Cornwall

"This means we need to make a few small changes to the decorations here."

Dumbledore waved his wand, and the silver-and-green flags and banners in the Great Hall turned gold and red. A majestic lion replaced the coiled serpent.

The Gryffindor students cheered jubilantly, while Snape stiffly offered his congratulations to McGonagall.

Canopus had been sitting calmly in his chair, but Neville and Ron hauled him up and started dancing with him.

This time, Gryffindor and Slytherin had been very close in points, and Harry and the others' brave efforts to protect the Philosopher's Stone certainly had to be rewarded.

So even Slytherin had no choice but to acknowledge Gryffindor's victory that year.

The exam results were released soon afterward. Canopus stood above the rest with the highest score in the year, while Hermione grudgingly settled for second place.

"Canopus, I'll definitely surpass you next year!"

That was the last thing the stubborn girl said before getting off the train. Harry and Ron burst out laughing, while Canopus scratched his head helplessly.

Kreacher, disguised as an elderly butler, waited at the station entrance. When the Dursley Family saw him, their expressions were as though they had seen a ghost.

"M-Mr. Kreacher, why are you here?" Vernon asked carefully, his face flushed red.

"My young master is on holiday today, so naturally I came to collect him. My young master and Harry Potter are classmates in the same house," Kreacher replied flatly. He had no desire to speak with Muggles at all.

When Harry and Canopus got off the train, Harry saw that Vernon's face had turned a terrifying shade of green.

"Mr. Dursley, are you feeling unwell?"

"No, young Mr. Canopus." Vernon forced a smile onto his large face, then hurriedly led Harry away.

No matter how slow-witted he was, he should have realized by then that the story about his mother being a child welfare worker had been a complete lie.

A child welfare worker might get Vernon into legal trouble, but a wizard might simply blow him straight into the sky.

Vernon felt the shackles around his neck tighten further. He wanted to vent his anger on Harry but did not dare, so he could only stomp on the accelerator in a rage.

After resting at home for two days, Canopus boarded a train and set off for Cornwall.

Cornwall lay at the westernmost edge of Britain, a boot-shaped peninsula. Two hundred years ago, it had been a world-famous tin mining region, but in recent years, its mining industry had gradually declined due to labor costs, depleted veins, and other problems.

Now the region was making a major push to develop tourism, but that was hardly easy.

After getting off the train, Canopus headed toward a pub with Kreacher.

The pub owner was an old wizard, and the entrance to Cornwall's magical world was in the cellar behind his house.

This time, Merlin had sent Canopus to Cornwall Magical Academy to find someone. There was a person there who could take Canopus to search for a warrior's resentment.

Britain was, in truth, a loosely assembled nation. It had gone through a long history of wars and intermarriages before gradually forming the basic shape of the British Isles as they were today.

The magical world was much the same. Even today, Hogwarts was only one option for some people.

Many wizards received their early education from their families. Once they reached school age, several nearby great families would pool their money to hire a few renowned wizards to teach their children.

Over time, many regional schools emerged in the magical world. Their curricula and school systems differed greatly from Hogwarts. The Ministry of Magic retained oversight over these schools, but generally did not intervene directly.

Cornwall Magical Academy was one of the finest among them.

At the entrance to Cornwall's magical world, a black-haired middle-aged man stood looking around while holding a magical photograph.

"Hello, are you here to pick me up?"

"Mr. Canopus? Hello, my name is Thomas Shadill. The headmaster sent me to take you to Cornwall Magical Academy."

The black-haired middle-aged man warmly shook Canopus's hand and led him toward a carriage rental office.

"Boss, we're going to Cornwall Magical Academy!" Thomas shouted. The owner raised his head from behind the counter and gestured for an apprentice to harness a carriage for them.

"Like Hogwarts, the location of Cornwall Magical Academy is also secret," Thomas explained. "Without a carriage from this rental office, even I, a teacher at the school, wouldn't be able to get there."

Canopus and Thomas got into the carriage together. After settling the luggage, Kreacher took a seat up front beside the driver.

Pulled by two horses that clearly possessed magical creature bloodlines, the carriage began to race forward. Its windows were sealed shut, while the scenery outside flew past in a blur.

After passing a succession of pockmarked, heavily excavated mines, the carriage turned onto a smooth yellow-brick road.

Neatly trimmed plants lined both sides, dotted with beautiful flowers.

Before long, the carriage slowed and finally stopped at the entrance to a beautiful valley. A castle stood in the middle of it, where a large fountain quietly sprayed mist into the air.

"Welcome to Cornwall Magical Academy," Thomas said with a smile as he opened the carriage door for Canopus.

"It truly is a beautiful place," Canopus praised sincerely.

"Yes. Though it cannot compare to Hogwarts in grandeur, it has its own unique charm nestled in this valley," a voice said from outside.

At the entrance stood a somewhat elderly-looking man. Canopus had read the information Dumbledore had given him; this was the current headmaster, Carlos Rosso.

"Headmaster Carlos, hello."

"Hello, Canopus." Smiling warmly, he opened the gates and invited Canopus inside. Thomas bowed to him, then left in the carriage.

"When Dumbledore contacted me, I thought he wanted to recommend a student to me," Carlos said with a laugh. "I didn't expect him to say that you were coming here to find someone."

"Yes. I imagine that student received a revelation as well?" Canopus asked.

"Of course. That child suddenly told me this morning that his ancestor had instructed him to receive a distinguished guest." Carlos led Canopus through the hall behind the fountain and settled him in a reception room.

"You two children can discuss the rest yourselves. I'll go inform him."

Headmaster Carlos left the reception room, leaving Canopus to wait alone.

Ten minutes later, an arrow suddenly shot in through the window. Canopus instinctively shifted aside, then casually snatched the arrow out of the air.

"A training arrow without an arrowhead?"

"I wanted to see what level the guest recommended by my ancestor was at, but using a real arrow would've been too rude, wouldn't it?" A red-haired young man walked in and smiled as he shook Canopus's hand.

"Using a training arrow is still pretty rude. Who greets someone with a bow and arrow the moment they meet?" Canopus joked.

"My bad, don't mind it. My family always says I don't have a shred of noble bearing anyway." The red-haired youth replied with a playful wink.

The two burst out laughing and introduced themselves.

"Sean McCall, descendant of Ancestor Tristan."

"Canopus Black, here to gain experience."