What a Steal! Now I Can Really Rest Easy

At Charle's words, Professor McGonagall halted mid-step toward the Leaky Cauldron. Her stern face showed a flicker of dazed disbelief.

For a moment, she wondered if she had misheard him.

Apparition was fun? He loved it?

Getting flushed around like he was in a toilet—was that fun?

Were children in the Muggle World really into that sort of thing now?

Though she had no idea what the Roller Coaster and Ferris Wheel Charle mentioned actually were, Professor McGonagall had already decided that if she ever entered the Muggle World, she would stay as far away from both as possible.

Then Professor McGonagall found herself in a difficult position.

It was getting late, and she still had two more places to visit...

But when she saw the longing in Charle's eyes, her heart softened.

According to his file, he was an orphan. He had grown up without parental love, and had even relied on prize money from competitions just to afford meals.

How pitiful.

Not to mention that he had spent his recent eleventh birthday under such terrible circumstances. That made Professor McGonagall feel even more sorry for him.

A moment later, Professor McGonagall nodded.

"Fine. Then we'll Apparate once more."

She took Charle's hand again, and the two of them Apparated back outside St. Mungo's Hospital.

This time, Charle consciously focused his attention, observing the warped space and the scenery racing away around him.

He felt as though he were looking at an oil painting whose lines were so chaotic they defied description.

The resulting dizziness was even stronger than it had been during his first Apparition.

The instant they landed, Charle let out a cry and staggered aside to vomit violently.

Yet even as he threw up, the Deep Blue System's voice rang out in his mind, informing him that he had gained more reference material. The Deduction Points required for the initial deduction of Apparition had been reduced by a full ten thousand points.

What had originally required fifty thousand points now needed only thirty-five thousand!

Rounding it off, that was the equivalent of saving the Deduction Points for an entire bottle of Sublimation Potion!

Thinking of the nauseating experience of drinking a Sublimation Potion, Apparition—where it only felt like being tossed into a toilet—was so much better.

What a steal!

After he finished vomiting, Charle raised his head and looked at Professor McGonagall.

"Professor, let's do it again. It's fun—really, really fun."

Professor McGonagall was utterly dumbfounded. She felt as if she no longer understood young wizards these days.

Wasn't this just asking for trouble?

Still, under Charle's eager pleas, Professor McGonagall reluctantly agreed to Apparate back and forth with him a few more times.

The Deep Blue System's notifications continued to ring in Charle's mind.

Unfortunately, no matter how intently he stared at the distorted space, the reduction in Deduction Points grew smaller with every trip.

Until, on the final trip, it simply informed him that there was no further reference value to be gained and no more reductions could be made.

By then, the Deduction Points needed for the initial deduction of Apparition had dropped to twenty thousand!

Only then did Charle brace himself on his trembling legs and say that he had truly had enough fun.

Professor McGonagall finally let out a long breath.

Honestly, even as an adult witch, she found the repeated Apparitions nauseating.

She had been afraid she would throw up in front of Charle and lose all dignity, so it was a relief that he had finally had enough.

After settling her stomach, Professor McGonagall was finally able to lead Charle into the famous Leaky Cauldron.

The Leaky Cauldron was already packed with wizards.

Many of them were discussing the death of Dak, the vicious Dark wizard.

Some called Charle "another Boy Who Lived."

And when it came to that, even more people excitedly discussed another topic: when exactly The Boy Who Lived, Harry Potter, would pass through the Leaky Cauldron and enter the Wizarding World.

Charle had no interest whatsoever in their conversations.

All his attention was focused on the food he saw as they passed through the Leaky Cauldron.

Unfortunately, everything visible to the naked eye was ordinary food.

Even if some of the dishes were different, the ingredients were all things that could be found in the Muggle World.

Even eating this food eight times a day would only earn him a few scattered Deduction Points. It was nowhere near as good as the restorative meals at St. Mungo's Hospital, which contained magical herbs.

It looks like, until I find a more suitable source of magical food, I can only treat St. Mungo's Hospital as my cafeteria.

With those thoughts in mind, Charle followed Professor McGonagall through the Leaky Cauldron and arrived before the famous wall from the original story.

Professor McGonagall drew her Wand and demonstrated how to use the position of the rubbish bin by the wall to locate the brick he needed to tap in order to enter Diagon Alley.

Charle then asked Professor McGonagall another question that caught her off guard.

"Professor, why do we have to enter Diagon Alley in such a troublesome way?"

"And this method doesn't seem very reliable."

"What if someone played a prank and put a whole bunch of identical rubbish bins beside the wall?"

"Or what if someone tampered with the wall itself? If they painted over the entire wall with paint, or some other spell, then without a reference point, wouldn't it be impossible to open the entrance?"

When Professor McGonagall heard those questions, her expression suddenly became quite colorful. She even seemed to grit her teeth, as though she had recalled some infuriating memory.

Then she looked at Charle and asked with some hesitation.

"Charle, why are you asking about this?"

"You're not the sort of child who likes pranks, are you?"

Charle hurriedly shook his head.

"I swear I have absolutely no interest in pranks. My only hobby might be eating."

Only then did Professor McGonagall relax slightly, though she still warned him.

"When you enter Hogwarts, be careful around those Weasley brothers. They once did exactly what you described, and they nearly drove Mrs. Weasley mad."

"It took Mr. and Mrs. Weasley a full three days to restore this wall!"

After giving that warning, Professor McGonagall displayed a trace of confidence.

"But after that prank, in order to ensure that the traditional way of entering Diagon Alley could not be disrupted by any means, the Ministry of Magic invited specialists to cast all sorts of magic on this wall, ensuring that it could not be altered or transformed."

Charle's eyes lit up at Professor McGonagall's words.

"So every brick in this wall has magic in it, making them all Magical Items, and the spells attached to them are quite advanced?"

Professor McGonagall nodded with a hint of pride.

"I took part in that project myself, along with quite a few powerful wizards. We all brought out our finest skills."

"Furthermore, Ministry of Magic personnel come regularly to maintain it and replenish the magical power of the spells."

"So you can rest assured. Nothing will ever happen to this wall!"

Charle also smiled with relief.

"So that's how it is."

"These bricks are here where no one can take them away, no one can move them, and the Ministry of Magic even maintains them regularly. Now I can really rest easy."