Chapter 159 Chapter 158: New story! beginning!
There was light rain in the sky, and at dusk in London, it was like an old painter inadvertently spilling his palette, dyeing the sky into a hazy mixture of gray blue and dark purple. The drizzle is like a weave, quietly weaving a gauze covering the entire city. Although the rain is not heavy, it is enough to make the air moist and heavy, intertwined with London's unique haze, forming a An indescribable, almost palpable mist.
"This bad weather."
Ms. Elena held up an umbrella and then handed one to the little guy. Raindrops slid down the ancient black umbrella, making a thin and crisp sound.
"There is such heavy smog even in summer." Ian was also a little surprised. This layer of fog not only blurred the outline of the buildings in the distance, but even the nearby pedestrians became shadowy, as if everyone was a part of this building. A vague silhouette in the city, hurriedly traveling through the fog of intertwined history and reality.
It is not without reason that many movies will exaggerate the heaviness of London. When you are in it, you can really feel the fusion of two completely different eras in this once glorious city.
"They are all those damn capitalists." Ms. Elena didn't notice the little guy lowering his head in guilt. She was still complaining angrily like most British people today.
"The economic environment is getting worse and worse, and poor homeless people can often be seen on the streets, but those capitalist factories are still operating around the clock."
"They tell people that there are no jobs and no profits. While they are frantically cutting people's incomes, they are trying to use fewer people to do the work that can be done by two or even three people."
"It's really ridiculous. What does it mean to have no profit? Without profit, they can't stop their factories for even a quarter of an hour. A lot of pollution is discharged into the air every day."
Ms. Elena angrily accused the British capitalists.
"Didn't I hear that there are trade unions in our country that can protect workers' interests and eight-hour working hours?" Ian really doesn't know much about the employment situation in the UK.
Before he traveled, the only channel he had to learn about Europe was through a forum.
"Oh, the union will only protect their own interests. Son, you have to know that those workers who can join the union are not the same class as the workers who actually work."
"Only children whose parents are union workers can join the union... As for the real working people and dock workers, the Prime Minister will not count them when calculating workers' living standards." Ms. Irina said with a look of sadness on her face. This brings up the current situation of the British Empire, which in recent years can only be decorated with whitewash.
"Especially this year, it's even harder. Those gentlemen have lost their own channels to plunder other people's wealth, so they come to exploit ordinary people. Do you dare to imagine that Sir Charlie's family can only eat barbecued meat from the freezer?" Elena The Sir Charles in question was a down-and-out nobleman who lived a few blocks away.
However, no matter how depressed he is, his daily life has always been good, and even a knight has started to be frugal in food, which shows that the economic situation of the British Empire is indeed not as good as before.
"Is it related to the return of the region in the east?" Ian heard some meaning from Ms. Elena's words. Before a certain region returned to the embrace of the Eastern dragon, the British Empire would plunder hundreds of billions of wealth from there every year. The people there have been exploited and oppressed by the British.
"It has something to do with the greed of those gentlemen! These guys are simply a bunch of beasts that can't get enough to eat! Just watch! One day they will all be hanged on the lampposts!"
"Civilization that relies on plunder will eventually be unsustainable. The sins of those gentlemen will also swallow us up!" Ms. Elena may indeed have a unique vision.
She seemed to have seen the moment when the sun would eventually set in the Empire where the sun never sets.
"Your topic is a bit heavy." Ian agreed with Ms. Elena's opinion, but he felt that his age was not suitable for talking about the rise and fall of the British Empire.
"Hey, I've seen too many bad things recently... You're right, we shouldn't talk about these when you go home." Ms. Elena touched Ian's head.
"Of course, the life of our orphanage is not that difficult. There are still many kind-hearted people who donate to us, especially the gentleman who has donated large sums of pounds to us over the years."
"He donated more this year... Maybe it's because you went to that school. When he donated, he impatiently told me when I pressed him that he and you were alumni."
Ms. Elena's tone was full of gratitude, "Although he is a very difficult gentleman to get along with, I believe he must be a good person."
"Just like the professor who took you to that school, both of them gave me the same feeling." Ms. Elena's words made Ian's eyes twinkle slightly.
"Then this gentleman is quite arrogant."
Ian's tone had a bit of laughter in it.
"You're right."
Ms. Elena immediately nodded in agreement.
"So, in fact, life in the orphanage can still be maintained, and you don't have to ask your professor to bring us your scholarship. It should be used for you to complete your own studies."
It took a long time to go around.
It turns out that Ms. Elena wanted to persuade Ian.
"Don't worry, I have money to use. All my classmates in school are good people. They like to buy my handicrafts very much, and I have made a lot of windfall one after another."
As he spoke, Ian took out a stack of pounds that he had prepared in advance. In order to be more realistic, these pounds were of small denominations and not considered brand new.
However.
This still aroused Ms. Elena's suspicion.
"How come I don't know what other handicrafts you can make?" She looked at the little guy in front of her suspiciously, but did not accept the pound handed over by Ian.
"Of course I learned it in school. I have a pretty good talent." Ian forced himself to show a sincere look, without revealing the slightest hint of guilt in his tone.
"That's right, aristocratic schools always let students learn all kinds of strange skills." Ms. Elena seemed to believe it, but she still didn't pick up Ian's pounds.
"Take it for yourself, there are still many places where you will need money in the future."
Ms. Elena patted the back of Ian's head happily.
She continued walking forward with Ian.
On the street, the sunlight reflected the faint light of the stagnant water, like mirrors inlaid on the stone pavement, reflecting the city that was still dusty after being washed by rain.
"What's for dinner tonight?"
Ian took the initiative to change the subject.
"Of course your favorite radish and cabbage stew soup."
Ms. Elena responded with a smile.
The setting sun poured down the winding paths like molten gold.
The figures of Dean Elena and Ian were stretched into a long strip by the afterglow of the setting sun. The little guy walked on the familiar streets and felt an unprecedented sense of calm and peace in his heart.
It was as if the anxiety of not being able to enter the trance-like world for months had been relieved.
There's always something magical about home.
It can soothe many negative emotions in the heart of every wanderer returning home.
"The children have been talking about you." Ms. Elena insisted on helping Ian carry his luggage, and she also chose the largest one. She hoped to take good care of the children but also had a hint of disobedience to the elderly.
Compared with the dean that Ian saw when he was a child, Ms. Elena's appearance has added many ridges, and the originally beautiful long blond hair has turned into a more lean gray-white short hair.
Years of hard work and burden have made this woman, who is only in her early fifties, look much older than her actual age, especially her hands, which are as wrinkled as dead trees.
"I often dream about them too." Ian followed Ms. Elena, dragging a small suitcase that seemed to be the lightest but was actually the heaviest and quite dangerous.
Compared to before she went to Hogwarts to study, the director of the orphanage seemed to be thinner and older. As a devout nun who grew up in a church family, she dedicated her life to one orphan after another. , but it failed to make the God she believed in slow down the flow of years on her body.
"After you went to school, I lost your help. Those naughty children made me angry several times. Without your restraint, the troublemakers would run around and cause trouble all day long."
"Fortunately, I successfully sent them all out. Naughty little guys are always more popular with adoptive families. I think this must have something to do with the book you left them." Ms. Elena said Telling about the trivial things that happened in daily life, an inadvertent glance made the little guy lower his head with guilt.
Before he left the orphanage and went to Hogwarts to study, he did leave a "Guidelines for Choosing Parents" to the little ones, which detailed how to identify a loving family and how to gain the love of adults. His purpose was of course I hope my younger brothers and sisters can find a good home.
It is difficult to see any future in an orphanage. Adoption by a good family is the best destination for most orphans. Couples who can obtain adoption qualifications are generally from the middle class.
"The main reason is that they are lucky, and it has nothing to do with me..." Ian tried to quibble, but Ms. Elena obviously didn't believe him.
"Anyway, the books you left behind really helped the children a lot. At least they let them know how to get along with adults. I think you are the smartest little guy in our courtyard."
Ms. Elena touched Ian's head and led him towards the orphanage. She did not have her own car. The old car she had picked up when she picked him up came from a kind-hearted old neighbor.
Ian has always felt that the neighbor's old man has a crush on his Dean Elena, but he has never found any evidence or opportunity, so he has been unable to promote this possible twilight love.
Although nuns almost devote their entire lives to God, Ms. Elena actually has little faith in God after seeing all the suffering in the world.
If it weren't for continuing to receive relief funding from the church, Ian would have felt that Ms. Elena had already "returned to the secular world". Ms. Elena's thinking has always been pragmatic.
"The smartest child... I heard you say similar things to Catherine and Mia, oh, yes, and Daniel, you also praised him like this when he collected the maggots in the toilet and tried to eat meat for everyone, but Secretly, he told me to get all those maggots into the mud in the backyard.”
Ian counted in detail how many children Ms. Elena had praised as the smartest children, and the names blurted out one by one, covering almost all the little ones in the entire orphanage.
"Hahahahaha~"
Ms. Elena was not embarrassed after being exposed. Instead, she laughed loudly. The two of them talked and laughed and finally walked back to the old house that looked slightly dilapidated.
Wu's Orphanage.
The outside of the orphanage is still mottled, and the gray walls are covered with traces of rain erosion. Time has carved indelible marks on this historic orphanage.
"Welcome home, kid."
Ms. Elena stepped forward and pushed open the door. The iron door had long been rusted, and the door shaft made a harsh creaking sound due to disrepair. The door lintel was originally carved with some kind of auspicious pattern, but now it is blurred. , leaving only scratches of varying depths, recording the curious touches of passing children.
The dim yellow glow of the gas lamp dizzy in the rain curtain, also seems to be a signal that the night is coming early.
Pushing open the slightly heavy door, the slightly desolate scenery in the courtyard looked quite quiet, and a smell mixed with the smell of food and disinfectant came to his face. This was a smell that was all too familiar to Ian in his memory. It is like an invisible link, connecting him with every corner of this small world.
“It’s indeed cabbage and radish stew!”
Ian rushed towards the kitchen without hesitation. There were many little guys like him waiting in the kitchen, waiting for the meal to be served. When they saw Ian come in, they immediately burst into cheers.
"It's him! It's him! The man who brought the cabbage stew! Our king!"
"Ian, I miss you so much! No one will kick my ass without you!"
"Oh! God! Ian, you have grown so tall! When you threaten me tomorrow that you will crawl under your crotch if I disobey, I think I will no longer feel that your crotch is too narrow!"
"I want a hug! Ian! I want a hug! Mia, get out of here!"
……
The children started chirping.
They gathered around and exchanged greetings. Some asked him about interesting stories about his trip, while others couldn't wait to know what treasures were hidden in Ian's suitcase.
"There are dangerous goods in here!"
Ian quickly stopped a few curious little guys.
"Welcome home, little Ian."
The aunt in charge of the kitchen was also pleasantly surprised. She missed the time when Ian was helping to cook, and this little guy could always get some meat from various places.
"Aunt Marilyn, let me see if your cooking skills are rusty!" As he said this, Ian was going to go to the pot to scoop out food with his iron hands. As expected, he was hit with an iron spoon by the aunt in charge of the kitchen, Ms. Marilyn. He touched his hand. This familiar pain made Ian grin and smile at the same time.
"Behave, little one. Take your brothers and sisters out quickly to wash their hands before eating. Remember to wash them three times." Ms. Marilyn gave instructions to Ian.
"Okay."
Ian nodded honestly.
but.
Before leaving the kitchen with a group of friends, he walked up to Ms. Marilyn and stuffed a large handful of bills that Ms. Elena had rejected into Ms. Marilyn's apron pocket.
"This is the money Dean Elena asked me to give you to buy more milk for the children." Ian ran out after leaving a pretentious sentence.
"Wait for me! Ian! You haven't hugged me yet!"
"Oni said you might not come back, please take us to slap her in the mouth!"
"Ian! Ian! I'll give you all my meat for the night! Can you tell us a story outside?" A group of children immediately ran out after Ian.
Ian brought them to Dean Elena, and these little guys calmed down a little. Dean Elena's face was full of suppressed smiles when they saw this scene.
"After dinner, you can distribute the gifts you brought back. Don't let them stop eating at night after eating a bunch of snacks." Ms. Elena handed the suitcase back to Ian.
She also roughly guessed what Ian wanted to do.
"If we don't give it to them now, they won't be able to eat at night." Ian knew the psychology of children very well. He opened his big suitcase and took out a big schoolbag from it.
All the children looked at him with bright eyes.
I saw.
In the eyes of a group of children with admiration and ecstasy, Ian was like an omnipotent magician in their minds, shaking a lot of snacks onto the stone slabs under the eaves. All kinds of snacks poured out like a rainbow, and all kinds of snacks were as colorful as a rainbow, instantly attracting the attention of all the children.
Chocolate bars, potato chips, jelly, and brightly packaged fruit candies... these may be commonplace in the eyes of urban children, but they are rare treasures here.
"Come and get it, everyone has a share!" Ian shouted with a smile. The children were stunned for a moment, and then burst into excited cheers.
In front of an old house.
The young figures crowded together.
However. .
Surprisingly, they did not rob.
Although the children's eyes sparkled with desire for food, they did not swarm over as Ian expected. Instead, they all looked at Ian.
"I want that chocolate bar!"
A little girl pointed shyly, and after receiving Ian's nod, she carefully picked up one, with a satisfied and happy smile on her face.
"Can I have these chips?"
A little boy also asked a question, his eyes sparkling with curiosity and excitement. After receiving a positive answer, he gently picked up a bag of potato chips as if it were the most precious treasure in the world.
"Take whatever you want!"
Ian spoke helplessly to his friends.
then.
After hesitating for a moment, the little ones all stretched out their immature hands. Each child only took away his favorite snack, and each one only took one. Their little hands gently touched the packaging, and their eyes shone with treasury and gratitude for this gift from Ian.
When all the children found their own "treasures", Ian discovered that there were still a lot of snacks left on the table. They were lying there quietly but no one continued to reach out.
"Get more!"
Ian reluctantly picked up the snacks and stuffed them into the hands of the children next to him.
"You want to eat too, we all ate. What did you eat during the holidays?" Catherine, who kept chewing on a gummy candy, looked at her eldest brother who was returning home in front of her with an innocent face.
"Yeah, yeah, that's enough for us."
The other children all agreed with Catherine's point of view. They all learned to cherish, share and be grateful. The adults who silently contributed to the orphanage taught these children to be very kind.
"Tch, I've eaten enough. Do you know what a noble school is?" Ian directly used a little trick and distributed all the snacks to the hands of his friends with a look of disdain.
"Long live Ian!"
"So many! So many! I can hardly hold them anymore!"
"Ian! You are the real God!"
"When I grow up, I want to go to school like you! I will also bring delicious food back with you!"
……
The minds of little guys are so simple.
The harvest that exceeded expectations made everyone extremely happy. Their laughter was clear and sweet, penetrating the tranquility of the evening and adding a bit of life to this slightly dull space.
Ian's eyes swept over the young faces one by one. Some of the children he could already name, while others were still as unfamiliar as meeting them for the first time.
This is the orphanage. Some people leave and some stay, no matter old or new, Ian feels that as long as they enter this door, they are all his family.
"Of course, Tom is an exception."
Ian muttered under his breath.
"Ah? What's wrong with me?"
"Are you talking about me?"
"Ian, are you calling my name?"
……
Children's ears are very sensitive.
Ian muttered under his breath.
Immediately, several children named Tom looked over in confusion.
"..."
Ian couldn't help but shook his head.
"I'm talking about a classmate of mine at school, um, a classmate I don't know well." Ian led his brothers and sisters into the house, and he first went back to his dormitory.
All the furnishings are still the same, simple but neat.
His bed was carefully made, as if to silently welcome him back.
"I clean you every day. I even cleaned you three times this morning." Catherine emerged from the crowd and asked Ian for credit with a proud look on her face.
She was one of the children who was most looking forward to Ian's return to the orphanage.
"Okay, okay, you are the best, I will tell you a story tomorrow." Ian winked at Catherine, the only child in the orphanage who knew that he was going to learn magic.
"I want to hear stories too!"
"Yes! Catherine can hear stories! We want to hear stories too!"
"Ian! Don't you remember that you promised me that when I grow up, you will tell me the story of "Orphan"? Look at how big my head is now."
< br>
……
Everyone was chattering really noisily, and Ian had a headache so he could only agree, "You guys eat well tonight, and I will tell you a story tomorrow."
The words fell.
A group of children immediately swarmed towards the washing area. Only Catherine was still standing there, and Ian thought she might want to ask something about Hogwarts.
"Come to my room secretly at night?"
After Ian said this, he felt a little like an evil bad guy, but he really just felt that things about Hogwarts could only be told to this special little girl behind the back of other children.
"Okay, okay."
Catherine jumped for joy, but soon she returned her gaze to the snacks she was holding, her young face looking quite troubled.
"What's wrong with you?"
Ian walked up with concern.
"I was thinking about which snacks to give to Miss Elena and the others, as well as the weird uncle that Miss Elena picked up." Catherine expressed her troubles without hesitation.
"Don't worry, I have prepared gifts for them. You don't need to share these things... Eating too much junk food is not good for them as elderly people."
Ian first comforted Catherine, and then asked curiously, "What happened to the strange uncle you mentioned that Ms. Elena picked up?"
He was a little wary.
This is Britain.
There are many men and women who try to sneak into the orphanage and do some evil things. If you study history in detail, you will know that copper-smelting addiction originated from this continent.
"You know, we are all children picked up by Miss Elena. She often picks up children outside, but a few weeks ago she picked up an uncle who didn't like to talk."
"That uncle is a very good person. He often teaches us writing and painting, but he only comes out before six o'clock. He will not come out no matter what happens after six o'clock."
Catherine's description piqued Ian's interest.
"Can you take me to find him?"
Ian put away his luggage, stuffed the small suitcase into the closet and locked it, and then followed Catherine to a corner room that was supposed to be unused in his memory.
“Dong dong dong~”
Catherine knocked on the door for Ian.
"Is Hogwarts fun?"
After all, she couldn't help but lower her voice and asked.
"Of course. When you reach school age, I will take you to Hogwarts, where you can walk sideways." Ian touched Catherine's head with a look of endearment.
"Do all magicians walk sideways?"
Catherine's ideas are slightly novel.
"Well... this is a metaphor. It means that you don't have to worry about others bullying you in school. If anyone messes with you, just tell me and I will help you deal with that guy."
Ian suppressed a smile and explained to Catherine.
The little girl was thoughtful.
"I understand!"
She suddenly slapped her forehead.
"You are the school bully!"
Catherine's eyes lit up as if she had discovered something extraordinary.
"I'm not a school bully, I only bully school bullies." Ian quickly defended his reputation, but his serious look did not scare Catherine.
"Then I understand again! You are the school bully among school bullies! The bully within the school bully!"
This is obviously a smart little girl.
"..."
Ian wiped his eyes helplessly.
"Let's knock on the door. Isn't he in the room?"
He changed the subject.
"No, this uncle will not leave the room every night." As she said this, Catherine raised her little hand again, clenched it into a fist and knocked lightly on the door.
The force is very small.
Maybe the people inside couldn't hear it clearly.
"I'll do it."
Ian said as he raised his fist and slammed the door.
"Dong dong dong!"
The violent movement made the door frame shake several times.
"Is this the momentum of a school bully?"
Catherine's eyes shone, as if she had confirmed her judgment.
"Who is it?"
Before Ian could correct him, a tired voice sounded from the door. Perhaps the other person was asleep when Catherine knocked lightly on the door.
"Uncle, my brother is back. He said he wanted to see you." After Catherine shouted at the door, she lowered her voice and described it to Ian in a low voice.
"I don't think he will see us. As long as it's past six o'clock and there's a rain of gold coins outside, I don't think this uncle will even step out of his room."
She had just finished speaking with a slightly firm tone.
"Kaz~"
The old wooden door was opened.
"Who did I hear talking about gold coins? Where can I find gold coins?" A head with messy hair poked out of the door. He had an unkempt beard and a slightly aged face.
He obviously looks like he is only in his thirties, but he has wrinkles and gray hair at a young age. His light brown hair is mixed with many extremely gray hair strands.
It can only be said that the appearance alone fits Ian's stereotype of a homeless person.
"Huh?"
The little girl was dumbfounded when she saw the door was opened and the "weird uncle" came out.
"Uncle Lupine may be in a good mood today. This is my brother. He is the uncle that Miss Elena rescued." Catherine, whose face turned red, was very embarrassed. The feeling of being slapped in the face made her stay put. Unable to hold back, he immediately introduced the two of them to each other and then rushed towards the restaurant.
Cabbage and radish stew.
Who doesn't love it?
If you go late, you won't be able to grab it.
This is how the little girl mentally defends her behavior.
"Lupin?"
Ian looked at the tall and thin man who came out in confusion. He was wearing a tattered cotton suit with repair marks everywhere on it.
"Remus Lupin?"
Ian opened his mouth to confirm again with some suspicion.
"It's Remus John Lupin... do you know me?" The man who looked quite experienced corrected Ian's words, which was equivalent to verifying his identity that perhaps not many people still remember.
certainly.
Although Ian didn't know much about this person, he still knew some general information. Not only because of his past life memories, he also asked the professors at school about this poor man.
Mainly to research wolfsbane potion. There are many werewolves in the world. If you can make a cheap and easy-to-use wolfsbane potion, you will definitely gain the favor and enthusiasm of the werewolves.
One thing to say.
Ian has indeed researched something. Werewolf is indeed an infectious disease, not the shortcut Animagus form he originally guessed. Just like the famous "dragon pox", werewolf is also a magical disease, more precisely, it is an infectious disease called "wolf disease".
It spreads among people through contact with saliva and blood. It is not feasible to help werewolves get rid of the side effects of werewolves and discover a new Animagus.
"Know a thing or two?"
Ian blinked in response.
Anyone who knows the background of the Harry Potter world knows that Remus Lupine is a very dangerous werewolf. When he was four years old, his father offended the werewolf Fenrir Greyback.
Out of revenge, the werewolf broke into the bedroom through the window and bit little Lupine. Lupine became a werewolf from then on. His parents tried various methods to save him but to no avail.
He and his parents thought he couldn't go to Hogwarts because other parents wouldn't want their children to be around a werewolf, but when Albus Dumbledore became Headmaster, he came up with some ideas to get him to go to Hogwarts. Remus can come to Hogwarts. From then on, Lupine also became Albus Dumbledore's diehard loyalist.
It was in order to allow Remus Lupine to complete his studies at Hogwarts that Dumbledore ordered someone to plant a whomping willow in the school grounds.
The Whomping Willow covers the passage leading to the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade. Remus Lupine will transform into the Shrieking Shack through this secret passage every full moon night.
The purpose is of course to ensure the safety of other students and Remus himself. This is a little-known past, and many people may only know the story of Lupine and Potter.
"Well, since you know who I am, I don't need to introduce myself." Lu Ping looked a little surprised, but he breathed a sigh of relief and put the cheat sheet hidden in his sleeve back into his trouser pocket.
Ian, who was sharp-eyed, saw the dense small print on this note. It contained a fabricated identity and background, and a description of how he was living on the street because of a failed investment and bankruptcy.
to be honest.
Ian felt that as soon as Lupine stopped here, the aura of abjection hit his face. There was nothing wrong with such an identity and background, but he doubted that Lupine could tell about his experiences when he was wealthy.
"Were you a wealthy businessman before your investment failed?"
Ian told the information he saw.
"This is indeed the background setting."
Lupine answered the little wizard's question calmly.
"Can you tell me how many eggs the rich businessman eats in the morning?" Ian is a character who wants to verify his suspicions, so he immediately started to torture Lu Ping.
"Uh?"
Lupine subconsciously seemed to want to ask for a note.
"No cheat sheets allowed."
Ian's words made the down-and-out werewolf quite helpless.
"I think... I'll eat at least five, with some grilled sausages and vegetables." He could only answer based on his imagination after thinking about it for a while.
"..."
Ian seemed to see a Western version of a rich man eating a bowl of braised chicken and rice and throwing in a bowl of braised chicken and rice. It was hard for him to imagine that such a person with flaws all over his body could win Ms. Elena's trust.
"You shouldn't have cast a confusion spell on our dean, right?"
Ian looked at the young werewolf in front of him with a strange expression.
"Of course not. Ms. Elena is a very kind and good person, and she will not ask me such weird questions." Lupine sighed helplessly.
"If you want to infiltrate a place, you must first make relevant preparations. Catherine said you have been at the orphanage for several weeks, and you are not even familiar with the fabricated identity information!"
Ian seemed to have seen something incredible.
"What can I do? I'm not a Ravenclaw... Maybe you don't know, but I'm from Gryffindor, so endorsements have never been my strong point." Lupine may indeed be considered an outstanding person. wizard, but he seems to have the same problem as most outstanding Gryffindors.
"Even if you are a Gryffindor, but the most basic thing is to use money to do things, you still have to make money with conscience, right?" After Ian finished speaking, he seemed to have remembered something.
"Oh, by the way, there is something you may be interested in, that is, there are not many Glenpoints this year, but there are many Ravenclaw points." His somewhat nonsensical statement made Lupine stunned for a long time.
"I didn't take any money..." After a while, he answered in a faint voice.
All right.
Now I know who are the real capitalists without conscience.
"It's okay, I'll give you some." Ian took out a heavy money bag and handed it to Lupine, which was filled with copper nuts that he had begun to dislike.
One gold galleung is equivalent to four hundred and ninety-three copper knuts, so in fact, this full bag of money is not enough to collect one gold galleung, and Ian is too embarrassed to take it to Gringotts to save it.
certainly.
Lupine, who is used to being poor, will definitely not dislike it.
"Are you trying to bribe me?"
Although his eyes were already on the money bag, he still did not put aside his moral integrity to get it. As an adult wizard, his self-esteem did not allow him to accept the charity from the young wizard.
"This is the reward you deserve."
Ian stuffed the money bag inside Lupine's clothes. I don't know if Lupine thought it was too cold in summer or for some other reason, but he subconsciously hugged his clothes and looked quite happy.
Check out the 16-9 book bar and see the correct version!
"Dumbledore said you were very rich and asked me to be rude to you." Lu Ping seemed to be trying to show his respect, looked around, and then let go of the door that was blocked by him.
"Want to come in and chat?"
He seemed to be sure that the little wizard might have many doubts in his heart.
"Dumbledore asked you to protect me?" Ian walked into the somewhat simple room. He felt that he had guessed the reason why Lupine would appear in Wu's Orphanage.
"Dumbledore asked me to keep an eye on you to prevent you from causing any trouble in the Muggle world. He said you brought back some very, very dangerous... things?"
Lupine didn't seem to have any detailed understanding of Ian's situation. He might have been wandering before and was captured by Albus Dumbledore.
"Oh, how much our principal doesn't trust me, I won't blow up my own home carelessly." Ian's angry response did not make Lu Ping feel at ease.
"What!? You brought explosives back!?"
Lupine's eyes widened in surprise. In his memory, Dumbledore was talking about special magical animals. He thought he was taking care of another Newt Scamander.
Who would have thought...how a demolition genius would show up!
"I am a metaphor!"
Ian quickly defended his image again.
"Okay, just come back without any explosives."
Lupine breathed a sigh of relief visibly. It's just the silence of the little wizard. His originally relaxed expression became a little stiff again.
"So, there are still explosives, right?"
The corners of Lupine's eyes began to twitch crazily.
He gradually realized that the task assigned to him by Albus Dumbledore was not simple.
This is just a first-year little wizard!
"How can potions be called explosives..." Ian's response didn't seem to have much confidence. He simply chose to change the topic and continued.
"Just in time! You're here! I have something to do this holiday, and you can help me conduct some interesting experiments." Ian rubbed his hands and looked eager to try.
Lupine seemed a little less confident.
"Dumbledore told me that you are proficient in Potions and Alchemy. Although my grades in these two subjects were good when I was in school, I have forgotten many things now."
"I'm afraid I can't provide you with much help or guidance." I don't know if Lupine is being modest, but this is completely unimportant to the little wizard.
"It's okay, I don't need you to teach me anything." Ian waved his hands with a smile, his look of not caring much made Lu Ping feel a little confused.
"Then what do you need me to do for you?"
He asked patiently in a calm tone.
The little wizard's eyes were bright.
"Of course you are cooperating with me in the experiment!"
Ian seemed to have seen the moment when he would make his first fortune in the wizarding world with Wolfsbane Potion.
"So, let me help you?"
Lupine looked like he suddenly understood.
"Of course it's no problem!"
He smiled helpfully.
However.
The next moment, the future werewolf professor's smile froze on his face.
"No, no, no, I mean, I do experiments, and you are the experiment I want to do!" Ian grabbed Lupine's arm, which was unusually densely hairy.
"Look! What a worthy subject of study!"
Ian carefully plucked a few hairs from Lupine's arm.
"..."
Lupine watched the little wizard's behavior, and the expressions on his face changed one after another, which was quite wonderful. After holding it in for a long time, he asked bitterly in a hoarse voice.
"You know I'm a werewolf?"
He obviously did not expect this situation. He thought that when Ian said that he knew him a little bit, he was just expressing that he knew that he had studied at Hogwarts.
"What about werewolves and not werewolves? It's so unfamiliar to talk about. I only know that you are family when you enter the gate of our orphanage. Of course I have to help the family solve their problems!"
Ian tried to persuade Lupine with a righteous excuse.
"What would you use your family as guinea pigs for?"
Lu Ping was not fooled.
"We have to break down what kind of family members it is... Oh, it seems that Dumbledore hasn't told you yet about the story of how I used the magic of love to influence another rebellious and evil family member."
Ian said as he took out another syringe.
The little wizard in front of him took out this kind of thing.
Lupine, who had been raising his hand and letting Ian play with his arm, was immediately startled, retracted his arm, and looked at Ian with a serious expression, who seemed to be unaware of the werewolf's characteristics.
"Maybe your potion skills are really good. After all, you are a Prince, but this does not mean that you can perform such a dangerous operation as extracting the blood of a werewolf."
"It doesn't matter if I lose some blood, but you are very likely to be irreversibly infected. I think you will learn this kind of knowledge in the Defense Against the Dark Arts class in the next few years." Lupine is indeed a kind-hearted person. A good person, he seriously warned and reminded Ian.
Staring at the little wizard in front of him.
Lupine felt that he already knew why Albus Dumbledore let him stare at this first-year student. He really felt it was unbelievable that a guy with such a bold attempt to draw blood from a werewolf could actually be a Ravenclaw who was always known for his rigor and thoughtfulness?
"You took my reward..."
Ian looked at Lupine's bulging clothes faintly.
"???????"
At this moment, Lu Ping suddenly realized that he had been tricked by a first-year wizard. The copper coins that only he took care of were actually his reward?
Who can recruit experimental subjects and only give them a few steel coins?
Lu Ping, who was quite speechless, took out his wallet without saying a word and planned to return it to the little wizard. He warned himself again in his heart that there might be no free lunch in this world.
Ian didn't pick it up.
"Of course I know how dangerous werewolf blood is." Ian put on dragon skin gloves for himself. It's not like he hasn't studied the issues of werewolf blood and contagiousness - in the magical world, werewolf blood is like a certain kind of hermaphrodite. The virus is spread through wounds and can be passed on to future generations.
"Because we know how dangerous this disease is, we have to treat it, right? For everyone." Ian began to talk about the truth again.
"You actually call this a disease?"
Lupine scoffed.
"It's a curse! A very terrible curse!"
He finally showed his scumbag side.
"Let's bet, if I can cure this disease, you will work for me for a hundred years." Ian was confident, and he already had a direction for improving the wolfsbane potion.
All that's missing is a live werewolf experiment and virus samples.
"What kind of job do you do?"
Lupine frowned.
"That's something we can talk about later."
Ian showed his cautious side as a Ravenclaw student. He was ambitious and wanted to do something as beautiful as General Gold printing US dollars in the wizarding world. This is a big deal, so Ian will not casually tell others that he plans to build a money printing factory in the future.
"I don't think I can live a hundred years."
Lupine couldn't help but laugh. He just thought the little wizard was joking. Seeing that the little wizard still wanted to draw his own blood, he immediately pulled down his sleeve.
"It's okay, you can ask your son to finish the unfinished work for you." Ian looked at Lupine's arm with regret, feeling that the nanny Dumbledore had found lacked trust in him.
"You actually think I will have descendants?"
Lupine smiled bitterly as if he had heard some hell joke, "This is never possible. You know, no father would want his child to be born a werewolf like himself."
Said.
Lupine also sighed heavily.
The tone is sad.
It's not like he never had a girl he liked.
"So, treat the disease first. This is the most important thing." In order to show his level of strength, Ian took out a lot of difficult potions that he brewed.
However.
Not only did this fail to convince Lu Ping, but it actually made Lu Ping's eyes widen in shock.
"You emptied Snape's coffers!?"
He looked in disbelief at the potions that Ian had placed all over the room.
"Good uncle also has a small treasury!?"
Ian's eyes suddenly lit up again.
"Well...it turns out not to be the case. If you give up your attempt to study me, I think I would be willing to tell you where Snape's little vault is."
Lupine's tone sounded a little regretful. He still wanted to persuade the young wizard not to attempt dangerous operations, and was a little worried that Ian would go to Diagon Alley to find other werewolves to conduct so-called research.
"Forget it, I can make more money if I can solve the werewolf problem." Ian's perseverance was revealed at this moment, leaving Lu Ping at a loss as to how to deal with it.
"I'm going to find Dumbledore."
He could only think of "suing the principal".
"Dumbledore will support me, don't you know, everyone in school calls me Ian Dumbledore!" Ian has already figured out how well Lupine knows him.
He immediately acted like a fox and pretended to be powerful.
"Huh?"
As expected, Lu Ping was stunned for a moment, and his expression gradually became one of surprise and uncertainty.
"Anti-inflammatory!"
Ian whistled.
"Look, this is my Phoenix!"
He grabbed the black phoenix that came out of the void. In order to increase his persuasion, he also tried to hold down the struggling phoenix and dye the black phoenix's hair on the spot.
"Jiejiejiejiejie~"
Dark Phoenix's frightened screams echoed in Lupine's room. The young werewolf felt that his brain capacity was somewhat insufficient, and for a moment he couldn't tell whether Ian was telling the truth or a lie.
"Although it looks a little weird and the cry is a lot more abstract...but that feeling of apparating just now..." Lu Ping had to convince himself in his heart that the "black chicken" that Ian was holding was probably a phoenix. He suddenly realized that the serious and concerned look on Albus Dumbledore's face when he called him over might not just be about a Hogwarts student.
"Really, I refined the wolfsbane potion." Ian was unable to catch the struggling Black Phoenix who used phantom transformation. He only had a mouthful of phoenix hair and a hand full of saliva stained by the phoenix's "revenge". .
"This is not a question of whether you can refine wolfsbane potion..."
Lupine also wanted to persuade the young wizard.
However.
“Dong dong dong~”
There was a knock on the door outside.
"Ian, Ian, it's time to eat. Can you ask Uncle Lupin if he wants to eat?" It was Catherine's childish voice, with a hint of eagerness that the cabbage stew would be snatched up by other children.
"Eat first, and we'll talk about this later."
Ian took everything back into his own purse.
"You guys can eat. I won't go out at night. Although it's not a full moon night, but... I have to let everyone adapt to my habits." Lu Ping breathed a sigh of relief and waved to the little wizard.
"Mr. Lupin, think about it carefully. Should you stay in a dark corner all your life, or should you embrace the hope of being in the sun... Even if it's just a glimmer of hope, I think you should grab it." Ian turned around and said seriously. Lupine spoke softly, and under the gaze of Lupine, who had some evasive eyes, he opened the door and walked outside.
The little wizard didn't close the door.
He took Catherine to the restaurant.
inside the room.
Lupine was left sitting on the ground without any image. He looked at the bright corridor outside the door and the light radiating from the corridor into the dim room.
"There is no hope... Wolfsbane potion is not hope."
The young werewolf raised his hand and flicked it, magic power emerged, the door of the room was closed by him, and he and the whole room were shrouded in darkness again.
……
the next day.
After the rain, the sky clears up.
The orphanage in London ushered in a bright morning.
Sparrows were chirping on the branches.
The sun shines through the clouds and gently shines on this simple and slightly aged building, giving it a warm and soft golden glow. In the yard of the orphanage, the moist soil exudes a faint fragrance, intertwined with the fragrance of flowers and plants, making Ian feel refreshed when he got up early for morning reading.
The children walked out of their rooms one after another, wearing neat but slightly old clothes, their faces filled with anticipation and curiosity for the new day. Some children were chasing and playing in the yard, laughing one after another; some were sitting quietly on the benches, enjoying the rare peace and beauty.
certainly.
There was also a little guy running over to pester Ian.
"Ian! You are such a lucky star! The day after you came back! Another kind-hearted and good person came to donate!" Catherine wanted to make a flattering gesture like adults on TV.
However.
The young face looks like a husky.
Quite funny.
"Good Samaritan? Where is he? Take me to see it!" Ian suspected that it was his good uncle who had disguised himself and came to the orphanage. He immediately eagerly asked Catherine to lead the way for him.
It's not the weekend.
Whose fundraiser comes to the orphanage early in the morning to collect donations?
"This way! This way! The uncle who donated money also asked his daughter to share the candies with us! They are not as delicious as the ones you gave us! But they are still very delicious!"
Catherine led the "Imperial Army" as always. She has always liked to tell Ian stories since she was a child, and then take him to the places where the visitors are to listen to Ian's boastful comments.
"They are in Miss Elena's office!" Catherine took Ian all the way to the door of the dean's office, but because the door just opened at this time, she panicked and grabbed Ian and hid behind the wall.
"That's the kind man! His daughter is so kind! She gave me two candies!" Catherine was still talking, and Ian was already looking at the donors who came out.
A middle-aged man brought a daughter in her early ten years.
"I think this donation will be very meaningful. I can feel it from the smiles on the faces of these children here. It will definitely be used where it should be used."
The middle-aged man was still talking to Dean Elena.
He is about forty years old, with a slender figure and elegant manner. He wears a well-tailored dark suit, a neat white shirt and a delicate tie, showing the typical British gentleman style.
"Of course, we have details of every expenditure. Whether they are donors or other outsiders, they have the right to supervise our expenditures." Dean Irina smiled broadly, and she could see the amount of the donation. Quite often, she seemed a little serious in front of the middle-aged man who made the donation.
Although she would not criticize other people's donation amounts on weekdays, she would always feel worried that generous donors would offend them for some reason.
Rich people have weird personalities.
If you are not careful, you may offend the other person.
"Although I usually do charity work with my lover, I have never donated such a huge sum of 20,000 pounds to any charity."
"It is also not a small amount of money for me. I am not afraid of your ridicule. I am here today with some selfish motives. I hope God can forgive me for some of my mistakes."
"At least...don't punish my daughter." The middle-aged man looked at the silent girl beside him. This little girl with a head of fluffy brown hair was a little absent-minded.
"She...has often encountered some strange things recently." The middle-aged man sighed heavily, with a worried tone, but did not tell Ms. Elena the details.
In fact, Ms. Elena has encountered many similar situations.
For people here in the UK.
It is common for people to improvise to obtain divine blessings, especially among wealthy people, so Ms. Elena also knows how to respond.
"I will always pray for this child. At the same time, I also believe that the merciful God will never let such a lovely child suffer such sad suffering."
Ms. Elena temporarily became a devout believer again.
Her remarks made the middle-aged man very happy.
But the little girl raised her head and glanced at Ms. Elena.
"If there really is a God in this world, and God will answer people's prayers, then there will be no famine in Africa and many poor countries."
"Madam, I'm sorry, maybe you should watch the science and education channel every Saturday more..." Although she was worried, the little girl still weakly retorted.
certainly.
She mainly told her father who had forced her to come here to donate money without telling her mother. The little girl does not object to donating money to help others, but she scorns the so-called theory of gods and ghosts.
"Such weird things have happened to you several times. Why are you still unwilling to accept the reality?" The middle-aged man kept his words and rubbed his daughter's head vigorously.
"There must be a reason. Maybe we need..." The little girl wanted to say something else. Suddenly, she raised her head and saw Catherine and Ian hiding behind the corner.
"It's him! It's him! It's him! Dad! Mom and I met him! Then after we went back, some weird things started happening to me!"
"This guy called my name right away! He must have cast witchcraft on me!" The little girl immediately raised her hand in excitement and made a sharp popping sound.
It’s hard to imagine that a teenage girl could soar her voice to an almost soprano level.
"Huh?"
The middle-aged man and Ms. Elena immediately looked over and found a frightened Catherine standing up with her hands raised, her red face full of panic expression.
"I didn't...I met this lady for the first time today."
She thought she was talking about herself.
Ian laughed and shook his head and walked out.
"She's talking about me, Catherine."
The little wizard first signaled to Catherine to leave quickly.
Then he looked at the familiar little girl not far away, and he couldn't help feeling a little emotional. After all, he thought he would have to wait until school started to meet the members of the trio.
"Miss Hermione Granger, you believe in science so much, why do you keep talking about witchcraft?" Ian sighed helplessly.
That's right.
This little girl who was brought to the orphanage by her father to make donations in an attempt to get rid of the strange things with the help of some "mysterious power" was the Hermione that Ian had met before going to Hogwarts.
It can only be said that fate may be so unexpected sometimes.
"I...I..."
Hermione was speechless because of Ian's words.
She hesitated for a long time, her ears were red, and she still couldn't tell the reason.
"You can tell me that witchcraft may be science that has not been explained by science." Ian gave a kind reminder, but it made Hermione blush even more.
"Dad! It was him that mom and I met!"
The little girl could only hide behind Mr. Granger as if asking for help. Dean Elena was a little confused at first, but after hearing Hermione's complaint, she immediately understood what was going on.
"Little Ian is one of the older children in our orphanage. He sometimes goes out to find ways to earn some money to help me relieve the pressure from living expenses."
"If he accidentally offended you and your family in the past, I apologize to you on his behalf..." With that, Dean Elena waved to Ian in a panic.
"It's not what you think. I think there is nothing rude about this child. My wife praises him very much. It's just that my daughter is a little willful sometimes."
Mr. Granger didn't pay attention to Hermione's complaint. He looked at his daughter, who looked increasingly anxious, and then at Ian, who had an unusually outstanding temperament and appearance.
"Little sir, are you a fortune teller?"
Mr. Granger's eyes flickered slightly.
He didn't use a questioning tone.
However, Dean Elena quickly explained to Ian.
"He is a good boy, and he was admitted to a very excellent school without tuition. I think you may have misunderstood. He does not have any talent as a fortune teller."
Ms. Elena had a nervous expression on her face.
"What school?"
Mr. Granger still kept his smile, but he suddenly asked coldly.
"Um..."
After Ms. Elena hesitated for a moment, she still answered Mr. Granger's question, "If I remember correctly, it should be Hogwarts School for Gifted Youngsters."
"That's the name, right? Little Ian."
After she finished speaking, she looked at Ian with some uncertainty.
"Yes, that's the name."
Ian looked up at Mr. Granger and smiled brightly. If Ian remembers correctly, this is a dentist who earns a lot of money in the UK. Medicine is a high-paying profession in the West, so the Granger family should be at least a middle-class family, and excellent dentists can earn hundreds of thousands of pounds every year.
"Hogwarts School for Gifted Youngsters..." Mr. Granger pondered. He often attended gatherings of wealthy people and was very sure that there was no such school at least in the UK.
"It was only after I met you that strange things happened to me. You have to tell me why!" Hermione's courage obviously improved when she hid behind her father.
"I said we would meet again, but now we meet again. I'm sure we can still be classmates." Ian shrugged, and what he said made Hermione look confused.
Ms. Elena also looked a little confused.
"So, is there really such a school?" Only Mr. Granger seemed to realize something, and looked at the little boy in front of him with some surprise.
"Of course, it's there, lasting for thousands of years."
Ian also responded.
"A prestigious school for thousands of years..."
Mr. Granger's pupils were shaking violently, and it was obvious that he was in a very uneasy mood, but due to his excellent self-control, he did not show it too much.
"Hogwarts specializes in recruiting special children... I'm talking about gifted children." Ian looked at Ms. Elena and corrected his words in time.
"I understand."
Mr. Granger didn't know what he understood.
He took a deep look at the little boy in front of him, and then looked at his daughter with some fondness, "You are right here. Miss Elena and I still have some things to talk about."
< br>
Hermione was more than slightly taken aback by these words.
Even Ms. Elena was confused.
"Do you want to withdraw your donation?"
She asked cautiously.
"Of course not."
Mr. Granger was already heading towards the office, and Ms. Elena quickly followed him anxiously, leaving the two children, Ian and Hermione, standing in the corridor.
"I just didn't expect God to respond so quickly, so I think I need to pay more..." I don't know what Mr. Granger understood.
He is apparently trying to increase donations to orphanages.
"Your father doesn't want to donate a school recommendation fee to the orphanage, does he?" Ian said to Hermione who was a little at a loss and couldn't find a place to hide for a while.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Hermione jumped onto a chair and successfully surpassed Ian in terms of "height".
"Is it because I argued with you that you cast witchcraft on me? I have checked many books on this subject!" She mustered up the courage to question Ian.
"Why do you think I am such a stingy person?"
Ian looked at Hermione who was a little worried. He probably also sensed the other person's psychology and emotions, and confirmed that Hermione was probably going through a period of out-of-control magic that all young wizards would experience.
"Isn't it you?"
Hermione's eyes became a little confused.
"I thought you didn't believe in witchcraft and magic."
Ian spoke with interest again.
"Haven't you heard a saying? After rejecting all impossible situations, the remaining possibilities must be the truth no matter how absurd they are."
It seems Hermione is also reading Sherlock Holmes.
"Isn't this what I told you when we first met?" Ian knew very well that Miss Beaver's fear of him stemmed from her lack of understanding of magic.
"Ah!? You said that!?"
Hermione's thoughts were obviously confused and she couldn't recall relevant memories for a while. Of course she couldn't recall it, because Ian was just teasing her.
"I'm lying to you. I never said that. I just told you to believe that there is magic in this world. I think you have realized that you and I are the same kind of people."
Of course, Ian is well aware of Hermione's current ambivalence.
After all, he really can read minds.
"I knew you didn't say that!"
Hermione suddenly shouted again and stared at the little wizard with an expression of indignation. She almost climbed to the ceiling, but at least she was still very strong in terms of momentum.
"Yes, I not only remember what I didn't say, I also remember what you promised." Ian looked at the little witch who had climbed onto the wall like a spider without knowing it.
"Huh?"
Hermione had a bad feeling in her heart.
She climbed higher.
"Paji~"
Due to the instability of magic power.
She fell off the wall.
He was saved by Ian's timely floating spell.
"This..."
Hermione, who was suspended in mid-air and finally realized what was happening, looked at Ian's raised hand in disbelief. To be precise, her eyes were locked on the wand in Ian's hand.
"It's really magic!?"
she exclaimed.
Little Wizard and respond.
"So, Miss Granger, when will the table be eaten? I have been preparing a large square table with thorns for you for a whole year." He just smiled and said what Hermione least wanted to hear.
(End of chapter)