Ultimate Working Man Form!

Although he had found part-time work, Ted couldn't possibly stop there.

Naturally, he needed to take on several part-time jobs.

Money was one aspect; experience was another.

Today, while learning from Mr. Giggs how to process Slugs, Ted had actually gained experience! A full 16 points! Afterward, processing Slugs on his own earned less, but handling a dozen or so would still net him one or two experience points.

Then he'd take on a few more jobs! Grind! Keep grinding! After two days, Ted had filled all his free time.

In the morning, he helped Old Tom tidy up the pub, ate a simple breakfast, then headed to Diagon Alley for work.

In the mornings, he worked at Giggs & Giggs Pharmacy, transporting and processing commonly needed basic potion ingredients.

Things like Slugs, chopped roots and stems from certain herbs, weighed potion powders, bundled bird feathers, and so on.

Yesterday, he had already learned the Scouring Charm—Scourgify—from Mr. Giggs.

This spell was practically essential! Otherwise, after an entire morning, Ted would be thoroughly steeped in the smell of all sorts of potion ingredients!

Ted learned a great deal at the pharmacy and encountered many high-end potion ingredients.

Such as Ironhide Rhinoceros Horn, Silencebird Feather, Giant Squid Sperm Sac, and the like.

However, Mr. Giggs only told him the properties and processing methods of these ingredients, and did not let him handle them himself—these things were too expensive. If he messed one up, several months of Ted's wages would be for nothing.

After finishing Mr. Giggs's work at noon, he went to the Magical Creature Pet Shop.

Ted was responsible for cleaning, clearing away droppings, feeding the pets, and refilling their water.

There were many safe, harmless magical creatures here that could be kept as pets.

There were Puffskeins, Giant Orange Snails, Metamorphosing Rabbits, Jackalopes, Ravens, Two-tailed Newts, Purple Giant Toads, and more.

Some had rather complicated requirements. For example, they could not be startled by loud noises or eat food with too much moisture.

The noon shift was no easy task. Usually, once he finished, Ted had to use a Restore Energy (Green) card on himself.

After restoring his energy and eating the free lunch at the pet shop, he headed to Flourish and Blotts in the afternoon.

This was where Little Wizards bought their textbooks. The bookstore was enormous, and its inventory was incredibly complicated.

During Ted's two-hour shift, most of his work involved sorting stock—finding a particular book in the storeroom, then placing it on the shelves.

The storeroom at Flourish and Blotts was enormous. Ted had even found some old books covered in dust, untouched for at least seven or eight years.

This job was no easier. After work, he returned to the Leaky Cauldron to rest and study, mainly practicing a few simple, safe spells.

He had not tried spells such as the Levitation Charm or Transfiguration.

He remembered that in the original story, Professor Flitwick, who taught Charms, had told a story about someone who cast the Levitation Charm and ended up summoning a buffalo to stomp on his back.

Likewise, Transfiguration was not safe. Without anyone to guide him, he was better off not trying it recklessly.

Once Restore Energy (Green) came off cooldown, he used it again, and then it was time for dinner.

He bought some simple food from Old Tom, who would usually throw in a Butterbeer or a couple of pies.

Old Tom said, "You're still growing, lad. Eat more so you'll have the strength."

Unlike the Muggle world, by six or seven in the evening, the people in the pub gradually dispersed. Wizards clearly had less nightlife.

Ted helped Old Tom clean up. With Scourgify, it was much easier now; all that remained were small tasks like arranging tables and chairs and putting away glasses.

Using Scourgify so many times every day, Ted even felt that the spell had become second nature. He could cast it at the drop of a hat!

Once there was absolutely nothing left to do at night, Ted lit an oil lamp in his little storage room and began studying more deeply. He also took notes, recording his questions so he could ask the professors once school began.

He also repeatedly cast the few spells he had taught himself until the Magic Power in his body felt drained and he could no longer continue.

Magic had levels and proficiency. Once proficiency was full, it could level up, and its effects would become stronger.

Of course, experience points could also replace proficiency, letting him invest points and level up directly. Even Old Tom could not bear to watch Ted work so hard. He felt the boy was exhausting himself, and that his small frame might not be able to take it.

This was practically the ultimate Working Man of Diagon Alley, the king of the magical world's rat race.

Was that really necessary? Ten Galleons a month—why were you risking your life for that? And why were you training magic so desperately? How was an old man in his fifties or sixties supposed to feel about that?

If I'd met you when I was in school, wouldn't you have worked me to death?! But Ted knew he was not doing it just for the money. More importantly, he was gathering experience.

His Otherworldly Knowledge was still waiting to be exchanged! If the so-called Mind Mage was the kind he knew of, then the sooner he exchanged for it, the better.

Over the past two days, Ted had also picked up several second-hand textbooks. They were worn and old, but still usable, and some even contained notes and nonsense left behind by previous owners.

Like drawing Du Fu in a Chinese textbook holding a 98k rifle—it was just the sort of pointless thing bad students did when they were bored in class.

He had now gathered almost everything he needed for school, including Brass Scales and a Second-hand Telescope.

As for a pet, there was no need to even think about it. He had no one to write letters to anyway.

If he really needed to send a letter, he could use the school's Owls for free.

And forget about a flying broomstick. Flying through the sky would certainly be fun, but he had no desire to fly around with a stick wedged between his legs.

Besides, first-years apparently were not allowed to bring brooms to school.

How should Ted describe his experience working in Diagon Alley these past few days?

The magical world felt somewhat post-medieval. While Muggles were already watching television and using computers, wizards could only read newspapers and listen to the radio. Even magical radio had yet to become widely popular.

Everyone still relied on newspapers and magazines every day to learn about what was happening in the magical world.

In this age of print media, the three most famous publications in the British wizarding world were The Daily Prophet, Witch Weekly, and The Quibbler.

The Daily Prophet mainly reported social news and was the most mainstream newspaper.

Ted mooched newspapers from Old Tom every day.

Witch Weekly, on the other hand, was an entertainment publication. Lockhart had won Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award many times.

It also contained plenty of information about magical societies in other countries beyond Great Britain.

The Quibbler, meanwhile, mainly spread rumors, and much of its content was baffling.

It was somewhat like a tabloid magazine, but it sold extremely well.

The British wizarding world currently had only a little over twenty thousand people, probably not even thirty thousand. That was likely why the Statute of Secrecy existed.

There were too few people. Calling it a small society would be flattering it.

It was a giant village! That was why village tyrant Voldemort was far inferior to Grindelwald. His vision was too narrow!

Grindelwald wreaked havoc across the whole world beyond Britain, and his ambitions were grand. Voldemort merely stirred up armed conflict within Britain's little village, even mercilessly killing the already scarce villagers.

The population was already small, yet he and his Death Eaters had probably killed several hundred people over a decade or so! Not to mention all the Muggles they had killed!...

In the blink of an eye, a week passed. One day, while Ted was processing ingredients at the pharmacy, he heard a commotion out on the street.

Looking through the window, he saw quite a few people gathered outside a shop diagonally across the street, pointing and talking among themselves.

Just then, Mr. Giggs came in from outside. Ted set down the turtle shell he had been scrubbing and asked, "Mr. Giggs, what's going on outside? Is some shop holding an event or offering discounts?"

Mr. Giggs was practically Diagon Alley's know-it-all. Wherever something was happening, he would be there.

Especially after Ted arrived and lightened his workload, he had more time each day to gather gossip and join in the excitement.

He swept aside his wizarding robes and sat down, smiling. "That's a newly opened shop..."

Ted did not respond and continued scrubbing the turtle shell.

The shell of a Rhode Island Mud Turtle grew a layer of aquatic grass that had to be cleaned off, or it would affect the medicinal properties.

Ted did not need to ask, because he knew Mr. Giggs would never be able to hold it in and would tell him himself.

Sure enough, "You'd never guess what kind of shop it is!" he said.

Ted played along. "Oh? What kind of shop?"

"It's a Blacksmith Shop! Run by Dwarves!"

Ted froze, and even the brush in his hand stopped moving.

Dwarves? What Dwarves? "Mr. Giggs, what kind of Dwarves are you talking about?" he asked.

"Dwarves. The short, stocky kind with beards. An Otherworldly Race that appeared after the Celestial Conjunctions ten years ago!"

Dwarves! Celestial Conjunctions! Otherworldly Race?! Hold on! What the hell was all this?

Thanks to reader "Book Reader" for the 500 reward~ Thanks to reader "Faraway Duck" for the 100 reward~