Sheeran did not like noise.
Therefore, ever since he turned ten, he no longer lived in the dormitory with James, Gini, and the others.
Mrs.
Hazel gave him that dusty attic, letting him tidy it up and live in it himself.
Of course, tidying up an attic like that did not require him to do it personally.
After all, the other children were more than willing to serve him.
He walked all the way back to the attic, tidied up the things he bought from Diagon Alley, and fished out the spell book.
The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1.
This book was written by Miranda Goshawk and was a required textbook for Hogwarts first-year students before enrollment, recording some simple and practical spells.
For example, minor spells such as “Alohomora,” “Incendio,” “Lumos,” “Reparo,” and the “Levitation Charm.”
Magic itself was a word full of fantasy and energy, so it inherently possessed a huge attraction.
As soon as Sheeran opened the spell book, he read it with great relish.
Under the blessing of the trait entry “Spell Inspiration,” he learned these simple spells very quickly.
Theory guides practice.
After writing down the incantations and key points of these spells, Sheeran took out his wand, preparing to practice them.
Wands were extremely important to wizards, and could even be said to be a wizard’s second life.
Even the most brilliant wizards found it difficult to use someone else’s wand skillfully, which was also the reason why McGonagall said “wands don’t come secondhand.”
Aside from a certain family with too many poor children and Neville Longbottom who did so to commemorate his father, very few wizarding families would “pass down” wands.
The wand in Sheeran’s hand was made of ebony, twelve inches long, with a dragon heartstring core, and was extremely rigid overall.
Ollivander searched for a long time before pulling this wand out from a position close to the ceiling.
In his words, this wand was very bizarre; its appearance was quiet, looking pitch-black and steady, but once it started casting spells, it would erupt with extremely strong power.
He was somewhat surprised that Sheeran, a little fellow who looked somewhat frail and pale-faced, could actually be chosen by this wand?
In the end, Ollivander could only urge him to use it well.
For safety’s sake, Sheeran first tried some non-dangerous spells, such as “Lumos” and “Reparo.”
Therefore, over the next few days, the attic where Sheeran lived always flickered with luminescent light, and the sound of breaking things always echoed.
[You have completed a spell learning session]
[Spell Inspiration: Proficiency + 1]
[Spell Inspiration: Proficiency + 1]
…
“James, how many things did you collect?”
“Not much.
A few radios, a broken iron.
Oh, and a broken television.
What about you?”
“Gini and I went and collected quite a few broken toys.
These things are quite valuable and easy to sell.”
“Clever Gini!”
Several children from the orphanage moved some junk they had acquired at ultra-low prices up to the attic where Sheeran lived.
Sheeran hadn’t been doing divination lately; instead, he had them take money to go from street to street to acquire broken things: radios, irons, televisions, toys, and even ragged clothes.
When these things were brought back, they were all tattered and completely unusable, but on the second day after being moved to the attic, they would become as bright as new.
They would then take these things out to sell, and the prices were much cheaper than in the stores, so they never had to worry about finding buyers.
In just a few short days, they made a fortune.
James directed people to move the brand-new items down from the attic, and walked over to Sheeran himself.
“You keep it.
This money will be entrusted to your care.
Remember to take half out for Mrs.
Hazel and let her buy more bread for you all.
As for the rest, you and Gini each take one-fifth, and the others split the money based on their effort.
Just like I taught you.”
“Yes.”
“Right, don’t give them all the money at once.
Distribute it slowly.”
“Understood.
Sheeran, you… will you come back?”
Tall and chubby James, who was not good with words, asked hesitantly.
“Rest assured, James.
I will come back,” Sheeran said.
Upon getting this answer, James let out a sigh of relief, scratched his head honestly, and went downstairs.
Ever since Sheeran learned “Reparo,” he thought of the money-making method of collecting things to repair and then resell them.
According to common sense, this did not comply with school rules.
But… after all, he hadn’t officially enrolled yet, so school rules couldn’t control him.
Moreover, he acted covertly, carrying out small-scale “startups” only in the nearby few neighborhoods, so it temporarily didn’t attract much attention.
The clever Gini had been waiting under the attic for a long time.
Seeing James come down, his gaze swiftly glanced at the money in James’s hand, and a trace of greed flashed secretly and rapidly in his pupils.
“How is it?”
“Sheeran said he will come back.”
Hearing these words, Gini glanced at the attic and suppressed the trace of a thought that had welled up in his heart.
Not to mention Sheeran was still here; even if he truly left, as long as he was coming back, Gini wouldn’t dare pull any tricks.
In Gini’s view, James was just a stubborn blockhead, physically strong and brainless, while the other children were fools who understood nothing and only knew how to eat, drink, and defecate.
And as for himself, he was a rare smart person.
As for Sheeran… he was an unfathomable monster.
He still remembered the scene of his first time seeing this fellow.
Although handsome in appearance, he looked frail and weak, and he had thought to himself at the time: “Another fool.”
Yet this very “fool” used merely half a month to break his hegemony in the orphanage.
Not only did he make James his loyal follower, but he also turned all the other children against him.
However, Gini had to admit that Sheeran was indeed formidable.
When he established absolute prestige in the orphanage, he did not monopolize the already scarce supplies, but instead improved everyone’s living conditions by making more money, which forced even Gini to be won over by him.
After all, no one would argue with money.
…
The Burrow.
Molly Weasley waved her wand, causing the freshly chopped ingredients to automatically jump into the pot, while shouting loudly upstairs.
“Arthur, Percy, Fred, George, Ginny, Ronald.
Hurry up and get up!
Today is school opening day, after all.”
Fred and George scratched their heads in unison, and hesitated for a moment when walking side by side to the door.
“Who went out first last time?”
“Forgot.”
“Then I’ll go first.” This story is hosted at g.com.
“Why does this sound like it has been said before?
No, this time it’s my turn to go first!”
Ron looked at his equally dazed dad, yawned, and said, “Anyone who didn’t know would think you were also Mom’s child?”
“Oh, of course I am also your mom’s baby.”
“Please, Dad, my teeth are so sour.” Fred and George said in unison.
Percy touched his chin in front of a mirror; after all, he was a prefect and had to maintain a prefect’s demeanor.
Ginny leaned her head sideways against the door, thinking to herself that since she didn’t have to go to school, why did she have to wake up so early either.
The big family noisily sat down beside the dining table.
Arthur ate his sandwich while reading The Daily Prophet.
Fred and George teased Ron, who was sighing at his older brothers’ hand-me-down school supplies, and then mimicked Percy touching his chin together, saying in a weird manner: “Call me Prefect Percy!”
The youngest Ginny was combing her own hair.
Breakfast was served.
Before everyone had time to eat anything, they saw an owl bang into the window with a thud.
“Maybe Errol wanted to eat breakfast too.”
Percy muttered somewhat helplessly, stood up to take the letter, and glanced at the envelope.
“Mom, it’s for you.”
Molly wiped her hands, took the letter, and glanced at it.
Hogwarts letter?
Isn’t school not starting yet?
Molly opened the envelope somewhat strangely, first scanning the signature: Minerva McGonagall.
This made her even more puzzled.
“George, Fred, did you two cause trouble at school?”
“Which one are you talking about, Mom?” Fred and George said in unison.
Molly glared at the two of them and began reading the contents of the letter.
Apart from the opening remarks and pleasantries, the most important information in the letter was asking her whether her older brother Fabian Prewett had dated a Muggle girlfriend more than ten years ago?
This question was quite strange.
Because Professor McGonagall did not ask “whether there was one,” but “whether it was so.”
Compared to the vague former, it looked more like a verification attempt after having grasped some information but remaining uncertain.
However, why would Professor McGonagall inquire about this matter after a lapse of ten full years?
She was not someone who would casually pry into other people’s privacy.
Let alone such privacy of a deceased person?
This was too abnormal.
If possible, Molly didn’t want to recall ten years ago at all.
To her, that was simply a nightmare; her two older brothers died in the war, and without leaving descendants, this caused the Prewett family name to be almost severed.
Every time she thought of this matter, her heart ached terribly.
“What’s wrong, Mom?
You’re crying?”
“It’s nothing, the wind indoors is too big…”
“Where would there be wind indoors?”
“Alright, eat quickly.
You all still need to go to the station shortly, and you mustn’t be late on the first day of school.”
Molly wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, put the letter away, ready to deal with it after sending the children to school, yet the contents on the letter still lingered in her heart for a long time.
It couldn’t be that her brother had dated a girlfriend back then and left behind a child, right?
She thought.