Diagon Alley.
The sheer variety of shops left Silan overwhelmed.
His gaze flitted across peculiar spellbooks, glass potion vials, hooting owls, and bizarre potion ingredients he had never seen before.
Each object held his attention for only a brief second before he was pulled away by something even more novel.
Though he had long anticipated this environment, actually witnessing this wondrous magical world with his own eyes still left Silan filled with genuine amazement.
“Child, this is the educational fund provided by Hogwarts.
I’m afraid you will have to spend it quite frugally…” McGonagall handed a small pouch of coins to Silan.
“Thank you, Professor McGonagall.
This amount is already a fortune to me.” McGonagall knew perfectly well that this allowance could only cover the barest minimum of expenses, forcing a student to live on a razor-thin budget.
She considered offering some of her own money to help the boy purchase a decent set of school supplies, which would allow him to save his allowance to improve his daily life.
However, bringing that up directly might wound his pride.
Silan scanned the school supply list, then looked up and asked, “Professor McGonagall, is there a second-hand shop where I can buy these things?
That might save me some money.” *Child, let me help you.* The words swelled in McGonagall’s throat, but she bit them back, keeping her mouth shut.
After all, the boy had already figured out a solution on his own.
Despite their brief interaction, McGonagall had come to realize that beneath his gentle exterior, this child possessed a streak of remarkable stubbornness.
“Of course there is.
But it takes a bit of a discerning eye.
I can teach you.
Perhaps it’s time for a temporary lesson in common sense.” “Thank you, Professor McGonagall.” The two navigated through Diagon Alley, hunting for the second-hand items on the list.
Throughout the process, McGonagall explained the various common sights of Diagon Alley to Silan.
She found him to be incredibly intelligent; he listened intently, asked questions whenever he hit a roadblock, and frequently expanded upon the concepts with his own insights.
Regardless of whether this boy was Fabian’s son or not, McGonagall found herself growing incredibly fond of him.
*Though the Prewett brothers were both Gryffindors, perhaps he will end up in Ravenclaw?* McGonagall couldn’t help but wonder.
Soon, they had purchased nearly everything on the list.
These second-hand items all bore various flaws.
While McGonagall had personally verified that their functionalities were fully intact, their appearances were somewhat hard to flatter.
The pewter cauldron had a small chip on its rim; the crystal phials were visibly cloudy; the work robes and pointed hat, though unpatched, were clearly worn out and ill-fitting; the owl looked rather lethargic; as for the textbooks…
the content was complete, but the bindings on several volumes were already starting to unravel.
In short…
the entire haul looked thoroughly shabby.
Yet, this was exactly what Silan had insisted upon.
Compared to the outward appearance of the items, the boy prioritized their practicality.
Had McGonagall not intervened, Silan likely would have purchased a set of work robes that were heavily patched but even cheaper.
“Just one last thing…
a wand…” Silan checked the list.
“Child, a wand is the one thing you absolutely cannot buy second-hand.” McGonagall took the list to double-check.
Seeing that only the wand remained, she led Silan toward Ollivanders.
“Wands must be bought at Ollivanders.
They have been makers of fine wands since 382 B.C.” As they crossed a side path and arrived in front of Ollivanders Wand Shop, their attention was immediately drawn to a towering figure.
The figure was extraordinarily massive, sporting a mane of tangled hair and a thick, wild beard.
His hands and feet were conspicuously huge, making the boy standing beside him look like a mere ragdoll.
“Oh, Professor McGonagall!
Fancy runnin’ into you here.” The giant’s voice was a low rumble.
McGonagall noticed them as well–given his height, it was impossible not to.
“Hagrid.
What a coincidence…” McGonagall’s gaze shifted to the boy beside Hagrid.
“It seems you’ve found a good wand.” “Right you are.
An important task given to me by Professor Dumbledore himself,” Hagrid said, letting out a proud hum at the mention of the “important task.” Being trusted by Dumbledore filled him with immense pride.
Looking at the small, scrawny boy of his own age wearing round glasses, Silan couldn’t help but glance toward his forehead.
Presumably, anyone meeting Harry Potter for the first time would want to catch a glimpse of that lightning-bolt scar.
Harry was also observing the slightly pale boy before him.
Noting his worn-out clothes, Harry thought to himself that perhaps this boy had an aunt who wasn’t very kind to him either.
While the two adults conversed, the two children quietly studied one another.
“Gallopin’ Gorgons!
This lad looks just like Fabian!” Noticing Silan, Hagrid let out an exaggerated exclamation, his booming voice crashing into McGonagall’s ears like a rattling carriage.
She shot a swift glance at Silan, then stepped closer to Hagrid, asking hesitantly, “You think he resembles Fabian too?” “Resemble?
Bless me, he’s the spittin’ image of him!” Hagrid’s thick beard shook wildly, sweeping across his chest like a broom.
“What’s your name, lad?” “Silan Prewett, sir.” “Prewett!
Blimey!” Hagrid gasped, his eyes widening as he looked at McGonagall.
He suddenly lowered his voice to a heavy whisper, “Professor McGonagall!
Where–where did yeh find him?
I never heard a whisper about Fabian havin’ a child.” “It is not yet confirmed.” Even as she said this, the way McGonagall looked at Silan had entirely transformed.
“We must go buy his wand now, Hagrid.
You should take Harry back.” Watching the two figures depart, Professor McGonagall stood lost in thought until Silan spoke up, breaking her reverie.
“Professor McGonagall, was my father, Fabian Prewett, a wizard too?
What kind of person was he?
I don’t remember him at all.
When Mrs.
Hazel occasionally brought him up, she always called him a heartless scoundrel, but I don’t think he was that kind of person.” Silan looked up at McGonagall, his expression carrying just the right amount of sorrow, his smile laced with a poorly concealed veneer of pain.
Of course, this was simply Silan’s usual tactic–after all, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.
Sure enough, seeing Silan like this made McGonagall’s heart ache terribly.
“No, child.
Your father…
Fabian was a great wizard.
He was by no means a heartless man.
He sacrificed his life to protect the wizarding world, fighting resolutely against dark wizards.
He and his brother defeated five Death Eaters…” McGonagall couldn’t bring herself to continue.
No matter how grandly she described those heroic feats, it couldn’t erase the hardships this child had endured.
Silan lowered his head, his lips pressed tightly together.
After a long pause, he asked in a quiet voice, “Was my father brave?” “Without a shadow of a doubt!
He was a hero.” “Thank you for telling me about my father, Professor McGonagall.
Since he was a brave man, my mother and I have forgiven him.” McGonagall found herself utterly speechless.
The child of a hero was dressed in old, ragged clothes, and not a single item he bought for school looked decent.
Yet, even so, he harbored absolutely no resentment.
He only cared to know if his father was brave, and simply said that he and his mother had forgiven him!
Faced with such a pure and kind child, an endless wave of guilt surged within McGonagall’s chest, stabbing at her heart like a tiny blade with every single beat.
“Child, I am feeling a bit tired.
Mind if I wait for you out here?” “Mr.
Ollivander will help you find the wand that suits you best.” “Of course, Professor McGonagall.” Silan smiled and stepped into Ollivanders.
The moment he crossed the threshold, a small screen materialized before his eyes: [Congratulations!
You have triggered: Perpetual Guilt] [Description: You did nothing wrong!
It’s the world’s fault!
People can’t help but feel guilty around you.
Within the time limit (30 days), collect Guilt Points to exchange for Trait Attributes.] [Current Guilt Points: 134] Traits available for exchange: [Spell Inspiration]: You little dummy!
Do you even understand these spells?
Makes it much easier to spark sudden inspirations while learning spells.
(Cost: 200) [Silenced Concealment]: Shh!
No one is looking at you.
Slightly reduces your presence, making it harder to attract attention.
(Cost: 180) [Hand of Alchemy]: It’s about to blow!
Do you want your hand or the gold?
Slightly increases the success rate of alchemy.
(Cost: 200) — (Author’s Note: “Gallopin’ Gorgons” is a common wizarding idiom used to express shock and exclamation.) LanLi: Hagrid feels like Hagrid.