front of her that would occasionally move and the portraits were hanging from the walls where the people inside moved around like they were in a GIF, a dazed look in her eyes. Alina suddenly realized that her resolve was not as firm as she had imagined.

    Now that the authentic Magic World was so close that she could touch it, she even began to dream about life while learning in this castle.

    Closing her eyes, the silver-haired girl took in a deep breath and began to mutter to herself.

    "I''m just taking a stroll! Just once! I''m just fulfilling the dream that I couldn''t in my last life. After today, I won''t get involved with the Magic World ever again!"

    Opening her eyes, Alina cautiously stroked the wall of the corridor and whispered, "Nice to meet you, Hogwarts."

 Chapter 009 - The Bronze Knocker and the Piano Song

    As the house-elf Boli was accompanying her, Alina had to suppress her immense curiosity to visit the legendary Room of Requirement across from the tapestry depicting Barnabas the Barmy being struck by a troll club and resentfully follow the normal touring path.

    She might have been able to fool others about her understanding of the Magic World using the memories from her last life, but a little girl who had never been to Hogwarts before finding a place that most students wouldn''t know about even after they graduated was probably a little too much.

    The same could be said for the Prefects'' Bathroom, located on the sixth floor of the castle, through the fourth door to the left of the statue of Boris the Bewildered.

    A luxurious candle-lit chandelier cast a warm and gentle light over the room, and everything inside was made of snow-white marble. In the center of the room was a sunken bathtub that looked like a rectangular swimming pool. Around the bathtub were around one hundred golden dragon heads, and each dragon head had a different-colored jewel on its tap. Besides that, there was also a diving board. The windows were covered in curtains of white flax, and a pile of soft white towels had been placed in a corner.

    As a girl, Alina had dreamed and longed for such a luxurious bathroom.

    One had to realize that in her past life, when she went to college, the demented school authorities required one to swipe a card to use the water. Each swipe only got one fifteen minutes of water. Imagine how miserable it was to reach a trembling and bubble-covered hand out of the door in the middle of winter so that one could use their student card to extend the time?

    It was at this point that Alina realized a dispiriting problem. If she wasn''t a student of Hogwarts, many secret rooms were bursting with wondrous magic that she would never be able to visit.

    Whether it was the offices of the various teachers, Filch''s office, or the library that stored thirteen thousand books on magic, they were all locked with magic and could not be entered without permission. This made it impossible for Alina to borrow a few snacks from a certain half-blood prince or experience the forbidden toys of the unruly children of the Magic World.

    Ah, wait, the office of Professor McGonagall on the second floor up the marble staircases from the entrance hall was unlocked. But Alina wisely did not knock. Who knew if the dangerous Professor McGonagall might suddenly use this chance to get her revenge?

    As for the empty classrooms, there was no point in touring those. After all, besides the Potions Classroom, Alina didn''t think there was much a difference between them. They all had wooden lecterns and around ten rows of empty desks and chairs.

    Of course, Alina was already quite satisfied with what she had seen.

    Because even though none of the ghosts had appeared, Hogwarts Castle was still bursting with wondrous magic. Everything was constantly moving, the people in the portraits constantly visiting each other. Even the stairs moved.

    The happiest part of the tour was the Ravenclaw Common Room located on the western side of the castle, in Ravenclaw Tower. To be more precise, it was the cute bronze eagle knocker.

    Precisely in line with the ideology of the founder of the House, Rowena Ravenclaw, the door to the Ravenclaw Common Room didn''t require a password like the other Houses. Instead, anyone who could answer a question would be permitted entry.

    Alina stood in front of the glossy wooden door and knocked. The mouth of the eagle knocker opened and spoke in a gentle tone, "Which came first, the phoenix or the flame?"

    It didn''t seem to have many questions in its bank, and Alina had luckily gotten one of the questions asked in the original work. "A circle has no beginning."

    "Correct." With these words, the door opened on its own with a creak.

    But Alina was in no hurry to go inside.

    "Dear door knocker, can I ask, how can you be sure that a question like this has only one correct answer?"

    Alina squinted at the door knocker and shrugged her shoulders. "You have to realize that languages and words are most liable to create many different meanings. Common proverbs might be assigned new meanings at any time."

    "..."

    The eagle head''s mouth opened, but no sound came out. But she could sense that some magic power was coming out from the door knocker and examining her. Like the Sorting Hat, the door knocker also seemed to possess consciousness.

    Since she was at Hogwarts, she had to leave behind some trace of her presence. It would be rude not to.

    The silver-haired girl naughtily smiled, continuing in a tempting tone, "Based on what I know, many mathematical questions fundamentally have a single objective answer."

    "Mathematical questions? Simple calculations cannot test a student''s intelligence." The eagle knocker''s voice sounded rather confused.

    "What about this?"

    Alina searched through her memories and began to slowly and excitedly speak. "There are chickens and rabbits in a single cage. From above, there are thirty-five heads, and from below, there are ninety-four legs. How many chickens and rabbits are in the cage?"

    After a brief pause, the silver-haired girl added, "Moreover, you only need to change the numbers a little to produce endless questions like this. You should have more interesting questions like this."

    "..."

    The eagle knocker fell silent for a few seconds and then nodded. "What you say is very reasonable. I will think it over. Thank you."

    After saying this, the door knocker fell silent and returned to being an inanimate object.

    She had succeeded!

    Alina waved her little fist around and cheerfully turned to leave.

    "Boli, I think I''ve seen enough. Let''s go back."

    She prayed that God would protect this year''s Ravenclaw students. However, if they were patient enough, they could get the correct answer just by counting one by one.

    ...

    With her own little happiness that no one else knew about, Alina followed the house-elf Boli to the eighth floor.

    "Now, it''s time to meet Dumbledore."

    Alina took in a deep breath as she looked at the staircase next to the stone gargoyle and prepared to go in.

    Suddenly, she realized that there was a classroom at the end of the corridor that she seemingly hadn''t been in. It seemed like she had accidentally missed it when she was turning around to leave.

    Alina curiously examined it. She didn''t recall anything special on this floor besides the Room of Requirement.

    Wait, could it be the Room of Requirement?! The silver-haired girl''s eyes lit up, and she excitedly asked a question.

    "Boli, what place is that? Is it..."

    "That one, hm..."

    Boli, who was walking behind Alina, raised his head and followed the girl''s arm. He replied, in a rather flat tone, "It seems to be a classroom that''s no longer in use."

    "No, no, I don''t remember seeing it before."

    Alina seriously shook her head. Talking to herself, she ran over to the classroom.

    "Ah? Haaa..."

    The silver-haired girl hopefully opened the door, but when she saw what was inside, her joyous face collapsed, and she sighed.

    Just as Boli had said, this was an abandoned classroom.

    The desks and chairs were piled up at the back. Based on the dusty and empty bottles and bookshelves, it had probably been used for Potions or Herbology.

    "Mm, what''s that?"

    Glancing through the room one last time before leaving, Alina spotted something.

    In front of the classroom, by the window, was a strange pitch-black grand piano.

    Unlike the rest of the disorderly classroom, the piano cover was bright and shiny. Someone probably came by at set intervals to play or care for this considerably expensive piano.

    "Does Hogwarts have a professor that likes to play the piano? This wasn''t in the original work." Alina searched her memories, but she wasn''t able to recall a Hogwarts professor with this kind of interest.

    From the door, Alina was just able to see the logo on the piano''s side: Steinway and Sons. This one of the very best brands of pianos, and in this era, they should have only been found in Germany or America.

    And for the majority of piano enthusiasts, each handmade Steinway was like drugs to a drug addict. From Tokyo to New York, all the major concert halls of the world used Steinway grand pianos.

    Alina''s fingers couldn''t help but play the keys in midair. As someone who had worked in the finance industry in her last life, she had often played the piano to alleviate the pressure, but those Steinway pianos that could easily go for a million were things she had only greedily eyed at concert halls.

    After a few moments of silence, Alina suddenly realized that if she was soon about to leave Hogwarts forever, there was one memorable thing that she had yet to do.

    "Can I play a song on this piano? And then you can take me to see Dumbledore."

    The girl turned her head and asked Boli.

    "I don''t think there''s a problem with that, Miss." Boli elegantly bowed as he answered, raising an arm to point at the piano. "Professor Dumbledore has said that Miss is free to tour all the common areas of the school, and that includes touching and using."

    "Is that how it is...thank you."

    Alina nodded. She didn''t directly go up to the piano, instead of walking up to the open window. Through the window, she could see the glistening lake, the lofty towers of the castle, and the promenades along the lakeshore overgrown with vines...a smile of angelic innocence and satisfaction appeared on her face. In the face of this enchanting smile, even Boli was entranced for a few seconds.

    Opening the piano lid and placing her butt on the front third of the leather stool, Alina straightened her back and put her feet near the pedals. After taking in a deep breath, she slid her slender white fingers across the black and white keys, and a clear and cold sound like metal balls spilled onto ice resounded through the classroom.

    She was finally at Hogwarts, and if she didn''t play the classic ''Hedwig''s Theme,'' she would always feel like something was missing.

    After all, this had been the main theme for the entire seventeen-year-run of the Harry Potter movies. There was no better way to end her tour of Hogwarts.

    Hedwig''s Theme was not an easy song, and Alina, who hadn''t touched a piano ever since she had come to this world, was unable to completely play this difficult song.

    But as her fingers leaped across the keyboard, the castle seemed to produce mystical magic that supported her as she continued to play. For the latter half, she was able to close her eyes and allow her fingers to smoothly and rhythmically dance across the black and white keys.

    An entire half of the song was played to perfection, and she felt like she had transformed into a bird, gliding across the calm surface of the lake and over the ivy-covered stone walls to circle above the towers, fields, and squares of Hogwarts.

    As the last note of the song faded away, Alina breathed out. This was the perfect song she had performed in her entire life.

    Before she could appreciate the melody that was still swirling around her ears, there was a soft sound of applause.

    "An extremely imaginative piece of music. I felt like I could see the sparks coming out of the potion jar."

    A startled Alina shot to her feet as if she had just awakened from a dream, and the feet of the stool scraped across the wooden floor.

    Behind her, a tall and slender elder wearing a blue wizard robe, bearing a long silver beard and azure eyes, had appeared at the door to the classroom, an admiring look on his face as he clapped.

    "What is this song called?"

    Dumbledore curiously asked. For some reason, when he heard this song, he suddenly had a strange feeling...a feeling like this girl was born to be in Hogwarts.

    "''Hedwig''s Theme,'' a song on the beginning of dreams and miracles. Thank you for the piano, Professor Dumbledore."

    "Oh, to be more exact, I''m not good at the piano. I''m just holding it for a friend." Dumbledore energetically blinked, a naughty look appearing behind his half-moon spectacles. "If you like, you can come and play at any time. It will be a secret between the two of us."

    Alina stood up and saw that there was an image on the back of the piano lid, which seemed to be a triangular eye, a vertical line running through the center of the pupil. The moment she saw this image, she knew who the true owner of this piano was.

    After taking one last reluctant glance at her surroundings, Alina gave a relieved smile. It was time to say goodbye.

    Her gaze calmly meant that of the greatest White Wizard in the world as she shook her head and softly answered, "I''m very sorry."

 Chapter 010 - The Third Method of Resisting Legilimency

    "I want to go back."

    Alina''s eyelids dropped to avoid Dumbledore''s gaze, and she stared at his silver beard as she softly spoke.

    If there was one person in the Magic World that Alina didn''t want to meet, that person was the illustrious Headmaster of the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, Albus Dumbledore.

    This was not merely because of his outstanding magic power. More importantly, Dumbledore was a master of Legilimency. In other words, he was a mind-reader like Professor Charles from ''X-Men.''

    Unlike other wizards who needed to use words or their wand, Legilimency masters like Voldemort and Dumbledore could read the mind simply by meeting the eyes of the person they wanted to mind read. Thus, when someone lied to them, they would be able to tell immediately.

    In the novel, there seemed to be no legal restrictions on Legilimency, as Snape had used it when he was teaching Harry, and Dumbledore had used it without hesitation to question others in an emergency. Alina did not believe that Dumbledore was such a man of character that he would not try to pry into her mind.

    One had to understand that Alina, as someone who had crossed over from another world, and far too many secrets that needed to be kept hidden. Ever since she had awakened in the Gryffindor Common Room, she had been thinking about how to deal with this problem.

    "You seem to be afraid of me?"

    Dumbledore''s eyes glanced at the girl''s trembling shoulders as he helplessly shrugged. He gently asked, "Do I look that ugly? You know, I thought that children always rather liked me."

    He was even more curious about the silver-haired girl in front of him. Whether it was that seemingly magical piano tune she had played earlier or her understanding of the Magic World, she stood apart from the rest.

    "It''s not that I''m afraid. I just hate those people who rudely use Legilimency."

    Alina took in a deep breath, trying hard to remain calm. Raising her head, she fearlessly met Dumbledore''s gaze with her lake-blue eyes. Since she was already here, running was simply pointless. It was better to try and take this challenge head-on.

    "I don''t think there''s a reason to talk with a thief who would just barge into someone''s mind."

    For witches and wizards, there were normally two methods of resisting Legilimency.

    The first was to avoid meeting eyes as much as possible and keep one''s distance. This would lower the success rate of the Legilimency.

    But Alina felt that the chances of this working against a profoundly powerful Legilimens like Dumbledore were very low.

    The other method was to be like Severus Snape and learn Occlumency. Occlumency allowed one to resist the effects of Legilimency, even permitting one''s mind to lie without being exposed.

    It was essentially a defensive charm targeted against Legilimency, but it was impossible for Alina.

    However, Alina didn''t think that concealing her thoughts meant that she needed to drive the other party out of her mind. There was a third method of resistance.

    This was to use the rigorous knowledge of science to resist the mysterious power of magic.

    Alina did her best to empty her mind and recall an extremely complicated manifold analysis map she had learned in college: Lie Group E8. This was one of the world''s most complicated mathematical structures and had required four years of diligent effort from eighteen of the world''s best mathematicians to derive finally.

    This was the only method she had been able to think during her tour of Hogwarts to resist Dumbledore''s Legilimency: let her mind be searched, but let it be incomprehensible.

    Lie Groups were developed by the 19th-century mathematician Sophus Lie while he was researching multidimensional symmetry. E8 was proposed in 1887, but even now, not many people understood its structure.

    It was used to explain the phenomenon of symmetrical objects being able to move while still maintaining their form constantly. E8 explained the symmetry of 57-dimensional objects, and one reason for this was something that only high-level mathematicians knew: E8 itself had a dimension of 248.

    The reason she had chosen Lie Group E8 was that, unlike other scientific items that required dealing with large amounts of data, the E8''s calculations required only a small amount of data but produced an immense and extremely dense answer.

    In other words, Alina only needed to think about simple mathematical derivation formulas, while if Dumbledore wanted to read her mind, he needed to complete the formulas.

    As a simple example, it was as if one was listening to Einstein to explain the theory of relativity. Everyone could understand the words coming out of his mouth, but nobody could understand their meaning.

    But Alina had gone a step further, hiding a small trap. If one attempted to calculate and understand Lie Group E8, they would be immersed in a workload several dozen times greater than that of the human genome project. If all the calculations and data were put to paper, the paper could be used to cover the entire island of Manhattan.

    One had to realize that the human genome project required one billion bytes of storage space, while E8 required 60 billion bytes.

    Even if the four founders of Hogwarts were reborn, they wouldn''t be able to start from the point of zero mathematics and completely understand what was going on.

    "What an exquisite and genius concept. Is this the power of the Non-Magic World?"

    The old man''s dark blue eyes quietly met Alina''s gaze for one or two seconds before moving away. He tiredly rubbed his forehead as he sighed in wonder.

    The mental world of a half-Veela was already much more sensitive than an ordinary wizard''s, and then there was that mathematical model, so compact and exquisite that it was like a work of art. Dumbledore had only tried to read her mind for one or two seconds before feeling his brain beginning to ache.

    More importantly, with this simple glance, Dumbledore had finally had a direct look at the terrifying growth of the Non-Magic World that Alina had spoken of. Researching and exploring the origins of the world was no longer solely the domain of witches and wizards

    Dumbledore focused his mind, and solemnly began to re-inspect the girl standing next to the piano.

    Her small and tender face seemed to be very nervous, and her faintly most and lake-blue eyes were brimming with hostility. Her petite body was unconsciously shaking, and it was clear that in this strange environment, the girl was not as tough as her tone conveyed.

    This child...just how much did she fear the Magic World?

    Dumbledore shook his head as Alina stared at him like he was her mortal foe, he slowly walked over and squatted down so that their eyes were level with each other. Cautiously, he extended a hand and stroked her silver hair, speaking in a sincere tone.

    "My apologies. Please forgive this old man''s senility."

    Dumbledore''s eyes were gentle and earnest, no longer so piercing and sharp. It was like an old grandfather who was filled with remorse and pity after accidentally provoking his granddaughter.

    "I promise to you, as Headmaster of Hogwarts, that I will never again use Legilimency on you."

    "..."

    Alina bit her lip, her expression slightly relaxing, but she said nothing.

    It was hard for anyone to feel repulsion for this great wizard who had been a constant presence throughout the Harry Potter movies Since Dumbledore had sworn on the name of Hogwarts, he naturally wouldn''t break his promise.

    Seeing that the girl had slightly relaxed, Dumbledore smiled. He took out his wand and gave it a light shake, seemingly conjuring up a cup of ice cream that was still exuding a cold air.

    "As an apology, why don''t you try this lemon ice cream from the Hogwarts kitchens? As far as I know, this is well-liked sweet in your world. I also rather like it."

    Dumbledore blinked as he offered the cup and a spoon to the silver-haired girl.

    "Hmph, I''m not a three-year-old kid!"

    Alina saw Dumbledore''s expression as someone who was trying to soothe a small child, and when she saw the ice cream, her face turned red in anger as she shouted.

    Trying to get back in her good graces with a little treat after casually prying into her mind? Absurd!

    Noticing the look in the girl''s eyes, Dumbledore smiled even more warmly. He pulled on Alina''s hand and placed the porcelain cup of lemon ice cream on it.

    "So, can you spend a little time listening to an old man''s chattering?"

    Alina hesitated for a few seconds and then extended her tongue to lick the ice cream. She immediately felt a refreshing sweet and sour taste blossom on the tip of her tongue.

    "...Mmm, fine, you can talk." The silver-haired girl squinted as she spoke, a small spoon in her mouth.

 Chapter 011 - Money Can Be Made Any Time, But...

    The empty classroom was quiet. At this moment, the setting sun broke through the clouds, casting its orange afterglow through the window and engulfing half the class, the silver-haired girl, and the grand piano included.

    Alina sat on the leather stool, her eyes down as she focused on scooping one mouthful of lemon ice cream into her mouth after another as if all that was significant in the world was held in the palm of her hand.

    Dumbledore glanced at the girl who had suddenly become like an obedient kitten and shook his head, a bitter smile on his face. He hadn''t expected the advice Professor McGonagall had brought back would actually be useful.

    The old wizard raised the wand in his right hand and gave it a skillful shake. One of the wooden desk chairs in the back of the classroom flew over to him. He used magic to clear the dust off and then stood up and sat himself down.

    "Hello, Alina. Let me reintroduce myself. I am Professor Dumbledore, the Headmaster of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

    Alina gave a slight nod to indicate that she was listening to Dumbledore, but inwardly, she grumbled. Fortunately, he hadn''t read straight from his Chocolate Frog card, or else she would have to reconsider what the average IQ of the Magic World was.

    Dumbledore cleared his throat and gave Alina a sincere look as he continued.

    "With regards to the Magic World and Hogwarts, I presume that there''s no need for me to explain. We primarily invited Miss Alina to tour our school so that we could once more invite you to attend."

    "Oh..."

    Alina used the metal spoon to poke the porcelain saucer, which lightly clung. Her eyelashes trembled as she spoke in a soft whisper.

    "It seems like the Magic World''s language conventions are different from the Non-Magic World. We normally call this sort of conduct drugging and kidnapping."

    What peeved her the most was not that she had been knocked out and taken to Hogwarts. It was that the bait that had been used to lure her in was the fish that she had so painstakingly roasted!

    Dumbledore''s amiable smile couldn''t help but freeze. He softly coughed and pretended that he hadn''t heard the girl''s condemnations, continuing on with his usual expression.

    "Cough! We all know that you are no ordinary person. As time goes on, you will inevitably discover that you will be running into odd situations in your normal life."

    Loss of control over magic wouldn''t happen only once. The majority of young wizards and witches, lacking the guidance of a developed system, we''re unable to control or use the magic building up in their bodies. Only through the venting of their emotions could they unconsciously release their magic.

    But unlike with the vast majority of children, Dumbledore could sense that Alina was well aware of how she was different, and she had managed to skillfully fuse it into her everyday life. One had to realize that the couriers used by wizards were not so easily caught by Muggles.

    "You possess extraordinary talent in magic, and Hogwarts can develop your abilities to their furthest extent, teaching you how to control and use your magic. With regards to the power in your body, you do not..."

    "I know." Alina put down the cup and saucer and interrupted him. "But don''t I also have the right to choose to be an ordinary person? Frankly speaking, Professor Dumbledore, do you really think that Muggles live happy lives?"

    "Although it''s not as convenient, perhaps they live happier lives because they know less? So you are willing to enter Hog..."

    Dumbledore frowned in confusion, not understanding why this girl had suddenly asked this question. After some thought, he answered the question in a rather uncertain tone.

    "No, you''re wrong."

    Before Dumbledore could finish, the silver-haired girl sat up straight, folded her legs together, and naughtily wagged a finger. She declared in a profound tone of voice, "The happiness of Muggles is something you can''t even imagine."

    Based on the details in the original work, the luxury goods and means of entertainment in the Magic World were lacking to an absurd degree. Whether it was the decorations on their clothes, the design, or quality, they all exuded the old-fashioned style of the nouveau riche of Middle Ages Europe.

    As for their transportation methods, when it the top existences of these two worlds, broomsticks like the Nimbus or the yet-to-be-released Firebolt didn''t seem all that different from ordinary wooden broomsticks when compared to luxury sports car brands like the Bugatti Veyron and the Shelby Supercar.

    As for food and drink, the truffle hailed as the ''King of Delicacies,'' went for 4000 euros a kilogram. Meanwhile, a small jar of Almas caviar went for 25000 US dollars. Meanwhile, the Densuke black rind watermelon produced in Japan, the most delicious black rind watermelon, in the world was normally sold on average for 6000 US dollars...in Alina''s view, if the people of the Magic World wanted to enjoy such luxuries, the only method was to forcefully seize it.

    "...In short, no matter how I think of it, an ordinary person lives much happier than a witch or wizard. So why do I have to become a witch and be ruled by your Magic World?"

    Truthfully speaking, in her last life, Alina had not personally enjoyed these pleasures enjoyed by the nouveau riche, but this didn''t prevent her from using this knowledge to flaunt the luxuries of the Non-Magic World to Dumbledore. Even if she had to hide some details and information that couldn''t be revealed, she could still make the entire Magic World seem extremely impoverished and lacking.

    "Oh, Professor Dumbledore, is there anything to drink?"

    Alina licked her dry lips and glanced at Dumbledore, shamelessly adding a request. Talking about so much had left her throat rather dry.

    "Of course. From what you''ve said, the Non-Magic World truly is very attractive."

    Dumbledore had listened to Alina''s explanation (showing off) with quite some interest. He now gently nodded and waved his wand, causing a cup of iced pumpkin juice to appear in the silver-haired girl''s hand.

    He had gradually begun to grasp the unique way with which one needed to communicate with this little girl.

    "However, Miss Alina, you might not have quite understood what I meant. You are not an ordinary ''human.''"

    Dumbledore shrugged his shoulders and emphasized the word ''human.'' He slowly began to explain, "When an immature witch or wizard loses control of their magic, they might start floating, objects might disappear, they could suddenly appear in a different place, or even fly...but they won''t influence another person''s mind."

    The silver-haired girl who had been happily sipping on her pumpkin juice suddenly froze. After taking so many language courses from Benitez, she was no longer that idiot who had just crossed over and didn''t know English. The term Dumbledore had chosen to use had finally gotten a reaction out of her.

    "Do you mean that I''m a Mutant (from X-Men)?" Alina joked with a dry smile. She sensed that things were beginning to get out of her control.

    "Mutant? No..."

    Dumbledore confusedly repeated Alina''s words, clearly not understanding the joke. His half-moon spectacles gleamed as he raised his head and sternly intoned.

    "You are a half-Veela, Miss Alina Kaslana. Veela are magical creatures that have existed for far longer than wizards and witches. With your half-Veela blood, you were part of the Magic World from the moment you were born."

    Clang.

    As Dumbledore spoke, the metal goblet full of iced pumpkin juice dropped from the girl''s hands and struck the floor, spilling pumpkin juice everywhere.

    "Ve...Veela?! Me, a magical creature?"

    Alina''s eyes bulged in disbelief. While silver hair was rather rare, it wasn''t a complete impossibility. She had crossed over many years ago, and at most, she had imagined that she possessed the blood of the Kaslana family. She had never associated this hair color with a magical creature. After all, if she had been a Veela descendant, wasn''t an opening set of being abandoned on the streets of London a little too non-magical?

    Crucially, Alina suddenly realized that she had had some misconceptions. Spending too much with time with the business and financial concepts of the Non-Magic World had made her forget the most quintessential difference between the Magic and Non-Magic Worlds: magical creatures.

    One''s way of living could be changed, and one''s quality of life could be raised, but what could not be changed was how one saw the world. In a flash, the names and appearances of all kinds of mystical, magical creatures appeared in Alina''s mind: the Blast-Ended Skrewt, the Graphorn, the Mandrake, the Basilisk, the Mackled Malaclaw, the Fire Salamander, the Thunderbird, the Horned Serpent, the Phoenix...

    As someone who had been reborn, she would have plenty of time to make money, and there would be countless opportunities within the next few decades to prosper in the Non-Magic World. However, if she missed out on some of these amazing creatures¡ªlike a certain precious Basilisk that was still sleeping, the thought of which made Alina subconsciously lick her lips¡ªthen no matter how much money she made in the Non-Magic World, she would never again have a chance to see (taste) those beautiful and mystical creatures.

    When one was reborn, what was most important was not to retread another person''s path to success, but to vigorously explore the unknown.

    "Miss Alina? Miss Alina?!"

    Alina heard Dumbledore''s worried voice and sensed that someone was shaking her by the shoulder. Coming to her senses, she saw Dumbledore''s concerned face appear before her.

    "Are you okay? Suddenly learning one''s background truly isn''t a good feeling. My apologies. I didn''t know this matter would be such a shock to you."

    Dumbledore sighed in relief now that the girl was slowly coming back to her senses. The sight of her eyes going slack and her starting to madly chuckle while foaming at the mouth (drooling) had scared the wits out of him.

    Perhaps, no matter how early a child matured, it was still rather difficult to accept that one had been an orphan abandoned by the Magic World...

    Dumbledore murmured to himself as he gazed at the shocked and overjoyed expression on Alina''s face.

    "So that''s how it was. In other words, I was born to study at Hogwarts."

    As Dumbledore was wondering if he should call another cup of lemon ice cream for Alina so that she could compose herself, the silver-haired girl, raised her legs and hugged her arms around them, and nodded her head with great seriousness.

    "???"

    Dumbledore''s wand was already raised in the air, but the words he had been preparing to speak were swallowed back down his throat. He stared in shock and confusion at this silver-haired girl who had suddenly changed her mind, not understanding what she meant.

    Following Dumbledore''s gaze, Alina looked down at her legs that were now resting on the leather stool and immediately put them back down in embarrassment. Folding her legs together, placing her hands on her knee, she bashfully chuckled and began to speak in a sickly sweet tone.

    "Dear Headmaster Dumbledore, in truth, it''s not that I can''t enter Hogwarts to study. But I hope that you could agree to a few small requests of mine..."

 Chapter 012 - Three Small Requests

    "My first and most important request is that I hope that you will keep my identity as a half-Veela a secret."

    Alina raised her index finger and solemnly spoke to Dumbledore.

    The exact origin of witches and wizards stretched so far back into history that it was impossible to verify. From the moment humans became active, they already had the concept of magic, but there was no textual evidence as to when humans began to try to learn and control this supernatural power.

    If one put aside the legends of the east, the earliest record of magic in history was around 2600 BCE, with the Pharaohs of Egypt and the magicians that served them. If one disregarded Egypt and ancient Babylon, the earliest record of the Magic World was in 382 BCE, when the Ollivander family began to produce wands.

    Alina had always been rather suspicious about this because this always made her think about those stores found throughout the streets of the world she had come from that often claimed to have been in business for one thousand years.

    Records of magic in Europe''s Non-Magic World only began to appear after 4 BCE, after the descent of Jesus Christ. As for the region of Great Britain, it was only around 500 CE that the first legendary wizard for which textual evidence existed appeared: Merlin.

    But no matter what one said, magical creatures had existed long before the first human civilizations were established. To be more precise, if human wizards were considered a type of magical creature, humans actually weren''t that magically powerful.

    After all, even house-elves could use powerful magic without wands, and they were considered weak when it came to magical creatures. But if a human wizard lost their wand, which could be considered a ''magical amplifier,'' their strength would plunge, and the cores of wands were all made from parts of magical creatures.

    And reality showed that the majority of witches and wizards of mixed ancestry really were quite a bit stronger than ordinary witches and wizards. For example, Hagrid had inherited his absurd magic resistance and monstrous strength from his giant mother, while Fleur''s extraordinary talent for magic was strongly connected to her Veela grandmother.

    But humans'' attitude toward wizards and witches of mixed blood (referring here to those with mixed magical creature ancestry) had always been rather awkward: fear, exclusion, distrust, and faint envy...from the original work, one could see that both Fleur and Hagrid had been excluded by their peer witches and wizards.

    Alina had no desire to have people point at her like an animal at the zoo whenever she went to school. It was enough that the mighty ''Boy Who Lived'' enjoyed that treatment.

    "If you can''t even guarantee this, then I would rather not eat...oh..." The silver-haired girl accidentally bit down on her tongue and groaned, after which she mumbled out, "Rather never learn magic...nor will I study at a place like this."

    "On this point, I can guarantee to you that no one in this school except Professor McGonagall and me will know your true identity. But actually, Hogwarts has had quite a few students like you, so there''s no need to worry about such things."

    Dumbledore nodded and immediately agreed.

    He had originally believed that this girl would make very strange and rigorous demands. Even if Alina hadn''t mentioned it, he would have still reminded her to keep her bloodline hidden.

    In truth, if Alina hadn''t been so determined to have anything to do with the Magic world, Dumbledore would have never told her about her Veela blood.

    "What else? I remember that you said, ''a few,'' right?"

    Dumbledore gave a relaxed chuckle. It was clear that Alina was much simpler than Riddle from several decades ago, who had many more things on his mind. While she was a little willful, Alina was much more willing to share her thoughts and ideas. As for the child''s gluttonous tendencies, Dumbledore found them insignificant.

    "Besides, I have a tiny request that is just teensy bit more troublesome, but for Professor Dumbledore, it should be as easy as lifting a finger."

    Alina blinked her eyes, gesturing with the thumb and index finger of her left hand while she raised a second finger with her right hand.

    "If it''s possible, I hope that between my fourth and fifth year at the latest, I can be a government-sponsored exchange student and study in America."

    "Mm...you want to be a foreign exchange student in America?"

    A thoughtful look appeared in Dumbledore''s eyes, and his eyebrows trembled. After a few seconds, he began to speak slowly.

    "The Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? This might be a little more difficult. Normally, it''s very rare for magic schools to exchange students with each other..."

    "No, I''m not talking about a magic school."

    Alina shook her head and smiled. "I''m talking about Harvard University, a school founded by Muggles. Based on what I know, the Ministry of Magic has always had a close relationship with the Non-Magic World of Great Britain. Professor Dumbledore, if you make the request, I''m sure the British Prime Minister will agree."

    "A Muggle school?"

    Dumbledore''s azure eyes flashed in surprise, and his brow furrowed as he looked in confusion at this little girl, apparently trying to determine from her expression if she was joking.

    Alina restrained her smile and looked up to meet Dumbledore''s gaze as she sternly answered.

    "Yes, just as I said before, the Non-Magic World possesses immense potential, so there must be someone who can go to study and understand all of this. In my view, that place is the part of the Non-Magic World where the newest knowledge will be found."

    This was the result of the girl''s careful analysis. After all, based on the future plotline, after the Goblet of Fire in the fourth year, Great Britain would become an extremely unstable place. She certainly had no interest in dying to a monster with no nose who had split his soul into several parts.

    At the same time, starting from 1995, the Muggle World would formally welcome the great wave of the internet age. Almost all the internet companies that would eventually sweep over the world would rise up within the next ten years. This would be the greatest reshuffling of capital in the modern era of humanity. The opening of the virtual world and the explosion of information would finally cause the term ''civilization'' to break free of the confines of territory and nation.

    Dumbledore said nothing, falling into a strange silence. After a long time, he finally spoke once more.

    "Extremely important?"

    "Extremely important! If our Magic World and the Non-Magic World will have to coexist in the future, this might be the last chance for the two sides to be on equal terms, or perhaps for the Magic World to even have the upper hand."

    Now that she knew of her connection to the Magic World, that she had been born a half-magical creature. Alina naturally began to use the term ''our.'' After all, if the Magic World was completely exposed ten-some years later, she had no wish to be a pitiful outcast who had to keep running and hiding.

    "I understand. I need to think about this, and the fourth year might be a little too soon..."

    In truth, Dumbledore had always thought about sending students to study in the Muggle World, but this was like gambling a wizard or witch''s magic potential for some unknown knowledge.

    "What if I can complete the majority of Hogwarts'' classes ahead of time? I''m actually very smart."

    Seeing that Dumbledore was apparently rather open to the idea, the silver-haired girl hastily stood up, her eyes bright. She hadn''t had much hope when she had made the request and had even prepared herself to spend many days after entering the school drinking tea and doing battle in the Headmaster''s office.

    Dumbledore couldn''t help but chuckle upon seeing the overly confident Alina. He extended a hand and patted her silver hair, shaking his head.

    "The classes of Hogwarts are not as easy as you imagine. Why don''t we do this? If you''re number in grades for all your subjects every year, I''ll go and find Fudge, ah, that''s the Minister for Magic, to discuss this matter."

    "It''s a deal! Professor Dumbledore, I presume you''re not someone who takes back his promises."

    Alina extended a hand and pressed it into the hand Dumbledore was using to pet her, her eyes squinting so happy that they were slits. Dumbledore knew nothing of the power of the mysterious super students of the east. One had to realize that every student that could get through the hellish ''National College Entrance Examination'' was an existence on par with ''Miss Know-it-All'' Hermione Granger.

    And besides...

    When Dumbledore wasn''t looking, a cunning light gleamed in the silver-haired girl''s eyes.

    Let alone number one for the school for every year; if her speculations were correct, she could even become the No. 1 in Hogwarts for the rest of history.

    "Just these two? I''m getting on in my years, so I can''t remember too many requests."

    Dumbledore and Alina had clearly gotten closer after these conversations. The old man lightly rapped the silver-haired girl on the head as he joked.

    "If I really have to say it, then I actually have one more. Mmmm, just treat it as compensation for kidnapping me to Hogwarts. But it concerns Professor McGonagall."

    After tilting her head to the side and biting her fingers in thought, Alina spoke.

    "What is it? If it concerns Professor McGonagall, I certainly can''t guarantee anything." Dumbledore raised his eyebrows and spread apart his arms.

    "It''s a very simple matter...when reading out the list of students, can you put my name (Alina Kaslana) first?"

    Although she spoke in an acute and indifferent tone, Alina was actually very nervous, her eyes carefully studying Dumbledore''s expression.

    In her previous life, there was no lack of science fiction that speculated on how crossing over might change the plotline of the world. Even in the Harry Potter series, there was the Time-Turner, which could cause paradoxes.

    This was Alina''s tiny attempt to change the course of the world. She wanted to see if the legendary restricting force of the world''s inertia actually existed and if ''Ironforged Hannah Abbott'' would be affected by her existence.

    "That''s all? There''s no problem with that."

    Dumbledore had waited for several seconds, and when he found that Alina was not adding anything else, he couldn''t help but voice his surprise. This request was so simple that it hardly counted as anything in his view.

    "Mm, that''s all." The silver-haired girl smiled and nodded. As long as she could confirm whether the so-called world''s restricting force existed, it was enough.

    Everything seemed to slowly be getting more and more interesting.

 Chapter 013 - This Is a Pretty Phoenix

    Alina wasn''t that surprised by Dumbledore''s reaction to her three requests.

    This was the advantage of knowing the personality of the characters in the plot. Unless this Dumbledore was a fake who had drunk the Polyjuice Potion, then based on what Alina knew about Dumbledore, the requests she had made had mostly been in line with the ideals Dumbledore had always pursued.

    In truth, Dumbledore could be said to be the most open-minded Headmaster in the history of Hogwarts. If Professor McGonagall were standing here, instead, the mood would have never been so happy and relaxed.

    "So, Miss Kaslana."

    Just as Alina began to dream about her beautiful life studying magic, Dumbledore suddenly smiled and spoke.

    "I have a small request here that I need you to work with me a little on."

    "Eh?!"

    The silver-haired half-Veela''s eyes blinked, and she suddenly had a bad feeling. It was the same feeling she got whenever Benitez caught her after she got into trouble and scolded her.

    "Then...can I add another request: Professor Dumbledore can''t make any requests of me?"

    Alina weakly raised a hand, her eyes turning as she pulled on Dumbledore''s hand and cutely asked.

    She didn''t know what Dumbledore was about to say, but it was never wrong to resist ahead of time.

    "It seems that quite a few of the owls Hogwarts uses to send letters have gone missing this year. Has Miss Kaslana heard about this?"

    Dumbledore amusingly watched as Alina put on her cute act, and then his lips curved into a smile as he looked down his somewhat crooked nose and warmly asked the silver-haired girl.

    "Ha, hahaha, how could I know? Perhaps, they got a heat stroke or got lost...fine, Professor Dumbledore, what is it you want?"

    Alina''s sweet smile instantly froze, and she began to laugh awkwardly. Under the pressure of Dumbledore''s silent gaze, she dejectedly dropped her head and obediently sat back down on the piano stool.

    "There''s no need to be so grim. It''s a very simple little thing." Dumbledore couldn''t help but shake his head at Alina''s childish display as he spoke in a stern tone.

    "I hope that you can pledge to never use the Unforgivable Curses, and that you never allow greed, hatred, and ambition to blind your pure soul, that you never betray Hogwarts and the Magic World."

    "...Eh?"

    The silver-haired girl instinctively looked to her left and right. Such solemn words couldn''t have been said to someone as cute and innocent as her, right? These sounded more like words meant for some great devil.

    "But, Professor Dumbledore, didn''t you say that it was only a little?" Alina gave a dazzling smile as she tried to change the subject.

    "Promise me."

    Dumbledore was unmoved, his sharp, azure eyes locked onto Alina''s face.

    One had to admit that, as the greatest White Wizard of his generation, when Dumbledore got serious, he truly had a powerful aura. At the very least, it was enough to intimidate a little girl who was tougher on the outside than the inside.

    "Ugh, fine, I promise."

    After meeting the elder''s eyes for a few seconds, Alina awkwardly looked away. She kicked the leg of the chair in a huff and groaned before finally agreeing. Even if Dumbledore didn''t mention it, she had no desire to become the third Dark Lord.

    Upon hearing Alina''s answer, Dumbledore gave a satisfied nod. He gripped his half-moon spectacles as he prepared to speak.

    Thump!

    The door to the abandoned classroom was thrown open, and a giant more than three meters tall bent down and squeezed his way in. His long hair and thick beard almost entirely obscured his face, but one could still see those glimmering eyes like little black beetles peeking out from under all the hair.

    "Professor Dumbledore, I finally found you. Tomorrow is little Harry''s birthday. We have to go and pick..."

    The giant anxiously said, his voice sounding like rumbling thunder. But then he stopped halfway, noticing Alina''s head peeking out from behind Dumbledore.

    "Oh, Professor, my apologies. I didn''t know you had a guest. I''ll wait outside."

    As the giant spoke, he scratched his face in embarrassment, his feet stomping as he tried to turn and leave.

    "Hagrid, it''s fine. I''ve just about finished my conversation with Miss Kaslana."

    Dumbledore shook his head and indicated that Hagrid didn''t need to leave. He then turned back to Alina and spoke in a rather apologetic tone.

    "My apologies. I have a few matters that I need to discuss with Mister Hagrid. If you don''t mind, Miss Alina, you can wait in my office for a bit. Just go up the stairs next to that large stone statue. There are sweets, cookies, snacks, and drinks inside that you can enjoy at your pleasure."

    "I can eat all the food in the room?" Alina''s eyes went bright.

    Dumbledore thought if over. After confirming that he hadn''t left any dangerous magical tools in the Headmaster''s office, he warmly replied, "Of course."

    "Mm, then I''ll go over while you talk."

    The silver-haired girl looked up and took one last look at the giant Hagrid, who had suddenly appeared in the abandoned classroom, her mind recalling how Hagrid had been described in the novel. This was probably one of the characters that the Harry Potter fan base had the greatest understanding of.

    Compared to his portrayal in the movies, this Hagrid seemed to be even a little taller, but knowing the kind-hearted nature of giants, Alina wasn''t afraid at all. On the contrary, while she was walking by, she poked at his hanging arm. It was incredibly tough, and it felt like she had poked her finger at a block of granite.

    "Professor, who''s this kid?"

    Hagrid asked in confusion as he turned and watched Alina skip out of the classroom.

    This was the first time he had encountered a child who not only didn''t fear him but was even so bold as to poke his arm.

    "Alina Kaslana, a very special student." Dumbledore helplessly shrugged his shoulders as he watched Alina leave.

    Pausing, Dumbledore looked around and then waved his wand, causing the door to the room to shut. He sternly looked at Hagrid. "Let''s not talk about her right now. It''s not just picking up Harry. I also need you to go to Gringotts and get..."

    Meanwhile,

    Alina went past the stone gargoyle and up the spiraling stairs. Walking up to the glossy wooden door, she pulled on the half-eagle half-lion bronze knocked and opened the door.

    The walls of the room were covered with portraits of previous Headmasters. There were both men and women, and all of them had refined expressions. However, perhaps because Dumbledore wasn''t here, the people in the portraits were either not present or sleeping.

    Just as Dumbledore had said, the large table in the center of the room was piled with an assortment of cakes, cookies, candies, and other such snacks.

    Just when Alina was about to walk up and sample the ''Headmaster''s Special Snacks'' when she heard a strange sound behind her, like someone was singing.

    Alina turned and saw a bird perch behind the door, upon which was a noble red bird, about the size of a swan. It had a dazzling golden tail, and its beak and claws were both very long and gleaming gold. This was Dumbledore''s pet Phoenix Fawkes.

    Phoenixes were known as the undying birds and were a kind of magic and immortal bird. The Latin poet Ovid once said in a poem, "...But there is one creature that never changes, that reproduces and renews itself over the many months and years. This is the bird the Assyrians call the Phoenix..."

    This was a magical creature that was truly very difficult to kill. When its body began to decline, it would enter a blazing inferno to be reborn in flames. No matter what sort of injury or attack it suffered, even if it lost a body part, all of it would be mystically restored upon its rebirth.

    From the original work, one could tell that the Phoenix Fawkes was a wizard''s ideal pet. Its tears could heal injuries and cure poisons, and it could fly while holding the weight of several people. It had a magical song, could act as a sentry or messenger, and Dumbledore could even use its power to vanish from the Headmaster''s office even though Apparition could not be used in Hogwarts (As seen when the Ministry of Magic attempted to arrest Dumbledore''s Army). It could even ''teleport'' so that it could help its master take a fatal blow (Directly took Voldemort''s Avada Kedavra Curse and was reborn).

    Thus, Newt Scamander, in his book ''Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,'' Phoenixes were designated as XXXX magical creatures. The reason why it did not enter the fifth level of the Ministry of Magic''s (M.O.M.) classification was that Phoenixes were not a creature that would kill witches or wizards, and Dumbledore had proved that they could be tamed.

    "This Phoenix is so pretty."

    Alina''s blazing eyes stared at Fawkes''s erect chest and muscular wings, and she subconsciously licked her lips.

    If she recalled correctly, Professor Dumbledore had said that she could eat all the food in the room, right?

 Chapter 014 - Hunting in Progress

    Hogwarts Headmaster''s office.

    Phoenixes had very gentle temperaments, and their songs could purify one''s mind and imbue one with courage.

    Thus, those people who got to see a Phoenix were all pure children being watched over by destiny. Or at least that was what Alina believed at this moment.

    "Nice to meet you, Fawkes. I am Alina Kaslana."

    Gulu~

    The silver-haired half-Veela girl nervously swallowed. Cautiously observing the Phoenix, she bowed, trying to indicate that she meant no harm¡ªthough she didn''t know if this etiquette shown to Hippogriffs would work on a Phoenix.

    Fawkes did nothing but blink its large and beautiful eyes while staring in confusion at Alina.

    Just when Alina thought that the smile on her face was about to freeze, Fawkes bent its red-feathered neck and took a bow of its own.

    "Whew...Thank you, Hagrid, thank you, Mister Newt. By helping people understand magical beasts, they''ve made an outstanding contribution to the world."

    Alina breathed out and slowly walked over. She cautiously extended a hand and began to caress the Phoenix''s golden-red plumage. She could sense the firm wings beneath the soft feathers, hot and bursting with meat.

    The Phoenix pleasantly trilled, lazily closing its eyes as if enjoying Alina''s soft stroking.

    In reality, witches and wizards had always wondered if there was some mysterious connection between Phoenixes and Veelass because when pure Veela were enraged, they would transform into birds and toss fireballs at their foes.

    "So warm..."

    Seeing that the golden-red bird had closed its eyes, Alina quietly put her other hand on the other side of the Phoenix while she happily rubbed her small face against its feathers.

    Unlike Scottish Round-Faced Chicken, which had a rather foul stench, Phoenix feathers smelled like a blanket that had been basking in the light of a summer day.

    Alina''s hands closed around Fawkes as she sniffed. Subconsciously, she whispered, "Such large wings! They must be delicious..."

    Fawkes, who had just begun to nod off, suddenly opened its eyes, turning its head to the silver-haired girl who had begun to crawl on its back with a very human confusion.

    It saw the cute Alina lick her lips, close her eyes, open her mouth, and happily bite down on its wing¡ªCreee~

    ?!

    ?!

    The quiet Headmaster''s office suddenly resounded with a bird''s cry.

    Before Alina could finish biting down, the threatened Phoenix immediately unfurled its wings and pushed off the silver-haired girl.

    Pop.

    With a soft pop, the Phoenix disappeared from its perch and reappeared on the center table. The feathers on its neck were standing on end as it warily stared at Alina, who was confused over the emptiness in her mouth.

    "Eh? Dumbledore said that I could eat you."

    Alina regretfully wiped her mouth with her suddenly emptied hand. Turning around, she turned to Fawkes and spread apart her arms as she earnestly explained, "And besides, you''re the immortal bird. I was just curious to see what you tasted like. I didn''t mean anything bad by it."

    Fawkes angrily cried out after hearing Alina''s words, its fiery wings spreading apart as it stared at Alina like she was a dangerous creature.

    As a conflict between bird and child erupted, the previous Headmasters of Hogwarts in their portraits began to open their eyes and awaken, watching with great interest the stalemate in the office.

    "It''s been so many years, but this is the first time I''ve seen someone dare to try and bite a Phoenix." A fat wizard with a red nose folded his arms and curiously inspected the empty-handed Alina.

    "What House are you from? Slytherin or Gryffindor? I think only the people from these two Houses would be this audacious. Raise your wand, little girl, fight like a witch."

    "Sorry, I''m none of them, Headmaster Dexter Fortescue. I will only know which House I belong to after the Sorting Ceremony in one month. Thus, I still don''t have my wand."

    Alina glanced at one of the portraits, shaking her head as she respectfully replied.

    This ''Headmaster Portrait'' who was often irascible in both the movies and the novels was someone she had some impression of. Although she didn''t know how much intelligence the wizard in the portrait still possessed, there was nothing bad about being courteous.

    "Perhaps she doesn''t understand what a Phoenix is? Witches and wizards born from Muggle families will often cause such amusing scenes out of their ignorance."

    A jeer came from the side. A somewhat plump wizard with curly hair glanced at Alina as he haughtily spoke.

    Phineas Nigellus Black, the least popular Headmaster in the history of Hogwarts. He had been able to tell from Alina''s clothes that she had come from the Non-Magic World.

    "I actually might know even more than you do."

    Alina raised an eyebrow. She wouldn''t get angry because of comments from a portrait, and besides, she had long ago heard about this stubborn old wizard''s temper. The silver-haired girl casually shrugged.

    "And I might as well correct. I''m certainly no Muggle. The blood of your ''Toujours Pur'' Black family might not even be better than my blood."

    "A blood even purer than the oldest and most noble Black family? Impossible! I''ve never heard of a family in the Sacred Twenty-Eight with the surname of Kaslana."

    Phineas disdainfully spat. Although he was rather surprised that Alina was able to recite the motto on the Black family''s coat of arms, he wouldn''t be so easily intimidated by a little girl.

    "Oh...who told you I was British? I hope you''re not so narrow-minded as to think that Britain is the only place in the world with pure-blood wizarding families, right? Dear Headmaster Phineas of 12 Grimmauld Place, London."

    The silver-haired girl casually replied. Her eyes slowly scanned the Headmaster''s office, hoping to see if she could find any convenient objects that could help her catch the Phoenix.

    In any case, Phineas, restricted to his portrait, would be unable to determine what family she came from. Shooting back with a reply that would shut him up would save her a lot of trouble.

    "Could it be a foreign pure-blood wizarding family that once visited the Black family? Silver hair...Alina...that seems to be a name often found in Germany."

    As expected, after hearing Alina''s reply, Phineas put his chin on his hand and began to think.

    In his view, anyone who knew the location of the noble Black family''s home couldn''t possibly have been born in a Muggle family.

    Ignoring Phineas, Alina tried to take a small step forward. Fawkes, standing on the central table, nervously flapped its wings, its golden beak pointed threateningly at Alina, telling her that it would jab at her with its beak if she took another step forward.

    "Wow, so fierce."

    The silver-haired girl stuck out her tongue and calmly took a step back. It seemed like Newt Scamander''s account in ''Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'' was not completely correct. At the very least, this Phoenix could not be described as ''gentle.''

    "Wait a moment; you''re not thinking about eating a Phoenix, are you? Give it up. It''s impossible. Putting aside whether you can even catch it, Phoenixes are fire spirits, so they''re not afraid of flames or high temperatures. And when it''s dangerous, they can even summon flames, burning themselves down to ashes so that they can be reborn. I''ve never heard of anyone who has been able to successfully catch and eat a Phoenix."

    The speaker was an old witch with silver curly hair. She spoke in a soft and gentle tone, like a nun from the convent back in London. All of her sentences ended with a pleasant ring.

    Dilys Derwent, one of the few Headmistresses of Hogwarts. She served in the post from 1741-1768, but before that, from 1722-1741, she was a Healer at St. Mungo''s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Due to her work experience, she had interacted with and studied many dangerous and magically powerful creatures.

    "Honored, Headmistress Dilys, I''ve already thought of a way to cook it."

    Alina turned to the silver-haired witch, and sweetly smiled.

    "As long as the Phoenix doesn''t ignite through nuclear fusion, I just have to switch out all the oxygen in its environment for noble gases and then think of a way to heat the gas, using high heat for cooking it.

    "The only problem now is...how to catch this delicious Phoenix...oh, wait, it has a new name: Rare Scottish Long-Tailed Turkey."

    Alina looked around, her eyes bright.

    "There it is!"

    The silver-haired girl snatched at a shabby wizard''s hat that had been placed on a shelf behind a massive claw-footed table. She carefully inspected the black opening. If the angle was right, it was probably enough to completely cover the Phoenix.

    At this moment, the shabby wizard''s hat began to twist in Alina''s hands. A tear appeared on the brim of the hat, and a panicked voice came from within.

    "Miss, what are you trying to do?! I am a sentient and magical hat that contains the thoughts and intelligence of the four great founders of Hogwarts! Do you know just how rude you''re being?!"

    "Quiet! Of course, I know what I''m doing, dear Sorting Hat."

    Alina kneaded the large hat, then gripped the brim with both hands and aimed the opening at Fawkes''s golden beak, her eyes smugly squinting. "It will probably try to avoid damaging this hat so important to Hogwarts. After all, if the Sorting Hat is damaged, it will affect this year''s Sorting Ceremony."

    Alina raised her head, her eyes meeting Fawkes''s wary gaze. Smiling, she lunged forward with the Sorting Hat. The intelligence of humans rested in using tools for hunting prey!

    "Don''t worry; it will only hurt for a short moment."

    The Sorting Hat continued to sway left and right, its struggles intensifying. As Alina began to move, it started to scream.

    "Wait!!! Wait!!!

    "You''re not treating a sentient magical hat as a hunting net, are you?!

    "Stop! Are you a devil?!"

    "AAAAAAAAH!!!!"

 Chapter 015 - Frightened Phoenix

    "Don''t move, or else if my hand slips, you might tear the Sorting Hat!"

    The Sorting Hat''s panicked screams forced Alina to raise her voice to ensure that Fawkes on the central table would be able to hear her.

    There was no question that Dumbledore''s faithful Phoenix companion of several decades knew the importance this babbling hat held for Hogwarts. Intelligent and loyal, it was certain to be very cautious when making its choice.

    In this fashion, both the Phoenix flames and the sharp beak posed no threat to Alina.

    Just as Alina expected, Fawkes appeared to move a hair slower when facing down the Sorting Hat.

    "A chance!"

    Seizing the moment when Fawkes''s beautiful eyes were brimming with confusion and its golden beak was frozen in the air, Alina used the wide brim of the Sorting Hat to cover the pitiful Phoenix''s head.

    "See? It was simple!"

    Now that she had successfully covered the Phoenix''s head with the Sorting Hat, Alina smugly arched an eyebrow. One hand embraced Fawkes''s warm body while the other gently stroked its trembling feathers. She began to speak in a warm and soothing tone.

    "Don''t be afraid. I didn''t prepare the cooking tools today, so I won''t be eating you for now."

    Gulu~~

    Fawkes trembled, replying to Alina with a pleading wail.

    With it beak being restricted by the Sorting Hat, the golden-red bird could only quietly crouch down on the table. It didn''t dare to move for fear that the wicked silver-haired devil on its back might become unhappy and use its beak to pierce through the Sorting Hat.

    "Idiot, so you''ve caught the Phoenix, but now what?"

    The people in the portraits had their unique methods of communication. A young witch with dark hair appeared in a frame near the bookshelf, lightly harrumphing as she spoke.

    Another antique trying to pick a quarrel with her? The silver-haired half-Veela helplessly opened her mouth and prepared a retort, but then she heard the witch abruptly change the topic.

    "Phoenixes don''t fear fire and don''t fear high temperature either. Although I''ve never cooked a Phoenix before, I''ve already confirmed when trying to barbecue an Ashwinder that this method is not plausible. Have you carefully thought about how you''re going to cook it?"

    Eh?

    Barbecued Ashwinder...

    It sounded like a very delicious dish. Was there a friend among the Headmasters of Hogwarts that enjoyed the same pleasures as her?

    Alina did not answer, choosing to first curiously examine the dark-haired young witch. When she saw the name and introduction under the title, she immediately turned respectful.

    Phyllida Spore, a Headmistress of Hogwarts who unfortunately died in the year 1408 after accidentally ingesting poisonous Snakepool Grass. She was a famous Herbologist and the author of ''One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi.''

    She was essentially the female Shennong of the European Magic World. If not for this fearless Herbologist, the level of magical medicine in the Magic World would have been pushed back by many years.

    As she thought of this and looked down at the trembling Fawkes, Alina felt all her guilt disappear. As it turned out, what she was doing was simply for the sake of a greater ideal.

    "Headmistress Phyllida, you are correct. The cooking method I earlier proposed truly was a little inappropriate. Magical creatures can''t be thought about through the lens of ordinary conventions."

    After a little thought, the unyielding Alina sincerely nodded her head, generously admitting her error.

    As expected of a witch who could become Headmistress of Hogwarts! Even after several hundred years, the intelligence remaining in her portrait could still instruct future generations.

    The fantastic creatures of the Magic World each had their traits. If one stubbornly insisted on treating them by their external appearances and cooking them according to the fashion of the Non-Magic World, it would be a reckless waste of the gifts of nature.

    Since ancient times, humans had a habit of eating cooked food over raw meat because cooking with high temperatures would kill germs. Not only did this make the meat keep for longer, but it was also healthier and easier to digest. Also, cooked meat often had a more satisfying texture.

    But while Phoenixes looked like golden-red turkeys, in reality, one could not cook them exactly as one would cook other birds.

    These were magical creatures that were reborn in the fire; every piece of meat had already been rigorously sterilized in high temperature, a perfect and top-class ingredient that did not require any additional cooking.

    "In other words, I can actually just slice Phoenix meat into thin pieces, prepare a bowl of cold water and a small dish of dipping sauce, and then after dipping the meat in ice water, I can cover it in a thick layer of sauce and put it straight into my mouth.

    "The contrast between ice and fire paired with an explosive seasoning is probably the most delicious flavor in the world."

    Alina mused to herself as she stroked Fawkes''s soft feathers. Swallowing her saliva, she frowned in annoyance.

    "But this is extremely demanding on the freshness of the meat. It''s not like I can go and catch a Phoenix every time I want to eat its meat. If I''m not careful and end up killing it, I''ll have to wait for it to slowly mature again."

    The mutterings of the silver-haired girl caused Fawkes to shudder once more, and its head restrained by the Sorting Hat began to sway around in panic as it tried to breakthrough.

    "Be good, and don''t make trouble. I''m thinking."

    Sensing the Phoenix''s unease, Alina warmly patted its wing.

    "Relax. I don''t normally like eating sashimi, ah, that''s raw meat, by the way, because there''s no skill in that."

    "True. Eating it raw is a little too barbaric. We are witches, after all."

    Within her portrait, Phyllida Spore nodded in approval; then, she folded in her arms in perplexity. "But besides that, it''s truly very difficult to find a way of cooking Phoenixes."

    At some point, all the portraits in the Headmaster''s office had awakened, and all of them watched with bated breath as this human and portrait carried on with their dangerous conversation.

    "Wait a moment, Headmistress Phyllida, I''ve thought of away."

    As Alina unconsciously moved her finger along the contours of Fawkes''s wing muscles, she had a flash of insight and happily explained it to Phyllida Spore.

    "Have you heard of how the fishermen of the Non-Magic World take care of excess fish?"

    "Mm? You''re talking about salted fish..."

    The dark-haired young witch nodded in approval.

    "That''s an excellent method. You only need to heavily salt the wings and thighs of the Phoenix and place them in a cool and dry place where they can slowly air out, and that will allow them to be stored for a very long time."

    !!!

    Fawkes''s struggles intensified, and its long beak began to thrust forward, causing a slight bulge to appear on the Sorting Hat.

    "That''s right. In this way, during the winter, you only need to cut off a small piece of Phoenix meat and put it in some soup, boiling out the warm magic of the Phoenix. Even the smallest bowl would be enough to instantly warm the body."

    It was rare for the silver-haired girl to find a kindred soul in the Magic World, and she happily added on to Phyllida''s words.

    After a moment''s pause, Alina wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth and somewhat remorsefully said, "As expected of the great witch that wrote ''One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi.'' If only I had met you earlier, Headmistress Phyllida."

    "Please, you''re too much. In all these years, you''re the witch with the most courage to explore the unknown that I''ve ever met."

    The dark-haired young witch bashfully waved a hand, but it was obvious that Alina''s politeness had been very effective on her.

    Phyllida Spore gave the clever silver-haired girl a satisfied glance. After a moment''s thought, she raised a finger and slowly said, "With regards to cutting magical substances, I have a small trick here I could teach you..."

    Gulu~~

    Gu~~

    At this moment, Fawkes suddenly made several strange cries, its restrained neck swaying back and forth, not caring that it might damage the Sorting Hat.

    After that, Fawkes opened its massive golden-red wings and beat down, immediately taking flight.

    "Ah? AAAAAH??!"

    Alina, who had just been about to hear about Headmistress Phyllida''s little trick, felt her body tilt. She subconsciously grabbed the brim of the Sorting Hat and pulled, trying to control Fawkes.

    But this silver-haired girl was often outmatched by fish, and the disparity in strength was even greater with this Phoenix that could carry along several adults in flight.

    A second later, Alina was easily whisked into the air by Fawkes like she was made of paper, unable to stop it in the slightest.

    Her hands steadfastly held onto the brim of the Sorting Hat as the Phoenix circled the office. The silver-haired girl suddenly recalled a certain idiom: when riding a tiger, it''s hard to get off.

    As the Sorting Hat covered Fawkes''s head, the frightened Phoenix began to fly around Dumbledore''s beautiful and spacious office like a headless fly.

    The silver-haired girl on its back grimly held onto the pitch-black hat so that she didn''t fall.

    "Leftleftleft!!

    "Ah, stupid bird! Stop flying already! I''m not eating you today!

    "To the right, the right! Don''t go toward the bookshelf!"

    Thump!

    There was a tooth-aching groan from the bookshelf as it slowly toppled to the ground, scattering books all over the floor like petals.

    "Stop! Stop! Stop! You''re going to hit the chandeli¡ª"

    Duang!

    Fawkes snapped off several candlesticks, which toppled to the floor.

    "Don''t come over! Getaway!"

    "Oh, dear God, someone informs Dumbledore."

    Alina, who had narrowly managed to avoid a crash, heard the prestigious former Headmasters and Headmistresses of Hogwarts cry out in alarm.

    "Hold on! The Headmasters'' portraits are in that direction..."

    The girl raised her head, and her pupils constricted. The next target was the portraits of the Headmasters. Some of these portraits were unique, and it would be a great pity if they were damaged. After all, she didn''t know if Dumbledore could repair them.

    More importantly, she felt that those Headmasters had some rather interesting ideas.

    "Forget it!"

    Gritting her teeth, Alina pulled on the two sides of the Sorting Hat and moved her body along with the force of inertia, barely managing to adjust the bird''s head so that it aimed at another part of the room. Then, with a look of grim determination, she curled up her body to minimize the inevitable damage.

    Cling! Crash! Crush!

    The frightened Fawkes flew into the table that it had been standing on a few moments ago like a crashing airliner, scattering the various snacks everywhere before finally coming to a stop right in front of Dumbledore''s wooden desk.

    The ink jar on Dumbledore''s desk rolled over and soaked the letters laid out upon it.

    The force of inertia carried Alina''s small body into the portraits of the Headmasters. As the girl panicked, she managed to grab onto the edge of a wooden frame, slightly slowing her down, and then she slowly slid down into a corner of the office.

    Thud!

    A few seconds later, a teetering wooden frame fell from the wall, and then she heard Phineas''s enraged roars.

    "I want you expelled! In my era, you would have been expelled!"

    Fine. Alina already knew which Headmaster''s portrait she had accidentally brought down.

    "I''m sorry. It wasn''t on purpose."

    Alina smiled. Sitting up, she massaged her sore shoulders and patted the edge of the frame.

    "Besides, Headmaster Phineas, your portrait is very solid. Relax, relax."

    Alina suddenly realized that there was an old parchment scroll hidden behind Phineas''s portrait that was densely covered in words.

    Was this some sort of hidden spell or charm? Or perhaps a clue left by the founders to where they kept their treasures hidden?

    The silver-haired girl''s eyes lit up as she looked around. Her lips curled upward as she reached out to take the parchment scroll and see what was written within.

    Creak.

    There was a soft sound from the entrance as if someone was preparing to come in.

    Dumbledore was back!

    Alina turned solemn as she hastily stuffed the parchment down her collar and then began to weep on the floor as if she was in pain.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Dumbledore opened the door and stared in shock at his devastated office.

    It was like some fierce battle had just taken place in the Headmaster''s office.

    One side of the chandelier on the ceiling had been twisted into a bizarre shape while candied fruits, cookies, and other small snacks were scattered across the floor. The massive wooden bookshelf had fallen toward the center of the room, adding papers and books to the chaos. The ink jar, which was still rolling around, was continuing to spread ink all across his desk.

    The previously breathtakingly beautiful Fawkes was now a disheveled mess of feathers, dejectedly squatting in front of his desk. Next to it was the shabby Sorting Hat, while the silver-haired Alina was curled up in the corner with a pained expression. The portrait of Headmaster Phineas, which had somehow fallen, obscured more than half of her body.

    "Cough. So, what in the world happened here?"

    This Headmaster of Hogwarts, who had the rare respect of all the students and faculty, the greatest wizard of the era, after so many years, once more appreciated the taste of bewilderment.

 Chapter 016 - Situated At the Top of the Food Chain

    "So that''s how it is. I can roughly understand what happened."

    Fawkes''s plaintive cries, the condemnations of the Sorting Hat, and the various comments from the portraits allowed Dumbledore to quickly understand what had happened in the Headmaster''s office in the short span of ten-some minutes.

    As he glanced at the silver-haired girl quietly sitting on the rattan chair, obediently sipping on iced pumpkin juice with an ashamed look on her face, Dumbledore massaged his forehead, feeling a headache coming on.

    As a professor of Hogwarts for many years, he had run into his fair share of eccentric students.

    But this was truly the first time he had run into someone like Alina, who could be a model student in one moment and even naughtier and more uncontrollable than Peeves in the next.

    At the very least, she was probably the first in the long history of Hogwarts, who dared to stew the owls the school used to send letters.

    "Miss Kaslana, it seems like you have a somewhat different understanding of the concept of food."

    Placing this incident together with the missing owls that Professor McGonagall had spoken of, Dumbledore had developed a strange conjecture.

    This seemingly obedient little girl might have divided the world into two simple categories: edible and nonedible.

    "But this sort of conduct is truly..."

    After some thought, Dumbledore decided to take a cautious tone. He spoke slowly as he pondered how to make this girl understand what she had done wrong.

    "I was wrong."

    Before Dumbledore could finish, Alina blinked her eyes, put down her pumpkin juice, and solemnly declared.

    "I''m not criticizing you, but..."

    Dumbledore froze, then he shook his head, slightly adjusted his tone, and continued in a warm and gentle tone.

    Based on his many years of teaching experience, he knew that emphasizing and reproaching a student''s errors did nothing more than vent one''s anger. It did not help the children find the correct path.

    The exploratory questions of an older friend were far more effective than the monotone power and authority of a professor.

    This was something that Dumbledore was most proud of. He was always able to befriend his students.

    Well, at least before today.

    "I know where I was wrong!" Alina interrupted once more.

    "Ah, it''s not..."

    Dumbledore''s smile was somewhat stiff as he raised his hand to say something.

    "Phoenixes are humans'' friends!

    "What I did was extremely wrong!

    "I feel deep remorse and regret all that I have done!

    "I promise that I will never do such a thing again!"

    "..."

    The silver-haired girl placed her hands on her knees, taking on an upright attitude as she engaged in a barrage of self-criticism.

    Her delicate face shone with determination as she declared in an orderly fashion what her mistakes were and how she planned to change herself.

    For a moment, Dumbledore didn''t know what to say, and he could only awkwardly close his mouth.

    After shooting off a long string of words like she was reading a rap, Alina finally stopped and exhaled. She took up the iced pumpkin juice that she had put aside and began to sip on it once more.

    An extremely strange silence settled over the room.

    Other than the whispered conversation between the Headmaster portraits, the only other sound was Fawkes''s weak and aggrieved cries.

    Dumbledore gently stroked the beautiful golden-red bird at his side. He sensed Fawkes tremble the moment his hand touched it. The mental shadow cast upon Fawkes by Alina was worse than he had imagined.

    But just how had she managed to do it...

    Dumbledore''s left index finger rubbed back and forth on his wand, a look of confusion in his azure eyes.

    Logically speaking, an adult Phoenix-like Fawkes was not easily captured by a girl who didn''t even know how to use magic, much less be made into such a mess.

    Even after listening to what everyone else had to say about what had happened in this office, he still could not explain this point.

    If Phoenixes could be so easily captured, the Magic World wouldn''t have classified this special magical creature as XXXX (dangerous/requires specialist knowledge/skilled wizard may handle).

    "Dumbledore, don''t you think that your Phoenix''s mental state is rather strange?"

    At this moment, Phyllida Spore, who had indirectly taken part in the incident, broke the silence.

    Mental state? Dumbledore frowned and began to observe Fawkes. For the first time, fear and unease had appeared in those beautiful eyes, the reaction of a creature that had encountered its natural enemy.

    Wait...natural enemy?

    Dumbledore suddenly thought of how Newt Scamander had returned to the school several years ago and shared with him his experiences in observing magical creatures. During his recounts, he would occasionally bring up the special traits of various magical creatures.

    These were magical traits that would only appear in these fantastic creatures.

    In his research of magical creatures, Newt Scamander had discovered that certain magically powerful creatures would give birth to special individuals.

    Although the difference in species meant that there was a clear distinction between the weak and strong, they all shared an extremely obvious trait.

    When these unique individuals were facing their prey, they would exert an incredible intimidating power. It was like the aura exerted by the carnivores of the Non-Magic World that made their prey so frightened that their muscles locked up.

    But when this sort of situation occurred between magical creatures, it wasn''t just their muscles that locked up. Through some mysterious entanglement, it would even influence the magical ability of the prey.

    Newt Scamander called these unique individuals Predators. The range of their diet was, on average, twice that of other members of their species.

    If he had ever been lucky enough to meet with the British ecologist Charles Elton, he might have produced an even more accurate explanation. In essence, they were existences that resided at the top of the food chain.

    Dumbledore suddenly looked at the seemingly harmless Alina, his mind developing an absurd idea.

    Was there a need to associate this little girl with the term ''Predator''? Even if she was a half-Veela, Veelas were not fierce by nature.

    Moreover, based on Newt Scamander''s research, there was one other important point. A Predator''s intimidation required that the prey feel threatened by death, but Phoenixes were transcendent existences that had never feared death.

    "Unless..."

    Dumbledore raised his eyes, a faint silver light flitting across his eyes. He suddenly asked, "Alina, if I said that I was gifting you a Phoenix, what would you do?"

    Gift her? Alina stared in confusion at the golden-red bird curled up next to Dumbledore.

    "Of course, I would cut off a wing every way and then wait for it to revi..."

    The silver-haired girl instinctively answered, but she only got halfway before she bit down on her tongue.

    "Pah! I was saying that I would cut a slice of fish every day and feed it until it was nice and fat."

    As expected!

    Dumbledore suddenly turned grim. He had sensed that when Alina turned her attention to Fawkes, the Phoenix''s magic had grown slightly chaotic.

    More importantly, was this the Predator trait arising from the Veela blood, or was it...

    Dumbledore couldn''t help but shiver. This child might be even more dangerous than he had imagined.

 Chapter 017 - Grindelwalds Prophecy

    For the first time since they had met, Dumbledore dispelled all his relaxation and sternly looked at the seated Alina.

    The silver-haired girl was now blushing with shame over her previous slip of the tongue. The fawning look on her face and her clumsy appearance as she tried to figure out what to do made one want to laugh.

    But...

    Dumbledore''s gaze paused on the girl''s lake-blue eyes. While they were annoyed and flustered, there was a cleanliness and purity to them like limpid autumn waters.

    Whether it was Fawkes, the portraits on the wall, or the office that was slowly repairing itself through magic, none of them was of particular interest to her. The changes in her emotional state were because of events, not because of the world around her.

    Dumbledore finally understood the incongruity both he and Professor McGonagall had felt when confronting Alina. She was simply too calm.

    As a child who had grown up in the Non-Magic world, Alina showed neither fear nor awe of the unknown Magic World. Even if she had learned of the Magic World before this, the hearing was completely different from seeing.

    "I am very curious..."

    Dumbledore pushed his half-moon spectacles and slowly said.

    "If my guess is correct, this should be your first time seeing a Phoenix. Are you not afraid of its flames and its magical ability to suddenly appear and disappear?"

    "Afraid? Why should I be afraid?"

    The silver-haired girl glanced at Fawkes and tilted her head in confusion.

    "Flames are just a basic natural phenomenon where light and heat are released. Combustion takes place when a flammable object and an oxidizer come together and cause an exothermic reaction. As for spatial transfer..."

    Pausing, Alina recalled the scene of Fawkes disappearing and reappearing, then she slowly said, "The sound created when this happens very much like the explosion created when air is suddenly compressed due to a vacuum. I guess that this is something similar to a short-distance planar jump? But, you know, it really is very pretty."

    Oxidizer? Exothermic reaction? Vacuum? Planar jump?

    Alina''s answer only made Dumbledore more confused. If he hadn''t seen the serious expression on the girl''s face, he would have thought that she was suddenly speaking in a rare language.

    "So, how do Muggles currently view magic?"

    After a few moments of silence that Dumbledore used to massage his brow and reorganize his words, he asked another question.

    Alina somewhat helplessly shrugged. She was truly confused. It was already the 21st century, so why did witches and wizards still think that Muggles would panic over magic?

    "Professor Dumbledore, you might have misunderstood something. This isn''t a way of looking at magic, but knowledge of the world''s fundamental operations. Unlike the world of witches and wizards, which has knowledge similar to that passed down through stories, the Non-Magic World understands the origins of the world through specific domains like chemistry, physics, biology, and mathematics."

    People from the Middle Ages might have been frightened and alarmed by fire coming from nowhere or water turning into wine, regarding such things as miracles, but their knowledge and thoughts had restricted their understanding of the world.

    Superstition and religion had obscured their eyes, so they couldn''t understand that the witches and wizards who they regarded as devils or messengers from the gods were humans, just the same as they were.

    The oldest and most intense emotion humanity had ever felt was fear, and the oldest and most intense fear was that of the unknown.

    The unknown nature of magic that came from the failure of human common sense to explain it had undoubtedly been the firmest wall separating the Non-Magic and Magic Worlds.

    But times had changed.

    The most important thing bestowed by modern science onto humans was not knowledge, but how humans thought about the unknown.

    As human science advanced, the range covered by ''common sense'' grew wider and wider, up to the point where people could begin developing reasonable explanations and theories on the majority of unknowns all on their own.

    For example, if a modern individual saw someone on the street produce fire from nothing, they would more than half of the time think that this was some performance art. They would clap and cheer in admiration while curiously wondering just which method had been employed to achieve the effect.

    In Alina''s view, magic was simply an energy source that had yet to be explored. Although it could not be completely understood using the knowledge of her last life, if she simply treated magic like a black box, not focusing on the internal structure of magic and its relationships and only analyzing the input and output, she could easily derive an understanding on how it regularly functioned.

    As he looked at the chattering silver-haired girl, Dumbledore suddenly realized that an understanding of the Magic World was not any sort of hindrance towards Alina''s understanding and observation of magical phenomena.

    To be more precise, she was using a Muggle train of thought to explain magical phenomena to a certain extent. Even if it wasn''t accurate, it was enough to neutralize her fear and awe of magic.

    In a daze, Dumbledore seemed to see the shadow of a white-haired and self-confident man on Alina.

    He thought back to several decades ago. After he had imprisoned Gellert Grindelwald in the highest tower of Nurmengard, a conversation had taken place that he alone knew about. Perhaps one could call it Grindelwald''s ''prophecy.''

    ...

    1945, the highest floor of Nurmengard''s highest tower.

    After being defeated in the decisive battle, Grindelwald was not as hysterical or dejected as others might have imagined.

    He still maintained that aura of disciplined refinement. He calmly looked at Dumbledore as if they were two friends having a chat, not a final farewell before eternal imprisonment.

    "You can shackle me, Albus, but you can''t shackle the spread of my ideals.

    "I admit that I underestimated the ability of Muggles, but this also means that they will be even more frightening than in the prophecy I saw.

    "Witches and wizards have already missed out on their best opportunity to take the stage. I would rather see Muggles lose their rationality from fear of the unknown and take up arms against us like enraged little beasts.

    "Far better than to wait until they have finished with their deliberations and then, like we treat magical creatures with intelligence, solemnly decide to engage in an equal war with us.

    "My revolution failed, and you are not someone who can change the Magic World. But I am sure that you''re strong enough to protect the Magic World.

    "But a day will come when another young man who deeply understands the disadvantages of both worlds will appear.

    "This will be someone who will understand the merits and drawbacks of the two worlds from an even more complete perspective, who will possess a potential on par with yours and mine, a young man who will have the influence to lead both the Magic and Non-Magic World.

    "When he appears, ensure that he stands on our side, and then use your methods to influence and teach him as much as possible. When the two worlds fuse and collide, make sure that he can allow the wizarding civilization to continue proudly existing in this world.

    "We both know that I did not yield to your strength. I am a willing prisoner of this tower.

    Because this...is For the Greater Good!

    "Promise me! Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore!"

    "..."

    Dumbledore raised his head, the figure of Grindelwald reflected in his eyes.

    "I will.

    "If all is as you say, it will be."

    ...

 Chapter 018 - Why Does the Magic World Also Have Cram School?!

    "Professor? Professor Dumbledore?"

    Dumbledore heard someone call him, and that someone was lightly pulling on his sleeve.

    "You''re not asleep, are you? Professor Dumbledore?"

    Dumbledore suddenly came back to his senses. The cold and sinister gray brick tower was no more, and Grindelwald had vanished. What he now saw was the warm and comfortable Hogwarts Headmaster''s office. To his right, the fireplace was softly crackling.

    In front of him, a charming silver-haired girl was staring at him with a look of concern and confusion.

    "Gellert, you were right..."

    Dumbledore muttered so softly that no one could hear as he gravely inspected Alina.

    There was no doubt that besides ''her,'' this half-Veela girl was probably the best fit for Grindelwald''s prophecy, perhaps even stronger, smarter, younger, and less limited by her thoughts.

    But the problem was¡ªthe old man glanced down at his wrinkled and veiny right hand¡ªhe didn''t know if he had enough time to guide her onto the right path.

    Seeing that Dumbledore had come back to his senses, Alina sighed in relief.

    In her excitement, she had taken Dumbledore''s words and extensively talked about the natural science disciplines like physics, chemistry, and mathematics. But as she chattered on and on, she discovered that this old wizard''s eyes had gone blank, almost frightening her out of her wits.

    After all, who knew if the wizarding world had anything like senility or stroke? If her random babbling caused the strongest White Wizard of the era to develop some sort of problem, Alina probably wouldn''t be able to even get out of the castle before a professor came to arrest and execute her.

    "Then, Professor Dumbledore, if there''s nothing else, why don''t I leave you to your thoughts, and we can meet when school starts?"

    Alina glanced at the silent Dumbledore, gulping down her pumpkin juice before timidly asking.

    Although she didn''t know what was going on, her sixth sense told her that staying around was not a good choice.

    Dumbledore raised a hand and stroked his chin, a thoughtful look appearing behind his half-moon spectacles.

    "I recall that we earlier agreed that if you were able to get top marks in all your classes, I would work with the Ministry of Magic to have you sent to America to study at a Muggle after your fourth year."

    The silver-haired girl warily raised her head. "Professor Dumbledore, you''re the greatest wizard in the world. You aren''t going back on your word, are you?"

    "On the contrary..."

    Dumbledore shook his head and softly said, "I am thinking. If you temporarily leave Hogwarts after your fourth year, then to ensure that your talent doesn''t go to waste, I will use these for years to convince the other professors as much as I can to add class for you to take in your free time."

    No one was born knowing everything. Becoming a mature witch or wizard required a long process of study and practice.

    Dumbledore believed that rather than follow Hogwarts'' usually rather flexible teaching plan, it would be better to do his best to guide and accompany Alina on her path to maturation.

    In this way, he could constantly keep track of how her personality grew and how her magic abilities improved while also protecting her as much as possible. There would be no repeat of Grindelwald or Tom Riddle, who lost themselves to the power of dark magic.

    "Eh...Eeeh?!"

    Alina''s cute face froze, and then her eyes went round¡ªwasn''t this a cram school?!

    Wasn''t it said that foreigners advocated for a happy education? Why was it that in the Magic World, the detestable cram schools that went against the nature of children would appear?!

    "Oh, mmm, the professors are busy every day, so it''s best not to trouble them with this. I can just study on my own. If I don''t understand something, I can gather up my questions and then come to the professors for help..."

    The Alina, who had envisioned being able to happily play, eat, and drink after entering Hogwarts, felt an unprecedented danger. As Dumbledore sternly counted with his fingers, she tried her best to get him to put aside this dangerous idea.

    "Besides that, considering your powerful talent for magic, I hope that you can come by to the Headmaster''s office every week to spend at least one class''s worth of time on practicing your magic control."

    Dumbledore seemed to not hear the silver-haired girl''s words, continuing in his warm voice. Although he used the word ''hope,'' there was a tone that brooked no objection in his voice. ''Hope'' clearly meant ''must.''

    "Wait, wait, wait! I haven''t even agreed to the first part! Why is there another rule! And what''s this weird demand about practicing magic control? Can you just listen to me?!"

    Sensing that her words were being ignored, the half-Veela waved her fair hand in front of the old wizard''s eyes, her cheeks swelling in anger. This sort of demand was no different from being put in jail.

    The Dumbledore, who Alina had always believed to be amiable and gentle, suddenly turned stern and harsh, his azure eyes like sharp swords stabbing into Alina''s face.

    "Trust in me! This is all for your good. You must agree!"

    "Hmph! Then I won''t come to Hogwarts! Do you think I like all those magical creatures and magic? Not at all! I! Hate! Being! Forced!"

    Dumbledore''s coercive tone inflamed Alina''s rage, and she stood up and furiously yelled at Dumbledore. What she hated most were phrases like ''for your good,'' and what she hated second was cram school.

    Her silver hair began to gleam with golden light, and all the cups and saucers in the room began to tremble and cling. A vortex of air suddenly sprung from Alina''s feet and began to sweep up the small items in the room.

    A porcelain cup was lifted from the table and smashed to bits on the wall, and the weak flame in the fireplace was stirred up to a great height, the madly flailing flame casting dark shadows across the room.

    This explosion of magic had Dumbledore immediately recalling that young man next to Grindelwald, who also had the surname of ''Dumbledore.'' However, the pressure this time was even more suffocating than the one from that child.

    The old man silently gazed at the girl, who seemed more like a startled kitten, and then put down the wand in his right hand. Standing up, he walked over and squatted down by Alina, and then he took candy from the floor, unwrapped it, grabbed the girl''s hand, and put the candy in her palm.

    And then, as the girl watched hostilely and warily, Dumbledore slowly reached out with a wrinkled hand and lightly patted her head. He warmly smiled and spoke in a slightly apologetic tone.

    "Don''t be afraid. I only want to help you."

 Chapter 019 - The Unbreakable Vow

    Alina looked at the opened hard candy in her palm, which had an amber-like orange luster. From the smell, it seemed to be primarily made of caramel, and the girl couldn''t help but lick her lips. It seemed to be very sweet...

    Wait, wait, she was supposed to be angry!

    The silver-haired girl shook her head and came back to her senses. If the candy hadn''t already been unwrapped, she would have thrown it to the floor.

    Was she being soothed like she was a preschool girl?!

    At this moment, she felt a hand lightly patting her head and Dumbledore speaking in a grim and serious tone.

    "Among all the young witches and wizards I''ve seen, you have a powerful magical potential, as dazzling as the sun in the sky. But strong talent is not always a good thing. If you lack proper guidance, it might even backlash onto your body and turn you into a frightening and inhuman existence..."

    Dumbledore creased his brow in vexation as he tried to think of a way to explain to this girl the current condition of her body.

    After all, it seemed like Alina''s control over her magic was far better than he had imagined.

    Dumbledore didn''t want to describe the horrifying results only for the girl to think that he was trying to frighten her with alarmist talk.

    "...Obscurial, I know."

    To his surprise, Alina nodded and dryly replied.

    As a fan of the Harry Potter movies, she had gotten a chance to see the first part of ''Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'' before crossing over, and the Obscurial known as Credence had left an extremely deep impression on her. After all, there weren''t many existences who could take on Grindelwald, one of the strongest Dark Wizards in history, in a duel.

    To escape misfortune, young witches and wizards would suppress their magic. Still, a lack of proper guidance meant that they never learned how to control their magic properly, thus allowing a parasite to be born, a being of dark magic called the ''Obscurus.''

    When a witch or wizard felt intense emotion, the Obscurus in their body would erupt, transforming into an incorporeal black fog with immense capacity to deal with the damage.

    But in the written history of wizards, there was no Obscurial with the exception of Credence, who had lived past the age of ten.

    And Alina happened to also be ten years old.

    Alina instinctively clenched the candy in her hand as she began to speak nervously.

    "But I''ve always been secretly using my magic, though before the messenger owls came, it was always concerned with ''charming human-like creatures.'' Professor Dumbledore, do you mean that I will also turn into something like that?"

    The half-Veela girl bit her lip and said with great unwillingness.

    "In other words, if I refuse to enter Hogwarts..."

    If her guess was correct, this was probably Dumbledore''s trump card to get her into school: enter and get treatment or leave your fate up to God.

    Dumbledore shook his head and raised a hand to stop the girl, speaking in a stern tone.

    "Even if you didn''t enter Hogwarts, I would still teach you how to control your magic. A human''s life is not a chip that can be traded around.

    "But besides this, Hogwarts and the Magic World would not offer you any other protection or knowledge."

    Dumbledore began to clearly explain, "Moreover, if you threaten the peace between the Non-Magic and Magic Worlds, I would not advise or the Ministry of Magic or attempt in any way to disrupt it from taking a reasonable course of action."

    "..."

    Alina profoundly glanced at this elder known as the guardian god of the Magic World. Her mouth had opened and was about to say ''thank you'' when she immediately swallowed those words back.

    Turning her head to look away from Dumbledore''s gaze, the silver-haired girl kicked at the carpet and mumbled, "It sounds like if I enter Hogwarts if I get into trouble, you''ll carry the pot for me."

    Carry...the pot?

    A hint of helplessness appeared in Dumbledore''s eyes. He had realized a small problem in communicating with Alina: there were simply far too many strange Muggle terms.

    Even though he could clearly hear every word, he could understand what the girl meant by them.

    One had to realize that when Dumbledore was young, one of his greatest points of pride was his ability to accurately understand what the majority of people were thinking (including various intelligent magical creatures).

    Perhaps it was as many people outside said. Maybe he was getting old and could no longer keep up with the minds of the youth.

    Dumbledore shook his head, casting these thoughts aside. His eyes meant Alina''s as he spoke in a firm and serious tone.

    "In truth, what I was going to say was this: if you become my student, I am willing to do all I can to guard you and to teach you all of my magical knowledge without revolution, all the way until you become a witch who can hold her own."

    "Guard? Magical knowledge...all of it?"

    Alina raised an eyebrow as she repeated Dumbledore''s words. She didn''t think that Dumbledore was so senile that he didn''t know the difference between ''protect'' and ''guard.'' She also wasn''t so innocent as to believe that Dumbledore would only teach her the contents of the O.W.L. (the standard wizarding examination) and the N.E.W.T. (the higher-level wizarding examination).

    "Correct. You are worth all of this." Dumbledore calmly smiled.

    "But...Professor, what is the price?"

    Alina said after a long while. She didn''t think she had the air of a hegemon as seen in the online fantasy novels in her last world that would make Dumbledore believe in her without reservation, particularly since Dumbledore had seen more than once a Dark Lord mature.

    "There is no price. All it requires is a vow: you must promise that will never start a war between the Non-Magic World and Magic World, and when the two worlds interact, you will step forward and guide everything toward peace, forever defending the interests of Hogwarts and the Magic World."

    Dumbledore smoothly replied. One could see that these were not words he had thought up on the spot. It was like they had been ready and waiting for Alina to appear.

    Ever since that time ten-some years ago when Tom Riddle, who had possessed limitless potential, gradually walked down the crooked path and turned into Voldemort, Dumbledore had been thinking about this problem. Young wizards of outstanding talent were more liable to be tempted by power, but if there were a spiritual defense line to help them hold their ground, perhaps they would end up differently.

    "Professor Dumbledore, I think you''re overestimating me."

    Alina awkwardly smiled. She had no interest in becoming the guardian god or savior of the Magic World. Her only interest was in happily eating and drinking, and then once she finished her fourth year, she would hide in America and watch as the young godfathers of the internet matured.

    "But perhaps I''m underestimating you...Alina, you have no idea how much potential you have." Dumbledore craftily blinked his eyes, giving Alina no chance.

    (¨s¡ã¡õ¡ã)¨s¦à©ß©¥©ß

    There was no way of communicating with this man! Their conversation had circled back to the very start.

    After a few seconds of silence, the silver-haired girl turned her eyes. Suddenly, she found a flaw in Dumbledore''s argument.

    "And besides, this doesn''t make sense. You''re such a powerful wizard, and while you surely have many methods of making sure I keep my promise, there''s no law ensuring that you will carry out your end. What if you decide to be shameless and refuse to teach me magic or protect me?

    "A one-sided promise or contract, no matter how one tries to gloss it over, is still an unequal contract. I certainly have no desire to sign any slave contract."

    Given the start contrast in strength, no promises could be made. Contracts could only be signed by equal parties.

    In Alina''s view, since the large chasm in strength still existed, Dumbledore''s words were bound solely by his reputation, and there was no guarantee that they weren''t just fantasies.

    Dumbledore smiled and softly said, "All pledges should naturally go both ways. Have you ever heard of ancient magic known as the Unbreakable Vow?"

    Alina naturally didn''t need Dumbledore to explain this magic that had been turned into a marriage declaration in the fan community in her last life. If Dumbledore was willing to make this spiritual vow that almost had the effect of law, then she had no problem whatsoever.

    "But," Alina shrugged her shoulders, "the Unbreakable Vow requires a Bonder. Who has the magic and the qualifications to bind someone like you, who stands at the peak of the Wizarding World..."

    Dumbledore didn''t directly answer. He grabbed his wand, his slender finger stroking the wooden grooves as he suddenly asked a very strange question.

    "The symbol on the piano from back then; you knew what it was, right? I don''t think that if it was an ordinary symbol, you would have looked at it so many times in the space of a single conversation."

    Alina''s pupils constricted. She suddenly recalled that there truly did exist a wizard of this world powerful enough to stand on par with Dumbledore.

    "Are you serious?"

    "It seems that I don''t need to explain anything extra." Dumbledore happily nodded his head. "In truth, he might be even happier to see you appear. After all, from a certain perspective, your ideas are rather similar to his."

    Gulu~

    The silver-haired girl swallowed. She finally understood why Dumbledore had such a strange attitude towards her. After all this, he had taken her as a seed for the new Dark Lord?!

    "There''s probably some misunderstanding here. Professor Dumbledore, listen to my explanation..." Alina weakly raised a hand.

    "There''s not much time. Let''s go. Remember to not frighten my pitiful Fawkes this time."

    Dumbledore grabbed Alina''s hand with one hand while the other snatched the Phoenix''s long golden-red tail. He requested, "Fawkes, please take us to Nurmengard Castle."

    "Wait a moment, don''t you want to think it over¡ª"

    In gout of flame, the pair vanished from the Headmaster''s office.

 Chapter 020 - Vow and Contract

    The sky over the shores of Loch Lomond had already gone dark.

    In the clear night sky yet to be obscured by industrial haze, moonlight silently sloped down, engulfing the shore in a silver gauze.

    The sound of three fish splashing around occasionally came from the bucket on the grass. Meanwhile, the fire on the stone pile had long ago gone out, and the scorched rocks were covered in beads of water.

    In a flash of fire, Alina and Dumbledore appeared next to the lake.

    "Wow, it''s already gotten so late? In other words, rather than wasting so much time this afternoon, it would have been better to just do as I recommended."

    The girl looked around her as she grumbled to the old man.

    Dumbledore bitterly smiled and shook his head, not planning to argue.

    He finally understood what the word ''unreasonable'' meant. What should have been a simple Unbreakable Vow had taken up more than half of the afternoon.

    If Grindelwald hadn''t been so eloquent, they might have still been negotiating the issue.

    "And this mark is so ugly! Professor Dumbledore, you never mentioned anything about it, leaving a scar!"

    Alina raised her left hand in dissatisfaction while wrinkling her nose, putting on the pitiful expression of someone about to cry.

    Under the bright moonlight, one could clearly see three faint chains on the back of her white and tender hand, each one corresponding to one of the three vows she had made at the top of Nurmengard Tower.

    "The marks will disappear in one day. They will only appear again if you trigger them on your own."

    Dumbledore calmly explained.

    After the afternoon''s long war of words, he had now learned how to maintain a relatively happy mood while conversing with this silver-haired girl.

    That was to intentionally ignore the girl''s irrelevant grumblings, and this included her attempts to garner pity.

    Seeing no reaction from Dumbledore, Alina pouted. Her bright eyes turned, and she began to pull on the sleeve of Dumbledore''s wizard robe as she spoke in a probing tone.

    "Professor, with regards to accompanying me tomorrow to Diagon Alley, after some thought, I still think it''s a little inappropriate. Why don''t we just forget about it?"

    There was no doubt that, in the magic world, Dumbledore was a top-class ''national idol'' that everyone knew about.

    Putting aside his glorious titles such as savior and guardian god, just the fact that he was the Headmaster of Hogwarts made it so that his every move would attract the attention of the Magic World.

    Alina found it impossible to imagine what sort of inhuman spectacle the pair would become when Dumbledore appeared in Diagon Alley to help a little witch who was ''weak, pitiful, and helpless, but really knew how to eat'' to buy school supplies.

    "Professor, you can just give me the Galleons, and I''ll be fine. There''s no need for you to worry about anything else." The girl patted her chest and proudly said.

    "No one can trick me that easily. Even if I''m by myself, I can still smoothly obtain all the necessary school supplies."

    Dumbledore looked down and profoundly gazed at the apparently innocent silver-haired girl. The images of the devastated Headmaster''s office, the trembling Fawkes, and the Owlery that was now more than half empty emerged in his mind.

    He wasn''t worried that Alina would be tricked. He was worried about the poor and unprepared shop owners of Diagon Alley, who had no inkling of the truth.

    Besides that, after observing the sharp clash of words between Alina and Grindelwald, he had grown even more determined to teach and watch this dangerous half-Veela girl.

    He even had a strange foreboding that if he let Alina go into Diagon Alley alone, she would stir up a major problem, and in the end, the binding of the vow would force him to clean up the mess.

    "No. The vow I made says that I must guard you as much as I can, all the way until you are a mature witch who can hold her own."

    Dumbledore shook his head, speaking in a tone that could not be argued against it.

    "Enough. Let''s go back while it''s still early.

    "Tomorrow, at 9 am, I will come to pick you up so that we can head to Diagon Alley to buy necessary supplies for the new school term, as well as your wand¡ª"

    As he spoke, Dumbledore suddenly froze and slapped his forehead in frustration.

    "Oh, it seems that I will have to get a list of the necessary books and supplies necessary for a new student from Minerva."

    After all, he hadn''t taken a new student to Diagon Alley to get school supplies ever since he had become Headmaster of Hogwarts. He could no longer clearly remember the exact items he needed to buy."

    "In any case, remember your vow, Alina Kaslana."

    Dumbledore rubbed Alina''s small head, slightly squatted down, and looked into her lake-blue eyes. "Although the Sorting Ceremony hasn''t happened yet, starting from now, you are a member of Hogwarts."

    "I know, I know. Stop rubbing my head. My hair''s gotten all greasy."

    The silver-haired girl unhappily pushed the large hand away. She decided that in a few years when she was a little taller, she would wear ten-centimeter platform shoes. She would like to see who would casually rub her head then.

    "As for the vow or whatever, it will remind me on its own. You don''t need to worry about me."

    Alina smiled as she raised her left hand and balled it into a fist. The chains that had hidden instantly brightened, turning into chains of fire that spiraled up the girl''s arm.

    In the darkness of the night, she exuded the divinity and power of an inviolable valkyrie.

    "Stop making trouble! This is no toy! Until your magic is twice that of Grindelwald and me, never try to challenge the Unbreakable Vow."

    Dumbledore''s face darkened as he angrily rebuked.

    The old man''s pupils constricted as he solemnly stared at the three dazzling vow chains. Instantly coming up with the thought of breaking all the vows was something that probably not even Grindelwald could manage.

    It was clear that Alina had intentionally triggered all the vows by thinking such thoughts, causing them to give this warning. But if she attempted to actually realize these thoughts, the Unbreakable Vow would immediately snatch away her life.

    "Don''t panic; it''s no big deal. I''m just joking around. I have no plans of dying an early death."

    Alina naughtily spits out her tongue, and then she unclenched her fist and lightly patted Dumbledore''s gloomy face like she was an adult as she spoke in a relaxed tone.

    "Isn''t it just...don''t actively harm others, don''t become an enemy of the Magic World, and do my best to continue the legacy of Hogwarts? It''s very simple. Even if you didn''t mention it, I would never break these vows."

    "Remember, tomorrow at 9 am..."

    The normally-genial Dumbledore finally couldn''t help but glare at the silver-haired girl. He was beginning to wonder if bringing this miniature disaster to Hogwarts was a mistake.

    "Wait! Professor Dumbledore, there''s still one very important matter."

    Seeing that Dumbledore was planning to leave, Alina hastily grabbed his sleeve and pulled him back.

    "What else is there, dear Miss Kaslana?"

    Dumbledore took in a deep breath and spoke in a gentle and patient tone.

    "There is, there is! It will be as easy as lifting a finger!"

    The silver-haired girl turned and heaved up the bucket. With a fawning look on her face, she placed it in front of Dumbledore and nodded at the three fish inside as she expectantly began to speak.

    "Professor Dumbledore, I recall that there''s a spell that can take the bones out of living creatures. Look here! Why don''t you help me take the bones out of these three fish..."

    Pop!

    Before Alina could finish, the air in front of her popped.

    With a dour face and not even saying goodbye, Dumbledore had vanished.

 Chapter 021 - Benitezs Present

    "Dastardly old priest! Get out here!"

    After finally getting back to the orphanage and dumping the fish in the kitchen''s fish pond, the silver-haired little girl charged straight toward Benitez''s room.

    She would never believe that Benitez hadn''t played a role in planning out everything that had happened today.

    Benitez''s advice had no doubt played a role in the drugs Professor McGonagall had planted on the fish and Dumbledore''s use of food to fool her.

    "Open the door! You dastardly priest who would sell off a child! You dared to sell me off, but you don''t dare to open the door?"

    Thump!

    Alina mightily kicked the door in a fury. There was a loud thump, and then...nothing.

    Reality had taught the harsh lesson that if one wanted to kick their way into a room, there was an important prerequisite: the door couldn''t be one that opened outward.

    Ouch Ouch Ouch~~

    The piercing pain from the tip of her foot caused the silver-haired girl to instinctively pout, her eyes misting up, and the sense of injustice in her heart grew even stronger. She sulkily sat down on the cold stone steps outside the door, hugged her knees, and curled up into a little ball.

    It was obvious that after she left Benitez''s room, a certain old cat lady and a certain heartless priest had conducted a dirty exchange that had exposed all of her secrets.

    Creeeak~

    The wooden door slowly opened, letting out the soft and orange light of a lantern.

    "Haaa...just, come inside so we can talk."

    Benitez glanced at Alina''s back and helplessly sighed. He knew that a girl with this sort of temperament would definitely throw a tantrum the moment she got back. The man walked out of the door, squatted down, thrust his arms through her knees, and carried the balled-up Alina inside.

    Grrrr~

    The furious Alina immediately turned her head and bit down on Benitez''s muscular arm. Gnashing her teeth, she broke out of Benitez''s bosom and angrily sat on the bed.

    "Who made you such a busybody? Did I say that I wanted to go to the Magic World?"

    "So have you decided to go that...mmm...Hogwarts for school?"

    Benitez casually rubbed the tooth marks on his arm as he warmly asked, ignoring Alina''s question.

    "What can I do? I''ve already made an Unbreakable Vow, so I have to go."

    The silver-haired girl raised her left hand. Fortunately, her strong arguments had made it so that the terms of the contract weren''t too harsh. In truth, overall, the result wasn''t bad.

    "Look at yourself. It seems like you rather want to go and learn magic. And it''s about time you went to a bigger place to spread your wings."

    Benitez''s lips curled upward as he gently rubbed Alina''s head.

    He had raised this girl for more than six years, from a little dot all the way to the age of eleven. While Alina''s words were those of refusal, her eyes and the subtle movements of her body plainly revealed her longing and hesitation to him.

    Benitez was well aware that the only obstacle stopping Alina from going to the Magic World was him and the orphanage. Thus, when he had his talk with Professor McGonagall and came to understand the Magic World a little, he immediately agreed to offer his enthusiastic cooperation.

    "Stopping rubbing my head! I''ll stop growing..."

    Alina unhappily swayed her head as she tried to escape the control of that large hand, but she didn''t try to refute Benitez. She had stated her desire to go abroad for school more than once to him.

    "So, what are you doing here?"

    Alina slowly looked around the room, which was in an even worse state than when she had left this morning. It seemed as if Benitez had looked through all chests and cabinets.

    Benitez stood back up, rubbed the stubble on his chin, and then spread apart his arms in a matter-of-fact manner.

    "Of course, I''m helping you pack your luggage. If I let you pack on your own, you might do what you did last time and run out in the middle of winter with only a blanket in your backpack."

    "Eh? You knew?!"

    Alina''s small face went stiff. That had been her worst failed attempt to leave, but she had believed that she had managed to keep it a secret.

    "Don''t forget what you did at the lakeside the night before."

    Benitez felt a headache coming on after bringing up this topic. Fortunately, Alina was headed off for magic school. Based on Professor McGonagall''s explanations and the magic she had displayed, Alina would probably be a little more obedient there.

    After all, in Benitez''s view, it probably wasn''t that difficult for a group of adult wizards wielding profound magic to control a little girl.

    And among peers who also possessed mystical abilities, Alina would probably be able to make a few friends. The teachers at the public school had notified him more than once that while Alina seemed like a child, she always spent her time apart from the other children.

    "I don''t understand what this magic is about, but I do understand a little about boarding schools, so I helped you get a few things ready."

    Putting aside these memories, Benitez got back on topic and dragged over two large leather trunks, which he proudly patted.

    "Mm, you packed them..."

    Alina raised an eyebrow and suspiciously inspected the chaotic room. She truly found it hard to imagine that Benitez, a man so clumsy that he couldn''t even cook an egg, was capable of such a high-level skill as packing luggage.

    In the face of Alina''s suspicious looks, Benitez smiled and calmly squatted down and opened the first black trunk.

    "I specifically asked Professor McGonagall, so I know that Hogwarts will provide dorms. But you''ve always been such a delicate child, and I worry that you won''t be used to the beds at school, so I packed two clean blankets and a pillow for you."

    Benitez took out two folded down blankets from the trunk. Although the edges were fraying somewhat, these were already the best the orphanage could provide.

    "I''m certainly not that delicate. And besides, there''s no such thing as a witch who brings blankets to school..."

    Alina''s face froze as she stared at the two blankets that took up more than half the trunk, then she lunged over and seized the blankets, her facing going red from shame.

    Before Alina could finish, Benitez removed a stack of clothing from the trunk and placed it in front of the silver-haired girl as if he was presented a treasure.

    "Here are a few clothes to wear every day...and also some underclothes. I went to the city in the afternoon and bought those clothes that you like. This should be enough for the entire school term."

    Alina hadn''t even had time to cast away the blankets. When she looked at the clothes that Benitez called ''a few,'' she felt a wave of helplessness. There was no doubt that the other half of the trunk was for the ''few'' pieces of clothing that Benitez had bought.

    Crucially, the clothes Benitez had bought¡ªtwo dresses for little girls, two fashionable short-sleeve shirts, one set of cowboy-style clothes, and three leisure dresses¡ªwere certainly nice to look out, but not a single one could be worn in Hogwarts!

    Alina imagined for a moment a girl wearing a short t-shirt and a short skirt while sporting sneakers suddenly appearing in a corridor full of young witches and wizards wearing black robes. That wasn''t magic at all!

    If a professor saw this, they would probably deduct points, right?!

    "I don''t need it! Really! The style is too strange! Everyone in school wears black robes..."

    As Alina tossed aside the blankets and prepared to seize the clothes, she suddenly stopped. Wait for a second; what did witches and wizards wear underneath the robes?

    She suddenly recalled the original work. When the pitiful Professor Snape was still studying at Hogwarts and was flipped over, there had apparently been no other clothes under his robes beside his underpants.

    And whether it was the movies or the original work, none of them mentioned what wizards wore under their robes. Now that she thought about it, even if they were completely naked, they wouldn''t be found out unless someone intentionally raised the robes?!

    Alina shivered and solemnly accepted the stack of clothes. She placed them back in the chest and patted them as she seriously spoke.

    "Mm, Father, you were right to worry about this. I plan to take one less blanket to free up more space to put in some underpants and jeans, and also some other clothes to wear every day."

    As she spoke, another problem came to mind. During the summer, just how much clothes did witches at Hogwarts wear under their robes? This was a question that was worthy of some research once school started.

    "Father, what about the other trunk? Does it also have clothes?"

    After putting back the clothes, the silver-haired girl curiously looked at Benitez.

    "I guarantee that you''ll like it. Want to guess?"

    Benitez mysteriously shook his head as he pushed the trunk up to the girl, and excitedly indicated that she should open it.

    "Tch, acting all mysterious..."

    Alina pouted, but her eyes softened. In her view, the trunk probably contained some ordinary tools to be used at school. There was a low chance of any surprise, but the sentiment was authentic.

    Thud!

    The leather buckle undone, the black trunk popped open.

    "This..."

    Alina excitedly turned to Benitez.

    "This is all for me?!"

    The contents in the trunk had been neatly organized into three categories.

    To the very left was a neat stack of books. At the very top were ''Advanced Mathematics'' and ''An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations.''

    To the very right were various snacks, canned goods, and Coke bought from the market.

    In the very center was a J.A.Henckel Four Star knife set. Alina had been eying this knife set for ages.

    Benitez chuckled and scratched the silver-haired girl''s nose as he spoke in an affectionate tone.

    "I can''t be at your side forever. In a strange world, remember to take note of your safety. You have to take good care of yourself."

 Chapter 022 - A Few Small Matters Before Heading Out

    "Mm? What did you hide in your clothes?"

    Benitez suddenly noticed that there was a bulge on the silver-haired girl''s chest. She had clearly stuffed something inside.

    "Eh? Right, that parchment scroll is hidden behind the portrait..."

    Alina followed Benitez''s gaze to her chest and immediately remembered that old parchment she had picked up in Dumbledore''s office. The series of events that had followed had made her forget that she had yet to take a look at it, and she would have remained unaware without Benitez''s reminder.

    "I''m not sure. But I expect it''s some sort of spell or potion recipe, or maybe some historical record."

    Alina shook her head as she took the yellowed parchment from her clothes, and curiously opened it.

    The first thing she saw was a massive S-shaped symbol, like a large snake. It was quite similar to the symbol of House Slytherin, but it was older and more mysterious. Under the symbol were many more strange and faded marks.

    Under these was a large block of letters. The starting sentence was...

    [This land registration document solemnly certifies: the mighty Slytherin family forever enjoys the rights to the properties below. Registrant: Salazar Slytherin...]

    "A land registration certificate?!"

    Alina''s hands trembled as she swallowed.

    Just as with many other countries in the world, Great Britain had a system of land registration. In Britain, one could register land with absolute property rights, limited property rights, the right to occupy, or the right to lease.

    Land registration was actually the registration of the land and the buildings on top of it, in other words, real estate. The right to the buildings on the land was based on the principle that a building that was established on a piece of land went along with the piece of land, and this was clearly indicated in the land rights certificate and on the attached maps, recorded in both words and images.

    In other words, an effective ''Land Registration Certificate'' was the same as the ''Land Rights Certificate'' and ''Real Estate Certificates'' for all the buildings on top of the land.

    As for the exact location of this land and the buildings atop it...

    Alina didn''t need to read the parchment very carefully. The familiar castle drawn out below explained everything: Hogwarts...

    The parchment scroll felt like it had instantly become scalding hot.

    "Alina? What is this?"

    Benitez''s seemingly distant voice shook the silver-haired girl from her blank-minded stupor.

    Alina shivered and hastily folded the yellow parchment back up and thrust it back into her clothes. She felt like her heart was about to burst out of her chest.

    What to do?! What to do?!

    She had accidentally taken the deed for Hogwarts?!

    "It''s nothing...just an extremely formidable magic spell."

    Alina took in a deep breath and tried her best to remain calm, but there was still a faint tremor in her voice.

    "..."

    Benitez silently gazed at Alina. The angle had prevented him from getting a clear look, but based on the complicated images, it seemed less like a spell and more like some sort of document or contract.

    "Is it dangerous?" Benitez squatted down, his brown eyes meeting Alina''s gaze.

    "It''s not dangerous, but it is rather problematic."

    After some thought, Alina shook her head and pleaded, "In short, Father, it''s better to treat it like you never saw anything."

    "Fine."

    The man confirmed the expression on the silver-haired girl''s face, and after a second or two of hesitation, his brow unfurled, and he nodded.

    Standing back up, Benitez walked to the door and took a stack of banknotes from the pocket of the coat hanging from the clothes hanger. He placed it in Alina''s hand.

    "Right, I heard Professor McGonagall say that British Pounds can be exchanged for wizard currency, so I went to the bank today and withdrew one thousand pounds."

    "I don''t need it. Professor Dumbledore said that Hogwarts provides a scholarship to every orphan. You should give this money to Bran and the others..."

    Alina scratched her cheeks and immediately raised her hands, preparing to put the money back into Benitez''s large hands.

    "I''ve already refused it for you, the scholarship," Benitez calmly said.

    "Eh? Are you an idiot..."

    The silver-haired girl''s face froze, and then she grew angry. She had intended to use tomorrow to relieve the secretly-wealthy Dumbledore of some of his money.

    A hint of warmth flitted across Benitez''s face, and he gently stroked the girl''s silver hair.

    "I''m completely capable of handling your tuition. I have no desire to see you made fun of by your classmates simply because of a scholarship."

    "But..."

    "Alina, you are not an orphan!"

    Benitez loudly said, cutting off the girl''s complaints.

    Alina raised her head, the figure of Benitez reflecting in her lake-blue eyes. The man''s eyes were somewhat panicked and somewhat expectant, but crucially, they were the affectionate eyes of a father...just like the eyes of that stooped figure from her last life that Alina desperately tried to not remember.

    "..."

    "I said before, stop rubbing my head."

    After a few seconds of silence, the silver-haired girl shook her head in a huff and turned around, not letting the man see her expression.

    "...Once we''re done packing, help me wash my hair. It''s so greasy that it''s hard to stand.

    "Stupid Father."

    ...

    The next day, before daybreak, Alina was already out of bed.

    After cleaning herself up a little, the girl walked into the kitchen, still rubbing her eyes. She had to get up a little earlier in order to ensure that the other children could have their breakfast on time.

    To her surprise, when she walked in, there was already someone in the kitchen.

    "Alina, good morning."

    Hearing footsteps, Benitez turned around and smiled.

    "Haaaa~good morning, Father..."

    The silver-haired girl rubbed her eyes and yawned as she instinctively replied. As she spoke, her hazy eyes gradually focused on Benitez''s face.

    "Wait for a second! Why are you here?! You''ve finally gotten a little better! You go back and rest this instant!"

    Alina''s face turned hard as she put a hand on her hip and pointed out the door with the other.

    "Relax! I''m completely recovered. It''s all thanks to that, Professor McGonagall. In fact, I''ve never felt better."

    Benitez heartily laughed, flexing his sturdy biceps. His robust arms bulged, the strong curves enough to make star-struck girls shriek in delight.

    "Even if you''re better, according to our deal, the kitchen is my territory! Get out right now! Out!"

    Alina rolled her eyes. She pushed on Benitez''s back to force him out the door.

    Although Benitez''s cooking skill wasn''t so bad as to result in the stereotypical British black cuisine, it was barely up to the standard.

    Moreover, Benitez had barely cooked once after she took charge of the orphanage''s meals.

    "You should rest today. We only washed your hair last night, but it will get dirty once you start cooking eggs."

    Benitez raised his hand, originally intending to rub the little head that only went up to his chest. But after some thought, he placed the hand on the girl''s slender shoulder, easily turned her around, and began to push her out of the kitchen.

    "And besides, what happens when you go to school? I have to get in some practice first and get back the feeling, right? Put on your new clothes and wait for that Hogwarts professor to come and take you shopping. I''m here, so relax."

    "No, your food is really too awful..."

    Pa!

    As the two were arguing, there was a soft crack outside.

    "Apologies, it seems I came a little early."

    Dumbledore''s warm voice came from outside. "If you don''t mind, why don''t we have the children try the breakfast prepared by the Hogwarts kitchens?"

 Chapter 023 - Visit and Stalemate

    In the Scottish highlands, the most common breakfast consisted of bread, boiled potatoes, and baked beans. A wealthier family might add on a few pieces of bacon and a bowl of salad.

    But because of the disastrous culinary skills passed on in the British Isles, the taste usually wasn''t that great. At least for Alina, whose tastes had been influenced in her previous life by the show ''A Bite of China,'' the majority of the foods all had the same grade: Not poisonous, can fill the stomach.

    Ever since Alina had been placed in charge of the orphanage''s finances and meals, the breakfast the children enjoyed could be considered quite rich and refined.

    Of course, this was only relatively speaking.

    ¡ªHoneyed toast, mashed potatoes, fried eggs, and occasionally a bowl of fish from Loch Lomond stewed until the broth turned white (Replaced temporarily last week with a hot bowl of Scottish Round-Faced Chicken)¡ª

    In Benitez''s view, this was the most luxurious meal the world could provide.

    Thus, when he heard Dumbledore''s voice outside, Benitez immediately shook his head and began to refuse.

    "There''s no need. Thank you for your kindness, but our breakfast is much better than you can...sss~."

    Before he could finish, he suddenly inhaled and made a strange sound.

    "Of course, we don''t mind! We''ll leave it up to you, Professor Dumbledore."

    Alina slowly withdrew the fingers that had just given Benitez a sharp pinch on the waist and sweetly smiled.

    Hogwarts, with its several hundred house-elves, had all other schools of the same era soundly beaten when it came to basic meals.

    Whether it was the type of cuisine, the cooking style, or the level of refinement, they were all many times more sumptuous and extravagant than the small family breakfasts she made.

    Since the school''s scholarship for orphans had been refused by a certain stubborn man, Alina would at least take advantage of a free breakfast.

    "But, Professor Dumbledore, you don''t seem to have brought anything to eat with you?"

    The silver-haired girl jumped out of the kitchen, saw the empty-handed old wizard, and instantly creased her brows in confusion.

    Although she didn''t know exactly how far Luss was from Hogwarts, Alina was certain that it was unrealistic for Dumbledore to use the Summoning Charm to fetch food.

    "I''m also powerless when it comes to producing food out of nowhere. Someone else will be preparing breakfast."

    Dumbledore smiled and then lightly waved his wand. Alina vaguely saw a translucent ripple slice through the air.

    A moment later, a house-elf, with its large eyes and large ears, appeared in front of the kitchen.

    "Greetings, Miss Alina. It is a pleasure to see you again. House-elf Boli is happy to serve."

    It was the same house-elf who had let Alina on her tour of Hogwarts yesterday afternoon.

    "Oh my God, is this a legendary elf? I didn''t think they existed!"

    Benitez happened to be walking out of the kitchen at this time, and he now stared in shock at Boli.

    Upon hearing the voice behind her, Alina suddenly realized that this certainly wasn''t Hogwarts. This was just an ordinary orphanage in the little town of Luss.

    "Oh my God, Professor Dumbledore, you''re not worried about the International Statute of Secrecy? There are ordinary people everywhere around this place..."

    Alina''s pupils constricted, and she immediately turned around and began to push the big man behind her back into the kitchen.

    "Of course, there''s no need to worry. We''ve always had a set procedure for this kind of situation."

    Dumbledore smiled and waved his hand, playing around with his wand as he casually replied.

    "Set...procedure?! You''re saying..."

    The silver-haired girl thought for a few moments, and then she stood in front of Benitez, the brand on her left-hand brightening. Like a leopardess, she stared at Dumbledore''s wand.

    "Be serious! I won''t permit you to use the Memory Charm on him."

    Dumbledore looked at the silver girl with some interest. He suddenly found something to be happy about.

    Compared to Riddle and Grindelwald, the similarly orphaned Alina Kaslana seemed to have quite a few weaknesses, such as her obsession with food and her concern for her family.

    In Dumbledore''s view, these things that appeared like weaknesses to Grindelwald and Riddle were often one''s strongest support when trying to resist the darker side of magic.

    "Very good. It seems like you have quite the understanding of the Magic World. You even know the wizard''s common response to this situation."

    Dumbledore gave an approving nod, his lips curling as a naughty look appeared in his eyes. He casually pointed his wand in front of him and spoke in a leisurely tone.

    "If I said that I was going to use the Memory Charm now, do you think that you could block it? Come on. Try and stop me."

    Although his expression was very relaxed, Dumbledore had already gathered the magic in his body and was prepared for any possible reaction from Alina.

    His eyes were locked onto the half-Veela girl''s face, very curious to see how she would react under intense pressure.

    "..."

    Alina looked up, her eyes meeting the tip of Dumbledore''s wand, and she awkwardly swallowed.

    She helplessly opened her mouth, tragically realizing that no matter how eloquent or smart she was, her skills rested on the prerequisite that her opponent did not use violence.

    In other words, her previous actions had been rather risky. For certain extremely powerful wizards, the laws of the Magic World did not apply. Those people could do as they wished...

    A phrase suddenly appeared in Alina''s mind: Only magic can defeat magic.

    When a witch or wizard was unreasonable, the current Muggle methods, like money, guns, or the mathematical sciences, all became ineffective.

    "Honored Professor Dumbledore, do as you please."

    Alina took a silent glance at Dumbledore before closing her eyes, taking in a deep breath, and hiding her left hand behind her back. Her voice was frighteningly calm.

    Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, pointed his wan at Alina, and lightly poked it at the trembling girl.

    Whoomp!

    A dazzling bouquet erupted from the tip of the wand.

    "There''s no need to worry. The era where the Memory Charm was required to be used on all Muggles is long gone. You don''t think I would dare to ignore the laws of the Ministry of Magic, do you?"

    Dumbledore comically shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.

    "In 1945, the Ministry of Magic revised the International Statute of Secrecy. If a parent, spouse, or child is a witch or wizard, the secret does not need to be kept from their families. Given that Mister Benitez is your guardian, there''s no need to keep things secret from him."

    As Dumbledore spoke, he slowly extended a hand to rub the stubborn girl''s head out of habit. But a large hand blocked his way.

    "If you rub this child''s head too much, she won''t grow any taller. Besides, her hair was just washed last night."

    Benitez pulled Alina to his side, and courteously nodded. He then looked at the house-elf.

    "So, in other words, this Boli...Sir, how long will it take for this Hogwarts breakfast to arrive? In about half an hour, the children will be up."

    "You may just call me Boli. The breakfast is already done."

    Boli elegantly bowed, then he extended his long and slender fingers and snapped.

    A clean white table cloth appeared on the wooden table in the dining room next to the kitchen, and the porcelain saucers and plates stuffed with food began to appear in an orderly manner.

    Milk, tea, coffee, pumpkin juice, orange juice, porridge, oatmeal, sugar, salt, butter, cornflakes, toast, bread, various kinds of jam, ketchup, mayonnaise, fried eggs, salted herring, ham, smoked bacon, sausages, smoked fish, pickled salmon, fried tomatoes...

    In the blink of an eye, the orphanage''s simple dining room became a miniature version of Hogwarts'' dining hall.

    "Thank you, Boli."

    Dumbledore smiled and gave the nod.

    "It is my honor to serve Mister Dumbledore. I hope that everyone enjoys the meal."

    Boli said in his sharp voice. He gave another deep bow before vanishing with a snap of his fingers.

 Chapter 024 - A Long-Term Meal Ticket

    It wasn''t long before the children of the orphanage began to awaken. Just as usual, after washing their face and rinsing their mouth, they obediently went to the dining room to wait for breakfast.

    After being baptized through all the various surprises Alina had brought them over the years, these children were extremely capable of accepting this inordinately sumptuous breakfast.

    After all, anyone who had been through that full-fish breakfast that could adequately feed fifty adult men would find many things much less impactful.

    Benitez simply explained that this breakfast was provided by the generous Professor Dumbledore, upon which the children''s curiosity immediately took priority over their food.

    Cough, cough.

    Alina stood up, placing her hands on the table and standing on tippy-toes. Clearing her throat, she began to softly guide the other children in expressing their thanks to Dumbledore.

    "Before we begin eating, everyone must first thank the man sitting next to me, Professor Dumbledore. Because of his generous support, we can enjoy today''s sumptuous breakfast."

    As these children who were all less than ten years old earnestly voiced their thanks in childish voices, Dumbledore smiled. Just when he was prepared to speak...

    "And it''s not just for today."

    The crisp voice of the silver-haired girl rang out in Dumbledore''s ear.

    "Professor Dumbledore has already agreed to provide all the breakfasts for the orphanage."

    ???

    The old man''s silver beard trembled, and the smile on his face went stiff. He looked in confusion at Alina.

    "For real?!"

    "Wow, that''s great! Big Sis Alina is awesome."

    "We can eat this kind of thing every day?"

    Before Dumbledore could argue, the children erupted like cold water thrown onto hot oil.

    "Ah? No..."

    Caught off guard, Dumbledore showed a rare moment of panic and vigorously attempted to clarify the situation.

    "Professor Dumbledore, if you find this problem, I can naturally continue to prepare breakfast for everyone each day, but this would be..."

    Alina pulled on Dumbledore''s sleeve with her left hand, intentionally or unintentionally, revealing the back of her hand to him as she softly spoke.

    "...Just this once? And then you will focus on your studies."

    Dumbledore did not directly refuse her, instead of raising an eyebrow and staring into Alina''s eyes as he softly asked.

    For Hogwarts, providing breakfast for a small orphanage with not even ten people was hardly a problem. After all, they were both located in the Scottish highlands and weren''t very far from each other.

    If this could put an end to any other requests from this restless girl, Dumbledore would find the exchange worth it.

    "Just this once."

    Seeing that Dumbledore was open to the idea, Alina forcefully nodded, her eyes going up and down as she shook Dumbledore''s sleeve while speaking in a sickly sweet tone.

    "If you can include lunch and dinner, I guarantee that I will obediently study and won''t make any more requests. Pleaaaase~"

    If not for today''s reminder, she would have forgotten that once she went off to Hogwarts, the responsibility for the orphanage''s three meals a day would have fallen on Benitez.

    If the orphanage could freeload off of Hogwarts for its daily meals, Benitez would have much less pressure on his shoulders.

    At the minimum, Benitez wouldn''t have to secretly take part in illegal fights or do something even more dangerous for the sake of getting money.

    This could be considered the last patch she would give for the orphanage.

    "..."

    Dumbledore said nothing, his azure eyes calmly examining the half-Veela girl as if wanting to peer into her heart and see what she was honestly thinking.

    "If it''s no good, I''ll pay Hogwarts back for the orphanage''s food costs."

    After engaging in a stare-off with Dumbledore, Alina finally conceded ground.

    A smile appeared on Dumbledore''s lips, and after looking around at all the hopeful and eager eyes around him, he gave a slight nod and answered in a bright tone.

    "That''s right. And it''s not just breakfast. Starting from today, we will be providing three meals a day for everyone."

    "Okay, it''s done. We''ll end the discussion here."

    After receiving Dumbledore''s firm agreement, the silver-haired girl hastily affirmed the agreement and declared that the discussion was over.

    Alina straightened her face and clapped her hands, looking around at the children who had gathered around the pair.

    "Okay, okay. That''s enough, thanks for now. Everyone, go back to your seats and eat."

    "Oh¡ª"

    The scraping of chairs and the clinking of knives and forks against saucers resounded through the room.

    The majority of children obediently followed Alina''s orders and went back to their seats to eat.

    But Bran, who was usually the most obedient to Alina''s words, remained standing where he was, looking somewhat unhappily at Alina. Clenching his teeth, he gathered his courage and asked a question.

    "Big Sister Alina, you''re not abandoning us, are you? Are you not going to cook eggs for us anymore? Then I don''t want to eat any of this..."

    Unlike all the other children, who had been tempted by the fantastic breakfast, when that older man suddenly appeared, Bran suddenly felt that Alina was about to leave.

    The dining room fell silent, all the other children turning to Alina.

    "I..."

    "Don''t worry. Big Sister Alina is merely going to a nearby boarding school to study. During the holidays, she''ll come back to see all of you."

    While Dumbledore was hesitating, Benitez suddenly extended a hand and rubbed Alina''s head, smiling as he explained to the children.

    "Is that why you didn''t open that letter?"

    Bran, the ever-curious child of the orphanage, continued with his questions.

    "Oh? What letter?"

    Alina tilted her head in confusion, mumbling out her reply while eating a salted herring.

    "Didn''t you say that as long as you didn''t open the letter, we could have Scottish Round-Faced Chicken stew every day?"

    Plush! Cough! Cough!

    Alina was suddenly taken by a fierce bout of coughing, at the same shooting an embarrassed glance at Dumbledore.

    The distressed silver-haired girl looked around, snatched a piece of buttered toast, and crammed it into Bran''s mouth.

    "Enough! Focus on eating! No more talking!"

    "Haha, Bran, you''re so dumb!"

    A somewhat older child, rejoicing in Bran''s misfortune, patted him on the shoulder while also correcting him.

    "Big Sister Alina said that those chickens all come over on their own from a chicken farm called Hogwarts. It has nothing to do with any letters."

    Alina grew even more embarrassed as she took up a spin and rapped the older child on the face.

    "You think you''re so smart! Quiet down and eat! And today, your homework is double!"

    After all, she had just extorted a long-term meal ticket for the orphanage from Dumbledore. To talk about this matter, a time like this was genuinely inappropriate.

    Scottish Round-faced Chicken? They would keep coming as long as the letter wasn''t opened? Hogwarts chicken farm?

    Dumbledore turned his head and glanced at the silver-haired girl, a strange look on his face. It seemed that this half-Veela girl had done a lot of research to eat the school''s owls.

    Cough, cough, cough! "Professor Dumbledore, I''m done eating. I''ll change clothes, and then we can head out!"

    Alina swallowed the food she was eating and put down her knife and fork. Awkwardly and slightly impolitely chuckling, she flew out of the dining room and back to her room.

 Chapter 025 - The Journey Begins

    The morning breeze in the summer was particularly refreshing. The soft sunlight broke through the thin layer of mist over Loch Lomond and fell upon the water''s surface, causing it to glisten with golden light.

    A silver-haired girl was sitting on the meadow by the lakeshore, hugging her legs while her leather boots restlessly kneaded the grass. She was clearly not as calm as she tried to let on.

    Nearby, an old, white-haired man stood with his hands held behind his back, watching the birds flitting across the lake with great enthusiasm, as if this was the most interesting thing in the world.

    "Okay...Professor Dumbledore, what in the world are we doing?"

    After hesitating for a long while, Alina finally stood up and broke the silence.

    Once breakfast was over, Alina had followed Dumbledore to the lakeshore. Her guilty conscience had made it so that she had kept to simple grunts and single-word answers when replying to Dumbledore on the way here.

    But after spending what must have been at least fifteen minutes doing nothing on the lakeshore, her desire to go to Diagon Alley overcame her embarrassment.

    "If I recall, aren''t we supposed to be going to buy the things I need for school?"

    "Correct. Actually, we''re in the middle of heading to Diagon Alley right now."

    Hearing Alina''s voice, Dumbledore turned around and happily nodded.

    "In the middle?! We''ve clearly done nothing but stand by the lake for fifteen minutes! We haven''t gone anywhere!"

    The silver-haired girl''s patience was dripping away by the second. She was beginning to wonder if Dumbledore was trying to perform some sort of strange educational experiment.

    The old wizard blinked his eyes, a mischievous smile on his face as he glanced at the grass that had been annihilated under the girl''s shoe.

    "There are times when waiting forms a necessary part of one''s journey."

    "So you''re saying that we can''t just use Apparition? I hope you''re not going to say that you need to wait for the cooldown on your skill to finish!"

    Alina somewhat crazily kicked at the grass. This was why she loathed those old rascals who didn''t know how to speak properly and were always trying to make a philosophical point.

    "Apparition? Of course not. After all, we''re heading for London, which is several hundred kilometers away."

    Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. He realized that while Alina seemed to know a great deal about the Magic World, most of this consisted of fuzzy concepts.

    Dumbledore took a strange pocket watch from his pocket, glanced at it, gave a slight nod, and then began to patiently explain to Alina.

    "Apparition has a distance limit. To be more precise, the greater the distance, the greater the burden on the wizard, thus increasing the difficulty. Trying to forcefully cross a large distance is rather dangerous. I certainly don''t think placing you in danger to save a little time is a wise decision."

    Although Dumbledore''s explanation was rather unclear, Alina instantly realized what was going on. In truth, the old man''s meaning was very simple: It''s too far, and I don''t have enough mana to make it.

    Since they couldn''t use Apparition, there weren''t many transportation methods left. These were by train, by broom, using Floo Powder, or using a Portkey.

    She could use logic to immediately exclude Muggle methods of transportation. After all, it would take at least a day to get from the Scottish highlands to London.

    Alina also didn''t find it likely that the elderly Professor Dumbledore would act like a youngster and take her on a broomstick to fly her to London in broad daylight.

    Based on what Alina remembered from the original work, using Floo Powder to enter the city should have been the method of transportation most commonly used by witches and wizards.

    For example, in the second book, ''Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,'' the Weasley family had used Floo Powder to travel from the family home, the Burrow, straight to Diagon Alley.

    But a fireplace was needed to use Floo Powder, and the shores of Loch Lomond did not seem like a place that would have a fireplace connected to the Floo Network.

    In other words...

    The silver-haired girl who had been counting with her fingers suddenly paled, a look of extreme rejection appearing on her face!

    "Professor, wait for a second! We''re not using a Portkey, are we?! No, no, no! I refuse!"

    From the current situation, there was an eighty percent chance that Dumbledore was waiting for a Portkey that was headed to London to appear.

    Alina''s small face was ghastly pale as she rushed up to Dumbledore''s side and pleadingly pulled on the wide sleeves of his robe.

    "Professor Dumbledore, let''s go back to Hogwarts! We can use Floo Powder! It''s just a tiny, insignificant request...and Hogwarts has so many fireplaces."

    If Alina had to pick out the most frightening method of travel, she would undoubtedly choose the Portkey.

    Even though this was the most convenient method of long-distance travel in the Magic World, this couldn''t change the terrifying experience it put one through.

    This was because when one used a Portkey, one would feel like a hook had latched onto their belly button and then pulled them unstoppably into the air. They would fly through the air like a gust of wind, not able to clearly make out anything in front of them.

    From the descriptions in the novel, the Floo Network was clearly the more comfortable choice.

    One was a quick journey through a warm fireplace (with only a little carsickness), while the other was a hook that pulled you on your belly button. The description alone was terrifying enough!

    "But, Miss Alina, just half an hour ago, you said that you had made your last request."

    Dumbledore looked in slight confusion at the panicked little girl and mischievously blinked his eyes.

    "I''m rather confused. Just which one is your last request?"

    "...Eh?"

    Alina''s face froze. After some thought, she timidly raised two fingers and spoke in a fawning whisper.

    "What if we count that as my second-to-last one, and this will be my last?"

    Although he didn''t understand why Alina disliked Portkeys so badly, this would not affect his decision.

    "Returning to Hogwarts to use Floo Powder?"

    Dumbledore glanced at the girl''s hopeful eyes. Naughtily, he spoke in a slow and contemplative tone but ended swiftly. "Of course...not!"

    The silver-haired girl''s expression crumbled, her lips pursing, and her lake-blue eyes staring at Dumbledore in grief as she took on the pitiful face of a girl about to cry.

    If words couldn''t win the day, she had one final option. She could activate the magic in her blood and get her way by acting cute.

    It made one instinctively wonder; perhaps I should reconsider?

    Dumbledore couldn''t help but silently chuckle and shake his head. He vaguely understood why Benitez so adored this little girl.

    After some thought, Dumbledore raised three fingers and began to explain in a gentle tone.

    "One, only fireplaces connected to the Floo Network can be used to transport, and the fireplaces of Hogwarts are currently closed to the outside world.

    "Two, our first destination is the goblin-run Gringotts Bank. They''ve never allowed the wizarding world access to their fireplaces.

    "Three...it''s time."

    At this moment, Dumbledore took his left hand from behind his back. In his palm was a shabby cloth bag that was trembling and radiating blue light.

    "Welcome to the Magic World!"

    "Wha..."

    Before Alina could react, the pair disappeared in a flash of twisted light.

 Chapter 026 - Gringotts and The Momentous Period

    Gringotts.

    A rather strangely arranged VIP lounge.

    It was strange because, unlike the VIP lounges of most banks, there was a round platform in the center of the room.

    At this time, a goblin with a dark face was waving around his slender arms as he anxiously urged on the waiter at his side.

    "Are the tea and cookies ready? Hurry, hurry! Don''t dawdle! Time is money...oh God, they''re here!"

    In a flash of twisted light, two people, one tall and one short appeared on the round platform.

    "Honored Sir Dumbledore, welcome to Gringotts. How can I serve you today?"

    The goblin deeply bowed, his sharp beard almost stabbing into the floorboards.

    As the strongest wizard of the generation and the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Dumbledore undoubtedly ranked at or near the top of the wizarding world when it came to wealth. (Though quite a few people suspected that most of it came from the spoils of war he had obtained after defeating Grindelwald.)

    For the goblins, their most direct intuition told them that almost every one of Dumbledore''s visits to Gringotts entailed a lucrative contract or commission.

    "I might have disappointed you this time. I am not the customer this time."

    Dumbledore placed the shabby bag on a golden platter and shrugged his shoulders.

    "Please assist Miss Alina Kaslana in exchanging for some currency so that she can buy the supplies she needs for school."

    Based on the information Professor McGonagall had reported to him and his observations, Dumbledore decided to mention anything regarding the scholarship for orphans. He pointed at Alina, who was still standing on the platform and looking around with her mouth wide open and explained to the goblin.

    "Only a currency exchange? Sir, doesn''t want to take a look through the vaults?"

    The goblin''s voice became increasingly urgent and shrill. Alina saw that his fingers were knotted together, indicating that he was greatly troubled.

    "There''s no need. Just the exchange will do." Dumbledore smiled and shook his head.

    The goblin''s excited face instantly collapsed on hearing Dumbledore''s reply. He had paid a great price to get this opportunity to connect with Dumbledore.

    He had believed that, just like his colleagues, he could make a generous commission.

    The goblin examined this young witch who was about ten years old and made a smile that was uglier than crying.

    "Ack, fine. My name is Gallywix...this Miss Alina, please follow me."

    But as a top-class employee of the Magic World''s only bank, Wix quickly got a hold of himself.

    With an unimpeachable bow, Wix led the pair into the large marble lobby.

    This was a particularly noisy space. Around one hundred goblins were seated behind a long counter on high stools. Some of them were weighing coins on copper scales, some were inspecting jewels through glasses, and others were writing in large account books.

    There were innumerable doors in the lobby leading to different places. Goblins were leading people in and out of these doors, and Alina and Dumbledore were also emerging from one such door.

    As Dumbledore appeared, the clamor in the lobby died away.

    It was like a spell had been cast on everyone, and they all stared in a daze as the white-bearded wizard strode through the lobby.

    Sensing the staring eyes, Wix puffed his chest up and stood straight as he led the pair up to a free counter.

    As the goblin behind the counter excitedly watched, Wix cleared his throat, stood aside to reveal the silver-haired girl behind him, and whispered.

    Cough! Cough! "Clerk, help this little girl exchange for some Galleons..."

    "Just exchanging for Galleons?"

    The goblin behind the counter made a weird smile. Inspecting Wix''s awkward expression, he suddenly scoffed, turned his head, and began to laugh as he spoke to his neighbor.

    "Guess what sort of big business the wise Gally Wix managed to bid for this time? Helping Dumbledore with getting some currency exchanged, hahaha~."

    "Goodness, it seems like the future trade prince truly does think differently from the rest of us."

    "Scared the wits out of me! From the look on his face, I almost thought that Wix had managed to negotiate a hundred-thousand-Galleon deal, hahaha~."

    As if someone had slammed down on the broadcast button, all the other goblins broke out in jeering laughter.

    The other people in the lobby looked away and began to concern themselves with their affairs. Although they were rather astonished to see Dumbledore personally taking a new student to Diagon Alley, there was nothing worth watching in mere currency exchange.

    "Are you going to continue working or not? If you''re not going to work, just resign and stop damaging the reputation of Gringotts."

    Wix was unable to maintain his composure after hearing all the laughter. His dark face blushed with shame as his slender fingers rapped against the wooden counter.

    "Yes, yes, yes...I will diligently accomplish all the duties assigned to me by the wise Wix.

    "According to the contract between Gringotts and the human wizards, witches and wizards in school are limited to exchanging for ten thousand Galleons."

    The goblin behind the counter shook his head, looked in amusement at the small Alina, and smiled.

    "Miss, may I ask how much you plan to exchange for?"

    "Oh? An exchange limit?"

    Alina, who had been curiously looking at the counters, turned her head and blinked her eyes in confusion. This hadn''t been mentioned in the original work.

    "Of course. You don''t think Muggle currency and Galleons can be exchanged endlessly, do you?"

    The goblin rubbed his finger and began to calmly explain in a haughty tone.

    "How could the paper money used by Muggles compare to the noble Galleons? Galleons can easily be exchanged for all the currencies in the Muggle world."

    Able to exchange for all currencies? A vague idea appeared in Alina''s mind.

    She seemed to have forgotten about something very important! But what was it...

    As the little girl was strenuously thinking, a string of strange clicking sounds from the counter next to her drew her attention.

    "Oh, tovarishch, take ne mozhet but''..." (Oh, comrade, that can''t be...)

    Several muscular and bearded wizards were also exchanging for Galleons, and they were apparently arguing over how much to exchange.

    Their extremely unique tone and their rugged Northern European faces made Alina instantly realize where they were from.

    "So they''re wizards from Russia? The goblins of Gringotts have quite an impressive grasp of foreign languages.

    Alina curiously examined the goblin behind the counter, who was fluently speaking Russian and sighed in wonder.

    "Russia? No, they''re wizards from the Soviet Union, a rather spacious wizarding country. Okay, let''s get this exchange done and go to Diagon Alley to buy your things."

    As the silver-haired girl looked around like a curious baby, Dumbledore could only pat her on the head and speak in a helpless tone.

    "Wait a moment! Professor Dumbledore, what did you say just now?!"

    The girl fiercely turned her head and stared at Dumbledore, her silver hair trembling.

    "Let''s quickly exchange for Galleons and then go to..."

    The startled Dumbledore unconsciously repeated himself.

    "No, no, the one before that!"

    Alina shook her head.

    "...Wizards from the Soviet Union?"

    Dumbledore''s azure eyes were brimming with confusion as he uncertainly answered.

    That was it! Not Russia, but the Soviet Union.

    Like a bolt of lightning, the girl remembered that most shocking moment in human history.

    It was currently July 31st, 1991. In this very same year, on December 25th, one of the most shocking events in history would take place: the dissolution of the Soviet Union!

    For the next few years, the financial world would heartlessly plunder all the wealth the people of the Soviet Union had accumulated over the last sixty-nine years.

    As she lacked the qualifications to enter this market, Alina hadn''t paid this matter too much concern, but if it was the Magic World...

    Thump!

    Alina''s hands slammed onto the wooden counter, her eyes like blazing fires and her voice shaking from excitement.

    "Can Gringotts do exchanges for rubles?! Can...it give loans?!"

    In the face of this momentous period, the only correct way of opening up was to witness and participate!

    Human civilization had never truly been broken apart.

 Chapter 027 - Alina Doesnt Have Much Time

    Concerning the reasons for the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the scholars of later generations all had their own opinions and analysis.

    But at the current point in time, no one believed that this enormous red country would collapse in the space of a single night.

    Just as the world''s worst spy and former member of the KGB had said, "Whoever does not miss the Soviet Union has no heart; whoever wants it back has no brain."

    (Second to this man, the world''s second-worst spy, is Great Britain''s, James Bond. These two are exposed so often on the world stage that it''s unthinkable.)

    In Alina''s view, if there was a restriction that kept the world running on a single route, then that most serious of geopolitical catastrophes that took place in the year 1991 was undoubtedly one of the most ''inevitable'' incidents in human history.

    If she could take part in the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Alina would not choose to oppose the tide of the era, and would not attempt to stop the Soviet Union from collapsing.

    Essentially, she was like the vast majority of transmigrators, people without conscience who only had thoughts about how to grab a fistful of beard hair in the middle of this great tide.

    But before entering the Magic World...or to be more precise, before coming to Gringotts, Alina had not placed much attention on the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

    After all, this place was just too far, and Alina was just too young.

    Whether it was exchanging everyday household items for expensive military goods or joining in with the other financial conglomerates to tear apart the Soviet Union''s economy like ravenous crocodiles, this was not a domain that a ten-year-old girl from the Scottish highlands could take part in.

    But...the opportunity had inadvertently been delivered to her feet.

    "What if...I wanted to take a loan from Gringotts and use it to obtain a specific Muggle currency?"

    Alina took in a deep breath, trying her best to calm herself as she asked the goblin in front of her.

    Are you taking a loan from Gringotts to obtain Muggle currency?

    The goblin behind the counter turned his eyes, a crafty smile on his lips. Yet another human witch had shown up who thought too highly of their intelligence.

    As the only wizarding bank of the Magic World, the goblins had seen all sorts of people who had thought themselves superior. The foolish witches and wizards had no idea that the goblins still wielded significant influence in the currencies of the Non-Magic World.

    "Of course. But the fee our Gringotts takes is not something an ordinary person can handle. Alright, little girl, I''ve done my duty and satisfied your curiosity. Now hurry up and finish your exchange!"

    The goblin scratched the sharp beard under his chin as he impatiently said. Given that Dumbledore was present, he felt that he had been more than patient.

    Pa!

    Alina immediately took a banknote from the little pouch on her waist and slapped it on the counter.

    "I don''t have any Galleons. This is fifty British pounds, which should have the same value as ten-some Galleons. Is this money worth a few questions?"

    "Oh~~My dear Miss Kaslana, this is enough for you to ask an entire afternoon of questions. Andy Serkis is happy to answer them."

    Serkis''s eyes lit up as he reached out with two slender fingers, seized the banknotes, and slowly put them away. Sitting up straight, he smiled and put on an attentive expression.

    "Serkis, that''s too much! You''re just answering a few simple questions from a girl who hasn''t even started school yet, and you''re happy with taking a fee from them! This is no way to start up a long-term relationship with a customer."

    From behind Alina, Gally Wix sharply spoke in an unhappy tone; at the same time, subtly withdrawing the empty right hand that had reached out toward the counter. His position in the back had meant that he had been half a second slower than Serkis.

    "Wix, shut your mouth! If you continue to disturb my conversation with the customer, I have the authority to call the guards and get you thrown out! ...Mm, Miss Kaslana, please, continue."

    Andy Serkis dangerously narrowed his eyes, his long and sharp fingers tapping against the counter as he darkly threatened. He then turned with a beaming smile to Alina.

    Alina smiled and softly asked her question.

    "Then, my question is, if I take a loan, can I break the annual limit of fifty thousand pounds that can be exchanged to Galleons? Or to convert it to any other currency."

    "This is..." Serkis''s face turned ugly as he hesitated, the index finger and thumb of his right hand rubbing together.

    Truly...a practical and cute goblin.

    Pa! Another fifty-pound note hit the table.

    Alina shrugged her shoulders. Compared to complicated humans, the materialistic goblins were more her style.

    "Of course there''s no problem! Although the rules mandate this, you only need to pay a small commission, and I can help you exchange for extra. After all, Gringotts is not open to just human witches and wizards. Even a Doxy would simply need to give a handprint of approval, and I would help them complete the exchange."

    Serkis was getting friendlier and friendlier, and he was looking at Alina almost the same as he looked at Galleons. He had never before encountered such a generous and stupid little girl.

    "Oh? Is that so..."

    The silver-haired girl slowly looked around at the resplendent central lobby of Gringotts. The goblin''s firm answer had stimulated every cell in the body. This sort of bank without international restrictions at a time like this, if used appropriately, would lead to a terrifying explosion of wealth.

    One had to realize that even though the Soviet Union had begun to show many cracks over the last few years, it was one of the two poles of the Non-Magic World. Thus, the Soviet ruble was still a rather strong currency.

    If Alina remembered correctly, until the sudden turn of events in the middle of August, the US dollar and the ruble maintained an exchange rate of 1 US dollar to 1.8~2.0 rubles.

    But when the flag of the Soviet Union was brought down for the last time this Christmas, by the end of 1991, the exchange rate between the US dollar and the ruble would suddenly become 1 US dollar to 170 rubles.

    Right after that, the Russian government would begin its suffocating shock therapy. Starting from January 2nd, 1992, the government lifted the price controls for 90% of consumer goods and 80% of capital goods. At the same time, the cap on salaries was lifted, with government workers having their salaries increased by 90% and retirees obtaining an additional subsidy of 900 rubles per month. The allowance for families and the relief payments to the unemployed also rose with the rising tide.

    By April, the prices of consumer goods in Russia were 65 times higher than they had been in December of 1991, which meant that, in terms of buying power, the ruble had been devalued by 65 times. And after that...

    In short, casting aside the political and national contests for power and looking at it purely from a financial perspective, speculation, and buying stocks were all pathetic methods. The simplest way of making money was to get a loan for as many rubles as possible and then exchange the rubles for a non-Soviet currency, such as the US dollar or Galleons.

    And then? And then she didn''t need to do anything. She could lay back in Hogwarts and sip on black tea while the ruble completely collapsed, and then she could exchange her US dollars or Galleons back to rubles and clear her debts, thus making a thousand times over in profit.

    Alina contemplatively stroke her fair-skinned left hand. Just as Dumbledore had said, as long as she did not deliberately trigger it, the Unbreakable Vow would not leave any trace.

    If one wanted to ensure that a school continued on forever, weren''t the two most important factors people and money? For people, as long as human society existed, there would always be more students. As for money, she had seemingly found a method of settling the matter for her lifetime.

    She simply needed to handle this properly, and she would be left with only two vows. She certainly didn''t want to spend the rest of her long life burdened with the mission of ensuring the continuation of a massive school.

    The only problem was...

    Alina glanced behind her at the old wizard who was curiously listening¡ªthis could only be done when Dumbledore wasn''t present.

    "In short, let''s quickly get this loose change exchanged into Galleons. Time is money, my friend. We have many other important things still left to do after this."

    Alina took a stack of pound notes from her pouch and placed them on the counter. She emphasized the words ''We'' and ''after this'' while shooting a glance at Serkis, indicating that he should look at Dumbledore behind her.

    As for what conclusions he might draw, they all basically bode well for her.

    Her most urgent task was to quickly buy her things at Diagon Alley and then send Dumbledore off.

    It was currently 9 am, July 31st, 1991.

    Alina didn''t have much time.

 Chapter 028 - Golden Galleons Are Not Gold Coins

    After paying two fifty-pound notes as a question fee, Alina''s exchange for Galleons went surprisingly smoothly.

    Less than fifteen minutes later, the goblin Serkis had helped Alina register her information, open an account, exchange for money, and taken care of a host of other tedious tasks, upon which he placed a bag full of money in front of the silver-haired girl.

    While the majority of the money was in Galleons, Serkis had considerately provided some of the money in silver Sickles and bronze Knuts, which would make things easier for her coming shopping trip.

    "So this is a Galleon. The craftsmanship is surprisingly good."

    Alina curiously gripped the golden coin as she carefully examined. From the point of standard dimensions, it wasn''t that large, a bit less than double the size of a one yuan coin from her last life.

    On the front side of the coin was an abstract representation of a dragon, and a circle of numbers was inscribed on the edge. This was a serial number engraved on the coin by Gringotts and was also the serial number of the specific goblin who had cast the coin.

    "But this weight and texture...don''t seem right?"

    The girl weighed the coin in her hand, her fingernails exerting a little pressure as they scratched the surface. The surface of the light gold coin remained glossy, with no depressions or scratch marks.

    Alina raised an eyebrow. There was no question that this gleaming Galleon, whether it was in weight or texture, was not a coin cast directly from gold mined from the earth.

    As a Harry Potter fan in her last life, as well as the holder of a master''s in economics, Alina had once discussed a very interesting question with fellow fans in a message board called ''A Bite of Hogwarts'' with the serial number [862-074-819].

    As Great Britain was the first country to implement the gold standard, even in this era of fiat currency (which is paper money), gold still had an influential status in its monetary system.

    And the Galleons of the Magic World were undoubtedly the greatest challenge to the new system of fiat currency.

    This challenge was that if Galleons lost their value as a currency and their intrinsic value was greater than their exchange value, a catastrophic economic crash would take place in both worlds.

    Alina was currently in the year 1991. An ounce of gold was 360.75 US dollars, putting a gram of gold at 8.68 British pounds apiece.

    Now, a steel-core one yuan coin was around six grams. If the same coin was made of pure gold, it would weigh 15.7 grams for a value of 136 British pounds.

    But the exchange rate used by the goblins of Gringotts was 1 Galleon for 5 British pounds!

    To put it bluntly, if a Galleon was melted down into gold, it could go for a much higher price than its face value. First, this would cause the gold reserves of the Magic World to nosedive, and then the exchanging of currency would be banned, and all exchange methods with the Muggle World would be locked down.

    In short, when the purchasing power and exchange rate are in contradiction, if the goblins and the Magic World wanted to maintain a normal financial system, they could only implement one solution: large-scale debasing.

    Thus, golden Galleons were not gold coins. At most, they were magic coins that had a small amount of gold mixed with other, cheaper, metals.

    This would perfectly explain how in ''Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'', the then-Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge was able to singlehandedly throw the reward of one thousand Galleons to Harry Potter. This would normally be impossible. After all, such a bag would weigh nearly 80 kilograms!

    "Might I ask...Miss Alina, is there a problem with this Galleon?"

    Andy Serkis anxiously asked.

    When this generous human girl took up this Galleon, she seemed to be seized by a spell. She had played around with and examined the coin for nearly five minutes. Not even the most obsessed with goblins acted like this.

    "Oh, it''s nothing. I just suddenly thought of a few things."

    Alina shook her head and came back to her senses. With a flick of her finger, she skillfully returned the Galleon into the pouch on her waist and then turned around to look at Dumbledore.

    "So, Professor Dumbledore, where are we going next?"

    "Mm...of course, we''re going to Diagon Alley to get your school supplies. Let me take a look first."

    Dumbledore took out a somewhat ink-splattered parchment from his robe, pushed his glances, and began to softly list off the items: "Uniform, books, wand, supplies for class, and besides that, a student can bring...ahem, I''ve basically got it down."

    The old wizard strangely coughed while reading the list, and before Alina could see what was on the parchment, he folded it back up and hid it in his robe.

    "Let''s buy your uniform first. From a personal standpoint, I prefer Madam Malkin''s Robes for All Occasions."

    Dumbledore genially smiled as he grabbed Alina''s small hand and led her out through the main door of Gringotts.

    For some reason, Dumbledore had suddenly felt an ill foreboding, as if he remained with Alina in Gringotts, something even more problematic would take place.

    "Professor Dumbledore, hold on a second! Did you leave something out on purpose?"

    As they stood in the sunny shopping street outside of Gringotts, Alina unhappily glared at Dumbledore.

    If she remembered correctly, at the very end of the list of supplies a new student needed was a special note: Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad.

    "Was there? Perhaps you heard wrong. As Headmaster of Hogwarts, I am confident that, Miss Alina, that these are all the things you need to study."

    Dumbledore blinked his eyes in confusion as he spoke in an earnest tone to the girl. If Alina hadn''t read the novels at least ten times, she might have even been fooled.

    "A pet! Each witch or wizard can bring one pet to Hogwarts! Last night, I saw that note at the end of the list on the second page when I was with Father Benitez! Professor Dumbledore, how could you be like this!?"

    Alina puffed her cheeks and threw away Dumbledore''s hand. She wasn''t a monster. Was there any need to even strip her of the right to get a pet?

    "Oh...is that so? Ah, I see. This ink smudge happened to be blocking that part. Right, would you like to have some delicious ice cream?"

    Dumbledore took out the parchment in astonishment and pretended to take a second look. After putting on a face of sudden realization, he suddenly attempted to change the topic.

    Haha.

    This trick again.

    The silver-haired girl rolled her eyes and ignored Dumbledore, walking into Madam Malkin''s on her own.

    If not for the vast discrepancy in fighting power, Alina would have tried to tear the beard of this heartless old wizard who didn''t even know how to find a good excuse.

    The voice of a girl could be heard from within the store as the door swayed back and forth.

    "...Chocolate flavor, and also strawberry flavor. And it would be great if there could be fruit bits sprinkled on top."

    TN: The author is advertising the official Chinese discussion board for the novel here.An additional explanation from the author: If Galleons were really pure gold, how cheap would they be...Firstly: 1 Galleon~5 British pounds. Then suppose this: Mister A is a Squib. After graduating from college, he makes 5 British pounds from a temporary job. He then spends these 5 pounds at Gringotts to get 1 Galleon. He then sells the Galleon for 1000 British pounds to a gold buyer, and then takes this money and exchanges it for 200 Galleons. If Mister A repeats this process n times, he will obtain 5*200^n British Pounds.

 Chapter 029 - The Little Girl Who Likes to Study

    Perhaps because it was still early, there were no other customers in Madam Malkin''s at this time.

    The moment Alina entered, she was welcomed by a short and plump witch wearing a purple robe and a genial smile. This was the owner of the store, Madam Malkin.

    "A new Hogwarts student? What''s your name?"

    Madam Malkin smiled and said before Alina could speak.

    The witch glanced out the door at the man that was leaving. "Dumbledore? How rare! He doesn''t bring students to Diagon Alley himself much now that he''s no longer the Transfiguration Professor."

    Drawing back her gaze, Madam Malkin curiously examined the silver-haired girl in front of her and smiled. "Come on. Let''s go to the back and try out some clothes."

    The space behind the robe store was very large, much wider than it seemed from the street. Madam Malkin had Alina place a foot on a stool and gave her a robe to put on. The needles in her hand flew as she adjusted the robe and happily patted her hands.

    "Okay, the measurements for the robe are done. Dear, do you want to sit on the sofa? And then you can take your time picking out any other clothes you need to purchase?"

    "The other clothes I need to purchase?"

    Alina slowly repeated the words. This tone made her recall those hairstylists from her previous world. What should have been a slight trimming of the bangs would often inexplicably turn into a skincare membership that costs several thousand yuan.

    The girl warily gripped the money pouch on her waist and courteously shook her head. "There''s no need. I recall that the list said..."

    Madam Malkin helplessly shook her head and warmly chuckled.

    "Oh, Dear, you don''t think all the Hogwarts students go the entire school term wearing only three black wizard''s robes, one cloak, and one wizard''s hat do you?"

    The plump witch shrugged her shoulder and immediately continued to explain. It was clear that this was not her first time encountering such questions.

    "As long as they''re not too poor, the majority of students will choose to have a few shirts, blouses, and sweaters for the autumn and winter made for them. I might as well add that Hogwarts is a year-round boarding school, so it''s best if you get all your clothes prepared in one go."

    Was this not the legendary half-forced bundle expense?

    From the look of it, if a poor child wanted to go to wizarding school, they would first have to learn how to resist the terrifying magic of ''Levicorpus.''

    It seemed evident that a certain Potions professor who will remain unnamed had probably refused this half-forced expense, leading to a series of tragic love stories.

    In truth, the money Madam Malkin made from the additional clothes orders from Hogwarts students made up at least 80% of her store''s revenue.

    After all, compared to the robes that were used in all four seasons, just the clothes worn daily for all four seasons would come at great expense. Besides that, young witches would also have to pay for their underclothes and stockings.

    "In addition, Dear, a pretty witch like you needs to also prepare clothes in different sizes. I encourage you to peruse the list of clothes the majority of young witches usually buy. After all, you''ll soon grow into a big girl, and if you have outdoor classes..."

    Although Madam Malkin had been rather tactful, Alina completely understood what she was saying. If she didn''t want to go out naked, she would have to wear some ordinary clothes to wear under her robes.

    Alina imagined the scene of her riding a broomstick, the crisp sensation as the wind hit her body, and every man in the school was able to look up and see what was beneath her robes. She couldn''t help but shiver.

    "There''s no need to say anymore. You''re completely right. I''ll buy it! But, honored Madam Malkin, I think there are a few details that are worthy of discussion."

    The silver-haired girl sat up straight and began to look through the album that Madam Malkin had offered her.

    The trend was stronger than any person, and she was not the stalwart and determined man that Professor Snape was. Not buying was not an option.

    But if she just gave up and allowed herself to get ripped off, she wouldn''t be Alina Kaslana, the bargaining terror of the Scottish highlands who made all shop owners pale in fear.

    ...

    By the time Dumbledore returned to Madam Malkin''s Robes for All Occasions, Alina and Madam Malkin''s negotiation was only halfway finished.

    Just as Alina had speculated, Madam Malkin''s ''custom-made clothes'' package had quite a few items that could be left out.

    "I''m definitely not going to wear high heels before the age of sixteen. Please remove any shoes from the list that make my soles unable to rest level on the ground."

    Alina pointed at the photo album and sternly said.

    The plump witch had lost her relaxed expression, and she pondered this request like she was facing a major enemy before she slowly replied.

    "Very well, but I suggest that you switch them out for several pairs of flat-bottomed leather shoes, sneakers, and lady''s shoes. This will save around 11 Sickles."

    "There''s no need. I already have a lot of flat-bottomed white shoes and some ankle boots."

    Upon hearing Madam Malkin''s proposal, Alina firmly refused.

    Raising her head, she happened to see Dumbledore outside the window, raising up two large ice creams, and her eyes lit up.

    "Oh, excuse me...I have to go for a bit. Professor Dumbledore is looking for me."

    "Go, go...let me rest a little and sort out what we talked about."

    Madam Malkin rubbed her forehead and weakly waved a hand. Frankly speaking, never in the history of her store had she encountered such a frighteningly difficult opponent.

    The size and material of the clothes, what the clasps of the cloaks were made of, how it was produced, and even the physical structure of the human body...this silver-haired girl, through various crafty and irreproachable angles, had been able to patiently shave away at a price, Knut by Knut.

    At some point, Madam Malkin felt that she wasn''t conversing with a ten-year-old new student of Hogwarts, but was instead trying to negotiate a major contract with a goblin from Gringotts.

    "After so long, you''re still not done buying clothes?"

    Dumbledore offered the ice creams to Alina as he asked in confusion. He had always taken Madam Malkin to be a very capable and experienced witch.

    "We only got halfway...I have to admit that Madam Malkin is much more formidable than the clothes shop owner in the village. I suppose that''s to be expected of someone who can successfully open a store in Diagon Alley."

    Alina sat down on the stone steps of the store; her eyes squinted as she licked at the large strawberry ice cream that was half the size of her fist.

    The summer light, the cold air rising from the pink ice cream, and the bits of fruit complimented with raspberry jam only increased her appetite. The sweet chill instantly washed away all her fatigue.

    "Only halfway? Mmm..."

    Dumbledore was taken aback. He truly couldn''t think of anything that could make buying some robes for school so time-consuming.

    But given what he knew about Alina, he could guess from the miserable look on Madam Malkin''s face that Alina had probably begun to put her almost devilishly eloquent mouth to work again.

    "Since that''s the case, I''ll head to Flourish and Blotts first to buy all the books you need for school. If you finish things here early, you can wait for me here, and then we can go together to buy your wand."

    After a few seconds of thought, Dumbledore made up his mind. Turning around, he prepared to head toward Flourish and Blotts.

    "Mmm! Wait..."

    Hearing Dumbledore''s words, Alina hastily stood up and stood herself in front of Dumbledore (Her left and right hands were both holding ice cream, leaving her no other choice).

    Dumbledore swiftly came to a halt, barely avoiding running into the girl.

    "Oh? Is there a problem?"

    "Mmm! Galleons, for buying books. Use my money."

    Alina swallowed the ice cream in her mouth and turned to the side, displaying the pouch of Galleons on her waist.

    "You know that Hogwarts has a special fund for this sort of thing. Buying your books for the class is no problem..."

    Dumbledore squatted down to level with Alina''s eyes as he smiled.

    "Father Benitez said that I''m not an orphan, so I don''t need the school''s scholarship."

    Alina shook her head and firmly replied.

    "..."

    After a half-second of silence, Dumbledore solemnly nodded. He extended a hand and took twenty Galleons from Alina''s pouch. "My apologies. I will give you the receipt for the books afterward. Is there anything else?"

    "Anything else..."

    The silver-haired girl blinked her bright eyes, her mouth cutely pursing as she tilted her head in thought.

    She softly whispered, "Mmm...if possible, besides ''Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,'' can you buy a few other works by Mister Newt Scamander? I''ve always liked the fantastic creatures of the Magic World."

 Chapter 030 - An Accident

    Diagon Alley was a twisting street made of stone slabs and cobblestones.

    At this time, a father and son were standing at the crossroads between Flourish and Blotts and Madam Malkin''s Robes for All Occasions.

    The boy was around ten years old, and he had the same slick, light gold hair of his father, the pale oval face, and the gray-blue eyes. At this time, he was uneasily looking around at the crowds of people walking past.

    "I will head to Flourish and Blotts to buy your books. You don''t need to come with me. Head straight to that store to get your measurements done."

    The man glanced at his son, a snake-headed walking stick turning around in his palm. His brow creased as he spoke in a stern and displeased tone.

    "Draco, let me repeat myself. You are of the ancient Malfoy family. I do not wish to see this sort of weak and childish expression on you again."

    "I just don''t want to interact with the poor. Father, relax, I know what I should do."

    The golden-haired boy, none other than Draco Malfoy, took in a deep breath and attempted to mimic his father''s composed tone in his reply.

    "That would be best. Hogwarts has been taking in too many dubious people as of late. Always remember who you are."

    The elder Malfoy proudly nodded and patted his son on the shoulder, his tone relaxing.

    "In short, we''ll be parting here. If I still haven''t come over by the time your measurements are done, go to the wand store and find your mother."

    "I know. You don''t have to repeat yourself."

    Draco somewhat uncomfortably moved his shoulders, and then he walked away without turning his head in the direction of Madam Malkin''s store.

    (In the future, when Lucius is not present, Malfoy will be used to refer to Draco Malfoy)

    Following the signs, Malfoy traversed the winding cobblestoned street to reach his destination.

    As he got close to the entrance, Madam Malkin noticed that a girl of around the same age as he was seated on the steps in front of Madam Malkin''s.

    As Malfoy curiously looked toward the stone steps, his eyes were instantly fixed on that silver-haired girl.

    This girl was cautiously licking a massive ice cream, so focused that it seemed like nothing else in the world existed. She appeared exceptionally cute and adorable.

    The sunlight shining upon the girl''s silken silver hair made it flash with golden light. Her face was as exquisite as an elf''s, and her long eyelashes trembled. Almost every person who walked by would slow down for a bit and glance at her a few times.

    "Ahem! Excuse me, are you a student at Hogwarts?"

    Malfoy tidied his knitted clothes, cleared his throat, and slowly came forward, courteously reaching out to shake the girl''s hand.

    "..."

    The girl said nothing, too lazy even to move her eyes. She continued to focus on consuming the ice cream.

    "Hey! Are you also a student at Hogwarts?"

    Malfoy raised his voice and waved a hand in front of the girl.

    Schlick!

    The silver-haired girl took a soft bite of the ice cream, her eyes squinting in joy. She continued to treat Malfoy like he was just empty air.

    Malfoy, who had needed some effort to work up his courage, now awkwardly stood, his right hand just hanging in the air while his pale face turned light red.

    "Hey! Do you not hear me talking to you?!"

    Malfoy angrily walked up the steps and attempted to shake the girl on the shoulder.

    This time, the girl finally reacted, moving to the left-right before Malfoy touched her. Successfully avoiding the boy, she continued to eat.

    The surrounding pedestrians had noticed something interesting taking place, and excitedly watched the ''little incident'' taking place in front of Madam Malkin''s.

    The gazes at his back and the whispered conversation made Malfoy''s go even redder. His eyes chilled as he threw himself at the girl''s arm.

    Why did this world have so many naughty and unreasonable children?!

    The silver-haired girl, Alina, impatiently frowned. Turning aside and standing up, she deftly dodged the boy.

    But...

    As the girl dodged, the half-eaten ice cream on the cone wobbled and then splatted to the ground.

    Plop.

    The massive ice cream ball, carried along by the force of inertia, splattered into the cobblestones and showered the area in chocolate droplets.

    As if someone had pressed the pause button, all sounds died away for half a second. Everyone turned as one to the splattered chocolate ice cream.

    "..."

    "..."

    Alina looked at the empty cone in her hand, and then she looked at the nearby ''corpse'' of the ice cream. As Malfoy stared in shock, she emotionlessly devoured the cone in a few bites.

    "Speak. How do you want to die?"

    The girl raised her chin and stared down at Malfoy, her silver hair beginning to drift around her and her lake-blue eyes beginning to radiate a deathly chill. There was a flash of light from her left hand, some sort of divine symbol appearing.

    The area seemed to freeze, and even the air became abnormally heavy.

    Guh~

    "S...S-save..."

    A painful look appeared on Malfoy''s face as he clutched his throat as if he couldn''t breathe. His pale face began to turn red and then liver-colored rapidly.

    "Stop! Now!"

    A roar came from the distance, and a frantic white-bearded older man vigorously waved his wand.

    There was a sound of shattering glass, and the frozen air began to flow freely once more.

    "Think of your vow! Alina Kaslana!"

    Pa! There was a crack in the air.

    Dumbledore Apparated from ten-some meters away to appear in front of Alina. He seized the girl''s shining left hand and grimly rebuked her.

    "Did we not agree that you would obediently wait here after you finished eating your ice cream? Why have you made trouble again?"

    It was fortunate that he had been in the nearby Flourish and Blotts, and that he was also the other party in the Unbreakable Vow. Thus, he had been able to sense immediately when the half-Veela girl began to lose control over her magic.

    "..."

    Alina angrily pouted and turned her head to ignore Dumbledore.

    Following Alina''s gaze, Dumbledore saw the fallen ball of chocolate ice cream on the ground.

    And on the stone steps where Alina had been sitting, Draco Malfoy was curled up in a ball, his slick light gold hair scattered across his red face. He was constantly hiccuping, and his eyes were brimming with the fear that came from barely escaping death.

    "Oh...fine, but once you have control over your magic, you cannot injure someone else over a matter like this."

    Dumbledore had a rough guess of what had taken place, and he rubbed Alina''s head as he weakly reprimanded. He could already feel a headache coming on.

    "In a little while, I''ll take you to Florean''s ice cream parlor, and you can eat your fill."

    "Draco, what happened? Dumbledore, what did you do to my son?!"

    There was turmoil from the edge of the crowd, and Lucius Malfoy pushed aside everyone in his path and ran up to the side of the curled-up Draco. After checking his son over, he furiously pulled his wand out and roared at Dumbledore.

    "Good morning, Lucius," Dumbledore warmly said as he placed himself in front of Alina.

    "I demand an explanation!"

    Lucius Malfoy''s cold eyes stared at Dumbledore, almost spitting flames of rage.

    "It is as you see, Lucius," Dumbledore calmly said.

    "It was just a small accident between children. After all, loss of control over magic is something that neither you nor I can predict."

    "Oh?" Lucius Malfoy sneered, dangerously narrowing his eyes at the girl hiding behind Dumbledore.

    "This is called...a small accident?"

    "I think that the young Mister Malfoy needs to learn a little about the correct method of interacting with girls."

    Dumbledore shrugged his shoulders and helplessly said.

    "After all, there are quite a lot of young witches at Hogwarts."

    "Mister Malfoy, I can confirm that your son was the first to grab at that girl, causing her to lose control of her magic in her shock. Fortunately, Dumbledore arrived promptly and was able to save your son."

    Madam Malkin suddenly came out and spoke to Lucius Malfoy.

    "That''s right. Before that, the girl didn''t even say a word."

    A wizard in the crowd nodded his head in agreement and added.

    "Yes. Thank goodness Dumbledore was around."

    "Was that wandless magic just now? As expected of Dumbledore..."

    Soon after, more witches and wizards who had witnessed the scene began to concur, and through their various comments, the entire incident was fully described.

    "...Then I must truly thank you, Professor Dumbledore. We''re leaving!"

    Lucius Malfoy''s face turned ashen, and after forcing out a word of thanks, he roughly seized Draco and prepared to leave.

    "Wait a moment! Why are we leaving? It was just an accident. I still haven''t gone inside to have my measurements taken."

    Draco stood up and saw Alina, who seemed to be enjoying the show. Suddenly, he shook off his father''s hand and stood firm, a stubborn look on his face as he fearlessly met his father''s gaze.

    "If you''re still not done buying books by the time my measurements are done, I''ll go to the wand store myself."

    "Hmph."

    Lucius lowered his head, and coldly glanced at his son. Raising an eyebrow and giving a noncommittal snort, he ceased arguing. Not even looking at Dumbledore and Alina, he went straight back to Flourish and Blotts.

    "Then, Professor Dumbledore, I''m still not done haggling..."

    Alina lightly pulled on Dumbledore''s sleeve and cautiously said.

    Although she did not hold the majority of the blame for this incident, and Dumbledore was taking her side, she had still injured someone, so she felt a little guilty.

    "Dear, you''re truly too frightening. Forget it. Dear, I''ll make all your clothes for free."

    Hearing the silver-haired girl''s words, Madam Malkin felt a headache and immediately waved her hands and smiled at Alina.

    "I think I can understand why Dumbledore brought you. It seems that Hogwarts will soon have another outstanding witch."

    "Eh? Then it''s settled! Thank you, beautiful Madam Malkin!"

    Alina blinked her eyes in shock, and then fiercely nodded in agreement. After that, she looked up at Dumbledore.

    "She happily said, "Then why don''t we get going? Destination... Florean Fortescue''s Ice Cream Parlour!"

 Chapter 031 - Alina, Get Out Right Now

    Alina, Get Out Right Now

    After the experiences this morning, Dumbledore was now forced to admit that taking Alina to Diagon Alley himself to buy her school supplies was one of the best decisions he had made this month.

    In Dumbledore''s long life, he had met many witches and wizards who were obsessed with herbology or potions, and there was a professor at Hogwarts at this time who could be said to be the most accomplished Potions Master of his age group. When they ran into various kinds of herbs or potions, they would display an extraordinary enthusiasm.

    Dumbledore had no doubt that once this silver-haired girl entered Hogwarts, she would get excellent grades in her Potions and Herbology classes. Of course, this was dependent on her not enraging the professors so much that they drove her out of the classroom.

    This was because the enthusiasm Alina showed was somewhat different from others.

    "Hello, please cut half of a Chomping Cabbage for me."

    "Please get me one kilo of this two-headed cow liver."

    "Ehhh? Could you add some salt to this Mani Turkey''s blood, congeal it into pieces, and then give it to me?"

    "Peppermint? It looks rather good. You can just sprinkle a little on some roast fish. Please get a handful for me."

    "And these white beans. I think we can get 500 grams..."

    "...Aaaaah?! Professor Dumbledore, don''t pull me! I''m not done yet..."

    Dumbledore warmly nodded at the worker from the Herbs store and took the school supplies and the standard set of potions ingredients from the counter and into a bag. He then reached out and dragged the drooling silver-haired girl out of the herb store.

    "Let me look! I''ve already bought the books, cauldron, scales, and the ingredients for Potions class..."

    Ignoring Alina''s tantrum, Dumbledore took out the list of supplies necessary for a new student and looked at it again.

    "All that''s left is your wand..."

    "I''m not listening! I want to go grocery shopping!"

    Alina wrinkled her nose, making a face, and then broke free of Dumbledore''s grip while he was distracted and rushed back into the herb store, where she looked at the wizard behind the counter.

    "Soooo, please hurry and prepare the things I asked for just now."

    As the silver-haired girl spoke, she opened the money pouch at her waist and prepared to carry out her ''grocery shopping.''

    "My apologies. Professor Dumbledore specifically told me that I am not to sell you any supplies outside of those on the list. So..."

    The young wizard behind the counter politely and callously refused Alina''s request. As a graduate of Hogwarts, he naturally had no reason to disobey Dumbledore.

    Thus, no matter what eloquent arguments Alina made or how she attempted to bribe with Galleons, her efforts resulted in failure.

    Grrr!

    Alina''s cheeks angrily swelled in rage as she stormed out.

    Outside, the slender Dumbledore watched with amusement as Alina came back to his side.

    Shaking his head, he sternly explained, "Miss Alina, Herbology and Potions are both very profound subjects. Until you experience a systematic education, I do not wish for you to buy too many dangerous or strange items.

    "For example, the white beans you wanted to buy are actually the fruit of the Sopophorous plant. The silver juice within, when directly consumed, can temporarily remove a person''s memories. This plant is only learned about in one''s sixth year."

    Alina looked up in dissatisfaction at Dumbledore.

    "Then...what''s wrong with taking half of a Chomping Cabbage and sauteing it back at the orphanage? It''s just a moving cabbage! Once it''s cooked, it will be the same as any other cabbage. Or are you saying that vegetables that can move are no longer vegetables?"

    "For this, please seek instruction from the Potions Professor, Professor Snape. Magical plants can only be handled after one has learned about them."

    Dumbledore blinked his eyes, somewhat at a loss for words, and then he somewhat awkwardly changed the subject.

    "I''m sure you''re very excited to get your wand. This something that all young witches and wizards long for."

    As Dumbledore spoke, he extended a hand, planning to pull Alina toward the Ollivanders store at the end of Diagon Alley.

    "No, I don''t want to! You''re just using your power to bully me!"

    Alina pushed away Dumbledore''s hand and angrily said.

    For a foodie like her, a wand was far less important than food. What made her angriest of all was that she could clearly tell that Dumbledore was targeting her.

    "You don''t let me buy a pet, or a broom, or even potions. You won''t even give the class material until after school starts. Am I going to study at Hogwarts, or am I going to jail?"

    The displeasure that had built up over the morning in the silver-haired girl finally erupted. Dumbledore had been like a tape recorder, constantly repeating only two phrases: "You can''t buy that"; "You can''t go there."

    Although Alina had already made up her mind to find some time to secretly explore Diagon Alley on her own, that was no counter to Dumbledore''s strategy of entering each store and telling its workers to prevent Alina from buying anything, not on the list.

    "Hm..."

    Dumbledore could only awkwardly stroke his beard in the face of Alina''s question.

    He suddenly felt that he might have let his nerves get to his head, but for some reason, ever since they had stepped out of Gringotts, he had felt uneasy.

    Glancing at the girl who was now kicking the cobblestone, he felt that Alina was still cute, even when angry, and he had to resist the urge to pinch her cute cheeks.

    After some thought, Dumbledore sent out a cautious probe.

    "Then...why don''t we go to the pet store and take a look? I remember you saying that you liked magical creatures."

    Whether it was allowing Alina to buy magical materials or letting her buy strange magical tools, these all felt to Dumbledore like they would have extremely dangerous consequences.

    In comparison, it wouldn''t be a bad thing if Alina became somewhat more restrained by raising a pet.

    The pet store? That was fine!

    Alina''s eyes brightened, her mood rapidly improving.

    "Since Professor Dumbledore proposed it, I don''t see a reason to refuse...hehehe, the pet store you''re talking about is that Magical Menagerie, right?!"

    The silver-haired girl started off with a few polite words, but then she changed the subject, a burst of melodious laughter coming from her lips as she rushed through the crowd and into that store that she had been eying for some time.

    "Oh, slow down! Try not to run into anybody."

    Dumbledore helplessly shook his head and followed her into the store called ''Magical Menagerie.''

    The store wasn''t very large, and the walls were covered in cages. There was a fouls cent in the air, and the place was extremely noisy, the occupants of the cages, squeaking, hissing, and shrieking.

    Two massive purple toads were in a cage by the door, gulping down dead flies. A frightening large turtle was by the window, apparently in a rather foul mood, the shell on its back flashing like a jewel.

    There were also cats of various colors, a cage of quarreling ravens, a basket of comical fur balls, the color of custard that was loudly humming, and two double-tailed salamanders struggling over food in a glass jar.

    A fat white rabbit turned into a tall silk hat with a pop, and with another pop, it changed back. It seemed to be constantly transforming in an attempt to attract the attention of the people in the store.

    Alina softly licked her lips.

    Truly...wonderful!

    Just as Mister Newt Scamander had said, every magical beast was bursting with its own charm, making one want to get closer and research them.

    As Alina''s eyes swept over the store, the noisy and cramped space fell quiet. Even the quarreling ravens stopped, their bodies trembling, and their wings uneasily flapping as they paced back and forth in their cage.

    The entire Magical Menagerie resounded with the girl''s crisp voice.

    "Hello, I''d like to buy this plump white rabbit.

    "I also want those two double-tailed salamanders that are fighting. Right, right, also three or four of those pretty fur balls.

    "And also that rather depressed-looking tortoise. You might as well sell that to me..."

    "Alina Kaslana! Get out right now!"

    "Aaaaaah?! ...Professor Dumbledore, let me go! You promised that I could buy a pet! How could you back on your word like this!"

    Dumbledore, who had just walked into the store, immediately dragged the silver-haired girl out by the collar, a scowl on his face.

    He must have been possessed just now. He should have never hoped that this girl who would even bite down on a Phoenix could ever obediently buy a pet.

 Chapter 032 - A Pet You Cant Eat

    A Pet You Can''t Eat

    "Still angry?"

    Dumbledore lowered his head and asked the sulking Alina.

    Although he knew that this was partly because of this girl''s Veela blood, Dumbledore occasionally felt a desire to pamper this girl when faced by her pure obsession and the occasional expression of her desire to protect her ''family''.

    Perhaps this was also a sign of old age? Dumbledore shook his head in derision at himself.

    Clack.

    The silver-haired girl said nothing, her leather shoes kicking at the uneven cobblestones between the stone slabs of Diagon Alley as she allowed the old wizard to pull her to Ollivanders. Clearly, she was still sulking.

    In truth, Alina knew that Dumbledore, with his grown-up and nagging personality, would never just watch as she turned Diagon Alley into a magical food market.

    But when she saw so many things that she had never eaten before¡ªespecially that white rabbit who seemed to be trying to get her attention as if saying "Eat me! Eat me!"¡ªwhat could she do?

    Of course, she knew that she had to pretend and take things to step by step, but she hadn''t been able to control herself!

    Now she was in a pickle. Besides the Magical Menagerie, the only pet store left in Diagon Alley was the nearby Eeylops Owl Emporium, the place where Harry Potter had bought his snowy owl, Hedwig.

    Alina was not so naive as to imagine that Dumbledore, who knew the true story behind Hogwarts'' missing owls, would take her on a stroll through an owl store.

    But while she understood, being dragged out twice from a store by Dumbledore still left Alina rather unhappy. She had already decided that she would not speak a word to Dumbledore from now on.

    As the girl sulked, she suddenly realized that Dumbledore had stopped and was speaking warmly into her ear.

    "Wait a moment here for me. Alina, just stand here and don''t run around."

    Dumbledore let his hand go, softly stroked the little girl''s silver hair, and squatted down to look her in the eye.

    Alina looked up and saw that they were next to a store with the sign ''Eeylops Owl Emporium.''

    It was pitch-black past the threshold, apparently to suit the nocturnal lives of the owls. Only the rustling of wings and the flashing jewel-like eyes in the darkness would make one realize that the store was packed with owl cages.

    As Dumbledore vanished into the darkness of Eeylops Owl Emporium, Alina pursed her lips and grew even unhappier. In her view, the contemptible old headmaster was probably requesting the workers in the store not to sell her any owls, the same as he had done with all the other stores.

    But this emotional state didn''t last for long, as Dumbledore soon thrust a birdcage into Alina''s hand.

    "This, this...Professor, are you giving this to me?"

    Alina raised the cage in shock, stammering out her words.

    One had to realize that she had already callously taken the lives of several dozen Scottish Round-Faced Chickens.

    Dumbledore pointed at the beautiful dark brown bird inside the cage and smiled.

    "I know that this is rather surprising, but after some thought, I decided to give you an owl. Children all love owls. They can send letters and packages for you."

    The dark brown owl in the cage had its head buried in its wings as it soundly slept, unaware of any danger.

    Dumbledore paused, his azure eyes gently watching Alina as he continued.

    "According to the wizard in the store, this is a rather strange brown owl. Because both its call and appearance are not too much like that of other owls, it hasn''t lived a happy life. I think that you should take good care of it."

    "Not too much like the others?"

    Alina examined the sleeping chicken in the cage. It truly was different from the majority of Scottish Round-Faced Chickens.

    Compared to other owls, it had a much smaller body, only a little bigger than a fat pigeon. And unlike the vast majority of owls, which had monotone colors, this round-faced chicken was very pretty.

    It had a white strap on the back of the neck that extended to its shoulder blades. The edges of the feathers were white, and its wings and tail had light and dark brown stripes. Its feathers also seemed to shift from dark brown to yellow to red.

    "Now that you mention it, it really is very pretty...and it seems to be quite plump."

    Alina curiously extended a finger and poked at the sleeping Scottish Round-Faced Chicken, licking her lips.

    Guhaha! Guhaha!

    The dark brown owl woke up in alarm. Beating its wings in panic, it fell off the perch in the middle of the cage. Strange calls came from its mouth like those of a barking dog, or like someone in the distance laughing for all they were worth.

    The bird''s plump face seemed very comical. The area around its eyes and the bottom of its face were both white, gradually turning gray, and brown stripes converged on the center.

    "Wait a moment, Professor Dumbledore. What species did you say this was?"

    When she heard that strange call, Alina suddenly looked up at Dumbledore.

    "A brown owl, but its call and appearance are a little strange. Is there a problem?"

    Dumbledore looked in confusion at Alina, not understanding what had her so riled up.

    "No, this isn''t a brown owl! It''s not even in the same family as brown owls."

    Alina once more inspected the plump chicken curled up in the corner of the cage and slowly shook her head.

    "This is an owl of the True Owl family, the laughing owl, also known as the whekau or white-faced owl. This is a species that has already been considered extinct in the Muggle World. I didn''t think that it was still extant in the Magic World."

    Although this was unexpected, it did not stop Dumbledore from drawing a conclusion from the information the girl had provided.

    Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, a profound and pensive look appearing on his face as he spoke.

    "In other words, it might be the last of its kind? But I''m sure, Alina, that you will take good care of it."

    Eh? The silver-haired girl blinked.

    The last one in the world? If she ate it, wouldn''t it become extinct?!

    Alina immediately sensed that she had been passed a hot potato. Was an owl that couldn''t be eaten still a Scottish Round-Faced Chicken?!

    "Wait a moment, Professor Dumbledore! I don''t want a pet! Return it to the store, or maybe give it to Mister Newt Scamander!"

    Alina anxiously raised the cage and tried to put it in Dumbledore''s hand. Although she was a foodie, she had always eaten food that could be replanted or reproduced. She wasn''t so crazy that she would eat a species into extinction.

    "Of course...not!"

    Dumbledore happily shook his head to the struggling girl, swiftly refusing her.

    What made him happy was not merely that Alina had suffered a setback. More importantly, he had discovered another one of Alina''s precious traits.

    After a moment''s pause, Dumbledore continued in a relaxed tone.

    "Let me say it again. I promised that I would buy you a pet, and I''m not someone who goes back on my words. As for Mister Newt Scamander, he''s started off on another one of his world tours. I won''t be able to find him for some time, so you will have to take care of it for now.

    "Come on. We only need to go to Ollivanders now."

    Guhaha~Guhaha~

    As if sensing that it was now much safer, the owl let out a series of exciting calls.

    "Shut your mouth! If you make me angry, I''ll eat you into extinction!"

    The half-Veela girl ground her teeth and fiercely glared at the scoundrel in the cage.

    Gu~ QAQ

 Chapter 033 - Ollivanders Wand-Making Traditions

    In any place that had an open market economy, attempting to create a local monopoly was an arduous task.

    This was because as long as the commercial activity was reproducible, there would inevitably be competitors in the marketplace. A human''s innate ability to learn and imitate was on full display in this aspect.

    Even in the rather small Diagon Alley, this law of competition still existed. For example, purely in clothes stores, there were Twilfitt and Tatting''s, Madam Malkin''s Robes for All Occasions, and Second-Hand Robes. And when a witch or wizard wanted to buy magical creatures or magical ingredients, or even newspapers or books, they would often have more than one choice.

    If one considered the stores in the adjacent Knockturn Alley as well, the market competition would appear even more intense.

    But there were two trades that were exceptions to this.

    One of these was the global bank entirely under the control of the goblins, Gringotts.

    The other was the wandmaker established in 382 BCE, the wand shop run by the Ollivander family.

    The long family traditions of craftsmanship and the extensive praise had raised the Ollivander family to an extremely high status in the world of wandmakers.

    This was particularly the case for the current successor, Garrick Ollivander. Influenced by the traditions of wand-making that had been passed down through the generations of his family, he had begun to display his talent very early on.

    As a man who had the grand ambition to change the cores and woods used in the wands of his time, and as someone who had ardently pursued the ideal wand in his youth, he quickly became one of the three greatest wandmakers in all of Europe, and then as the best wandmaker of the present era.

    Thus, many foreigners specifically came to London to buy one of Ollivander''s wands instead of buying local products. Naturally, the Ollivanders wand shop came to completely monopolize the wand business in London.

    Now that she was finally in the Magic World, Alina was naturally brimming with anticipation for what her future wand would be. Her recalcitrance before had simply been words spoken out of anger.

    "This is Ollivanders? Said to be the best wand store in the world?"

    Alina uncertainly examined the small and shabby store in front of her. If not for the peeling golden letters on the sign declaring ''Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.'', she would have suspected that Dumbledore had taken her to the wrong place.

    "You can''t determine something''s value by how pretty it looks on the outside. Ollivander is a pure wandmaker. For him, each Galleon spent on anything besides wands is a shameful expense."

    Dumbledore gently chuckled as he led Alina into the small wand store.

    The store was very small, and besides the single chair, there were only thousands of thin wand boxes stacked from floor to ceiling.

    "Dumbledore? Albus Dumbledore! What a joy it is to see you again! Welcome! Welcome! I didn''t think you would be paying a visit."

    Before Alina could clearly make out all the wand boxes around her, an old man suddenly stepped in front of them, his pale silver eyes shining like moons in the gloomy confines of the shop.

    Ollivander was clearly delighted by Dumbledore''s surprise visit. Rubbing his hands together, the old man spoke in an excited tone.

    "Mister Dumbledore, you must have brought that wand with you, yes? Could you give it to me to research it a little? I will agree to any request you have."

    "Ollivander, we can discuss that matter when we''re alone."

    Dumbledore slightly raised a hand, using his eyes to stop Ollivander from saying any more. He pulled the silver-haired girl behind him up to the front. "The main character today is her."

    "Oh, of course, yes, yes." Ollivander warily changed the topic and began to examine Alina.

    "Strange, quite strange. I sense a particularly willful, abnormally powerful, free magic."

    Ollivander softly muttered, his silver eyes making Alina''s hairs stand on end. The old man''s shriveled hands likely stroked the silver hair on Alina''s shoulder, his face revealing a strange and profound smile.

    "Mister Dumbledore, the Wand Law forbids magical creatures from owning a wand."

    "Thank you for the reminder. I am very clear on the contents of the Wand Law. Miss Alina Kaslana is an authentic human witch. She simply possesses a few different talents."

    Dumbledore sternly said. This was one of the other reasons he needed to accompany Alina to get her wand. Alina had too much Veela in her blood.

    An ordinary witch or wizard might have regarded her as a girl with extraordinary magic potential, but Ollivander, who had spent almost his entire life working with magical materials, could see right through Alina.

    "I hear that Hogwarts is the only place in Britain that has been able to successfully domesticate Thestrals..."

    Ollivander suddenly mentioned.

    "I don''t think there will be much of a problem with that." Dumbledore smiled.

    "Oh, what a remarkable young witch."

    Ollivander''s brow relaxed as he scanned the silver-haired girl again, his finger moving away from her hair. "Alright, Miss Kaslana, come this way. Let me take a look." Taking a silver tape measure from his pocket, he asked, "Which arm are you accustomed to using?"

    Alina did not answer directly, her brow creasing as she asked back, "I''m just buying a wand. Why do I need to have my body measures?"

    "Because each wand of the Ollivander family is unique. In order to pick the best wand for you, I first need to measure the length of your arm, forearm, height, and the size of your head. I can then use these measurements to help pick a wand for you."

    Having obtained Dumbledore''s promise, Ollivander was in a rather good mood, smiling as he patiently explained to Alina.

    "But I''m only ten years old. I''m going to get bigger, no?"

    Alina was even more confused by Ollivander''s explanation and shook her head. "The measurements you take now will be completely useless a year from now. Or am I going to get a new wand every year?"

    "Mmm..."

    Ollivander''s smile suddenly froze, and the corner of his mouth began to twitch. He didn''t know how to respond. After all these years, he had never once considered this question.

    "According to your theory, a child 1.2 meters tall should use a twelve-inch wand, but once he grows into a two-meter-tall man, he can''t still use the same tiny wand, right? If we go by size ratio, then he should be using a wand that''s as thick as a wrist, more like a cudgel. You would also have to increase the amount of magical material used, right?"

    Alina tilted her head and gestured with her fingers. Alina had always had these questions about wands, which could be considered a type of weapon. These were important tools for amplifying magic, so it was only right that weapons for adult wizards be larger and more powerful. Even if they couldn''t be dual-wielded, they should at least be the size of rolling pins, right?

    "The strength of a wizard will increase with age and knowledge, so why aren''t wands upgraded and switched out as one''s strength grows?"

    Boom!

    The girl''s innocent questions made Ollivander feel like the gate that had always restricted his line of thought had suddenly blown apart, and a whole new world of wand-making lay before him.

    He had always been attempting different combinations of core and wood for his wands, believing that this would transform the wand industry. But he had never once considered altering the shape of the wand itself.

    "...What Miss says is very reasonable."

    Ollivander''s mouth opened with great difficulty, his face very grave as he dryly replied.

 Chapter 034 - Wand? Chopsticks!

    Haa...Here it comes again.

    The sight of the dazed Ollivander made Dumbledore massage his throbbing forehead. Since yesterday, he had encountered far too many situations like this. Alina always seemed to be capable of examining parts of the Magic World that everyone had taken as common sense from a very strange angle.

    "Ahem, Mister Ollivander, there''s no need to trouble yourself too much over this problem. From what I know, the majority of Hogwarts graduates are still using the wands they bought when they first entered school. We should continue to select the wand using the same process."

    Dumbledore coughed. Shooting a glare at Alina, who had seemed ready to ask another question, he patted Ollivander on the shoulder and tried to bring everything back on track.

    "Oh! Right, right, right. Dear, please raise your arm."

    Ollivander suddenly came back to his senses and snapped his fingers. The silver tape measure unrolled on its own and began to fly around Alina to take her measurements. Ollivander himself began to move among the shelves and take down the small wand boxes.

    "Each Ollivander wand is made of an incredibly powerful magical material. This is where their essence lies, Miss Kaslana."

    Ollivander carried a swaying pile of wand boxes up to Alina as he explained, "We used Unicorn hair, Phoenix feather, dragon sinews, snake nerves, and other such materials for wand cores. If you want to use all the power of these magic materials, you will have to wait another four or five years."

    "Dragon sinew? Snake nerves?"

    The silver-haired girl swiftly picked out these words, and before Dumbledore could stop her, she hurriedly asked, "When these materials are removed from magical creatures, they can still maintain their fresh¡ªah, I mean, their magical nature?"

    "Of course. From a certain perspective, each wand has its own life. This is a piece of art, not just a simple wooden stick."

    The old man proudly nodded. The Ollivander family''s ability to perfectly fuse the wand wood and core and then allow the wand to choose its ideal owner had always been a secret that other wandmakers had desired.

    "Okay."

    Ollivander clearly had no desire to plunge too deeply into this question. He took a wand from its box and offered it. "Then, Miss Alina, please try this one. Made from vinewood and dragon heartstring, ten and three-quarters of an inch long. As a person of astounding intelligence, it should be a good fit."

    Gulu~

    At this moment, Ollivander clearly heard a small gulp.

    Alina took the wand and softly muttered to herself.

    "In other words, the magic...food (whispered)...stored in each wand can be preserved for a very long time?"

    As she slowly spoke, her eyes turned fiery, and as she looked around at the many boxes in the room, she licked her lips. Each wand was a miniature can!

    Bzz~

    The wand in Alina''s grip strangely hummed, and the glossy wood rapidly dimmed.

    "Oh, dear me." Before Alina could react, Ollivander paled and snatched the wand from her hand.

    "Maple wood, thirteen inches, Fire Dragon heartstring. Try it¡ª" This time, before the silver-haired girl could even properly hold the wand, only touch it with her fingertips, the wand trembled and turned dark and dusty.

    "No, no....try this one, beech paired with Unicorn tail hair, 9.7 inches, tolerant and brimming with intelligence, very pliable...ssss..."

    As Alina tried wand after wand, she could clearly see the beads of sweat forming on Ollivander''s forehead. The floor began to be covered by various wands, all of them, without exception, producing the same result of deathly stillness.

    By the end, it was like some infectious disease had spread through the wand store, one wand after another losing all signs of life in Alina''s hand. A bizarre mood permeated the store.

    "Hey, now! Isn''t this a little too much?"

    Alina unhappily raised an eyebrow. Why was it that other main characters could enter the wand store and have the whole place light up, while she was treated like the plague god, all the wands dying in her hand.

    "Calm down. No rush, no rush."

    Ollivander took out a handkerchief and wiped away his sweat as he took in a deep breath. He didn''t know if he was trying to calm down Alina more or himself.

    He had been in the wand business for many years, but he had never seen a witch or wizard so feared by the wands¡ªyes, it was fear.

    As the maker of these wands, he could clearly tell that the trembling of these wands was like a small animal meeting some vicious predator.

    "One, ah, rather special customer. I think that we will eventually find one that is not afraid of you, ah, I mean most comfortable and affectionate...let me think...right!"

    Ollivander glanced at Dumbledore and suddenly had a realization. He rushed over to a shelf and took out a box that had seemingly been intentionally placed in the corner and solemnly handed it to Alina.

    "An unusual combination, holly and Phoenix feather. Eleven inches. Holly stands for patience and perseverance while the Phoenix stands for courage and hope. I think that this should be no problem."

    "Ah, Professor Dumbledore..."

    Alina blinked her eyes and glanced at Dumbledore. Wasn''t this the wand meant for the savior of the world, Harry Potter?! She wasn''t worried that this wand would choose her. What really worried her was what would happen if she frightened the wand to death. What would happen to Harry then?

    "Is there a problem? Do as Mister Ollivander recommends and try it out..."

    Dumbledore warmly smiled, with no other reaction.

    "Eeeeh...to be honest, I have a bad feeling..."

    Alina sighed, and under Ollivander''s expectant and uneasy gaze, she took the wand.

    As she gripped the end of the wand, the entire store resounded with a bright Phoenix cry, and red light emerged from the tip of the wand dyed the room in warm golden colors.

    Ollivander sighed in relief. Smiling, he began to clap. "Oh, wonderful! Truly, won...eh?!"

    The wand in Alina''s hand went crazy, trembling like no other wand before it, shuddering and shaking.

    Swoosh~

    Plop.

    A moment later, the crazed Phoenix wand broke out of the silver-haired girl''s grip and shot straight up. Only after it struck the ceiling did it fall back to the ground.

    "Ah, so this wand symbolizing courage...was frightened off by me?"

    Alina had a dark look on her face as she massaged her palm. There was a bright red mark from all the struggling. She was determined now to eat some Phoenix meat while she was at Hogwarts in order to vent her hanger.

    "...yes, it should be."

    Ollivander nodded in a daze. He uncertainly looked at Alina and the wand ''corpses'' around her as he fell into a long silence. Even he would not be able to find her an appropriate wand in a short time.

    At this moment, the watching Dumbledore broke the silence.

    "It seems, Garrick, that you will need to make a wand specifically for Miss Alina Kaslana, just like before."

    In truth, before Garrick Ollivander took over the family business, the vast majority of wandmakers in the Magic World took things rather easily. A customer would often provide the wandmaker magical material that they preferred, had been passed down generations or provided by a family member.

    This sort of understanding had persisted until Garrick Ollivander, the man before them, changed everything.

    Garrick Ollivander was a pure idealist. He firmly believed that best material for a wand core was not the whisker of the customer''s pet leopard cat, nor was the branch of a shaggy-fruited dittany a customer''s father had saved from being poisoned, nor was it the hair of a mermaid a customer had encountered while on vacation in Scotland.

    He believed that the best cores for wands were those that contained extraordinary magic power. It was also best if the wood was selected that most complimented the traits of the wand core and that the wand could choose the witch or wizard that it was most attracted to.

    Although everyone had initially rejected this subversive idea, people quickly realized a fact: Ollivander''s wands were more outstanding than any other.

    "A custom-made wand? It seems that''s the only way."

    Ollivander frowned. Although he was rather unwilling, this seemed like the only possible way. After all, he couldn''t allow the ancient brand of the Ollivander family to be blemished under him. But there was still one problem.

    "I have a few choices for wood, but Albus, what about the core?"

    "A hair."

    "My hair."

    Dumbledore and Alina spoke at almost the same time.

    Ollivander thought it over and then spread his hands apart as he sternly spoke.

    "That''s no good. If my guess is correct, this Miss Alina Kaslana is a half-Veela? The magic in her hair is not enough to create a powerful wand."

    "She does not need a very powerful wand." Dumbledore shook his head. "The magic potential in her body is astonishing enough. For her, the most important thing is learning how to control it, not the pursuit of even greater power. I think, Garrick, that this should not be difficult, yes?"

    Dumbledore lightly waved his wand, and a strand of silver hair silently dropped down and drifted into Ollivander''s hand.

    "Mm, fine. If you insist, but I must caution that a custom-made wand is not cheap. As for the wood, I recommend black walnut."

    After some thought, Ollivander helplessly shrugged his shoulder.

    "Wait a moment, his! A very, very, very, very small...request."

    Alina gritted her teeth and pulled out several more strands of her hair, tears in her eyes as she gave them to Ollivander.

    Owwww~So painful~~???????????

    The little girl cutely pleaded, "Grandpa Ollivander, can you make two wands for me? After all, I''m rather special. If one breaks, I''ll still have an extra."

    Two wands? Ollivander couldn''t help but laugh as he looked at the silver-haired girl. Did the girl really think that making a wand was that simple?

    Shaking his head, he proudly declared, "Each Ollivander wand is unique, so..."

    "Ahem." Dumbledore glanced at the crying girl and cleared his throat. "I recall that there''s a Unicorn herd in the Forbidden Forest..."

    "Of course, other than when the magic materials are too valuable, we will occasionally use the same materials to make a wand. Leave an address, and I will send it to you by owl in a week."

    Ollivander immediately changed his tone, not at all noticing the subtle shift in Dumbledore''s face.

    "Eh? Thank you, Professor Dumbledore. Thank you, Mister Ollivander."

    Alina happily voiced her thanks. The black walnut was a rare material used for making chopsticks, ah, wait, she meant a top-class wood used for wands.

 Chapter 035 - The Fun Is Just Getting Started...

    After getting the wand, the pair did not continue to stroll much around Diagon Alley. They picked up the clothes at Madam Malkin''s Robes for All Occasions, and then after some pleading from Alina, they went to Eeylops Owl Emporium to get some food for her new owl.

    Dumbledore had recommended that it be called Wicca, similar to the pronunciation of the laughing owl''s name, ''Whekau.''

    But Alina had already decided that once she got back to the orphanage, she would change its name to Food Reserve. At least this way, every time she fed Food Reserve, she would feel like she was feeding a pet and not raising a brat.

    Perhaps intentionally on Dumbledore''s part, even after Alina was led back to Gringotts and returned to the shores of Loch Lomond via Portkey, she did not once encounter Hagrid and Harry. Alina, who had been anticipating seeing the young boy, couldn''t help but be disappointed.

    "I think that we can part here."

    With the trip to Diagon Alley, which had taken more than half the day, now over, Alina suddenly became very quiet and obedient. This left Dumbledore somewhat uncomfortable, but he thought that it could have been because she was tired.

    Dumbledore patted Alina on the shoulder and gave her an envelope.

    "Tired, right? Get back, and have a good rest. This is your train ticket to Hogwarts. September 1st, King''s Cross Station¡ªeverything is written on the ticket. Do you have any other questions?"

    Alina put the ticket in her little bag, tilted her hand, and then opened her little hands to Dumbledore.

    "There''s one other thing, Professor Dumbledore. You forgot to give me my textbooks," the girl earnestly said, her eyes brimming with desire. "After all, I know nothing about the classes I''m about to take. If I can study ahead of time, it should be of great help in my classes."

    Dumbledore lowered his head and glanced at the girl. He shook his head and gently smiled.

    "There''s still a month until school. Use this time to relax and play. Don''t think too much about studying."

    "But..." Alina continued to try, trying to act like a merit student.

    "Relax. In Hogwarts, everyone is starting from the beginning. It''s fine, even if you don''t preview the material. In addition, I trust that with your talent, you''ll be at the top of your class. Once school begins, I''ll deliver the books to your dorm. This will also save on the luggage you need to bring, right?"

    Dumbledore refused, unmoved by Alina''s request.

    One had to realize that if it wasn''t for the fact that he didn''t want to overthink things too much, back in Ollivanders, Dumbledore would have even had Ollivander''s custom-made wand sent straight to Hogwarts for safekeeping.

    This was because there existed a loophole that was not a loophole in the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery. It placed no explicit restrictions on underage wizards or witches who had yet to start school.

    Starting from the moment that a first-year student at Hogwarts bought their wand up until the moment they officially started school, there was a completely unsupervised time period. Normally, people would tacitly accept the fact that young wizards would use this period to use their abilities.

    But Dumbledore had a decent understanding of the silver-haired girl''s intelligence level, execution ability, and trouble-making ability. He had no desire to wait until the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes got involved before he was forced to clean up Alina''s mess.

    "Oh, then I won''t read the books on spells and herbology. I can at least read some basic introductory texts to amuse myself, right?"

    Seeing that the old wizard was firm, Alina cutely blinked her eyes and made a concession.

    "Basic introductory texts? Let''s see some examples..." Dumbledore thoughtfully tapped his fingers as he curiously asked, his expression slightly relaxing.

    Alina immediately raised her right hand and jumped in joy. "First is ''A History of Magic.'' I''m sure that there are many interesting stories in the long history of the Magic World."

    "There''s no problem with that, though, though I think you might be disappointed."

    Dumbledore relaxed and shrugged his shoulders, removing a thick book from a bag upon which the Undetectable Extension Charm had been used and handing it to the girl. Rather than having Alina fall asleep in Professor Binns''s History of Magic class, it was better to have her learn something while she was still a little interested.

    "Mm, if possible, I would also like ''One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi'' by Phyllida Spore. When I was in the Headmaster''s office, she recommended that I understand more about this subject. You can ask her about this if you want."

    Seeing that Dumbledore''s face had relaxed, Alina smiled and added on another request.

    "One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi? Mm, Headmistress Spore told you?" Dumbledore slightly frowned as he pondered. Alina had a low chance of encountering any magical plants in a month, and if this had been on the advice of a previous headmaster, he had no reason to object.

    "Very well, but you must promise me that you will not consume or purchase any magical plants on your own."

    "I promise!"

    Alina solemnly swore, and she quickly had another book in her hand. The silver-haired girl happily squinted, showing her adorable front teeth as she cautiously asked another question.

    "Well, uh, Professor Dumbledore, one last book..."

    "I know, I know. Newt Scamander''s ''Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,'' right?"

    Dumbledore preemptively answered, placing a book with a green cover in Alina''s hand. "But since you want to take three books, then you must make me another promise: you cannot use magic until school starts."

    "No problem! Relax."

    Alina immediately agreed. In truth, Dumbledore was completely overthinking things. Magic wasn''t as simple as reciting a few spells. One needed to match it with a specific tone and gesture. Since there would be teachers to guide her in school, why did she need to blindly mess around on her own?

    Besides, she had something far more important to do in the coming month.

    Dumbledore inexplicably felt a hint of panic and stopped to carefully examine the silver-haired girl. His many years of experience told him that the girl''s reply had not been half-hearted or insincere.

    What was the problem then? Had something unexpected happened with Voldemort and Harry Potter?

    Dumbledore frowned as he suppressed his worries. Planning to look into things further once he got back, he patted Alina on the head and said farewell.

    "Well, that''s it for now. If you have any questions, have your little owl send a message. It knows where Hogwarts is. However, I advise you to let it rest for a few days.

    Dumbledore pointed at the curled-up owl in the corner of the cage. ''Food Reserve'' apparently had some Portkey sickness.

    "Mm, I know. It looks to me like it still needs to eat a little more to get stronger."

    Alina glanced at her weak little bird, curled her lips in disgust, and nodded.

    There was a crack in the air as Dumbledore Apparated away from the shores of Loch Lomond.

    ...

    "Professor Dumbledore?

    "Professor Dumbledore, are you still here?"

    Alina stood on the deserted lakeshore and shouted a few times to confirm that Dumbledore was gone.

    The girl squatted and shook the cage while speaking in a sympathetic tone, "Food Reserve, seeing how poor your condition is, you probably won''t live for long. Why don''t I just eat you!"

    Gu! ¡Ñ?¡Ñ!

    The listless owl suddenly opened its eyes, stood up straight, and began to energetically flap its wings.

    "Hmph, I knew you were playing dead."

    The girl wrinkled her nose in displeasure. She had never before seen any animal that could still so deftly move its ears around while sick.

    It seemed that what might have been the last laughing owl in the world, ''Food Reserve,'' was quite smart.

    "Get up! I need you to deliver a letter to Benitez, that man living in the gray-brick house behind this small town''s church. And then bring him here. He will be feeding you for the next few days."

    Alina reached into the cage and took the owl out of the cage. She tore a somewhat empty page out of the History of Magic textbook and began to write on it with the pencil she had bought just today.

    [Father, my clothes and luggage are by the lake. Please help me move them to my room. This owl is my pet, ''Food Reserve.'' Don''t eat it, and please help me feed him for now.

    I''m going on a trip to London and will be back soon.]

    Alina paused and then added another sentence.

    [If I''m not back in three days, have ''Food Reserve'' send a letter to Dumbledore. Tell him that I''ve been captured by the goblins of Gringotts.¡ª¡ªYour beloved, cute, and adorable Alina Kaslana]

    Once the letter was done, Alina grabbed ''Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'' and ''One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi,'' stood up, and began to walk toward the train station. At the same time, she solemnly felt the object bulging from her chest.

    The fairy tale trip to the Diagon Alley was over.

    But the fun was just getting started...

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Alina: Food Reserve, be quiet! (?????)

    Alina: Food Reserve, hug me. (??.??)

    Alina: Food Reserve, I''m hungry~¨q(¡ãA¡ã`)¨r

    Alina: Food Reserve, help me take a bath~ ¡Ñ¨Œ¡Ñ

    Alina: Alina, stop shaking. ¨r(¨s¨Œ¨t)¨q

    Alina: Food Reserve, can I lick you just once? (?>¦Ø<*?)

 Chapter 036 - How Do I Get To the Leaky Cauldron Again?

    "We are now at the last stop, London-Paddington Station. All passengers, please leave the train in an orderly manner."

    The swaying train car finally stopped, and there was a ringing bell to inform all the passengers that they had arrived at the destination.

    Alina glanced at ''Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'' and closed it in satisfaction. Moving around her somewhat stiff neck, she turned her head and looked out the window.

    Night had wholly engulfed London. London, at the end of the twentieth century, was not as brightly lit as it would be later on. Pedestrians wearing dark jackets rushed here and there on the duskily lit streets.

    "So now, I need to use that passage in the Leaky Cauldron to get to Diagon Alley...hmm, right, how do I get to the Leaky Cauldron again?"

    As Alina sat by herself on a train station bench with only her two books, the smile on her face began to fade.

    Although her first memories were of the streets of London, she had only wandered the streets for a few hours before Benitez found her.

    Thus, she was a complete stranger to this massive city, and she certainly had no idea where the Leaky Cauldron was, and there was a 99% chance that this place didn''t appear on any Muggle maps.

    For the first time, Alina came to realize that, without a guide, the hiding ability of the Magic World was just too good.

    Simple spells for Unplottability and a Muggle-Repelling Charm were enough to conceal any magical passage in a city from a low-intensity search.

    "It seems like I"ll have to get help from the Ministry of Magic..."

    A train station in the middle of the night was no place for a single girl to stay for long. The warm lobby and comfortable benches would quickly attract the wandering vagrants of the city.

    If the descriptions from the original novel held true, the visitor''s entrance for the British Ministry of Magic was a broken red phone booth located near the British Ministry of Defence. In the phone booth, one simply needed to dial 62442 (MAGIC).

    After following the operator''s prompts, a pass would drop out from the change dispenser. At the same time, the booth would descend into the ground to the eighth level of the Ministry of Magic, the Atrium.

    As a half-Veela, Alina was completely unaffected by the Muggle-Repelling Charm. The only problem was that the novel did not go into much detail on where exactly the red phone booth was. She wasn''t sure how big the ''nearby'' region was.

    "At least I should go and take a look."

    Alina quickly made up her mind and stood up to leave the station.

    After all, once she was in the Ministry of Magic, Alina could use the power of the Galleon to reach Diagon Alley.

    Guguguha~

    The strange call of an owl came from above.

    A few moments later, Alina felt a feathery little ball crash into her stomach and affectionately rub against it.

    "Food Reserve? Why are you here?"

    Alina grabbed the owl, and curiously asked. She remembered that this little owl should have been obediently staying with Benitez at the orphanage.

    Gu~

    The owl stood on Alina''s knee and excitedly flapped its wing. Only now did Alina notice that there was a thick envelope tied to its leg.

    {Stay safe, and keep in touch every day. If I don''t receive a letter from you by dinner tomorrow, I will inform that little elf who brings the meals, Mister Boli.¡ª¡ªBenitez.]

    Besides this, the envelope had an additional two thousand British pounds, a few sheets of blank paper, and a pencil.

    "I have to report every day? What a troublesome big uncle, especially when he doesn''t understand what''s going on." Alina softly grumbled, but there was a smile on her face as she carefully folded up the letter and put it away.

    The problem she faced right now as not something that could be resolved with British pounds.

    Wait a moment! Besides getting help from the Ministry of Magic, wasn''t there another way?

    The silver-haired girl glanced at the owl on her knee. The little laughing owl was currently beating its wings excitedly, beating its wings over its first successful delivery. Now that she thought about it, how had it managed to find her over such a very long distance so accurately?

    Alina''s eyes brightened as she hugged Food Reserve and happily kissed it. Her eyes glowed as she stared at the owl.

    "Food Reserve, I love you to death!"

    Gu?? ¡Ñ¨Œ¡Ñ!

    In Alina''s view, the owls of the Magic World weren''t just letter deliverers with delicious meat. They had many more potential uses.

    In reality, as the vital link between the Magic World and the real world who had taken on the important duty as letter couriers, owls, in a general sense, could also be considered a kind of magical creature. Although they didn''t possess magic, they could sense magic and enter some areas that were hidden by magic.

    As long as a wizard was not trying to hide from or disrupt them, owls were able to deliver letters to the right recipient. Thus, it was clear that messenger owls were able to differentiate, or perhaps one could say that they could identify a specific person within a certain area.

    This gave rise to another practical question. From a certain perspective, the owls of the Magic World could be used as guiding fairies, perhaps even search tools.

    After all, one only needed to write a letter and then follow the owl, and there was a very high chance that it would help one find the target. This was particularly the case if the target was in a fixed location, like Hogwarts, or...the Leaky Cauldron.

    Hugging Food Reserve, Alina passed through a set of ordinary streets, going past a bookstore, record store, hamburger store, and movie theater. Finally, she stopped between a large book store and another record store. Squeezed between these two was a small bar. Pedestrians were hurriedly walking by without even glancing at it.

    "Thank you for the trouble, Food Reserve. Cough, you don''t need to deliver this letter."

    Alina smiled as she looked at the owl with a strip of paper in its mouth, excitedly attempting to fly out of her embrace and into the bar. On the strip of paper in its mouth was written: [London, Leaky Cauldron, For Tom Abbott].

    Alina could remember the name of the Leaky Cauldron''s owner, which she owed mostly to the novels written by so many Harry Potter fans, who had tirelessly talked about (though this was really just filling space) the character Hannah Abbott, so much so that she had specifically gathered information on ''Ironforged Hannah,'' upon which she had learned this rather obscure fact.

    Otherwise, she would have resorted to having Food Reserve take a Galleon and go to Gringotts to find Gally Wix so he could show her the way. But this might have had some uncontrollable effect on her future plans.

    Shaking her head, Alina pushed open the door to the Leaky Cauldron and entered.

    Compared to the cold and quiet scene outside, the bar was extremely noisy. For witches and wizards who had spent the entire day busy with work, sitting down to have a drink was a joyous occasion. The dark and dirty space was hot and smoky. The owner of the bar, Tom Abbott, with a face like a shriveled walnut, his head almost completely bald, was working hard to care for his patrons.

    No one noticed a little girl coming inside, and Alina happily walked past the counter into a small courtyard surrounded by walls on all sides. There was nothing here besides a trashcan and some weeds.

    The silver-haired girl looked up and began to count. "Three bricks up from the top of the dustbin...two bricks across...should be about here."

    She had initially been worried that there might be a problem with the counting method, but when she looked up, she understood. In that area, there was a brick that was clearly much more worn than the rest, as if it had often been touched.

    "One, two, three..."

    Alina used the two books to prop herself up. Standing on her tiptoes, she reached up and tapped on the brick three times, and then went back down and nervously stared at the wall.

    A moment later, the brick she had tapped began to tremble and move. A small gap appeared in the center, getting larger and larger. A few moments later, it had transformed into a spacious archway leading to a winding cobblestoned street.

    "Whew! Finally here. My most important goal for the new year: get taller."

    Alina sighed in relief, happiness on her face. She grabbed the books with her left hand, used her right hand to push Food Reserve from its perch on her shoulder down her collar so that only its head was showing, and rushed inside.

    "I hope Gringotts works twenty-four-seven..."

 Chapter 037 - The Biggest Transaction Ever

    Diagon Alley.

    The street at night was much less thronged than during the day.

    The easygoing nature of the British meant that many stores had already closed for the day. Other than places like Florean Fortescue''s Ice Cream Parlor, which also served as inns, only a few stores still shone with the light of candles.

    Alina tightened her clothes to prevent little Food Reserve from sliding out and began to walk faster.

    "It''s not business hours. Please return."

    Next to the burnished bronze gate of Gringotts was a goblin wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold. He waved his hand, indicating that Alina should hurry and leave, clearly taking her for a child that was just messing around.

    "I think that there should still be goblins at work inside Gringotts, right?"

    Alina saw the light seeping out from between the bronze gates and began to walk up the marble steps to the goblin guard. The goblin was about a head shorter than her, had a dark and intelligent face, and a pointy beard.

    "Child, this is no playground. Go home to your bed."

    The uniformed goblin frowned and barred Alina''s path, his tone impatient.

    Ding~

    "But this Galleon tells me that it doesn''t want to go to sleep. What do you think?"

    Alina faintly smiled as she took out a Galleon and flicked it into the air with her thumb.

    "Tell Gally Wix and Andy Serkis that someone from Hogwarts wants to talk about a major contract with them, and it will be yours."

    "Ah, of course. You''re absolutely right. Galleons have never slept."

    A smile emerged on the goblin''s face as he snatched the tumbling golden coin out of the air, bowed to Alina, and stepped to the side.

    "Please enter. I will go and notify them..."

    ...

    Gringotts, an exquisitely decorated VIP lounge.

    Alina sat on a soft sofa, ''Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'' opened on her knees while a little owl quietly perched on her shoulder, its eyes closed in slumber.

    "Apologies, Miss Kaslana. I hope you didn''t wait long."

    The door to the lounge suddenly opened, and a goblin came in, his sharp voice somewhat scratchy. This was the goblin who had greeted Dumbledore and Alina during the day, Gally Wix.

    "Very well, Miss Alina Kaslana, everyone is here. Can you now speak of what business you have come here for?"

    Andy Serkis was already seated in the room, and he impatiently rubbed his hands as he broke the silence.

    If not for the allure of Galleons and the fact that she had come together with Dumbledore during the day, he would have taken all this for a poor joke on Alina''s part.

    Pa.

    Alina softly closed the book and put it to the side. She moved Food Reserve to her knees and began to slowly stroke its feathers as she slowly spoke.

    "During the day, you said that Gringotts could offer loans similar to Muggle banks, yes?"

    "Like Muggle banks?"

    Andy Serkis scoffed, a look of disdain on his face. "Gringotts was established far earlier than Muggle banks. Even Merlin had business with us."

    A hint of disappointment appeared on Serkis''s face as he examined the silver-haired girl. He should have known that a young human witch couldn''t possibly have had any major business to conduct. He raised a slender finger and wagged it.

    "But I must warn you that Gringotts is no cheap black market pawn shop. We only accept securities of high value. If you plan to put up some precious silver or magic objects you stole from your home as securities, you''ll have better luck in Knockturn Alley."

    Alina nodded in satisfaction. Ignoring the rudeness in the goblin''s tone, she continued, "Then if I wanted a loan in one kind of Muggle currency and then wanted it to be converted to Galleons or another Muggle currency, would Gringotts be able to do that?"

    "Of course! The goblins don''t just have this one bank in London. We have a presence in every wizarding country in the world. No matter how much you want, we can get it to you. But..."

    Serkis smiled, his tone changing as he craftily rubbed his hands. "Our commissions and interest are rather high."

    "Speaking frankly, I''ve never even considered commissions and interest."

    Alina lightly shrugged her shoulders. Leaning back against the sofa, she scanned the two goblins. "My last question. What''s the maximum money you two are allowed to handle. Like I said before, this is a major contract."

    Gally Wix, who had not had an opportunity to intervene in the conversation until now, proudly thumped his chest. "Miss Kaslana, you can be at ease. No matter how big the contract is, we can accept it. Even if Mister Dumbledore offered up all his property as security, there would still be no problem."

    "Then what if the security was Hogwarts?"

    Alina softly said.

    "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?"

    The two goblins glanced at each other in amusement and shrieked in laughter.

    "Hahahahahaha, what a good joke, Miss. But you''re right. That truly is something we can''t decide on."

    Gally Wix smiled and shook his head. "That sort of contract would require gathering all the goblin elders of Gringotts for a discussion. Of course, you would have to actually have...have..."

    The goblin''s voice suddenly froze like an old vinyl record, strange sounds like those of a rooster seized by the throat coming from his mouth.

    "Are you talking about this property deed to Hogwarts?"

    Alina had taken the yellowing parchment from under her chest and slowly unrolled it in front of the goblins, her voice relaxed. "As I said before, this is a major contract."

    "But!"

    Before the look in the eyes of the goblins could turn from shock to greed, Alina grimly warned.

    "I advise you not to get any strange ideas, or else you will simultaneously anger the two strongest wizards in the entire Magic World."

    The silver-haired girl raised her left hand and clenched it into a fist.

    The three vow marks on the back of her hand instantly lit up, and two powerful magic energies began to spread through the VIP lounge, illuminating Alina''s exquisite face and making her seem like a transcendent valkyrie.

    One of these energies was from Dumbledore, and the two goblins were naturally familiar with it.

    The other magic was on par or perhaps even slightly above. Gally Wix and Andy Serkis glanced at each other, the fear they saw in each other''s eyes confirming the answer: Grindelwald!

    Had everything that happened during the day just been an act to pull the wool over everyone''s eyes? Gally Wix took in a cold breath, his eyes darting across the property deed and its gleaming magical seals. He staggered over to the door and sharply yelled into the main lobby.

    "Immediately call the council of elders! Kick them out of bed if you have to! It''s for the biggest transaction we''ve ever had!"

 Chapter 038 - The Feast Begins

    "Unbelievable."

    A wizened goblin with a white beard slowly put down his glasses, a hint of exhaustion on his wrinkled face as he carefully placed the yellowed parchment back onto the center of the stone table.

    This was a semicircular stone table. Around its curve sat seven goblins of considerable age.

    The goblin who had spoken just now was one of these elders. He exchanged glances with the other six goblins, and solemnly nodded. He and all the other six goblin elders of Gringotts had reached the same conclusion.

    This was the property deed for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, or perhaps one could call it the property deed for the castle of the Slytherin family, said to have been lost or hidden long ago.

    "Human girl, I don''t quite understand your intentions."

    One of the goblins clasped his hands together and rested them on the stone table, his deep eyes staring at the silver-haired girl on the other side of the stone table as calmly and proudly spoke, "As you see, this is a property deed of the Slytherin family, but your surname does not seem to grant you the legal right to inherit or handle this astonishing treasure."

    "Correct, but alas, from what I know, the only surviving descendant of Salazar Slytherin, the last member of the ancient pure-blood Gaunt family, Morfin Gaunt, died while imprisoned within Azkaban."

    Alina raised her head, her lake-blue eyes calming meeting the elder goblin''s stare as she calmly replied.

    "Oh? Is that so? What a pity."

    The goblin gave a noncommittal nod with no sign of regret to be seen on his face, and then he snapped his fingers.

    Several seconds later, a young goblin came in and whispered into his ear. The elder goblin''s brow relaxed, his wrinkles easing as he spoke in an interested tone. "It seems that Mister Dumbledore has considered everything. What is it you have in mind?"

    There was no doubt that the goblins had used their own special channels to verify Alina''s words, but they had clearly regarded all of this as part of Dumbledore''s plan. After all, there was no way a girl who wasn''t even ten years old yet could know so many secrets.

    Alina neither confirmed nor denied these words. She cutely said nothing for a few moments, pretending like she was trying to remember what she needed to say. Slowly, she said, "According to the ancient laws on contracts, in these circumstances, as a related third party to the property deed, Hogwarts possesses the right to deal with the land.

    "Ah, yes, yes. We have a deep understanding of his law."

    The goblin nodded in praise; then he shrugged his shoulders. "If Mister Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts, had come himself, there would naturally have been no problem. But an ordinary student of Hogwarts lacks a little something.

    "It''s not one of those boring paper certificates from the Ministry of Magic, you understand..."

    The elder goblin squinted, extending his shriveled index finger and thumb as he gestured in the air and softly spoke. "I mean, something magical. Hogwarts isn''t one of those silly stone houses Muggles build by piling up bricks."

    It had finally appeared. Before she took on this final barrier between her and obtaining the trust of the goblins, Alina nervously breathed in. She raised her left hand, showing its back to the goblin elders as she coldly spoke.

    "A vow, one directed by Dumbledore, one is linking me together with Hogwarts, an Unbreakable Vow with my life on the line. Is that enough? Professor Dumbledore naturally has his reasons for not coming."

    Unlike before, only one vow mark on Alina''s left hand lit up, and one could keenly sense the magic on this mark. A glossiness appeared on the edge of the parchment on the table, the source of the heat Alina felt around her chest every time she activated this ''stigmata.''

    This sudden brightness caused the goblins to cover their eyes, and then they glanced at each other and began to talk.

    Their many years of experience allowed them to immediately recognize the two magics intertwined in the mark and sense the weak connection the girl had with Hogwarts.

    Ten seconds, twenty seconds...

    But it also could have been one second, five seconds...

    In short, it felt to Alina like a long, long time had passed until the goblins seated behind the stone table stopped talking.

    "Human girl, ah, I mean, Madam Alina Kaslana."

    the oldest of the goblins softly coughed as he spoke in a respectful tone. "Gringotts is happy to serve you. Now, we need to discuss the details of this loan, which has Hogwarts as the security. The first topic is the currency the loan should be in..."

    As the goblin spoke, the others began to put on their glasses and prepare papers to record the details.

    Success!

    Upon seeing the reaction of the goblins, Alina immediately relaxed. She inadvertently stroked Food Reserve a little too hard, causing the slumbering owl to wake up.

    Gu!

    "Mm?"

    The old goblin who was beginning to write down the basics of the loan raised his head, his sharp eyes looking over his glasses at the girl.

    Gugugu~

    A string of curious sounds could be heard, which caused all the goblins to raise their heads and curiously look at its source.

    "My apologies. I''ve been rather busy, so I didn''t have time for dinner...perhaps?"

    Alina hugged Food Reserve and tried her best to suppress her gurgling stomach, her face blushing in shame.

    Now that she thought about it, she had been so busy rushing around today that she had only eaten one and a quarter ice creams the entire day. (Recalling this made her grind her teeth)

    And once she had entered Gringotts, she had been tense the entire time. Now that she suddenly relaxed, she felt a frightening sense of hunger that was about to melt the walls of her stomach.

    "Oh, our deepest apologies, this was incredibly rude of us. Please, help yourself."

    An elderly goblin dressed like a butler standing to the very right elegantly shook his head and then clapped his hand.

    A moment later, a white tablecloth appeared in front of Alina, carrying an exquisite plate of cookies and cakes. A pot of hot black tea appeared at the girl''s right hand, comfortably within reach. Right in front of her, a menu written in English on a scroll appeared.

    "The next request might be a little presumptuous, but if possible, could you talk while eating? After all..."

    The old goblin awkwardly rubbed his palms as he cautiously asked.

    "Time is money, my friends. There''s no problem at all!"

    Alina immediately nodded her head, interrupting the elder goblin''s polite words and going straight into the main subject. "With each passing second, I can see cute Galleons flying away. So what are we waiting for?"

    All the pieces had been played. Even if the Soviet Union didn''t collapse, as someone who had been reborn, Alina felt no fear.

    That gradually weakening bear was merely the easiest piece of meat in this momentous period. She had countless plan Bs. All she had ever needed was the strength to shake the world.

    The silver-haired girl took a piece of mousse cake with her fork and stuffed it in her mouth, her eyes squinting in joy.

    And now, the feast had begun.

 Chapter 39

    Diagon Alley.

    6 am London time.

    The first rays of the morning sun penetrated through the thin fog, creating a scene of mottled light and shadow on the stone street.

    It would be another one or two hours until the empty street began to slowly liven up.

    Behind the closed bronze doors of Gringotts, an arduous negotiation that had lasted the entire night had just finished.

    "Lady Kaslana, perhaps you could think about it again. If some of the funds for Hogwarts are kept at Gringotts, we could even make a concession on the commission."

    A wrinkled goblin elder rubbed his palms as he fawningly smiled, hoping to change Alina''s mind.

    At this time, Alina was standing together with Gally Wix and Andy Serkis in front of a large mountain of Galleons and earnestly counting them. The counting magic of goblins made the process much easier than had initially been imagined.

    "There''s no need to say anymore. The entirety of the loan must be kept at Hogwarts. This is one of the foundations of the entire contract."

    Alina firmly refused, too lazy to even turn her head as she continued to count the gold with the two goblins.

    While this Hogwarts mortgage loan seemed to have all kinds of clauses and bylaws, if one tossed aside all the flowery language, there were only four core ideas.

    [The entirety of the funds loaned must be delivered into the custody of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.]

    [The currency in which the loan is issued and repaid in is the Muggle currency of the ruble.]

    [At the time of the loan''s disbursement, Gringotts must do its utmost to convert the rubles to Galleons. (According to the agreement, any insufficiency can be compensated with US dollars according to the current exchange rate)]

    [The contents of this contract are hidden from Muggles. Wizards should use a revealing charm to read it.]

    Compared to those countless vile people of the business world in her last life, Alina thought that the goblins were rather simple and unsophisticated.

    Other than a small discrepancy when it came to adding up the interest and the commissions, and some word games attempted with the flowery language, there were not too many malicious clauses or traps deliberately placed in the contract.

    For this reason, Alina had resorted to particularly simple and crude methods, using more than half of what she remembered about mortgage loans and contracts from her experiences in the business world in her last life.

    Another effect of this was that the halo of mystery and wisdom that surrounded Dumbledore for these goblins became even more dazzling.

    "Our apologies. As time was short, we were only able to gather four hundred million Galleons and one hundred and fifty million US dollars. For the rest, we had to use British pounds, for a total of seven hundred thirty million..."

    Gally Wix wiped the sweat on his forehead, glancing at Alina as he cautiously explained. His hands were trembling as he spoke.

    "Mm, I understand. There''s no need to keep reading. Once we get to Hogwarts, there will naturally be someone there to review your numbers."

    Alina waved her hand and cut off Gally Wix, then glanced behind her.

    One hundred uniformed goblins were waiting, each of them holding a small bag. She knew that these were all bags on which the Undetectable Extension Charm had been applied.

    "Right, one last, tiny question. Does Gringotts have a shareholding system?"

    Alina blinked her eyes and asked the elder goblin next to her a strange question.

    "Of course! Goblins aren''t some primitive, lower-class species. We only believe in contracts and Galleons," the elder goblin swiftly replied.

    "So that''s how it is. I understand."

    Alina nodded and said no more. Glancing at the dazzling amount of wealth in front of her, she took in a deep breath.

    "Let''s start the delivery now. Destination: Hogwarts Castle''s entrance gate."

    ...

    Hogwarts.

    The skies of the Scottish highlands brightened somewhat later, and there was still a hazy blue hue to it.

    Hu~ha~

    Wearing blue pajamas, Dumbledore suddenly bolted upright in his bed, panting for breath. For some reason, he had suddenly felt strange stuffiness in his chest.

    Turning his head to the wall clock, Dumbledore saw that it wasn''t even six-thirty yet.

    "I must be getting old...I''m not like I was in my youth."

    Dumbledore joked to himself. If Madam Pomfrey down in the hospital wing learned of what he was saying, she would have definitely grumbled that he was getting worried over nothing.

    Tock, tock, tock.

    A rhythmic tapping came from his window.

    Dumbledore looked over and saw a small fist-sized owl standing at the window and beating it with his wings. A small letter had been tied to its leg.

    Wasn''t this Alina''s owl called Wicca? Why did it seem so anxious? Had something happened?

    The old man''s face froze as he got up and opened the window. Once the small owl was inside, he took the letter from its leg.

    Dumbledore walked to his bed, put on his spectacles, and began to softly read the letter out loud.

    [To the honored, kind, mighty, benevolent, never-angry...Professor Dumbledore:

    When you read this letter, your cute Alina will have already arrived at the entrance gates to Hogwarts.

    With me are three hundred fifty goblins from Gringotts and a fortune worth around seven hundred fifty million galleons.

    Given how much there is, I advise you to bring all the house-elves in the school with you to take stock of it.

    Of course, you can rest at ease. This money is entirely legal, and Hogwarts has complete control over how it is spent. No matter what, this money must be taken into Hogwarts!

    These funds come from a mortgage loan I took from Gringotts. The collateral for this loan is the property deed for the land owned by Salazar Slytherin''s family, which is also the deed for Hogwarts Castle.

    When you read, you absolutely must not be angry. This will be bad for your body and will not solve anything. I can explain it.

    ¡ª¡ªYour loyal and cute Alina Kaslana.]

    Beneath the letter was the loan contract signed between Gringotts and Alina, a dazzling magic seal stamped upon it.

    Guh!

    Dumbledore immediately felt his vision go dark, a twisting sensation coming from his stomach. It was like someone had cast the Torture Curse on him.

    He finally realized what that ill foreboding that had harried him the entire day yesterday had been. He should have never let such a terrifying girl like Alina get in contact with the avaricious goblins of Gringotts.

    Gugugu~

    As if sensing that something was wrong with Dumbledore, Food Reserve curiously raised its head and beat its wings at Dumbledore, pushing its small against his fingers.

    Right, now was not the time to stand in a daze. There was still a terrifying amount of wealth piled up outside the school gates.

    Dumbledore came back to his senses and pointed his wand at his throat¡ª[Sonorus]

    "All house-elves of Hogwarts, please come with me and gather at the castle gates."

    A flame flashed in the room, and Dumbledore looked over at the Phoenix and nodded. "Fawkes, if you would please."

    ...

    In the vacant land outside the Hogwarts gates, a small mountain of Galleons had begun to form. At the base of the golden mountain were several hundred bricks made of British pound notes or US dollars.

    "So, how much longer do we have to wait? Why hasn''t Mister Dumbledore come out yet?"

    Andy Serkis anxiously pinched his fingers as he stared at the closed gates and shrilly said.

    Ever since they had left Gringotts, each passing second was as torturous as a great calamity for him and all the other goblins. Their faces were taut with tension, and all of them wished that Dumbledore would come out soon.

    "Relax, it will be soon. After all, Professor Dumbledore still needs to gather..."

    Alina attempted to soothe the panicked goblins as much as she could while mentally reciting to herself, "It''s just movie props behind me, movie props!"

    Pop.

    There was a crisp crack in the air; a short figure appeared on the castle drawbridge.

    Even more, pops could be heard, like firecrackers going off.

    One house-elf after another appeared in front of the Hogwarts entrance gates.

    "Alina Kaslana!"

    In a flash of dazzling flame, Dumbledore appeared, dressed in dark blue pajamas decorated with stars and moons.

    Dumbledore''s azure eyes were seething with anger, and on his left hand, a silver vow chain was flashing.

    "Ah, Professor Dumbledore, you''re here."

    Upon seeing the silver-bearded figure, Alina relaxed. Showing the back of her left hand to Dumbledore, she weakly waved it.

    The moment Dumbledore appeared, the energy that had supported her until now had begun to rapidly fade away.

    "I completed one of my vows early. This is Hogwarts'' past, present, and future."

    Alina pointed behind her and tiredly smiled. "Let''s bring it into the castle, and then you can listen to my explanation..."

    Thump.

    Before the girl could finish, intense fatigue consumed her mind, her vision went dark, and the small body swayed and dropped to the ground.

    "Alina?!"

    "Miss Kaslana?!"

    Dumbledore''s face paled, and he swung the wand in his right hand, summoning the unconscious girl to his chest, where he cautiously examined her.

    "Whew~ Fortunately, she''s just too tired and has fallen asleep."

    The old man sighed in relief. He pensively glanced at the girl''s clean left hand for a moment before ordering a nearby house-elf, "Take Alina back to the dorms to rest."

    As for the current situation...

    Dumbledore looked up at the small mountain of Galleons, the corners of his eyes subtly twitching.

    "Ahem, it seems that the deal went smoothly."

    Dumbledore lightly coughed. He took the contract that Alina had sent and quickly scanned over it, then his face turned serious, and he spoke in a tone that revealed no surprise.

    "So then, good goblins, let''s begin to take stock. It seems that this will not be an easy job."

    Regardless of what had happened, there was no problem with first transporting these Galleons into Hogwarts.

 Chapter 40

    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. I understand the idea.¡±

    His eyes were passing across the parchments covered in numbers and diagrams scattered across the bed, Dumbledore tiredly massaged his forehead, a sigh issuing from his mouth.

    ¡°Is this the Arithmancy the Muggles have come up with?¡±

    Now that he understood Alina¡¯s plan, the old wizard suddenly felt a hint of respect, not just for Alina, but those people of the other world who, just like the witches and wizards, sought the secrets of God¡¯s domain.

    Just now, the awakened Alina had fully explained the collapse of the ruble and the Soviet Union¡¯s deficiencies and inevitable fall, as well as how Hogwarts could use legal means to reap an enormous amount of wealth from this collapse.

    Though she was in the Slytherin dorms in the basement of Hogwarts, her thoughts soared straight into the heavens, drawing together various pieces of seemingly unrelated information and combining them together.

    Through a vast array of seemingly meaningless numbers and calculation, she had chained a series of events reaching from the British Isles to the shores of North America, extending from the calm after the chaos of 1945 to the undercurrent surging in 1991, and confidently determined as if by prophecy an imminent and momentous revolution¡­no, this was even more frightening than a prophecy. This was a feeling of helplessness like one was merely a chess piece being moved around by a god high above.

    From the moment the Galleons were moved into Hogwarts, they no longer needed to do a thing. This was an incident that started straight from the end. They simply needed to wait for the dust to clear to begin settling the accounts.

    ¡°Arithmancy? No, we call this science or deductive reasoning.¡±

    Alina softly shook her head. Her voice was somewhat scratchy from all the explaining, but her eyes were bright.

    The greatest and most essential difference between the Magic and Non-Magic Worlds was not economic systems or differences in technological strength. It was the way their societies thought. Perhaps a man-made barrier existed between the Magic and Non-Magic World, but science and magic had never been opposed to each other.

    Ordinary people originally had a vision narrower than that of witches and wizards, but this was not something that prevented them from understanding the world.

    Science was how the humans of the Non-Magic World understood the world. Unbelievable magic was simply treated as things that current science had yet to explain.

    In Alina¡¯s view, if it could be observed, it could be researched. If it could be researched, it could be influenced. If it could be influenced, it could be controlled. No matter what world one lived in, this was a fundamental law.

    ¡°But whether it¡¯s science or Arithmancy, there are always surprises. What if this fails? Hogwarts might cease existing because of this risk you took. Have you thought about how to deal with the worst-case scenario?¡±

    Dumbledore extended his hand and began to carefully gather up papers on the bed as he asked his final question.

    This was what most confused him. According to the terms of a vow, Alina¡¯s actions, which had essentially put Hogwarts in great danger, should have triggered the warning from the Unbreakable Vow before the final outcome had been reached.

    ¡°The worst-case scenario? Just hand the castle over to the goblins and then think of a way to repay the loan¡­the goblins have never been capable of damaging or destroying Hogwarts.¡±

    Alina stretched as she casually replied.

    The girl patted the soft bed, removed the blanket, and got down. She walked up to the mirror, placed in front of the window, and began to tidy her air as she spoke in a soft and carefree tone.

    ¡°Professor Dumbledore, let me ask you, when will Hogwarts be considered to have disappeared? Is it when the castle no longer belongs to us? No. Is it when the knowledge we pass down changes? Also no. Is it when the Ministry of Magic or another organization places its own headmaster or teacher in the school? Of course not! It¡¯s when Hogwarts no longer teaches and nurtures young witches and wizards.¡±

    Alina turned around, her tender white toes naughtily kicking at the soft and warm wool carpet, her lake-blue eyes looking out at the mystical sight of the bottom of the lake outside as she gently smiled.

    ¡°Even if Hogwarts is destroyed in a war, the castle flattened, the Forbidden Forest burned down, and the Great Lake turned into a dried-up crater, there only needs to be enough wealth and manpower to pass down the knowledge of Hogwarts. Even if the Magic World vanishes, so long as human civilization continues to exist, Hogwarts will never disappear.

    ¡°Besides, if we really can¡¯t return the money, it¡¯s the goblins who will be the most worried. In order to prevent this loan from going bad, they will pay any price to ensure that Hogwarts continues¡­mortgaging Hogwarts for a loan has always been a means, not an end.¡±

    Alina mischievously blinked her eyes, a smug look on her face.

    ¡°So, Professor Dumbledore, what do you think? I¡¯m awesome, right? There¡¯s a Muggle saying, ¡®handed victory on a platter,¡¯ that I think really suits the current situation.¡±

    The silver-haired girl happily raised a finger and wagged, cutely showing her two front teeth. One could see written all over her face the words ¡°Praise me! Praise me!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s truly a genius idea. I have no more questions on his matter. In the future, I will do my best to cooperate with you.¡±

    Dumbledore softly clapped and nodded in praise. A smile on his face, he softly said, ¡°Now, I think we have a few small problems to discuss¡­¡±

    The old wizard looked at Alina, who seemed like she was about to fly into the heavens, and his tone became even more genial.

    ¡°¡­regarding your taking of the Hogwarts deed from the Headmaster¡¯s office without permission and pretending to have the Headmaster¡¯s approval to sign an important contract.¡±

    ¡°Eh?!¡±

    Alina¡¯s happy little face froze, and a strand of combed silver hair on her head suddenly sprung upward. There seemed to be something not quite right in the air?

    ¡°Right, right, what time is it? I still haven¡¯t written a letter to Father Benitez, wishing him well. He¡¯s probably worried sick.¡±

    The silver-haired girl anxiously struck a fist into her palm, hastily put on her shoes, and began to loudly talk to herself as she tried to flee the Slytherin dormitory.

    The panicked Alina brought a smile into Dumbledore¡¯s eyes. He leisurely extended his wand and lightly waved it.

    (¡ú?¡ú)¤Ä¡ª¡î¡­[Petrificus Totalus]

    Alina¡¯s entire body went stiff, but before she could fall to the floor, she flew through the air and back onto the soft dormitory bed.

    ¡°Professor Dumbledore, you used magic against a child that hasn¡¯t even started school yet! I¡¯ll report you to the Ministry of Magic! You¡¯re such a powerful wizard, but you use magic to torture a mere child! Where is your heart?!¡±

    Sensing danger approaching, the petrified little girl loudly cried out in rebuke, her voice like that of a whining kitten. She had an extremely ill foreboding.

    ¡°My apologies. Please forgive a doddering old man for cheating a little. I will not use magic starting from now.¡±

    Alina saw the silver-bearded Dumbledore put away his wand and slowly walk over out of the corner of her eye. There was a smile on his face.

    ¡°According to what Mister Benitez said, there is a rather primitive Muggle teaching method that is often rather effective in having a naughty child like Miss Alina understand her mistakes.¡±

    Dumbledore pushed up his sleeves, sat on the side of the bed, and placed the frozen Alina across his knee.

    ¡°Wait¡­wait, wait¡­¡±

    When she saw Dumbledore roll up his sleeves and raise an arm high, she immediately realized what fate awaited her and tried to struggle.

    ¡°Save me! Murder! Dumbledore¡¯s become a Dark Wizard¡­¡±

    Pa!

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Tock, tock, tock¡­

    There was a rhythmic knocking on the dormitory door, and then Boli¡¯s voice came in from outside.

    ¡°Professor Dumbledore, I have brought Mister Benitez.¡±

    Before he could finish, Benitez charged in through the door.

    ¡°Alina, are you okay?¡± The man anxiously rushed inside, and then he was struck dumb by the scene before him. He hesitantly asked, ¡°Ah, Professor Dumbledore, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Father, save me! Save me!¡±

    Her savior had come, and the silver-haired girl was almost on the verge of tears. The old wizard¡¯s boney hand striking her butt was incredibly painful!

    ¡°I just learned that this morning, Miss Alina mortgaged the school.¡±

    Dumbledore raised his head, and calmly explained, acting like he was talking about something very ordinary.

    ¡°School¡¯s not even started, and you already mortgaged it?!¡±

    Benitez felt like his head was about to explode. He finally understood what Alina had been plotting.

    ¡°I understand. Please hand Alina to me.¡±

    After a few seconds, Benitez nodded, and before the girl could smile, he woodenly added a line:

    ¡°I¡¯m stronger, so she¡¯ll remember the lesson more.¡±

    Ah?! Aaaah?!

    Alina¡¯s eyes went round. The plot shouldn¡¯t have gone this way! She was a hero! She was the cutest and most loving little sweetheart!

    ¡°Wait for a second! Everything I did was for school! I didn¡¯t embezzle a single coin¡­¡±

    Pa!

    ¡°Let me go! I know my mistakes! I guarantee there won¡¯t be the next time¡­¡±

    Pa!

    ¡°Professor Dumbledore, you made a vow to protect me¡­¡±

    Pa!

    ¡°Ow! Waaaaaa! You bullies!¡±

    Pa! Pa! Pa¡­

 Chapter 41

    One month later, Great Britain, London, King¡¯s Cross Station.

    ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll part here. I certainly don¡¯t want to be waving farewell to you from the train.¡±

    Alina pushed a luggage cart and stopped between platforms 9 and 10 as she turned and spoke to Benitez. At the same time, she patted her bulging belly, ¡°Food Reserve, come out and say goodbye to Father.¡±

    The girl¡¯s chest shifted, and a drowsy little owl poked its head out of the girl¡¯s collar and called out as if saying goodbye.

    Gu~

    Ever since she was brought back to Luss from Hogwarts, Alina had been banned from touching any books related to magic, and it was only today, the start of the term, that Alina had managed to touch her wand for the first time.

    The two wands of black walnut sent over by Ollivander had been in Benitez¡¯s safekeeping the entire time.

    After that failed coup of August 19th took place, Alina ceased paying attention to news regarding the Soviet Union.

    The tide of revolution had finished taking form, and unless one could upset more than half of human civilization in the space of three months, no one could stop the Soviet Union from pressing onward to its dissolution.

    Thus, Alina had focused the majority of her energy on learning how to cook and training Food Reserve.

    After experiencing the reward of a hot water bath several times, Food Reserve quickly learned that it could not peck a rat to death and bring it home, that when it slept in Alina¡¯s arms at night, it could not flap its wings, and when prey was struggling, it needed to come and help (Its current opponents being only the fish in the lake)¡­this was a set of very important laws of survival.

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    Benitez helplessly shook his head. He reached out and plucked Food Reserve out from Alina¡¯s collar, placing it atop the large black trunk on the luggage cart.

    As he tidied the girl¡¯s somewhat messy silver hair, he affectionately chided, ¡°In class, don¡¯t always act as casually as you do at home. You can¡¯t have Food Reserve sleep under your clothes all the time.¡±

    Although he had already prepared himself for this moment, at the moment of parting, Benitez couldn¡¯t help but be worried. Squatting down, he patted Alina¡¯s head and once more began to advise her.

    ¡°Two trunks, one with your clothes and blankets and the other with books and snacks. Once you get to school, remember to take out the clothes and hang them so that they don¡¯t get all wrinkled and ugly. Once the weather gets cold, remember to put on an extra layer of blankets.

    ¡°This trunk has quite a few snacks in it, and you can share them with your classmates, make a few friends. If you don¡¯t have enough, just send a letter through the Food Reserve, and I¡¯ll send you more.

    ¡°And that imported German knife set. You must be extremely cautious when using them. I look at them, and they¡¯re heavier than the knives you normally use. Don¡¯t injure yourself.

    ¡°Remember to stay safe at school. If you get into an argument with a classmate or are bullied¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, I know, I know¡­I¡¯ll do my best to be on friendly terms with my classmates, and if there¡¯s a problem, I¡¯ll go to a professor for help.¡±

    Alina helplessly sighed. Benitez had been prattling similar words the entire way here, and she felt like she was developing calluses in her ears.

    ¡°Okay, relax¡­Father.¡±

    The silver-haired girl grabbed the large hand on her head and gently patted it. Her lake-blue eyes reflected the man¡¯s stubbly face as she slightly raised her voice.

    ¡°Hogwarts is in the Scottish highlands, not in Africa or the South Pole. And besides, this isn¡¯t my first time going to school. Things were much worse when the orphanage was just getting started.¡±

    Looking up at the time on the wall clock, Alina bit her lip, walked past Benitez, and began pushing the cart in the direction of Platform 9?.

    ¡°It¡¯s getting late, and the Hogwarts Express will set off at eleven. I¡¯m going inside.¡±

    Ah, she was just no good at these farewell scenes. She really should have just gone without saying a word.

    ¡°Alina!¡±

    Just as the girl was about to walk through the metal barrier between platforms 9 and 10, Benitez loudly called out to her.

    ¡°Mm?¡±

    The girl turned around and tilted her head in confusion.

    ¡°I was thinking just now, and I¡¯ve decided that it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t wrong yourself.¡±

    Benitez slightly lowered his body and raised his fists, taking up a boxing posture. He began to swing his bowl-sized fists in the air.

    ¡°Do you remember how I taught you to punch? If someone is bullying you, just give them a good beating!¡±

    As expected, still that same attitude of subduing by strength and giving all the thorns in one¡¯s eye a good beating first before being reasonable?

    This was the stormy priest she remembered, and Alina immediately brightened up. Her lips curved upward, revealing her cute front teeth, and then she turned around and waved around her little fists.

    ¡°Relax, Father! I won¡¯t let you down! I¡¯ll even beat up a man if I have to.¡±

    After saying this, Alina confidently pushed her cart into the metal barrier.

    Behind her, Benitez raised his hand as if he wanted to say something more, but in the end, he just watched as the girl and her swaying silver air disappeared.

    Benitez rubbed his eyes. The metal barrier had seemed extremely solid as she was passing through it, and none of the pedestrians seemed to have noticed a girl disappearing from the train platform.

    ¡°Your daughter? What a very smart child. Is she also a new student at Hogwarts?¡±

    The warm voice of a middle-aged woman spoke into Benitez¡¯s ear. Turning around, he saw a short and plump woman leading four red-headed boys at his side. Each boy had a luggage cart with a trunk the same as Alina¡¯s, owls perched atop them.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I wasn¡¯t intentionally listening in.¡±

    The middle-aged woman apologetically blinked her eyes. ¡°But I think that if it¡¯s possible, you should still send her off at the platform. After all, she¡¯s still so young.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s best not to. That might be embarrassing, and besides¡­¡±

    Benitez carefully thought it over and shook his head, his eyes slightly dimming. ¡°¡­Whether it¡¯s magic or any other kind of knowledge, I can¡¯t teach her. She belongs to a bigger world.¡±

    One month had not been enough time for Benitez to completely understand the Magic World, but it had been enough for him to roughly understand just how grand Alina¡¯s designs were.

    Whether it was the amazing magic Dumbledore had displayed, that astronomical fortune or that chess game that spanned the entire globe, any one of them was enough to completely upend everything Benitez had learned about the world in his several decades of life.

    For the first time, Benitez felt helpless and dejected. He could clearly sense that the strong body and orphanage that he was so proud of had become shackles preventing Alina from reaching the wider world.

    Haaa, men¡­this one was even worse off than the one in her family.

    The middle-aged woman, Mrs. Weasley, helplessly shook her head and patted Benitez on the shoulder.

    ¡°Children have to grow up eventually, leaving us to walk their own road. But that doesn¡¯t mean that the family has lost its meaning. Children can choose to run, but as the head of the family, we have to do our best to keep them company until the very end.¡±

    After a brief pause, Mrs. Weasley softly added, ¡°And besides, I saw that the child was crying. Shouldn¡¯t you go after her to comfort her?¡±

    ¡°Alina was crying?¡±

    Benitez paled, and when he raised his head, he saw that the girl was already gone.

    ¡°Of course. Take it from a mother who has raised seven children.¡±

    Mrs. Weasley proudly chuckled and then gave Benitez a pat on the back. ¡°Go on then; there¡¯s still time. Just pass through the metal barrier between platforms 9 and 10.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Madam.¡±

    Benitez nodded and then hastily ran over.

    ¡°Mom, why did you say that the girl was crying? She looked rather happy, didn¡¯t she?¡±

    To the right of Mrs. Weasley, a girl with fiery hair looked up and curiously asked.

    ¡°Oh, Ginny, perhaps I saw wrong. Be quiet now.¡±

    Mrs. Weasley smiled, rubbing her daughter¡¯s head. She turned around and clapped her hands. ¡°Children, let¡¯s move out. Percy, you take the front¡­¡±

 Chapter 42

    Clang! Urgh¡­

    As Mrs. Weasley was organizing her children so that they could enter Platform 9? in an orderly fashion, she heard a bang followed by the pained groans of a man.

    Mrs. Weasley curiously looked over and saw that at the intersection of platforms 9 and 10, the man from before was holding a swollen cheek as he slowly stood up. He reached out to the hard metal barrier and stroked it, his eyes brimming with confusion and concern.

    Quite a few travelers in the station stopped to point and whisper at this strange man.

    Nearby, two police officers had immediately noticed this disturbance. Gripping their truncheons in a very strange manner, they began to walk through the crowd.

    ¡°Mom, what do we do now?¡±

    The oldest red-headed boy, Percy, stopped and looked at his mother. It was obvious that they couldn¡¯t go through with their original plan to enter Platform 9? while all the Muggles were watching.

    So she had been a young witch from a Muggle family? Mrs. Weasley immediately realized what was going on after seeing Benitez¡¯s confused reaction. Her kindhearted words had ended up making a mess.

    ¡°Percy, wait with your brothers and sister here. I¡¯ll go over and help the man over there with his problem.¡±

    Glancing at the two Ministry of Magic members wearing Muggle uniforms, Mrs. Weasley frowned and quickly walked over.

    Her husband, Arthur Weasley, worked at the Ministry of Magic, so she was well aware of how this process worked. The combination of the Memory Charm and Muggle-Repelling Charm was simple and effective.

    But this was only for masters of the Memory Charm. The majority of wizards and witches lacked precision when it came to the memories they wiped.

    This also meant that this man had a high chance of losing his precious memories from just now forever.

    ¡°Excuse me, thank you¡­I¡¯m sorry, please let me handle this matter.¡±

    Mrs. Weasley squeezed her way through the crowd to the two Ministry of Magic members and then took out her little wand and waved it in front of them, at the same time pulling Benitez away from the dividing barrier.

    ¡°Miss, might I ask¡­¡±

    ¡°I am Molly Weasley. My husband is Arthur Weasley, and he also works at the ministry. I¡¯m sending off my children to school today. I¡¯m sure that all of us want the children to smoothly board the train today, right?¡±

    Mrs. Weasley hastily explained, at the same time, indicating with her chin that the ¡®police officers¡¯ should look behind them.

    The police officers turned their heads and saw those boys pushing carts with owls on top of them and the surrounding crowd of travelers. The two of them glanced at each other, nodded, and put their police truncheons back on their belts.

    ¡°Well then, thank you for your assistance. We¡¯ll quickly take care of this situation so that it won¡¯t prevent your children from getting to school.¡±

    After saying this, the two police officers turned around and began to scatter the crowd like ordinary officers, once more restoring the flow of traffic.

    ¡°Forgive me, sir, I must apologize. I didn¡¯t think¡­¡±

    Mrs. Weasley pulled Benitez to the side and immediately began to apologize.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize. I should have expected this. In such a crowded place, if you don¡¯t have this sort of set-up, the place would be a mess. I¡¯m just worried about little Alina.¡±

    Benitez shook his head, a bitter smile on his lips.

    After getting to know the Magic World a little, he had already realized when Mrs. Weasley appeared that this ¡®invisible¡¯ door only opened to witches and wizards.

    ¡°Madam, you must be a witch. Could you take a small request from me? If you see Alina inside, mm, that silver-haired girl, could you see how she¡¯s doing? I¡¯m worried that her luggage might be too heavy.¡±

    Benitez paused, and then he earnestly spoke in a slightly pleading tone to the short and plump witch. This was all he could do as an ordinary person.

    A single wall felt like a yawning chasm.

    ¡°Relax.¡±

    Mrs. Weasley gently replied, waving at the children behind her.

    ¡°Percy, George, Fred¡­when you get to the platform, save the chatting with your classmates for later and help this mister¡¯s daughter get to her seat. That should be fine, yes?¡±

    ¡°Of courses, mom.¡±

    ¡°No problem. She might even be a new student at our house.¡±

    ¡°She definitely won¡¯t be Slytherin.¡±

    The three boys enthusiastically nodded and immediately agreed to their mother¡¯s request.

    Mrs. Weasley smiled, and just when she was about to say something more, she heard a boy timidly interrupt her.

    ¡°Excuse me¡­¡±

    Molly Weasley turned her head and saw a black-haired boy wearing glasses.

    The boy was also pushing a large cart, and inside the cage atop the trunk was a beautiful snowy owl that was curiously observing its surroundings.

    Yet another lost young wizard.

    ¡°Oh, dear,¡± Mrs. Weasley softly chuckled. She kindly said, ¡°Another one headed for Hogwarts¡­¡±

    ¡­

    Meanwhile, on the other side.

    King¡¯s Cross Station, Platform 9?.

    After passing through the entrance to the platform, Alina looked up and sighed in praise.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d get to see a steam engine in London. This might be the last one in service in all of Great Britain, maybe? Though its locomotion has probably been mostly modified with magic.¡±

    The steam from the engine curled above the chattering crowd while cats moved around their feet.

    The chattering of the crowd, the clunking of their unwieldy trunks, and the owls hooted at each other.

    A red steam-engine train had stopped next to the packed train platform.

    A sign near the front of the train declared ¡®Hogwarts Express, Departing at 11 am.¡¯

    If one excluded the illegal flying car of the Weasley family, this was probably one of the few successful attempts at a magical machine, perhaps the only one.

    But as the nation where the First Industrial Revolution began, Great Britain had entered the age of internal combustion in 1952. If one merely looked at the bright red shell of the train, one would find it very hard to imagine that this was an old model that had been in operation for fifty years.

    But this single Hogwarts Express had required two terms of the Minister for Magic, one hundred and sixty-seven Memory Charms, and the largest Concealment Charm ever used in Britain to smoothly set up this train route between King¡¯s Cross Station and the village of Hogsmeade.

    Based on the records in ¡®A History of Magic¡¯, after 1945, when the technology of the Non-Magic World began to rapidly develop, technological development in the Magic World came to a standstill.

    ¡°It seems that if I want to try anything big, I first have to find out what happened that year.¡±

    As Alina pondered, her finger played around with the silver hair on her shoulder.

    If it was merely because of the International Statute of Secrecy established in 1692, the technological development of the Magic World shouldn¡¯t have come to such a shuddering halt. Something else must have taken place after this.

    Until she determined what sort of dispute was being hidden in the shadows, Alina had no plans to start an Industrial Revolution in the Magic World. After all, she didn¡¯t want to end up a prisoner in Nurmengard.

    ¡°But that¡¯s a problem for later. I¡¯ve got an even more serious problem right now.¡±

    Standing at one of the train carriages near the end, Alina helplessly pushed at the two large black trunks on her cart. Just how was she going to move these two trunks onto the train?

    There was no doubt that Benitez had thought every method possible to fill every possible inch of space in the chest, or else it could never have been this heavy.

    A saying suddenly came to Alina¡¯s mind: the love of a father is like a mountain.

    She! Simply! Couldn¡¯t! Move it!

 Chapter 43

    ¡°I think that you might need a little help? Miss Alina.¡±

    The silver-haired girl fruitlessly attempted to move the trunks again, and just when she was about to look for help, a boy spoke up next to her.

    Alina turned around and saw a tall redheaded boy with glasses standing next to her, pushing a cart similar to hers.

    ¡°You are?¡±

    The girl slightly frowned. She didn¡¯t remember knowing anyone like this.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. My name is Percy Weasley, the Prefect of Gryffindor. My mother asked me to come over and help you put away your luggage and get to your seat.¡±

    Percy kindly smiled as he pointed at his chest. On it was a shining silver ¡®P.¡¯

    The boy placed his hand on the girl¡¯s large black trunk and pushed¡­to no avail.

    Percy slightly frowned and waved behind him.

    ¡°Hey, Fred, George, I found the girl. Come and lend a hand!¡±

    Wait for a second! If this boy was Percy Weasley, then Fred and George he had called over¡­

    Alina suddenly turned around and saw the pair of twins pushing their carts over. Was this that terrible pair of genius pranksters who were only the ones in the history of Hogwarts to make Peeves salute to them?

    The girl suddenly recalled a fan story she had read in her previous life called ¡®The Storms Over Hogwarts Stir Again,¡¯ which was a story that took place twenty years after Harry Potter defeated Voldemort. The plot of chapter 11, ¡®Waterfall in Reverse,¡¯ had particularly touched her.

    In that particular world, George could no longer use the Patronus Charm, because summoning one¡¯s Patronus required thinking back to one¡¯s happiest memories.

    But George¡¯s happiest memories were all related to his time with Fred, and when Fred died, George¡¯s entire world seemed to collapse. All his memories regarding Fred became packed with despair.

    ¡°Hey! Greetings! I am George Weasley.¡±

    Before Alina could get lost in her thoughts, one of the redheaded twins spoke up, extending a hand in greeting.

    ¡°Eh? I am Alina Kaslana¡­¡±

    Alina came back to her senses and nodded. She was about to shake the offered hand when the other twin hit his brother on the shoulder and jokingly scolded.

    ¡°Hey, Fred, I don¡¯t mind you advertising for me in front of girls, but can you not steal my words on our first introduction?¡±

    ¡°I say, George, I¡¯m creating an opportunity for you. You¡¯d better not cry once I start going after Angelina. Besides, you don¡¯t think she¡¯ll be able to differentiate the two of us next time, do you?¡±

    ¡®George Weasley¡¯, who was really Fred, massaged his arm while grabbing the shoulder of the actual George and joking.

    ¡°Fine, I guess that makes sense.¡±

    George blinked, and then he seriously nodded. He then extended a hand to Alina and introduced himself.

    ¡°Hello! I am now Fred, Fred Weasley. Although I think that you¡¯ll take me to George next time we meet.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Alina speechlessly glanced at the twins. Mrs. Weasley had probably not beaten these naughty twins to death after so many years primarily because they were her own flesh and blood, right?

    ¡°Enough, you two! Act like an upper-year student in front of new students, please!¡±

    Percy Weasley frowned as he patted one of the large black trunks and unhappily interrupted, ¡°Save the chatter for later! Why aren¡¯t you helping me with this already? Mother and Ginny are waiting for us.¡±

    ¡°Yes, oh, great Prefect. You¡¯re not going to dock us points, are you?¡±

    ¡°Hey, be more respectful! He might be Head Boy next year.¡±

    The twins glanced at each other, but while their mouths were still teasing, they quickly let go of their carts and came up to help Percy with Alina¡¯s heavy trunk.

    With the help of the three Weasley brothers, Alina finally managed to get her two large trunks pushed into a corner of the compartment.

    ¡°Thank you, but why did your mother, Mrs. Weasley, have you come and help me?¡±

    Alina massaged her wrist as she asked in confusion.

    The three Weasley boys looked at each other, and then Fred poked Percy and whispered, ¡°Prefect, you explain.¡±

    ¡°Mm.¡± Percy Weasley looked the girl in the eyes and directly answered, ¡°Student Alina, you have a very loving father.¡±

    Benitez?

    ¡°Stupid Father, I told him to go back on his own.¡±

    Alina¡¯s eyes softened as she murmured in a complicated tone of voice.

    The girl raised her head, looked up at the three gasping boys, and gratefully voiced her thanks.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Although she didn¡¯t know the exact details, she could take a good guess. Benitez had probably run into the entrance wall while the Weasley family was watching.

    ¡°Fred? George? Percy? Are you on the train?¡±

    The voice of a middle-aged woman came from outside.

    ¡°Fred and George are with me, mother. We¡¯ll come down now.¡±

    Percy called out. He nodded at Alina before calling over his young brothers and jumping down from the train.

    Alina sat by the window, and as she watched the laughing family of redheads on the platform, she opened her luggage and began to write¡­

    [Stupid Father, didn¡¯t I say¡­]

    The girl thought it over, shook her head, and erased the words to restart the letter¡­

    [I¡¯m on the train now. The Weasleys are very nice people. Relax. Don¡¯t miss me.]

    Alina gave the letter to Food Reserve, patted the small owl on the beak, and then left the carriage to find an empty place to release the small laughing owl.

    ¡°Go on. Help me deliver this letter to Father Benitez.¡±

    After doing this, Alina turned and began to walk toward the family of redheads, preparing to thank Mrs. Weasley for all her help.

    Phwee¡ª

    The train whistle resounded across the platform.

    ¡°Hurry!¡±

    Mrs. Weasley hastily hugged her children and then sent them onto the train.

    The four boys of the Weasley family poked their heads out of the window and kissed their mother goodbye. Their little sister seemed to be crying.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Alina raised her hand and took half a step forward. With one last envious look, she slowly put down her hand and boarded the train.

    As the Hogwarts Express began to sway, Alina began to recall the scenes of the Magic World she had seen in the movies, which flickered through her mind like she was riding a carousel. In the end, her mind stopped on the scene of the endless railroad track.

    There was ample time in life; she thought the saying went?

    Alina shook her head as she teased herself. She knew long ago that she could never resist this dream.

    Like it had said on the base of Fred Weasley¡¯s statue: ¡®Only when he was gone could we differentiate between him and his brother George, but we wished that we never could.¡¯

    If one said that, in another Magic World, cruel sacrifices made one awaken from the fairy tale into the real world¡­

    Then what Alina wanted was to make everything except herself return to being a fairy tale.

    Those unfinished goals, those past regrets; she would let them all get another try.

    As the train whistle blew, all the stories returned to the first year of the fairy tale.

    ¡­

    With these beautiful dreams of the future, Alina returned to her train compartment, pulled open the door, opened her trunk, and began to put on her Hogwarts uniform.

    Swoosh! The compartment door was pulled open.

    A boy with a somewhat emaciated face and a pair of green eyes behind glasses was standing outside. He spoke in an anxious tone, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, the carriages up ahead are full. Can I come¡ª¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    The boy¡¯s expression froze as he scanned the empty compartment, his voice dwindling away.

    ¡°Leave.¡±

    Alina held her clothes in one hand and pointed out with the other, raising an eyebrow at the ¡®hero student¡¯ as she coldly spoke.

    ¡°Do you not see that a lady is changing clothes?¡±

    Okay¡­it seemed that her first objective on the first day of this fairy tale was to not beat up the main character.

 Chapter 44

    The Hogwarts Express.

    In the swaying corridor of the carriage, Harry sat on his heavy trunk, watching as the houses flew past the window. The excitement in his heart began to cool as he somewhat worriedly wondered how he should apologize.

    Thanks to his cousin Dudley Dursley, Harry had never made any friends in school. He had finally escaped Dudley and was in a new environment, so he had dearly hoped to make new friends¡­but it seemed like the first step was not going very smoothly.

    As little Harry was racking his brains, the compartment door opened with a swoosh.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t know¡­¡±

    Hearing the sound behind him, Harry immediately stood up from the trunk and hastily explained.

    Perhaps because of all the years, he had spent inside the dark closet, he seemed much thinner and smaller than his peers. It was only when she was standing up close that Alina realized that the ¡®savior¡¯ of the world was half a head shorter than her.

    ¡°Psh, why are you so nervous? I¡¯m not going to eat you.¡±

    One glance at the nervous Harry Potter attempting frantically to repair his relationship with a classmate, Alina could no longer maintain her stiff composure and chuckled.

    In truth, putting aside his attitude toward learning and his abilities, Alina quite admired Harry Potter.

    As someone who was often bullied and excluded at school and was clearly treated unequally at home, Harry Potter somehow did not end up as gloomy or eccentric as a certain Mister Snape or a certain Mister Riddle. On the contrary, he was always trying to be kind to those around him.

    Although Alina didn¡¯t entirely agree with this style of doing things, this didn¡¯t stop her from respecting those people who cleaved to such naive convictions, even if it was someone even shorter than her.

    Alina stuck her head out and glanced at the large trunk obstructing the corridor. She walked past Harry to the trunk and rolled up her sleeves as she chuckled.

    ¡°Okay, don¡¯t just stand around blocking the way. Help me out, and let¡¯s push this thing inside.¡±

    ¡°Oh, oh¡­okay.¡±

    The sudden smile on the girl¡¯s delicate face left Harry in a daze, but he quickly came back to his senses and forcefully nodded. Together, the two managed to push the trunk into a corner of the compartment.

    ¡°Thank you so much! I¡¯m Harry, Harry Potter.¡±

    Harry let out a long breath as he wiped his sweaty hair to the side.

    ¡°I¡¯m Alina, Alina Kaslana.¡±

    Once they were in their seats, Alina curiously blinked her eyes as she examined the boy in front of her. Though she had read the books and movies many times, this was the first time she had seen the real Harry Potter for herself.

    Harry Potter awkwardly rubbed his nose as the girl stared.

    For some reason, he found the silver-haired girl¡¯s gaze very unique. It wasn¡¯t like the look of a stranger, but one more intimate¡­the compassionate gaze that Hagrid looked at him with?!

    He felt like he was being inspected by a mature older sister or auntie, not a witch of the same age. Of course, he didn¡¯t have much experience with an actual older sister or auntie.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, um, do you know me?¡±

    Harry hesitated. He sensed that it was somewhat inappropriate to talk this way and hastily waved his hands and tried to explain.

    ¡°I mean, ever since I entered the Magic World, everyone seems to know my name. But actually, until Hagrid told me, I didn¡¯t know anything about witches or wizards, about my own parents, or even about Voldemort. Right, Hagrid was the one who came to take me to school. He¡¯s Hogwarts¡¯¡­¡±

    Little Harry grew even more nervous as those lake-blue eyes continued to watch. His stuttering explanation became even messier, and his young face began to redden. He waved his hands wildly around, wanting nothing more than to use a spell so that he could show everything he wanted to say.

    ¡°Hogwarts¡¯ Keeper of Keys and Grounds, I know.¡±

    Alina shook her head, slightly leaning forward and patted Harry on the head like she was a tiny adult. She soothed, ¡°It¡¯s fine! Don¡¯t be nervous. Speak slowly.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Do you also know Hagrid? Did he also come to pick you up?¡±

    Harry¡¯s eyes brightened. He had finally found a point of common knowledge, and his face visibly relaxed as he curiously asked.

    ¡°No. Strictly speaking, I¡¯ve only met him once. But I like to read books, so I know quite a lot of things about you.¡±

    Alina shrugged her shoulders, mentally adding to herself that Harry Potter Books 1-7 also counted as books.

    ¡°Wait! There are books that mention me?¡±

    Harry¡¯s eyes widened in shock as he pointed at his nose.

    ¡°Of course, but I didn¡¯t buy those books. If you¡¯re interested, you can look for them yourself in the book store.¡±

    The silver-haired girl waved her hand in disinterest. She had no wish to be like some beaverish little girl with an obsession for reading and deliberately collect such books.

    Moreover, she couldn¡¯t buy them even if she wanted to. Ever since her Gringotts trip, Dumbledore had banned her from interacting with any books related to magic excepting ¡®A History of Magic¡¯¡­ah, wait¡­

    Alina¡¯s eyes moved back and forth between Harry Potter and his large trunk. She thoughtfully stroked her chin and slowly asked, ¡°Now that I think about it¡­Harry, you should have brought all the textbooks with you, right?¡±

    ¡°Hm? Harry uncertainly nodded.

    ¡°If it¡¯s possible, could you let me look through your ¡®The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)¡¯?¡±

    Alina helplessly spread apart her hands as she earnestly explained, ¡°For various reasons, I don¡¯t have all my class materials. There¡¯s still half a day until we get to Hogwarts, so I¡¯d like to do a little studying beforehand.¡±

    ¡°Oh my god! That¡¯s right! I didn¡¯t even think about previewing the material! It¡¯s over! I¡¯m probably going to be the worst student in class!¡±

    Harry Potter fiercely slapped his head, and hastily opened his trunk. In one go, he brought out all the textbooks and placed them on the seat next to him as he spoke in frustration.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be that nervous. I¡¯d say that the vast majority of new students haven¡¯t even opened their textbooks.¡±

    Alina took ¡®The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)¡¯ that she had been longing to read for ages from the pile as she comforted Harry. From what she had seen, even children from wizarding families like Malfoy or Ron had yet to open their books.

    ¡°But there must be some people who have read ahead.¡±

    Alina¡¯s comforting words had proved ineffective.

    Harry, who was already beset by many worries, had realized that he had wasted an entire month playing around. His face wrinkled in frustration, and he was on the verge of tears.

    Unlike the silver-haired girl with her clear goal, Harry Potter blankly stood in front of the large pile of books, looking through one and then another, momentarily confused as to what he should do.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t know how to study ahead, I suggest you look through the Potions textbook.¡±

    Alina glanced at Harry Potter, and as she continued to read through ¡®The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)¡¯, she casually said, ¡°I recall reading in some book that your mother, Lily Evans Potter, was very talented in Potions.¡±

    ¡°Really?! There¡¯s a book that mentioned my mother? Do you remember what it¡¯s called?¡±

    Harry Potter raised his head and anxiously implored. He recalled his aunt Petunia mentioning his mother¡¯s name, which he had branded into his mind. He was naturally excited when he heard Alina mention it.

    Tsk! She had accidentally let her tongue get too loose. She would have to control that in the future.

    The silver-haired girl immediately knew that she had misspoken and wanted to give her a mouth a slap. Glancing at Harry and his hopeful eyes, she apologetically shook her head.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I only remember that it was half-blood something.¡±

    Alina couldn¡¯t stand to see the light in Harry¡¯s eyes begin to fade. After some thought, she added, ¡°But I think that the Potions professor at school might know about which book mentioned your mother,¡± a faint smile on her lips. ¡°Of course, you would have to get good grades in Potions class first.¡±

    The silver-haired girl paused, her eyes getting brighter and brighter as she thought of something very interesting.

    Alina closed the book, sat up straight, and raised a finger as she very seriously spoke.

    ¡°At the minimum, you have to understand a few basic concepts. Let me give you a few examples. For instance¡­what do you get if you add the powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood¡­¡±

 Chapter 45

    Alina laughed and gave a few more minor suggestions, then she squinted in satisfaction and began to put her focus back on ¡®The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)¡¯.

    As for whether or not those ¡®small suggestions¡¯ would confuse Professor Snape in the future, Alina simply didn¡¯t care.

    If she recalled correctly, a certain old cat lady had knocked her out and kidnapped her to Hogwarts using the Draught of Living Death prepared by Snape. She was simply reciprocating his gift.

    ¡°Potions? Information on my mother¡­¡±

    Seeing that Alina was apparently done talking, Harry looked down at ¡®Magical Drafts and Potions¡¯ and mumbled to himself, his eyes growing more determined.

    The compartment once more fell quiet, the only sound being the flipping of pages.

    Until¡­

    ¡°Excuse, can I come in? Everywhere else is full.¡±

    The door to the compartment was opened, and a redhead boy standing at the entrance nervously asked.

    The scene he saw in this compartment was different from the others¡ªthe quiet mood of studying made him think that he had inadvertently walked into the Prefect¡¯s compartment.

    Alina looked up, saw the redheaded boy who was half-hiding behind the sliding door and raised an eyebrow. She had just seen him with the rest of the Weasley family, and while she didn¡¯t like Ron Weasley that much, who let him have such an excellent mother?

    The girl politely nodded and smiled. ¡°Of course! Come in.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    The redheaded boy walked in, glanced at its two occupants, and after half a second of hesitation, he sat next to Harry.

    After a few moments of silence, where it became apparent that neither of the two was interested in talking, the redheaded boy scratched his nose, built up his carriage, and patted Harry on the back as he introduced himself.

    ¡°Um¡­hello. I¡¯m Ron, Ron Weasley.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Harry, Harry Potter.¡±

    Even though he was still worried about Potions class, when he heard Ron greet him, Harry still put down the book, looked at Ron, and politely introduced himself.

    Ah, it was over. This was the end of her quiet reading time.

    Sitting across from them, Alina helplessly rolled her eyes. Given Ron¡¯s restless personality, she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to study in peace for the better part of an hour.

    As expected, Ron¡¯s eyes went wide in disbelief as he asked in shock.

    ¡°Harry? That Harry Potter?! Then you¡¯re really that¡ª¡±

    Ron pointed at Harry¡¯s forehead and swallowed, then he spoke in a soft and mysterious whisper, ¡°You know, that scar.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes.¡±

    Harry casually smiled, generously pushing aside his hair to reveal a lightning-bolt scar on his forehead.

    ¡°Wow, so cool.¡±

    Ron¡¯s eyes widened even larger, and he seemed about to ask another question.

    Whoosh.

    The sliding door opened again.

    ¡°Hey, Ron, it seems like you¡¯ve already made a new friend?¡±

    Two identical boys with red hair stood at the door and peered inside.

    Ron nodded and pointed at Harry as he excitedly said, ¡°George, Fred, you definitely won¡¯t guess who I met.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Isn¡¯t this that black-haired kid who was standing next to us on the platform?¡±

    The twin brothers carefully examined Harry, one of them suddenly exclaiming.

    ¡°Oh my god, Ron.¡±

    One of the twins gave Ron an exaggerated slap on the back of the head and spoke in a deeply distressed manner, ¡°You¡¯re not telling me that after we went to such great lengths to send you to this compartment, the first thing you did was ask for the name of a boy, are you?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps our little Ron was too shy. After all, besides Ginny, he hasn¡¯t really talked with any girls before.¡±

    The other twin added, winking at Ron.

    ¡°Fred, George, shut up!¡±

    Ron glanced at the silver-haired girl, who was watching the three of them with great interest, and his ears went slightly red. Raising his voice, he said, ¡°What do you know? It¡¯s Harry Potter! The Harry Potter, who defeated You-Know-Who.¡±

    ¡°Harry Potter?!¡±

    A teasing look appeared on the twins¡¯ faces as they voiced in unison and looked at Harry.

    Harry still hadn¡¯t let his hair drop back down, so the two immediately saw that thunderbolt scar.

    ¡°Oh my god, he¡¯s really¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! He is! Your little brother has gotten to know a celebrity!¡±

    Being gawked at by the three brothers like he was some rare animal made Harry feel rather embarrassed.

    His face going red, Harry dropped his hair and covered the scar. He opened back up ¡®Magical Drafts and Potions¡¯ and began to pretend like he was reading.

    ¡°Hey, Harry, do you still remember a little of what happened¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you still think he remembers what You-Know-Who looks like¡­¡±

    The twins had avid expressions as they glanced at each other and almost simultaneously spoke.

    Thump!

    Before the two could finish, Alina closed ¡®The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)¡¯ with a loud thump, frightening all four of the boys and causing them to look at her.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough for now.¡±

    The silver-haired girl raised her eyebrows and grimly looked at the four boys.

    ¡°Fred, George! Do you want Harry to think about such unhappy things on his first day at school?!

    ¡°As for you, Ron, have you reviewed the course material? How many spells have you remembered? Don¡¯t you see that even Harry is studying?

    ¡°And you, Harry Potter! Don¡¯t just go showing your scar as soon as you meet someone. Do you know how silly that looks? Did you remember the answer to those three questions? Do you even want to know more about your mother?!¡±

    Standing up, Alina issued a barrage of criticisms at the four boys.

    The dignity she had built up as the big sister of the orphanage immediately had all four boys bowing their heads in silence.

    ¡°Harry, I¡¯m sorry we didn¡¯t mean it.¡±

    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t get angry. Women are all frightening, just like mom.¡±

    The ones with the thickest skin, Fred and George, were the first to come back to their senses. They apologized to Harry while affectionately rubbing his head, and then they turned to Alina and made faces at her.

    The two then glanced at each other and looked at the confused Ron.

    ¡°Listen up. We¡¯re going to take a walk around the middle of the train. Lee Jordan apparently has a giant tarantula. You wait here, listen to Big Sister Alina, and obediently study.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    Ron woodenly nodded, not even questioning why he had suddenly been made a little brother.

    ¡°Well then, see you later.¡±

    The twins waved their hands and began to move toward the door.

    ¡°Wait a moment. These two bottles are for you as a thank-you gift for before. They¡¯re not worth much, but please, take them.¡±

    Alina suddenly remembered something, ran up to her trunk, and took out two bottles of Coke, which she handed to Fred and George.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?! Ink?¡±

    ¡°Hey, we were just a little curious. Do you really need to poison us with a potion?¡±

    The twins cried out in exaggeration as they examined the black liquid inside the bottle.

    Oh? Didn¡¯t they recognize Coke? Since that was the case¡­

    Alina smiled. ¡°This is Coke, a miraculous drink created by Muggles that is very popular. If you don¡¯t believe me, ask Harry. He¡¯s definitely had it before. Do you want to try it?¡±

    The Weasley twins suspiciously looked at Harry Potter, but when the earnest and obedient Harry Potter nodded in approval, they relaxed and took the Cokes.

    ¡°A miraculous Muggle drink? Lee Jordan probably hasn¡¯t seen it before.¡±

    ¡°Wow, this color¡­cool! Thank you.¡±

    The twins happily nodded, put the Cokes away, and turned to leave.

    ¡°Oh, right.¡±

    Alina had halfway closed the sliding door, blocking Harry¡¯s face, before sweetly adding, ¡°I forgot to say, before you drink it, shake it really hard. That will be even more interesting.¡±

    Fred and George said thanks again, and then Alina slowly closed the door. She threateningly glared at Harry, whose eyes had gone wide, and then she took out another bottle of coke from her trunk, gave it a vigorous shake, and then threw it over to the curious and envious Ron.

    ¡°Of course, Ron¡­here, this bottle is for you.¡±

 Chapter 46

    In the end, Alina¡¯s plot to see someone get a blast of coke to the face did not proceed as smoothly as she had imagined.

    As for the reason it failed, it wasn¡¯t because Ron had smartly noticed something was wrong, nor did Harry Potter work up the courage to expose this devious scheme.

    Carbonated drinks of the 90s simply didn¡¯t have that much gas content, and besides that, Alina had overestimated the strength of young pure-blood wizards. Ron, who had never seen the screw caps used by Coke bottles, took six minutes to finally unscrew the cap correctly.

    The carbonation had settled down a lot by then, and the Coke that gushed out of the bottle only reached the top of his clothes before losing strength, the majority of it going into his shirt pocket.

    Squeak! Squeak!

    As Coke descended, Ron¡¯s shirt pocket began to wriggle while panicked squeaks came from within.

    ¡°Oh! Goodness, Scabbers¡­¡±

    Ron was startled by the sudden surge of Coke, and then he hastily moved the Coke out of the way and reached into his shirt pocket. He took out a fat grey rat, looked up, and began to explain.

    ¡°He¡¯s called Scabbers. He¡¯s basically useless now and spends the entire day sleeping. When Percy became Prefect, Dad gave him an owl, but they couldn¡¯t buy¡­I mean, so they gave me the rat.¡±

    After explaining, Ron¡¯s ears went red, and he turned his head, a confused and somewhat hurt look in his eyes as he looked at the silver-haired girl and changed the subject.

    ¡°What¡¯s happened with that? It just suddenly¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, I forgot to warn you¡­¡±

    Before Ron could finish his question, Alina patted him on the head and gave an exaggerated sigh, a look of pity on her face as she spoke in a self-rebuking tone.

    ¡°Ron, you opened that bottle far too slowly, so much so that the magical substance that I knocked out with my shaking woke up again. You should have given it a hard shake again before opening it.¡±

    ¡°Magical substance?¡±

    Ron looked in confusion at the bottle of Coke in his hand and frowned. ¡°But didn¡¯t you say that this was a Muggle drink?¡±

    ¡°Eh, it¡¯s just like how the Magic World will still eat ordinary potatoes. Isn¡¯t it very normal for Muggles to collect magical materials and make them into food and drinks?¡±

    Alina spread apart her arms and seriously explained, ¡°You don¡¯t think that any ordinary liquid could shoot upward, do you? Get up close, and you can hear the hissing of the magical substance inside the liquid.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Ron dubiously placed his ear against the Coke bottle, but when he really did hear countless soft crackling and hissing sounds, his face became more trusting.

    At this moment, a timid voice came from the seat next to Ron.

    ¡°But, Miss Alina, if I remember correctly if you don¡¯t shake the Coke, it won¡¯t gush out like that.¡±

    Harry Potter, who had been a spectator this entire time, finally couldn¡¯t help himself and raised a hand¡ªthough he didn¡¯t know why he was raising his hand¡ªand courageously interrupted Alina.

    ¡°Eh? Is that how it is¡­¡±

    Ron suspiciously looked at the honest-faced Harry, and then he looked at the intelligent and self-confident Alina, uncertainty in his voice.

    Hmmm?!

    Pulling the rug from under this girl¡¯s feet?!

    The smug girl¡¯s face went stiff, and she viciously glared at Harry Potter and unhappily snorted.

    Alina slightly raised her chin, stood up straight, folded her arms, and pointed the finger at ¡®Magical Drafts and Potions¡¯ in Harry¡¯s hands. Imitating the arrogant tone of Lucius Malfoy, she began to speak slowly.

    ¡°Mister Harry Potter, this world is far more amazing than you can imagine. Do you know why Coke can produce air bubbles? Do you know what kind of magical substance is contained inside?¡±

    Harry Potter shrunk back in the face of Alina¡¯s domineering attitude. He earnestly answered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Mm, then you definitely don¡¯t know about the omnipresent hydroxic acid and the terrifying substance that is CO2, right?¡±

    Alina folded her arms and looked down on the pitiful Harry Potter, her tone becoming even more aloof and profound.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I also don¡¯t know about that.¡± Harry shook his head again.

    As expected! Alina¡¯s eyes flashed. Just as she had imagined, even though Harry Potter had also lived in Muggle society, he had only just graduated from elementary school, so just like other witches and wizards, he was a blank sheet of paper when it came to the knowledge of chemistry.

    Now that she had the answer she wanted, Alina smiled in amusement. Was she trying to cut out the rug from under her? Then this little miss will hoodwink you silly, with some apology to her ninth year of compulsory education in her previous life. At the same time, she could start one of her plans for Hogwarts a little early.

    Alina cleared her throat, put on a serious expression, and raised a finger. She spoke in a steady tone that was neither too fast nor too slow, and it seemed like she was lecturing on some important secret from ancient times.

    ¡°CO2 is an extremely frightening substance. Not even the Muggles have realized just how dangerous it is. Ancient humans called it death gas. It can extinguish flames, suffocate people, and some people even think that it will eventually bring an end to all civilization.¡±

    The girl paused as she glanced at the earnestly listening boys, then she lowered her voice and continued in a mysterious tone.

    ¡°As for hydroxic acid, this is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless magical substance. Every year, it takes tens of thousands of lives, so many that the number of deaths from people breathing in hydroxic acid ranks in the top ten in causes of deaths in humans. And hydroxic acid is one of the necessary conditions for the majority of illnesses, and people are so addicted to this substance that they will die if they go without it for 168 hours¡­¡±

    As time passed, the mood in the compartment grew ever more solemn. Harry and Ron were so nervous that they could hardly breathe as they listened to Teacher Alina¡¯s lecture.

    After all, everything Alina said was reasonable, the logic flawless, and her words were extremely convincing. Harry and Ron couldn¡¯t help but believe in her words.

    ¡°But, Sister Alina.¡±

    Ron swallowed and raised a hand. Once he obtained Alina¡¯s approval, he whispered, ¡°What do these two frightening subjects have to do with Coke?¡±

    Alina nodded in satisfaction, and she lightly tapped her finger against the Coke bottle.

    ¡°A good question! Because¡­this black liquid¡¯s primary ingredients are really hydroxic acid and CO2. You¡¯ll learn about this when you get older and advance to an even higher Potions class. Remember that you cannot mention this to outsiders, particularly to professors, as it¡¯s forbidden to learn about high-level Potions knowledge ahead of time.¡±

    As she watched Harry and Ron, who had been completely fooled, solemnly nod, Alina, squinted and then sincerely and earnestly summed things up for the two.

    ¡°Please remember, as you¡¯re about to become mature wizards, don¡¯t use Muggle methods to defile this magical beverage. The correct method of the Magic World to drink this beverage is to shake it first and then drink it. When you can use your own magic to suppress the violent reaction produced by the Coke, it means you¡¯ve become a great wizard on the level of Dumbledore! Understood?!¡±

    ¡°Mm! We¡¯ll do our best! Thank you!¡±

    The two nodded in unison, their eyes brimming with hope and determination.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. We¡¯re classmates and friends. It¡¯s only natural that I do this.¡±

    Alina smiled and shook her head.

    Youth truly made one envious¡­although it was rather tiring, answering someone¡¯s questions truly inspired joy¡­who made her such a kindhearted little fairy, ah, little witch, who was so happy to help others?

    She returned to her seat, opened up ¡®The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)¡¯, and prepared to continue reading when suddenly, she heard a strange gurgling from her stomach.

    Gu~

    Why was she so hungry?

    The girl looked out the window and saw fields and meadows going by. As they were talking, the train had already left London.

    To think that so much time had passed! It was almost lunchtime. In other words, the little tea trolley with all sorts of snacks would be here soon.

    Alina raised her head and ardently glanced at Harry, who was focused on the Potions textbook and swallowed. She could never pass up on this opportunity to openly freeload off someone. Hm¡­she would just consider it as Teacher Alina¡¯s tuition fee.

 Chapter 47

    Time went by very quickly, and at around twelve-thirty, a loud clattering came from the corridor outside the compartment.

    A dimpled woman with a beaming smile pushed open the sliding door and pointed at the little trolley she was pushing. Looking at the three children buried in their books, she asked, ¡°Dears, would you like to buy some snacks from the trolley?¡±

    Ron, whose mind had already been wandering, was the first to raise his head, but after glancing at the dazzling array of snacks on the trolley, he awkwardly chuckled and said, ¡°No, but thank you.¡±

    Ron took out a bulging plastic bag, which was packed with several squashed sandwiches that almost immediately made one lose their appetite. Ron attempted to force his mouth into an ugly smile as he softly whispered.

    ¡°I brought sandwiches.¡±

    Ron quickly put down the sandwiches and looked out the window. Alina noticed his ears had gone red, and it was obvious that he wasn¡¯t happy about them.

    ¡°Sorry, miss, nothing from me, either.¡±

    Alina also shook her head and refused, but this was because she had already planned on freeloading.

    In truth, ever since that trip to Hogwarts, Alina¡¯s little treasury had been completely confiscated.

    Whether it was British pounds or Galleons, they had all been seized by those contemptible adults ¡®for safekeeping¡¯ so that she wouldn¡¯t run off and cause even more trouble.

    Dumbledore and Benitez had both said that if Alina wanted to buy something, they just needed to tell them. As for using the money herself, she could put aside any thought of it until school started.

    Thus, besides her large trunk of snacks, Alina was truly penniless. She couldn¡¯t buy anything even if she wanted to.

    ¡°Hey, Ron, if you don¡¯t mind, why don¡¯t we trade.¡±

    Glancing at the silent Ron, the silver-haired girl thought of something, walked over to her trunk, and took out a chocolate ball wrapped in golden foil that she offered to Ron.

    ¡°When I was getting on the train, I heard from Fred that Mrs. Weasley needs to take care of all seven of you. I¡¯m guessing that her cooking is rather good.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    Ron hesitantly glanced at Alina, subconsciously wanting to hide away his bag of squashed sandwiches.

    ¡°Relax. This is ordinary chocolate, the primary product of the Italian Ferrero company. If I wasn¡¯t afraid of getting fat, I wouldn¡¯t be offering it to you.¡±

    Raising an eyebrow, Alina simply seized the bag of sandwiches from Ron¡¯s hand and threw over the chocolate ball.

    After reading the Harry Potter series from Book 1 to Book 7, she found it very hard to feel any disgust for the Weasley family, this microcosm of the positive side of the Magic World.

    Every time she read those books, she would always imagine that, if possible, she would make it so that this family did not have to live such an impoverished life.

    After all, besides their lack of family planning, the Weasley couple had no clear blemishes as parents.

    ¡°You won¡¯t like eating them. It¡¯s canned beef in those sandwiches, so they really aren¡¯t that good.¡±

    Caught off guard, Ron shook his head and sorrowfully said.

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t have the time.¡±

    Sensing that this was somewhat inappropriate, he hastily added, ¡°Ah, what I mean is that she has to take care of all six of us¡­I mean, these sandwiches aren¡¯t a good show of her cooking skills.¡±

    Ron¡¯s face went red as he stood up and tried to take back the wrinkled plastic bag.

    ¡°Ron, relax. I¡¯m no pampered little miss. The word ¡®picky¡¯ doesn¡¯t even exist in my dictionary.¡±

    Alina shrugged her shoulders, opened the plastic bag, took out one of the cold sandwiches, and took a bite.

    ¡°You have to understand that when the orphanage was just opened, in order to save food for the other children, Father Benitez and I would eat black bread that was basically as hard as a stone almost every day.¡±

    A nostalgic look appeared in the girl¡¯s eyes. Benitez, who had come from Spain, was not treated like the priests who were native to Britain, and he also had a little burden that had forgotten to download the right language pack before transmigrating. In order to keep up their little orphanage, the two of them had used every method at their disposal.

    One had to realize that the filthy air of London was far crueler and more nauseating than non-natives could ever imagine. Maintaining an orphanage there in the 90s was like walking through hell.

    In comparison, the bullying and exclusion Harry faced as a child or Ron¡¯s impoverished family weren¡¯t even worth mentioning.

    Of course, this was also a source of great comfort to Benitez. As long as he and the orphanage were still there, Alina would never stray from the correct path. Not even Dumbledore with his Unbreakable Vow could be as sure as Benitez was.

    ¡°Wait for a second! Alina, you¡¯re an orphan?!¡±

    Ron and Harry stared in wide-eyed disbelief. In their eyes, the refined and knowledgeable silver-haired girl had nothing to do with the word ¡®orphan.¡¯

    ¡°Strictly speaking, you can¡¯t say I¡¯m an orphan. Let¡¯s not talk about this.¡±

    Alina slightly shook her head, not walking to talk too much about this topic. She smiled at Ron and pointed at the sandwich, a sincere look on her face as she gave a big thumbs-up.

    ¡°To tell the truth, the taste isn¡¯t that bad. The beef in the middle was parboiled in tomato broth, right? It¡¯s moderately salty with some tomato juice flavor.

    ¡°The cheese was also cooked so that it firmly attaches to the bread. Such great care! It¡¯s definitely not the sandwich you were talking about that was thrown together with little attention.¡±

    If the average grade for British cuisine was fifty points, Mrs. Weasley¡¯s cooking skills would be at around seventy points. The sandwich looked simple, and its appearance was nothing to be lauded.

    But as a foodie, Alina could sense Mrs. Weasley¡¯s love in the slightly cooked cheese and parboiled salted beef.

    ¡°Eh? I don¡¯t get it, but I guess¡­¡±

    Ron blankly nodded, his expression becoming much more natural. Although he didn¡¯t understand what Alina had said, he could at least tell that his mother¡¯s sandwiches were not as bad as he thought they were.

    ¡°If you like them, I¡¯ll let you have them. I¡¯ve wanted to try this Muggle chocolate.¡±

    After carefully examining Alina¡¯s expression, Ron relaxed and waved his hand. He then began to unwrap the gold foil around the Ferrero chocolate.

    Seeing Ron¡¯s expression improve, Alina continued to smile as she swallowed, the sour, salty, and cold sandwich. Love was not the same thing as culinary skill, and besides, sandwiches had always been a food made to save time. There was no whitewashing that.

    But there was no need for Ron to know about any of that. In Alina¡¯s view, Ron¡¯s personality that had resulted in many people criticizing him could not be entirely attributed to this young and sensitive boy.

    As a member of the iron triangle, Ron existed mostly to contrast with Harry¡¯s bravery or Hermione¡¯s intellect. From the very start, this had been a cruel arrangement that went against human nature.

    No one liked living forever in the shadow of someone else, even if that person was one of your stalwart friends. This was what had led to that explosion of emotions in their fourth year during the Triwizard Tournament.

    And back at home, as the youngest son, he was different from the ever-pampered Ginny and resided at the very bottom of the family hierarchy.

    As he had said himself, his brothers could already serve as every possible role model. There was nothing amazing that he could do because his brothers had already done it.

    Barring any sudden circumstances, Ron would never be able to use anything new. He had to wear Bill¡¯s old robes, use Charlie¡¯s old wand, and Percy had even given him his old rat. At the ball, he even had to wear ugly secondhand dress robes¡­

    Perhaps to the Weasley couple, this was the best they could do in their impoverished circumstances, but for a child, this was unquestionably unfair.

    Harry¡¯s generosity was truly a reflection of his kindhearted nature, but in Alina¡¯s view, Ron simply got a shower of wealth from some nouveau riche and the opportunity to serve as a footman, but he was not being encouraged in any way to change in the right direction.

    It might even cause that suspicion that he had been abandoned to entrench itself even more.

    Thus, from the very start, what Ron required was not pity, nor was it some famous celebrity.

    What Ron needed was both simple and complex: an acknowledgment from society and his intimates of his ¡®individual¡¯ existence.

    There was nothing wrong with this argument, but¡­

    Alina had a look of struggle on her face as she glanced at the Ferrero chocolate in Ron¡¯s hand.

    The outer shell of the chocolate ball was milk chocolate and hazelnut bits, and inside was a wafer, soft chocolate, and a whole hazelnut. At this distance, Alina could hear the crunching as teeth bit into the wafer.

    QAQ~ (Mentally poking a finger in silent frustration)

    The silver-haired girl swallowed, smiling as she took another bite of the sandwich. She really wanted to eat it! After all, this was a snack that Father Benitez had bought just for her!

    Why are that moneybags still looking? Hurry and order!

    She glanced at the other seat, where Harry Potter was curiously examining the snacks on the trolley, and mentally roared.

    At least she could get a cup of pumpkin juice, right? She wouldn¡¯t be made to go and get another bottle of coke from her trunk, right?!

 Chapter 48

    The moneybags, ah, no, she meant, the kind and generous Harry Potter did not make Alina wait for too long.

    After glancing at the two other impoverished children trading food, their eyes gleaming, Harry felt like the Galleons in his pocket were scalding hot.

    ¡°Miss, can I ask what foods are here?¡± Harry asked.

    ¡°Oh, dear, there¡¯s a lot. It¡¯s all here.¡±

    After running into two walls, the plump witch saw some hope in the last young wizard and immediately became much friendlier. She hurriedly handed Harry a menu.

    (Click here for a menu of the snacks sold on the Hogwarts Express)

    Harry took the menu and looked it over, but it listed strange foods that he had never seen before. After some thought, the boy gave the menu back to the plump witch and took out a Galleon.

    He refreshingly said, ¡°I¡¯ve decided. I¡¯d like a little bit of everything for us.¡±

    As Alina, Ron, and the trolley lady all blessed the nouveau riche, Harry carried the large pile of food into the compartment and dumped them on the empty seat next to Alina (Ron was sitting next to Harry). He smiled at his companions and somewhat shyly spoke.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try it together. I can¡¯t eat so much by myself.¡±

    In the past, Harry had never shared anything with anyone, nor did he have anyone to share with. Now that he had a chance to sit together with his peers and enjoy the snacks and pastries he had bought, Harry was ecstatic.

    Burp~

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry about me. I¡¯m not hungry right now.¡±

    The silver-haired girl helplessly burped and demurely waved a hand. Taking up ¡®The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)¡¯, she began to read it again.

    In order to confirm that Mrs. Weasley¡¯s sandwiches were delicious, Alina had hardened her heart and eaten all of them. With tears on her face, she had jumped into the hole she had dug for herself.

    She had to admit that while the taste was not anything to write home about, Mrs. Weasley had amply expressed her love through quantity. Four large sandwiches in her stomach made Alina feel like she could last all the way until the start-of-term feast later tonight.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Harry nodded and did not continue to insist. He impatiently grabbed a Cauldron Cake and stuffed it into his mouth. He had eaten nothing this morning and was starving. Ron copied Harry and snatched a Pumpkin Pastry, which he ate together with the Ferrero chocolate.

    Can¡¯t see, can¡¯t see, can¡¯t see¡­

    Alina put all her attention on ¡®The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)¡¯ while mumbling to herself, trying to ignore the two boys who were constantly smacking their lips and acting like reincarnated hungry ghosts.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    Harry grabbed a small five-sided box on which ¡®Chocolate Frog¡¯ was written, and curiously asked, ¡°Are they real frogs?¡±

    ¡°No, only some magic that¡¯s been used on them.¡±

    Ron shook his head as he spoke in a mumbled voice. After swallowing down the food in his mouth, he continued, ¡°Actually, most people buy them to collect cards. Each box has the card of a famous witch or wizard. I¡¯ve collected almost five hundred cards. I¡¯m only missing Agrippa and Ptolemy.¡±

    Chocolate on which magic was used?

    Harry curiously shook the little box and then impatiently opened it.

    Ribbit! Ribbit!

    Once the box was open, the Chocolate Frog inside shook its body, and before Harry could grab it, it jumped out of the box and straight into the seat on the other side.

    ¡°Watch out!¡±

    Ron¡¯s eyes went wide as he called out in warning so that Alina could dodge.

    Pa!

    Before Ron had even finished speaking, there was a light thump.

    When Alina looked up and saw the black silhouette approaching, she had calmly closed the book, gripped it by the left corner, and then slammed it into the Chocolate Frog, sending it into the floor.

    ¡°Oh man, this is bad. I forgot to tell you that when you unwrap it, its first leap will have a lot of force. What a pity.¡±

    Ron glanced at the Chocolate Frog, trying to clumsily crawl across the floor and sighed. It seemed like they couldn¡¯t eat it now¡­

    As this thought was still going through his mind, a tender white hand grabbed the Chocolate Frog.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Haven¡¯t you heard of the three-second rule?¡±

    Alina lightly wiped the dust off the Chocolate Frog as she casually asked.

    ¡°Three-second¡­rule? What¡¯s that?¡±

    Ron slowly repeated Alina¡¯s words in confusion.

    Alina smiled and was just about to reply.

    At this moment, a knocking came from outside, and then a girl with dark brown hair came in. Just like Alina, she had already changed into her Hogwarts school robes.

    ¡°Have any of you seen a toad? Neville lost a toad.¡± While her words said she was helping someone look for something, her tone was rather haughty and arrogant.

    The last member of the iron triangle, the living directory of forbidden magic books in the Harry Potter World, Hermione Granger, had finally appeared, but as she hadn¡¯t experienced the troll incident yet, her personality was still a little strange.

    Alina looked up expectantly to the door, and then her eyes brightened, and she sighed in relief.

    She was relieved to find that she looked rather similar to how she was depicted in the movies by Emma Watson. And perhaps this was a misperception, but Alina felt that this little beaver was a little cuter.

    But if they had been following the original plotline, Ron should have been performing a spell for Harry at this time, attempting to turn his rat yellow. But because of Alina¡¯s appearance, Ron hadn¡¯t even thought about taking his shabby wand out of his trunk.

    As for Alina, she had no intention of using a spell and possibly inciting the rage of that dangerous and wretched wizard who had transformed himself into a rat. After all, while she was recklessly bold, she had no desire to die anytime soon.

    Peter Pettigrew was different from Professor McGonagall. He was an evil man who would go to any lengths to stay alive. Alina had no doubt that if Peter Pettigrew felt his life was threatened, he would reassume his original form and then go on a frenzied spree of destruction.

    Thus, until she was entirely sure, Alina had no plans of directly confronting Peter Pettigrew.

    In any case, it didn¡¯t really matter to Alina whether or not Ron failed to use his spell or whether little Hermione had the chance to flaunt her intellectual prowess to Harry and Ron. She was simply a silent spectator.

    The silver-haired girl squinted as she happily bit down on the Chocolate Frog.

    Crunch.

    The crisp sound of chocolate resounded through the compartment, causing everyone to turn their heads.

    The right leg of the headless Chocolate Frog in the girl¡¯s hand weakly twitched and then gradually grew still.

    ¡°You!¡± Hermione¡¯s eyes went wide, her hands covering her mouth in shock as her face alternated between green and white.

    Alina didn¡¯t understand why the three of them were watching.

    Blinking, she asked, ¡°Harry, Ron, she asked you a question, so why are you watching me? You haven¡¯t seen someone eat a Chocolate Frog before?¡±

    The girl continued to take bite after bite. What did Neville¡¯s lost toad have to do with Alina¡¯s Chocolate Frog?

    An eerie silence gripped the compartment, and the only sound was Alina biting away at the Chocolate Frog.

    Crunch, crunch.

 Chapter 49

    ¡°Whew, so it was really just chocolate?¡±

    After listening to Ron¡¯s explanation, Hermione finally went back to normal. She dubiously glanced at the five-sided box on which the words ¡®Chocolate Frog¡¯ was written, still unable to work up the courage to open it.

    ¡°I¡¯m Hermione Granger. Happy to meet all of you, but I think I should continue to search for Neville¡¯s toad.¡±

    Hermione¡¯s tone had clearly weakened after the fright she had received. After taking one last glance and seeing the leg of a Chocolate Frog disappearing into Alina¡¯s mouth, she nodded her head and prepared to leave.

    Want to run? Absolutely not.

    Alina squinted her eyes, licking the chocolate off her fingers as she sweetly chuckled and called out to Hermione.

    ¡°Wait a moment, fellow student, please hold on.¡±

    The silver-haired girl spoke in a very strange tone, with all the stiffness of a foreign student who didn¡¯t understand English very well. Alina stood up and quickly walked over to the door.

    ??

    Hermione stopped in confusion and curiously looked at the silver-haired girl.

    ¡°This method of yours is too slow and not very effective. When you encounter a problem, don¡¯t be in such a rush. Come, come, sit down for a while so we can talk about how to help you.¡±

    Swoosh.

    Alina smiled as she extended a foot and closed the door. She then pulled Hermione¡¯s hand, half-pulling and half-dragging her to the seat beside her.

    The normally obedient Hermione didn¡¯t have the strength to overcome Alina, who had once trained with the father. After a weak struggle, she was pushed into the seat.

    Looking up at the exquisite face of the silver-haired girl, a smear of chocolate still on the corner of her lips, Hermione panicked and began to weakly struggle again.

    ¡°No, wait, I still need to¡­¡±

    ¡°Quiet. Eat some candy and listen to me.¡±

    Alina shook her head, snatched the half-full box of Ferrero chocolates from Ron¡¯s hand, and took one out to force into Hermione¡¯s mouth, preventing her from finishing her sentence.

    ¡°First, do you know what this toad looks like? Second, have you estimated its position by taking into account its movement speed? Finally, as a first-year student, can you guarantee that the higher-year students would be willing to help you?¡±

    Alina listed off a series of problems, and the stubborn Hermione¡¯s face instantly softened as she shook her head blankly. In truth, she had been powered entirely by passion, the desire to help that pitiful round-faced boy, and she really hadn¡¯t thought about the problem too much.

    ¡°So, what do you think I should do?¡± Hermione quickly finished crunching through the Ferrero chocolate and swallowing. Looking up, she spoke in an unconvinced tone, ¡°I can¡¯t just give up on looking just because it¡¯s too hard.¡±

    ¡°Of course not.¡±

    Alina raised an eyebrow and smugly chuckled. She turned to Harry and asked, ¡°Harry, can you lend me a few Sickles? I¡¯ll return them once we get to school.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Oh, oh, okay.¡±

    Harry, who had been earnestly listening to the conversation, hastily nodded and placed a few silver coins in Alina¡¯s palm. He curiously looked at her, wondering what she was going to do with them.

    ¡°Please wait a moment¡­¡±

    Alina put away the coins, went out the compartment, looked to her left and right, and then ran off.

    Around three minutes later, the gasping girl reappeared at the entrance to the compartment, smiling as she clapped her hands. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s settled. Granger, you can just sit here and wait. I think it won¡¯t be long until Neville¡¯s toad is delivered.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Why?¡± Hermione asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s very simple. Have you ever heard about offering a reward?¡±

    Alina squinted her eyes and wagged her index finger.

    ¡°I just asked the trolley lady that whenever she goes to a compartment, she should announce that anyone who returns a lost toad to this compartment can take up to two Sickles worth of snacks from the trolley, and they can also learn a secret passage that most students of Hogwarts don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°A secret passage? I remember those being mentioned in ¡®Hogwarts: A History,¡¯ but it didn¡¯t record their exact location. You know where one of them is?¡±

    Hermione was the first to react, looking at Alina with a gaze brimming with curiosity.

    ¡°Of course. This is a secret Dumbledore told me himself. On the eighth floor of the castle, behind two ugly stone statues, is a secret place that requires a password to enter. The passwords change frequently, but the majority of the passwords are foods.¡±

    Alina mysteriously smiled as she looked around at her three bright-eyed friends. She was anticipating their faces when they followed her directions and ended up finding the Headmaster¡¯s office.

    ¡°Mm, well anyway, thank you. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll go back?¡±

    Hermione nodded and remembered Alina¡¯s words. Standing up, she tidied the wrinkles on her robe and prepared to leave.

    She was here already, but she wanted to leave? Little Hermione was quite disobedient¡­

    Alina rolled her eyes, her expression suddenly darkening. She licked her lips and added a sinister comment.

    ¡°Of course, you can leave, but I can¡¯t promise you that I might not accidentally end up taking a cute toad for a Chocolate Frog and eating it up. Thus, I advise you to remain and wait with us.¡±

    QAQ!!!X3

    It wasn¡¯t just Hermione, but also Ron and Harry that grimaced this time, staring in fear at the silver-haired girl like she was some vicious monster.

    Pft~

    Alina couldn¡¯t help but laugh at her fearful little friends. Her frightening visage melting away like snow under the sun. Bending her finger, she softly rapped the three of them on their heads.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a joke. I would never do such a thing.¡±

    ¡°Whew¡­I have to say, Alina, that face of yours really scared me. Harry, what do you think.¡±

    Hermione sighed in relief. Rolling her eyes as she slapped Alina¡¯s hand.

    Harry and Ron nodded in agreement, but it was primarily because of the shadow that had been cast over their hearts by Alina¡¯s previous and skillful hunt from before: the strike, the capture, and the biting of the head.

    ¡°Right, right, I almost thought it was real.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. It was really scary.¡±

    Alina blinked her eyes. It seemed that while she was gone, the three had introduced themselves to each other and had already begun to form their own little group?

    Without the damage done by those two magic contests, it seemed that their first impressions of each other weren¡¯t as bad as in the original work.

    But¡­little Hermione had slapped her hand. This was no good. It was necessary that the boundaries in this family (Crossout) were clearly established. After some thought, Alina began to speak in a gentle tone.

    ¡°Putting aside toads that are poisonous, even frogs that aren¡¯t poisonous, have many parasites, so it¡¯s best not to eat them.¡±

    As the silver-haired girl spoke, she extended her pink tongue and licked her upper lips. As fear crept into the frozen faces of the young wizards, she began her lecture.

    ¡°However, frogs not only have a high nutritional value, but their meat is also usually exceptionally tasty and healthy. The right method to cook them is to seize them, remove their heads, peel their skin, remove their organs, and then boil or roast them. In any case, they need to be cooked before being eaten¡­¡±

    Tap, tap, tap.

    Whoosh.

    Before Alina could finish speaking, there was a knocking on the compartment door, and then someone slid the door open.

    Three boys walked in, their leader a pale-faced boy with slick golden hair. To his left and right were two chubby boys who seemed more like bodyguards. The chubby boy on the left was holding a yellow-green toad.

    ¡°I heard that if we delivered this, we could find out about¡­¡±

    Draco Malfoy said in anticipation as he opened the door.

    The boy happened to hear the last part of Alina¡¯s lecture as he opened the door, and after carefully examining the silver-haired girl¡¯s back, he panicked and hastily shut the door.

    ¡°Apologies, wrong room.¡±

    Pa.

    Someone had seized the door, preventing it from closing.

    Alina had turned around, her lake-blue eyes glancing at the toad being held by the plump boy before turning back to the golden-haired young wizard. To think that little Malfoy and crew would find Neville¡¯s toad¡­

    ¡°Oh, Draco, we meet again. Don¡¯t be in such a rush to leave! The world is truly odd, don¡¯t you think?¡±

 Chapter 50

    Instead of Crying Straightaway, We Should Go Through the Process

    Draco Malfoy was in a panic at this time.

    The boy was shaking so hard that he could barely hold on to the cute toad in his hand.

    Draco had imagined that he would smoothly obtain information on one of Hogwarts¡¯s secret passages and various sorts of praise, not be standing in a corner with a sticky toad in his hands.

    Vincent Crabbe, who had come with him, was shivering even more badly while attempting to stand protectively in front of him, his eyes stricken with fear as he stared ahead.

    As for his other companion, Gregory Goyle, he was even more fortunate from a certain perspective, as he would no longer feel any fear for the time being. He had already been dropped to the floor, knocked unconscious.

    At the entrance to the compartment stood a silver-haired girl with a delicate face. She massaged her forehead as she stepped over Goyle¡¯s body and slowly approached the pair, her eyes the amused eyes of a cat that had captured a mouse.

    Thud! Thud!

    Ah!

    The sounds of fist meeting flesh rang out, coupled with a cry of pain from Crabbe. He had tried to charge forward, but now, his body weakly swayed and then dropped to the carpet.

    Gulu~

    Draco swallowed. The silver-haired devil with her beautiful lake-blue eyes flashed him a charming smile.

    ¡°You¡¯re the only one left, Draco¡­¡±

    Why¡­

    Just when¡­

    Draco began to strenuously think back to just how this had started and just how it had gotten like this¡­

    ¡­

    Several minutes ago.

    Draco had just opened the compartment door¡­

    ¡°That¡¯s right! This is the place. Kind classmates come in and sit.¡±

    Ignoring the nervous Malfoy, Alina looked up and waved at the two chubby students behind him, a gentle smile on her face.

    ¡°Ha, I was right, wasn¡¯t I? The trolley lady clearly said that this was the compartment.¡±

    The empty-handed companion smiled and patted Draco on the shoulder in confusion, ¡°Hey buddy, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°I¡­I¡¯m fine. Crabbe, let¡¯s go in.¡±

    Draco Malfoy came back to his senses and decided not to mention the incident that had taken place in Diagon Alley almost a month ago.

    After all, the heir of the noble and refined Malfoy was openly helping out a classmate, and he had two companions ready to fight at his side. There was nothing he needed to be afraid of.

    With this thought in mind, Malfoy reassumed his proud and confident appearance. He gestured to Crabbe to push aside Alina, and then the three walked in and curiously took in the scene within the compartment.

    The compartment¡¯s table was piled with various snacks and books. There were three other wizards of about the same age as Malfoy inside the compartment.

    Draco Malfoy realized that when he pushed aside Alina and came in, these young wizards were looking at him with fearful and admiring gazes, which scratched his vanity at exactly the right spot.

    ¡°Oh, this is Crabbe, and this is Goyle.¡±

    Draco Malfoy vaguely waved his hand at his two companions, and then raised his chin and proudly introduced himself, ¡°I am Malfoy, Draco Malfoy. As you see, I have brought the toad. So, who¡¯s going to tell me about the secret passage in Hogwarts?¡±

    Cough, cough.

    Standing behind the trio, Alina softly coughed. ¡°Correct, I did make this process. But first, we have to verify that it¡¯s the toad we¡¯re looking for.¡±

    Alina massaged her shoulder and curiously examined Malfoy. Did this naughty child really not belong in Gryffindor? His courage was quite commendable. He actually dared to push her?!

    ¡°Verify? There wasn¡¯t this condition before.¡±

    Draco frowned as he turned around and unhappily said.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I added it just a second ago.¡±

    Alina shrugged and slowly explained, her eyes looking past Draco¡¯s pale cheeks as she nodded. ¡°Granger, is this toad the one you were looking for, or is it someone else¡¯s pet?¡±

    ¡°It should be¡­I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯ll go and ask Neville; I mean the owner of the toad, Neville Longbottom.¡±

    Hermione examined the yellow-green toad in Crabbe¡¯s hands, and hesitantly replied.

    ¡°Hey! Look closer!¡±

    Goyle unhappily reached out to grab Hermione¡¯s arm, trying to pull her off her seat.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch her!¡±

    Before Goyle¡¯s arm could touch Hermione, Alina rushed between them. Placing a hand in front of Goyle¡¯s arm, she glared at the plump boy and coldly said, ¡°Speak properly, and let¡¯s not get physical.¡±

    Alina glanced at the brown-haired girl hiding behind her and used her head to point at the door. ¡°Hermione, bring Neville over to take a look. We¡¯ll just wait here.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    Hermione Granger slowly came back to her senses, and hesitantly took in the mood within the compartment.

    ¡°Just go!¡± Alina frowned.

    ¡°Oh. You guys better not fight¡­¡±

    Uneasy glancing at Goyle and Crabbe, Hermione obediently nodded and ran out.

    ¡°Stop! Neither of you is leaving!¡±

    Goyle gruffly called out, moving his feet to try and stop Hermione.

    Alas, Alina agilely blocked his path.

    ¡°Get out of my way. Don¡¯t make trouble.¡±

    Anger appeared on the boy¡¯s face, and he swung his arm and struck Alina¡¯s arm, sending the girl staggering back.

    ¡°What are you doing?!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s so great about bullying a girl?!¡±

    Harry and Ron finally realized what was going on, and they shot to their feet and began to yell.

    When Ron and Harry stood up, Crabbe threw the toad over to Malfoy and began to rub his hands as he faced the pair down.

    ¡°Oh, so you want a fight, is that it?¡±

    Draco Malfoy fled his arms and coldly sneered.

    Looking around, he saw that with Hermione gone, it was now a three on three. His side was all boys while the other side was two boys and one girl.

    Crabbe and Goyle were much bigger, and Ron and Harry, and if this girl¡¯s magic didn¡¯t go out of control, Draco had no need to be afraid of her.

    ¡°This is our compartment. If you want a fight, just come at us.¡±

    Harry was not as courageous as he outwardly appeared, but as his friend was being bullied, he hardened his resolve. He shot a glance at Ron, and both placed themselves in front of Alina as they warily sized up the muscular Goyle and Crabbe.

    ¡°Oh, you two boys who aren¡¯t even as tall as me, what are you doing?¡±

    The silver-haired girl¡¯s eyes softened as she vigorously rubbed the two boys on the head, and then she pushed them aside and strode to the front.

    ¡°Hey, a little fatty, you were the one who attacked me first, right? And you wanted to bully around Hermione?¡±

    Alina moved around her fist as she darkly threatened, her voice trembling with irrepressible excitement and wickedness. The girl shot a glance at the back of her left hand as she spoke, but her skin was unblemished.

    ¡°And what if I say yes?¡±

    Goyle pursed his lip and nonchalantly said.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just wanted to say thank you.¡±

    The girl smiled as she recalled Benitez¡¯s words.

    ¡°When fighting, don¡¯t waste time on tricks. Just put all your strength into a single punch to seize the advantage.¡±

    Alina suddenly strode forward, suddenly appearing in front of Goyle, and as her foot stomped down, all the power in her body traveled up her spine and into her right fist, which slammed into Goyle¡¯s stomach.

    Thump!

    The sickening thud of a fist into flesh resounded through the compartment.

    ¡°Guh¡­¡±

    Goyle¡¯s eyes rolled over as he bent over like a cooked lobster. He felt like someone had slammed a hammer into his stomach, causing his intestines to writhe.

    Before he could react, Alina grabbed his shoulders and used her momentum to heartlessly slam her knee into the boy¡¯s chest.

    Thud!

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡±

    Goyle groaned, in so much pain that he could hardly breathe. Never before had he been so savagely beaten, and tears were beginning to gather in his eyes. He raised his head to plead for mercy when he suddenly saw a tender white forehead rapidly filling his field of vision¡ªthud!

    ¡°Tsk, how weak.¡±

    Alina shook her somewhat dizzy head while at the same time dropping the unconscious Goyle to the floor, distaste in her voice.

    Fighting was commonplace for a child raised in an orphanage, and as the big sister who needed to protect the other orphans from being bullied, she naturally couldn¡¯t avoid leading the others in fights.

    With the teachings of Father Benitez and the strengthening of her half-Veela blood, Alina had astounding strength, and while there were still a few large fish in the lake she couldn¡¯t beat, she had plenty of experience when fighting naughty children.

    Gulu~X4

    The sight of Goyle being dropped in less than three seconds and the silver-haired girl exuding that terrifying aura had all four boys in the compartment swallowing in unison.

    Ron and Harry, who had just been about to rush forward and help Alina, glanced at each other and then awkwardly stepped back. After carefully thinking it over, they decided that they had done nothing to offend Alina as of yet.

    Alina happily squinted. Ever since she had been half-coaxed and half-forced into making that Unbreakable Vow with Dumbledore, she had not had a proper fight. Alas, the boys of the Magic World, weren¡¯t good fighters at all, letting down the formidable descriptions in the novels.

    ¡°Then, the next one¡­¡±

    The silver-haired girl raised her head, still raising for a fight. Flashing her sharp front teeth, she looked at the huddling Crabbe and Draco and licked her lips. The words of a devil emerged from her mouth.

    ¡°Since you want to fight, I suggest that you first learn the importance of striking first.¡±

 Chapter 51

    Alina raised her right hand and played around with her silver hair. A smile appeared on her face as she leisurely walked forward.

    The seemingly muscular Crabbe and Goyle hadn¡¯t been able to last even half a second in front of Alina and had been one-sidedly beaten into the ground.

    Draco Malfoy finally recalled the fear instilled in him one month ago by a silver-haired girl in Diagon Alley, the despair he had felt at the disparity in strength.

    ¡°Wait¡­hold on.¡±

    Draco Malfoy¡¯s face paled even more, and he hastily held up the sticky toad, the one Crabbe had thrown toward him before charging in. He clenched the toad-like it was a life-saving rope as he began to hurriedly speak.

    ¡°We just came over to deliver this toad. Look at how healthy it is. We were very careful when capturing it¡­¡±

    Glancing at a little trembling Malfoy who was still trying his best to sort things out, Alina couldn¡¯t hide a gleam of joy in her eyes. Raising an eyebrow, she slowly raised her right hand.

    Draco closed his eyes in fright when he saw Alina raised her hand, subconsciously lowering his head. ¡°Urgh, I really just wanted to help out¡­¡±

    Tap.

    To his surprise, he didn¡¯t feel any pain, only slightly cold fingers lightly tapping his head and a gentle voice in his ear.

    ¡°I understand. Thank you. If you want to make friends, remember next time to not be so proud.¡±

    Eh?!

    Draco cautiously opened an eye and saw that seemingly fragile and delicate face right in front of him, so close that he could count every one of her slightly trembling eyelashes.

    ¡°Let me introduce myself. I am Alina, Alina Kaslana.¡±

    Alina mussed up Draco Malfoy¡¯s neat hair, stood up, looked around at the compartment, and giggled as she clapped her hands.

    ¡°Alright, it seems like this was all a misunderstanding.¡±

    ¡°Then, I still think¡­¡±

    Draco almost subconsciously tried to complain. Even now, he still didn¡¯t understand what was going on. It felt like he was being targeted.

    ¡°Mm?¡±

    Alina subtly glanced behind her and softly snorted. Draco shivered and immediately shut his mouth.

    Very good. It seemed like the children of noble families had a very high capacity for comprehension. Alina smiled as she looked around the compartment.

    ¡°In a distant eastern country, there¡¯s a saying that goes; you can¡¯t get to know each other unless you fight. Now that all the misunderstandings have been addressed, you are all friends. Any problems with that?¡±

    ¡°No, none.¡±

    ¡°Mm, I heard my father say this once.¡±

    ¡°Miss Alina is right.¡±

    Harry, Ron, and Malfoy all exchanged glances and then glanced at the smiling silver-haired girl in the center of the compartment. They weakly nodded in unison while voicing their agreement.

    ¡°Hey, hey, and the two of you. Don¡¯t keep lying on the ground and acting dead. I intentionally avoided any dangerous parts. Relax, I won¡¯t hit you again. But if you dared to trick me¡­¡±

    Alina nodded in satisfaction and then kicked the two ¡®corpses¡¯ on the ground. She had never seen someone unconscious move their eyelids so rapidly. Goyle and Crabbe were clearly worse actors than the children in the village.

    ¡°No more, no more! I¡¯m getting up!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry! We really didn¡¯t mean it.¡±

    Draco watched in surprise as he saw Crabbe and Goyle, who he had believed to have sacrificed their lives to protect him, open their eyes and stand up.

    Crabbe, in particular, who had been the second to fall, shot to his feet. As for Goyle, he was rather dizzy and needed Crabbe¡¯s help to steady himself.

    While great waves were surging through little Malfoy¡¯s mind, Alina happily looked around at the children in the compartment and pointed her thumb at herself.

    ¡°Very good. In the future, if anyone at school tries to bully you, you can rely on Big sister to support you.¡±

    Just as Benitez had said and Alina had long ago figured out, the fastest way to integrate with a new school environment was to start a fight with her fellow students.

    The success of this method had been proved in the orphanage and in the village¡¯s school, and it was now showing its applicability in Hogwarts.

    Alina felt a sense of accomplishment as Harry¡¯s group introduced themselves to Malfoy¡¯s group.

    Thus, she was a kindhearted angel who helped other students make friends! For what reason did the principal have to call her over every week? It was clearly the teachers in the village who were intentionally discriminating against her!

 Chapter 52

    The Gradually Changing World

    ¡°This is the place. Neville, hurry.¡±

    In the swaying train corridor, Hermione Granger held up the hem of her robe with one hand as she ran. Behind her was a cute round-faced boy, his eyes slightly red and swollen from crying.

    Hermione¡¯s face was fraught with concern, and her white front teeth bit down on her lower lip. Occasionally, she would think about how that silver-haired girl had stood in front of her, the turmoil she had heard as she left the compartment, and the sound of what seemed like a resounding slap.

    She hoped that she was still in time and that the golden-haired boy was not an unreasonable person. Given how little time had passed, they should haven¡¯t actually begun fighting, right?

    Whoosh~

    ¡°We¡¯ve come back. Don¡¯t fight¡­¡±

    The brown-haired girl pulled open the compartment door and gasped out, but when she nervously looked in sound, she was struck dumb, ¡°¡­.eh?¡±

    Different from the tense mood she had imagined, there was a serene and friendly atmosphere in the compartment.

    On the floor were Ron and those two plump boys¡ªshe recalled that they were called Goyle and Crabbe¡ªwho were all quietly reading books with miserable looks on their faces.

    On the left, on the seat by the window, Harry and the golden-haired boy who called himself Malfoy were sitting together and softly discussing the contents of a textbook.

    Across from them, Alina was leaning against the window, a hand under her chin. The sunlight coming in through the window made her silver hair flash. The open book of spells on her knees clearly indicated that she was reading.

    What what was going on here?

    A look of confusion appeared on Hermione¡¯s face, and she even stepped back and glanced at the number of the compartment to see if she had come to the wrong place.

    ¡°Excuse me,¡± a red-eyed and round-faced boy appeared behind Hermione and timidly said. ¡°My name is Neville, Neville Longbottom. Granger said that you found my toad?¡±

    When the compartment door opened, everyone had raised their heads to look, with the most excited being none other than Goyle and Crabbe.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ve been waiting for ages. Come here and look.¡±

    ¡°Even if it¡¯s not, it¡¯s fine. We can look for it together.¡±

    Goyle and Crabbe almost immediately cast aside their books, their expressions like people who had been relieved of a great burden. Standing up, they spoke in exceptionally enthusiastic tones.

    ¡°What in the world happened? I¡¯m talking about here¡­¡±

    Hermione pointed at Goyle¡¯s swollen forehead, and suspiciously asked.

    ¡°Haha, that¡¯s because¡­¡±

    Goyle awkwardly chuckled as he rubbed his forehead. He was just about to honestly answer when someone patted him on the back of his neck.

    Hermione saw the plump boy¡¯s face freeze, and his body began to unnaturally shiver.

    ¡°He just accidentally tripped, right?¡±

    Alina lightly harrumphed and patted Goyle on the shoulder. Smiling, she gently explained to Hermione, ¡°And now, as you can see, after some discussion, we decided to study the textbooks until you came back.¡±

    Before the girl could ask a thousand questions, Alina turned around and waved a hand.

    ¡°Hey, Malfoy, that toad was with you, right?¡±

    ¡°Mm, yes, here!¡±

    Draco Malfoy hurriedly nodded, grabbed the toad on his knees, and walked over.

    ¡°Neville, is this your toad?¡± Alina tilted her head and asked.

    ¡°Trevor! Thank God! Neville ecstatically reached out with both hands and took his pet toad.

    ¡°Thank you! Really, thank you so much! I was about to give up.¡±

    Neville hugged the toad and repeatedly bowed to Malfoy while voicing his thanks over and over.

    Although he seemed rather silly repeating ¡®thank you¡¯ over and over, everyone could sense that Neville was trying his best to express his joy and gratitude, particularly toward Malfoy.

    What should he do now¡­Draco Malfoy had never experienced such a scene, and his father had never taught him about this, so he really didn¡¯t know how he should react. The boy unconsciously glanced at Alina, but he discovered that Alina was whispering something to Hermione and simply wasn¡¯t paying attention.

    ¡°Really, it was mostly Goyle and Crabbe that found him.¡±

    Draco¡¯s pale cheeks slightly reddened as he looked away and unnaturally said, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to look at the start, and I only decided to when I heard that I could get information on a secret passage. You should just thank Big Sister Alina.¡±

    ¡°No, no, Draco, you were actually the most enthusiastic.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. He even said that we should take care not to injure the toad while capturing it.¡±

    Goyle and Crabbe had even thinner skins than Malfoy, and before Neville could even look over, they hastily waved their hands and denied their contributions.

    Alina smiled happily at the proud Malfoy and his two companions. Really, they weren¡¯t bad at heart.

    In her view, even without the toad, if things had gone as described in the novel, then Malfoy had still needed to travel through many train carriages to come and extend a hand of friendship to Harry. If not for his haughty tone, he would have had a good chance of making friends with Harry.

    Pa, pa, pa.

    ¡°Alright, enough with being humble. We¡¯re all fellow classmates, so there¡¯s no need to act like strangers.¡±

    Alina lightly clapped her hands, interrupting Neville¡¯s conversation with Malfoy¡¯s group. She happily proposed, ¡°Instead of everyone going back to their compartments, why don¡¯t we use this chance to chat with each other?¡±

    Alina paused as she looked around and saw that all the snacks in the compartment had basically been eaten. Frowning her brow in frustration, she added, ¡°But it seems like we¡¯ll need to buy more snacks.¡±

    Although Harry had bought a lot of snacks, it was only a lot for three people. Now that there were eight people in the carriage, the amount was clearly lacking.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Just leave it to me. Goyle, come with me to buy snacks. Crabbe, go to our compartment and bring back all the snacks we have.¡±

    Upon hearing Alina¡¯s words, Malfoy bravely volunteered himself.

    ¡°Big Sister Alina, relax. No matter what you want to eat, we can get it.¡±

    After experiencing the joy that came from helping out someone for the first time, Draco Malfoy was particularly proactive. Straightening his back, he thumped his chest. This sort of problem that could be resolved with just money was nothing to the wealthy Malfoy family.

    Seeing Malfoy¡¯s proud display in front of Alina, Ron couldn¡¯t help but softly cough as he tried to stop himself from laughing.

    ¡°What, Weasley, do you have any objections?¡± Draco turned to Ron and raised an eyebrow.

    These two were definitely of opposite natures. They were all in the same team, but they could still oppose each other?

    Alina helplessly rolled her eyes. Perhaps even when the wealthy and poor of the Magic World were in the same camp, they still couldn¡¯t avoid fighting each other. But this was fine, as watching people getting along too well wasn¡¯t that exciting.

    ¡°No, I just wanted to say that there¡¯s one miraculous drink that you won¡¯t be able to buy.¡±

    Ron shrugged and pointed at the bottle of Coke in the corner of the room. ¡°You haven¡¯t seen it before, right? I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ve never even heard about the hydroxic acid that¡¯s everywhere around us and the terrifying CO2, right?¡±

    ¡°Hydroxic acid? Miraculous drink?¡± Hermione curiously looked in the direction that Ron was pointing and shrugged in confusion, ¡°Isn¡¯t that just an ordinary bottle of Coke?¡±

    Cough, cough, cough! ¡°Well then, Ron¡­¡±

    Suddenly, Alina fiercely coughed.

    She was confident in her ability to fool Ron and Harry, but not with the straight-A student Hermione present. The silver-haired girl hastily attempted to awkwardly end the conversation.

    ¡°Ordinary coke?¡±

    Ron scoffed and wagged a finger at Hermione as he slowly explained, ¡°That¡¯s just the way Muggles drink it. Any mature wizard would never defile this kind of magical beverage like Muggles would, right, Harry?¡±

    Now that Ron finally had a chance to show off, he naturally wouldn¡¯t just let it go.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I also just learned that the correct way of drinking it in the Magic World is to shake it first. Big Sister Alina said that a proper wizard should learn how to use their own magic to restrain the Coke from exploding.¡±

    Harry Potter hurriedly nodded and earnestly added.

    Ever since Alina had displayed her monstrous strength, little Harry had been concerned that the silver-haired girl would choose to settle accounts with him over his offense of running into the compartment while she was changing. Thus, his support was even more enthusiastic than Ron¡¯s.

    Shake it before drinking? An explosion of Coke? Alina said it?

    Hermione strangely blinked, and then she glanced at the dour-faced Alina while beginning to cough, clearly trying her best to not laugh.

    These two¡­what were they doing?!

    Alina glared at Ron and Harry, a hint of killing intent on her face.

    Eh? Why did Big Sister Alina seem angry¡­

    Unlike Harry, Ron was particularly sensitive to a woman¡¯s emotions, as he had both his mother and his little sister to learn from. He immediately sensed that there was something strange about the silver-haired girl¡¯s expression.

    Glancing at Hermione, who was trying hard not to laugh, Ron felt as if he understood the reason. Each time Ginny and his mother argued, they would get like this, and at that time, one only needed to stand on the side of the certain victor.

    The redheaded boy took the bottle of Coke, fiercely shook it, and offered it to Alina. He shot a challenging glance at Hermione as he fawningly spoke.

    ¡°Big Sister Alina, I¡¯ve helped you shake. Let her experience the way a wizard drinks it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Alina had a constipated look on her face as she took the Coke from Ron and looked around.

    Harry was whispering to Malfoy about something, and from the awe in their eyes, Alina could immediately tell that it was about hydroxic acid. As for the archcriminal Ron, as well as Goyle and Crabbe, they had no doubts and were all looking expectantly at her.

    ¡°Ka! Ka! Ka!¡­Hahahaha¡­hurry, hurry, Alina, let me see how a wizard drinks it¡­¡±

    Hermione¡¯s shoulders trembled as she finally broke out in laughter.

    Had something gone wrong with the plan?

    The silver-haired girl took in a deep breath as she glanced at the fizzing Coke bottle. Even if she was crying, she still needed to jump into the hole she had dug, or else she would lose all her dignity as a big sister. She glared at the confused Ron and Harry¡ªshe would remember this.

    Of course, she also wasn¡¯t going to let the little girl almost bent over in laughter go scot-free.

    Alina turned her head, and while Hermione wasn¡¯t paying attention, she grabbed her arm and spoke in a sickly sweet tone.

    ¡°Student Granger, let¡¯s try and suppress it together, yes?¡±

    With a look of grim determination, Alina unscrewed the cap, and white bubbles gushed into the air.

    ¡°Ah¡­no!¡±

    Hermione shrieked as she tried to dodge, and the compartment overflowed with a joyous mood.

    ¡­

    At the same time, Hogwarts.

    ¡°Goodness, Dumbledore, this is insane.¡±

    Minerva McGonagall weakly groaned.

    In front of her was a golden mountain of unprecedented size. Just now, Dumbledore had told her of that massive plan that would make both the Magic and Non-Magic Worlds tremble.

    ¡°But all of it is worth it, no?¡±

    Dumbledore smiled as he carefully folded up the papers covered in numbers and diagrams and put them away.

    ¡°Fine, you¡¯ve convinced me. What can I do for you?¡±

    McGonagall closed her eyes, took in a deep breath, and sternly said.

    Dumbledore shook his head, and warmly replied, ¡°You don¡¯t need to do anything except welcome the new students as you always do. Time will slowly lead us to the result we desire.¡±

    The old man paused and blinked, then he suddenly added, ¡°Oh, right. I almost forgot. I have an interesting and willful little request regarding the ordering of the student list¡­¡±

 Chapter 53

    Alina glanced out the window, where the sky was gradually darkening.

    Beneath a dark purple skies were mountains and forests. The train had apparently slowed down, and in the distance, one could see the gleaming amber lights of a village. If her guess was right, that was the final stop of this train, the only all-wizarding village in all of Britain, Hogsmeade.

    ¡°The train will reach Hogwarts soon. All students, please leave your luggage on the train. We will deliver it to the school for you.¡±

    A voice began to resound through the corridor, somewhat like those PA broadcasts from her last life.

    But given the interference exerted on electronics within the grounds of Hogwarts and the ¡®We¡¯ in those words, Alina guessed that this was some unknown spell used by the house-elves of Hogwarts.

    ¡°It¡¯s all your fault! This is a fine mess. I¡¯m sticky all over and have had to change twice before even getting to school.¡±

    In the compartment, Hermione glared at Alina as she took off her Coke-stained outer robe and put on a new Hogwarts robe. As for the boys, they had already rushed off into another compartment.

    Alina naughtily chuckled.

    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. It¡¯s just too bad none of us knew the Cleaning Charm. It will be much easier next time.¡±

    ¡°You think there will still be the next time? If you try it again, I¡¯ll definitely expose you!¡±

    The cute Hermione Granger wrinkled her nose and raised her eyebrows as she threatened. Unlike the boys, she was not one bit afraid of Alina.

    For women, especially young girls, there were usually three kinds of friendship. One was a relationship born out of an appreciation for each other¡¯s beauty, one was a rivalry between merit students, and the last and most common was that of false friends, friendly on the surface but secretly in constant conflict.

    There was no question that the relationship between Hermione and Alina was a combination of types one and two. After an afternoon of conversation, their relationship rapidly warmed, and their tone with each other had become much more relaxed.

    ¡°Whatever, but you¡¯ll need to learn quite a lot until you can beat me.¡±

    Alina shrugged her shoulders, balled up her sticky robe, and stuffed it in her trunk. She giggled and added, ¡°And do you really think that even if you exposed me, they would be bold enough to oppose me?¡±

    Hermione was just about to stubbornly reply when a long whistle interrupted her.

    Phwee~

    The Hogwarts Express slowed down with a screeching of wheels against the track, finally stopping next to a dark and small station.

    ¡°Hiss, it¡¯s really cold at night. Do you not feel anything?¡±

    Outside the compartment, the chill of the Hogsmeade night made Hermione shiver. She tightened the robe around her and grabbed the hem of the silver-haired girl¡¯s robe. Regardless of how she turned out in the future, Hermione was still just an eleven-year-old girl who was leaving her home for the first time, coming alone to study at a boarding school. Fear and anxiety were only natural. Fortunately, she had a friend.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m used to it.¡±

    As someone who lived year-round in the Scottish highlands, Alina was rather composed. One had to realize that the shores of Loch Lomond were around 3 to 5 degrees colder than this at night. In fact, breathing in this cold and chilly air made her think of home.

    ¡°Follow me! No messing around, and pay attention! I¡¯ll take you to where the new students gather.¡±

    Looking at the surging crowd of people, Alina frowned and grabbed Hermione¡¯s rather cold hand.

    The passengers of the Hogwarts Express were all children who had yet to reach the age of eighteen, so discipline and order were never things that could be hoped for. In truth, it was the same when adults left a train. Of course, for Alina, who had been through the hellish large-scale migration of ¡®Chunyun,¡¯ the time when Chinese people returned home to celebrate the Spring Festival, this scene was hardly worth mentioning.

    Hermione felt a warm and soft hand in her palm, and a calming sensation traveled up her arm and eased her anxiety.

    ¡°Mm.¡± The girl mumbled out and nodded, then obediently followed Alina through the crowd.

    As the two made their way through the crowd, they quickly spotted a hairy giant, 1.3 meters tall, holding up a lantern and calling out, ¡°First-year students! First-year students, this way!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s Hagrid, the gamekeeper of Hogwarts and the keeper of the keys.¡± Sensing Hermione¡¯s unease, Alina softly pinched her hand and explained, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be afraid. He¡¯s a very warm and gentleman. Harry is very familiar with him. Let¡¯s hurry over.

    ¡°Hey, Ron, Malfoy, we¡¯re over here!¡±

    Alina waved her hand as she called out to her left and dragged Hermione along. It had to be said that having a unique hair color truly made one stand out in a dense crowd.

    The small group of friends from the train had soon gotten back together, and as they looked at each other, they all felt much more at ease.

    ¡°Alright, is that all the first-year students? Everyone follow me.¡±

    After waiting for about ten minutes, when there basically no more passengers disembarking from the train, Hagrid looked around at all the little furry heads around him, a smile appearing behind his bushy beard. Swinging his lantern, he indicated that everyone should come along.

    ¡°First-year students follow me! Watch your feet!¡±

    What came next was one of the first-year traditions, the crossing of the lake. Alina mentally nodded.

    Everyone followed Hagrid on a steep and narrow path down a slope.

    There were no lanterns on the path, and everyone had to rely solely on the illumination of Hagrid¡¯s lantern. The thick trees on both sides obscured more than half the moon, making the path almost pitch-black. One could occasionally hear cries of alarm and the slipping of feet. It was clearly not an easy path to walk.

    ¡°Take out your wands. Did you remember the spell I told you about the compartment that all wizards need to know?¡±

    Alina looked at the young wizards around her. As she had yet to move, they had all stopped, and the eight of them were at the very end of the pack.

    ¡°Mm, we remember. Are we really going to use magic?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I remember.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s try it.¡±

    ¡°Of course, such a simple spell.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I think I¡¯m going to fail.¡±

    The young wizards softly whispered to each other as they took out their wands and nervously gripped, excitement on their faces.

    ¡°Very good. Relax, remember what I taught you and follow me.¡±

    Alina let go of Hermione¡¯s hand, took out her black walnut wand, and then swept it through the air while clearly intoning:

    ¡°Lumos Maxima!¡±

    A small ball of light ignited on the tip of her wand. Just as it had been when she tried it on the train, the wand was like an extension of her own body, and there had been no difficulty whatsoever.

    ¡°Lumos Maxima!¡±

    ¡°Lumos Maxima!¡±

    ¡­

    The other young wizards began to chant the spell, and balls of varying light intensity ignited on the tips of their wands. Put together, it was like a high-power flashlight, illuminating the path ahead.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    At the very front, Hagrid heard some turmoil coming from behind him and turned his head in confusion.

    At the very back of the group of new students, a downpour of moonlight had illuminated the steep and uneven path.

    Wait, that wasn¡¯t moonlight!

    Hagrid rubbed his eyes.

    The clouds and trees still obscured most of the sun. This light came from the tips of several wands put together, though to be more precise, most of the light was coming from the wand of the silver-haired girl standing at the front of the small group.

    As she was standing at the front, the gentle white light illuminated her delicate face as she softly ordered around the new students and had them move along in a disciplined fashion.

    As that little group advanced, more and more first-year students stopped and began to gather around them. The moonlight glow allowed them to safely navigate the steep and slippery path.

    Even after many years, Hagrid and this class of new students would find it impossible to forget the little girl figure who drove away from the darkness like she was the moon itself.

    This was the first time any of them truly became acquainted with Alina ¡®Moonlight¡¯ Kaslana.

 Chapter 54

    The light of the wands made the uneven mountain path much easier to walk.

    ¡°First-year students, look up ahead.¡±

    Hagrid felt much more relaxed now that he didn¡¯t have to pay attention to the back of the group, and he needed only half the time to reach the end of the path. He turned his head and shouted, ¡°Past this turn, you¡¯ll get your first look at Hogwarts.¡±

    The end of the narrow path suddenly opened into a broad and glistening lake of black waters.

    On the shore was a very crude pier next to which twenty-some small boats were docked. Alina was thankful that there were no paddles, as it meant that the boats were not powered by hand.

    Farther off, one could see the outline of an immense building, but the light of the silver-haired girl¡¯s wand was too bright to make it out clearly.

    ¡°Nox!¡±

    Before Hagrid could say anything, Alina smiled and chanted the charm to extinguish the light at the end of her wand, then put her wand away.

    ¡°Nox¡­¡± ¡°Nox.¡± Nox!¡±¡­

    The other young wizards followed her actions and extinguished their wands. The ¡®moonlight¡¯ created by the group was thus extinguished, leaving behind only Hagrid¡¯s orange lamp.

    In the serene darkness, the silhouette of Hogwarts Castle gradually grew more distinct.

    On the other side of the lake, positioned on a cliff, loomed a lofty and ancient castle, its towers soaring like trees and its windows shining under the stars. An air of mystery and solemn magic took hold of every child¡¯s heart.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Hagrid turned and looked down at Alina, a hint of warmth in his beetle-black eyes. As expected, there was a reason Professor Dumbledore had personally recruited this student. She was a good and very likable girl.

    Once all the children had finished sighing in wonder, the giant clapped his hands and pointed at the small boats on the shore.

    ¡°Alright, four people to a boat. There¡¯s not much time left, so let¡¯s get on.¡±

    The lake waters slapped against the shore, and the sight of the small boats being jostled around was of little comfort to the children.

    Ron was clearly one of the unhappier members of the crowd, but not because he was afraid of water.

    Rather, ten-some minutes ago, while they were chatting (bragging) on the train, he had confidently told everyone stories he had heard from his older brothers at Hogwarts. If it had been a little brighter, one could have seen that his ears had gone red.

    ¡°Alright, I get it, Fred and George tricked me again. But I didn¡¯t think that Percy would trick me too.¡±

    Ron looked at the little black boats and grumbled, ¡°All of them said that Hogwarts students wrote magic carriages that could move on their own to the school.¡±

    ¡°I also heard that from my father. When the Board of Governors provides money to the school, some of it is for buying new carriages.¡±

    Draco Malfoy nodded in agreement and then glanced in disdain at the small wooden boats by the dock. ¡°I thought that we would choose a more magical and safer way of getting to school, not taking a boat.¡±

    ¡°Right! What if we accidentally fall into the water. I don¡¯t know how to swim.¡±

    ¡°Shhh! I heard that every year, before the Sorting Ceremony, Hogwarts always prepares a death list¡­¡±

    It was clear that after the ¡®Lumos Maxima¡¯ activity, the group of young wizards were much more confident and united.

    With Ron and Draco grumbling and the Lumos Maxima extinguished, the area was once more cast into the cold darkness, and the members of the group began to whisper to each other. The other children who had been stepping toward the boats began to stop and look around hesitantly.

    While the British Isles were surrounded by water, this didn¡¯t mean that the majority of children knew how to swim. Unlike the vast majority of creatures, humans preferred bright and warm flames to be large and open areas of water, a trait that was even more obvious among children of around eleven years old.

    ¡°Trust me. It¡¯s very safe. We do this every year.¡±

    Hagrid scratched his head in vexation, a look of helplessness behind his beard.

    In truth, this happened with almost every batch of new students. Convincing them to get on the boats was always a time-consuming task, particularly for the rather ineloquent Hagrid.

    ¡°Alright, stop making trouble. Listen to me¡ªLumos Maxima!¡±

    As the air by the lake grew colder and wetter, Alina sensed that Hermione was beginning to shiver, and Alina worried that she might catch a cold. Frowning, she took out her wand and reignited it.

    The girl¡¯s clear and pleasant voice seemed to cast a spell on the restless children, and they instantly fell silent and began to look at the silver-haired girl.

    ¡°If you had read ¡®Hogwarts: A History,¡¯ you would have known that crossing the lake is a Hogwarts tradition. Each batch of first-year students must cross the lake to Hogwarts Castle on these small boats. This is to imitate the scene when the Four Founders of Hogwarts first arrived and built the school.¡±

    ¡°But the book said, um¡­¡±

    Hermione instinctively wanted to say something, but then she felt a pitch on her hand. Looking down, she saw that the warm and familiar hand had once again gripped hers.

    Alina glanced at Hermione, and subtly shook her head. As she spoke, she led Hermione onto one of the swaying boats. Standing on the boat, she looked around with her lake-blue eyes and continued in a gentle voice.

    ¡°In other words, we¡¯re reenacting the journey of the Four Founders. Now, is there anyone who still wants to take those boring carriages to school?¡±

    ¡°Of course not.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s a carriage? I¡¯m sick of them.¡±

    There was no more hesitation, and Harry and Draco boarded the small boat.

    The other first-year students looked at each other, and impatiently nodded. With a solemn air, they boarded the boats without any further prompting from Hagrid.

    ¡°All onboard?¡±

    Hagrid looked around at the shore and confirmed that no students had been left behind. He then got onto a boat by himself and pushed off from the pier. Alina sensed an extremely well-concealed ripple of magic spreading along the surface of the lake.

    The boats began to glide across the mirror-like surface of the Black Lake, penetrating through its chilly mists. Hermione couldn¡¯t help but shiver and shrink further behind Alina, who was standing at the front of the boat.

    The crossing of the lake was abnormally quiet. Everyone silently watched as the large castle drew closer and closer. As they approached the cliff, the soaring castle towers seemed to block out the sky, awing their hearts.

    One could catch the vague glimpse of an ivy-covered corridor atop the cliffs. Alina knew that this was where Harry snapped his old wand, and it was also the place in Hogwarts where lovers most frequently walked.

    While the girl was lost in her thoughts, the boat quickly passed through the ivory into a hidden and large entrance.

    The boats traveled into the basement of the castle through a dark tunnel, eventually stopping at an underground dock. The ground of the dock was made of gravel and small cobblestones. They followed Hagrid and his lantern up a winding path and finally arrived at a wet and flat meadow under the shadow of the castle.

    They traveled up the stone steps, and as the first-year students gathered in front of a pair of massive oak doors, Hagrid raised a large fist and knocked thrice.

    The doors immediately opened, and a grim, black-haired witch wearing an inky-green robe appeared.

    ¡°First-year students, Professor McGonagall,¡± Hagrid said.

    ¡°Thank you, Hagrid.¡± Professor McGonagall nodded. She glanced at a pocket watch and said in surprise, ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly early this year.¡±

    Based on her past experience, new students would need at least one more hour to arrive at the Entrance Hall, and if that old wizard Ogg had been leading the way, it would have taken even longer.

    Half of the upper-year students were still en route and had yet to arrive at the Great Hall.

    Ah, it was that cursed and frightening old cat lady who drugged and kidnapped little girls, Professor McGonagall!

    Alina slightly slowed down, hoping to mix into the crowd so that she didn¡¯t appear as obvious.

    But to her surprise, when she slowed down, all the other young witches and wizards simply stopped. Just like back at the lakeshore, they voluntarily allowed the girl to take the lead. In the end, the crowd had formed a strange arch around Alina.

    Professor McGonagall had finished her conversation with Hagrid at this time and now profoundly glanced at the silver-haired girl. A hint of praise appeared in her eyes as she nodded and spoke in the most affectionate tone she could manage.

    ¡°Miss Alina Kaslana, so happy to see you again. I heard from Hagrid, and I presume that it was a very pretty Lumos Maxima. Very good.¡±

    These heartless little things!!! At the crucial moment, none of them had been willing to act as a human wall for her.

    When Alina heard her name called, her body shivered, and her face froze. While mentally cursing and complaining, she helplessly raised her head, met Professor McGonagall¡¯s gaze, worked up a weak smile, and waved her little hand.

    ¡°Long time no see, Professor McGonagall.¡±

    It did not seem as if Professor Dumbledore had told McGonagall about the matter of her mortgaging Hogwarts.

    Upon seeing that Professor McGonagall had her usual expression, Alina secretly sighed in relief. Too many grudges piled up would have made for a chilly school term indeed.

 Chapter 55

    Simulating the Sorting Ceremony

    ¡°First-year students follow me.¡±

    Professor McGonagall nodded at Alina, her lips slightly less pursed than before. She turned to her side and opened a door, indicating that the new students should follow her in.

    Hogwarts Castle was built on a much grander scale than the majority of buildings in Europe. Just like Gringotts, it had clearly been built to accommodate a large number of guests from the Magic World.

    As the group walked through the wooden doors into the Entrance Hall. Blazing torches burned on the walls, and the ceiling was so high up that it could barely be seen. On the other side was a large marble staircase that led to the higher floors.

    Professor McGonagall led the first-year students to a small room on the other end of the Entrance Hall. Folding her hands in front of her ink-green robes, she stood up straight and cleared her throat, her eyes scanning the nervous faces of the new students.

    ¡°Welcome to Hogwarts,¡± Professor McGonagall said. ¡°However, before the start-of-term feast, there were a few important matters I must explain to all of you¡­¡±

    When Alina heard Professor McGonagall start on the familiar introduction to the school and the houses, she rolled her eyes and subtly curled her lips.

    Putting aside the fact that this part was one that many fan writers in her previous life used to inflate their word counts, she had read this part herself numerous times. But for the next seven years, these words became something infinitesimally close to nonsense.

    This wasn¡¯t anything wrong with the words themselves. It was just that once Harry Potter entered the school, Gryffindor House began to openly cheat.

    Until Harry¡¯s sixth year, it was essentially irrelevant how many points were deducted from the house over the year. At the end of each term, Dumbledore would find a pile of seemingly reasonable excuses so that the Gryffindor House would always win the House Cup.

    Of course, Alina didn¡¯t think it was a bad thing. After all, this meant that no matter what sort of mayhem she created for herself, it would have no effect on who eventually won the House Cup, freeing her from any sort of psychological pressure or self-rebuke.

    Just when Alina was getting bored and starting to bother Hermione¡ªsuch as secretly scratching her palm or playing with her hair¡ªProfessor McGonagall finally reached the end of her introduction.

    ¡°Some of the higher-year students have yet to arrive at the castle. It will be about an hour until the Sorting Ceremony begins.¡±

    Considering how rare it was for new students to wait this long, Professor McGonagall took out her wand and waved it. As the new students called out in surprise, the stone floor transformed into a soft wool rug.

    ¡°You can sit here and rest until then.¡±

    Professor McGonagall sharply looked around at the young wizards and added, ¡°When the time comes, do your best to remain quiet.¡±

    After saying this, she left the room.

    Once they saw Professor McGonagall leave and the heavy wooden door close shut, the young wizards sighed in relief. With little concern for outward appearance, they sat down on the soft wool rug and began to chat.

    Professor McGonagall had spoken a great deal, but whether intentionally or not, she had not said a single thing about the most important Sorting Ceremony.

    ¡°Oh, I heard about the Sorting Ceremony from Fred. It might be very painful for us, though I think that they were mostly joking.¡±

    Given that he had five brothers who had attended Hogwarts, Ron quickly became the center of attention. Quite a few young wizards had gathered around him, hoping to gather information about the Sorting Ceremony.

    ¡°That¡¯s not for certain. My cousin said that the Sorting Ceremony is for everyone to cast a spell to prove that the school didn¡¯t send an acceptance letter by mistake. I wonder if I¡¯ll be able to use Lumos Maxima when the time comes.¡±

    Neville glumly said, his round face stricken with worry.

    Pft~

    Draco Malfoy, who had been sitting on the side with his arms folded, couldn¡¯t help but scoff. Raising a light golden eyebrow, he arrogantly wagged a finger.

    ¡°How could that be? My father is a member of the Board of Governors, and he told me that anyone who can accurately recite the names of the twenty-eight pure-blood families could pass the assessment.¡±

    ¡°Did none of you ever think about why they gave us an entire month with the textbooks?¡±

    Hermione impatiently cut Malfoy off. Pulling on her wavy brown hair, she spoke in a slightly frantic tone.

    ¡°It must be an entrance exam! Oh my god, I didn¡¯t think about bringing a textbook with me from the train!¡±

    As the young wizards shared the various Sorting Ceremonies they had heard about from their siblings or parents, an uneasy mood began to spread.

    Alina could basically conclude that if one wanted to enter Hogwarts, one had to single-handedly fight a monster, perform a tapdance, and then take a test that could contain all sorts of questions¡­

    In short, based on the descriptions from these young wizards, Alina could understand with a sense of great satisfaction that Hogwarts¡¯ fine tradition of frightening the first-year students over the ceremony had been successfully executed and passed on in every family.

    ¡°Alright, everyone, relax. From what I know, it¡¯s just a very simple assessment.¡±

    As the mood in the room grew increasingly nervous, Alina helplessly sighed and revealed the truth.

    ¡°People of different personalities will be placed in different houses. Although I feel that this is a very casual and irresponsible way of placing people¡­¡±

    Alina glanced at the suspicious faces around her and suddenly changed the subject, adopting a mysterious tone.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, I have this mysterious testing method that can predict what house you will end up in. Want to try?¡±

    Alina wasn¡¯t just making things up. Her questions all came from the official Harry Potter website: Pottermore. The Sorting Ceremony quiz had been published on this site.

    Many fellow fans had always been very curious about something. If the characters from the novel were sorted according to their results from the official quiz, would they still be placed in their original houses?

    Of course, in order to confirm her own authority, Alina would not show any bias in the results she announced. After all, she was an expert transmigrated Harry Potter series fan. If she couldn¡¯t guide or predict such things, someone would definitely end up using the Imperius Curse or Memory Charm on her.

    Looking around in satisfaction as her first-year friends bobbed their heads like chickens pecking at rice, Alina smiled.

    ¡°Then, the first question: dusk or dawn¡­¡±

 Chapter 56

    Hogwarts.

    A small break room off to the side of the castle¡¯s Entrance Hall.

    Alina was like the moon surrounded by the stars, a group of young wizards gathered around her. The ones closest to her were the ones she had spent time with on the train, Malfoy¡¯s and Potter¡¯s groups.

    ¡°Draco, you¡¯re definitely a natural Slytherin. There¡¯s no need to worry. In the future, remember to maintain the image of the Slytherin House, to always be modest, noble, and to never lose your poise.

    ¡°As for you, Hermione, mm, it¡¯s a little difficult, but from the results of the test, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor are both very suitable for you. Personally, since Headmaster Dumbledore graduated from Gryffindor House, I think it suits you more.

    ¡°Ron, don¡¯t go making trouble. Your entire family is a part of Gryffindor, so you just need to be at the side of your friends, oh, I mean, if anyone bullies your friend, you should lead the others in beating up the bully.

    ¡°Goyle, Crabbe, if we ignored your bloodlines, I would really think about putting you in Hufflepuff. Fine, fine, Slytherin.

    ¡°Neville, before I answer this question, punch Harry with all the strength you can muster, and then do it again to Draco¡­Mm, very good, nice! You¡¯re now just right for Gryffindor!¡±

    As Alina simulated the Sorting Ceremony, more and more young wizards came over and began to ask about what house they belonged to.

    ¡°Alina¡­Big Sister, can you look at my test results and see where I¡¯ll go?¡±

    A girl with a ruddy complexion and two golden braids addressed Alina in the way Malfoy and the others did as she timidly asked.

    ¡°Oh, before I answer this question, you first have to tell me your name. My crystal ball has warned me that if I reveal information to the wrong person, it will curse me.¡±

    Alina glanced at the stranger who had come up and spoke in a tone mimicking the fortune-tellers she saw on TV.

    ¡°Hannah Abbott¡­¡± the girl nervously answered.

    Alina curiously examined the young witch, even thrusting out a hand to pinch her shoulder¡ªah, it was flesh, not iron.

    ¡°Oh, Hufflepuff!¡± the silver-haired girl relaxed as she firmly replied.

    ¡°Big Sister, these are my test results. Can you tell me where I¡¯ll be sorted?¡±

    Finally, Harry Potter, who had been slow to come up because he hadn¡¯t been able to hear the questions very well and was too shy, finally came over, his tender face stricken with unease.

    ¡°Oh, dear Harry Potter¡­¡±

    A sharp light appeared in Alina¡¯s eyes, and then she pretended to analyze the results while pensively stroking her chin¡­in reality, she was just trying to remember what the Sorting Hat had said.

    ¡°Difficult. Very difficult. I can see a lot of courage and a good heart. There¡¯s talent, yes, my goodness, not bad at all¡ªyou¡¯re rather anxious to prove yourself, which is very interesting¡­¡±

    Alina suddenly had an idea. Since Harry didn¡¯t have a bad impression of Slytherin yet, perhaps she could place him there¡­

    As she glanced at little Harry¡¯s expectant face, Alina recalled the face of a certain old wizard with a mean spanking hand and shivered. It was better not to be so suicidal. Shaking her head, the girl spoke with firm resolve.

    ¡°Harry Potter, Gryffindor!¡±

    ¡­

    As one young wizard after another completed the simulated Sorting Ceremony, they began to argue about the advantages and disadvantages of their houses.

    The final judgment naturally rested on their big sister, who had now established her authority, Alina.

    ¡°Right, Big Sister Alina, which house do you think is best?¡±

    Alina smiled and replied without hesitation, ¡°Of course, the one closest to the kitchens¡­¡±

    At this moment, an inharmonious voice came from behind Alina.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that a few simple questions can determine which house one will belong to.¡±

    ¡°Have you been through the Sorting Ceremony? If not, be quiet! Don¡¯t question my¡­¡±

    Alina raised an eyebrow and unhappily turned around. She wanted to see which foolish child dared to criticize her.

    ¡°Ah?! P-Professor McGonagall?!¡±

    Behind her, near the door, was Professor McGonagall, who had been quietly watching as Alina simulated the Sorting Ceremony for all the young wizards.

    ¡°Now, everyone, get in a single line,¡± Professor McGonagall lightly huffed. Ignoring Alina, she scanned the first-year students and ordered, ¡°Follow me.¡±

    The group walked out of the room, passed through the Entrance Hall, and went through a pair of doors into a luxurious dining hall.

    The students from the other grades were already seated around four long tables, and above the tables floated thousands of candles that illuminated the hall.

    Gleaming points of starlight flashed on the velvet-black ceiling, and it was hard to believe that there was a roof overhead rather than an open sky.

    Sparkling golden plates and goblets were laid out on the table, and at the very front of the dining hall, another table had been set up where the teachers sat.

    Professor McGonagall led the first-year students over to the faculty table and had them line up in rows, facing the entire student body with the teachers behind them. In the flickering candlelight, the several hundred faces looking at them seemed like pale white lanterns.

    Professor McGonagall placed a four-footed stool in front of the first-year students, and then a pointy wizard hat on top of the stool. The hat was patched up and worn down, and there were several strange marks on it, like something inside had pushed outward against it.

    The Great Hall had fallen eerily silent, everyone staring at this hat. And then, the hat began to twitch, and then a large tear opened up at its brim like a mouth, and then¡­the hat began to sing.

    ¡°Oh, you may not think I¡¯m pretty, but don¡¯t judge on what you see¡­¡±

    Once the hat was done singing, it was greeted with thunderous applause. The hat bowed to each of the four tables before growing still once more.

    ¡°See? It¡¯s just like I said, a simple test of your personality.¡±

    Alina tilted her head and whispered to the other young wizards, a smugness in her tone.

    ¡°Everyone, quiet!¡±

    Professor McGonagall came forward with a parchment scroll in her hand.

    ¡°When I call your name, you will come up, put on the hat, sit on the stool, and wait for your house to be called.¡±

    As she spoke, she sharply looked again and again at Alina at the front row. A strange expression on her face, she cleared her throat and read.

    ¡°Alina Kaslana!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t ¡®Ironforged Hannah Abbott¡¯!

    Dumbledore had really carried out his promise and placed her at the front of the list!

    This meant that the plot of this world was very flexible!

    Alina smiled. Glancing at the girl with golden braids next to her, she silently apologized and then walked out from her row.

    While the entire school was watching, she suddenly stopped about two or three steps away from the Sorting Hat. She had suddenly thought of a very important problem.

    The principles of the Sorting Hat did not seem to operate according to the Legilimency used by human wizards.

    As one of the most important magical objects owned by Hogwarts, the Sorting Hat was said to have been the product of the Four Founders inserting their thoughts into a hat so that the hat could place the students into the houses based on their talent and character. But in Alina¡¯s view, this was really just a magical personality test jointly written by the Four Founders.

    It was obvious that an extremely powerful and perpetual Legilimency had been placed on the Sorting Hat. It could read the thoughts of a young wizard and then put these thoughts through a preset process¡ªfiltering parameters established by the Four Founders¡ªand then assigned the students to the house that fit them the best.

    In other words, for a transmigrator, this hat was even more frightening than Dumbledore or Veritaserum, because it was only imitating a comprehension process. In reality, it was forcibly extracting data and then running a matching algorithm.

    Alina was not so swollen with pride that she thought she could contend against the Four Founder.

    The worst problem was that if this magical object could read data like a computer, then it also had a way of extracting the files in one¡¯s memory. This was much more frightening than Legilimency, which required its user to understand the thoughts being read.

    ¡°Alina, don¡¯t be afraid. Put on the hat.¡±

    Professor McGonagall looked down at the silver-haired girl and gently said.

    ¡°No, I refuse.¡±

    Alina sternly looked at the shabby hat and took a step back, firmly shaking her head.

    All the teachers and students exploded in an uproar, and the smile on Professor McGonagall¡¯s face froze.

    It seemed like the same answer and the same expression. It made her recall the unhappy experience from a month ago, and the witch suddenly had a bad feeling.

    ¡°What are you trying to do¡­¡±

    Before Professor McGonagall could finish speaking, Alina raised her voice so that the entire hall could hear.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve never trusted in any object that can think for itself, not unless I can see where its head is.¡±

    The girl was speaking loud enough for everyone in the Great Hall to hear, and all of them held their breaths as they stared at her in shock and admiration. No one in a hundred years had ever done such a thing.

    ¡°Miss Alina Kaslana, this is a long-standing tradition in Hogwarts. There is no second method for being sorted.¡±

    Professor McGonagall began to scowl, her lips pursed tightly, and her brows tightly furrowed. Even her glasses began to gleam with an intimidating light.

    ¡°So I just have to be sorted into a house by the Sorting Hat, right? Then, actually, there¡¯s another method.¡±

    Alina shrugged her shoulder, took out her black walnut wand from her robes, and pointed it forward. She spoke in a calm and clear tone.

    ¡°Say it! Hufflepuff!¡±

 Chapter 57

    Silence.

    When Alina spoke, the air in all of Hogwarts Castle seemed to freeze for a moment.

    The giggling and joking students at the four tables and the professors whispering to each other at the faculty table all froze in unison, their eyes turning toward that stalemate in the center of the Great Hall.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The shabby pointed hat quickly began to tremble in response to Alina¡¯s threatening tone, but it soon went back to normal and ceased to show any reaction.

    As for the first-year students behind Alina, her unexpected action made their unease and shyness instantly vanish, and their eyes were bursting with so much admiration that it was practically tangible.

    ¡°You can even get sorted like this?!¡±

    ¡°Big Sister Alina is so hot.¡±

    ¡°¡­So cool!¡±

    Some of the first-year students even began to tremble in excitement, as if they were the ones standing in Alina¡¯s place.

    Professor McGonagall tightly pursed her lips. She shot a glare at the chattering crowd, her chest heaving like a set of bellows as she furiously smiled.

    ¡°Threatening the Sorting Hat? I¡¯ve been a teacher for so many years, but not once have I run into someone who has done something like this¡­a student like you!¡±

    Professor McGonagall stared at the audacious silver-haired girl, for a moment, unable to find an appropriate word to describe her.

    She should have known that a little devil that would stew owls sent to deliver letters would never so suddenly become an obedient girl.

    ¡°Stop making trouble! The Sorting Hat would never agree to this unreasonable request!¡±

    Professor McGonagall glanced at Alina and her wand, her eyebrows rising so sharply that they were practically vertical lines.

    Alina looked up, no sign of fear in her lake-blue eyes as she met the Deputy Headmistress¡¯s gaze, her voice calm and even.

    ¡°Respected Professor McGonagall, might I ask, is your name the Sorting Hat? I think that, as a sentient magical hat, it can make its own decisions.¡±

    In this brief amount of time, the fuzzy idea in Alina¡¯s mind had gradually grown more distinct.

    Ordinary Legilimency could only read what a person was thinking at the time, but the Sorting Hat could clearly penetrate into the soul, reading one¡¯s memories, emotions, thoughts, and even one¡¯s magical traits.

    Thus, until she had a complete mastery of Occlumency and understood the principles of the magic in the Sorting Hat, she would not put the hat on.

    ¡°Fine, fine, fine¡­¡±

    Professor McGonagall repressed her rage and furiously nodded, squeezing out icy words from between clenched teeth.

    ¡°Sorting Hat, tell her that the traditions of Hogwarts cannot be questioned! I don¡¯t believe that there¡¯s a new student who would dare to attack the Sorting Hat.¡±

    ¡°How convenient. I also don¡¯t think that a storied wizarding school would employ a teacher who would use a spell on a new student who hasn¡¯t even been sorted yet¡­simply because they aren¡¯t willing to put on a hat?¡±

    Alina smiled as she warmly replied.

    ¡°Sorting Hat, there¡¯s no need to worry. Just say what you want to say. After all, we¡¯ll have seven years to slowly get to know each other.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The shabby and filthy Sorting Hat remained motionlessly slumped on the stool.

    It was like all of its magic had suddenly gone away, and it seemed no different from any ordinary wizard hat.

    ¡°Sorting Hat?!¡± X2

    The old and young witch once more clashed with their eyes, and then they turned as one to stare at the black wizard hat.

    ¡°Oh¡­ah¡­¡±

    These two sources of immense pressure caused the Sorting Hat to unwillingly twitch. After some thought, it began to speak cautiously.

    ¡°Actually, I think, Miss Alina, that being such a courageous and fearless child, you might want to consider Gryffindor¡­¡±

    ¡°Eh?!¡± X2

    Two people scoffed almost simultaneously.

    Professor McGonagall glanced at the problem student before her and raised an eyebrow, her tone clearly displeased.

    ¡°Our Gryffindor has never considered illegal actions as courage. Sorting Hat, the problem right now is not which house she belongs to¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to think about! Hufflepuff!¡±

    Before Professor McGonagall could finish, Alina reached into her robe with her left hand and took out another wand, which she pointed at the Sorting Hat as well.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you one more chance to rethink your words.¡±

    This was no time for jokes! If she ended up in Gryffindor House, Professor McGonagall would be her House Head. Given the current situation, she would definitely use the chance to get her revenge.

    ¡°Ah, then¡­¡±

    The Sorting Hat looked left and right, the face formed from the wrinkles appearing particularly mournful as it prepared to speak.

    Thud!

    Behind Alina, the doors to the Great Hall suddenly burst open through sheer force.

    ¡°Minister, you can¡¯t do this! Gentlemen, please! You can¡¯t just barge in! The Sorting Ceremony is still going on.¡±

    A thin and stooped man holding a lantern stood in front of the entrance. At his feet, a scrawny calico cat was threateningly growling, its hairs bristling.

    ¡°Stand aside! Argus Filch, we don¡¯t have the time to talk with you.¡±

    A short and stocky man violently waved his hand, and then a muscular wizard stepped forward and pushed back the pitiful caretaker, causing him to stagger back a step.

    A line of adult wizards filed in through the doors and began to head to the faculty table, heedless of anyone else.

    Everyone in the Great Hall turned to look at these strangers who had suddenly intruded. From their dress, the intruders belonged to two distinct groups.

    The group with the greater number wore black coats and bowler hats designed with the wind of the British Isles in mind. Their clothes were neat and orderly, and their faces established them as grim and inflexible wizards.

    The other group of wizards and witches wore finely tailored robes, and they exuded an air of importance and nobility as they brought up the rear of the group.

    ¡°Miss Kaslana, withdraw! Return to your place.¡±

    Before Alina could react, the woman in pink-green protectively stepped forward.

    Deputy Headmistress and Head of House Gryffindor, Minerva McGonagall, took out her wand, her fingers nervously gripping it as she glared through her spectacles and bellowed.

    ¡°Gentlemen, this is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! You have no right to intrude! Please, leave at once!¡±

    ¡°No! You have no idea what is going on, Minerva. Stand aside! This has nothing to do with you.¡±

    The short man leading the group shrank back a little in the face of Professor McGonagall¡¯s wand. He looked past her to the central seat of the faculty table and roared with even greater volume than Professor McGonagall.

    ¡°Dumbledore! Just now, the goblins of Gringotts held a press conference, announcing that they obtained Hogwarts Castle as collateral, and they even showed off the property deed that has the stamps of Slytherin and Hogwarts. Who¡¯s going to explain to me what in the world is going on?!!¡±

 Chapter 58

    A Noseless Monster Feels Unjustly Accused

    Cornelius Fudge was in an awful mood.

    To tell the truth, he hadn¡¯t felt this way ever since he had been surprisingly appointed Minister for Magic last year.

    After all, Voldemort had been brought down several years ago and seemed to have completely vanished into the annals of history. Meanwhile, his only competitor in the Ministry, Barty Crouch, had lost favor because his son had been accused of being a Death Eater, thus making him pose no more threat to Fudge¡¯s career. Coupled with the fact that the strongest White Wizard of all, Albus Dumbledore, was protecting the British Magic World, Fudge believed himself to be the luckiest Minister for Magic in history.

    That was all until he received an announcement from the goblins of Gringotts right before he got off work, with the actual details to be announced to the entire Magic World tomorrow morning: One of the holy lands of human magic, the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and been offered as collateral to the goblins of Gringotts.

    Almost the moment he received the news, he had called the pure-blood members of the Hogwarts Board of Governors. Both sides used their own channels to verify this news, and then they rushed off without hesitation to Hogwarts to understand what was going on.

    ¡°Hogwarts has been put up as collateral?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the Minister for Magic! Has he gone crazy? How could that be possible?¡±

    As those intruders entered the Great Hall, everyone quickly recognized their leader, whose face appeared on the front page of the Daily Prophet with incredible frequency. It was none other than Cornelius Fudge, the current British Minister for Magic.

    Given what he had said just now, the students could easily determine why Fudge had barged into Hogwarts with all these people from the Ministry of Magic. There was no question that this was a matter of utmost importance for the British Ministry of Magic.

    The Great Hall seemed to explode as everyone began to chatter, some of them staring at Fudge in disbelief, like the being that had forced their way was not the Minister for Magic but some ten-foot monster. Others subconsciously glanced at the old man seated at the center of the faculty table.

    ¡°Dumbledore, this¡­¡±

    Professor McGonagall was one of these people. The witch quickly turned behind her to Dumbledore with a questioning gaze.

    Standing right behind Professor McGonagall, Alina had a strange feeling of her own. The expression on Professor McGonagall¡¯s face seemed different from those of the majority. Rather than surprise and anxiety, she seemed more caught off guard and at a loss for how to proceed.

    Dingdingding~

    Dumbledore took a soup spoon and tapped it against a goblet.

    ¡°Quiet.¡±

    The old man stood up, his azure eyes looking over his half-moon spectacles at the Great Hall. His eyes seemed to possess a mysterious power, as wherever he looked, the students shut their mouths and quietly sat down.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Dumbledore faintly smiled and gave a warm nod. Turning to Fudge and his entourage, he frowned in confusion.

    ¡°My apologies, Minister, I don¡¯t quite understand what you mean.¡± Dumbledore looked around and waved his hand. ¡°As you can see, Hogwarts is currently conducting its annual Sorting Ceremony. I think¡­¡±

    ¡°Dumbledore, don¡¯t try to change the subject.¡±

    A middle-aged man in a dark gray cloak walked out from behind Fudge and rudely cut Dumbledore off. His hard leather boots tapped against the stone slabs of the Great Hall, plainly conveying his fury.

    ¡°Lucius Malfoy met you a month ago in Diagon Alley. On the same day, many other wizards have testified that they saw you coming out of Gringotts. Are you going to say that you had just gone out for a stroll?¡±

    ¡°Ah, my dear Greengrass, if you investigated further, you would immediately discover that I was bringing along a new student to buy school materials at Diagon Alley. You know that there must always be someone to guide young wizards born into the Non-Magic World through our world. This has always been one of Hogwarts¡¯ traditions.¡±

    The old wizard shrugged his shoulders and walked down from the table and past Professor McGonagall, stopping in front of Fudge. ¡°In truth, I realized much to my dismay that it has been far too long since I have gone shopping. I wasn¡¯t even sure about the exchange rate for Galleons. After all, other than buying Christmas gifts, I have far too few places to spend money.¡±

    With Dumbledore so close, the faces of Fudge and Mister Greengrass both became somewhat more awkward. Those in positions like theirs keenly understand just how much magic was contained in this white-haired elder¡¯s body.

    ¡°Now, gentlemen, can you tell what is going on? Relax; speak slowly.¡±

    Dumbledore¡¯s face turned serious as he sternly and calmly spoke.

    ¡°Mm¡­Dumbledore, where you were really just taking a student to buy school materials that day?¡±

    Greengrass somewhat hesitantly asked. However, Dumbledore¡¯s statement had already dispelled more than half of his doubts.

    They simply needed to look out at the records of the various stores and compare the times to easily verify the truth. He trusted that a mighty wizard like Dumbledore would not lie about such a trifling matter.

    ¡°But this only makes the problem more serious. I will let Minister Fudge explain the situation.¡±

    The man seemed to think of something and stroked his chin. He waved a hand behind him and called over a young wizard. He softly whispered into the young wizard¡¯s ears, upon which the wizard solemnly nodded and strode out of the Great Hall.

    ¡°Dumbledore, then, the students¡­¡±

    Fudge took off his hat, and impatiently rubbed his hands as he looked around at all the curious students. He spoke in a hesitant tone, gradually beginning to realize that he might be facing an extremely troublesome problem.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. They are all members of Hogwarts and have a right to know what has happened or what might happen to this school,¡± Dumbledore shook his head and replied.

    ¡°Fine, if you insist, though, I don¡¯t think this is something children should be hearing. But given that the Daily Prophet will publish it tomorrow, it hardly matters.¡±

    Cornelius Fudge impatiently waved his hand and then sternly said to Dumbledore, ¡°Just now, the goblins of Gringotts gathered together the major news companies of the Magic World and held a press conference. During the conference, they displayed a property deed for Hogwarts Castle and announced that they had obtained it through a major mortgage contract.¡±

    ¡°So, the goblins did not reveal who signed the contract or its details?¡±

    Dumbledore pensively tapped the joints of his fingers as he asked.

    ¡°No,¡± the Minister for Magic solemnly shook his head and frowned. ¡°They only revealed that the contract was worth about eight hundred million Galleons, but strangely, the loan was made out in a Muggle currency called the ruble. If it wasn¡¯t you, who could have won the trust of the goblins?¡±

    As the Minister for Magic, Fudge was well aware of how troublesome the Gringotts goblins were. Unless they were absolutely confident or stood to gain immense profit, those stingy magical creatures would never so generously take out so much money.

    ¡°That¡¯s not the only strange thing about this.¡±

    Mister Greengrass next to Fudge suddenly added, ¡°From what I know, the Board of Governors has never heard of anything like a property deed for Hogwarts Castle. We would like to know whether or not it is a forgery from you, Headmaster Dumbledore.¡±

    ¡°I understand, but if that deed really has Salazar¡¯s mark, then it is probably not a forgery.¡±

    Dumbledore solemnly nodded. ¡°The school records state that before Hogwarts was established, this castle belonged to Salazar Slytherin, one of the Four Founders.¡±

    ¡°But that was a matter from ages ago¡­wait! In other words, there can be another executor of the contract, Slytherin¡¯s descendant?!¡±

    Cornelius Fudge grimaced, and he hastily turned to the muscular wizard who had pushed aside Filch and called out, ¡°Dawlish, hurry and investigates what the Gaunt family has been up to lately.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to investigate.¡±

    Greengrass suddenly said. Glancing at Fudge, he jeered, ¡°Didn¡¯t you already throw the last heir of the Gaunt family into Azkaban? And if I recall, he¡¯s already dead. You should already have clear records of his property and who he interacted with before his death, no?¡±

    Fudge¡¯s face turned as red as a branding iron, and even his stocky neck turned red.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that the person who went to the Gringotts goblins with the deed for Hogwarts was a member of our Ministry of Magic?!¡±

    ¡°I said nothing of the sort¡­but now that I think about it, who besides the Ministry of Magic would need so much Muggle money?¡±

    Greengrass said in disgust as he looked past Fudge to the members of the Ministry of Magic behind him.

    ¡°Slander! This is a meritless accusation! Nothing of this sort could ever happen in my Ministry of Magic!¡±

    Cornelius Fudge angrily roared.

    ¡°In my view, if there really did exist a property deed, how could the Hogwarts Board of Governors be unaware of it for so long? And would the Gaunt family have fallen into that state? I heard that many of your families have begun to face a decline in your businesses. Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know that you¡¯ve been secretly wanting to trade with the Non-Magic World all this time. My informants¡­¡±

    ¡°Minister, can I consider this as an attempt to humiliate the pure-blood families? How could we possibly work with those foolish Muggles!?¡±

    Greengrass squinted as he resentfully said.

    ¡°Ahem!¡±

    Just when these two factions were about to start a major war of words, Dumbledore coughed several times. Recalling the parchments covered in words and diagrams he had in his robes, he blinked his eyes and began to speak.

    ¡°Gentlemen, in truth, besides the Gaunt family, there is one other man who possesses the blood of Slytherin.¡±

    ¡°Impossible! The ancient Gaunt family were the sole remaining descendants of Salazar Slytherin. There is no one else besides them.¡±

    Greengrass shook his head and firmly denied.

    ¡°No, there really is.¡± The red-eared Fudge suddenly paled, and with a slight hint of panic, he turned to Dumbledore. ¡°You¡¯re not talking about that man, are you? Didn¡¯t he disappear some time ago?¡±

    ¡°But, clearly, some people don¡¯t think so,¡± Greengrass lightly harrumphed. ¡°It seems that there are still some rats hiding in the shadows. If I recall, the son of the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.¡±

    ¡°And it seems like someone saw a mysterious dark figure in Albania, as I told you before¡­¡± Dumbledore glanced at Fudge and grimly said.

    ¡°So, this is a scheme aimed at the entire Magic World?¡±

    Fudge had a nasty expression, like a piece of pig liver that had been left out too long. Pretending to not hear Dumbledore, he waved at one of his assistants.

    ¡°Dawlish, go to the archives and investigate that man¡¯s background. You know who I¡¯m talking about! I don¡¯t want to have a second time. And mobilize everyone in the Auror Office. In half a month, I want all those delusional Death Eaters seized and thrown into Azkaban!!¡±

 Chapter 59

    ¡°But, Minister, what if the goblins happened to just find the property deed and then fabricated the contract?¡±

    Dawlish asked in confusion, not choosing to leave immediately.

    ¡°No, good man, you don¡¯t understand. The ancient documents of the Magic World aren¡¯t the waste paper of the Muggle World.¡±

    Before Fudge could speak, Greengrass raised an eyebrow and spoke in a solemn tone.

    ¡°On the property deed shown by the goblins, the magic seal of Hogwarts, the emblem of the Slytherin family, the verification stamp of Gringotts, and the stamp of the ancient Ministry of Magic were all in their normal conditions.¡±

    ¡°In other words, the contract the goblins signed was at least in compliance with the most basic of the ancient laws and also contained contract magic.¡±

    Fudge nodded and took over the duty of explaining from Greengrass.

    ¡°Thus, unless we want to experience another goblin rebellion and sacrifice the monetary system of the Magic World that has existed for several dozen centuries, we and the goblins can only act in accordance with the law¡­You have to realize that Gringotts has maintained a status of absolute neutrality for centuries.¡±

    The man looked around at the blank faces of the young wizards in the Great Hall. Puffing up his chest, he began to speak loudly.

    ¡°Children, as you can see, Hogwarts, along with the entire Magic World, has been thrown into a wicked scheme! But!¡±

    Fudge paused, his eyes slowly sweeping across the four tables before finally stopping at the faculty table. He squeezed out a smile and gave a slight nod.

    ¡°Believe in your Ministry of Magic. You only need to listen to your teachers and school and focus on your studies. You can leave the rest to us.

    ¡°Mm, yes, we¡¯ll get this matter resolved quickly,¡± Fudge couldn¡¯t help but repeat himself, somewhat violently kneading the pitiful bowler hat in his hands.

    ¡°Ayaya¡­I think that there is a quicker and more straightforward method.¡±

    At this moment, another group of people came in through the open doors of the Great Hall. Their leader was a pale-faced man with glossy golden hair.

    The man had a snakehead cane in his hand, and his cold grey eyes conveyed a hardness in complete contrast with his tone.

    ¡°What do you think this place is? Diagon Alley or St. Mungo¡¯s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries? This is Hogwarts! Malfoy, you have no right to barge in here.¡±

    Professor McGonagall sternly frowned as she made a sweeping gesture with her arms, making others wonder if she wouldn¡¯t cast a spell to drive all of these uninvited guests out of the Great Hall.

    Lucius Malfoy played out around with his walking stick, appearing to not even notice Professor McGonagall¡¯s complexion as he softly spoke.

    ¡°Oh, Professor McGonagall, so good to see you! In fact, as a member of the Board of Governors, I believe that I have every right to attend an important meeting like this.¡±

    Lucius Malfoy paused and looked up to politely nod at the two men standing at the very front.

    ¡°Moreover, I¡¯ve come to answer a few questions. Mister Greengrass, Minister Fudge, a goblin commissioner from Gringotts, will be here soon.¡±

    ¡°Hmph. That better be the case.¡±

    Professor McGonagall coldly snorted, her expression somewhat calming. There had simply been far too many surprises tonight.

    ¡­

    Meanwhile.

    ¡°Look, that¡¯s my father! I told you about him before.¡±

    Draco Malfoy prodded Harry with his elbow and excitedly said.

    ¡°But other than a new person joining the argument, I can¡¯t see any progress towards us getting to eat dinner soon.¡±

    Ron pursed his lips, the expression on his face rather unnatural.

    ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see. My father is like some other people who only know how to mess around with Muggle toys.¡±

    Malfoy¡¯s expression went from excitement to disgust as he turned his head and fired back.

    ¡°It¡¯s better than being a dog for You-Know-Who,¡± Ron shot back, his ears turning slightly red.

    ¡°Weasley, you want a fight?¡±

    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t go crying to Big Sister once we¡¯re done¡­ugh!¡±

    Thump!

    Thump!

    ¡°Quiet! Don¡¯t make trouble. This situation has enough problems already.¡±

    Harry watched in shock as Hermione calmly drew back her fist and whispered to the two boys who were now holding their heads.

    The girl massaged her wrist and faintly smiled. She suddenly realized that not everything Alina said was false. For example, if you were in a bad mood, punching a boy truly was rather refreshing.

    Suddenly, there was turmoil among the new students, many of them standing on their tiptoes to get a look at the doors.

    Hermione and the others curiously turned to look. Three dark-skinned goblins had appeared at the door, one of them of advanced age, the wrinkles on his face so thick that it was hard to say if the expression on his face was distressed or emotionless.

    Pa! Pa! Pa!

    ¡°Oh my, truly an astonishing magical construct. Take a look at this sturdy floor and that wondrous magical night sky.¡±

    The old goblin carefully inspected the candlelit hall. Clapping his hands, he spoke in a slow and gentle tone.

    ¡°If you like, you can hire the Ministry of Magic¡¯s Department of Works to build one for Gringotts.¡±

    Fudge quickly walked up to the goblins and lightly coughed. Smiling, he extended a hand, ¡°Let me introduce myself¡­¡±

    ¡°Cornelius Fudge, the new Minister for Magic. Decent luck, having never experienced any major incidents.¡±

    The old goblin turned to the younger goblins and introduced the man. He made no attempts to keep his voice low, and even the distant Alina could hear him clearly.

    The smile on Fudge¡¯s face froze. He drew his hand back and began to speak stiffly.

    ¡°Hogwarts is a school for human wizards. No matter, it can¡¯t be handed over to the management of the goblins of Gringotts. I¡¯m sure we both understand this.¡±

    ¡°Of course. We have no interest in teaching human cubs. But if the debts are not cleared when the loan is due, according to the terms of the contract, this castle will belong to Gringotts.¡±

    The old goblin slowly raised his head, a smile on his wrinkled face as he continued to speak in that slow and measured tone.

    ¡°This is not a cooperative attitude. You clearly said that Gringotts was willing to communicate so that we could address this problem.¡±

    Lucius Malfoy frowned, glancing at the unhappy Greengrass as he hastily spoke.

    ¡°Oh, yes, yes. You, human wizards, are always so anxious. In truth, just as I said, Gringotts is not exactly enthusiastic about investing in real estate. We prefer the jingling of gold coins.¡±

    The old goblin slowly stroked his white beard as he slowly shook his head.

    Standing behind Professor McGonagall, Alina suddenly paled. She suddenly realized what the goblins were up to.

    It was obvious that after the events of August 19th, the goblins of Gringotts had sensed something.

    But as Dumbledore was standing at the front of the crowd, she couldn¡¯t even shoot him a glance.

    Meanwhile, the old goblin continued to speak, a hint of pride in his voice.

    ¡°Thus, all of this is still negotiable. After all, we¡¯ve always had an excellent financial relationship with the wizarding human world.

    Pa.

    The old goblin snapped his slender fingers, and sparks exploded in the air. Afterward, a long scroll of parchment appeared in his hand.

    ¡°Gally Wix, please explain to the honored Minister the sincerity of Gringotts¡­with regards to the subject of resolving the mortgage of Hogwarts early.¡±

 Chapter 60

    Gally Wix?

    Upon hearing this name, Alina curiously poked her head out from behind Professor McGonagall and looked at the one the old goblin had called Gally Wix. She had a rather decent impression of this goblin who had greeted her and Dumbledore at Gringotts. At the very least, he was more similar than most to the professional managers in her last life.

    But, frankly speaking, besides differences in sex and age, Alina really couldn¡¯t tell the difference between goblins. They were all short, had dark faces, long and slender fingers, and noses as long as Pinocchio¡¯s. It was only now that she recognized the goblin who had once guided her.

    ¡°Ahem, the honorable Minister for Magic for Great Britain, members of the Hogwarts Board of Governors, Gringotts has always valued the friendship between goblins and human wizards.¡±

    Gally Wix stood up straight and gripped the long scroll of parchment. After glancing at Fudge, Greengrass, and Dumbledore, he began to stiffly read.

    ¡°In consideration of the proposal offered by the British Ministry of Magic and the Hogwarts Board of Governors, and after earnest discussion, the Gringotts Council of Elders has decided to make a concession, including waiving the approximately three hundred million Galleons in commission and returning to property deed to Salazar Slytherin¡¯s castle.¡±

    ¡°It seems very tempting. What of the conditions?¡±

    Fudge noncommittally nodded and sternly asked.

    Although he was often castigated as lacking and incapable of holding the post of Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge was no mediocre man who had lucked his way into power. He would never believe that the goblins who valued money as much as their own lives would take a loss on a business transaction.

    ¡°A few minor, administrative convenience,¡± Gally Wix bowed and smiled. ¡°Gringotts hopes that Great Britain will try a more convenient currency to replace the heavy metal coin. You can regard each piece of the new currency as a miniature loan contract. Any wizard can take this loan contract to Gringotts and exchange it for the equivalent value in Galleons.¡±

    ¡°Just like those Muggle countries, those little green pieces of paper called pound notes or dollars?¡±

    ¡°Correct, exactly like that. The Non-Magic World has been using this system of currency for a very long time, and time has proved this to be an extremely effective method of promoting commercial activity throughout society.¡±

    ¡°But this does not seem to have any benefit to the goblins, yes?¡±

    Fudge frowned. His intuition told him that something was wrong, but he couldn¡¯t pin down exactly what.

    ¡°No, no, no, we already benefit immensely from this.¡±

    Gally Wix smiled and shook his head, raising his slender index finger as a serious expression appeared on his dark face. ¡°My dear Minister, just like how human women like sparkling jewels, the only thing we goblins enjoy is hearing the sounds of Galleons bumping against each other.¡±

    ¡°Fine, there¡¯s something else, right?¡± Fudge had an understanding look on his face as he raised an eyebrow. This matched his understanding of goblins. These cunning magical creatures had an obsession with gold coins that bordered on illness.

    Upon seeing that Fudge¡¯s tone had relaxed, Gally Wix bowed even deeper, a sharp flash of light in his eyes. He humbly continued, ¡°The second condition: Gringotts hopes for broader cooperation with the Magic World. For each year, we would like to add an additional five hundred human employees to work at Gringotts Wizarding Bank and assist in its daily operations.¡±

    ¡°Oh, raising the employment quota? That¡¯s something that interests me. In actuality, there are quite a few wizards in the Magic World who can¡¯t find proper jobs. This proposal is wonderful in my book.¡±

    Fudge gave a nod of approval as he warmly replied.

    ¡°Yes. We also wish to use this opportunity to deepen our mutual friendship. While this castle is very enchanting, we believe that there are even more important matters that need to be done.¡±

    Gally Wix¡¯s expression relaxed as he happily smiled. ¡°For the last condition, you must understand that if we simply terminate the contract, Gringotts will lose a fortune of nearly eight hundred million Galleons. We must recover the principal of this loan.¡±

    ¡°Oh, do you really think that¡¯s possible? The Ministry of Magic doesn¡¯t have that much in liquid funds,¡± Fudge waved his hand and said.

    ¡°The Ministry of Magic has always played an important role in the stability of the Magic World, but for their own interest, many businesses and workshops conceal their profits to avoid paying taxes.¡±

    Gally Wix pointed at himself and continued, ¡°We at Gringotts can help the Ministry of Magic audit the accounts and find those people who have been avoiding taxes. We simply require that a percentage of the additional taxes be given to Gringotts to pay off the principal of the loan.¡±

    ¡°Gentlemen, I don¡¯t hear any reason to refuse. Anyone who refused such sincerity would definitely be the biggest fool in the world.¡±

    Fudge looked at the bitter-faced Greengrass and then at the pensive Dumbledore, and then he chuckled.

    ¡°Of course, then let¡¯s get along. Tomorrow, Gringotts will send the property deed to your office¡­¡±

    Gally Wix chuckled with him and began to roll up the parchment. At the same time, he patted his goblin colleague on the shoulder, a hint of pride in his eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I refuse!¡±

    The smile on Fudge¡¯s face disappeared as he gravely declared.

    ¡°Eh?¡± The smiles on the faces of the goblins froze.

    ¡°I said that the Ministry of Magic would not agree to those conditions,¡± Cornelius Fudge repeated himself.

    ¡°Sir, this is a joke, yes¡­it¡¯s not a very funny joke.¡± Gally Wix sensed that he almost certainly had an ugly smile on his face as he stiffly spoke.

    ¡°As you¡¯ve said, I am not a particularly smart or capable Minister for Magic, and the greatest guiding principle that has helped me avoid any large mishaps in the year that I¡¯ve been in this office is that I¡¯ve never made promises about something I don¡¯t understand. If there¡¯s a problem that makes a wizard such as Dumbledore hesitant, then it¡¯s not something I can simply decide on.¡±

    Fudge shook his head, exchanged a glance with Greengrass, and tidied up his suit.

    Seeing the stiff atmosphere, Greengrass smiled, took a step forward, and lightly clapped his hands.

    ¡°Then, gentlemen, let¡¯s change subjects. If the Ministry of Magic and the Hogwarts Board of Governors can obtain enough Galleons to repay the debt, then can we legally take back the deed for Hogwarts Castle from you?¡±

    ¡°Think it over. This is eight hundred million Galleons¡­¡±

    Gally Wix¡¯s voice was rather shrill. He did not understand why such tempting demands had still been refused.

    Fudge shook his head again.

    ¡°I presume that you did not come with the youngsters to breathe in some of the fresh air of the Scottish highlands, yes? Venerable Leos, one of the twelve goblin elders of Gringotts.¡±

    Fudge suddenly turned his gaze to the old wrinkled goblin whose eyes had been closed in slumber this entire time.

    ¡°Alright, Gally Wix, come back. I said before, while human wizards aren¡¯t that sharp when it comes to money, that doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re foolish and easily deceived.¡±

    Leos opened his eyes, and those turbid eyes suddenly shone with an intimidating light.

    ¡°Let us discuss the contract itself.¡±