Hogwarts Raven

Chapter 168: Back to Diagon Alley!
Just as there is no free breakfast, lunch or dinner in the world, there is never any kindness without reason in the world, especially in those wealthy families that have lasted for countless years.

Ian knew that Theodore Greengrass and his wife might have some needs for him, but he never expected that the couple was actually plotting something like "following the dragon's will"!

Faced with Theodore Greengrass's somewhat fiery eyes, the young wizard felt that he had to defend his character, otherwise God knew what rumors would arise outside after he left tonight.

"Sir, Madam, I think you may have misunderstood something. I have no intention of reshaping the order of wizard society. It is better to leave such a cause to ambitious people."

"For me, my goal is to study hard and do something I like after graduation." Ian's tone was full of sincerity from the bottom of his heart.

This is true.

His most ambitious plan was to build a coin-minting machine and then happily mint existing currency privately, rather than issuing his own currency and giving the pleasure of minting to others.

Just after the young wizard began to explain what he was thinking, before Theodore Greengrass and his wife had spoken, Lupin had already lowered his head and touched his philtrum, seeming to be thinking about something.

He thought that he knew much more information than the pure-blood families. Considering the research of the young wizards he had seen, he felt that what the young wizard said now was probably not a lie.

"He really doesn't want to overthrow the wizarding world. He probably wants to overthrow the Muggle world as well..." It's no wonder that Lupin has such turbulent thoughts in his mind now.

after all.

Last night on Ian's birthday, the little wizard gave the orphans a "drink". The more he thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong. He felt in his heart that it must be some kind of potion.

It was similar to the potion given to the little girl Catherine, but it must be more shocking. Otherwise, the little wizard would not have chosen to avoid his questioning last night.

Even a powerful item like the [Dumb Gun Revival Potion] was not concealed, so what kind of thing did they want to hide? Just thinking about it made Lupin feel terrified.

"Don't just keep your head down there and keep silent. Say something. You were the one who provoked those werewolves in the first place. You know why I contacted them later."

Ian nudged Lupin with his elbow again at this time.

The down-and-out werewolf came to his senses immediately. He first looked at the young wizard with a complicated look, and then turned to look at Theodore Greengrass, his former classmate.

"Yes, that's the werewolf I'm looking for. The reason why Ian frequently interacts with werewolves is just to study the wolfsbane potion. I think your intelligence cannot be unaware of this." After Lupin came to his senses a little, he still chose to stand on the side of the little wizard. After all, he would only communicate with Albus Dumbledore if there was anything.

No matter what ambitions and intentions the young wizard has, these Slytherin guys cannot be allowed to get involved, otherwise it will definitely not be a good thing for most people - Lupin has a deep prejudice against Theodore Greengrass, perhaps it is related to the conflict between him and Theodore Greengrass when he was a child.

And Theodore Greengrass apparently had a bad opinion of Lupin, too.

"Some things are beyond the understanding of you and your stupid friends, Lupin. After all these years, you are still as self-righteous and disgusting as ever."

This was definitely the longest sentence Theodore Greengrass had said to Lupin tonight. In fact, if it weren't for Ian's sake, he might have cursed Lupin when he approached his home. Well, most of the Slytherin students back then had similar resentment in their hearts.

after all.

The students of Slytherin College might really discriminate and look down on people from other colleges, but James Potter's group was definitely a real school bullying group. They used tactics such as taking off pants, flicking heads, and hanging upside down... Severus Snape was definitely not the only one who got bullied.

"Of course, my evaluation does not include you, Mr. Prince." Theodore Greengrass said to Lupin, then turned and looked at Ian solemnly.

"You are too young, so you may not realize that for a wizard as good as you, there will always be many people who have high expectations and even longings for you."

"The wizarding world has not undergone any changes for a very long time. I think you have felt this when you first entered the wizarding world. Too many places seem to have not made any progress in countless years... They may be very traditional, but in fact, such conservatism is not the result of deliberate efforts by wizards."

Theodore Greengrass's words were steady and powerful, with a voice unique to a mature man. He expressed views that were completely contrary to the mainstream perceptions of many young wizards today.

"If you understand history deeply enough, you will find that those who promote history, whether Muggles or us, will always be the brightest and most brilliant new stars."

"Only those who rise like a comet, without falling or sinking, can lead a civilization towards progress. We wizards haven't seen such a person for many years."

"This is the main reason why the wizarding world has remained stagnant for so many years."

"Many people think that we who call ourselves the Saints are the supporters of the old rules, but they don't know that at least most of my friends and relatives are eager for changes in the wizarding world."

"Relying on the glory of the past will only lead our family to decay. Only new challenges and opportunities can allow us to regain the glory of a new life."

"Failure? Falling? Being lost in the crowd? Slytherin students are never afraid of this. We are only afraid of watching the glory of our ancestors tarnished and we are powerless to do anything about it."

Theodore Greengrass spoke in a loud voice, and his wife nodded slightly beside him. Lupin frowned slightly, but he did not speak.

“Very insightful view.”

Ian admitted that what Theodore Greengrass said did make some sense, but he was still helpless, "It's just that the profession of 'leader' is not what I pursue."

"In fact, you have a much better choice. I recommend my good friend Aurora. She is extremely talented, born in a noble family, and is the center of attention and unstoppable."

"Muggles all have their own queen, and wizards should also have a queen. How perfect." Ian chose to push Aurora out as a shield to attract "firepower".

however.

Theodore Greengrass shook his head slightly.

"Mr. Prince, as I just said, the glory of our ancestors is gone, so our seemingly prosperous families do not actually have the right to make decisions."

"In the wizarding world, strength determines power. Someone has made a choice, and we can only decide whether to follow it." It has to be said that for a descendant of a pure-blood family like Theodore Greengrass, it is definitely not an easy thing to admit that the family's strength has declined.

He was indeed sincere and unreserved.

"Albus Dumbledore?"

Ian hesitated for a moment, looked at Lupin beside him, and then uttered another name.

"Or Gellert Grindelwald?"

The only two old men that the young wizard could think of as the "masterminds behind the scenes" were him and he preferred the latter because whenever they communicated with him before, they were always trying to influence him and stimulate his ambitions.

Faced with this inquiry.

Theodore Greengrass pondered for a moment but chose not to respond directly.

"Mr. Prince, you should know about modern history." He put down the knife in his hand, stared at the plate in front of him, and suddenly asked an irrelevant question.

"of course."

Ian nodded in response.

Theodore Greengrass raised his head and looked at the boy in front of him, who was unrealistically young, but already possessed strength that was beyond the reach of him and most wizards.

"Regarding the former Dark Lord, He Who Must Not Be Named, most of his followers are apparently from pure-blood families like us in Slytherin."

"Do you know why?" Theodore Greengrass asked another question, with an indescribable fatigue in his eyes.

"Of course it's because you are afraid of death and want to share with him the benefits and rights that come with the identity of the Dark Lord." This was Lupin's answer with a somewhat indignant tone.

His views are not biased.

but.

In Theodore Greengrass's opinion, Lupin's thinking was indeed very narrow-minded. He glanced at this classmate whom he once hated, and a bit of pity appeared in his eyes.

"Too one-sided, Lupin." Theodore Greengrass did not refute, but commented on Lupin's answer in a slightly sneering tone.

"I'll just watch you whitewash your actions."

Lupin sneered again with disdain.

"You guy..."

Mrs. Armand Greengrass, who had been silent while letting her husband and Ian talk, frowned and wanted to say something, but was stopped by Theodore Greengrass.

"To this day, Lupin, I still think that among your gang, only James Potter is truly bad, and the other three of you are just stupid and naive." Theodore Greengrass's opinion may not be objective. After all, Harry's father, who was able to join the Order of the Phoenix, must not be hopelessly bad in nature.

but.

This view was obviously not something Lupin could accept.

"He is a victim who fell in the struggle. At least in this respect, he is better than all of you." Lupin suppressed his anger well because he also knew the resentment in Theodore Greengrass's heart.

Looking back after so many years of graduation, Lupin did realize that some of their actions at the time were excessive. They were extreme and did not consider the subsequent impact from the perspective of their youthfulness at the time.

only.

There is no point in arguing about right and wrong now, and it was definitely not just them who did something wrong at the time. The Slytherin students were definitely also wrong for liking to bully people.

"I never said that Potter was not a warrior. His savior son has been praised for so many years. I think there are some reasons why we are helping to promote it."

"In fact, this is also a manifestation of our desire for change. Most of the next generation in our families have a certain liking for Potter's savior son."

Theodore Greengrass looked at the young wizard who was in a trance.

"Mr. Prince, before you showed up, both us and that person...were fanning the flames, trying to create a savior who could bring new hope to the wizarding world."

"The Dark Lord may have fallen, but the wizarding world has returned to a stagnant state. This is not the development we hoped for." Theodore Greengrass brought the topic back to the question that was interrupted by Lupin.

This time, he did not continue to ask Ian, but directly gave him the answer in his heart.

"Death Eaters, followers of the Dark Lord, except for a very small number of lunatics, most of them just grasped this possible hope of change because they could not see any hope."

"They want to forge a new future, continue and revitalize the family's glory, and also to prevent future generations from continuing to decay." Theodore Greengrass' voice was filled with a sigh.

"However, history has proved that this was a wrong choice." Not only did his expression become a little melancholy, but even Mrs. Armand Greengrass had a complicated expression.

"It's because you are short-sighted and can't distinguish between good and evil."

Lupin was sarcastic again.

Ian didn't say a word. He was staring at the dragon meat and other precious food left in front of him, thinking about how to pack them and how to preserve them after returning home.

Aurora's [Corpse Preservation Spell] could perhaps be used to make a refrigerator.

"I prefer to call it a desperate attempt to find a cure." Theodore Greengrass rolled his eyes at Lupin and spoke in a sarcastic tone without showing any weakness.

"As for why we are like this, perhaps you can go back and ask the person you are loyal to." There was obviously a great deal of resentment in his tone.

These words may seem a bit too much.

Mrs. Armand Greengrass immediately grabbed her husband's hand with some concern.

"Feel sorry."

Theodore Greengrass also realized his slip of the tongue and raised his hand to rub his brow. He chose to stop the topic in time, but Lupin was a little unhappy.

"What do you want to express?"

It wasn't that Lupin was being aggressive, he just really didn't understand.

"Many years ago, our elder thought he had found hope and saw a leader, and then... he gave up. This is why many people chose to be his student out of desperation." Theodore Greengrass obviously couldn't hold back, and his face was full of resentment, not to mention how aggrieved he was.

"..."

Lupin suddenly realized that perhaps he shouldn't have asked.

He wanted to slap himself hard in the face.

"Well, this is not what we should talk about tonight." Mrs. Armand Greengrass glared at her husband fiercely, then looked at the little wizard who was cutting dragon meat.

"I have asked the kitchen to cut up the remaining dragon meat for you." She saw the little wizard secretly packing the meat, so she immediately expressed her opinion in a tactful way.

"Oh, okay, thank you, generous lady." Although Ian said this, he did not stop eating and taking the food. This was not because he was uneducated.

Instead, the little wizard felt that he had to lower his own image.

of course.

I feel a little bit comfortable from the heart.

"It seems that tonight's meal is very much to your liking." Mrs. Armand Greengrass smiled helplessly. This remark fully demonstrated that people from their pure-blood families are not without high emotional intelligence.

"It's really good, but I don't think it's as good as spaghetti mixed with No. 5 concrete." Ian continued to speak, and his slightly "crazy" response made Armand Greengrass slightly stunned.

Lupin beside him was also confused.

What the hell?
Concrete?
"Sounds good. I think we should try the combination you mentioned." Only Theodore Greengrass could respond to Ian's nonsensical remarks with a smile.

The little wizard gave him a thumbs up.

"You still have plenty of time to think about your future path. We will not force you, nor do we have the ability to force you. All we hope is that you can understand our attitude."

Theodore Greengrass continued to express his rather explicit thoughts.

"Today's meal is very good. I think Miss Daphne has become my 70th best friend." Ian said happily as he looked at the two sisters' untouched plates.

The two sisters ran away again.

This behavior will definitely increase your favorability.

He could at least pack two more kilograms of dragon meat to take back.

"Then she should keep up the good work and continue to strive for a higher ranking." Theodore Greengrass felt that he must have heard the implicit meaning in the little wizard's words.

for the rest of the time.

He began to chat with Ian about some interesting things in the wizarding world, such as the fact that the wizarding world is currently preparing a movie "Despicable Newt: The Fall of Grindelwald".

"Pfft~"

When Ian heard that this movie was set in the tower and it was a strong request from Gellert Grindelwald himself, he spat out the drink in his mouth.

"This is truly a... beautiful thing."

The young wizard now only wanted to know how the professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts felt.

"Do you know any information about the main actor?"

As long as they didn't talk about dominating the wizarding world or subverting the wizarding world, Ian felt that he and the Greengrass couple still had a lot to talk about.

Except Lupin.

Perhaps this dinner party was a great pleasure for all the guests. Gossip time always passed faster than usual, and as it was getting dark, Ian also proposed to say goodbye at the right time.

"I have another appointment to keep." Ian brought up the appointment with Hermione Granger's family. He was still telling the truth, but he didn't say that the appointment time was actually tomorrow.

"Of course no problem. We're already very happy that you can come." Theodore Greengrass did not try to keep him. After all, he had already achieved his goal.

"These are all processed ingredients. You can take them back and cook them simply." Mrs. Armand Greengrass handed over the small box prepared by the house elf at the right time. Of course, she did not forget to reimburse Ian for the travel expenses. The full purse was definitely more than 200 gold galleons, and it was indeed true after the little wizard refused to see her off and left the manor.

"Five hundred gold galleons!"

Ian was so happy when he saw the full bag of money. He thought it would be a good idea for Miss Daphne Greengrass to be his 69th friend.

Nothing else.

Miss Daphne Greengrass had such generous parents.

"How to go back?"

Lupin had no sour feelings about this.

He just sighed.

Maybe the previous conversation reminded him of his good friend, so the down-and-out werewolf looked a little depressed and didn't even want to tell Albus Dumbledore about it.

perhaps.

There's no point in reporting it.

He finally realized something.

"Of course I'm taking the Knight Bus and going directly to Diagon Alley to stay at a hotel... Are you going back to the orphanage or to Hogwarts? You don't have to follow me when I go to buy a book, do you?" Ian was not unwilling to add another bus bill to Lupin's bill, he just felt that Lupin might need some quiet space now.

"Dumbledore asked me to stay with you for the entire holiday..." Lupin looked at the shining stars in the sky. He actually wanted to go and see the child left behind by his good friend.

"Oh, the old principal is really poisonous. Am I the kind of child who lacks security?" Ian had no choice but to count out the ticket money for two people after walking to the place where he got off the bus before.

Then he raised his wand and summoned the Knight Bus.

"I think what Dumbledore wants is for me to ensure the safety of others..." Lupin had indeed understood this a long time ago, which was why he dared not take it lightly.

Perhaps it would be simpler if Ian really was a little wizard who needed protection. In that case, he wouldn't feel increasingly overwhelmed like he does now.

Other pure-blood families came up to show their loyalty and wanted to swear allegiance, and wanted Ian to lead them to do great things. But he was just a werewolf, and there was nothing he could do except stare and watch.

Can it be stopped?
Can't stop it!

"Maybe Dumbledore never thought of asking me to stop it, but just wanted me to prevent this guy from being abducted?" Lupin muttered uncertainly in his heart.

Just like what I said just now.

He realized a lot tonight.

"Pfft~"

"Click"

Just at this time.

The Knight Bus arrived as promised.

Ian got on the bus first, followed by Lupin. Their figures disappeared on the grass along with the Knight Bus. In the distance, the couple standing at the gate of the manor who had been looking from afar finally withdrew their gaze.

"Could he really be hope?"

Mrs. Armand Greengrass looked at her husband uncertainly.

"It will certainly be."

Theodore Greengrass’ response was emphatic.

"But he looks too young, too... I don't know how to describe it, weird?" Mrs. Armand Greengrass was obviously not as clear-headed as she had just shown.

Her tone was a little complicated. Perhaps the little wizard's "self-pollution" behavior did work. In the eyes of the mistress of the manor, Ian's character was indeed too eccentric.

"What he said about mixing spaghetti with mud, and treating us to stir-fried bamboo shoots with dragon fruit and pickled pepper mango when he's free, I find it really a bit confusing."

Mrs. Armand Greengrass's reaction was exactly what Ian wanted to see.

however.

The little wizard's plan was very good.

However, some things were absolutely beyond his expectations.

"My dear, you can't just look at the surface of things." Theodore Greengrass showed a wise look, stared in the direction where Ian disappeared and spoke softly.

"The one who cannot be named has done something similar before. Or maybe all the superiors like to point to an unreasonable thing and say it is reasonable."

"This is a test of loyalty, to see if we will agree with his wrong views... Didn't you see that after I chose to approve, the child chosen by Dumbledore gave me a satisfied thumbs-up?"

"He is already exercising his rights as a leader. Even if he doesn't think so, this just shows that Daphne's classmate may be born with the qualifications to be a leader."

can only say.

Things are unpredictable, and the large intestine may not be able to cover the small intestine. Ian just wanted to reduce the other party's favorability, but he never expected to encounter the understanding of Crouching Dragon and Phoenix.

That is, the little wizard is not here.

Otherwise the look on his face would have been fascinating.

"Is that so..." Mrs. Armand Greengrass obviously trusted her husband very much, so even though she was still a little confused about his whereabouts, she nodded thoughtfully.

"You are smarter."

The more Mrs. Armand Greengrass thought about it, the more her expression became disillusioned.

Again.

Crouching Dragon appears.

The phoenix chick must be there.

If you are not from the same family, you cannot enter the same door.

The two chatted all the way back to the restaurant which had been cleaned by the house-elves.

"When you go back, do more ideological work on Daphne and ask her to work hard in school. At least now we are ahead of our friends in terms of team stance." Theodore Greengrass reminded his wife. He knew that his daughter always listened to his lover more.

"Well, I know what to do."

Mrs. Armand Greengrass nodded, but a hint of worry appeared on her face. "Theodore, will our old headmaster do anything weird again this time?"

"First it was him, then it was Harry Potter, and now it's Ian Prince. God knows when he will change his mind again."

It can be seen that Armand Greengrass has some symptoms of PTSD towards Albus Dumbledore, but in fact, if you put yourself in his shoes, her worries are not unreasonable.

"I think this time, our principal is not the only decision maker. He can't veto it again." Theodore Greengrass's thoughts were exactly the opposite of his lover's.

He smiled confidently.

He looked at the small workshop newspaper that was previously displayed as a topic of conversation. On it, the news about the preparations for the filming of "Despicable Newt: The Fall of Grindelwald" occupied the largest page.

Perhaps this man from the Greengrass family is not "wise" in all aspects. After all, sometimes it is really the smart people who think more and see the problem more complicatedly.

"What do you mean? More than one person is optimistic about this new Dumbledore follower of the Order of the Phoenix?" Armand Greengrass also noticed her husband's gaze.

She saw the portrait of a wizard with a moustache in the newspaper.

His expression suddenly became a little confused.

Just when Armand Greengrass seemed to know and realize something for the first time, Theodore Greengrass's next words made her pupils shrink suddenly.

"This is exactly what makes Ian Prince different from the others. What if, I mean, what if... Ian Prince is not the follower of the Order of the Phoenix that our old headmaster values?"

Theodore Greengrass lowered his voice.

"What do you mean?"

His wife's pupils flickered violently.

"You also saw the people following him, Lupin, um, the core members of the Order of the Phoenix... Perhaps our old headmaster has already planned to let the Order of the Phoenix serve this little wizard in the future."

"not only that."

"From some recent developments, our old headmaster has changed his previous style and is promoting this little wizard. He is also actively applying for or asking for the Order of Merlin for this little wizard... I suspect that his previous break-in to Gringotts was also closely related to this little wizard."

"What do you think this is all about?"

"All signs indicate that he has not only decided to make the Order of the Phoenix a force in the hands of this little wizard, but he himself has even gambled his life's honor and devoted himself to it."

"We know that he defeated the You-Know-Who because of the Photo Stones he spread. What we can see is actually what the great Dumbledore wants us to see."

"When all these circumstances are combined, the answer is obvious." Theodore Greengrass's analysis made Armand Greengrass's expression become confused.

"You mean Dumbledore wants to create a king?"

There was a note of disbelief in her voice.

"My dear, your sense of smell should be more acute."

As his wife looked on in increasing horror and amazement, Theodore Greengrass raised his head and looked at the family crest, and whispered in a very confident voice.

"Dumbledore has already placed his bet... He wants to be a follower for once." Theodore Greengrass's voice echoed softly in the silent restaurant.

"No! Oh my God! Your idea is crazy!"

Armand Greengrass's voice was trembling a little.

"It's not crazy. It may be the truth. Why do you think I am so eager to place a bet? Actually, if you think about it carefully, there are some circumstances that can support my opinion..."

The couple was still talking.

They are too immersed in analysis.

Didn't realize it.

The door behind him was slightly opened.

"Daphne! Daphne! Have mommy and daddy been eaten?" The little girl named Astoria Greengrass asked her elder sister in a crying voice.

"????"

Daphne, who regretted exaggerating the story, began to worry that if her sister went to school and said something wrong, she would have to face the extremely gloomy school life again.

……

A new day has arrived.

The morning in Diagon Alley is like an ancient dream gently awakened by magic, gradually breaking free from the silence of the night and blooming with unique vitality and energy. When the first ray of sunlight penetrates the mist and gently brushes across the narrow streets paved with cobblestones, the entire alley begins to slowly wake up.

On both sides of the street, shops that have stood the test of countless centuries have lit up warm lights or hung up colorful signs, each exuding a unique charm.

In front of the wand shop "Olivander's Wand Shop", the slender wooden window slowly opened, revealing the neatly arranged wands inside, as if waiting for the arrival of their new owners.

The air was filled with the subtle aroma of wood and magic.

"This shop is also mine!" The young wizard was introducing Diagon Alley to Hermione Granger and her family, who were already dazzled by the sight. He focused on introducing almost all the properties under his name.

"The owner of this store likes to fool people. Wait for me to drink a bottle of medicine and transform myself, and then you can listen to how he fools people. Maybe he has updated a brand new version this year. I also need a reason and an excuse to raise the rent."

It can be seen that Ian really holds a grudge.

Before Hermione, whose mouth had become an O shape, and the couple with strange expressions could speak, a staggering, hunched figure walked out of the wand shop.

"Mr. Prince...I gave you your title deed..."

The old man was helpless.

"what?"

Ian obviously didn't expect this.

"You have a very good ear."

He could only smile and choose to turn a blind eye.

"I didn't know you had relatives studying in Slytherin College..." Ian chose to change the subject. He saw Hermione excitedly rushing into the store.

"Are we choosing the wand here? Can I cast magic with a wand?" Hermione was obviously very excited when faced with the dazzling array of wands.

"Slow down, Hermione."

Mrs. Granger quickly followed him into the shop.

"Are you going to transform again?"

Mr. Granger looked at the embarrassed Ian next to him with a teasing look.

"I think not."

The little wizard's face turned a little red.

And at this time.

Ollivander, who entered the store with him, finally answered Ian's previous question.

"My grandson will be attending Hogwarts this year, but that's not why I invested in you, Mr. Prince, just like I said when we first met."

"You are destined to achieve unprecedented success." Ollivander's tone was full of emotion, and his finger pointed to a corner near the window in the store.

The blond boy looked up and smiled.

But that face always gave the little wizard a sense of déjà vu.

(End of this chapter)