Lucien nearly swore out loud the moment he realised where he'd ended up.
Bloody hell.
How did he accidentally wander into this damned place?
It was entirely Britain's fault.
It was barely past four in the afternoon, yet the sky already looked like midnight.
He couldn't even see the shop signs properly through the darkness and fog.
The moment Lucien entered the Hog's Head Inn, countless eyes immediately locked onto him.
Wizards from every corner of the magical underworld sat scattered throughout the filthy tavern.
Smugglers.
Black market traders.
Dark wizards.
Mercenaries.
Some looked at him like wolves staring at fresh meat.
A few even revealed obvious killing intent.
Clearly, they saw him as easy prey.
"Look at the fabric under that robe," someone muttered greedily. "That shirt alone's worth dozens of Galleons."
"Probably some pure-blood brat sneaking out for excitement."
"Heh… rich little idiot."
"If we sell him back to his family, we'll make a fortune."
Lucien quietly tightened his grip around his wand beneath his sleeve.
Every muscle in his body tensed.
At this distance, any hesitation could become fatal.
Then suddenly—
Bang!
The grey-bearded old man behind the bar slammed his fist heavily onto the counter.
"Quiet."
His voice wasn't loud.
Yet the entire tavern instantly fell silent.
Even the loudest troublemakers earlier suddenly looked wary.
Only then did Lucien fully remember something important.
The owner of the Hog's Head…
Was Aberforth Dumbledore.
Albus Dumbledore's younger brother.
A hidden monster in his own right.
No wonder these criminals feared him so much.
Just as Lucien secretly relaxed slightly, Aberforth spoke again.
"Fight if you want."
Then his expression became utterly indifferent.
"But if you break anything in my pub…"
"…you'll pay ten times the damages."
Lucien's eyes widened slightly.
What kind of bloody rule was that?!
He almost pulled his wand back immediately.
Too late.
Several spells suddenly shot toward him from different directions at once.
"Stupefy!"
"Expelliarmus!"
"Petrificus Totalus!"
Not a single dark curse appeared.
Every attacker deliberately used ordinary spells.
After all, in their eyes, Lucien was valuable merchandise.
Nobody wanted to damage the goods.
"Protego!"
Lucien dodged sideways while instantly conjuring a shield.
Several curses slammed against the barrier one after another.
Without hesitation, Lucien retaliated immediately.
"Inferno!"
Roaring flames exploded outward.
The surrounding wooden tables and chairs ignited instantly.
The attacking wizards froze.
Their expressions became horrified instantly.
They had all carefully avoided damaging the tavern.
Lucien, meanwhile, had simply set everything on fire without hesitation.
Naturally, Lucien understood exactly what they were thinking.
That was why he exploited it immediately.
In a real life-or-death battle, worrying about property damage was suicide.
Survival came first.
While the others remained stunned, Lucien attacked again without pause.
"Reducto!"
"Expelliarmus!"
"Diffindo!"
Several figures were blasted directly backward.
Others immediately revealed shocked expressions.
This wasn't remotely normal for a Hogwarts first-year.
At first, they'd thought Lucien's biggest threat would be other students his age.
Now they realised that if they hesitated any longer, they might not survive at all.
"What kind of first-year casually uses Reducto?!"
"How should I know?!"
"Stop holding back!"
"If Hogwarts professors arrive, we're finished!"
The remaining attackers exchanged quick looks before launching another coordinated barrage.
Multiple coloured curses shot toward Lucien simultaneously.
Lucien flicked his wand sharply.
The burning wreckage of nearby tables flew upward instantly, blocking several incoming spells.
"Confringo!"
"Avis!"
Exploding debris and flocks of summoned birds surged forward simultaneously.
Two more wizards crashed heavily onto the floor screaming.
Only one attacker remained standing now.
His expression finally changed completely.
Murderous intent filled his eyes.
Then—
A flash of green suddenly appeared from his wand.
Lucien's pupils shrank instantly.
But before the curse could fully form—
Bang!
A thick crimson spell slammed directly into the wizard's chest, blasting him violently across the room.
Aberforth Dumbledore had finally moved.
The old man stood calmly behind the counter.
The defeated wizard coughed blood violently while glaring upward.
"Old Goat!"
"You said you wouldn't interfere!"
Aberforth looked at him indifferently.
"If you can afford to rebuild my pub…"
"…then I won't interfere."
One sentence completely silenced him.
Lucien naturally wouldn't waste the opportunity.
A final curse struck cleanly.
The last attacker collapsed unconscious.
Silence returned to the tavern.
On the surface, Aberforth appeared calm.
Internally, however, he was deeply shaken.
As Albus Dumbledore's younger brother, he understood better than almost anyone how terrifying true talent looked.
Even Albus at eleven years old had never displayed combat ability like this.
Yet the boy before him had just defeated multiple adult wizards alone.
Whether magical power, reflexes, or battle instinct—
Everything far surpassed ordinary children entirely.
Meanwhile, Lucien calmly sat down at the bar as though nothing had happened.
"One Butterbeer."
Aberforth glanced at him strangely before scooping golden liquid into a mug from a stained barrel nearby.
"Two Sickles."
Lucien casually tossed the coins onto the counter before taking a slow sip.
Despite the name, Butterbeer barely contained alcohol at all.
Warm and sweet, it suited Britain's miserable weather perfectly.
After a moment of silence, Aberforth finally spoke again.
"First-year at Hogwarts?"
Lucien nodded casually.
"You've got guts."
Aberforth's tone remained flat.
"Because you acted quickly enough, I'll give you some advice."
His eyes shifted toward the tavern entrance.
"Those idiots already called for reinforcements."
"They'll arrive soon."
Then he looked directly at Lucien.
"You'd better call family or a professor to collect you."
"Otherwise…"
A cold female voice suddenly interrupted from outside the doorway.
"Otherwise what?"
The tavern doors creaked open slowly.
"Are you worried I can't afford compensation, Mr Dumbledore?"
Vinda Rosier stepped elegantly inside.
Her emerald eyes were icy cold.
A wand rested loosely within her hand.
The instant Aberforth saw her, his expression darkened sharply.
Lucien suddenly realised something important.
Ariana Dumbledore.
Aberforth's younger sister.
Killed during the duel between Grindelwald, Albus, and Aberforth decades ago.
As Grindelwald's most loyal follower, Vinda naturally represented everything Aberforth hated most.
The killing intent between them became almost tangible instantly.
Lucien's scalp tingled.
If these two truly started fighting here…
Half of Hogsmeade would probably disappear.
Aberforth slowly stepped out from behind the counter.
His old hands gripped his wand tightly.
"Vinda Rosier."
His voice turned colder.
"I was wondering which family could produce a monster like this."
Then his eyes narrowed dangerously.
"So it's you people."
"There are many things you still fail to understand," Vinda replied coldly without backing down.
Her wand rose slightly.
"Aunt Vinda!"
Lucien hurriedly stepped between them before things exploded completely.
"Please calm down!"
....
Join my exclusive P@treon community for 60+ thrilling chapters!
Link: pa*treon.com/MidnightWonder (Remove the *)
If you join now you will get 2 Chapters for free as well.
Don't miss out, join now!