Wool's Orphanage.
The corridor.
Dumbledore looked around.
His gaze was filled with complicated memories—over the years, the decor here seemed hardly to have changed.
"Mrs. Elena, I've come for Ian Prince."
With the orphanage matron escorting him, Dumbledore stepped into the office. His arrival seemed to dispel any chill that might have lingered in the room.
"He needs to complete his education."
Sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows and fell on Dumbledore's silver hair and beard, bathing the elderly wizard in a soft, mysterious glow.
"Oh! That's wonderful news!"
The matron, Elena, was a fifty-year-old woman with gray hair and a warm smile.
She ushered Dumbledore to a seat and brewed him a cup of black tea—the very cheap kind, with a stale taste.
"Ian Prince is a good boy, and very mature for his age. He doesn't get along with the other children at the orphanage. He always prefers to do his own thing."
After hearing Elena's introduction,
Dumbledore fell thoughtful.
He set down the tea Elena had poured for him.
"Mrs. Elena, do you mean that Ian Prince is a very solitary child?"
At Dumbledore's gaze,
the matron, Elena, froze for a moment.
Then,
she hurriedly shook her head and explained.
"No, no, you've misunderstood me. Perhaps I should put it this way: Ian is simply very mature for his age. The other children want to play with him, but Ian just doesn't like playing with them."
Elena paused, then said, "Ian once said that playing house with the children was terribly boring and childish. He'd rather spend that time playing with birds."
"Playing with birds? A fine hobby. It seems Mr. Ian Prince is the sort of child who's fond of animals."
Dumbledore seemed relieved.
He smiled and teased, "Looks like he'll have an owl someday."
At that,
Elena froze for a moment.
However,
she kept smiling as she spoke up for Ian.
"Though Ian thinks the other children are childish, he still takes good care of his younger brothers and sisters."
"He's only eleven, yet he's already sneaking out to earn money, then buying flour and vegetables to stash in the kitchen... He remembers every child's birthday."
"He even buys sweets for the younger children."
Elena spoke with great satisfaction, then suddenly seemed saddened and let out a regretful sigh.
"Things are difficult in society these days, and it's hard for the orphanage to get donations. Of course, it's also because I'm not very capable. I shouldn't have to rely on a child to go out and earn money..."
Elena looked thoroughly dismayed.
"There's no need to blame yourself. You've done more than enough. I can see how much this place has changed." Dumbledore even addressed Elena, who was probably half a century younger than him, with a respectful title.
He comforted her with genuine sincerity.
"Have you been here before?"
Elena looked surprised.
"This isn't my first visit."
Dumbledore smiled faintly.
Elena didn't press him for details.
She was more concerned about the adoption.
"Sir, if you're hoping to take Ian away from the orphanage, believe me, he's a wonderful boy." Elena sincerely hoped such a thoughtful child would find a good home.
"Then, could I meet him?"
Dumbledore asked with a smile.
Under the influence of the Confundus Charm,
some of Elena's perceptions would differ from reality.
There was no need to correct that.
"Of course! Of course, sir!" Mrs. Elena was overjoyed. She first stood and said to Dumbledore, "Please wait here a moment."
As soon as Elena stepped outside, she saw Ian in the yard. He had just returned.
An eager smile appeared on her face. She waved to him and called out,
"Ian, come here a moment!"
Ian was pushing a little cart.
A child ran up beside him and hugged him. "Ian, looks like your big day has come! Go on, don't keep Mrs. Elena waiting."
At the orphanage, everyone called being adopted their big day.
After all, to these homeless children, nothing mattered more than being adopted.
Of course,
Ian was different.
He knew this wasn't an adoption.
With a nervous heart,
Ian was led to the office.
So it really is him!
He'd sneaked a glimpse earlier, and now it was confirmed: the man in the office was Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts and the greatest wizard of the century.
"Don't be nervous."
Before Ian could speak,
he saw Dumbledore watching him.
"Son, I need to tell you something. You're a wizard."
As Ian put on a look of surprise,
Dumbledore's gaze was deep.
"I imagine you discovered quite early on that there was something different about you." His eyes didn't look cloudy at all; instead, they were as clear as a child's.
"Uh..."
Ian didn't answer right away. First, he glanced at Mrs. Elena and saw that her expression hadn't changed, as though she hadn't heard what the old man was saying.
Is this... the Confundus Charm?
Forcing himself to stay calm,
he avoided Dumbledore's gaze.
"That's true. I realized it a long time ago. Sometimes, if I stared at a cup, I could make the water inside ripple a little. So, is that a wizard's power?"
Ian didn't dare pretend he was completely unaware.
His answer made Dumbledore smile and nod.
"Yes. It's your own magic at work. Sometimes, when you're angry with someone, that magic can surge even more strongly."
Dumbledore's tone was gentle.
But to Ian, that sounded awfully like bait. What did he mean, it surged when you were angry? I'm not that Tom Yodel fellow!
"Sir, I hardly ever get angry at other people. Being ruled by my emotions wouldn't solve anything." On the surface, Ian still responded in a calm, gentle voice.
Dumbledore seemed very pleased with his answer.
Dumbledore smiled.
As he nodded, his beard trembled.
"You're a very clever boy. Mrs. Elena was right—you're indeed mature for your age." As he spoke, Dumbledore looked at Ian with his old eyes and continued slowly,
"Hogwarts is the magical school every wizard in the world wants to attend. There, you can learn every kind of magic in the world, as well as all sorts of Magical Creatures..."
"Don't be nervous, Mr. Ian Prince. As headmaster of Hogwarts, I formally invite you to study there."
Here it comes!
Finally!
Ian Prince was very nervous. In his previous life, he'd only watched a few Harry Potter movies and a few Hermione fanfics, but he'd also heard of Hogwarts' Professor X.
Ian was genuinely worried Dumbledore might play dirty, like in those conspiracy-theory fanfics.
"Is something troubling you?"
Dumbledore noticed Ian's unease. Thinking he had reservations about Hogwarts, he gently reassured him, "At Hogwarts, there are flying Hippogriffs and trees that hit people. Most importantly, there'll be a group of children your age, and you'll learn magic together."
"Don't worry about learning magic, Ian. In fact, a truly remarkable wizard once came from this very orphanage."
Dumbledore suddenly seemed lost in memories, his voice heavy with emotion.
At those words,
Ian grew even more nervous.
Why was he nervous?
Wasn't it because he knew all too well just how "remarkable" that man from this orphanage had been?
"Is that wizard still at Hogwarts?"
Ian forced himself to sound curious.
Ian's voice pulled Dumbledore from his thoughts. He shook his head.
"In fact, he left Hogwarts a long, long time ago and lost his way."
Dumbledore finished speaking with grave concern.
Ian thought he was about to say something critical about the man, but the old wizard merely changed tack, speaking slowly with regret and a trace of remorse. "That doesn't diminish his extraordinary achievements, of course. It's just that he could have gone much further."
Ian looked at Dumbledore in apparent confusion, though all sorts of thoughts swirled through his mind.
Dumbledore's words sounded like a sigh.
Was this a warning?
Or a test?
Damn my persecution complex. It's all those Harry Potter fanfics' fault. Ian reined in his runaway imagination, doing his best not to overthink things.
"Have you made up your mind, son?"
Dumbledore's voice came from beside him.
"Uh... then I'll give it a try?"
Ian had been waiting for this day and, of course, wouldn't refuse.
"A wise choice. Hogwarts will send you a letter of admission in half a month. Then someone will take you to buy everything you need for school."
Dumbledore smiled at Ian.
Ian shrugged and politely declined. "Sorry, sir, but even if I want to go, it won't do me any good. I don't have any money, and I can't afford the tuition."
Dumbledore had already stood up and taken his hat from the hatstand.
At that moment, Elena suddenly rose to her feet and said to Dumbledore, "Thank you. Ian will certainly go in half a month."
Ian froze, then realized what had happened.
That was the power of the Confundus Charm. He didn't know what Elena thought she'd seen, but it was clear she couldn't see the real conversation between him and Dumbledore.
Dumbledore didn't speak to Elena. Instead, he smiled at Ian.
"You needn't worry about money. First, the school has a scholarship fund. Second, the person coming to fetch you won't ask you to pay. He... feels he owes you a great deal."
As he spoke,
Dumbledore started walking.
Ian froze again. He couldn't help standing up and watching Dumbledore head for the door.
"Who? My parents?"
Was he still a Pure-blood?
The thought took Ian by surprise.
"That isn't an answer I should reveal." Dumbledore merely winked and gave Ian a little wave goodbye, his tone full of meaning.
"You'll find out when the time comes, son."
With that,
he walked away without looking back.
Elena was still delighted as she went out to see him off.
Ian opened his mouth, but said nothing. He turned and left, returning to his room.
That night,
Ian lay in bed, wondering why Dumbledore had come in person. Was it because of Wool's Orphanage, or because his original surname should have been Ian Riddle?
Or,
was it because he was a Prince?
Was that Pure-blood surname in the original story?
As he pondered,
Ian's eyes began to feel heavy.
The next moment,
he drifted from sleep into wakefulness, as if crossing some kind of threshold—the last rays of sunlight on the horizon wrapped like a ribbon around the deepening blue sky. In the distance, the woods looked like an enchanted land from a fairy tale, the trees lush and green. A little bird darted over the treetops, its song clear and sweet.
Beneath that picturesque sky, everything was colored like a dream. It felt as though he were standing inside a magnificent painting, his soul finding a peace and cleansing it had never known before.
Ian opened his eyes and looked at the breathtaking scenery before him.
"You're here again."
A soft voice sounded in his ear.
"I almost forgot. Today's Saturday."
Ian turned to look at the girl emerging from the woods.
She wore a blue dress, her golden hair falling past her shoulders as she gazed at Ian with an innocent expression.
"Ariana, I ran into a terrifying old man today. I forgot to bring you candy."
He said this to the girl.