The professors meant well. They were trying to remind the young wizard not to isolate himself from the other students. Taking his dishes away was a not-so-subtle hint for him to return to the House tables and eat with everyone else.
But...
Taking the rice away too? That was crossing a line!
Owen sprinted over to Hagrid and managed to rescue the bowl of rice. Hagrid didn't eat rice; if Owen hadn't intervened, the half-giant would have taken it home to feed the dogs.
This was premium, top-grade rice that the house-elves had spent ages sourcing. Wasting it would be a crime!
Returning to the Ravenclaw table and settling into his usual spot, Owen took a bite of rice, then a bite of a chicken leg, while staring daggers at the High Table, watching the professors happily share his confiscated dishes...
Seeing his fierce expression, the professors laughed heartily. Even Professor Snape wore a rare, genuine smile, amused by the young wizard's uncharacteristic display of childishness.
---
Wooo!!!
The Hogwarts Express started up, belching black smoke as it chugged away. Owen, however, had to return to the castle for a half-day "Wizarding World Safety Guide" course.
The content wasn't difficult, but it was the distilled experience of the older generation!
For example:
If someone stares at you while their lips move silently, they aren't mumbling to themselves—they are casting a curse on you. If you see this, don't hesitate. Draw your wand and blast them!
If someone glares at you viciously, never ask "What are you looking at?" because they won't reply with "Whatever I want." They'll reply with a hex. So if you see this, don't talk. Draw your wand and blast them!
If someone suspiciously offers to sell you something but says you need to follow them to a hidden spot for the transaction, don't think twice. It's an ambush. Don't overthink it. Draw your wand and blast them!
If someone mysteriously warns you that something strange is about to happen up ahead, chances are they're trying to lure you into a trap. Don't think. Draw your wand and blast them!
Owen listened intently. This was the accumulated wisdom of veterans navigating the magical world. However, the sheer volume of "blast first, ask questions later" advice overwhelmed his brain a bit. By the time he walked out of the Hogwarts gates—carrying his magical pouch, holding a Wampus Cat, and with a white phoenix perched on his shoulder—only one phrase remained clearly etched in his mind:
Draw your wand and blast them!
---
CRACK!
With a sharp explosion of displaced air, the young wizard made a rather ungraceful entrance.
Gellert Grindelwald stared at the boy holding a Wampus Cat with a phoenix on his head and suddenly didn't know what expression to wear.
"Hey there, Mr. Green. Just a moment..."
Owen struggled to put Molly down. The Wampus Cat, now grown quite large, was curious about her new surroundings. The moment her paws touched the ground, she vanished in a blur of speed.
Next, he took Whitey off his head, told the bird not to fly too far, and tossed it into the air. Whitey took flight instantly.
"Phew!"
The young wizard exhaled a long breath, rubbed his face vigorously, and then smiled at the old Dark Lord. "Long time no see, Mr. Green. I came to visit!"
The corners of the old man's mouth twitched upward, but he quickly suppressed the smile. "Did Dumbledore send you to check if I'm dead yet?"
Owen laughed. "Look at you talking like that. I'm not an eight-year-old kid anymore. School's out, so naturally I have free time. Come on, let's go inside first. I brought you tons of gifts!"
The old Dark Lord let the boy drag him back into the room. Owen pulled out gift after gift, chattering away about what each one was for...
The smile was becoming impossible to suppress.
"Alright, leave those for now. Come with me. Let's see if you've gotten rusty!"
Grindelwald was a wizard of the old era. He believed in power above all else—a belief that had only deepened after his defeat. If Dumbledore had been the one defeated back then, surely the wizarding world would be united under his rule by now, right?
Every time he thought about it, Grindelwald felt a pang of regret. He regretted spending too much time refining his ideology instead of honing his personal power. If he had realized this sooner, the wizarding world certainly wouldn't look like this today!
So, he refused to let the young wizard repeat his mistake!
"Let's eat first..." Owen wasn't afraid of having his homework checked; he was genuinely starving. He had Apparated the entire way here. Carrying a Wampus Cat and a phoenix through space was exhausting!
His magic reserves were fine, but his stamina bar was blinking red!
"Fine. Food first."
Grindelwald tapped the table, and a simple meal appeared. Owen didn't stand on ceremony; he dug in immediately. Once full, he turned around, saw his old bed was still clean and made, and dived onto it headfirst. Of course, before falling asleep, he didn't forget to cast a Fiendfyre charm into the fireplace, bathing the room in that familiar blue glow.
He's improved again...
Although Owen could cast silent, wandless Fiendfyre a long time ago, the purity and control of the magic he just released were on another level compared to before.
Watching the boy fall asleep from exhaustion, the old Dark Lord waved his hand gently, tucking the blankets around him. Then he sat there, eyes slowly narrowing. For some reason, whenever the boy was around, his heart felt calmer.
---
A green orb of light floated in mid-air. With a snap of fingers, countless beams of green light shot out from the orb, which began to rotate and tumble erratically.
This continued for twenty minutes until the orb finally vanished, its magical energy exhausted.
The old Dark Lord and the young wizard walked out together, surveying the floor, walls, and ceiling, which were now pitted and scarred by the beams.
It was a good thing "Dark Lord" was just a title and didn't come with a physical crown or seal. Otherwise, Grindelwald might have handed it over to the boy right then and there!
"This is your improved Killing Curse?" Grindelwald looked at the boy. "Aren't you afraid of wiping yourself out?"
Owen looked relatively relaxed. "Nope. By adding Levitation and Transfiguration elements, I reduced the individual power of the beams significantly. As long as I maintain a six-layered Protego, I can defend against the damage from the smaller beams."
"And how many layers of Protego can you maintain right now?"
"Me? I keep a nine-layer shield up constantly. If I encounter an enemy, I can stack it up to thirteen. Any more than that gets unstable."
The old Dark Lord nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad. Only a little monster like you could maintain a shield constantly. Others struggle to hold even a single layer for long. Good. It seems you remembered my words."
"Survival first, attack second!" The young wizard grinned brilliantly. "I remember it clearly!"
"You've graduated. I have nothing left to teach you. From now on, you don't need to..."
"Then where should I go?"
The young wizard tilted his head, looking at the old man. "My parents are gone. I'm the only one left in my family. The only people I'm close to are you old geezers. If you don't let me come here, where am I supposed to go during the holidays?"
Grindelwald felt a tightness in his chest. After a long silence, he sighed. "Suit yourself. As long as you aren't afraid of people calling you a Dark Wizard."
The boy covered his mouth, giggling. "Earlier this year, I represented Hogwarts at a Charms seminar in America. The Headmistress of Ilvermorny asked who I was studying under, and I dropped your name."
Grindelwald froze, then stared at the snickering boy, his expression somewhere between a smile and a grimace. "And the result?"
"The ten-day seminar wrapped up in four days. I also personally watched a lot of people write Howlers to Dumbledore. I even hand-delivered them to his office. Good grief, I didn't realize until the next day that Howlers pack quite a punch. You should have seen his office when I went back in—it looked like a typhoon hit it..."
Seeing the boy vividly reenacting the scene with wild gestures, the old Dark Lord couldn't hold back his good mood any longer. He laughed loudly, patting the boy on the head and praising him for a job well done!
Time heals all wounds and erases all grudges?
Not a chance!