When Sean checked the detailed information on his panel earlier, he noticed there was no mention of Seer's vision, so he concluded the ability had not fully awakened. And judging by what Gideon had said, there seemed to be no systematic way to train or enhance it—it was something that could only awaken naturally, in its own time.
Still, Sean had some theories about Seer's vision. The ability clearly fell under the broader category of divination. If he devoted some time to studying relevant magic in those areas, perhaps he could draw parallels, find insights, or even accelerate his understanding of his inherited gift.
Of course, Sean didn't expect miracles. He didn't believe for a second that Gideon—or the many generations of Bulstrodes before him—hadn't already thought of such a simple approach. So he didn't pin much hope on this line of inquiry. But still… it was worth trying.
And besides, even without Seer's vision, Sean already felt he was powerful enough to stand out.
Gideon stayed for lunch.
Emerald's cooking was excellent—as always. But while the meal was delicious, Sean still preferred the apple pie his mother made. That was a flavor he had known since childhood. It was more than just a taste—it was home.
After the meal, Gideon invited the family to Bulstrode Manor next Saturday—Adrian, Margaret, and Sean. Part of it was to meet Sean's grandmother, and the other part was to formally discuss matters related to the new Wit-Recovery Potion.
If it were up to Sean, he likely wouldn't go. He had never felt much connection to the greater Bulstrode family, and he had no interest in building one. But Adrian clearly wanted to return—perhaps out of longing, perhaps for his mother's sake. And for that reason alone, Sean would not refuse.
After Gideon left, Sean finally began the holiday life he had been looking forward to.
He studied every day. Worked on a new Transfiguration paper. Delved into the alchemy manuscripts he'd brought back from Beauxbatons.
And between all that, he spent time with Caesar, took walks with his parents, and enjoyed rare moments of peace.
Everything was—finally—perfect.
-----------------
"Master, this is the hair you requested."
Sean took the strands of hair from Aldridge, dropped each into a separate bottle of Polyjuice Potion, and watched as the liquid frothed violently with bubbles. He swirled the mixture gently, waited for it to settle, then handed one bottle to Aldridge.
"When you arrive at Knockturn Alley, drink this immediately."
"Yes, Master."
They left the house under the pretense of going to Diagon Alley to shop for supplies—an excuse that Margaret and Adrian found entirely reasonable. Over the past few days, they had learned of Sean's stellar academic performance, and how he had published not just one but two papers in The Golden Crucible. With such accomplishments, they supported Sean's choices wholeheartedly.
Old John drove them to The Leaky Cauldron, just on the edge of Diagon Alley.
Sean and Aldridge got out of the car, while Old John parked nearby to wait.
Passing through the inn and stepping into Diagon Alley, they merged into the crowd, ducked into a quiet corner, and each took the Polyjuice Potion.
Sean morphed into a scruffy, down-on-his-luck man in his thirties, his hair resembling a chaotic bird's nest. Aldridge became a bald, gloomy-looking wizard in his forties with a sallow face and a permanent scowl.
Pulling the hoods of their cloaks over their altered appearances, the two of them slipped away from the bustling Diagon Alley and headed toward the shadowed entrance of Knockturn Alley.
As they passed into the narrow lane, the atmosphere changed immediately. Two dark-robed men loitering near the entrance glanced at them with suspicion—or maybe interest. Their eyes were sharp, and their postures lazy but alert.
Sean ignored them.
The further they went, the less the Ministry's order held sway.
The people Sean and Aldridge transformed into using the Polyjuice Potion were actually two ordinary men from their neighborhood—Sean turned into a driver, and Aldridge into a plumber. Neither of them were familiar faces to Knockturn Alley.
And for the dark wizards here, unfamiliar faces were nothing new.
Generally speaking, there were only two kinds of unfamiliar faces in Knockturn Alley. Either they were clueless rookies who didn't know the rules—or they were seasoned players just passing through. But out of ten unfamiliar faces, nine were rookies, and only one might be a real player. As long as luck wasn't too bad, they could more or less get something out of the rookies—and that was enough reason for the dark wizards to make a move.
"Hey, newcomers, where are you going? I'll show you the way."
Sean stopped and looked at the man with a half-smile. "People in Knockturn Alley are really kind-hearted. Too bad we've got nothing to offer, and we can't afford to pay for a guide."
"Like I said, I'm one of the few kind-hearted folks in Knockturn Alley. I'll lead you for free!"
At those words, the surrounding dark wizards immediately stirred. Some laughed, some jeered, a few even whistled or cursed at him for being shameless.
But the man clearly didn't care. He took all of that as background noise and said to Sean and Aldridge with a fake grin, "So, where are you headed? Tell me, and I'll take you there."
As he spoke, he had already stepped in front of Sean and blocked his path—clearly unwilling to let them go without causing trouble.
Looking at each other, Sean replied casually, "We're going to the Black Hat Pub. You know where that is?"
As soon as the name Black Hat Pub came out of Sean's mouth, nearly half the dark wizards who had been watching the scene immediately vanished without a trace. The rest instinctively backed away, keeping their distance and watching from afar.
At that moment, the dark wizard who had been blocking Sean and Aldridge's path began to sweat heavily. After all, who in Knockturn Alley hadn't heard of the Black Hat Pub?
There were always a handful of pubs scattered around Knockturn Alley—seven or eight at the very least. But any pub that could survive here wasn't ordinary. And among them, the two most dangerous were The Serpent's Fang and Black Hat.
Anyone who could walk freely into either of those places was not someone to be taken lightly. Which meant—these two unfamiliar faces? Odds were, they weren't clueless wanderers at all, but real players.
"S-Sorry, I don't really know the way to Black Hat. I won't trouble you two anymore," the man said, trying to back out.
Backing off when you run into someone dangerous isn't shameful. The real fools are the ones who get in over their heads just to save face.
Unfortunately, Sean had no intention of letting him go.
He reached out, grabbed the man by the collar, and slammed him into the nearby wall—lifting him with one hand.
With a calm smile, like a wolf toying with prey, Sean said,"Trying to leave? Not so fast.
We're new here and looking for someone to guide us to the Black Hat Pub.You look like you know your way around, so be a good lad and show us the way."