Two sneaky figures appeared under a large tree in the corner.
"Ha... I'm so sleepy." One of the figures gave a big yawn and said listlessly, "Why did we have to come here so early in the morning to catch those damn owls?"
"Ha... hic, shut up, you idiot! For the sake of the Galleons, keep your eyes on the sky!" The other person was infected by the yawn and suddenly snapped back midway, gritting his teeth and forcing it down before reaching out to give his companion a sharp rap on the head.
"If we miss even one, our commission will be gone. If you make me eat nothing but bread next month, I'll eat you first!"
"There's nothing wrong with eating bread... as long as you can get full." The sleepy figure muttered softly, but it still reached the other's ears.
"Nothing wrong with bread?" The other person said with suppressed anger, teeth clenched while scanning the sky. "When we were in school, our dormitory went through more jam in one night than we both ate all last month. How can you eat that kind of bread without jam? I suspect that damn shopkeeper added sawdust to it!"
"I think it's fine. When I used to go on adventures in the wild, I even ate..."
"Quiet! The owls are coming. Same as usual!"
Three black dots appeared on the horizon. The two quickly grew alert, drawing their wands and readying their spells.
On the other side, Makiya appeared quietly in the distance, gazing at the two through the faint light of dawn.
Because of the lack of entertainment, Makiya's eyes, which had never been ravaged by the information age, possessed perfect vision, allowing him to see their movements clearly.
Unsure of their strength, Makiya stopped after approaching a certain distance. The elemental powers of light, darkness, ice, and fire swirled within him. Ultimately, he chose the ice element and pressed his right hand against the ground.
Frost condensed, and the ground around Makiya was covered in a thin layer of ice. A sliver of white frost extended from beneath his feet, traveling through shadows and crevices, rapidly approaching the two figures.
The magic system of the Harry Potter world was very unique. If the magic skills in DNF displayed 'destructive power' to the extreme—where reaching an advanced level could easily blow up a continent—then the magic in the HP world was saturated with 'fantasy' elements.
Discussing combat power alone, the destructive power of HP magic was limited. However, after a long period of evolution and research, the HP magic system was very comprehensive and refined. Memory magic, in particular, was hard to guard against. Makiya didn't know what level of the Imperius Curse his current soul strength could withstand; he would only know after learning it. Caution was paramount.
On the other side, the owls flew closer and closer. The two prepared themselves, and the moment the angle was right, one of them fired three red lights from his wand, accurately hitting the owls flying high above.
The other person waved his wand in synchronization. The unconscious owls descended slowly under his control, landing beside them.
Each owl clutched an envelope in its talons. Even after falling unconscious, their claws did not loosen in the slightest. They were truly the most dutiful messengers in the wizarding world.
"Three this time. There will only be more later. We definitely won't be able to keep up." One person reached out and forcibly pulled out the envelopes, looked at them, and then tore the letters into pieces with both hands.
The other person pulled out some rope and began binding the owls, seemingly planning to take them somewhere. Hearing this, he pulled a worn, yellowed notebook from his robes and tapped it with his wand. "Let's see... intercepting twice more should complete our mission. Once we get the money, we'll head to France to hide. I don't want Professor Sprout to find out what we've done."
"Me too. Professor McGonagall would definitely kill me!"
The white frost spread to a corner not far from the two, but it suddenly stopped and dissipated on the spot.
A tabby cat jumped out of the shadows. The cat's face was serious, its whiskers twitching, and it had square markings around its eyes. It approached the two from behind with feline grace.
Soft paw pads stepped on the soil without making a sound.
The sun had risen quietly at some point. The morning sunlight stretched the cat's shadow long. As the tabby cat gradually approached, its shadow was seen first by one of the men.
The man seemed to recall some bad memory. He instinctively looked back, and his gaze met the stern eyes of the tabby cat, causing him to tremble violently.
"Hey, what's wrong with you?" The other person finished tying up the owls and, seeing his companion's ghost-like expression, followed his gaze. He immediately began to shake as well. "Mc... Professor McGonagall?"
The tabby cat leaped into the air, its body instantly twisting and transforming. An elderly witch wearing emerald-green robes and a black pointed hat appeared before them.
Knowing they were up to no good, both were wearing cloaks and hoods. Under Professor McGonagall's gaze, the hood drawstrings seemed to come to life, nimbly pulling the hoods back to reveal two young faces.
"Oh, gentlemen, I don't recall the school ever teaching you such things." Professor McGonagall's face was grim, and her tone was stern. "It seems we need to have a proper talk?"
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Morning at the orphanage was as peaceful and harmonious as ever. Under the supervision of the matrons, even if the children had conflicts, they would hide them.
After breakfast, the doorbell rang. All the children crowded into the hallway excitedly, peeking out and silently praying it was a kind-hearted person coming to adopt them—and that they would be the one chosen.
The door was opened by a matron. A stern woman appeared at the entrance. Seeing her, many children immediately ran away; they did not want to be adopted by someone who looked so fierce.
Because she was still thinking about those two men, Professor McGonagall's brow was furrowed, and she hadn't managed her expression well.
Her wizard's robes and pointed hat were out of place with her surroundings, but in the eyes of others, Professor McGonagall was just a well-dressed old woman; there was nothing special about her.
"Hello, are you here to adopt a child?"
"Oh no, actually, I am a professor..."
A moment later.
Makiya and Professor McGonagall sat in the simple reception room, looking at each other.
The matron left the reception room with a smile, thoughtfully closing the wooden door behind her.
In her perception, Makiya was a lucky boy. A school was actually willing to provide him with free room, board, and medical resources. Not only was tuition fully waived, but there was also a special grant and subsidy for orphans. It was like a gift from the heavens.
Under the influence of magic, however, the matron believed this without a doubt.
"Hello, Mr. Makiya."
Inside the room, Professor Minerva McGonagall tried her best to force a gentle smile, though she still looked very stern.
"I am Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts and Head of Gryffindor House. You may call me Professor McGonagall. I know you have many questions, but take a look at this first."
With that, Professor McGonagall pulled out an acceptance letter and handed it to Makiya.
Makiya accepted the acceptance letter naturally, opened it, and began to read.
While Makiya was reading, Professor McGonagall's eyes flickered, her heart caught in a struggle.
'Should I tell him about what happened to his parents before they died?'
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