Wizards are capable of forming a strange and special bond with their pets—something often referred to as a magical familiar.
When the relationship between master and companion is established, a primitive contract formed by magic is naturally sealed.
In a way, it's somewhat similar to how a young wizard buys their wand…
Ted Epiphany hadn't originally had the money to buy an owl, but now that he had Ansu, he felt things had worked out just fine.
Although it would still take more than half a month before Ansu could properly fly, there was an old saying—raising something from when it's small makes it easier to train later.
Over the past few days, Ted had been studying the Basic Kinetic Spell—a fundamental spell that used magical power to move objects. Many well-known spells, like the Summoning Charm or Cushioning Charm, ultimately originated from this foundational motion magic.
At Hogwarts, purely theoretical spellwork like this was usually only taught around the third or fourth year.
After all, wizards were rarely scholars. Most of the time they simply knew how to cast a spell, without truly understanding its theory or foundations.
Magic was often practiced in a highly intuitive, almost philosophical way.
Another week passed.
With less than half a month remaining before school started, Ted felt he needed to prepare more seriously.
Mainly—he needed money.
When he had worked part-time before, the money had only been part of the goal. The real purpose had been to gain experience interacting with the magical world.
But since the August "Otherworld Knowledge" reward had turned out to be Chakra Refinement, which Ted had already decided not to redeem, the urgency had faded somewhat.
So now he simply planned to make some cash.
As a Hogwarts freshman, Ted technically had a small "foreign exchange quota"—he could convert British pounds into Galleons. Compared to earning Galleons directly in Diagon Alley, this method was far easier.
Back when he performed on the street before, Ted could easily earn ten to twenty pounds a day—equivalent to four or five Galleons.
And so…
After disappearing for more than a month, the street performer Ted made his triumphant return!
This time, however, he had upgraded his setup.
The old guitar still looked weathered and battered on the outside, but Ted had repaired it with a Mending Charm, and the sound quality had improved dramatically.
His outfit also looked far more presentable.
Beside him perched a clever little raven—Ansu—cawing loudly to attract attention and help with the performance.
Occasionally, the bird would pick up coins tossed by the audience and drop them neatly into the guitar case, earning bursts of applause.
The people of Great Britain had never seen anything like a fortune-telling bird drawing lots before.
And now that Ted had learned magic, he could do more than just sing—he could also perform street magic.
His repertoire instantly doubled.
He alternated between singing and magic tricks so the audience wouldn't grow bored.
And yes, he could genuinely perform some impressive tricks.
Of course, a few bits of wandless magic were quietly mixed in.
For example, he could flick a playing card into the air and make it circle around himself before returning to his hand.
Even if a passing wizard happened to suspect something, Ted could easily explain it away as sleight-of-hand.
"Just magic tricks, sir! Illusions to fool the eye—nothing serious!"
He didn't dare openly cast spells in front of everyone.
But disguising magic as stage tricks?
That took courage.
And Ted had plenty of that.
As it turned out, business was excellent.
On the first day alone he made more than thirty pounds.
By the second day, the crowd had grown even larger.
After a week, Ted had practically become a minor street attraction.
Every day he performed for three or four hours, drawing crowds of forty or fifty people.
Picture it:
Ted wearing a top hat, dressed in a child-sized second-hand tailcoat, a half-grown raven perched on his shoulder, and an old wooden guitar in his arms…
Anyone passing by would feel curious enough to stop and watch.
And once they did, they stayed.
His guitar playing was excellent.His singing was beautiful.His magic tricks made the crowd gasp in amazement.And Ansu the raven behaved as though it understood human speech, cooperating perfectly with the act.
If Ted kept this up for another ten or twenty days, he might even become famous.
By now, he had earned more than three hundred pounds.
Converted into Galleons, that would not only repay his student loan but also leave him with a comfortable amount left over.
The only problem was whether his exchange quota would allow that much.
Ted decided he would perform one final day, then leave.
Even though he technically had excuses if the Ministry of Magic came asking questions, it was still better not to cause trouble.
If things escalated, it wouldn't benefit him.
"Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for your encouragement. Because I'll soon be leaving for school, today may be my final performance. If fate allows it, perhaps we'll meet again on some street someday."
"There are so many towns in the world, and so many streets in those towns… yet somehow you chose to stop here before me."
"So let me offer you a song—Casablanca."
The song had been written in the 1970s by Bertie Higgins after he watched the famous film of the same name.
The story took place during World War II, when countless Europeans fled their homes to escape the iron march of war. Casablanca, a city in northern Morocco, became a crucial transit point for refugees traveling from Europe to the United States.
Inside Rick's Café, the film told a tale of lovers separated for years who met again, caught in a complicated triangle of love.
Stories of love and separation during wartime never lost their power.
The song captured the feelings of countless people forced apart by circumstance—nostalgia, longing, regret, and tender memories.
Both the film and the song had become classics.
And here on the ancient streets of London, the melody carried a deep and indescribable emotion.
Ted picked up his guitar and began to sing.
His youthful voice carried a hint of world-weary depth that seemed far beyond his years.
"I fell in love with you while watching CasablancaBack row of the drive-in, the flickering lights…Popcorn and cola beneath the starsSomehow turned into champagne and caviar…We fell in love on a long, hot summer's night…I guess you fell in love with me watching Casablanca too…Holding hands beneath the candlelightUnder the ceiling fan in Rick's Café…Hiding in the shadows from the spies…The Moroccan moon shining in your eyes…As magic played across my old Chevrolet…Oh, a kiss is still a kiss in Casablanca…Please come back to me in Casablanca…As time goes by I'll love you more each day…"
When the song ended, the street burst into applause.
Several kind-hearted ladies and young women tossed coins into the guitar case.
One girl about Ted's age even threw in a five-pound note.
Ah—praise be to you, generous and kind young lady. May your life be free of troubles and filled with health and happiness.
Soon Ted resumed his magic performance.
Playing cards appeared and vanished.Colorful ribbons burst from his sleeves.A rose bloomed from thin air.Ansu vanished from his hat and reappeared moments later.
The audience stared intently, unwilling to miss even the smallest movement.
But no matter how hard they watched, they couldn't find a single flaw.
Ted's magic always went beyond their imagination.
The kind and generous little girl once again persuaded her helpless father to give her another banknote, which she tossed into Ted's guitar case.
Ted decided he should show his gratitude.
He waved one hand in front of himself, drawing the audience's attention.
Then—snap.
With a quick snap of his fingers, a small wildflower appeared in his other hand.
He handed it to the girl.
Then he spun around, bowed to the audience, and began packing up his things.
All good things must end.
Time to say goodbye.
Sayonara.
After Ted left, the crowd slowly dispersed.
The father and daughter returned to their car and drove home.
During the drive, the girl was still buzzing with excitement from the performance.
"Dad!"
"Yes?"
"He sings so well."
"Yes, he does," her father replied. "Very moving."
Though it was strange—the melancholy in that voice didn't feel like something a child should possess.
The girl clenched her fists excitedly.
"Dad, how do you think his magic works? Could it be real magic too? But I didn't see a wand! Do you think they teach that at Hogwarts?"
Her father tried to comfort her while driving.
"I'm sure they will. And remember to write us often once you're at Hogwarts. If you don't like it there, you can always come back and attend a regular secondary school. Don't force yourself."
But the girl was already lost in dreams of the mysterious world of magic.
"That won't happen, Dad! Hogwarts will definitely be the best school."
"Alright, sit tight—we're almost home, Hermione."
So it turned out that the "kind and generous little girl" was none other than Hermione Granger.
If Ted had known that, he would have breathed a huge sigh of relief.
Thank goodness—a fair-skinned Hermione.
Although Ted believed he had become immune to many shocks, if Hermione had been ugly, dark-skinned, and overweight…
Ted might have turned into a dark wizard.
"Forget it," he would probably say. "Let this dreadful magical world be destroyed."