The city, looking a bit bleak, was shrouded in a faint, misty fog. The streets, having been washed by the autumn rain, revealed the grey bricks beneath the dust.
The slightly rundown orphanage, with its once-white walls now yellow and blackened, had peeling paint scattered on the ground. Black mud stains from the rain were piled up in the corners, and large patches of ivy grew from the walls.
Adam and Shirley pushed a small trolley together, following Dumbledore to the orphanage's front door, where they knocked gently.
A short time later, the door creaked open.
A dim lantern shone through the gap, making a woman's face flicker in the light. She spoke with a hint of suspicion.
"Who are you? If you're here to hand out leaflets, you'd better go home..."
"Mrs. Cole, we've come back to see you," Shirley said, poking her little head out from behind the trolley. With a look of surprise, she ran and hugged the woman.
Mrs. Cole stared at her, the lantern in her hand almost tipping over, casting a wavering beam of light.
"Little Shirley..." she said, her other hand trembling as she stroked Shirley's hair. She bent down and hugged her tightly, then looked at a smiling Adam not far away.
"And little Adam, why have you come back so suddenly? Is everything alright on your end?"
"Of course not, we just missed home," Adam smiled and shook his head, then gestured to introduce Dumbledore to Mrs. Cole.
"This is our Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore. He brought us back. He wanted to come and see how the orphanage was doing after hearing about its situation."
The suspicion in Mrs. Cole's eyes disappeared completely, and she said apologetically, "I'm sorry, sir, I hope you don't mind. Lately, a lot of people have been coming here to hand out leaflets..."
She paused, then added, "They're asking the orphanage to protest against Mrs. Thatcher, especially about the cuts to welfare spending."
"You don't need to apologize. In fact, this isn't my first visit here." Dumbledore looked at Mrs. Cole's covered hands and then at the nearby pile of firewood, offering his sincere condolences. "Thank you very much for all you've done for these children. I think I have a lot to learn from you."
Mrs. Cole waved her hands awkwardly, and just as she was about to speak, some cheerful voices rang out from behind her.
"Look, Adam is back!"
"And Shirley!"
Several little heads popped out from the slightly ajar door.
Adam smiled and waved at them, and the children immediately surrounded him, their faces beaming with genuine joy. A few other girls gathered around Shirley, chattering away to greet her.
"I knew you weren't asleep yet; come and get something," Adam said, patting the small trolley beside him. It was piled high with a variety of foods and candies. He lifted the top package, revealing a huge pumpkin pie with a golden crust sprinkled with sugar, giving off a sweet and tempting aroma.
"Thank you, Adam!"
Shirley puffed out her cheeks and whispered, "What about me?"
"Thank you, and thank you, Shirley..." a little girl clutching a candy hugged her, rubbing against her clothes with an innocent smile. She added, "But this must have been Adam's idea. We all know you always save the good stuff for him."
The little witch's face froze, and she chased the girl, playfully pretending to scold her.
Everyone soon picked out what they wanted from the trolley.
However, most of them only took a few candies, a box of milk, or a small loaf of wheat bread. No one touched the sweet pumpkin pie or the other delicious-smelling foods.
"What's this..." Mrs. Cole stared at them, her voice a little choked up.
"Adam bought these with his own scholarship money," Dumbledore explained gently. He then turned to look at the long-neglected walls of the orphanage.
"I wonder if there is a donation box here. I would also like to do something for the children."
"Thank you, please follow me..." Mrs. Cole wiped a tear from her eye and quickly led Dumbledore to the small chapel inside the building.
Adam smiled and started to hand out pieces of pumpkin pie to everyone.
They took the pie hesitantly, swallowed, and asked nervously, "Don't we have to save this for Halloween?"
"No, eat it while it's still warm," Adam shook his head, looking at the small trolley Dumbledore had cast an Undetectable Extension Charm on. It was still full to the brim. The children, under the Confundus Charm, weren't curious about it.
He looked at the little girl leaning against Shirley and reached out to brush the dust off her clothes from when she'd fallen earlier.
"Vanessa, I also brought you a present from your brother."
He reached into a small money bag and pulled out a brand-new teddy bear that was almost half the little girl's height.
"Wow! It looks just like my old teddy bear, but my brother went to look for it that time and never came back..."
"The grannies told me he went somewhere far away," Vanessa Swinton's expression darkened. She reluctantly returned the doll to Adam, her little head raised, her eyes filled with a hopeful light.
"Adam, you must have seen him. Brother Alan is actually very timid and always afraid of the dark."
"Please, just give him back this big bear. I just want to see him one more time..."
"I'm sorry, I can't do that." Adam took a deep breath and gently patted her head to comfort her.
Shirley, standing nearby, hesitated, saw Adam quietly shake his head at her, and pursed her lips, saying nothing.
Vanessa was on the verge of tears, her eyes welling up. She tried her best to be a good girl, but she still asked in a tearful voice, "Then... he must be doing very well now, right?"
"Alan just can't come back to see you, but he's been thinking about you all the time..."
As Adam spoke, he unzipped the large teddy bear's back and took out an old, small teddy bear. The places that were once stained with mud were now washed clean, the heavily damaged areas were patched, and the dents were refilled with cotton.
The little girl took the teddy bear in a daze, tears silently streaming down her face. She mumbled, "Is this the teddy bear my mom left me?"
Adam nodded and, in the tone of Alan from his memories, said gently, "Your brother fixed it for you. Let these two stay with you from now on."
"Don't be sad. Your brother will always protect you, Vanessa."
"Just like this doll... hidden in your heart."
She burst into tears, trying to hug the doll but afraid that her tears would wet the velvet. She hesitated, then turned to hug Shirley, sobbing and refusing to look up.
Adam waited until she had cried enough, then grabbed a piece of pumpkin pie and stuffed it into her mouth. The sweet taste quickly quieted the little girl. She squatted on the ground, crying and eating the pie, worried about wasting food.
Shirley found this both touching and a little funny. She comforted her by stroking her little head. She then turned and walked over to Adam, gently pinching his cheek.
"Why can't you be this nice to me?"
Adam rolled his eyes. He wasn't ready to go to the next world and join Professor Ravenclaw just yet.
Just then, Dumbledore and Mrs. Cole came out of the small chapel. She sincerely thanked Dumbledore, wiped a tear from her eye, and bent down to hug Shirley.
"Thank you, my dear. I always knew you were a sensible child."
Adam was a little confused and looked at Dumbledore, who just smiled and winked. Shirley also reached out to pinch Adam's cheek again, and the soft feeling made her rub it repeatedly. She said, word for word, "It's not just you who remembered. I also asked Professor Dumbledore to donate on my behalf."
Mrs. Cole looked at their little actions, and her tears turned into laughter. She said with emotion, "It seems you're still good friends. I was a little worried that after Mrs. Anne took Shirley home, you would never see each other again."
The hands pinching his cheek suddenly froze. She turned to Mrs. Cole in a daze.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Cole, I didn't hear you clearly. Who did you say just now?"
"Huh?" Mrs. Cole's expression was a little confused.
"I mean your birth mother, Mrs. Anne. Didn't she ever mention it to you after she went back?"