At Daggers Drawn

Seeing the two of them on the verge of coming to blows, Sean quickly pulled his family back. He had no desire to get caught up in it and suffer for nothing.

Fortunately, since this was not their first encounter, the two still managed to keep their heads. After facing off for a while, they suppressed the anger in their hearts.

"Sterling, you should thank this new student. Anywhere else, I would never have let you off," Charlotte said, her face livid.

Colton Sterling tugged at his collar with both hands. "The same goes for you, Miss Holt. Newmontgard's honor does not permit me to lose my composure so badly in front of a new student."

Meanwhile, Sean looked troubled. It seemed that not only were the educational philosophies of the two schools vastly different, but the conflict between their students was also extremely serious.

And why were students explaining this instead of teachers? These two were far too unprofessional.

Mr. Wallop looked at the farce before him with some irritation. Yes, in his eyes, it was nothing more than a farce.

"You two can continue this at the station. The police will be here any minute!"

Colton and Charlotte exchanged a glance, their wands rising once more.

Without another word, Charlotte lightly waved her wand. A nearby vase sprouted two adorably stubby legs and began spinning in place.

"Whoa, look!" five-year-old Ayla cried excitedly.

Colton also flicked his wand. Another vase grew a pair of white wings and began fluttering through the air, occasionally pulling a flower from its opening and tossing it down.

However, their first impressions had left Mr. and Mrs. Wallop with little goodwill or trust toward either of them.

"Enough! I don't know what kind of trick this is, but if my son goes to Eton College, he'll become a respected gentleman—not learn some ridiculous circus act in some unknown place!"

Apparently, that was not enough... Charlotte and Colton looked at each other, and sparks seemed to flash between them.

Their wands waved again.

The two vases twitched, each drawing out a flower. The petals fell away, then gathered together to form flower shields, while the stems transformed into longswords.

Clang! Clang! The two vases began dueling right before everyone's eyes!

After a fierce exchange, the winged vase gained the upper hand. Colton sharply flicked his wand, and the vase knocked aside the blade, beat its wings hard, and flew behind the other vase before shattering it with a single strike!

However, under Holt's spell, the shattered vase hurled its flower sword with all its strength just before breaking apart. The sword pierced through the shield and shattered its opponent as well.

Looking at the vase fragments scattered across the floor, the Wallop family stared at one another.

Sean's eyes shone brightly. So this was magic...

"Oh, I kind of liked those two vases," Ayla muttered regretfully.

Mr. Wallop appeared somewhat frightened. He pointed at the fragments on the floor, his lips moving soundlessly.

But Charlotte and Colton raised their wands again. The shards on the floor trembled, then rapidly gathered together.

Both vases were restored intact, including the bouquets inside them.

"I believe we can proceed with the next stage of our discussion."

"Mom, can I learn magic too when I grow up?" Ayla sat on the sofa with her little legs propped up, asking Mrs. Wallop, who was serving tea to the guests.

Mrs. Wallop set down the teacup, still looking worried.

"If you can, you'll receive a letter when the time comes as well," Charlotte Hawk said gently as she took her seat.

However, the wizards from both Schools of Magic turned their attention to Sean.

Colton Sterling did not so much as glance at Mr. Wallop's prized black tea. His tone remained cold. "The magic you just saw included advanced applications of Transfiguration, Nonverbal Spells, Healing Spells, and more. At Newmontgard, every student receives such instruction. You can become like me as well."

"Hogwarts is the same," Charlotte said.

Colton elegantly crossed his legs. "They are merely similar in category. At Newmontgard, every Wizard can freely unleash their talents without being shackled by outdated and decaying rules. Sean, you will witness a new face of magic, rather than ending up like them—reaching seventh year and still unable to properly cast even the most basic Shield Charm."

Charlotte shot him a disgusted look before turning to Sean. "Sean, Hogwarts has an exceptionally strong faculty. As long as you study hard, you can be equally outstanding. Moreover, our school was founded in 992 AD. Hogwarts' ancient heritage is something no other school can compare to."

As Mrs. Wallop listened to them, she unconsciously pressed both hands to her chest. Her son was going to learn magic? This was too frightening...

Sean frowned in distress. The Wizarding World itself had come as a complete surprise. He had not expected to have to decide which school to attend as well.

"Um, sorry, but I'd like to learn more about the differences between the two schools. I think I should get some accurate information before making a choice," Sean said carefully.

"Sean! Are you really going to learn... magic?" Mrs. Wallop's eyes were full of worry.

"Think carefully, son. I know you're a smart and mature boy," Mr. Wallop said solemnly, having just sent the police officers away.

"I think so, Dad, Mom. I mean, why not?"

It would have been one thing if he had known nothing about it, but now that he could enter the Magical World, Sean had no reason to refuse.

Besides, he did not want to become an Obscurus.

Allen frowned. He took an irritated sip of black tea and looked at his son with a face full of concern.

"A wise choice. You will receive the finest education Hogwarts has to offer and become an outstanding Wizard." Charlotte nodded at him.

"A Wizard... oh..." The word left Mrs. Wallop feeling as though she could barely breathe.

"Sean, a Wizard..." Allen struggled to say the word, his face clouded with worry. "Are you sure you don't want to think it over again?"

Facing his parents, Sean said seriously, "Dad, Mom, this is magic. I'm far too curious about that world. Besides, even if I learn magic, I'll still be your son, won't I?"

At that moment, Charlotte added, "Becoming a Wizard is not something frightening. And if Sean does not enroll, the magic within him will be impossible to control. Once it reaches its limit, there will be no turning back..."

Although Charlotte did not explain in detail, Mr. and Mrs. Wallop understood what she meant.

If he did not enroll, something bad would certainly await Sean. Mrs. Wallop immediately covered her mouth in horror.

Allen's eyes widened. "Are you sure?!"

Charlotte nodded. "I have no reason to lie to you."

The unsmiling Colton nodded as well.

"All right, all right..." Allen looked at Sean worriedly, then let out a long breath. His expression turned serious as he looked at Charlotte and Colton.

"You two, um, I believe this should be a two-way choice. Since both your schools have chosen my child, shouldn't it be his turn to make some choices now?"

Starting tomorrow, the update schedule will be stable: generally one chapter after midnight and one at noon.