Hog's Head Inn and Aberforth

The clash in Godric's Hollow shook the entire British Wizarding World.

Grindelwald, who had never made a move in Britain before, had now openly appeared on British soil and even launched an uprising!

The Ministry of Magic had gone to great lengths to make the Muggles living in Godric's Hollow forget what had happened the previous night...

Early the next morning, Li Weide saw a huge headline in a copy of the Daily Prophet Dumbledore had brought over.

Uprising in Godric's Hollow! Has Grindelwald Officially Declared War on Britain's Wizarding World?

The accompanying photograph showed a group of Followers of Grindelwald relentlessly attacking a house...

Who knew where the photographer had hidden at the time, but the moving photograph was remarkably effective, fully conveying the oppressive presence of the Followers of Grindelwald.

By then, Li Weide and the others were no longer in Godric's Hollow.

Since Grindelwald had set his sights on them, Dumbledore had taken them away overnight.

Still, Li Weide felt that, given Grindelwald's character, since he had let them go this time, he probably would not come again.

After all, if he had truly wanted to take them by force, Grindelwald could have taken them all before Dumbledore arrived the previous night.

Why would he need to come a second time?

When they stepped down from the Thestral Carriage again, they had arrived somewhere new.

It looked like a small town, but every building in it was steeped in the colors of the Wizarding World.

Since all those magical things were displayed openly, this was clearly a settlement inhabited entirely by wizards.

"This is Hogsmeade Village," Dumbledore said as he jumped down from the carriage. "The wizarding village closest to Hogwarts."

Tom climbed down as well, curiously taking in everything around him.

Seeing the uninhibited Wizarding World atmosphere all around them, Tom's eyes shone with excitement.

Since this was a wizarding village, he no longer had to carefully hide anything related to the Wizarding World like he had at the Orphanage or in Godric's Hollow.

In other words, he could cast spells however he pleased.

Professor Hicks had suffered serious injuries while fighting the Followers of Grindelwald and needed to remain under observation at St Mungo's for a while.

So this time, Dumbledore had personally brought them to their new residence.

Li Weide suddenly asked, "Professor... The house in Godric's Hollow was attacked. Is Mr. Kowalski and his family all right? I heard they were supposed to arrive today."

Hearing Li Weide express concern for Jacob's family, Dumbledore's weary face showed a faint, gratified smile. "I had them go back... This was my fault, Weide. I truly never expected Grindelwald to attack you... and I nearly dragged good friends into a life-or-death crisis..."

Dumbledore still seemed shaken. Grindelwald might not kill Li Weide and the others, but he would never show Jacob any mercy!

If Jacob and his family had arrived early and been caught by Grindelwald, the outcome awaiting them would have been utterly tragic.

They were not coming? Li Weide was a little speechless. So he had spent an entire day painstakingly learning Occlumency for nothing?

Still, he could not say Occlumency was useless. At the very least, it could improve his acting skills and let him tell Dumbledore the occasional little lie.

Overall, having one more useful skill was not a loss...

"This isn't your fault, Professor... Who could have expected Grindelwald to launch an attack because of us? We didn't even know who he was before this..."

"I'm glad to have your forgiveness, Weide. In fact, you were implicated because of me as well... He was in London at the time, so some of my actions could not possibly have escaped his notice. That was my oversight..."

"No, no, the cause of all this should have been me. If I hadn't acted on impulse, you wouldn't have needed to make so many arrangements for us, and none of this would have happened..."

"How could saving someone be a mistake?" Dumbledore shook his head repeatedly. "I was the one at fault. I didn't arrange things properly, and I failed to keep it confidential..."

Watching the two of them endlessly compete to take the blame, Tom rolled his eyes and said in a sarcastic tone, "By that logic, the root of it all is me, then. I should have stopped Weide at the time, right?"

Only then did Li Weide and Dumbledore stop.

Just as Tom thought he could finally have some peace and head to their new place to rest.

Li Weide suddenly stared at him and asked, "Yeah! Why didn't you stop me?"

Tom's eyes widened as he stared at Li Weide in shock. "Didn't I stop you?"

"Did you?"

"I did!"

"Then why did I still go?"

"Fuck... Since when did I ever have the ability to stop you?"

"If you couldn't stop me, then that's your fault! This is all your fault, Tom!"

Tom: "Huh?"

So you just love picking on an honest person like me, is that it? I've never seen anyone so shameless!

Just wait. Once I can beat you... I'll settle every old and new score at once!

"You two are so close..." Dumbledore remarked wistfully. He had once had a friendship like that too. Back then, they had bickered and squabbled like this as well, but unfortunately, now...

Tom's face darkened as he snapped, "Close my ass! I've known him for less than half a month!"

"True friendship is revealed in adversity, Tom... What does it matter if you've known each other only a short time? Haven't you gone through hardship together?"

"Ah! I've had enough! Professor... Can you arrange for me to stay somewhere else? If not, you can just throw me into another Orphanage!"

Naturally, Dumbledore could not possibly throw Tom into another Orphanage.

With Tom's personality, only Li Weide could keep him in line. Put him somewhere else, and he would definitely fall back into his old ways...

Dumbledore would never stand by and watch that happen. He had no desire to see someone even harder to deal with than Grindelwald emerge in the future!

A little later, they stopped in front of a tavern. Toby followed behind them, carrying all the luggage with a Levitation Charm.

In a wizarding settlement, Toby naturally no longer needed to hide.

Li Weide had also told Dumbledore about Toby's origins.

Dumbledore said that Li Weide's kindness had been repaid with kindness. After reminding him to treat Toby well, he said nothing more.

In his view, having one more House-elf to look after them was a good thing.

"Hog's Head Inn?" Tom painstakingly read the tavern's name from the filthy sign, where the letters were nearly impossible to make out.

"Yes. My younger brother owns this place. You'll be safer here than in Godric's Hollow," Dumbledore said.

Yet his expression seemed a little uneasy.

"Professor, what's wrong?"

"Well... Actually, my relationship with my brother is somewhat... delicate... All right, let's go in." Dumbledore took a deep breath and pushed open the tavern door.

It was a tavern on par with the Leaky Cauldron in terms of its environment. In Li Weide's opinion, even its clientele seemed about the same...

"Welcome. What would you like to dri—"

Behind the bar stood a tall, thin man, his head lowered as he polished a glass.

Li Weide noticed that he had the same azure eyes as Dumbledore, as well as a small mustache above his upper lip.

This should be Dumbledore's younger brother, Aberforth.

Aberforth looked up. When he saw Dumbledore, his already stern face immediately fell.

"So... that bastard got away from you again last night?"

I wonder if this can get a trial recommendation. Nervous, anxious...