The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 7 The Bloom of Magic

As dusk fell, the first rays of sunset appeared on the horizon as promised. Rather than the birth of night, it was more like witnessing the death of day.

As light and darkness alternated, Ino walked alone in Diagon Alley.

Perhaps because it was summer vacation, the streets were still bustling with activity even though it was evening.

The passersby around were a diverse group, most of them wearing long robes and top hats, with only one or two dressed in suits and Muggle attire, but they did not appear out of place.

The streets are lined with all sorts of strange buildings and shops... Gringotts, Eira Owl Shop, Flourish and Blotts, Florin Volkswagen Ice Cream Shop, Patchy Cauldron Shop, etc.

Bathed in the glow of the setting sun, everything looked both mysterious and magical.

The shops that were once familiar to everyone are now appearing before my eyes one by one.

"Some things and landscapes truly require you to experience them in person to truly appreciate their beauty."

Ino stood on the side of the street, captivated by the sights before him.

That summer, on the screen, a dilapidated brick wall was split in the middle, which also opened a path to fantasy for all the little wizards.

Perhaps, the seeds of magic were quietly sown at that time.

"It's time to go back!"

Considering the time, Ino took one last look at the bustling street before turning and walking back the way she came.

He knew very well that despite being in peacetime, Diagon Alley was still thriving.

But for many, a young wizard wandering alone at night is no less than an unexpected windfall.

No matter how prosperous a place may appear on the surface, there will always be corresponding darkness behind it.

And... the connection between Diagon Alley and Flip-Over Alley doesn't seem to be a coincidence.

……

A light mist always rises over London at night.

On the banks of the Thames, in a secluded underpass.

Ino was busy preparing dinner, first heating up the leftover fried fish from lunch by the stove, then tossing a little black tea into the aluminum kettle.

After finishing all the busy work, he finally leaned comfortably against the bridge pier to rest.

"4 Sickles and 5 Nats... We need to find a way to make money now."

Looking at the pitiful coins in front of him, Ino couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. No matter where you are, money always seems to disappear in the blink of an eye.

Today's shopping spree successfully spent all 20 Galleons that Hogwarts had provided as a bailout.

So... many things were bought secondhand, such as crucibles, robes, glass bottles, and even half a bottle of ink.

The ink, in particular, reminded him of the stationery shop owner's expression when he heard he had bought half a bottle of ink...

What's funny is that when he explained that you can still write by diluting ink with water, he looked like he'd seen a ghost.

"You're making a fuss over nothing. Adding a little water will only make the color lighter, but it will still save you at least 5 nut."

Ino casually picked up a few silver coins and played with them in his hand while thinking about ways to make money.

He immediately ruled out fantasy worlds; despite the abundance of treasures and gold coins there, all the fables, fairy tales, and country stories around the world ultimately tell the same story—

Greedy people never have a good ending.

If you're lucky, you might end up with nothing; if you're unlucky, you might actually lose your life.

In the fantasy world, character is valued more, which is why he has been trying to disguise himself for so long.

Kindness and simplicity bring you smooth sailing; even small animals will help you. Conversely, evil and greed might lead to a random stranger jumping out on the street and easily taking you down.

"The only option left is divination..."

After much thought, Ino realized that the only ways he could make money, besides storytelling, were divination.

Whenever he thinks of divination, a figure always comes to mind: the person who gave him the dice.

Upon entering the fantasy world for the first time, feeling extremely insecure, he could only blindly choose to follow a seemingly kind bard.

In order to gain the other party's protection, he even served as a bard's apprentice for several months without pay.

Of course, the gains were also enormous.

Not only did they travel safely through several surrounding towns, but they also honed their survival skills in the fantasy world—pretending to be kind and acting obedient.

The two spent several months together, and on their final parting, the other generously gifted him a precious present.

A six-sided die blessed by the goddess of fate, which can be used for divination.

But more than the dice used for divination, Ino was grateful for the other person's guidance.

"Living here, you must remember one thing: everything you desire actually controls you. When you want nothing more, you possess the whole world."

This is not just a warning, but also Ino's guiding principle over the past two years.

It was precisely because he kept this sentence firmly in mind that he avoided too many potential dangers in the fantasy world.

"Mr. Hans, you've really helped a lot..."

Thinking of that somewhat mysterious middle-aged man, Ino felt genuinely grateful to him.

……

The old-fashioned aluminum kettle emitted a "whooshing" alarm sound, and Ino's thoughts returned to the present moment.

At the same time, the narrow archway was immediately filled with the aroma of black tea.

A few pieces of fried fish with bread, a pot of boiling black tea—these simple dishes make up tonight's standard dinner.

After dinner.

Ino casually opened the bag she had bought today, rummaged through it for a while, and took out a thick book.

—Miranda Goshak, author of *Elementary Standard Spells*.

The reason he chose this book was after careful consideration.

Compared to fancy things like shapeshifting and potions.

He always believed that spells were perhaps the most fundamental discipline, or the cornerstone, of magic. Other disciplines, in the end, were merely icing on the cake.

Moreover, and more importantly, he wanted to learn one or two simple spells in a short time to prepare for the next upcoming transmigration.

As for the Secrecy Act and the Threads of Faith... in the original story, Hermione tried all the spells before school started and didn't receive any warning letters from the Ministry of Magic.

Perhaps the so-called "tracking" will only take effect after the young wizard enters Hogwarts.

at the same time.

When Ino opened the "Elementary Standard Spellbook," he was surprised to find that the contents were surprisingly friendly.

The first-grade book only has seven spells. Apart from the Levitation spell which requires some skill, the others, whether it's the Lock-picking spell, Softening spell, Fire-starting spell, Repairing spell...

They are all very simple; you can easily get started by simply following the steps.

Of course, this is just the beginning... After all, a healing spell is taught from first grade all the way to graduation, with the difficulty increasing every year.

Inside the bridge arch, the candle burned quietly, providing a faint light to the small space.

By the dim candlelight, the boy began to read intently.

……

Two hours later.

"Flames are raging!"

As the incantation began, a tiny flame suddenly appeared at the tip of the elderwood wand, only to be quickly dispersed by a gentle breeze.

However, this faint glimmer of light excited him greatly.

"This is magic..."

Ino gently stroked the uneven elder knot on the wand.

In the time that followed, one could always see the flickering firelight through the thick canvas, visible in the obscured archway.

A new book release marks a new journey. Thank you to all our readers, both new and old, for your support.

The new book has been signed, so big shots can add it to their collections with confidence.

(End of this chapter)