Professor McGonagall

Bang! Bang! Bang!

At the crack of dawn, loud knocking came from outside Li Wei's room.

Maki's shrill, peculiar voice carried through the door into the room.

"Lee Wickens! It's already daylight! Why aren't you up making breakfast for everyone yet?!"

"Get up, and don't be lazy, or I'll throw all you little pests out!"

Listening to the urging outside, Li Wei helplessly waved away the smoke that had formed the system interface before him.

He had actually been awake for a long time. He had simply been studying his Fantasy MOD System.

Based on his research, it seemed that only he could see the smoke, because when he looked in the mirror, the letters formed by the smoke did not appear in the reflection.

Since light did not refract through the system, human eyes, which relied on light to form images, should not be able to see the smoke displaying the system either.

Aside from that, he had also carefully studied the text information the system had revealed earlier.

Judging from that information, he estimated that his Fantasy MOD System was probably trigger-based.

As long as he encountered certain key points within the Wizarding World, his Fantasy MOD System would load the corresponding MOD.

For example, after he received Hogwarts' admission letter and learned that he was a young wizard with magic within him, it had loaded the Wizard Personal Information MOD.

Furthermore, based on Li Wei's experiments, although his talent options could not be changed for the time being, as long as he used and practiced his personal skills, he could permanently gain certification. By continually increasing proficiency, he could raise their levels.

Higher-level skills were more powerful, consumed less magic, and could be used faster.

Li Wei estimated that if this applied to spells, then leveling high-level spells might allow him to cast silently and wandlessly. He might even reach the pinnacle based on their original effects and develop abilities the spells had never possessed.

But he would have to study the system later.

The wisps of smoke dissolved into the air. Li Wei sighed softly and called out loudly.

"Maki, I'm awake! I'll go make breakfast right away!"

After spending so long at Wu's Orphanage, Li Wei had come to understand that there were not that many truly kind-hearted people in the world.

To most of the nannies and caretakers at the orphanage, it was simply their workplace, and caring for orphans was merely a way to earn a wage.

Just like London office workers, since it was work, they would naturally do the bare minimum when they could and slack off whenever possible, as long as they earned enough money!

Expecting people like them to be responsible or caring was impossible.

After Li Wei convinced them to let him set up a stall outside and began earning money, the orphanage's exploitation followed.

Not only did they seize the money he earned every time he returned to the orphanage, like they had last night.

Once they realized Li Wei could cook, they also assigned the daily task of making breakfast directly to him and several of the older children at the orphanage.

If not for the children he pitied in the orphanage, and for the fact that it truly had raised him from a baby boy to this age, Li Wei would have left long ago!

Even so, once he had the ability to protect himself and enough money, Li Wei had already prepared to leave the orphanage.

It was just that having the chance to attend Hogwarts and learn magic was an even better arrangement for him!

After greeting the other children responsible for breakfast, Li Wei began skillfully frying eggs with a spatula. He had barely finished a few when he heard someone knocking on the orphanage's front gate.

Mrs. Lisa, the orphanage director, realized that anyone knocking so early must be there either to make a donation or adopt a child.

To them, such people were the orphanage's benefactors. She hurriedly rose from the dining table, forced a kindly smile onto her face, and went to open the door.

Li Wei also slowed his breakfast preparations and looked toward the front gate through the dining hall.

Though he could not hear anything due to the distance, once the gate opened, he clearly saw the visitor through the window.

She was a tall, stern-looking elderly woman wearing a witch's hat and square glasses.

She wore a green robe and carried the distinctive air of a scholar. Her lips were slightly pursed, making her expression even more severe.

She was greeting Mrs. Lisa, her mouth moving as she presumably explained why she was there.

A Hogwarts professor had finally arrived!

Li Wei unconsciously slowed the spatula in his hand, and a delighted smile appeared on his face.

Although many years had passed and most of his memories of the original Harry Potter novels had become blurry.

He still recognized her at a glance. The visitor had to be Professor Minerva McGonagall from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the professor responsible for teaching Transfiguration!

"Lee Wickens, good boy, this lady is looking for you. Come out quickly and greet her!"

Mrs. Lisa called for Li Wei in the courtyard with a rare gentleness toward Lee Wickens and the others.

She didn't think Professor McGonagall had come to donate money to the orphanage, did she?

Hearing that voice, seven parts sincere and three parts false, Li Wei found it somewhat amusing.

He had been waiting for this moment ever since receiving that letter last night. Naturally, he did not hesitate in the slightest, taking three steps as two as he entered the courtyard and headed toward the front gate.

Before he could reach it, Mrs. Lisa came up to him. She "affectionately" gripped his arm tightly, turned her head, and lowered her voice threateningly.

"You don't think your good days have arrived, do you? Hm? You little cash cow!"

"Let me tell you, don't think this old woman is going to adopt you. Be good and work for the orphanage, earn money for us!"

"Otherwise, I have plenty of ways to badmouth you and ruin your prospects, you unwanted thing! A burden that does nothing but make filth!"

Hearing Mrs. Lisa's threats, Li Wei could not help feeling rage burn within him. To be honest, even though he had grown up in this orphanage, there were times when he wanted to vent his anger on these people.

But memories from his childhood surged into his mind once again.

When he was young, back when the orphanage still received government funding and donations from kind people, life here had been easier, and everyone had gotten along harmoniously. Whether it was Mrs. Lisa or the nannies and caretakers, every one of them had been a kind person.

It was simply poverty and life that had twisted everyone here into the sort of person they had once least wanted to become.

In the end, these people at the orphanage had not let him die on the streets when he was still a baby. They had raised him!

And besides...

Li Wei looked up at Professor McGonagall standing by the gate. At such close range, if McGonagall had truly been a frail old woman who was deaf and blind, she probably would not have heard what Mrs. Lisa was saying at all.

But magic was best at creating miracles!

With extraordinary energy like magic, even though Professor McGonagall was twice Mrs. Lisa's age, she was probably still sharp-eyed and sharp-eared, far surpassing even young women!

She must have heard what Mrs. Lisa said. No wonder the professor's expression had become even more stern and unpleasant!

In that case, I'll wait and see. In front of Professor McGonagall, I'll be a "good child"!

"Yes, Mrs. Lisa." Li Wei looked somewhat "dejected" as he replied obediently.