Chapter 5: Past Events of the Wizarding World

Harry woke up very early the next morning. He opened his eyes and found that it was still gray outside, and the sun had not yet risen. He tried to close his eyes again, but his heart was surging, and there was not a hint of sleepiness.

"Perhaps this is Grandpa's gift, cooperating to perform a play, making me think I am a magician." He said to himself, "Perhaps Teacher Clara also participated in it, they happened to find a person with an unusually tall figure, and that glowing spell is some kind of strange chemical phenomenon. He could fool Eve, but he couldn't fool me."

Harry turned over and muttered: "But Clara is no longer my tutor."

"Hey, what if magic is real? What if those superpowers of mine aren't coincidences or hallucinations, but I really am a wizard?" He sat up abruptly, counting on his fingers, "If even your physics teacher is telling magic stories, then perhaps magic really exists in this world."

"Bang! Bang!" Suddenly, a rude knocking sound came, and Harry was startled.

"Get up quickly, Harry, there are so many things to do today!" Haige's loud voice sounded outside the door.

"You can't do this, the young master is still sleeping..."

"It's fine, Bates." Harry said loudly, "You take Mr. Haige to have breakfast, I'll dress myself and come down later."

When Harry walked to the dining room, he found Haige grabbing a piece of bread and chewing it in big mouthfuls, with four or five empty plates piled up beside him. As soon as he saw Harry, he waved his hand happily and said loudly: "Hey, Harry, the bread here is really good, it's just as delicious as rock cakes!"

Harry sat down, slowly scooped up a spoonful of baked beans, and asked curiously: "What are rock cakes?"

"It's my specialty, you must taste it when you get to Hogwarts." Haige said, "Let's not talk about this first, Harry, we have to go to London today to buy things for your schooling."

"Buy things?"

"Of course, those written in the letter, uh, robes, textbooks, etc." Haige said, "You can bring that letter, it has a list on it."

"Okay, then I have to bring some money."

"Hahaha, child." Haige laughed, "Wizards don't use Muggle currency, so our first stop is the bank, we have to withdraw some money for you."

"Withdraw money? Whose money?"

"Of course the money your parents left for you." Haige scratched his head, "In fact, it's not just withdrawing money, I also have to complete the task Deng Buliduo gave me!"

Harry nodded. Parents was a strange term for him. He only knew before that his parents died in a car accident, but now, he felt that there seemed to be hidden secrets.

"Are you saying that my parents left me some wizard currency?"

"Oh, you don't know, poor child." Haige said, "Although I'm not clear about what they told you, the fact is, your parents were also wizards, and could even be said to be heroes."

"Can you tell me more... about my parents?"

"Of course I can, I think you have reached the age where you can know these things, you can't go to Hogwarts knowing nothing." Haige swallowed the last mouthful of bread, then patted the breadcrumbs on his hands. He put on a posture of telling a story, propped his elbows on the table, and leaned forward. Harry felt that the table leg on his side was almost lifted up.

"In the Wizarding World, there was once a terrible bad guy, he... he was very bad, very bad, much worse than any bad guy you can imagine." Haige swallowed a mouthful of saliva. Harry found it hard to imagine what kind of person could make this giant so afraid.

"His name is Voldemort." Haige whispered a name, then continued: "We don't want to say his name, generally we say 'You-Know-Who'. He almost ruled the entire world, and anyone who dared to resist was killed by him. Too terrifying, Hogwarts was the only safe place, and Deng Buliduo was the only person You-Know-Who feared, but at that time almost no one dared to go to school.

"Your father and mother were the best wizards I have ever known. They were the leaders of Hogwarts at that time! You-Know-Who might have discovered he couldn't persuade them... What people know is that on Halloween ten years ago, he suddenly appeared in the village where you lived, when you were only one year old. He went to your house, and then, and then..."

Haige suddenly pulled out a dirty and large handkerchief to blow his nose, and the sound of him blowing his nose was like a bugle horn.

"Sorry!" He said, "Too heartbreaking—you have to know what good people your father and mother were—"

"You-Know-Who killed them. Then, strange things happened—he originally wanted to kill you too, but he couldn't kill you. Have you never wondered how you got that scar on your forehead? That is not an ordinary scar, that is a scar you got when a powerful evil spell was cast on you—it protected you. The spell didn't work on you at all, that is why you are famous, Harry. If he wants to kill someone, that person definitely won't survive, but you are the exception. He killed several of the best wizards at the time, but you survived."

Something made Harry's heart ache. Haige's story was nearing its end, and Harry vaguely found a green light from the depths of his memory. This time it was clearer than any other time before. He also remembered some other things he had never remembered—a sharp, sinister, cold laugh.

Haige looked at him sadly.

"I rescued you from the ruins according to Deng Buliduo's order, and sent you to your aunt and uncle's house..."

Harry's breathing became heavy, and he said eagerly: "So, You-Know-Who also did that to my aunt... I came back from the zoo that day, oh, perhaps Jacob and Jin Ni were also... my god!"

Haige scratched his head in confusion, then said gently (although it still sounded very loud to Harry): "Don't be afraid, child, since that night, You-Know-Who hasn't appeared for a long time. People all say that you defeated him."

"He must still be in some sinister corner, plotting some conspiracy." Harry said with lingering fear, "However, Downton might be safe, we have so many people, Grandpa even allows everyone to carry guns."

"Muggle weapons don't have much effect on him." Haige said, "However, rest assured, you are going to Hogwarts soon. Under Deng Buliduo's protection, even if You-Know-Who is still alive, he won't dare to do anything to you."

"Okay." Harry breathed a sigh of relief. He only then discovered that he had said so many words to Haige without knowing it, and the baked beans in his bowl were a bit cold.

"Sir, your newspaper." Valet Thomas carried a newspaper on a tray and handed it to Haige.

"Oh, it's the Daily Prophet." Haige said in surprise, "Can you receive the Wizarding World's newspaper here too? Truly magical."

"If you are talking about owls delivering newspapers, we can indeed receive them." Thomas bowed slightly, "There has always been a bird feeder by the manor's mailbox, and sometimes pigeons will come to deliver letters."

Haige glanced at Harry, who had started to bury his head in eating, and didn't talk to him anymore, but unfolded the newspaper and read it.

Harry could see the back of the newspaper, and a man with slightly curly hair was waving at him, which startled him.

"Haige, this photo?"

"Oh, rest assured, they won't move in the eyes of Muggles." Haige blinked, and he flipped it over to look at the headline on the back, saying happily: "Very good, I quite like Hake."

Harry also glanced at the headline, which read "Jim Hake Takes Over as Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement". He had a vague impression, as if Haige had mentioned this person last night. It seems that the Wizarding World also has a perfect government agency, perhaps there is a Magic Queen and a Magic Cabinet, or perhaps it is just another Ministry of Magic set up under the Cabinet.

Suppressing the curiosity in his heart, Harry buried his head and quickly finished his breakfast, and changed into clothes for going out. He also specifically collected the parchment envelope carefully and put it in his inner pocket.

Haige originally proposed to take the train, but under Carson's suggestion, they still took a car. The driver would find a place to park near the station, and he himself would wait for Harry and Haige in the agreed cafe.

London was as prosperous as ever, and Harry's gaze wandered aimlessly on the street. He found it hard to imagine that there would be a place in London for him to buy "wizard robes, magic textbooks, wands, cauldrons," these things that were even a bit medieval.

However, soon, he followed Haige's pointing and noticed a strange small shop front. It was a pub, looking small and dirty, and the dilapidated sign read "Leaky Cauldron," which was out of place with the whole street.

What was magical was that if Haige hadn't specifically pointed out this pub to him, Harry's gaze would have slid from the bookstore on the street side to the record store on the other side, completely ignoring this place. Even, like the moving photos, Harry suspected that this pub could only be seen by wizards.

"Let's go, this is the famous Leaky Cauldron." Before Harry could ask any questions, Haige pulled him into this house.

There was almost no one in the pub, only a man wearing a robe and a turban, sitting in the middle of the bar, slowly drinking a glass of sherry. The bartender saw Haige and smiled and nodded at him.

"Oh, Professor Quirrell." Haige greeted loudly, "Guess who I brought today?"

The man turned around, and Harry noticed that he was a bit thin, and a pair of small eyes flashed with strange light.

"The famous Harry Potter, very happy to meet you." He said slowly, "I am Quirinus Quirrell, your future Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." ===== CHAPTER 6 =====