Wu Orphanage.
In the corridor.
Dumbledore looked around.
His gaze carried complex memories—over the years, the decor here seemed unchanged.
"Lady Yelena, I am here for Ian Prince," he said.
Dumbledore, under the guidance of the orphanage director, entered the office. His presence seemed to dispel any remaining chill in the room.
"He needed to complete a course of study," he said.
Sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows, casting a gentle and mysterious glow on Dumbledore's silver hair and beard, giving the aged wizard an ethereal appearance.
"Oh! That's really good news!"
The director, named Yelena, was a fifty-year-old woman with gray hair, and she had a very kind smile.
She warmly invited Dumbledore to sit and brewed him a cup of red tea—the kind with a very old and stale taste.
"Ian Prince, he's a good kid, also quite mature. He doesn't play with the other kids in the orphanage, always having his own ideas and going about his own business."
Faced with Yelena's introduction,
Dumbledore seemed thoughtful.
He put down the tea Yelena had poured for him.
"Lady Yelena, you mean to say Ian Prince is a very solitary child?"
Dumbledore's gaze
puzzled the orphanage director, Yelena, for a moment.
Soon after,
she quickly shook her head to clarify.
"No, no, you've misunderstood me. Perhaps I should explain it this way: Ian is just a very mature child. The other kids want to play with him, but Ian simply doesn't like to play with them."
Yelena paused, then added, "Ian once said that playing house was somewhat boring and too childish. At that time, he'd rather be playing with birds."
"Playing with birds? A fine hobby. It seems Mr. Ian Prince is a child who naturally gets along with animals,"
Dumbledore seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
He smiled and joked,
"Looks like he'll have an owl in the future."
Hearing this,
Yelena was taken aback for a moment.
However,
she continued smiling and praised Ian.
"This child, Ian, though he finds other children immature, he still takes good care of his younger brothers and sisters."
"At just eleven years old, he's already sneaking out to work, buying flour and vegetables to stock the kitchen... He remembers every one of the children's birthdays."
"He even buys candy for his younger siblings."
Yelena spoke with satisfaction, yet suddenly seemed troubled and sighed, looking rather guilty.
"It's just that the current societal environment is tough, and the orphanage struggles to receive donations. Of course, it's also my incompetence, relying on a child to make money outside..."
Yelena appeared quite remorseful.
"You shouldn't blame yourself; you've done enough already. The changes here are significant, I can feel it," Dumbledore addressed Yelena, who was likely a good few decades younger than him, with respect.
He genuinely consoled her.
"Have you been here before?"
Yelena was a bit surprised.
"This is not my first visit,"
Dumbledore smiled slightly.
Yelena didn't press further for an explanation.
She was more concerned about adoption matters.
"Sir, if you intend to take Ian from the orphanage, trust me, he's truly a wonderful child," Yelena sincerely hoped that such a well-behaved boy would find a good home.
"Then may I see him?"
Dumbledore asked with a smile.
Under the influence of the Confundus Charm,
Yelena's understanding might not align with reality.
This did not need correcting.
"Of course, of course, sir!" Lady Yelena was overjoyed. She first got up and said to Dumbledore, "Please wait a moment."
As Yelena stepped out, she saw Ian, who had just returned to the yard.
A hurried smile immediately appeared on her face. She waved at him and called out,
"Ian, come here!"
Ian was pushing a small cart.
A child immediately ran over and hugged him, saying, "Ian, it looks like something big is happening for you! Go quickly, don't keep Lady Yelena waiting."
In the orphanage, everyone referred to being adopted as a big event.
After all, for this group of homeless children, nothing was more important than being adopted.
However,
Ian was different.
He knew this wasn't about adoption.
With a nervous heart,
Ian was led to the office.
"It's him!"
He had sneaked a peek before and now it was confirmed—the person in the office was Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts, the greatest wizard of the century.
"Don't worry,"
Ian hadn't even spoken yet.
He saw Dumbledore observing him.
"Child, I need to tell you a fact: you are a wizard," he said.
Under Ian's feigned surprised expression,
Dumbledore's gaze was deep.
"I imagine you've long noticed how you differ from others," he said. His eyes did not look cloudy; rather, they were as pure as a child's.
"Uh,"
Ian did not answer immediately. He first glanced up at Lady Yelena and found her expression unchanged, as if she hadn't heard what the old man was saying.
This is... the Confundus Charm?
He forced himself to calm down,
averting his gaze from Dumbledore's eyes.
"It's true, I've noticed it for a long time. Sometimes when I stare at a cup of water, I can make the water ripple a bit. So, this is the power of a wizard," he said.
Ian didn't dare feign ignorance.
His response made Dumbledore smile and nod.
"Yes, that's your own magic power at work. Sometimes, when you're angry with someone, that magic power fluctuation becomes more intense."
Dumbledore's tone was gentle.
But to Ian, this sounded too much like baiting. What does it mean by fluctuating more intensely when you're angry? I'm not that Tom Riddle!
"Sir, I hardly ever get angry at others, because being swayed by emotions doesn't solve problems." Ian replied in a calm and gentle manner.
This answer seemed to satisfy Dumbledore greatly.
Dumbledore smiled.
With his nod, his beard trembled.
"You're a very clever child, Lady Yelena was right, you are indeed quite mature for your age." Speaking, Dumbledore's aged eyes looked at Ian and slowly began to speak.
"Hogwarts is a magic academy that all the world's wizards want to join. There, you can learn all sorts of witchcraft and encounter various magical creatures."
"Don't be nervous, Mr. Ian Prince. As the headmaster of Hogwarts Academy, I formally invite you to attend Hogwarts and study."
It came!
Finally, it came!
Ian Prince was very nervous. Although in his past life, he had only seen a few Hogwarts movies and some Hermione fan fiction, he had heard of the reputation of Hogwarts' professors.
Ian was truly worried that Dumbledore, like those conspiracy theory fan fictions, would have ulterior motives.
"Is there any concern?"
Dumbledore sensed Ian's emotions, thinking he had concerns about Hogwarts, and gently reassured, "At Hogwarts, there are flying Hippogriffs, trees that hit back, and most importantly, there are a bunch of kids your age who you'll learn magic with."
"Don't worry about the process of learning magic, Ian. In fact, a remarkable wizard once emerged from your orphanage."
Dumbledore suddenly seemed to be lost in memory, his tone nostalgic.
The moment those words were spoken.
Ian became even more nervous.
Why was he nervous?
Wasn't it because he clearly knew how "remarkable" the man who came out of this orphanage was?
"Is that wizard still at Hogwarts?"
Ian braced himself and pretended to be curious.
Ian's voice interrupted his thoughts, and Dumbledore withdrew from his memory, shaking his head.
"In fact, he left Hogwarts a long, long time ago and unfortunately strayed off the path."
Dumbledore finished with a heavy heart.
Ian expected him to say some critical words next, but unexpectedly, the old man simply changed his tone and, with a regretful and slightly remorseful tone, slowly said, "However, this doesn't diminish his extraordinary achievements. It's just that he could have gone even further."
Ian appeared confused while looking at Dumbledore, but inside, various thoughts were surfacing.
Dumbledore's seemingly long-sighing words.
Was it a warning?
Or a probe?
Good grief! This darn persecution complex, all thanks to those Harry Potter fanfictions—Ian restrained his imagination, trying not to overthink.
"Child, have you made your decision?"
Dumbledore's voice rang in his ears.
"Uh... why not give it a try?"
Ian had been waiting for this day and obviously wouldn't choose to refuse.
"A wise choice. In half a month, Hogwarts will send you a notice. By then, someone will take you to purchase everything you need for your enrollment."
Dumbledore smiled at Ian.
Ian, however, shrugged and politely declined, "Sorry, sir, even if I want to enroll, I can't afford it. I can't pay for the tuition."
Dumbledore was already standing, retrieving his hat from the stand.
At that moment, Yelena suddenly stood up and said to Dumbledore, "Thank you. In half a month, Ian will definitely go."
Ian was taken aback, then realized.
This was the power of the Confundus Charm. It was unclear what scene Yelena saw, but it was obvious she couldn't see the real conversation between Ian and Dumbledore.
Dumbledore didn't speak to Yelena but smiled and spoke to Ian.
"You don't need to worry about money. First, the school has a scholarship fund, and second, the person coming to pick you up won't require you to pay; he... feels he owes you a lot."
With those words.
Dumbledore took a step forward.
Ian was taken aback again, standing up and looking at Dumbledore, who was heading towards the door.
"Who? My parents?"
Was he still a pureblood?
This caught Ian by surprise.
"This isn't an answer meant to be revealed by me." Dumbledore merely blinked, gesturing a farewell to Ian, his tone full of meaning.
"Child, you'll find out then."
With that said.
He left without looking back.
Yelena was overjoyed and followed him to the door.
Ian opened his mouth but said nothing, then turned around and left, returning to his room.
That night.
Ian lay in bed, contemplating whether Dumbledore's early visit was because of Wu Orphanage or because he was originally intended to be Ian Riddle.
Or.
Was it because of his identity as Prince?
Did this pureblood surname exist in the original story?
As he pondered.
Ian felt his eyelids grow heavy.
In the next moment.
He slowly went from drowsiness to wakefulness, as if crossing some boundary—the sky was adorned with a beautiful glimmer, like satin softly draping over the changing blue canvas. In the distance, the woods resembled a fairy-tale land, the trees lush and vibrant, and a small bird flew over the treetops, its song crisp and melodious.
Under such a picturesque sky, everything was rendered in dreamy colors, making one feel as if they were in an exquisite painting, experiencing unprecedented tranquility and cleansing of the soul.
Ian opened his eyes, looking at the stunning scenery before him.
"You're here again."
A gentle voice sounded in his ear.
"Almost forgot, today is Saturday."
Ian turned his head toward the girl emerging from the woods.
She wore a blue dress, her golden hair draped over her shoulders, and looked at Ian with an innocent face.
"Ariana, I met a scary old man today, and I forgot to bring you candy."
He said to the girl.