In the abandoned classroom, a serene quietude prevailed. The setting sun, on the verge of disappearing beyond the horizon, pierced through the clouds, casting a tangerine hue that bathed almost half the room, enveloping the silver-haired girl and the grand piano in its warm embrace.
Elena sat on a plush sofa, eyes lowered, entirely engrossed in spooning small scoops of lemon ice cream from her cup, as if the entire world's significance lay nestled within her palms.
Dumbledore glanced at the girl, who had suddenly turned as docile as a kitten, shaking his head with a wry smile. He hadn't expected Professor McGonagall's hint to be effective in the end.
With a deft flick of his wand, the elderly wizard levitated the wooden desks and chairs from the back of the classroom to the front, magically dusting them off, then sat down smoothly.
"Hello, Elena. Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Professor Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
Elena nodded slightly, indicating she was listening to Dumbledore, quietly jesting within herself about not reciting as per the Chocolate Frog card characters. Otherwise, she might have reconsidered the magical world's average intelligence. (For more details, click here)
Clearing his throat, Dumbledore looked earnestly at Elena and continued, "Regarding the magical world and Hogwarts, I believe there's no need for further explanation. Your visit to our school this time, Miss Elena, is primarily to extend the invitation for you to enroll once again."
"Oh..."
Elena's metal spoon tapped against the porcelain dish, emitting a crisp sound. Her long lashes fluttered slightly as she muttered with resentment under her breath.
"So, magical world's language habits differ a bit from the non-magical world's. We usually refer to this behavior as 'potioned abduction.'"
What bothered her the most wasn't being bewitched to Hogwarts but the food used to entice her—it was the fish she had painstakingly caught and grilled herself!
Dumbledore's warm smile involuntarily stiffened. He cleared his throat and, pretending not to hear the girl's complaint, continued in a composed tone.
"Cough, we all know you are not an ordinary person. Over time, you must have realized those occasional unexpected occurrences in your normal life."
Magic surges weren't a one-time thing. Most young witches and wizards, lacking systematic guidance, couldn't effectively control the magic stored within them, often releasing it through emotional outbursts, unconsciously pouring their magic out.
However, compared to most children, in Dumbledore's eyes, Elena seemed to be distinctly aware of her differences and had cleverly integrated into life. After all, wizard messengers weren't that easily hunted by Muggles.
"You possess extraordinary magical talent. At Hogwarts, we aim to maximize your potential and teach you how to use and control magic. You aren't...," Dumbledore started.
"I know." Elena put down her cup, suddenly interjecting, "But do I not have the right to choose to be an ordinary person? Honestly, Professor Dumbledore, do you truly believe Muggles lead happy lives?"
"Though not as convenient, perhaps knowing less might lead to more happiness? So, are you willing to enter Hogw—"
Dumbledore furrowed his brow in confusion, unsure why the girl suddenly asked such a question. After a moment's thought, he replied uncertainly.
"No, you're mistaken."
Before Dumbledore could finish, the silver-haired girl sat up straight, legs crossed and toes tapping mischievously. With a meaningful wag of her index finger, she said, "Muggles' happiness is beyond your imagination."
From various details in the original texts, the magical world's luxuries and entertainment seemed astonishingly scarce, whether it was clothing design, taste, or quality—exuding a somewhat outdated medieval European nouveau-riche style.
In terms of transportation, despite being top-tier in both worlds, whether it was the Firebolt series or the yet-to-come Arrow of Light, they seemed fundamentally similar in value to top-notch cars like Bugatti Veyron or Shelby, making wooden brooms seem obsolete.
Regarding cuisine, delicacies like truffles worth 4000 euros per kilogram, Almas caviar from Iran at $25,000 per small jar, or Densuke black-skinned watermelons from Japan, considered the world's best, selling for an average of $6000 each... Elena felt that for magical folk to indulge in these, aside from seizing them forcibly, there seemed no other feasible way.
"...In any case, regardless of how one thinks, being an ordinary person seems much happier than being a wizard. So, why must I become a wizard and accept the authority of your magical world?"
True, Elena hadn't personally experienced these luxuries in her past life, but it didn't stop her from flaunting this knowledge before Dumbledore from the non-magical world's opulent pleasures. Even with some details omitted and inappropriate information held back, it was enough to make the entire magical world feel out of touch with poverty.
"Um, Professor Dumbledore, do you have any beverages?" Elena licked her dry lips, glanced at Dumbledore, and shamelessly added a sentence, speaking so much in one go that her throat was beginning to ache.
"Of course. Speaking of which, the non-magical world indeed has an extra allure."
With interest, Dumbledore patiently listened to Elena's introduction after the recent pause, waving his wand to conjure a glass of chilled pumpkin juice into the hands of the silver-haired girl.
He was gradually learning how to communicate with this peculiar girl—if he kept her supplied with delicious treats, he'd maintain the image of being a good person in her eyes.
"However, Miss Elena, you might not have understood my meaning. You aren't an ordinary human."
Dumbledore shrugged, deliberately using the term 'human,' and continued slowly, "A young wizard's magical outbursts result in levitation, vanishing objects, instant movement, flying... but never do they affect others' minds."
As Elena happily sipped the pumpkin juice, her actions suddenly paused. After years of language tutoring with Benedictus, she wasn't the English novice she had been when she first traversed. So, she immediately grasped the words Dumbledore intentionally substituted.
"So, what you mean is, am I a Mutant like in 'X-Men'?" Elena chuckled, trying to joke. She felt things were spiraling beyond her expected control.
"Mutants? No..."
Dumbledore repeated Elena's words in confusion, evidently not catching the girl's reference. He raised his head, the half-moon spectacles glinting faintly, and said solemnly,
"You're a half-Veela, Miss Elena Kaslana. Veela, a magical creature far older than ordinary wizards. With half-Veela blood like yours, from the moment of your birth, you belong to the magical world."
Clang.
As Dumbledore's words fell, the metal goblet filled with chilled pumpkin juice slipped from the silver-haired girl's hand, crashing heavily onto the floor, splattering pumpkin juice all around... fortunately, pumpkin juice wasn't particularly enjoyable.
"Ve-Veela?! Me, a magical creature?"
Elena widened her eyes in disbelief. While silver hair was rare, it wasn't entirely absent. Throughout her years since transmigration
, she might have imagined herself having some connection with the Kaslana lineage, but never had she connected herself with magical creatures. After all, wouldn't starting off as a street urchin in London be too non-magical if she were a descendant of Veela?
In the midst of her tumultuous thoughts, echoes of "Hedwig's Theme" seemed to reverberate in her mind. The visions of her imagined financial empire gradually dissipated, replaced by rapid-fire details of the magical world and Hogwarts Castle, akin to a movie playing before her eyes... silently guiding her thoughts in another direction.
Survival modes could change, living standards could improve, but perspectives on the world that each could see were fundamentally different. Suddenly, Elena's mind was flooded with images and names of various magical creatures: Blast-Ended Skrewts, Hippogriffs, Mandrakes, Basilisks, Streelers, Fire Crabs, Thunderbirds, Horned Serpents, Phoenixes...
As a reincarnator, money could be earned anytime, and there were countless opportunities to rise in the non-magical world in the coming decades. However, missing out on some magical creatures—like a certain baby Blast-Ended Skrewt that was still sleeping—Elena subconsciously licked her lips—no matter how much money she earned in the non-magical world, she might never get the chance to encounter these beautiful magical creatures again.
In this new life, the most crucial thing wasn't to retrace someone else's path to success but to venture into the unknown through diligent exploration.
"Miss Elena? Miss Elena?!"
Elena heard Dumbledore's somewhat anxious voice. It felt as though someone was shaking her shoulders back and forth. Suddenly returning to reality, she saw Dumbledore's concerned face in front of her.
"Are you alright? Discovering your origins suddenly can indeed be tough. I'm sorry; I didn't expect this revelation to shock you so much."
Seeing the girl finally coming to her senses, Dumbledore breathed a sigh of relief. He had been frightened by her sudden change—first the ecstatic, wide-eyed smile and then drooling.
—Perhaps, no matter how precocious this child was, finding out she was an abandoned orphan of the magical world was still somewhat hard to accept—
Glancing at Elena's shocked and pained expression, Dumbledore silently thought to himself.
"Oh, so that means I was supposed to attend Hogwarts from the beginning."
As Dumbledore hesitated whether to summon another lemon ice cream for Elena to help soothe her emotions, the silver-haired girl curled up her feet, a faint magical aura flickering on her face. With crossed arms, she nodded and earnestly said,
"???"
Dumbledore raised his wand in mid-air, ready to proceed with his next speech, but abruptly held back, looking at the suddenly changed thoughts of the silver-haired girl, unsure of what she meant.
Following Dumbledore's gaze, Elena glanced at her legs subconsciously propped up on the sofa stool, feeling a bit embarrassed as she put them down, placing her hands together on her knees. With a shy smile, she sweetly said,
"Dear Headmaster Dumbledore, I think entering Hogwarts for studies might not be out of the question. However, could you consider a few small requests from me..."