The Old Ones of Hogwarts

Chapter 5.5: This can't possibly stump me?

Ding!

Congratulations! You have acquired the extraordinary trait [Butcher's Instinct].

In the kitchen, just as Ian was about to finish off the hen in front of him, a look of surprise flashed across his face, and he began to examine the effects of the special ability.

Gaining extraordinary traits means that a skill has reached a high level and that one has grasped a portion of the skill's true essence.

Just like the characteristics of psychology, it is similar to thought and perception.

And what effect would the characteristics of biological anatomy have?

Ian examined the characteristics and discovered that this butcher's instinct allowed him to analyze the optimal anatomical structure of any creature at a glance.

Well, this skill is better than nothing.

Looking at the hen that had been caught.

At that moment, Ian felt as if he could see through the chicken's feathers and find the perfect spot to make the cut.

Then, the blade moved, and a "click" was heard.

The hen's life was completely cut off.

The chefs nearby couldn't help but praise his decisive technique.

"Wow, Ian, your butchering skills are getting better and better!"

After Ian killed the chicken.

Next, help cut open the chicken meat that the chefs have already removed the feathers from.

With a few quick, sharp cuts, he made a series of slashes.

The chicken was then neatly cut out.

Ian chuckled and replied, "Hehe, I've become much more skilled."

After acquiring the extraordinary characteristics of the skill, progress was indeed rapid.

The extraordinary characteristics of these ordinary skills are indeed magical enough, but they are just magical. Ian can't help but look forward to what it would be like if he learned magic.

Are the extraordinary properties that magic produces even more powerful and wondrous?

Unfortunately, we have to wait another two weeks before the owl can go and buy the study books.

To this day, Ian still doesn't know why Dumbledore made the home visit first.

Is the Wu Family Orphanage really that attractive?

At his desk in the morning, he found himself unable to concentrate on his reading.

"It'll take so long! I really want to learn magic!"

I waited for several days in a row.

Ian felt like each day was an eternity. This feeling couldn't be described by the waiting time of ordering a condom online; it was like knowing that a goddess had already descended upon him, but he still had to wait for the postal service to deliver the condom to him.

"After all, I am an adult soul."

Ian didn't know how to describe his feelings. Was he impatient? Was he eager to get started? They all seemed to mean the same thing.

In essence, it's the anticipation of discovering a new world, the surprise of stepping from the real world into a magical one.

Let alone an adult soul, any normal person would be unable to resist the urge to explore that mysterious magic.

On that very day.

Ian chose to be a miner.

Although he himself is the owner of his own stall... Since he is an adult, he should be able to make the decisions that an adult should make. It's just a simple Diagon Alley, isn't it?

This is no challenge for me!

With his accumulated "huge sum" in his pocket, Ian began to rely on his meager memories of the original story to try and find the Leaky Cauldron in the vast city of London.

It was a bar that Muggles couldn't see at all; only wizards could. Through the bar, he could enter Diagon Alley, which was wizards' territory.

In the original story, this is how Harry Potter entered Diagon Alley.

So Ian wanted to give it a try too.

But he only knew the name of the bar and had no idea where the real address was.

The streets were teeming with people.

Ian disappeared into the crowd. He had already run through many blocks, but looking at the shops on both sides of the street, he couldn't see the bar anywhere.

"Bull Head Bar... Jenny's Restaurant, Tomorrow Hotel, KFC..."

A wide variety of shops.

Neither of them were what Ian was looking for.

Just like Platform Nine and Three-Quarters in the original story.

The Leaky Cauldron is only visible to wizards—Ian should be able to see it, he knows he just hasn't found the right location yet.

"Um?"

During his search, Ian suddenly realized that he seemed to be being followed—he immediately became somewhat suspicious!

Traffickers?

Organ trading isn't common these days, is it?

Ian quickened his pace and walked around several corners, taking the opportunity to look behind him—a person dressed in a black robe whose face could not be seen.

Ok.

It seems to make sense all of a sudden.

This outfit doesn't look like cosplay at all.

The reason why dark wizards kidnap young wizards is anyone's guess. In any case, it's unlikely that they can't have children themselves and want to find an offspring to inherit their dark magic.

"I'm being watched!"

Ian's heart tightened.

He was somewhat flustered.

Fortunately, he spotted the subway station entrance at that moment and quickly ran towards it—the man in black robes remained outside and did not follow him in.

The other party might not dare to use magic in crowded places.

after all.

Kidnapping a little wizard.

And the rules against provoking the Ministry of Magic.

The intensity of the pursuit they might face is absolutely different.

Is it roughly equivalent to the difference between breaking the law and counter-terrorism?

Heart beating wildly.

Ian was relieved and quickly boarded the subway. An hour later, he returned to the Wu family orphanage.

"Today was really dangerous! The magical world is definitely chaotic!"

Before the strangely square, eerie-looking gate of the orphanage, Ian's small, thin figure slowly walked into the orphanage, unaware that two figures were watching him from the shadows.

among them.

There was that man whom Ian considered a "dark wizard".

Dumbledore's steady voice rang out softly beside the man in black.

"Isn't it a bit too cautious of you to prevent him from experiencing the magical world ahead of time?"

The man in black remained silent.

Like a statue in the dark. His thoughts drifted back to an hour earlier, when he had cast a mysterious spell on Ian, preventing Ian from seeing the Leaky Cauldron that was right in front of him. Yes, it turned out that Ian hadn't failed to find the place, but rather had been unable to see it due to the interference of magic.

"Diagon Alley isn't some children's playground. There are plenty of dark wizards there, and I don't want him to be as foolish as him..."

The man in the black robe stopped mid-sentence, turned his head, and stared at Dumbledore with his deep eyes. After a long silence, his hoarse voice rang out.

"He belongs to Slytherin."

Without saying anything more, the man in black robes instantly activated his Apparition ability after leaving behind only a gentle breeze and fading magical fluctuations.

"The Orphan of the Wu Family..."

Dumbledore remained alone.

He continued to gaze quietly at the orphanage's weathered gate, staring at the dilapidated signboard, as if lost in memories, a complex expression on his face.

"I hope I won't make the same mistake this time."

Dumbledore let out a heavy sigh.

He turned and disappeared into the night.

just.

His departing figure looked somewhat hunched.