As quitting time approached, the sun gradually set in the west, hanging lazily over the tops of several houses, casting a dim, golden afterglow.
In the underground Wizarding Market of New York, the flagstone-paved road, worn by years and countless Wizards' footsteps, was covered in a dense, web-like pattern of cracks; murky sewage constantly seeped deep into the ground, only to suddenly spurt out as Wizards passed by, launching an unfair sneak attack.
A boy, eleven or twelve years old, wore a dark blue coat, and the once shiny surface of his boots was covered in dirty stains.
His hands tightly clutched a worn brown leather case, and he struggled to navigate through the crowd of Wizards, his gray-blue eyes constantly scanning his surroundings, as if searching for something.
The boy's name was Duncan Scamander, the grandson of the famous Magizoologist, Newt Scamander.
Besides this, he had another special identity: he was a Transmigrator, rarely seen in reality but common in web novels.
In his previous life, he had stayed up all night playing 'Hogwarts Legacy,' traveling everywhere to collect all sorts of magical creatures.
Unexpectedly, when he woke up, his dream had become a reality; he had truly transmigrated into Harry Potter's world, becoming a member of Newt's family, able to come into direct contact with the magical creatures that only existed in fantasy or on a computer screen.
Childhood passed in happiness, and he soon reached the age to attend school, and not long ago, he unexpectedly received an acceptance letter from Hogwarts.
So, today he had arranged with Newt to go to Diagon Alley together to buy wands, books, and various school supplies.
But unexpectedly, just after they left, Newt received a letter from New York in the United States, informing him that someone in the underground Wizarding Market there was secretly selling two rare magical creatures—Erumpents.
Newt barely hesitated, instantly making a decision, and rushed to New York with Duncan in a hurry.
He broke into the Erumpent selling location alone, handed the case to Duncan, and told Duncan to wait at the exit, giving him a task: to quickly evacuate the people from the underground Wizarding Market before he rescued the Erumpents, to avoid accidental casualties.
"Only my dear Grandpa would make an un-enrolled little Wizard do such dangerous work..." Duncan sighed, bending to squeeze past two burly men whose bodies were hidden in long robes, then passing a small stall selling strange magic tools.
He stopped at a wall with sparse foot traffic around a corner, then strained to look up, his gaze carefully searching the slightly damp, moss-covered bricks of the wall.
After finding a hastily drawn feather pattern on a brick near the top, a screen visible only to him appeared before his eyes, with several lines of small text.
[Successfully found the clue left by Newt Scamander, discovered a hidden exit. Optional task complete]
[Task Reward: Virtual Currency x10, Pulsating Puffball x1, 'Break with a Banshee' (by Gilderoy Lockhart) x1]
[Optional Task: Find a way to disperse the surrounding Wizards]
[Task Reward: Virtual Currency x50, Random Medicinal Herb x2]
[Optional Task: Wait at the exit and assist Newt Scamander in rescuing the captured magical creatures]
[Task Reward: Virtual Currency x100, Random magic Tool x1]
[Current Virtual Currency: 60]
Perhaps related to the game he played in his previous life, he found that whenever he encountered something related to magical creatures, a window would pop up with various optional tasks.
Accepting and completing tasks would earn him rewards, and once Virtual Currency reached 1000, he could draw lots, which included magic skills, items, and potions.
This was also why he was willing to follow Newt on adventures, despite the danger to his life; there's always a give and take.
"Lockhart's book, why is it always this useless stuff? Am I really that unlucky?" After accepting the task, Duncan raised an eyebrow and murmured to himself, looking at the screen, a little helpless; he'd find this too stiff even for toilet paper.
"But there's a small upside; if I can collect a whole set, I won't have to waste money buying them in second year..."
Duncan could only silently comfort himself, observing the Wizards passing by, thinking about how to make them leave.
"Child, are you lost? Do you need my help?"
A hoarse voice suddenly came from the side, as grating as sharp fingernails on a rough blackboard.
Duncan couldn't help but turn his head, and an old Witch came into his view; she wore a patched Wizard's robe, sat against the wall on a small stool, her head tilted towards Duncan, her facial skin as furrowed as a century-old tree, wrinkles squeezing her eyes into mere slits.
"No, thank you," Duncan refused coldly. This was a dark corner of the magic world, and meeting a kind person was harder than winning the lottery; if he accepted the Witch's help, he might find parts of himself on nearby stalls tomorrow morning.
"You don't have to worry. Not far from here, there's a pub where Aurors often drink and rest. I can take you to them." The old Witch bared a mouth of missing and yellowish-brown teeth, forcing out what she thought was a kind smile, her eyes greedily sweeping over the case in Duncan's arms, and she slowly began to stand up, extending a skeletal arm, wanting to take Duncan's wrist.
But just as her dirty fingers were about to touch Duncan, a black and white Owl plummeted from the sky like an arrow, viciously pecking the back of the old woman's hand several times with its sharp beak.
The old woman cried out in pain twice, quickly retracting her hand, while rubbing the pecked spot with her other hand, glaring angrily at the Owl flapping its wings beside Duncan.
"Come back, Senior, do you have a message?" Duncan raised his right hand horizontally, calling the Owl back.
Senior quickly swept past the old Witch, vengefully tugging at her hair, then flapped its wings and landed steadily on Duncan's arm, letting out two hooting calls.
"Grandpa has succeeded, then?" Duncan nodded slightly, "Then I need to speed up too..."
Thanks to the magic ability he had drawn before—'Animal Language'—he could communicate with animals, and his voice had a calming effect on them. He could also issue commands to magical creatures with an affinity of 80 or more towards him, which was why Newt dared to let him come help.
The old woman stared at Duncan, and seeing him engrossed in conversation with the Owl, she stopped pretending. Her wand silently slipped from her sleeve into her hand, gripping it tightly, and slowly raised it, a faint, almost imperceptible glow appearing at the tip.
"I advise you not to do that," Duncan looked up at the old Witch, saying in a warning tone, "Do you really think a young Wizard who enters the underground market alone, without any protective measures, could stand here calmly and not be in a hurry to leave?"
At the same time, Duncan's lips curled into a slight smile; he had an interesting idea. If the old Witch in front of him refused to give up, he would give her a surprise she would never forget.