After buying all his school supplies and saying goodbye to Hermione, Dumbledore walked with Damon along the cobblestone streets of Diagon Alley, their long shadows stretched by the setting sun.
“Everything is settled,” Dumbledore stopped and turned to look at Damon.
“It’s time to send you back.” “Back where?
To the orphanage?” Damon’s tone was flat, as if he were talking about something that had nothing to do with him.
Wool’s Orphanage—the very orphanage where Voldemort had once stayed.
The original owner of this body had spent long, dark years there.
Because his magic had gone out of control several times, he was ostracized and isolated by the other children.
Even the ladies who took care of the children avoided him, whispering words like “freak” and “creepy” behind his back.
Finally, the original owner, pushed to his absolute limit, suffered a magic outburst.
After injuring several children, he ran away and lived on the streets, where hunger and cold eventually claimed his life, giving the current Damon the opportunity to be reborn.
“Or you can choose to live with me, if you don’t mind an old man like me.” Dumbledore had clearly investigated Damon’s experiences at the orphanage, so he could understand his resistance to that place.
“Or I can find a place to live by myself,” Damon refused without hesitation.
Facing a wizard powerful enough to read minds at all times was no different from binding one’s own hands and feet, not to mention he had secrets that could not be shown to others.
“To think you would reject me so directly?
How heartbreaking!” Dumbledore sighed with regret.
“Well, then!
I can rent a room for you at The Leaky Cauldron until term starts on September first.” “That would be perfect.” Damon showed a look of pleasant surprise at the right time.
He knew he couldn’t refuse again, otherwise it would easily arouse Dumbledore’s suspicion.
From their interactions today, other than showing care for him, this headmaster also had some lingering unease regarding him.
Although he didn’t know why, Damon felt it was better to be safe than sorry and obtain enough free space without raising Dumbledore’s vigilance.
The two returned to The Leaky Cauldron.
Dumbledore quickly settled things with Old Tom and handed over a brass key.
“Room Twelve, Damon.” Dumbledore led him up a handsome wooden staircase to deposit his luggage.
The room was small, but clean and tidy.
A four-poster bed was made with freshly laundered white sheets, an oak desk stood by the window, and a fire burned brightly in the grate, warming the whole room.
“A good number, I like it.” Damon felt this was a lucky omen.
In the magic world, special numbers often contained extraordinary magic, and the number twelve held great significance for Shendu.
“As long as you like it,” Dumbledore said.
“I specifically asked Tom for a quiet room.
You can stay here peacefully, and no one will disturb you.” “Only one thing.” Dumbledore’s expression turned serious.
“You may go to the Muggle world or Diagon Alley, but you must not use magic on Muggles at will, especially your fire magic.
You must return here every night.
I will have Old Tom keep an eye out for you.” “Don’t find it troublesome.
Since I brought you here, I must be responsible for you.
I think you understand, right?” “Understood.” Damon agreed without hesitation.
If it had been before he found the Rabbit Talisman, he might have found these rules a bit bothersome.
But now— “Well then, see you at Hogwarts.” Dumbledore smiled, and his entire person vanished instantly from before Damon’s eyes.
“Is this—space magic?” Damon’s eyes lit up, his fingers gently caressing the transfiguring rabbit in his arms.
“This is much more convenient than the Rabbit Talisman.” He had to admit, he was becoming more and more interested in the magic of this world.
Although he didn’t yet know how destructive the magic of this world was, in terms of functionality and practicality, it already had enough unique aspects.
“But now, let’s take back my divine power first!” Damon picked up the transfiguring rabbit Hermione had given him and held it up to his eyes.
Sensing something, the transfiguring rabbit began to struggle violently.
“Don’t be afraid, I’m just taking back what rightfully belongs to me.” Damon’s voice became low and raspy, his eyes turning completely crimson.
The power of the Rabbit Talisman turned into two golden rays, peeling from the transfiguring rabbit’s pupils and entering Damon’s eyes.
The entire process took less than a second.
Damon closed his eyes, feeling that long-lost power flowing through his body.
The moment the Rabbit Talisman was restored, his soul seemed to be injected with something vital, bringing him one step closer to the complete form that once ruled the world.
“Good rabbit, nice rabbit.” Damon opened his eyes.
The crimson receded, and he became gentle once more.
He gently stroked the soft fur of the transfiguring rabbit.
The rabbit seemed to calm down as well, no longer struggling.
“Perhaps I should give you a name.” He thought for a moment, a wicked smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
“I’ll call you Bai Tsa, in memory of my former siblings.” The transfiguring rabbit kicked its hind legs twice, as if in response.
“Very good, Bai Tsa.
It seems you like the name too.
Let’s go out for a walk and show you the Muggle world.” Holding the little rabbit in his arms, Damon opened the door and channeled the power of the Rabbit Talisman.
His extreme speed surpassed the limits of the human eye.
Old Tom, who was wiping a glass at the bar, felt a sudden breeze.
He looked up but found nothing.
“Bloody hell,” he muttered, continuing to wipe the glass.
*** The East End of London.
Under the cover of night, three men huddled in the shadows of a wall, the glow of their cigarettes flickering in the darkness.
“That idiot Riff lit up a cigarette and set off a gas leak, blowing himself up and getting seriously injured.
He doesn’t have the luck for this.
Only the three of us will act tonight.” The speaker was Glenn, the human trafficker who had been chased away by Dumbledore with a Memory Charm the previous night.
“The employer has high demands this time, and they want healthy, pretty young girls.
These are the targets I scouted during the day.” Glenn fished a few photos from his pocket and handed them to his two henchmen.
The photos showed different girls, all quite young, but each beautiful in her own way.
Their home addresses were written on the back of the photos.
“Boss, breaking directly into someone’s home to kidnap them, isn’t the risk too high?
Wouldn’t it be the same if we just snatched some street kids?” Nick asked, a little frightened.
“Idiot!” Glenn raised his hand and slapped him.
“How much money can street kids make?
Do you know what price the employer is offering this time?” He held up two fingers and waved them in front of the two men.
“Twenty thousand pounds each.” Nick’s pupils dilated instantly.
Although Bart remained expressionless, the hand holding his cigarette visibly paused.
“Besides,” Glenn lowered his voice, “those street kids are filthy.
Who knows if they have some disease?
If we anger the employer, how are we supposed to survive in London?” Bart threw his cigarette butt to the ground, crushed it with his foot, and said gruffly, “Boss, just tell us what to do.” Even the cowardly Nick swallowed hard, his eyes gleaming with greed.
Twenty thousand pounds—even if the boss took the lion’s share, what was left would be enough for them to live like kings for a long time.
“That’s more like it!” Glenn patted Bart’s shoulder and glanced at Nick.
“Don’t worry, I haven’t ignored the risks.” He pointed to the addresses on the photos: “These targets are all from single-parent families, just a woman and her child at home.
If we’re careful, even if we don’t succeed, we won’t be in any real danger.” He looked down at his watch.
The glowing hands pointed to twelve twenty-one in the morning.
“It’s twelve twenty-one,” he put the photos back into his pocket.
“We’ll wait until two in the morning when everyone is fast asleep to make our move.
For now—” He leaned against the wall and lit another cigarette.
“We wait.” The moon was completely obscured by thick clouds, and the alley fell into total darkness.