Bulstrode

Sean stared blankly at the shattered desk before him, then looked at his parents standing in the doorway.

If he was not mistaken, aside from shock at the accident, their faces held a trace of indescribable envy and wild joy.

What was going on?

Could it be that the two of them had long found his desk an eyesore?

Did they really have such deep-seated hatred for his desk?

Wait...

How had this desk been shattered again?

In his previous life, Sean had read Harry Potter, but he had never expected that after transmigrating, he would actually end up in the world of Harry Potter.

During the first ten years after transmigrating, aside from complaining about why he had ended up in the United Kingdom, Sean had been preparing to enter a private school and planning his return to China. He had even mapped out how, after returning to China, he would make it in Hong Kong's entertainment industry and use his foresight from his past life to stir things up and become an entertainment mogul.

But now he was being told that this was the world of Harry Potter. Counting on his fingers, he would be entering school at exactly the same age as Harry Potter. What a cliché setup. The danger level had just skyrocketed.

Sitting on the sofa, Sean held a cup of hot milk and temporarily stopped his endless griping.

If he had a choice, Sean would choose not to enter the Magical World and would continue along the life he had planned. But there was something in this world called an Obscurus. Sean could not remember the details, only that magical children who did not receive proper guidance might produce an unreasonable thing like an Obscurus, and that rampaging magic would ultimately kill them. Though Sean felt that he was unlikely to create an Obscurus, for the sake of his life, he did not dare gamble even on a one-in-a-billion chance.

Besides, Sean's parents clearly very much wanted him to enter the Magical World. Especially since they were both Squibs expelled from their respective families, having a child who could use magic would not only let them hold their heads a little higher, but might also allow their families to accept them again.

This was probably the pure-blood families' PUA of their Squib members.

Looking up at his dad, who had returned after finishing a phone call, Sean asked, "Dad, do wizards use telephones too?"

Hearing his magical genius of a son speak, Yad, who already adored his son, immediately replied, "The family does not use telephones. Wizards mostly communicate through Owls or fireplaces. Telephones are how Peripheral Members keep in contact. We have to contact the family through Peripheral Members."

So Squibs could not even contact the family directly...

Sean's impression of this family grew even colder.

His dad had contacted the family, but his mom had made no move. Sean was not surprised. He had already known that his mom had few relatives left. His maternal grandfather and grandmother had both died in an accident many years ago. Now that he thought about it, they had most likely died during the period when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had been causing trouble. Muggle-born wizards had been targeted by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and the Death Eaters at the time.

Of course, this was only Sean's guess. He had not asked his mom about the details. To put it bluntly, that would have meant tearing open an old wound, and there was no point in asking.

He raised the cup in his hands. The milk had cooled to a comfortable temperature.

He took small sips. Just as he drained the cup, someone knocked on the front door.

His dad looked somewhat excited and immediately got up to answer it.

As the door opened, Sean's dad carefully ushered in three middle-aged and elderly men and women in robes. The old man standing in the middle ignored both Sean's dad, who seemed to want to say something, and Sean's mom, who greeted them. He looked directly at Sean, who was sitting on the sofa.

This scene completely dispelled Sean's curiosity about this so-called family, along with the last trace of affection born from blood ties.

"You are Sean? Sean Bulstrode?"

Sean set down his cup. Dislike was one thing, but he absolutely could not behave rudely and bring shame upon his parents. Respect had to be earned. He would begin now, earning back the respect his parents should have had!

He rose from the sofa, looked at the man, and gave a slight bow. "I am Sean Bulstrode, son of Yad Bulstrode and Martha Carter."

The moment Sean finished speaking, the slightly plump middle-aged man standing behind the old man gave a quiet snort. "Heh. Carter. Coachman."

The surname Carter also carried the meaning of coachman.

Ordinarily, that was not a problem, but spoken by that man, it carried contempt for someone of low status. Martha had been born into a Muggle wizarding family and was also a Squib. To these pure-bloods who considered themselves noble by birth, Martha's origins were as lowly as they could be. In some ways, she was even beneath a Muggle.

Seeing this, Sean's expression hardened. Courtesy was courtesy, but if someone insulted his mother, then there was no need for such a thing as courtesy.

However, before Sean could speak, the old man snorted coldly and sternly said to the slightly plump middle-aged man, "Borel, you have been extremely discourteous. It seems you have forgotten every bit of the etiquette I taught you since childhood. When we return, copy out the family etiquette until I am satisfied!"

The old man's authority could not be challenged. Though Borel did not believe there had been anything wrong with his words or actions, he still lowered his head to his father and quietly accepted the punishment.

Having punished his younger son, the old man turned to Sean and asked, "Are you satisfied with this punishment?"

Sean paused slightly and looked at the old man with a strange expression. He could not see through him, but whether he could or not, he immediately responded with a faint nod. "Thank you."

"My name is Gavin. Gavin Bulstrode, father of Yad and Borel. From now on, call me Grandfather." With that, Gavin took a Badge and a Gold Ticket from his person, walked over to Sean, and gestured for him to hold out his hand before placing them in it.

Gavin continued, "This is the family Badge and the family scholarship. If your father were a wizard, you could receive more favorable treatment from the family. Unfortunately, your father is a Squib, and the family has expelled him. Therefore, you can only be treated as a magically gifted child among the Peripheral Members. These are family rules, unrelated to personal feelings. I hope you understand what I mean."

Sean looked at the items in his hand and nodded slightly. "I understand. A family must follow its rules, or it cannot endure. But these are things the family has given me. As my grandfather, what are you planning to give me?"

The moment he said that, terror and worry appeared on Yad and Martha's faces. Borel, meanwhile, wore an expression of scorn and mockery. Yet because of his father's recent punishment, he held back the urge to ridicule and rebuke Sean.

Gavin looked at the child before him. He was only ten years old, yet far more mature than Gavin had expected. Such calm composure was rare in a child of his age. As he watched, Gavin suddenly felt as though he were seeing his younger self: equally mature and steady.

The corners of Gavin's mouth lifted slightly. Under the astonished gazes of Borel and the other middle-aged woman, he slowly crouched down and met the eyes of this grandson he had not interacted with much before. "I like clever children. As a reward, I have three things here. You may choose one. This is the school-entry gift I am giving you in advance as your grandfather!"

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