The Leaky Cauldron

"You mean Lily Potter?" Dumbledore seemed more interested in the Potters' child. "Their baby is due at the end of the month? Has the delivery date been confirmed?"

"That's what they told me. They also gave Anduin a present. I could feel a strong magical aura coming from it. She'd been saying she planned to make a few Alchemical Tools to practice her runes, and it looks like she did a good job.

"And that child is far more independent than I expected, with much more money saved up than I would have thought. It's hard to imagine how an eleven-year-old managed that in an orphanage. Though asking about someone else's private affairs isn't very nice." Professor McGonagall and Headmaster Dumbledore were clearly on different wavelengths; she continued talking about Anduin as if to herself.

"Is that so? I heard the Lumbaton couple's child is due soon, too. Could it be one of them?" Dumbledore murmured to himself. Clearly, he was more interested in Lily's child than in the new students starting this year.

"One of who?" Professor McGonagall asked, baffled by Dumbledore's muttering.

"Oh, nothing, Minerva. You've had a long day, so go and get some rest. The Order of the Phoenix meeting is still at the usual place tomorrow. We have plenty of problems to solve together. The Death Eaters have been getting more active lately." Dumbledore still hadn't settled on what he suspected.

"Understood, Albus." Remembering the lingering shadow that had yet to be dispelled, Professor McGonagall frowned and left.

Dumbledore remained at his desk, lost in thought. No one knew what he was plotting.

The next day, after saying goodbye to Mother Tries and William, Anduin packed his things and headed to the Leaky Cauldron alone.

"What do you mean, you're going to stay here by yourself until Hogwarts starts?" The Leaky Cauldron's owner, Tom, stared at Anduin in disbelief.

"Yes, Mr. Wilson. Don't worry, I have money." Anduin took a few Galleons from his pocket and showed them to Tom.

"This isn't about money, Mr. Wilson. You may not realize how serious this is, but it isn't safe around here right now. I'm afraid I can't agree to this. I'm only thinking of your safety," Tom said, looking at Anduin sternly.

"I understand, Mr. Wilson. Professor McGonagall explained how serious the situation was yesterday, but I still insist. Besides, I think a Muggle-born wizard underage like me would be in more danger living in the Muggle World. I'm willing to trust you. I can help out around the place when I have nothing to do, and keep you company, can't I?" Anduin looked up at Tom with determined dark eyes, clearly not planning to leave.

Tom frowned at the boy and thought it over. In the end, he agreed. There were quite a few Aurors patrolling nearby, after all. If he let a Muggle-born wizard wander around outside, who knew what trouble might arise?

"Fine. I haven't had much business lately anyway. I'll give you a deal: for a month and a half, I'll only charge you five Galleons. But you have to promise not to wander off. It's best if you stay in the inn. Curfew starts at eight in the evening, and you must be back in your room by then."

"No problem, Mr. Wilson. I'll behave myself, don't worry." Once Tom agreed, Anduin paid him promptly, took the room key, and carried his luggage into the room piece by piece.

Anduin placed the scallions he'd grown on the windowsill. He'd brought quite a lot with him this time: besides his school supplies and other luggage, he'd even packed the seasonings William had bought earlier. He'd also brought a Mahjong set.

Anduin had been a soldier in his Previous Life. He hadn't had many hobbies, but he'd always enjoyed good food. After eating British food for over a decade in this world, he'd had more than enough of it. He'd come to loathe it.

After settling in, Anduin looked around the room. It was spacious, and there was enough room for basic exercise, but not much space to practice his martial arts. He'd mainly trained in Tongbei Quan, Pigua, Changquan, and Hongquan before, none of which he could practice properly here. For now, he could do Standing Meditation in the room, and practice Tai Chi.

With that in mind, Anduin took out some paper and planned his daily studies and training. He was a creature of habit and extremely disciplined. Apart from the fact that he might not fold his blankets into perfect squares, he still lived much as he had in the army.

He set out his schedule like this:

6:00 a.m.: Wake up, wash, and do morning exercises. Training: stretching, Standing Meditation, Aerobic Training, and thirty minutes of martial arts.

7:30 a.m.: Breakfast, then read and practice spells.

12:00–1:00 p.m.: Lunch.

1:00 p.m.: Continue studying and practicing spells.

6:00 p.m.: Dinner, then rest or continue practicing spells, depending on how he felt.

8:00 p.m.: Practice martial arts, Standing Meditation, and meditation.

9:00 p.m.: Wash up and go to bed.

He would help Tom out during mealtimes and breaks.

During the month and a half, Anduin decided he wasn't going to live like an ordinary person. He would absorb as much magical knowledge and practice as he could.

After drawing up a detailed plan, Anduin checked the time. It was nearly noon, so he decided to go downstairs for lunch.

After chatting with Tom in the dining room, he found that the food they served was mostly British fare. After confirming this with Tom, Anduin took out the seasonings he'd bought and cooked a few dishes himself. He invited Tom to share the meal, which also helped bring the two of them closer. After a pleasant meal together, Anduin prepared to begin his magical journey in earnest.

Anduin planned to focus mainly on Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1, Magical Theory, and Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection. He figured it would be best to learn a few spells quickly. Transfiguration was too difficult without an instructor, while Herbology and Potions required more hands-on practice.

Rather than jumping straight into practical exercises, Anduin skimmed through the books, marking important passages and anything he didn't understand with a pen. Before long, time had slipped away without his noticing.

After breakfast the next day, Anduin prepared to practice the first spell of his life: the Levitation Charm. Since years of practice had already taught him to levitate objects without a wand, he decided to start with what he was best at.

"Wingardium Leviosa." Anduin checked the spell and wand movement in the book, drew his wand, and pointed it at a book on the table.

Anduin felt an invisible energy connect him, his wand, and the book. It took almost no effort to make the book float. "Hmm, it definitely feels easier with a spell. Does the incantation make the magic more stable?"

Then Anduin lowered his wand and tried to make the same book fly as he had before, without using a spell. But even after trying for quite a while, nothing happened.