Chapter 172: Back to School
Knockturn Alley.
Dim light filtered through the crooked gaps between buildings.
A faint, unpleasant odor permeated the entire street.
Not far away, the black sign of Borgin and Burkes hung high between two narrow, scratched windows.
The sign was made from a thick, old wooden board, its black base mottled, revealing the grayish wood grain beneath.
The black paint on its surface seemed drained of life by time, utterly devoid of luster.
The gilded letters "Borgin and Burkes" were crookedly embedded on it, the gold paint severely peeling, and the remaining parts had lost their original brilliance.
It looked very much like it had become dull and withered after being scrutinized by countless greedy and evil eyes.
Just like people.
Inside the shop, it was cold and damp.
A decaying, musty smell lingered.
Various Dark Arts objects displayed on the shelves looked quite dangerous and profoundly evil.
A man was bent over the counter, repeatedly smoothing his greasy hair from his face with one hand.
His other hand clutched a Dark Arts ring inlaid with a ruby.
He muttered to himself intermittently.
Just then, a figure suddenly appeared before him.
Mr. Borgin gasped, his hand trembling, and the ring dropped onto the counter.
"You—"
He stepped back, about to say something, but saw that the newcomer was Calthas, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.
"You... you've come."
Dylan stood before him, wearing height-increasing insoles, appearing to be around 1.89 meters tall.
Mr. Borgin's face, initially startled, transformed into one filled with fawning deference.
"You see, you've arrived without even a sound to warn me, so I could greet you properly..."
"Greet me?"
The cold eyes behind the mask shifted. "Do you wish to greet me in hell?"
Mr. Borgin's face twitched, and he quickly chuckled. "Oh, what a thing to say..."
Dylan couldn't be bothered with pleasantries.
"Where are the things Delphi prepared?"
His voice was low, almost devoid of warmth.
Mr. Borgin snapped back to attention, daring not to delay, and quickly bent down, rummaging under the counter.
"Here, here."
Dust rose from the bottom of the counter. Mr. Borgin coughed a few times, finally fumbling out a small suitcase.
"It's quite a coincidence, you had just left that day, and not long after, Delphi arrived. After I relayed your instructions to her, she brought everything over the next day."
Mr. Borgin pushed the small suitcase forward.
"You see, it's all here all the Galleons."
Dylan lowered his head slightly, scrutinizing the suitcase, which had been enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm.
It seemed to have no other magical enchantments.
A small section of Dylan's wand extended from his cuff, its tip gently tapping, and the suitcase instantly vanished.
"Good."
Dylan looked at Mr. Borgin again. "What about your share?"
"Me?"
Mr. Borgin stiffened, his smile becoming even more strained.
After a moment's hesitation, he slowly lowered his head and reached his hand deep into the counter again.
After a brief fumble, he pulled out a slightly worn purse.
"The... the Aragog venom you provided, there haven't been many buyers recently, but it's all here not a single Knut less."
Mr. Borgin's voice trembled slightly, but he still tried to keep his tone steady.
—He didn't want this "Fool" to think he was incompetent and point his wand at him, then use the Killing Curse!
Dylan first weighed the purse, then casually tucked it into his pouch.
"Very good, you are the only follower I have a connection with. From now on, for any matters, I will come to you."
Mr. Borgin's face crumpled.
Please, no more!
He quickly spoke: "Miss Delphi has been trying to contact you—I wonder, could you leave a way for her to communicate with you?"
Dylan paused slightly.
After a moment of silence, he snorted coldly.
"I am researching the greatest magic. I will come to you; do you understand?"
The tip of Dylan's wand, hidden beneath his sleeve, began to glow with brilliant holy light.
Mr. Borgin's face turned pale.
He had seen it last time while hiding in the shop.
Calthas had cast a beam of holy light that instantly obliterated a group of people!
Using holy light to cast the Killing Curse?
Dylan didn't need to offer any explanation at all.
Mr. Borgin immediately believed Dylan when he said he was researching the greatest magic.
However…
Was it great, or was it evil?
Did he even need to ask?
"I understand, I understand... When she comes next time, I'll tell her that her offerings aren't enough, and if she wants to see you, she must prepare more Galleons..."
Mr. Borgin spoke, carefully observing Dylan's reaction and expression.
However, the face mask completely covered Dylan's face.
The black hood pulled down made him look very much like an evil high priest.
But his face was completely obscured.
This old man gets it!
Dylan was very satisfied with Mr. Borgin's reaction and snorted coldly again.
The next moment, he transformed into a ball of holy light and flew straight out of the shop door.
The instant he left, he vanished.
Mr. Borgin froze.
"This... what kind of magic is this..."
It felt somewhat familiar.
And yet, somewhat strange.
…
Time flew by until it was almost time for school to start.
Dylan stood on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, where the Hogwarts Express was quietly parked.
Many young wizards were bustling in and out of the train doors.
Because they couldn't carry all their luggage in one go.
Dylan was about to step onto the train when a familiar clamor suddenly erupted nearby.
Dylan turned to look and immediately spotted the Weasley family.
"Mrs. Weasley, over here."
Dylan smiled and waved at them.
Mrs. Weasley pulled Ron, who was at the very back, forward.
Hearing Dylan's voice, she turned her head: "Oh! Long time no see, Dylan, did you have a good summer?"
Dylan nodded slightly: "Very good, Madam, very uneventful, no significant waves."
Yes, he hadn't used his Calthas identity to extort money this summer.
At most, he had only visited Knockturn Alley twice.
He had gotten a little money from Mr. Borgin.
Roughly around two hundred thousand Galleons, perhaps.
It must be said, Delphi, this follower, was truly faithful.
She hadn't even met him yet.
Yet she had already sent over more than a hundred thousand Galleons in offerings.
More than the wool he had sheared from Mr. Borgin.
Compared to that, if he were to lower himself and go out to blackmail and extort money from Dark Wizards, it would be a severe loss of prestige.
When Mrs. Weasley got closer, Dylan spoke again.
"You look even more beautiful, Madam. Did you get some spa treatments?"
Mrs. Weasley paused slightly, then a delighted smile blossomed on her face.
Even the fine lines around her eyes seemed to hold a smile.
She raised her hand and gently touched her hair.
There was a hint of shyness mixed with happiness.
"Oh, you child, your words are so sweet! I have to clean and cook for these lads every day; I simply have no time for beauty treatments! Today, I just had to bring them here, so I tidied myself up a bit, that's all."
Ron was being tugged aside by Mrs. Weasley.
He inadvertently looked up and saw the shy smile on his mother's face. He couldn't help but widen his eyes.
Ron looked at Dylan, then at his mother.
What?
How does Dylan have some kind of magic that makes everyone who sees him burst into laughter?
When had he ever seen his mom smile like that?
It's too exaggerated!
Shy?
Mommy! He's just a kid, not Lockhart!
Lockhart's career has even fallen apart now!
Dylan said so!
Ron's expression was priceless, but neither Dylan nor Mrs. Weasley paid him any mind.
Dylan greeted Ginny, who also blushed and subtly moved away.
Ron was annoyed again.
Throughout the summer, he had repeatedly tried to get Ginny to call him "brother," just like she called Dylan.
An entire summer!
Ginny never agreed!
He didn't even want to play games with Fred and George anymore!
Mrs. Weasley chatted with Dylan about some fun things from the summer.
For instance, Ron was old enough, yet he still wet the bed, which had given her quite a chore.
Ron wanted to protest it was clearly Fred and George's prank! He hadn't actually wet the bed!
Still, no one paid him any attention.
Only Ginny giggled, covering her mouth.
Fred and George whistled, looking at the sky.
Dylan smiled, and Mrs. Weasley started asking about his plans for the new term.
Dylan conversed eloquently, a perfect gentleman.
Just then, Mrs. Weasley seemed to suddenly remember something and asked, "By the way, dear, have you seen Harry?"
Dylan shook his head and answered truthfully, "No, I just arrived too, but I haven't seen him yet. I think he probably hasn't arrived."
Mrs. Weasley nodded and said to her family beside her, "Then shall we wait here for Harry for a bit? Any objections?"
Ginny was the first to shake her head.
Percy said, "It's still early. I think we can wait a bit longer."
With their older brother's word, the twins, who had something to say, also swallowed their words.
Seeing this, Dylan politely said, "Then I'll go ahead and find a seat on the train, Madam. I'd like to read a bit more."
"Oh! Of course, dear, go on." Mrs. Weasley nodded immediately.
Dylan smiled in return, then turned and boarded the Hogwarts Express.
After he left, Mrs. Weasley turned around and glared at Ron and the twins.
"Look at Dylan. If any of you were as studious and well-behaved as he is, I'd light a candle and pray!"
Ron pouted: "Mom! I want to read too! I'm going to find Dylan first, and then I'll come back down later."
As soon as he finished speaking, without waiting for Mrs. Weasley to say anything else, he dashed into the carriage and ran in Dylan's direction.
"This boy!"
Mrs. Weasley frowned.
Meanwhile, Ron caught up with Dylan.
Seeing him rushing over, Dylan thought something was wrong.
But then he heard Ron grumbling, "Oh my goodness, Dylan, you have no idea how crazy my entire summer was!"
Without needing any feedback from Dylan, he continued.
"Ever since Lockhart disappeared, my mom heard what he did at school she looks like she's divorced my dad!"
Ron lowered his voice for the latter part of the sentence.
Dylan blinked.
Can you really talk about your mom like that, is that okay?
He turned his head to look out the window.
Mrs. Weasley was chatting with her children.
Mr. Arthur hadn't come, seemingly busy.
She hadn't noticed their conversation.
Only then did Dylan retract his gaze.
Sometimes, Ron truly deserved the beating.
"It's so boring at home. My mom always lectures me and makes me learn a lot of magic during the summer why do I need to learn so many spells right now? There won't be a second Chamber of Secrets at school for me to solve!"
"Good thing my dad actually won the lottery mid-way, a full thousand Galleons! We even went to Egypt! But it was really dirty there."
Ron followed behind Dylan, looking at the crowded compartments, and continued to walk forward.
"Before we left, I called Harry several times, but only the first few calls went through. His uncle is so fierce! And he actually just hung up on me directly! It was outrageous!"
Dylan didn't speak, so he continued to babble.
"Later, I couldn't get through on the phone no matter how many times I tried, until I wrote a letter and found out that Harry used the prank items you gave him to really teach his uncle's family a lesson!"
Ron looked impressed: "Oh, man, why didn't I think of giving Harry some prank items before? Fred and George have so many weird things!"
Dylan smacked his lips: "Couldn't get through? Maybe the phone line was cut."
He remembered that among the items he gave Harry, there was a very intimidating one.
The Enoki Mushroom Harvesting Scissors.
Specifically for cutting very thin things.
Harry probably used this item to scare the Dursley family a bit.
"Even though he's named Vernon, he's nothing like a kind farmer at all."
Dylan casually pushed open a compartment door, saw it was full, gave an apologetic smile, and closed it again.
Ron chuckled: "After coming back from Egypt, I met Hermione in Diagon Alley a couple of days ago while buying books, and later bumped into Harry. He said he'd never felt so respected by his aunt and uncle's family as he did this summer all thanks to you."
Dylan opened another compartment door.
Coincidentally, inside were Neville and Seamus.
"Heh, looks like Harry put the stuff I gave him to good use."
Dylan casually replied, then looked at his two roommates and greeted them, "Mind if I sit here?"
"Of course not!" Seamus smiled.
"Come on in! Seamus and I just saw you and Ron through the window," Neville waved Dylan in.
Ron also wanted to come in, but then he saw Harry's figure appear on the platform.
He paused, then said, "Harry's here, I'll go say goodbye to my mom first."
"Go on, go on," Dylan waved his hand.
After Ron left, Dylan sat opposite Neville and Seamus.
He first pulled out a book and placed it in a corner to read later.
Then he took out the fruits he had specifically packed in the small pouch enhanced with the Undetectable Extension Charm.
These had grown in his pet space.
In a way, they could be considered cultivated by him.
Except that he had used the Imperius Curse to control Lockhart, making him water and fertilize them regularly, which made them grow so quickly.
"Try these, some Windsor currants and Cornish black plums, I grew them myself."
Neville and Seamus's eyes immediately lit up. They didn't stand on ceremony at all, taking the fruits and eagerly tasting them.
"So sweet! Did you really grow these yourself? How come your family never sent you any before?" Neville munched on a black plum.
Dylan smiled: "Because they weren't planted back then. This is the first harvest, so I brought them for you to try."
Seamus grinned: "You must have used magical fertilizer, right? Only magical fertilizer would make the fruit ripen so quickly."
Dylan shrugged: "Bingo! You got it right, your reward is another one."
He looked at Seamus, then scanned the compartment, not seeing a third person's luggage.
"Where's Dean? Isn't he here?"
Seamus shook his head: "No, he probably hasn't arrived yet, or he's in another compartment. I won't go looking for him now; we can meet up at the final destination."
Dylan nodded gently: "Alright, I was thinking if Dean was here, I'd let him try my fruit too."
Seamus paused, then grabbed a few more black plums in his hand.
"Then I'll go look for him once the train starts moving."
Dylan nodded with a smile: "Okay."
It was almost eleven o'clock now.
Through the train window, Dylan saw Ron and Harry meet and chat outside for a while.
Then Hermione's figure also appeared on the platform.
Ron said something, and all three of them looked in their direction.
Dylan smiled and waved at them. Ron mouthed a sentence.
We'll go find an empty compartment in a bit.
Dylan nodded.
As the Hogwarts Express was about to depart, the Weasleys also boarded the train.
Dylan waved goodbye to Mrs. Weasley.
Seamus also got up, preparing to look for Dean.
"Whoosh—"
As the train started moving, Dylan summoned some water nonverbally and wandlessly to wash his hands.
Then a gentle breeze blew, drying the water droplets from his hands.
Neville was already used to Dylan's maneuvers.
It was just casting small spells without a wand, right?
He had even seen Dylan cast advanced magic without a wand!
At that moment, Dylan also picked up the book he had placed aside.
Neville looked and realized it was The Monster Book of Monsters.
It was currently held quietly in Dylan's hand, like any ordinary book.
Neville's eyes widened: "Hey! Dylan, how did you make it quiet? I saw you take it out as soon as you came in, and it hasn't moved at all!"
Dylan blinked: "What's wrong? It's just a book. Aren't books supposed to be quiet?"
Neville opened his mouth: "Is that... is that right?"
Dylan nodded affirmatively: "Of course."
"But before you came, I saw a young wizard on the platform being chased and bitten on the backside by this book. And it jumped out of his luggage to chase him and bite him."
Dylan chuckled: "This book is essentially just under a Transfiguration Charm. You just need to undo it. If you don't want to undo it, then stroke its spine, and it will calm down."
Neville paused: "You mean, this book is like a Chocolate Frog?"
Dylan's lips curved: "Very smart!"
Neville scratched his head awkwardly and changed the subject: "I heard Professor Silvanus Kettleburn is retiring. He's the Professor of Care of Magical Creatures elective. I wonder who will teach it next."
He had chosen Divination as his elective, also based on Dylan's advice.
Dylan shrugged: "Headmaster Dumbledore will sort that out. And you only have Divination to take, don't you?"
Neville nodded: "Yes, good thing I listened to you and didn't take more electives. After I went home, I discussed your points with Grandma, and she agreed."
"That's good."
....
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