The discussion in the Leaky Cauldron was only the beginning.
That day, the entire wizarding world was like the surface of a pond into which a stone had been thrown, ripples spreading outward one ring after another.
On the streets of Diagon Alley, witches and wizards gathered in small groups, clutching crumpled copies of The Daily Prophet as arguments rose and fell all around them.
“Did you read today’s paper?
The one about Harry Potter!”
“I did!
Merlin’s beard… the Savior grew up hungry?”
“Exactly!
I heard he lived in a cupboard under the stairs and didn’t even have a proper bed.”
“That’s outrageous!
How could Dumbledore let something like that happen?”
“Shh, keep your voice down!”
“What am I afraid of?
I’m stating facts!
Dumbledore calls himself the greatest wizard of our age, yet he couldn’t even protect one child?”
The topic gradually shifted from “Who is Allen Wayne?” to “What was Harry’s childhood really like?”
“Tell me, how exactly did that boy survive these eleven years?”
“The book says he lived in a cupboard… a cupboard!
The place where we keep our owl at home is roomier than that.”
“And that aunt and uncle of his were awful to him.
Made him do all the housework and didn’t even let him eat his fill.”
“I heard he didn’t have a single piece of clothing that belonged to him.
Everything he wore was his cousin’s old cast-offs.”
“My goodness… he’s only eleven.”
A witch in purple robes had red-rimmed eyes.
“I have a son about his age.
I simply can’t imagine what I’d do if my boy were treated like that…”
“The key point is, Dumbledore clearly knew about all this!” a wizard beside her said indignantly.
“He was the one who personally left Harry Potter on that family’s doorstep!
Are you telling me he didn’t know what kind of people they were?”
“Maybe he thought they’d treat him well?”
“Treat him well?
Leaving a baby on a doorstep with nothing but a letter and walking away—is that what you call treating him well?”
“You’re right.
That’s not kindness.
That’s irresponsibility!”
Similar anger quickly spread throughout the wizarding world.
In Honeydukes in Hogsmeade, several young witches sat gathered together, a second-hand copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone: Part One spread open before them.
They had only managed to borrow the book from a wizard who had been to the Muggle world, and they were taking turns reading it.
“Look at this part,” one blonde witch said, pointing at the words on the page, her voice trembling slightly.
“The birthday presents he received over the past eleven years were all old things his relatives had already used for ages!”
Another dark-haired witch covered her mouth.
“That’s too cruel.
He defeated You-Know-Who and saved the entire wizarding world, and what he got in return was eleven years of loneliness and abuse.”
“We should do something,” the blonde witch said, lifting her head.
Her gaze was firm.
“Do what?”
“At the very least, we can’t just let this pass.”
Meanwhile, in a small flat in London, Allen Wayne was lying on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
In his mind, the system notification had just sounded.
[Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone: Part One has sparked widespread discussion.]
[Stage reward issued: Magical Awakening – Tier One.]
“What’s this?”
Allen felt a strange ripple suddenly pass through his body and asked in confusion.
[The wizard magic from Harry Potter has helped the host awaken.]
“So, does that mean I’m a wizard from Harry Potter now?
What level am I roughly at?”
[Supplementary information: Dumbledore’s total magical power corresponds to Tier Nine.]
[Masters in certain magical fields correspond to Tier Eight.]
[Elite Aurors correspond to Tier Seven.]
[Ordinary Aurors correspond to Tier Six.]
[Outstanding Hogwarts graduates correspond to Tier Five.]
[Ordinary Hogwarts graduates correspond to Tier Four.]
[Most ordinary wizards fall between Tier One and Tier Three.]
Allen stroked his chin.
“So I’m basically equivalent to an ordinary wizard right now.”
“But this world isn’t the world of Harry Potter.
I’m the only wizard here!”
He sat up in bed, excited.
“I need to try the spells from the book right away!”
Just as Allen enthusiastically began attempting magic spells, the wizarding world he believed didn’t exist had already fallen into chaos.
A letter delivered jointly by twelve owls landed on the desk of The Daily Prophet’s editorial office, requesting that the paper publish a notice.
A bright red seal was stamped on the envelope.
It read:
S.P.U.W.
– Society for the Protection of Underage Wizards.
In the lower right corner of the envelope, there was also a small line of text:
To Professor Dumbledore: Please have your lawyer ready.
The contents of this letter were soon “leaked.”
By that evening, the entire wizarding world knew— Find the original chapter at novelping.com.
An organization called the Society for the Protection of Underage Wizards was considering filing a lawsuit against Albus Dumbledore.
The grounds: negligence in guardianship, endangerment of a minor’s physical and mental well-being, and violation of Section Seventeen, Clause Three of the Protection of Underage Wizards Act.
The moment this news emerged, the entire wizarding world exploded.
“What?
They’re going to sue Dumbledore?”
“You read that right.
Those people at S.P.U.W.
are serious this time.”
“But… Dumbledore is the greatest wizard of our age!”
“So what?
Everyone is equal before the law.
Besides, if what the book says is true, then Dumbledore really is responsible.”
“I heard the chairwoman of S.P.U.W.
is a very influential witch, and her husband is a member of the Wizengamot.”
“Merlin’s beard… now this is going to be a show.”
Inside the Leaky Cauldron, Tom wiped a glass while listening to the discussions around him, his brows tightly furrowed.
“This has become far too big.
Dumbledore’s about to be sued,” he whispered to Edmund beside him.
Edmund nodded.
“I heard the Ministry has already started paying attention to this matter.”
“The Ministry?” Tom raised an eyebrow.
“They’re finally moving?”
“But…”
Tom hesitated for a moment.
“Why is the Ministry only acting now?
This book has been popular in the Muggle world for more than a week.”
Edmund shrugged.
“Who knows?
Maybe they thought it wasn’t important.
Or maybe…”
He shook his head and said no more, feeling that the matter might be very complicated.
In truth, this matter was not nearly as complicated as anyone imagined.
The British Ministry of Magic.
Inside the conference room of the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, the atmosphere was as heavy as the sky before a storm.
Director Silas Quilden stood at the head of the conference table, both hands braced on the tabletop as his gaze swept over every person present.
His expression was extremely ugly.
“Can anyone tell me,” he said, his voice low and cold, “why we at the Ministry of Magic were the very last ones to learn that a book about the wizarding world had appeared in the Muggle world?”
~
Push the book forward by Adding to library and sending powerstones~!