Dumbledore

Wool's Orphanage.

In the hallway.

Dumbledore looked around.

His gaze held complex memories—the decor here seemed to have hardly changed over the years.

"Ms. Elena, I have come for Ian Prince."

Guided by the orphanage director, Dumbledore stepped into the office; his arrival seemed to dispel any lingering chill within the room.

"He needs to complete his education."

Sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows, spilling over Dumbledore's long silver hair and beard, gilding the elderly wizard in a soft, mysterious glow.

"Oh! That is truly wonderful news!"

The director, Elena, was a woman of fifty with graying hair and a very kind smile.

She warmly invited Dumbledore to sit and brewed him a cup of black tea—the cheap kind, full of a stale, aged flavor.

"Ian Prince is a good boy, and a very precocious one. He doesn't quite fit in with the other children at the orphanage; he always prefers to go his own way and attend to his own affairs."

Faced with Elena's introduction.

Dumbledore looked thoughtful.

He set down the tea Elena had poured for him.

"Ms. Elena, do you mean to say that Ian Prince is a very withdrawn child?"

Dumbledore's steady gaze.

Caught the orphanage director, Elena, off guard for a moment.

Immediately.

She hurriedly shook her head to explain.

"No, no, you've misunderstood me. Perhaps I should explain it this way: Ian is simply a very mature child. The other children want to play with him, but Ian just doesn't care for their games."

Elena paused, then said, "Ian once said that the make-believe games the children play are truly boring and far too 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 feels a kinship with animals."

Dumbledore seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

He chuckled, making a lighthearted remark.

"It seems he will have an owl of his own in the future."

Hearing this.

Elena was momentarily stunned.

However.

She maintained her smile and continued to speak well of Ian.

"Although Ian thinks the other children are childish, he is still very protective of the younger ones."

"He is only eleven, yet he has already been secretly going out to earn money, then buying flour and vegetables to sneak into the kitchen... He remembers every child's birthday."

"He even buys candy for the younger ones."

Elena spoke with a sense of gratification, though she suddenly seemed a bit sad, sighing with a touch of self-reproach.

"The social climate is poor right now, and it's hard for the orphanage to receive donations. Of course, that is also because I lack the ability, needing a small child to go out and earn money..."

Elena looked quite vexed.

"You need not blame yourself; you have done well enough. There have been great changes here, and I can feel them." Dumbledore even used a respectful address for Elena, who was likely more than half a century his junior.

He was comforting her with genuine sincerity.

"Have you been here before?"

Elena asked, surprised.

"This is not my first visit."

Dumbledore smiled faintly.

Elena did not press the matter.

She was more concerned about the adoption.

"Sir, if you intend to take Ian away from the orphanage, please believe me, he will be a wonderful child." Elena truly hoped such a sensible boy would find a good home.

"Then, may I see him?"

Dumbledore asked with a smile.

Under the influence of the Confundus Charm.

Some of Elena's perceptions would deviate from the facts.

There was no need to correct that.

"Of course! Of course, sir!" Ms. Elena was overjoyed. She first stood up and said to Dumbledore, "Please wait a moment for me."

As soon as Elena walked out, she saw Ian, who had just returned, in the courtyard.

A look of eager excitement immediately appeared on her face as she waved at him and called out.

"Ian, come here for a second!"

Ian was pushing a small cart.

A child ran up to him and hugged him, saying, "Ian, it looks like your big day has arrived! Go on, don't keep Ms. Elena waiting."

In the orphanage, everyone referred to being adopted as a "big day."

After all, for this group of homeless children, nothing was more important than being adopted.

Of course.

Ian was different.

He knew this wasn't an adoption.

With a heart full of trepidation.

Ian was pulled toward the office.

It really is him!

Having snuck a peek earlier, he was now certain that the person in the office was Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts and the greatest wizard of the century.

"Do not be nervous."

Before Ian could speak.

He saw Dumbledore observing him.

"Child, I need to tell you a fact: you are a wizard."

Under Ian's feigned expression of surprise.

Dumbledore's eyes were profound.

"I presume you must have discovered long ago that you are different from others." His eyes did not look cloudy; instead, they possessed a purity like that of a child.

"Uh."

Ian did not answer immediately. He first looked up at Ms. Elena, only to find her expression unchanged, as if she hadn't heard a word the old man was saying.

Is this... a Confundus Charm?

He forced himself to calm down.

He avoided Dumbledore's gaze.

"That is indeed the case. I discovered this quite early on. Sometimes, when I stare at a water glass, I can make the water inside ripple. So, is this the power of a wizard?"

Ian did not dare to feign complete ignorance.

His answer made Dumbledore nod with a smile.

"Yes, that is the magic within you at work. Sometimes, when you are angry at certain people, the fluctuations of this magic become even more intense."

Dumbledore's tone was gentle.

But to Ian, this sounded far too much like fishing. What did he mean by fluctuations being more intense when angry? I'm not that Tom Riddle fellow!

"Sir, I almost never get angry at others, because being controlled by emotions does not solve problems." Ian responded with a calm and gentle tone on the surface.

Dumbledore seemed very satisfied with this answer.

Dumbledore smiled.

As he nodded, his beard trembled.

"You are a very intelligent child. Ms. Elena was not wrong; you are indeed very mature for your age." As he spoke, Dumbledore's aged eyes looked at Ian, and he spoke slowly.

"Hogwarts is the magic school that wizards all over the world dream of joining. There, you can learn all the witchcraft in the world, as well as various magical creatures..."

"Do not be nervous, Mr. Ian Prince. As the Headmaster of Hogwarts, I formally extend an invitation to you, hoping that you will enter Hogwarts to pursue your studies."

It's here!

It finally arrived!

Ian Prince was very nervous. Although in his past life he had only watched a few Hogwarts movies and read a few Hermione fanfictions, he had also heard the nickname "Professor X of Hogwarts."

Ian was genuinely worried that Dumbledore would play dirty, just like in those conspiracy-theory fanfictions.

"Do you have any concerns?"

Dumbledore noticed Ian's emotions. Thinking he was worried about Hogwarts, he couldn't help but say softly to ease his mind, "At Hogwarts, there are flying Hippogriffs, a tree that hits people, and most importantly, a group of children your own age. You will all learn magic together."

"Do not worry about the process of learning magic... Ian, in fact, a very remarkable wizard once came from this very orphanage."

Dumbledore suddenly fell into a memory, his tone wistful.

Upon hearing this.

Ian became even more nervous.

Why was he nervous?

It was simply because he knew all too well just how "extraordinary" the man who had walked out of this orphanage truly was!

"Is that wizard still at Hogwarts?"

Ian steeled himself and feigned curiosity.

Distracted by Ian's voice, Dumbledore pulled himself out of his memories and shook his head.

"In fact, he left Hogwarts a long, long time ago, and has since strayed from the path."

Dumbledore spoke with a heavy, earnest tone.

Ian expected him to follow up with some critical remarks, but to his surprise, the old man simply changed the subject, speaking slowly with a tone of regret and a hint of remorse: "However, that does not diminish his extraordinary achievements; it is only a pity that he could have gone much further."

Ian looked at Dumbledore with a seemingly blank expression, while various thoughts surfaced in his mind.

Were Dumbledore's long-winded sighs a warning?

Or a test?

Damn it! This cursed persecution complex of mine—it's all the fault of those Harry Potter fanfictions! Ian suppressed his overactive imagination, trying his best not to let his thoughts run wild.

"Child, have you made your decision?"

Dumbledore's voice rang in his ears.

"Uh... then, shall I give it a try?"

Ian had been waiting for this day, so he certainly wasn't going to refuse.

"A wise choice. In half a month, Hogwarts will send you an acceptance letter, and someone will come to take you to purchase the supplies you need for school."

Dumbledore smiled at Ian.

Ian shrugged and politely declined, "I'm sorry, sir, but even if I wanted to enroll, it would be useless. I have no money; I cannot afford the tuition."

Dumbledore had already stood up and taken his hat from the rack.

At this moment, Elena suddenly stood up and said to Dumbledore, "Thank you. Ian will definitely go in half a month."

Ian was stunned, then immediately realized what had happened.

This was the power of a Confundus Charm. He didn't know what scene Elena was seeing, but it was clear she couldn't perceive the real conversation between him and Dumbledore.

Dumbledore didn't speak to Elena, but instead smiled at Ian.

"You need not worry about money. First, the school has a scholarship fund. Second, the person coming to pick you up will not let you pay; he... feels he owes you a great deal."

As he spoke, Dumbledore began to walk away.

Ian was stunned once more and couldn't help but stand up, watching Dumbledore head toward the door.

Who? My parents?

Was he actually a pure-blood?

This was somewhat unexpected for Ian.

"That is not an answer for me to reveal." Dumbledore simply winked, gestured goodbye to Ian, and spoke with a meaningful tone.

"You will know when the time comes, child."

With that, he left without looking back.

Elena, overjoyed, went out to see him off.

Ian opened his mouth but said nothing. He turned and left as well, returning to his room.

That night, Ian lay in bed, constantly wondering if Dumbledore had visited early because of Wool's Orphanage, or because his name was supposed to be Ian Riddle.

Or perhaps.

Was it because of this "Prince" name?

Did that pure-blood surname even exist in the original work?

As he pondered, Ian felt his eyes grow heavy.

The next moment, he drifted from sleep to wakefulness, as if crossing some boundary—on the horizon, a streak of sunset glow wrapped around the gradient blue sky like a soft silk ribbon. The distant woods looked like a fairy tale wonderland; the trees were lush and dripping with green, and a small bird skimmed over the treetops, its song crisp and melodious.

Under this picturesque sky, everything was rendered in dreamlike colors, making one feel as if they were inside an exquisite painting, their soul cleansed and finding an unprecedented sense of peace.

Ian opened his eyes, looking at the breathtaking scenery before him.

"You've come again."

A soft voice rang out beside his ears.

"Almost forgot, today is Saturday."

Ian turned his head to look at the young girl emerging from the woods.

She wore a blue dress, her golden hair draped over her shoulders, and she gazed at Ian with a look of pure innocence.

"Ariana, I ran into a terrifying old man today, and I forgot to bring you any candy."

He said this to the girl.