The Leaky Cauldron

Things had unfolded so fast and so explosively that by the time Mrs. Brown finally came to her senses, Eliana had already swaggered back with a fat wallet in her hand.

"Show's over, everyone! I misunderstood Mrs. Smith. Her son may be a piece of work, but she's a good mother who knows right from wrong. She's generously given us a hefty sum for material and emotional damages to soothe our wounded hearts. Now the children at the orphanage can have three meals a day with steaks an inch thick for the next week! Let's thank this kind lady!"

Eliana swept her hand through the air like an orchestra conductor.

The little ones from the orphanage who had gathered nearby hadn't quite caught up, but their bodies followed their leader out of habit. "Thank you, Mrs. Smith, you great and kind lady!"

Halfway through, they realized what she'd said—they were getting good food for days. Their thanks turned into excited, heartfelt cries.

"Thank you, Mrs. Smith!"

"Mrs. Smith is so kind!"

Their young voices rang out in unison like a flock of innocent lambs, softening the hearts of everyone who heard them.

The onlookers couldn't help smiling.

Satisfied, they drifted away as though they had just witnessed the happy ending of a fairy tale where everyone lived happily ever after.

Some even praised Mrs. Smith. "Who would've thought? You're a good person after all."

Mrs. Smith was so aggrieved she felt twisted into knots. She glared furiously at Eliana.

Eliana pinched the sides of her jeans and gave an odd little princess curtsy. "Thank you, kind lady."

As long as the money was right, she'd even feed her enemy.

A little praise was nothing. She could give her that!

Eliana considered herself quite generous.

But the blue-faced lady opposite her didn't seem to appreciate the gesture at all.

Mrs. Smith had never been so humiliated. Even her precious son on the ground looked less endearing now.

She turned on the fat worm wriggling there and roared like a dragon. "What are you still lying there for?! Get up and come home with me!"

Young Smith had never been treated like that by his loving mother. He finally broke down, his heavy body twisting as he wailed, "Waaah, you're yelling at me too..."

He ran off crying.

Furious and heartsick, Mrs. Smith hurried after her son.

Hah. Not one of them put up a fight.

Eliana clicked her tongue and sauntered up to Mrs. Brown with the wallet dangling from her fingers like a little hoodlum.

"Did you see my spectacular performance, Susan?" She thrust the wallet toward her, as proud as a young general returning victorious. "I'm back from the hunt!"

"What a haul! I'm telling you, you have to give me two extra pieces of potato tonight."

Mrs. Brown was so angry she forgot there was a secondary-school headmaster there to meet Eliana. Right now, all she wanted was to throttle the brat.

"Oh, yes... What a glorious victory."

Her tone was dangerously sharp, but Eliana was too pleased with herself to notice.

"Hahaha, it was nothing. Don't make such a big deal of it."

Eliana waved a hand like a gang boss. "Oh, and Susan, remember to buy yourself a new pair of rubber gloves. The washing water has nearly soaked your hands raw."

"And buy each of the little ones an ice pop. Whenever I'm out doing odd jobs, I see them squatting by the ice cream truck. It's kind of sad."

Those words smothered Mrs. Brown's blazing anger like a blanket of snow. The fight went out of her all at once.

After a moment of silence, she said to Dumbledore beside her, "You see, Mr. Dumbledore, Eliana may be a little mischievous and rowdy sometimes, but she truly is a kindhearted child."

Only then did Eliana realize they had a visitor.

But—

Dumbledore?

For some reason, the name sounded familiar. Eliana studied the white-haired yet vigorous old man before her. She could swear she had never met him.

The old man good-naturedly let the girl inspect him like a wary little leopard.

"This is Mr. Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts. He's agreed to let you attend his school, Ellie."

"What?"

Eliana's eyes lit up. School! What a wonderful word!

Then something occurred to her, and she turned hesitantly to Dumbledore. "I'm very grateful you're giving me this chance, sir, and I really do want to go to school. But there's something I should tell you first."

"As you can see, I'm an orphan, so I might not be able to pay much tuition right away." Eliana pressed her lips together, growing anxious. "Could I work while I study? Or could you lend me money for school? I'll work hard and pay it all back someday, I swear!"

Mrs. Brown said, "Ellie, you don't have to worry so much. I still have some money."

"No, Susan," Eliana said firmly. "You don't have much to spare, and there are so many other children at the orphanage. Going to school is my wish, not the orphanage's responsibility. You've already saved my life once."

Dumbledore watched the two of them looking out for each other with appreciation.

This child is entirely different.

"Don't worry, Eliana. We would never let a child on our admissions list miss out on school because of money," Dumbledore said with a smile. "We provide a grant to every student in need."

"That's wonderful! Thank you! Once I finish school, I'll be sure to repay you!"

Eliana bowed with all her heart.

"Oh, we don't need you to repay us." The old man looked at her kindly. "All you need to do is grow up healthy and happy, just like the other children."

Eliana froze.

It felt as though she had wandered into a beautiful dream.

She gave herself a hard pinch. The kind old man was still smiling at her.

She bit her lip and, her voice a little thick, said solemnly, "Thank you. Truly."

Dumbledore patted her head, then turned to Mrs. Brown. "Now, I'll take her to buy some school supplies."

"Of course, of course."

Mrs. Brown nodded repeatedly. She pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped Eliana's grubby little face. "Ellie, remember to listen to Mr. Dumbledore."

She rubbed a bit too hard. Eliana leaned away and protested, "I always listen."

"You'd better." Mrs. Brown gave a cold laugh.

Eliana followed Dumbledore through the busy streets. Now that she had calmed down, she felt a little embarrassed, so she tried to make conversation. "You really don't charge anything? I mean, for food, a place to stay, classes... none of it?"

As though he could see her unease, the wise old man smiled and repeated, "That's right. Of course. We would never let a young wizard miss out on Hogwarts because of money."

Eliana's eyes curved with delight. Hearing it a second time still made her happy.

Wait. Wizard?

Eliana almost thought she had misheard.

"Sorry, that word you just used... wizard?"

Confusion crossed the face she had been trying so hard to keep serious and grown-up.

Dumbledore chuckled, his long white beard trembling. "Yes, wizard."

He winked at her playfully. "Don't tell me nothing unusual has ever happened around you, as far back as you can remember. Something floating, perhaps, or something suddenly breaking when you were angry?"

Eliana remembered the stone that had rolled along the roadside on its own a little while ago. She cleared her throat. "It has, sir."

She looked around to make sure no one was watching. "Like this."

A discarded scrap of paper on the ground floated unsteadily upward, then drifted straight into a distant rubbish bin. Before it dropped in, it even gave its two spectators a lopsided bow.

Eliana lifted her chin high, like a kitten showing its owner the mouse it had caught.

"Very impressive." Dumbledore clapped in admiration. "Such control over your magic at your age is a rare gift."

Eliana grew smug again. "Then I'm going to become the most powerful wizard ever!"

She thought the old man faltered for a moment.

But when she looked closely, he was as gentle as ever.

So she ventured another question. "How are we going to buy those things? Are we taking the Underground?"

Eliana really wanted to see more magic, but she was too embarrassed to say so.

"Ellie, would you forgive an old man with limited energy for taking a quicker route?" Dumbledore seemed to have read her mind. He winked slyly. "It isn't quite as comfortable."

"Of course!" Eliana said eagerly.

"Then hold on tight to my arm."

Bewildered, Eliana obeyed. The world spun, and she felt as though someone had scrunched her up and thrown her into a washing machine on its spin cycle. Pressure closed in from every direction. Fortunately, they stopped a second before she threw up. An unfamiliar street stood before her.

"Are you all right?" Dumbledore asked with concern.

Eliana dazedly touched her ears. They seemed to have objected to traveling with the rest of her head and wanted to flee back to the street they had left. "I'm... I'm okay."

She managed to ask, "What was that?"

"Apparition. It's a common way for wizards to travel and very convenient, though it can be dangerous if done incorrectly."

Seeing that Eliana had plainly ignored the warning and was itching to try it, Dumbledore added, "Only wizards who have passed the exam at seventeen may use it."

The light in Eliana's eyes went out at once.

Dumbledore laughed. "Well then, welcome to our first stop—the Leaky Cauldron."

He pointed to the dark pub ahead. "A very famous, very wonderful place."