A magical journey that begins at Hogwarts

"Bilbo, tell me, what were you doing when you were fourteen?"

"Climbing trees, picking fruit, and...playing in the mud."

And you, Legolas?

“I forgot,” Legolas said sullenly. “That was hundreds of years ago.”

"It doesn't matter. Just tell me if you participated in a war of yesterday's scale when you were fourteen, or if you fought a dragon when you were fourteen."

"How could that be? My father protected me very well."

Snapped!

Aaron clapped his hands, then gave Gandalf a meaningful look. "Other people's fourteenth year is carefree, but look at me."

How can you bully a child like this? Doesn't your conscience hurt?

Although the grey-robed wizard isn't truly human in the strictest sense, he should still have some conscience, otherwise, what's the difference between him and a necromancer?

Gandalf: ......

It seems we can't keep them.

"Haha, I was just making a suggestion, I didn't mean anything by it."

Bilbo and Legolas exchanged a glance, scoffing at the explanation.

Aaron wouldn't have reacted this way if he didn't mean anything by it.

“Even if you have other intentions, it doesn’t matter.” Aaron sneered, then rolled up his sleeve, revealing the World Tree symbol on his left arm. “I can go home now.”

"Can we go take a look?" Bilbo asked with great interest, feeling that he could postpone his return home a little longer.

"No, only those with the Gaius family bloodline can pass through the portal."

"What a pity! I wanted to see other worlds!"

“That’s difficult,” Aaron said thoughtfully. “Unless I break through to the god level, I won’t have the ability to travel between two worlds, but by then you might be dead.”

Bilbo's lips twitched. Did he have to be so blunt?

"Haha, it's alright. When the time comes, bring some local specialties to my grave as a tribute. If possible, it would be best to plant a tree that doesn't exist in this world next to my grave, which would be a way of fulfilling my wish."

“Definitely.” Aaron gave Bilbo a hug, then bit his finger and dripped blood onto the Gaius emblem on his left arm.

The phantom of the giant tree suddenly appeared, though it was much smaller than the one in the family's secret chamber. A colorful door appeared in front of Aaron, and the words on the door frame changed from 'Born to Shine' to 'Welcome Home'. In addition, there was an extra piece of parchment.

Aaron curiously took the parchment off the door frame, and after reading its contents, his expression became incredibly interesting.

"What's wrong?" Legolas asked.

"This is... a contract," Aaron said, somewhat bewildered. "But it's not for me; it's for my descendants."

This is the first time Gaius has set foot in this world. After signing this contract, the probability of my descendants coming to this world for training will increase by ten percent.

"Then sign it quickly!" Gandalf said impatiently. He couldn't keep Aaron, but he could try to persuade his son or grandson!

"Heh!" Aaron sneered. "This world hasn't left me with many pleasant memories, and I'm not going to let my descendants suffer like this."

“How can this be called suffering?” Gandalf retorted eagerly. “You have this idea only because you joined the expedition so soon after you arrived, and you chose hardship without hesitation between the good and the bad.”

Think of the Shire, think of Rivendell, aren't these places peaceful and beautiful?

Aaron frowned slightly. He knew what Gandalf was planning, but he had to admit that there was some truth to what he said.

The world isn't that bad; it's just that he entered into it willingly, and before he even had a chance to experience the good things, he was already engaged in a fierce battle with the dark side.

Seeing Aaron hesitate, Gandalf immediately decided to add fuel to the fire, "Aaron, I won't say anything more."

But your stories in this world will be widely circulated; the friendships of wizards, elves, humans, and dwarves are all intangible assets.

"As long as your descendants are willing to come, these races will treat Gaius as an honored guest. Can you bear to let this intangible yet immense wealth go uninherited?"

Gulu!

Aaron swallowed hard, hesitated for a moment, and then signed his name on the contract.

He had no selfish motives; he simply wanted his descendants to be born nouveau riche.

Chapter 290 Going Home, Nobody Can Stop Me from Lying Down

Inside the secret chamber of the Gaius family, the World Tree exuded a mysterious aura, and the countless stars connected to it twinkled continuously, making the entire chamber shine with starlight, as if welcoming the king's return.

The space trembled, and the colorful portal suddenly opened. Abe, who was dozing here, instantly opened his eyes wide, all sleepiness gone.

As soon as Aaron stepped out of the portal, a large, white, fleshy ball of fluff jumped into his arms, almost knocking him back.

“Master, you’re finally back.” Abelong’s eyes were filled with tears as he rubbed his face against Aaron’s.

"Good boy, good boy." Aaron patted its head with satisfaction, then picked it up. "You've lost a little weight. Looks like you haven't been eating well while I was away!"

“Young Master,” Genes said as he entered the secret room, “Welcome home.”

Aaron nodded slightly. "You arrived just in time!"

Genes gave a faint smile, offered no explanation, and simply pulled open his sleeve.

Seeing the clan emblem on his arm slowly fading, Aaron suddenly realized that the Gaius family probably knew he had returned.

"Young Master, the bathroom is ready for you, and the kitchen is working overtime to prepare your lunch..."

“I don’t need any of that. I ate and drank my fill before I got home,” Aaron interrupted impatiently. “Where are my parents? Why didn’t they come?”

Genes hesitated, wanting to say something but swallowing the words back.

"They're not home again, are they!"

Never mind, I shouldn't have asked you that question.

Uncle Genes, how long have I been gone?

"Less than half a month."

Aaron nodded slightly. This amount of time was neither too long nor too short.

He carried Abe to the living room, where he sprawled out on the sofa, feeling completely relaxed.

"Young Master, how was your trip?"

"That was incredibly exciting." Aaron pursed his lips. "I spent half a year in that world, but I don't want to go into the details, and you shouldn't ask any more questions."

Genes wisely suppressed his curiosity, knowing that his young master must have had a wondrous journey that would transform his mindset.

Now that the young master has returned home, what he needs most is not a welcome feast, nor praise and flowers, but an adjustment of mindset, or more broadly, an adjustment of his worldview.

"Has anything happened while I was away?"

"There was a letter from Hogwarts that third-year students could visit Hogsmeade Village on certain weekends, and the head of the household and his wife signed the permission form before leaving."

Mr. Arthur of the Weasleys won the Daily Prophet's grand prize and used the money to organize a trip to Egypt for his entire family for seven hundred Galleons.

“This is quite a windfall,” Aaron said with interest. “But given the Weasleys’ frugal lifestyle, this amount of money is more than enough, and there’s even some to spare.”

"Also, young master, one of the textbooks you need next semester is 'The Monster Book of Monsters.' This book is a bit special; you need to sort it out before you can open it, or it will bite you."

"I understand. Is there anything else besides these?"

“Yes.” Genes smiled. “Today is July 31st, Harry Potter’s birthday. Young master, would you like to give him a gift?”

“This needs to be arranged properly.” Aaron tapped the armrest. “Giving money is too vulgar, and the money won’t even get into his hands. If we give him a magic book, his aunt and uncle will probably just burn it as firewood.”

He likes Quidditch, how about we get him a set of broomstick maintenance tools?

"I'll make arrangements right away."

"Wait a minute," Aaron said, stopping him. "His aunt and uncle won't let him touch his magic broom. Let's prepare a test for his cousin instead!"

"what?"

"Didn't you hear clearly?"

“No, I heard you right, but is this really appropriate?” Genes asked, puzzled. “It’s Harry Potter’s birthday, and we’re giving his cousin a gift?”

“I didn’t say to deliver it directly,” Aaron explained casually. “I meant to deliver this gift openly and legitimately to the Dursleys’ doorstep, and have the teacher’s autograph on it.”

Knowledge changes destiny, and the Dursleys certainly didn't want Harry to have the chance to change his destiny. They would leave the exam papers to their son, Harry's cousin.

The smile never disappeared; it simply moved from Dudley Dursley's face to Harry Potter's.

Genes's lips twitched; the young master's cunning had clearly increased in the past two weeks.

"understood."

"By the way, young master, about your remaining course schedule during the holiday..."

"Shut up," Aaron interrupted directly. "Don't mention any courses to me. You have no idea what I've been through in the past six months."

I'm so tired. I barely made it back alive, all I want to do is rest and lie down peacefully.

"Uh... young master, let me finish what I have to say." Genes gave an awkward laugh. "The head of the family instructed that you can use the rest of the holiday time as you please, whether you go to class or not depends on your mood."

Aaron paused for a moment, wondering if there was something wrong with his ears.

But when he came to his senses, he jumped up excitedly from the sofa, and even felt an urge to cry.

"Are you serious?"

“Of course it’s true,” Genes nodded. “It was specifically instructed by the head of the family and his wife. It’s perfectly fine for the children to relax a bit when they’re tired!”

Aaron wholeheartedly agreed. Although he could only relax for a month, it would be enough to soothe his fragile heart.

However, lying down doesn't mean giving up. You can skip classes this holiday, but you still have to make time to meet with your ancestors.

......

The next day.

After finishing breakfast, Aaron prepared to go to the secret room to visit his teachers and see their expressions upon seeing him.

Suddenly, a special news report came on television:

The public is reminded that Blake is armed and extremely dangerous.

A dedicated hotline has been set up; anyone who sees Blake should report it immediately...

“Blake.” Aaron looked at the image of a gaunt, haggard, curly-haired middle-aged man on the television screen and asked with some surprise, “Genes, is this the Blake I’m thinking of?”