The Rune Mage Starting at Hogwarts

Looking at Ryze's somewhat familiar face, he had a guess in his mind.

“Riz White… is Sirius’s cousin,” Riz nodded to the other person.

Just then, a sickeningly sweet laugh drifted from the half-open ward.

"Then I won't disturb your rest any longer. If you have any further comments, please feel free to contact me at any time."

"My suggestion is to send a normal person next time!"

With Sirius's disgusted roar, the ward door was pulled open completely.

Umrić emerged with that stiff and fake smile.

When her gaze fell on Ryze, a fawning smile returned to her face.

“Oh, Mr. White, you’re still here,” she said, maintaining that cloying tone. “I was just praising your talent to Mr. Black, and if you have any questions about your future studies, I would be happy to offer some reliable advice… Perhaps you could put in a good word for me with your cousin?”

Ryze nodded slightly, neither confirming nor denying, indicating that he would talk to Sirius.

Umrić nodded in satisfaction, but when her peripheral vision caught sight of Lupin, who was standing to the side dressed in a disheveled manner, she subconsciously frowned in disgust.

She sized up Lu Ping's gray hair and shabby clothes, subconsciously categorizing him as one of those down-on-his-luck wizards who were trying to gain some advantage from the newly restored Black family.

"Mr. White, do you need me to help you deal with these troublesome fellows?"

She covered her nose with a handkerchief, glanced at Lupin with disdain, and then quickly asked Raz, seemingly wanting to call St. Mungo's security to kick the man out.

“No need, ma’am,” Rez replied curtly. “This is Mr. Lupin, one of Sirius’s best friends from his school days.”

Umrić's smile froze for a moment, and Lu Ping's eyes also became somewhat dazed.

Umrić was, after all, a high-ranking official, and even after being slapped in the face twice in a row, he was still able to maintain that stiff, fake smile.

She quickly said goodbye to Ryze and hurried away in her pink high heels.

“Thank you, Rizzo,” Lupin said softly.

Rizzi gestured for Lupin to come in: "Please come in, Mr. Lupin. I think Sirius would rather see you than that lady."

Lu Ping took a deep breath, seemingly making some mental preparations, before stepping into the ward.

After he entered the ward, Ritz quietly closed the door, and what followed was a discussion between the two old friends.

Before that, he would help watch the door and keep out those boring visitors.

Inside the ward.

Hearing someone push the door open again, Sirius instinctively wanted to throw a tantrum and tell Ryze to chase away all the bastards, until he saw the man who appeared in front of him.

His roar abruptly stopped.

Sirius Black stared intently at the figure in the tattered robe at the doorway.

After a long while, he finally called out the other person's name.

"Remus...Moonface, is that you?"

Just a simple address brought tears to Lu Ping's eyes.

He looked at his old friend on the bed, who wasn't much better off than him, and gave an awkward smile.

"It's me, Big Foot..."

Sirius rubbed his nose, then straightened up and suddenly said to Rupin, "Give me a punch, Remus."

Lu Ping was stunned, wondering if he had misheard: "What?"

Sirius pointed to himself and repeated, "I said, punch me."

His eyes were filled with deep remorse.

"For my cleverness back then that led to James's death, for my suspicion that you were the mole among us, for not telling you about the plan to replace the Secret Service... this is what I deserve."

Lu Ping looked at Sirius, at his self-reproachful expression.

He remained silent for a while before walking to the bedside.

Looking at Sirius, who was staring at him, he didn't throw a punch, but instead raised his hand and punched Sirius on the shoulder.

The force wasn't heavy, but it still made Sirius's weak body sway.

Then, Lu Ping sat down on the edge of the hospital bed: "If this makes you feel any better, Big Foot, I should have found you and given you this punch ten years ago, instead of letting you stay silent and pretend to atone for your sins alone in Azkaban."

"I was really crazy at the time, when I saw Peter self-destruct in front of me," Sirius laughed self-deprecatingly.

“I’m sorry, I doubted you. I even thought you would side with Voldemort because of your werewolf identity, but you overlooked that beast Peter… In Azkaban, the only thought that remained for me was ‘I’m an asshole, and I deserve all of this.’”

“We were all crazy back then,” Rupin said in a low voice. “I also doubted you…after all, you’re a Black man. When all the evidence pointed to you, I actually believed that you would betray Jaime for the sake of the family, and even chose to run away at that time.”

“It wasn’t until a few days ago, when I received a letter from Dumbledore and saw the news in the newspaper, that I realized we had all misjudged Peter back then.”

"So, I also need to apologize to you; I'm late."

Chapter 125: Hiring Lu Ping

As dusk fell, when Andromeda came to deliver the meal, the two old friends were still chatting in the ward.

Upon seeing Andromeda's arrival, Lu Ping realized that it was already quite late and immediately stood up.

"I think I've interrupted your reminiscing?" Andromeda said softly, watching Lupin's actions.

"Andromeda, long time no see... However, I think it is indeed getting late," Lu Ping greeted Andromeda first, then looked out the window at the sky.

Finally, he turned to Sirius on the hospital bed and said, "I have to go now, Sirius. Get some rest. We can talk again after you're discharged."

"Where are you going?" Sirius frowned immediately upon hearing Lupin's question. "Remus, where are you living now... We just talked so much about the past, and I haven't even asked you about your current situation yet!"

Andromeda spoke up as well, opening her lunchbox to show the food inside, and inviting Rupin to stay: "Riz told me in advance that I had prepared your dinner before I came, so don't rush to leave. We are also concerned about your life over the years."

Hearing their conversation, Lu Ping stiffened slightly: "I...I found a place to stay in the north of Wales. It's far from the city, there aren't many wizards there, so it's not easy to attract attention."

"...You know, people like me can always find odd jobs in those remote places that don't require identification to make a living."

"Part-time jobs!?" Sirius's voice suddenly grew louder, sounding incredulous. "You're the smartest one among us, our Gryffindor prefect! How could you be doing part-time jobs in a place like that? And Albus, does he just watch such an excellent student like you wander around outside?!"

Lu Ping gave a wry smile, calming Sirius down: "Albus certainly contacted me. He tried to get me a job through the Ministry of Magic or some research institutions outside the school, and even wanted me to come back to the school as a professor, but I refused them all."

"Why?" Sirius asked his friend, puzzled.

“Because of my status,” Lu Ping said calmly, “if Albus were to force me into those official positions, he would also face a lot of pressure. I don’t want to put him in a difficult position, and I certainly don’t want those Ministry of Magic officials to use this as an excuse to attack him… After all, I was already very grateful to him for allowing me to enroll back then, so why would I want to cause him any more trouble?”

Lu Ping continued speaking to Sirius, "Sirius, it's nothing. I'm used to it after all these years."

“But I can’t get used to it!” Sirius shook his head vigorously, then looked at Andromeda, and then at Rhett Butler following behind Andromeda. “Andromeda, get me the Black family’s property list in London. I need to find a place for Remus—”

Lu Ping interrupted Sirius directly: "Don't do that, Sirius, I don't need charity."

“I’d rather be fixing roofs for Muggles in the valleys of Wales than become a burden to you.”

A brief silence fell over the ward.

It was only at this moment that Ritz stepped forward and asked Lupin, "Mr. Lupin, since you are a prefect in Gryffindor, you must have had excellent grades in school."

Lu Ping paused for a moment, then nodded hesitantly.

Sirius looked at his cousin, seemingly realizing something, and quickly added, "Except for potions and divination, he excels in all other subjects, including alchemy. Remus also contributed a lot when we were making the Marauder's Map."

“Very well,” Rez nodded slightly, his tone becoming a little more formal. “Then, Mr. Lu Ping, I think we can have a proper talk.”

Lu Ping looked at Reiz with some curiosity, wondering what the other wanted to talk to him about.

"With Sirius's advice and help, I am currently studying alchemical theory in depth, but there is a significant difference between the knowledge in the books and the actual practice."

"I will also be participating in the junior division of the Wizarding Duel Tournament around Easter this year. Although Professor Flitwick will guide me at school, I also need a private tutor with rich practical experience who can provide me with targeted tutoring at any time."

"And Sirius's current physical condition is probably so bad that he would have trouble even holding a wand steady, let alone personally instructing me in complex alchemical experiments and fighting techniques."

Although Sirius didn't like what he heard, he nodded repeatedly to show that it was true.

“Remus, the kid is right. This kid is much better than we thought. Even snot... I mean, Snape couldn't do anything with him. I can't help him now, but you will definitely be fine!”

“In addition,” Raz continued, “my father Alfard owns a property in Knockturn Alley. You should know that such places are never peaceful, and I need a powerful wizard to 'patrol' there occasionally.”

"Of course, you'll have to stay in Hogsmeade on weekends. I've learned from Sirius Black about a few secret passages connecting the school and the village, and I'll come out to tutor you every weekend."

“This isn’t charity; it’s a formal employment contract. You’ll be responsible for looking after my property in Knockturn Alley and serving as my private tutor, teaching me alchemy and combat skills. As for the salary, I’m not too familiar with the wizarding world’s pay situation, but Andromeda certainly is. I’ll ask her to help me draft the contract.”

Lu Ping looked at the young man in front of him.

Having wandered for years, he was naturally somewhat moved by what the other person said.

However, his identity has always been a huge hidden danger.

He carefully chose his words, then cautiously reminded Reese, "Reese, I appreciate your kindness, but I don't know if you understand my 'problem.' I need to be clear, actually I am a—"

Ritz raised his wrist to indicate that he understood: "Mr. Lu Ping, I have a talent for divination, so from the first time I saw you this afternoon, I was able to see some things."

"But don't worry, the storefront in Knockturn Alley has plenty of defensive spells, and there's a reinforced cellar inside. I think it should be enough to handle your problem, and even..."

Ritz and Lupin looked at each other: "In a place like Overturned Alley, your identity can still serve as the best deterrent."

The dark wizards who roam Knockdown Alley may not be afraid of Aurors or the Ministry of Magic, but they certainly don't want to provoke a werewolf for no reason.

Especially since he was a werewolf protected by the Black family.

Chapter 126: The Wizard's Auto Chess Idea

Listening to Ryze's words, Lu Ping really didn't expect that Ryze would actually find a use for his werewolf identity, which he had hated all his life.

Lu Ping remained silent for a long time. He turned to look at Sirius Black, who was lying on the hospital bed with an expectant look on his face, and then at Andromeda, who was smiling at him from the side.

"It seems that if I refuse again, I would really seem ungrateful," Lu Ping breathed a sigh of relief and accepted Reiz's kindness.

This response relieved Sirius on the bed.

However, Lu Ping immediately added, "But there is one point I must make clear in advance."

"If one day my 'problems' cause trouble for your property or you personally, or... when I no longer have anything to teach, I will voluntarily resign."

"Alright, stop talking nonsense now, Remus!" Sirius laughed. "You've never caused us any trouble. We're always the ones causing trouble, and you're the one who has to clean it up for us."

The atmosphere in the ward relaxed, and the group gathered in front of the ward to eat the dinner that Andromeda had brought.

Things went very well during the Christmas holidays.

Andromeda demonstrated remarkable initiative.

The day after Lupin agreed, she drafted a formal magical contract.

The contract details the employment relationship, salary and benefits, and confidentiality clauses.

It even went so far as to provide basic magical maintenance for Lupin's living environment in Knockout Alley.

Meanwhile, under Sirius's instructions and with the help of Black's connections, they also ordered a year's supply of wolfsbane medicine for Lupin at St. Mungo's Hospital.

Lu Ping initially thought this exceeded the salary stipulated in the contract, while Sirius Black showed an absolutely firm attitude.

In Sirius's words, "This is to make it easier for Ryze's private tutor to have a few days off." This was an extra arrangement made outside of the magical contract, as Ryze's elder and Lupin's friend. He took the money from the Black family's vault, and Lupin's protests were ineffective.

The conversation ended with the suggestion that if you feel bad about it, teach the kid a few more moves so he can get a good ranking in next year's dueling tournament.

A few days later, Lu Ping officially moved into the property in Fandao Lane.

It was a small storefront sandwiched between two dark magic shops.

The words "Antiques of Alfard" on the sign are rusty due to years of neglect.

According to Andromeda, in the years since Alfard disappeared, many thieves and dark wizards have tried to steal the antiques from the storefront in Knockturn Alley.

However, Alfard laid down extremely complex defensive magic before leaving, and most of those who tried to force their way in without proper credentials did not fare well.

However, as time has passed, those defensive magic spells have become much weaker. In a few years at most, those dark wizards will be able to find a way to break through the defenses and divide up the magical items inside.

However, now that Ryze has acquired the inheritance rights, those people naturally have no chance.

They obtained the storefront certificate at Gringotts, and with Moody's help, after confirming the existence of any overly dangerous magical items, they also replenished the storefront's defensive magic.

Rizzi went inside to see it, led by Andromeda.

Because of the Invisible Stretch Charm, the interior of the shop appears much larger than it does from the outside, and the shelves are filled with many of the items that Alfard used to sell.

Various antiques, old silverware engraved with runes, and some rare potion ingredients.

Of course, there are also many ancient books.

However, according to Andromeda, there are not many valuable things inside. In fact, the more dangerous things are still in that three-story villa in Glastonburg, which was Alfard's base of operations before his disappearance.

Even now, Moody's is still trying to find a way to break the curse of the third floor and basement of the villa.