A Gift of Fate

It wasn't just the absence of Dumbledore.

There was also no surprise visit from an owl delivering a letter.

Ian felt his path into the magical world was, to put it mildly, rather convoluted. Everyone else's guide to the wizarding world was either the gentle Professor McGonagall or the big-hearted, easily befriended Hagrid. Why, then, did he end up with the most unpopular Half-Blood Prince in all of Hogwarts?

Yes.

The man currently standing in the orphanage director's office, draped in oversized, mop-like black robes with greasy hair that hadn't seen shampoo in years, was none other than Snape, the current Head of Slytherin House.

This professor carried many titles: Potions genius, chronic sufferer of "middle-school syndrome," and the ultimate, buff-stacked, invincible warrior of pure love.

Of course.

Perhaps the most well-known label attached to Snape was his former status as a Death Eater following the Dark Lord. Ian knew he was currently a double agent for Dumbledore, but that fact did little to mask his past.

The aura of dread he exuded was impossible to fake.

Precisely because of this.

The fact that Snape had become his guide was, for Ian, not exactly good news.

"Ian, come in quickly!"

The orphanage director, whose seat faced the door, was the first to spot Ian being ushered in. She hurriedly waved him over with a smile.

Ian stepped inside.

He closed the door behind him.

Outside, a chorus of "wails" from the other children erupted.

"Poor little Ian is finally going to have a better life, thank God." Muttering happily, Ms. Elena began to introduce him to the gloomy-looking Snape. "This is Ian, the most sensible and heart-wrenching child we have here."

"I believe that, despite his humble origins, he will surely become one of the most outstanding students at your school. I dare say even those children from noble families aren't as bright as Ian."

Ms. Elena did not hold back her praise for Ian.

This made Ian feel slightly embarrassed. After all, he possessed the soul of an adult transmigrator; it was hardly fair to compare him to the other children.

"I certainly hope so."

Snape, sitting opposite Ms. Elena, was observing Ian as well.

From the moment Ian walked in, his gaze had not left the boy's face. The way he kept his expression stony while his eyes betrayed complex emotions left Ian completely baffled.

Was that... a sense of guilt?

The extraordinary trait of [Thought Perception], derived from [Psychology], granted Ian the special ability to detect the most intense emotions and deepest, most profound desires within others.

At this moment.

Because the man's inner state was far from calm, Ian sensed Snape's emotions immediately. This anomaly instantly reminded Ian of something Dumbledore had once said.

The professor coming to visit felt he owed him a great debt?

Was this professor standing before him actually Snape? Ian felt a sense of inexplicable confusion. He was clearly not Harry Potter, nor could he possibly be the illegitimate son of Lily Potter.

So, where did this emotion from Snape come from?

"What are you doing! How is this possible!?"

Suddenly.

Just as doubt swirled in Ian's mind.

A flash of disbelief crossed Snape's eyes. His expression shifted into one of shock and uncertainty, and the way he looked at Ian turned sharp, making the boy feel as if he had a fishbone stuck in his throat.

"Huh?"

Ian was so startled he took a few steps back.

Ms. Elena was equally bewildered by Snape's reaction.

"Legilimency! Mr. Prince, Dumbledore didn't tell me you possessed such a talent!" Snape's eyes flickered violently.

Surprise? Unease? Worry?

He stared at Ian with an exceptionally cold and stern expression, yet the emotional fluctuations leaking out became increasingly obvious. Sensing these feelings only deepened the confusion in Ian's heart.

What on earth was wrong with this Potions professor?

He couldn't possibly be the man's illegitimate son with a Muggle, could he? That because he couldn't have Lily Potter, he found a Muggle who looked like her, fathered him, and dumped him in an orphanage?

That was impossible!

That was... too explosive, too illogical!

The more curious Ian became.

The more pronounced his perception effect grew.

Consequently.

"I said! Enough!"

Snape's voice suddenly rose by several octaves.

The voice was stern.

"I... I can't control it..."

Ian was incredibly nervous at this moment. He truly hadn't expected Snape to detect his [Thought Perception] probe, nor had he anticipated that this ability would be mistaken for the magic of [Legilimency].

"Professor, perhaps if you controlled your own emotions, it might ease the current situation?" There was no help for it; Snape before him was clearly bristling with rage.

Ian could only offer a soft, cautionary reminder.

"Hoo~"

Snape took a long, ragged breath, his expression grim. After he closed his eyes to adjust himself for a moment, the clear perception Ian had felt began to blur.

"What did you see?"

When Snape opened his eyes again, a look of disbelief still lingered on his face.

"I didn't see your memories. I can only perceive your emotions. Your mind might be a little... chaotic?" Ian answered the question honestly.

Since the other party had already detected the anomaly in him, trying to hide this ability was clearly a lost cause. For a wizard, having a special talent was not necessarily a problem.

"A natural Legilimens... how wonderful... Mr. Prince, do you think that because you have been gifted by fate, you are arrogant enough to do whatever you please?"

Snape's eyes now carried a clear sense of annoyance.

His tone was as cold as it could possibly be.

He seemed to be squeezing the words out through gritted teeth. His voice was loud enough that Ian couldn't help but subconsciously glance at Elena, yet she was watching the two of them with a smile on her face.

She even nodded from time to time.

Clearly.

Whatever Elena was hearing or seeing of the conversation between Ian and Snape, it was likely far removed from what was actually happening.

"Confundus Charm..."

Ian looked at Elena, who seemed to be isolated in another world.

For some reason.

He felt an inexplicable tightness in his chest.

"I am asking you a question, Mr. Prince. You dare to ignore a professor before you have even enrolled? If this were Hogwarts, I would certainly have your house..."

Halfway through his sarcastic remark, Snape suddenly cut himself off. The expression on his shadowed face looked as unpleasant as if he had choked on something.

"I'm sorry, Professor. I truly cannot control it."

Ian felt quite helpless.

"Cannot control it! Then learn to control it!"

Snape barked sharply.

"Er..."

Perhaps Ian's acting had worked. Seeing Ian put on an innocent and pitiful expression, Snape bit his cheek, and his tone began to soften slightly.

"As a professor at the school, I will only warn you out of kindness this one time. Until you possess sufficient strength, any behavior that might provoke other wizards is a foolish provocation."

"Hogwarts has always been tolerant of its students, but that is on the condition that you act like a rule-abiding brat and don't go around causing trouble like those detestable Gryffindors."

Snape's voice was incredibly serious.

However.

When he mentioned Gryffindor.

His tone carried undisguised disdain.

"What is a Gryffindor?"

Ian wanted to change the subject, his expression one of ignorance and confusion.

"Heh, just a bunch of simple-minded, brawny idiots. At Hogwarts, smart people choose to stay far away from them, otherwise, they will immediately become unfortunate."

Snape mocked them with great enthusiasm.

Yet, this response was a classic example of saying a lot while explaining nothing.

He hadn't explained at all that Gryffindor was a house.

"Understood, Professor."

Ian did not press the issue or argue.

Instead, he adopted the obedient posture of a student being lectured.

This caused the deep frown on Snape's brow to relax quite a bit.

"Madam, I need to take this child away early to handle some necessary paperwork." He no longer looked at Ian, turning instead to address Elena.

The next moment.

It was as if Elena, who had been "AFK" for quite a while, finally had her eyes and expression return to normal. She responded to Snape with a face full of smiles.

"Of course, of course. That old Headmaster has already taken care of all the formalities. Ian can go with you right now." With that, she urged Ian to go and pack his luggage.

Because he had been preparing for it all along.

Most of Ian's belongings had long been packed into a large trunk.

And so.

He soon dragged the massive suitcase out. Since Ian was only eleven years old, he was barely a head taller than the trunk itself.

Just as he stepped out of his bedroom.

Ian saw Ms. Elena, several other orphanage staff members, and almost all the children waiting for him in the courtyard.

Snape stood in a vacant spot further away, radiating an aura that warned everyone to keep their distance—though, in truth, even those who knew him wouldn't have wanted to get close.

"Ian, Ian, will you bring us back some chocolate?"

"Don't worry, Ian, I'll take good care of your room and your little cart."

"Waaah, Big Brother Ian, please don't die, okay? They said we'd never see you again."

The children all showed their reluctance to see Ian leave.

As the leader of the orphanage children.

Everyone held deep affection for Ian... even the five-year-old girl who had mistaken "never seeing him again" for "dying" held him in high regard.

Perhaps.

One day, this weight and affection might change with the passage of time, fading as everyone grew older and went their separate ways.

But the reluctance they showed at this very moment was not diminished in the slightest.

"Ian, don't look back; your future will be bright." Ms. Elena stroked Ian's cheek, her eyes brimming with tears as she offered this profound advice with a gratified expression.

The other children couldn't grasp the deeper meaning behind her words, but that didn't mean Ian couldn't.

"Professor, I can come back during the holidays, right?"

He shouted his question toward Snape in the distance.

"That is your own business; do not bother me with such foolish matters."

Although Snape's tone was filled with impatience, he remained quietly standing in the shadows by the wall, not rushing Ian in the slightest.

"Of course I'll come back. This is home, isn't it?"

Ian stepped forward to hug Ms. Elena. "If it weren't for your dedication and the changes you've made here, this orphanage wouldn't be filled with the joy and laughter it has today."

"We will all have a future, I promise." Ian's voice was very earnest.

"Ian... you don't have to be like this..." Ms. Elena's voice choked up as she hugged him tightly. The children nearby began to chatter noisily.

"It's my turn to hug Ian!"

"Anna! You've been hugging him for too long!"

"Alan! You're getting snot all over Ian's clothes!"

After saying goodbye to almost everyone.

Ian refused help from the others and dragged his suitcase toward Snape by himself.

Under the gaze of the crowd, Ian exchanged a few words with Snape, and then Snape led him out through the large iron gate, gradually disappearing into the heavy smog of the London streets.

"Ian will surely make something of himself; he is such a sensible child it breaks my heart." The kitchen cook was sobbing uncontrollably, her voice filled with a firm, unwavering conviction.

"Yes, I have never doubted that."

Ms. Elena also affirmed this. She wiped the corners of her eyes and turned to comfort the children, only to notice a heavy sensation in her coat pocket.

As if she had a premonition.

Ms. Elena quickly reached in and pulled something out.

A thick envelope was revealed in her hand.

"When?"

Ms. Elena was stunned.

She opened the envelope.

Her hands began to tremble uncontrollably.

"This child..."

Her voice was shaking.

Inside.

The brand-new envelope was stuffed with pounds. Although the denominations were small and scattered, they added up to a significant sum.

It was enough for the children at the orphanage to have a warm and well-fed winter.