The city is shrouded in a light veil.
The foggy London days seem to have layers of veils floating through the air.
On the quiet street.
Ian is still immersed in the sadness of farewell.
Despite having always looked forward to truly learning magic, when the moment came to step out of the orphanage to seek education, he still felt reluctant to leave this place and the people here.
After all, this has been where Ian lived for eleven years since his arrival.
"Ha, seems like Mr. Prince, you really know how to win people over."
Snape's voice broke the heavy atmosphere. For some reason, his seemingly normal words, coupled with his leisurely tone, always had a sarcastic undertone.
Ian did not respond.
He just dragged his suitcase and followed Snape.
His mood was somewhat downcast.
Not wanting to spend effort dealing with the professor in front of him. After all, for this Master of Magic Potions at Hogwarts, no matter how well-behaved a student might be, it would not earn his goodwill.
Faced with Ian's silence.
Snape spoke again.
"Leaving all your money behind for them, that's not something a smart person would do." It was clear that Ian's little actions hadn't escaped the sharp eyes of the wizard Snape.
"I've kept some, so I can go... go to the appropriate place to exchange it for the currency of the Magic World." Ian looked up at Snape, feeling that his demeanor didn't quite match the persona.
What's happened to being taciturn?
"That's not too foolish."
Snape seemed to snort lightly with his nose.
"You know you're just an orphan adopted here, expected to be cared for, right?" Snape slowed his pace, squinting at Ian beside him.
"I wasn't in good health when I was young, perhaps because of the awakening of magic, considered frail and often sick." Ian didn't answer Snape's question directly.
"Lady Yelena would take me to the city hospital for treatment; the orphanage's economic situation was much worse then, yet she would still buy me expensive medicine."
"Food was very scarce at the orphanage. When I was sick, Catherine would split her bread with me, and Daniel would go out looking for wild herbs for me."
"Though Daniel's witch doctor grandmother was killed by her own medicine, it didn't affect Daniel's belief that taking his medicine would make me strong and healthy."
"And Mia, who was even younger than me, whenever I got sick, she would pray to God for me all night long. Everyone was very, very good to me."
Ian's voice was gentle and soft.
"Tut-tut, are you trying to move me?"
Snape remained unmoved.
"Not at all, professor."
Ian didn't expect Snape to understand his heart. He heard that people who become Death Eaters don't understand love, so he could only explain to Snape from a different angle.
"They thought a lot for me, so when I have the ability, of course, I need to think for them too." Ian spoke in a very determined voice softly.
"This is my rightful responsibility."
The tender voice echoed in the silent street, and the small figure followed Snape in the fog, his calm words leaving Snape in the black robe silent for a long time.
"Tut-tut, for someone so young, you really have a lot of reasoning, worrying about things you shouldn't be."
After a long while.
Snape made a sarcastic comment with an expressionless face.
"Even though there's been an anonymous wealthy benefactor donating over the years, the purchasing power of Pounds has been declining heavily recently. Without the money, everyone would live very hard."
Ian engaged in street stalls every day, not only to improve his [Psychology] level but also to earn more money to alleviate the worries of the orphanage's matron, Lady Yelena.
Even without the Hogwarts matter, the money would eventually be turned into eggs, milk, vegetables, and meat, brought back to the orphanage by other means.
Truth be told, an eleven-year-old kid doesn't actually spend much money on themselves; Ian isn't a Holy Mother, but he absolutely isn't one to forget favors like a Sea God Douluo either.
"So, are you expecting me to deem you the Savior of the orphanage?"
Snape still kept a sidelong glance at Ian, his slow, deliberate tone provoking a punch-worthy urge.
"No, professor, if you would show some generosity and donate some money to the orphanage, then you would truly be the Savior, the real hero."
Indeed.
After going on and on with such a hassle.
Ian's fox tail finally revealed itself.
He turned his green eyes towards Snape, thinking his eye color might be the same as that of Lily Potter, possibly having some influence?
Moreover,
Although he still didn't understand what Dumbledore meant earlier, from [Thought Perception], he truly sensed a guilty emotion from Snape.
If he could use this to make Snape donate some money, then it would be an absolute blessing for the orphanage—Ian's three galleons and three nuts could only last for so long.
But as things stood, Snape, the Master of Magic Potions at Hogwarts, even if he casually let a bit slip through his teeth, it would still be enough for the orphanage to benefit immensely.
Do not underestimate a Master of Magic Potions' financial power.
"You really are a... "
Snape paused.
His black eyes locked onto Ian.
Carrying a kind of sharp and undefined complexity.
"A true Slytherin."
Clearly.
Ian's small trick wasn't enough to fool Snape; he immediately grasped what Ian wanted to achieve after all the emotional scenarios he laid out.
"Just unfortunately, you don't understand me; I'm no good person, I won't donate even a single Golden Galleon to an absurd Muggle Orphanage."
Snape sneered.
In Ian's disappointed gaze, he once again moved forward.
He led Ian into an empty alley.
"Drink this."
Snape suddenly pulled out a bottle of green potion.
The words were imbued with an undeniable tone.
"Hmm?"
Dragging the suitcase, Ian was slightly taken aback, watching the bubbling green potion in the bottle, he involuntarily swallowed, exposing an awkward smile.
"Professor, what is this..."
He suspected the other intended to poison him, leaving even if it's something that couldn't kill him, a psychological shadow might linger. Everyone knows that potions in the magic world are notoriously unpalatable.
"You wouldn't think, if I wanted to harm you, I'd need to trick you into drinking a potion first, right?" Snape viewed Ian with a disdainful gaze.
Indeed.
It was quite reasonable.
"Just thinking it might not taste good."
Ian replied weakly.
However,
Snape simply stopped, expressionlessly glaring at him.
"Alright, alright."
With resolve.
Ian took the potion.
Swallowed it in one go as if taking medicine—wait? The aftertaste wasn't bitter but sweet, like coconut milk, very pleasantly palatable!
This can't be right?
Isn't Snape's potion supposed to be notoriously unpalatable!?
Ian was still savoring the potion.
"I've never seen such a timid fool like you!"
Suddenly, Snape seized Ian by the neck with one hand and waved his magic wand with the other, performing Apparition—the two vanished instantly from the alley.
Ian only felt his vision blur.
As his sight regained clarity.
The surroundings transformed completely.
In front was a cobblestone street that seemed to stretch to the horizon. Alongside the road were various shops, all different, people dressed in peculiar, splendid clothes were laughing and playing in the street.
Feathers were automatically sweeping away dust, brooms without holders were cleaning street rubbish, owls, snakes, rats... various animals perched adorably on wizards' shoulders.
Scenes once glimpsed only in movies now appeared before Ian's eyes in a manner more captivating by tenfold.
He realized.
This was Diagon Alley.
The place where dreams begin for him, and many others...