Scrub-a-Dub-Dub

Having taken on his third part-time job, Li Wei got busy under the amused gaze of the long-haired wizard named Grave Sanchez.

First, he used Telekinesis to control a feather duster, sweeping away cobwebs and dust from every nook and cranny.

Then he used Scourgify to clean the floor before preparing to sort through the pile of old books near the entrance.

"Kid, put these gloves on! You're really gutsy. What if one of these books is cursed?"

"Be careful. I don't want you losing your life here!"

Grave Sanchez's voice rang out at just the right moment. He tossed over a pair of gloves with white crystals embedded on their backs and explained,

"These gloves can protect you from Dark magic and curses for the time being.

"If the white crystals on the backs of the gloves turn red, it means there's something wrong with the book in your hands. Don't hesitate—throw it away immediately! Got it?"

"Got it, Mr. Sanchez," Li Wei replied seriously.

He hadn't expected Mr. Sanchez to be so scruffy yet so attentive to workplace safety!

"Meow~"

Nami, the little thief cat on his shoulder, nodded seriously as well, indicating that she would watch the white crystals and be ready to warn her owner at any time.

"Nami's such a good girl!"

Li Wei praised her with a smile, put on the white crystal gloves, and got back to work.

Many of the old books Grave Sanchez received were discarded textbooks from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Every year, once students graduated, a huge batch of old books flowed in here.

While helping sort them, Li Wei would also flip through them as part of his work.

After taking a look, he discovered the true value of these old books. Many students had written notes in their textbooks, recording their own insights and understanding of the professors' lessons.

Li Wei treated them like treasures, sometimes simply holding a book and reading it.

Grave Sanchez noticed, but he did not urge Li Wei to hurry up. As though he had recalled something, he smacked his lips.

Near noon, Li Wei received today's pay from the long-haired wizard named Grave Sanchez—three Galleons.

The magical gold coins forged by goblins gleamed with a captivating golden luster beneath the sunlight.

Beaming, Li Wei accepted the Galleons and happily placed them into his money pouch.

Although he had exchanged quite a few Gold Coins at Gringotts, these three Galleons were the only payment he had earned through magic, giving them special meaning to Li Wei.

"All right. If you still want to read, come back this afternoon. I can't cook, so I won't keep you for lunch!"

Grave Sanchez impatiently shooed Li Wei out.

But Li Wei could tell that the man was soft-hearted beneath his sharp words, a little tsundere. Otherwise, he would not have offered a daily wage of three Galleons.

With Nami, the little thief cat, lying on his shoulder, Li Wei walked toward the Leaky Cauldron beneath the blazing sun, humming a cheerful tune.

He had not forgotten what he had promised Boss Tom that morning. There was still a huge pile of dishes waiting for him in the kitchen sink.

After a morning of training through two part-time jobs, Li Wei could now cast Aguamenti and Scourgify with exceptional proficiency.

If Boss Tom wanted to make him back down in the face of difficulty, he was bound to be greatly disappointed—and thoroughly shocked!

When Li Wei returned to the Leaky Cauldron, Boss Tom first greeted him and arranged lunch for him, but did not mention work at all.

Boss Tom did not bring it up, but after finishing lunch and feeding Nami, Li Wei carried his tray into the kitchen of his own accord.

"Aguamenti!"

A rush of clear water surged from the tip of Li Wei's wand, washing over the greasy dishes in the sink.

Leaving the other dishes to soak, Li Wei precisely controlled Telekinesis to lift two or three sets of tableware from the sink.

"Scourgify!"

Li Wei waved his wand again, tracing a graceful S-shaped arc and releasing a faint white glow that cleaned the tableware until it was spotless and gleaming like new.

Telekinesis moved as he willed, carrying the cleaned tableware into the cupboard, completing part of the work.

"Little Li Wei, you really learned Scourgify and Aguamenti!"

Boss Tom's astonished voice suddenly sounded from the kitchen doorway.

When Li Wei turned around, he saw Boss Tom leaning against the kitchen door, staring at him in surprise.

"There's an old saying in the East: without the right tools, don't take on the job," Li Wei said with a proud smile. As he pulled more tableware from the sink, he continued,

"Since I took this part-time job, I have to be capable of doing it. Otherwise, wouldn't I be letting down the wages you offered, Boss?"

"Scourgify!"

Watching Li Wei work with such skill—washing dishes even better than he could—Boss Tom could not help but praise him.

"You learned two spells in a single day, and you did it without a teacher. Little Li Wei, you're such a clever young wizard. You'll definitely achieve extraordinary things in the future!"

"It's just that..."

Boss Tom hesitated. His and Professor McGonagall's original intention had been to make the child back down in the face of difficulty and stop working himself so hard.

A young wizard who had not even enrolled yet should be thinking about where to find sweets, where to get into mischief, and dreaming of riding a Flying broomstick across the skies on strange and exciting adventures.

Rather than being like Li Wei, forced to shoulder the burdens of life at such a young age.

That was far too cruel. In Tom's impression, only the Muggle world could be so harsh. There was nothing magical or wizardly about it!

But seeing Li Wei's practiced movements, Boss Tom did not know what else to say!

"It's just that I'm so young, yet I already have to work?"

Li Wei picked up where Boss Tom had left off and said unconcernedly,

"I actually think that being able to support myself through magic is a novel experience!"

"And isn't striving for a living its own kind of interesting adventure?"

As he spoke, Li Wei controlled several more cleaned sets of tableware into the cupboard.

Hearing this, Boss Tom knew there was nothing more he needed to say to Li Wei. Instead, he smiled appreciatively.

"You're so mature sometimes that you hardly seem like a child. I almost thought you were some old wizard who had been hit by a Shrinking Charm!"

The Shrinking Charm was a peculiar spell. There was a fifty percent chance it would shrink a person's body, and a fifty percent chance it would make them younger.

"Wouldn't that explain why I'm so proficient with spells?"

"Maybe I'm really a white-haired old grandpa!"

As though Boss Tom had amused him, Li Wei burst into laughter and played along.

But inwardly, he tensed, realizing that he had overdone it.

Still, anyone named Tom really was no pushover. He had almost guessed right!