Bearing Pressure No Child His Age Should Bear

Bearing Pressure No Child His Age Should Bear

"Oh, little Ted, you're back. How did it go? Were you accepted?" Matron hurriedly asked.

"Yes, Matron. I was accepted. And because my circumstances are special, the school even helped me find a work-study job before term starts. I can work part-time there, with food and lodging included..."

Ted began spinning a tale for Matron.

He had already decided that he would work in Diagon Alley and stay at Old Tom's Leaky Cauldron.

Matron was still reluctant to let him go. After all, he was only eleven and already had to work alone to support himself.

But many children from the orphanage did the same, becoming apprentices at an early age or being selected to attend church schools.

Reluctantly, Matron agreed to Ted's "work-study" plan.

After dinner, Ted began packing.

There was not much to pack. Aside from some daily necessities, all he had was an Old Guitar.

He gave his other little toys to the younger children.

Tomorrow, he would be heading to Diagon Alley to make his way in the world. His heart surged with excitement.

Right, he also needed to buy some useful things here.

Parchment was expensive in the Muggle world, but ink and the like were dirt cheap.

He needed to get a notebook too. What era was this? Who still used Parchment? Did they have any idea how expensive it was?

He also needed to buy a Fountain Pen. Quills were too thin, and he was not used to them.

Ted carefully calculated his expenses, naturally buying wherever things were cheaper.

If school uniforms could have been made by Muggle tailors, he would have wanted to get his robes made on the Muggle side.

Rarely this excited, Ted actually had a little trouble sleeping.

So he decided he might as well read his textbooks.

With a small flashlight beneath the covers, Ted carefully read Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1.

"I remember that before enrollment, wands could apparently be used in private. Hermione practiced spells at home, and as soon as she got on the train, she fixed Harry Potter's glasses. That means there's no Trace yet..."

In fact, the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery Act was enacted in 1875. Its main content restricted wizards under seventeen from performing magic outside school.

He had to seize this opportunity and make use of it.

He had two months. He could not spend all that time working, could he? He had not come to the wizarding world to earn foreign currency.

Ted opened Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1. The foreword read:

"Charms differ from Transfiguration in the following ways: Charms add specific properties to an object or creature, while Transfiguration turns it into something entirely different."

"Minor Charms are not difficult to break. Most spells learned by young wizards like yourselves will fade within days or even hours."

"Hexes, jinxes, and curses are collectively known as Dark Charms. This book will not cover such spells."

The first spell recorded in the book was Lumos! There was not much to it; the description was very simple.

Ted took out his wand and began casting according to the book's instructions.

"Lumos~"

No, no! His pronunciation was not quite right.

Again!

"Lumos~" This time, his gesture was still a little stiff.

After trying five or six times in a row, Ted finally felt the proper flow of magic. "Lumos~" A pure white light shone from the tip of his wand, flickering unsteadily.

"Woohoo~ Now I don't need a flashlight either!"

More than that, Ted discovered that he had gained 25 experience points! Studying and practicing magic really could earn experience.

However, as he continued using it, Ted discovered that only the first attempt gave a lot of experience. After that, it took more than a dozen casts just to gain a single point.

After using it dozens of times, he felt the Magic Power within him grow hollow.

Still, learning Lumos on the first day was quite a fruitful harvest.

Filled with endless anticipation for magic, Ted finally fell asleep, drained of Magic Power and a little tired.

Early the next morning, after saying goodbye to the tearful Matron, Ted boarded a bus.

The Leaky Cauldron was still as dim as ever, lit by candlesticks and oil lamps.

Those wizards drinking there were basically having candlelit dinners.

He wondered whether Lumos could be maintained indefinitely. There seemed to be some advanced magic called Everlasting Fire that could burn forever.

Who could stand all this smoke and soot? If he could make magical lamps, they would definitely sell well.

And the walls were far too mottled, practically like an unfinished house. A coat of whitewash or putty would probably improve things considerably.

Of course, perhaps wizards simply liked this medieval style!

"Oh, you're the new student from yesterday. What was your name again?" Tom, the owner, noticed Ted entering through the door with a suitcase in tow.

"Ted. Ted Epiphany, Mr. Tom. I need somewhere to stay until term begins. May I ask how much your cheapest room costs? And if it's convenient... do you need a part-time waiter?"

"Oh, a waiter? Hmm, I hadn't considered that. As for the room..." He looked at Ted's old clothes, which he had worn for several years, and his somewhat shabby suitcase.

In the end, Old Tom, who looked fierce and unapproachable but had a kind heart, gave Ted a free storage room.

In return, Ted would help clean up after closing at night.

He could even get himself a free sandwich in the morning.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!"

It had to be said that there were still many good people in the wizarding world! After all, wizards could use magic to clean, so it was hardly difficult. Old Tom was genuinely helping Ted.

The storage room was tiny. After fitting in a bed and a sixty-centimeter bedside cabinet to serve as a desk, there was no room for even a chair. But what more could Ted ask for? All he could feel was gratitude! After tidying the room a little, Ted changed into a secondhand wizard robe, took his wand, and headed to the backyard.

He lightly tapped the brick, and amid the clattering sound of shifting bricks, an arched doorway appeared. Beyond it lay the still-bustling Diagon Alley. Ted could not help smiling.

Which shop should he go to for work? He could not exactly go to Gringotts, could he?

The shops that sold Cauldrons and Flying Broomsticks were not suitable either.

Ted decided to take a walk first, familiarize himself with the area, and carefully see what shops were around. He could also see how difficult his exploration quest would be.

There was Eeylops Owl Emporium, filled with Owls large and small; the crackling Zonko's Joke Shop; Magical Menagerie; Obscurus Books; and Madam Primpernelle's Beautifying Potions...

Ha, this was the most modern-looking shop Ted had seen.

Sure enough, everyone loved beauty.

There was also Flourish and Blotts. That was a great choice! A chance to read books for free was rare! Books were far too expensive!

However, ideals were plump while reality was bony. Ted asked several shops in a row, only to be turned down by every one of them.

The reason was that he was too young and had not reached working age yet!

Was the wizarding world really this law-abiding? They actually did not use child labor. Did they seriously think labor laws existed?!

Just as Ted's working career was about to end before it had even begun, and he was at his wits' end, a man beside him suddenly cried out. Then came a crash as something spilled.

Ted hurriedly lifted his robe and jumped aside, avoiding the spreading puddle of unknown liquid.

Taking a closer look, he realized it was a huge pile of Slugs! The man had been carrying a bucket of Slugs when one side of the handle broke, spilling them all over the ground. They were now wriggling and crawling everywhere!

Everyone around them quickly backed away.

Slugs: We're free now~ "Damn it! These disgusting Slugs! I never should have stocked them. I definitely won't stock them next time! Definitely not!" the man complained.

He used a Reparo to fix the wooden bucket, but he could only catch the Slugs himself.

After thinking for a moment, Ted rolled up his sleeves and crouched down to help the man catch the Slugs all over the ground—slick, slimy things that did not bite but were revolting to touch.

"Oh, thank you, thank you. Let me do it. Thank you, child!" the man hurriedly said.

The two of them fumbled about for several minutes before finally rounding up every last Slug.

The things were too slippery. Sometimes, if they gripped one too tightly, it would squeeze out through the gaps between their fingers.

The man let out a long breath. "Thank you so much."

Then he pointed his wand. "Scourgify!"

Ted's hands became clean.

"I'm Slug Giggs. I own Slug Jiggers Potion Shop behind me. If you ever need potion ingredients, come find me. I'll give you twenty percent off!" the man said with a smile.

"Um, is that so... Then may I ask if you need an hourly worker?" Ted asked with an innocent expression.

Huh? Was this favor being collected so quickly?

Slug was a little dumbfounded, feeling as though he had fallen into a pit! And he had dug it himself! Before long, Ted found his first job—processing simple potion ingredients at the shop, such as Slugs.

He could work no more than three hours a day, earning fourteen silver Sickles a week.

1 Galleon = 17 Sickles = 493 Knuts. Who knew what kind of person had invented such an exchange rate! Ted's monthly wages came to 3 Galleons and 5 Sickles. In two months, that would be about enough for a wand!

Although the income was low, at least he had a job.

The quest was complete too. This was the first quest he had ever completed! "Ding~ Quest completed: Working Man (Green). Reward: 100 experience, card: Restore Energy (Green)."

An additional 100 experience appeared in the Experience Pool on his character panel. He was still over 800 experience away from leveling up and over 200 experience away from exchanging for Pages of Mind Power Manual (Blue). He was full of motivation! And he had obtained his first card: it had a green-striped border, and the image showed a humanoid figure with arms spread wide and head raised, wrapped in green light.

Restore Energy (Green)

Spell Card

Consumes a small amount of Magic Power to restore some expended physical strength.

Cooldown: 4 hours.

Ted found an opportunity to try it. It could restore his exhausted self to a state of abundant energy.

It was roughly equivalent to getting a free bottle of Vitality Tonic every four hours, allowing him to work with even more energy.

He was practically a chosen Working Man!...

"Ha, Mr. Tom, I found a job."

"Really? That's wonderful! Have a Butterbeer, on me." Old Tom was delighted to hear the news.

"What kind of job did you find?" He placed a large oak mug of bubbling Butterbeer before Ted and asked.

"At Slug Jiggers Potion Shop. I help process some low-grade potion ingredients."

"That's not bad! Specifically?"

"For example, processing Slugs. You use special gloves to strip off the mucus and fling it into a bucket, then use a small silver knife to split open the Slugs, squeeze out their innards, lay them flat, and wait for them to dry."

"Uh..." Old Tom was speechless.

"Ha ha, what else could a Little Wizard who has not even enrolled do? Mr. Slug Jiggers is already being very kind by taking me in. Besides, I can learn some Potions knowledge along the way."

Old Tom nodded and said nothing more.

He realized that Ted had a very good mindset, one far too mature for his age.

What eleven-year-old child would willingly handle disgusting Slugs?

Even in hardship, he remained optimistic and positive, free-spirited and uncomplaining.

People like that were undoubtedly likable.

Contract signed, please send monthly votes~ Please~ bows with clasped fists!