Dumbledore

Dumbledore?

???

Meow meow meow?

Where am I? Who am I? What am I doing?

Wasn't I supposed to be reborn thirty-nine years in the past, gain a golden finger, use my foresight to marry a rich, beautiful woman, and reach the pinnacle of life? Why had Dumbledore suddenly appeared?

...I should have known. Wasn't Wool's Orphanage the place where Voldemort had lived as a child? No wonder the name had seemed familiar.

In that instant, countless thoughts raced through Ye Ting's mind, but in the end, he buried all his doubts deep inside and gave nothing away on the surface.

"Hello, Mr. Dumbledore, and Mrs. Gary," he said, stepping aside. "Please come in and have a seat."

"Oh, there's no need, little Ye Ting." Mrs. Gary waved with a smile. "Mr. Dumbledore is the headmaster of a school, and he wants to have a private chat with you. This old lady won't disturb you two."

With that, she closed the door.

Soon, the sound of creaking footsteps descending the stairs came from outside.

"Well then, hello, child." Dumbledore looked at Ye Ting kindly and introduced himself. "I am the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Hello, Mr. Dumbledore." Ye Ting greeted him calmly, though a trace of excitement showed in his eyes. He was excited because he had traveled to another world, but Dumbledore misunderstood it.

"You do not seem surprised by the word 'magic.' It appears you have already realized that you are different from others." Dumbledore raised an eyebrow playfully and snapped his fingers. The teacup on Ye Ting's desk automatically filled with black tea.

"Oh! Cool!" Ye Ting was a little envious at the sight, but he also showed Dumbledore a trick of his own. A spoon in the tea tray trembled as it floated into the air, then "fell" into the cup.

This startled Dumbledore. He had never seen such a young child possess such powerful magic before learning to wield it. Ordinarily, young wizards lacked magical capacity and had little control over their magic. Even ordinary wizards found it difficult to cast spells without the aid of a wand.

Though his use of magic in that little trick was somewhat crude, that was only in comparison to adult wizards. It was already enough to prove that Ye Ting was an undisputed genius in magic as well.

"When I discovered this superpower, I started thinking about it," Ye Ting said in a pretentious tone. "I thought I couldn't be the only one with magic—or superpowers—but everyone around me believed that magic and superpowers did not exist. I thought there must be some organization hiding all this. Maybe they were my kind, and maybe they would come looking for me."

"You truly are a clever child. Then, would you be willing to join Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and learn more about magic alongside young wizards your own age?" Dumbledore asked kindly.

"Of course, Mr. Dumbledore. I'm looking forward to life at the school." Ye Ting smiled, showing the eager expression of a child. Though he was thirty-one when both lives were added together, he was still thrilled to have traveled to this fairy-tale world from his childhood. He was especially full of anticipation at the thought of becoming a Hogwarts student—particularly for the novel knowledge of "magic," something he had never encountered and that had existed only in fantasy.

What internet? What world's richest man? What rich, beautiful woman? None of that mattered now.

What wealth could compare to the power of magic? What beauty could compare to Miss Know-It-All Hermione, the half-Veela Fleur sisters, and such heroines and supporting heroines?

Though the magical world also had villains like the Death Eaters and Voldemort stirring up trouble, and the seven years at school were always fraught with danger, the overall level of danger was not that great. In truth, the good wizards had always held the upper hand, and the final crisis only arose because Dumbledore himself had arranged it in order to kill Voldemort once and for all.

Besides, opportunity and danger went hand in hand. Ye Ting's golden finger was not like some system, with clear beginner guidance and a path for cultivation, so learning magic as a reference was currently the best way to further develop his abilities—especially his powers over time and space. He even hoped that one day he could go further, travel between different worlds, and experience all kinds of different lives.

After that, Ye Ting and Dumbledore chatted for quite a while. Though Ye Ting had already learned about it through novels and films, he still asked many questions about the magical world with a childlike curiosity, and Dumbledore patiently answered them one by one.

At last, Dumbledore stood and said, "It is getting late. We should set off for Diagon Alley. There, we can purchase some necessities for enrolling at Hogwarts—do you have enough pounds?"

"Of course, Mr. Dumbledore." Ye Ting rummaged through a drawer, pulled out his wallet, and took out a stack of pounds. "In fact, I've been submitting work to children's magazines and have saved up quite a considerable amount in royalties. I think it should be enough."

"That is good." Dumbledore nodded in satisfaction. "Then let us be off."

"Himari, let's go." Before leaving, Ye Ting opened his backpack to Himari on the windowsill. The little white cat leaped inside lightly and skillfully, leaving only her head exposed.

After bidding farewell to Mrs. Gary and the children who had come out to watch the excitement, the two left Wool's Orphanage and, under Dumbledore's lead, entered an empty alley.