The Old Ones of Hogwarts

Chapter 2, Part 2: Dumbledore

Wu Family Orphanage.

In the corridor.

Dumbledore looked around.

His gaze held a complex mix of memories—the decor here seemed unchanged over the years.

"Ms. Elena, I've come for Ian Prince."

Dumbledore entered the office, greeted by the orphanage director. His arrival seemed to dispel any lingering chill in the room.

"He needs to complete a course of study."

Sunlight streamed through the stained glass windows, casting a soft and mysterious glow on Dumbledore's long silver hair and beard, gilding the aged wizard.

"Oh! That's great!"

The dean, named Elena, was a fifty-year-old woman with gray hair and a very kind smile.

She warmly invited Dumbledore to sit down and brewed him a cup of black tea—the cheap kind, with a stale taste.

"Ian Prince, he's a good kid, but also a very precocious one. He doesn't get along with the other kids at the orphanage and always does things his own way."

In response to Elena's introduction.

Dumbledore seemed to be deep in thought.

He put down the black tea that Elena had poured for him.

"Ms. Elena, do you mean Ian Prince is a very withdrawn child?"

Dumbledore's gaze.

The orphanage director, Elena, was taken aback.

immediately.

She quickly shook her head to explain.

"No, no, you misunderstood me. Perhaps I should explain it this way: Ian is just a precocious child. Those children want to play with him, but Ian just doesn't like playing with them."

Elena paused for a moment and then said, "Ian once said that children's house games are really boring and too childish. He would rather spend that time playing with birds."

"Playing with birds? That's a nice hobby. It seems Mr. Ian Prince is the kind of kid who's close to animals."

Dumbledore seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

He joked with a smile.

"It seems he'll be keeping an owl as a pet in the future."

Upon hearing this...

Elena paused for a moment.

but.

She still smiled and spoke well of Ian.

"Although Ian thinks the other children are childish, he still takes good care of his younger siblings."

"He was only eleven years old, but he was already secretly going out to earn money, then buying flour and vegetables and stuffing them into the kitchen... He remembered every child's birthday."

"He would also buy candy for his younger siblings."

Elena spoke with a sense of relief, but then suddenly seemed a little sad and sighed with self-reproach.

"It's also because the current social environment is bad, and it's difficult for orphanages to get donations. Of course, it's also because I don't have much ability, and I still need a child to go out and earn money..."

Elena looked very annoyed.

"You don't need to blame yourself. You've done enough. The changes here are significant, and I can feel them." Dumbledore even used a respectful term for Elena, who was probably more than half a century younger than him.

He was sincerely comforting the other person.

Have you been here before?

Elena was somewhat surprised.

"This is not my first visit."

Dumbledore smiled slightly.

Elena didn't press the matter further.

She was more concerned about adoption.

"Sir, if you want to take Ian from the orphanage, please believe me, he must be a wonderful child." Elena sincerely hoped that such a sensible child would find a good home.

"Then, may I see him?"

Dumbledore spoke with a smile.

Under the influence of the Confusion Spell.

Elena's perceptions may deviate from the facts.

There is no need to correct this.

"Of course! Of course! Sir!" Ms. Elena was overjoyed. She first stood up and said to Dumbledore, "Please wait a moment."

As soon as Elena stepped outside, she saw Ian, who had just returned, in the courtyard.

An eager smile immediately appeared on her face as she waved to him and called out.

"Ian, come here for a second!"

Ian was pushing the stroller.

A child suddenly ran up and hugged him: "Ian, it looks like something big is about to happen to you! Hurry up, don't keep Ms. Elena waiting."

In the orphanage, everyone was about to be adopted, which was considered a major event.

After all, for these homeless children, nothing is more important than being adopted.

of course.

Ian is different.

He knew this wasn't adoption.

With a feeling of trepidation.

Ian was taken to the office.

"It really was him!"

I had peeked at it before, and now it's confirmed: the person in the office is Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts, and the greatest wizard of this century.

"Don't be nervous."

Ian had not yet spoken.

Then he saw Dumbledore observing him.

"Child, I need to tell you a fact: you are a wizard."

Under Ian's feigned surprise.

Dumbledore's eyes were deep and profound.

"I'm sure you noticed the difference between yourself and others a long time ago." His eyes didn't look cloudy; instead, they had a childlike purity.

"Forehead."

Ian did not answer immediately. He first looked up at Ms. Elena and found that her expression remained unchanged, as if she had not heard what the old man was saying.

Is this... a Confusion Spell?

I forced myself to calm down.

He avoided Dumbledore's gaze.

"That's true. I discovered this a long time ago. Sometimes when I stare at a glass of water, I can make the water inside sway a few times. So, is this the power of a wizard?"

Ian dared not pretend to be ignorant.

His answer made Dumbledore smile and nod.

"Yes, this is the magic within you at work. Sometimes, when you're angry with someone, this magic fluctuates even more intensely."

Dumbledore spoke gently.

To Ian, however, this sounded like a bait-and-switch tactic. What did he mean by "getting angry makes your emotions fluctuate more violently"? I'm not some Tom Yodl!

"Sir, I almost never get angry at others, because being controlled by emotions doesn't solve problems." Ian responded in a calm and gentle tone.

Dumbledore seemed very satisfied with his answer.

Dumbledore smiled.

His beard trembled as he nodded.

"You are a very intelligent child. Lady Elena is right. You are indeed precocious." As he spoke, Dumbledore looked at Ian with his aged eyes and spoke slowly.

"Hogwarts is the magic school that wizards all over the world want to join. There, you can learn all the magic in the world, as well as all kinds of magical creatures."

"Don't be nervous, Mr. Ian Prince. As the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, I am formally extending an invitation to you, hoping that you will study at Hogwarts."

coming!

finally come!

Ian Prince was nervous. Although in his previous life he had only seen a few Hogwarts movies and a few Hermione fanfictions, he had heard of Professor X of Hogwarts.

Ian was genuinely worried that Dumbledore would become as unethical as depicted in those conspiracy theory fanfictions.

"Are there any concerns?"

Dumbledore noticed Ian's emotions and assumed he had concerns about Hogwarts, so he gently reassured him, "At Hogwarts, there are flying harpies, trees that can hit people, and most importantly, a group of children your age, where you will learn magic together."

"Don't worry about the process of learning magic... Ian, actually, a very remarkable wizard once came out of your orphanage."

Dumbledore suddenly seemed lost in memories, his tone wistful.

Upon hearing this.

Ian became even more nervous.

Why is he nervous?

Don't they clearly know just how "remarkable" the man who came out of this orphanage really is?

"Is that wizard still at Hogwarts?"

Ian forced himself to feign curiosity.

Interrupted by Ian's voice, Dumbledore snapped out of his reverie and shook his head.

"In fact, he had been away from Hogwarts for a very long time and had gone astray."

Dumbledore finished speaking earnestly.

Ian thought he was going to say something critical next, but to his surprise, the old man simply changed the subject and slowly said in a regretful tone, "However, this does not affect his extraordinary achievements; it's just that he could have gone even further."

Ian looked at Dumbledore with a blank expression, but various thoughts were swirling in his mind.

Dumbledore's words sounded like a sigh.

Is this a warning?

Or is it a test?

Damn it! This damned paranoia of mine is all because of those Harry Potter fanfics—Ian restrained his imagination, trying his best not to let his mind wander.

"Child, have you made a decision?"

Dumbledore's voice rang in my ears.

"Um... shall we give it a try?"

Ian had been waiting for this day, and of course he wouldn't refuse.

"It's a wise choice. Hogwarts will send you an acceptance letter in two weeks. At that time, someone will take you to buy the things you need for enrollment."

Dumbledore smiled at Ian.

Ian shrugged and politely declined, saying, "I'm sorry, sir, even if I really wanted to enroll, it wouldn't matter, because I don't have the money. I can't afford the tuition."

Dumbledore had already stood up and picked up his hat from the hat rack.

At that moment, Elena suddenly stood up and said to Dumbledore, "Thank you. Ian will definitely go in half a month."

Ian was taken aback, then reacted.

This is the power of the Confusion Charm. It's unclear what Elena saw, but it's obvious she couldn't see the actual conversation between Ian and Dumbledore.

Dumbledore didn't speak to Elena, but instead smiled and spoke to Ian.

"You don't need to worry about money. First, the school has a scholarship fund. Second, the person who comes to pick you up won't make you pay. He... feels he owes you a lot."

talking.

Dumbledore took a step.

Ian was startled again, and stood up to look at Dumbledore walking towards the door.

"Who? My parents?"

Am I still a pureblood?

This surprised Ian somewhat.

"This is not an answer I should reveal." Dumbledore simply blinked, made a farewell gesture to Ian, and spoke with a meaningful tone.

"You'll find out when the time comes, child."

That's all.

He left without looking back.

Elena, still overjoyed, saw him off at the door.

Ian opened his mouth, but said nothing. He turned and left, returning to his room.

That night.

Lying in bed, Ian kept thinking about whether Dumbledore's early visit was because of the Wood Orphanage or because he should have been named Ian Riddle.

Or perhaps.

Is it himself, Prince?

Does this pure-blood surname exist in the original work?

Thinking and thinking.

Ian felt a sudden heaviness in his eyes.

next moment.

He slowly drifted from drowsiness to wakefulness, as if crossing some kind of boundary—on the horizon, a ray of sunset glow, as soft as a ribbon, wrapped around the gradually changing blue screen; the distant woods resembled a fairyland from a fairy tale, the trees lush and verdant; a small bird flitted across the treetops, its song clear and melodious.

Under this picturesque sky, everything is rendered in dreamlike colors, making one feel as if they are in an exquisite painting, and their souls are brought unprecedented peace and cleansing.

Ian opened his eyes and looked at the breathtaking scenery before him.

"You're here again."

A gentle voice sounded in my ear.

"I almost forgot, today is Saturday."

Ian turned to look at the girl who was emerging from the woods.

She was wearing a blue dress, her long blonde hair cascading down her shoulders, and she looked at Ian with an innocent expression.

"Ariana, I ran into a scary old man today, and I forgot to bring you candy."

He said this to the girl.