Wands Have to Be Dipped in Bean Paste! Second Deduction!

Then Tom excitedly staggered out from behind the bar, helping Charle carry his bags as he led him all the way to the best room.

If the Wizarding World had something like kneeling service, Tom would have arranged it for Charle without hesitation.

What a joke. Most customers who came here for drinks were doing well if they ordered a single plate of snacks, and some even brought their own. Who would order an expensive Deluxe Meal?

If not for parents bringing their children over to try it during the school season, allowing him to occasionally sell a few portions, he might not even sell one in an entire day.

But with Charle staying here, he needed eighty portions a day. That was enough to multiply the Leaky Cauldron's profits several times over. What was the big deal about giving him a good room and the best service?

Tom even wanted to introduce his granddaughter, Hannah Abbott, to Charle and play matchmaker. The two children were in the same year, after all. Feelings had to be nurtured from a young age!

After seeing Charle into his room, Old Tom said, "Mr. Charle, I'll get started on the Deluxe Meals right away, but it's a rather large quantity, so it may take a while to deliver them all."

"How about I send up some snacks first to tide you over?"

Charle merely waved a hand and set the bag containing that pile of broken Wands on the table.

"No need. I brought my own."

"Do you have seasonings like Salt and Pepper or Ketchup? Just send me a few portions."

Tom could only think that sending a wealthy customer some seasonings was nothing.

As for any seasoning available on the market, if he sent even one type too few, that would be poor service!

Thus, Tom waved his Wand, and the customers in the Leaky Cauldron witnessed a strange sight.

One bizarre seasoning jar after another lined up, tap-dancing their way toward a room on the second floor.

Salt and Pepper, Black Pepper, White Pepper, Ketchup...

Those common seasonings went without saying. Even seasonings made with ingredients from the Wizarding World were sent upstairs.

Tom even somehow produced a bottle of Bean Paste and sent that up as well!

After Tom delivered the seasonings, Charle locked the door, his eyes blazing.

"After working so hard for so long, the time to reap the rewards has finally come."

He pulled a broken Wand from his bag, made of Beechwood and Phoenix Feather.

"Mm, Phoenix Feather. Rebirth from flames calls for something with a real kick."

Charle then dipped it in the Chili Powder Tom had sent up and put the Wand into his mouth.

Hiss!

The pain brought by the Chili Powder and the heat released by the Phoenix Feather were a perfect combination, creating the sensation of eating an extra-spicy hot pot.

Amazing!

Charle sucked on it a few times, then suddenly bit down hard.

Crack!

Crunchy as a potato chip!

Then came the prompt from the Deep Blue System.

"Deduction Point +2200!"

As the prompt sounded, the blazing look in Charle's eyes grew even more intense.

"One Phoenix Feather, probably old stock plucked who knows when and made into a Wand, can provide this many Deduction Points."

"If I roasted and ate an entire phoenix, how many would that give me? At least several hundred thousand, right?"

"Dumbledore seems to have a phoenix named Fawkes. In the original story, it looked rather dim-witted. It should be pretty easy to fool..."

At the same time, in the headmaster's office at Hogwarts.

Dumbledore sat with his eyes half-closed, as though contemplating something.

Fawkes the phoenix paced across his desk.

Suddenly, Fawkes shuddered, as if it had sensed a chill.

Dumbledore sensed something as well and opened his eyes, a trace of gravity appearing on his face.

"Darkness is reviving. Voldemort's power is resurging. In the near future, the Wizarding World will once again be in danger."

"That chilling feeling, Fawkes, you felt it too, didn't you?"

Fawkes froze for a moment, then gave him a distinctly human look of disgust.

It then turned around and pointed its phoenix rear at Dumbledore, clearly having no intention of paying him any attention.

Dumbledore was first taken aback, then smiled wryly as his attention returned from this little incident to his upcoming plans.

"Harry Potter will soon enter the Wizarding World as well. He grew up in the Muggle World and shares a mysterious connection with Voldemort. His true nature must be tested further."

"There are signs that the Philosopher's Stone is being watched. It is likely Voldemort and his lackeys."

"Before long, they will surely make a move against Gringotts, but I have already transferred the real Philosopher's Stone elsewhere."

"This stone can serve as bait to draw Voldemort to Hogwarts. That way, I can see what state he is currently in and find out how many more years it will take before he returns."

"At the same time, this will be a test for Harry Potter. I hope the child does not disappoint me..."

Before Harry Potter had even entered the Wizarding World, Dumbledore was already considering everything in detail, even planning how to arrange the challenges that would test Harry Potter and his future companions.

And when he thought of Harry Potter's companions, Charle's figure instinctively surfaced in Dumbledore's mind.

Such a gifted young wizard—and according to the feedback Professor McGonagall had just sent him, Charle's magical essence was one of ultimate holiness and light, completely irreconcilable with darkness.

Having him become Harry Potter's most important friend would play a significant role in Harry Potter's future path as a savior.

A satisfied expression appeared on Dumbledore's face. The more he thought about it, the more he felt this was an excellent arrangement.

As for how Charle would meet Harry Potter, as Hogwarts' headmaster and the strongest White Wizard of the century, Dumbledore had a hundred ways to arrange it.

He was certain he could ensure that neither Charle nor Harry Potter noticed anything at all.

No matter how gifted Charle was or how great his future accomplishments might be, he was still only an unformed young wizard.

Dumbledore was certain that Charle would never escape his control.

What Dumbledore did not know was that in the Leaky Cauldron's luxurious private room, Charle had already discovered a new way to eat broken Wands.

Charle picked up a Wand, dipped it in the Bean Paste Old Tom had sent in, then picked up a strip of cucumber and put both into his mouth at once.

Crack!

The crisp, sweet flavor mixed with the rich aroma of the paste filled Charle's eyes with pleasure.

"This is how Wands ought to be eaten—dipped in Bean Paste!"

"With cucumber strips on the side, the flavor is incredible. I wouldn't get tired of it even after fifty!"

As he leisurely put the last Wand into his mouth and ate it, Charle's Deduction Points in the Deep Blue System had surged by nearly forty thousand.

Including what he had left over from before, his Deduction Points had now exceeded eighty thousand again.

Anticipation appeared in Charle's eyes.

The first deduction of Apparition had already granted him an Apparition similar to the Goblin version, vastly improving his ability to escape.

Then what about a Second Deduction?

A scene from the original film surfaced in Charle's mind: Dumbledore and Voldemort's figures continuously shifting, darting and weaving, their battle moving so quickly that ordinary wizards could not interfere at all.

There were also those fantasy works where mages appeared in another place out of thin air like ghosts.

That gave Charle an idea for the direction of his next deduction.

Perhaps he could deduce it toward Short-Range Apparition, using it directly in combat!

The next moment, Charle spoke in his mind.

"Deep Blue, Second Deduction. Deduce Apparition toward short range, high speed, and high precision. Turn it into a displacement spell usable in combat!"