1989, London.
A group of elementary school students streamed out of Wisteria Elementary School, chattering excitedly about what they wanted to do after school. The scene was rather noisy.
One chubby boy was yanking the hair of a skinny boy beside him. Several lackeys followed behind him, each occasionally sticking out a foot to kick the skinny boy.
Anyone could tell this was bullying.
However, to the chubby boy bullying him, Dudley Dursley, this was actually a way for them to celebrate happily.
"Vinson Wright has finally scrammed!"
Dudley Dursley suddenly exerted force and knocked the skinny boy beside him to the ground, then kicked him. "From now on, I'm the boss of this school! Call me Boss Dudley. Got it, Harry?"
"Dudley..."
The skinny boy couldn't help groaning in pain. The tall, fat Dudley Dursley kicked him again, making his injured body throb faintly.
The little boy struggled to frown and climb to his feet, only to be kicked down again by Dudley Dursley's lackeys amid their giggles.
"Hahahaha..."
"That bastard finally got out!"
"No one can control us anymore!"
Just as the little brats were cheering, a group of people dressed as elementary school graduates surged out of the school gate, surrounding a gray-haired boy.
Several tall students saw what was happening and charged over at once, pinning Dudley Dursley and the others who were bullying the boy to the ground in just a few moves!
"Hey, hey, hey, you've already graduated!"
Dudley Dursley struggled frantically, only to be forced back down. With his face pressed against the ground, he muttered, "You can't stay at this school anymore!"
"Boss Vinson hasn't left yet!"
The boy pinning chubby Dudley slapped him on the head and snorted. "We haven't left the school yet, and you were beating someone up today!"
"You..."
"What about us?"
The gray-haired boy leisurely walked over, grabbed Dudley by the collar, and lifted him up. His eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at the frightened chubby boy.
"Dudley Dursley, did you bring money today?"
"..."
Dudley Dursley swallowed involuntarily. The psychological trauma of the past five years resurfaced, and he nodded stammeringly. "...I... I did..."
"The usual?"
"...Y-yes..."
Dudley Dursley hurriedly nodded, pulled five pounds from his pocket, and tremblingly handed it to the gray-haired boy. "It's... it's for me and... Pierre's... and Danny's... Morken's... and Gordon's... five people..."
According to the standards set by the gray-haired boy, Vinson Wright, any child he saw fighting at Wisteria Elementary School had to prepare one pound in advance.
Dudley Dursley was the boss of the Dudley Gang.
Since he was the boss, it was only natural that he paid for his lackeys.
"Give them bread."
The gray-haired boy reached out and threw Dudley to the ground.
A boy standing nearby took the pounds from Dudley Dursley, pulled five palm-sized loaves of bread from his backpack, and threw them onto the ground.
This was Vinson Wright's rule.
They were running a legitimate business.
As for why bread worth four new pence was being sold for the exorbitant price of one pound, there was naturally no need to dwell on it.
Likewise.
Rules were rules.
Even those being beaten up at school had to pay Vinson Wright one pound to buy bread, despite sometimes being entirely innocent victims.
"Harry Potter."
The gray-haired boy waved for Dudley Dursley to get out of the way and walked over to the skinny boy. "Do you need to write me an IOU again today?"
"...I... I still don't have any money..."
Harry Potter raised his head to meet the gray-haired boy's gaze, then slowly lowered it again, somewhat afraid to speak. "Sorry, I can only..."
"It's fine."
The gray-haired boy shook his head indifferently. He took paper and a pen from one of his lackeys and wrote out an IOU before handing it over.
[Harry Potter purchased bread from Vinson Wright on June 30, 1989. The amount currently owed is one pound. Repayment date: July 31, 1996. Any unpaid amount will fluctuate according to the annual bank interest rate.]
"..."
Harry Potter took the pen and signed his name.
Harry did not really understand what an interest rate was, but he knew that an IOU like this could get him a loaf of bread from the gray-haired boy.
That bread might well be his dinner.
Harry Potter had lived at his uncle Vernon Dursley's house since he was little. His cousin Dudley Dursley had just been taught a lesson by Vinson Wright, so he would certainly go home and complain tearfully to his uncle and aunt.
Harry had known since childhood that when the Dursleys were angry, they would vent their anger on him as well. There was a good chance they would not let him eat dinner, so this bread could at least fill his stomach.
After Harry Potter took the bread from the gray-haired boy's lackey, he suddenly couldn't help calling out when he saw his creditor turn to leave.
"Vinson Wright!"
Harry Potter hurried several steps out of the school gate and called loudly at the gray-haired boy's back, "Which middle school are you going to? When I graduate in two years, I'll come find you!"
"..."
Vinson Wright stopped walking.
Harry Potter suddenly felt nervous and quickly explained, "Find you... I need to be able to contact you... so I can pay you back in the future!"
Every student present watched Vinson Wright's figure. Among them were more than a few of his followers at the elementary school, and their eyes were all filled with anticipation.
Vinson Wright had never told them.
Unfortunately, the gray-haired boy still did not answer.
The gray-haired boy who had left such a vivid mark on the childhood memories of everyone at Wisteria Elementary School paused for a moment, then continued striding forward.
Just then, a small car stopped at the school gate.
A gray-haired man in a suit stepped out of the car and opened the door for Vinson Wright, standing beside it with an air of respect.
The man looked somewhat old, like an old butler.
Only after the old-butler-like man watched Vinson Wright get into the car did he gently close the rear door and return to the driver's seat.
A group of elementary school students watched the scene.
The little brats had no idea what kind of family Vinson Wright came from. They only knew that he always seemed to possess such imposing presence.
Harry Potter's skinny figure stood at the very front of the group. His eyes remained fixed on the car window, waiting for the car to start and leave.
This was a farewell.
Perhaps only after the elementary school students standing by the roadside grew up would they realize that they were not merely bidding farewell to Vinson Wright at that moment. They were also bidding farewell to their childhood.
"Looks like you have quite a reputation at this elementary school..."
The middle-aged man in the driver's seat started the car coldly and said somewhat sullenly, "But from now on, you and them won't belong to the same world."
When the gray-haired boy in the car still did not respond, the man couldn't help frowning. "Vinson Wright, you asked me to make time to pick you up today just so I could see how well you're doing in the Muggle world?"
"Honestly..."
The gray-haired boy slowly turned his head and looked through the glass at the elementary school students outside the window. He sighed softly. "Still as short-sighted as ever, Mr. Crouch."
"Don't go too far."
"See him?"
The gray-haired boy ignored the man's temper and calmly watched Harry Potter among the crowd. "That little fellow is the famous Harry Potter..."
"Harry Potter?!"
The middle-aged man's voice immediately rose several pitches. He couldn't help following the gray-haired boy's gaze toward the window. "You actually found Harry Potter! No... You've been in this Muggle school all this time to protect Harry Potter?"
Any wizard would be astonished upon hearing that name. Many people sincerely wanted to thank the boy for the peace and stability he had brought to the Wizarding World.
Of course.
There were also many people who wanted to kill Harry Potter.
Among them was the middle-aged man's son, Barty Crouch Jr.
"Who knows..."
The gray-haired boy did not answer directly.
He merely clasped his hands together, rested his arms on his legs, and once again regained his aggressive bearing.
"From now on, I don't think you'll question me anymore."
The gray-haired boy raised his head and looked at the middle-aged man in the driver's seat. A glimmer of red flashed through his slightly narrowed eyes. "After all... constantly using the Imperius Curse on you is such a hassle..."
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