From Shu Mountain

The envelope bore a strange purple crest that looked like the letter "H" formed by a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a great serpent.

What was even stranger was the letter's contents:

"Mr. Li Mu of Shu Mountain Academy in the Celestial Empire: We are delighted that you have arrived in London. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry eagerly welcomes your arrival. Over the coming years, you will attend this prestigious institution, renowned throughout the Western wizarding world. The school term begins on September 1. We hope you will report on time. Please board the Hogwarts Express at Platform 9 3/4.

We wish you a pleasant time.

P.S. Professor Li said he had opened an account for you at Gringotts in advance and deposited a large pile of gold coins. I believe it should be enough for you to purchase all your school supplies.

Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry"

An appendix was attached behind the letter, listing a long series of books and equipment that needed to be purchased in advance. Aside from that, the envelope also contained a map and a ticket. The map marked various famous magical locations throughout London, England, while the ticket served as proof of boarding for the Hogwarts Express.

After briefly scanning the map, Li Mu carefully checked the address on the ticket. It really was Platform 9 3/4... In old Li Jianmin's eyes, it was a bizarre address. The name of one platform had six characters, including three numbers, and was such a mouthful to pronounce. It was practically designed to make things difficult. Once again, it proved that Western magic users loved putting on airs and were utterly unreliable. Coming here to study was simply a waste of time.

But Li Mu knew what it meant, and he felt faintly excited about the journey ahead.

He had been cooped up in the wilderness for far too long. Everything below the mountain was like a breathtaking beauty—inviting yet elusive. Whether this trip to England counted as sightseeing or chasing celebrities, as long as he no longer had to spend every day in the forest with that old geezer, he was happy.

Li Mu carefully tucked the ticket and letter back into the envelope and stored it close to his body. Then he haphazardly stuffed the books piled on the bed into his suitcase.

They included Hogwarts: A History, The World of Wizardry, A History of Magic, Magical Theory... More than a month ago, Li Mu had flown from Huayang Airport at the foot of Shu Mountain to London. Aside from visiting sights such as the Tower of London and Big Ben, he had spent that time studying these books in advance.

To Easterners, the Western wizarding world had always seemed isolated and closed off, and its relationship with the ordinary world was poorly handled. But after staying here for a while, Li Mu felt that was not entirely true. At least when it came to shopping, magical folk had it quite convenient. He had bought these books from an inconspicuous little bookstore near Piccadilly St. James's Church. Right beside it stood Hatchards Bookstore, once the official bookseller to the Queen of England.

From what Li Mu had learned over the past few days, there were dozens more places across London where books from the magical world could be bought and sold. Those bookstores were hidden away in the busiest parts of the city, and they also sold ordinary books.

Books like Hogwarts: A History had been famous in Li Mu's memories for a long time, but actually reading them still made his head spin... No matter what, he had at least gained some understanding of Hogwarts and roughly grasped the similarities and differences between magic and what he had studied in previous years. Even his English had improved by leaps and bounds.

Faced with an unknown magical journey, even Li Mu, who had lived two lives, could not help feeling excited. After packing up carefully once more, he finally picked up his suitcase and left the hotel where he had been staying.

Following the map in the envelope, he now needed to find the Leaky Cauldron, then go to Diagon Alley to withdraw money and buy some school supplies unavailable in the ordinary world.

Today was Tuesday. According to the almanac he had checked days ago, it was a day when "all affairs were favorable," which made Li Mu rather happy. To be honest, he had some doubts about the accuracy of such predictions, but a good psychological hint was still better than nothing.

There were already quite a few taxis in London in this era. They were expensive, but convenient. Li Mu readily hailed one on the main road. No matter how costly it was, he was spending the old man's money anyway.

As it turned out, the Leaky Cauldron was not far from the hotel where he had been staying. After circling around and turning a few street corners, the taxi arrived. Li Mu got out without a word. Even after he had gone quite far, the driver remained where he was, staring after him with hesitation and concern written across his face.

Li Mu was, after all, only a ten-year-old kid. Seeing him wander around alone with a suitcase naturally made people worry... especially since the place he was heading to was like this...

The sight before him left Li Mu stunned for quite a while.

Just moments ago, he had been on a bustling street. After turning one corner, it felt as though he had gone straight from a great metropolis to some impoverished outskirts.

Amid a row of old, low stone houses stood a grimy little tavern. A sign bearing the gilded English words "Leaky Cauldron" hung crookedly from its wobbling wooden door, as though it might fall at any moment.

In such a prosperous city, it was truly inconspicuous. Ordinary people might even mistake it for a storage shed full of junk.

Li Mu looked around, then compared the markings on the map again. This was indeed the place.

Looking at the environment, which resembled some shabby urban-rural fringe, then at the fashionable buildings less than two streets away, he could not help shaking his head in disappointment. Did Western wizards really always like making themselves look filthy and disheveled?

Grumbling inwardly, he still stepped forward and gently pushed open the brown wooden door.

The light immediately dimmed.

The bar was pitch-black and just as filthy and messy, but the space inside was far larger than it appeared from outside. If he had not seen it himself, it would have been hard to imagine that such a shabby tavern could hold over a dozen tables and chairs, accommodating more than a hundred people drinking together.

"They definitely tampered with it," Li Mu muttered to himself, surveying the place with his sharp eyesight.

He quickly discovered another reason the room seemed so empty—there were people inside, many people. But they had all gathered in a circle at the center of the room, clicking their tongues in amazement.

What was this? Some kind of event?... Squinting as he observed them, Li Mu saw their strange clothing, which was clearly unlike that of ordinary people. He knew he had found the right place.

With a creak, the wooden door shut behind him, and the room grew even dimmer. Li Mu walked toward the center, but no one paid him any attention. Not even a single person turned around to glance at him.

Everyone remained huddled together, their exclamations of wonder unceasing.

Were the bartenders here not doing business anymore? Li Mu fumed inwardly, with no interest in listening to what these people were discussing in flawless English.

Then his gaze fell upon the giant man at the center of the crowd. He could not help growing excited. The burly man was at least twice as tall as an adult, and even four or five adults together could not match his width. Standing among the crowd, he resembled a small hill and was impossible to miss.

What delighted Li Mu was not merely the man's massive body, but that unmistakable face—his long black hair and beard were tangled together in a wild, matted mess, revealing only a small patch of ruddy face in the middle. Anyone who saw him would find him rough and uncouth.

That was Hagrid. Rubeus Hagrid.

If he still could not recognize such obvious features, then all the Harry Potter he had read in his previous life would have been for nothing.

Looking beside the huge man, he indeed saw a thin, dark-haired boy surrounded in the middle of the crowd. His judgment became even more certain.

The giant had to be Hagrid. As for the little boy... who else could he be but Harry Potter?

He studied him carefully. The famed Harry Potter really was thin and frail, with messy hair and bright green eyes. Beneath that bird's-nest hairstyle, a lightning-shaped scar could be faintly seen.

Like a crazed fan who had flown thousands of miles to chase a celebrity, only to suddenly see the idol he had been longing for, Li Mu's head heated up, and he rushed forward.

"Hey! Har—" he shouted.

Halfway through the word, he realized that pairs of sharp eyes had turned toward him, almost like arrows. Even his forehead felt cold.

The crowd had not noticed Li Mu before, and his sudden shout had clearly startled them. They all turned to stare at him, warily yet curiously examining this black-haired, black-eyed, well-proportioned, tan-skinned boy carrying a suitcase.

"Ha... hello!" Li Mu reacted quickly. The name about to leave his lips immediately became a greeting, and he tried his best to calm the excitement on his face.

"Are you from the Celestial Empire?" he asked.

This chapter somehow ended up being over 2,600 words. For the sake of all my hard work like a little busy bee, could you give it a bookmark and recommendation?

(End of Chapter)