Hogwarts Raven (Harry Potter)

This shopkeeper's behavior was becoming more and more outrageous by the second.

Ian was beginning to understand why no one was buying from here.

The few customers present? Also clearly not normal.

"See? Boss Sheldon Cooper really thinks of everything."

"I learn something new here every day. This is the best ice cream shop in the world."

"Someone else who loves flying carpets just like me, I'm so touched."

…

Yeah.

Case closed.

With a name like that, how could anyone here be normal?

The customers' chatter left Ian completely at a loss. And just as Mrs. Granger finished signing the contract, the shopkeeper brought out an insurance policy for upselling,

completely blowing Ian's mind.

"This is a policy that provides compensation if you choke on a seed. If-- " He didn't even get to finish his sentence before he was cut off, by Ian drawing his wand.

"Just hurry up and give us the damn sundae!"

This was definitely the first time Ian had ever used his wand to threaten someone.

It worked. Instantly.

The shopkeeper was visibly terrified.

"Okay! Okay, no problem! Of course, sir, please, put your wand down…"

He prepared five sundaes at lightning speed and handed them over to Mrs. Granger.

After clipping the payment into his register, he raised his hands and forced a smile at Ian, as if trying to prove that he was a harmless civilian.

"You could've done this from the start!"

After Ian and the finally-liberated Mrs. Granger left, the shopkeeper clutched his chest and exhaled in relief, then turned toward the next customer to resume his cycle of upselling and quizzing.

Not far away,

"Cough cough~"

Mr. Granger had eaten his sundae too quickly and choked a little.

Immediately, a head popped out from the ice cream shop, yelling toward Ian and the others' direction: "I told you that you should've bought the insurance!"

The guy was still serving other customers, yet somehow continued keeping an eye on Ian and the Granger family. The moment Ian looked his way, the shopkeeper immediately ducked his head back inside.

"The world is vast.

Mrs. Granger sighed sincerely with emotion.

"Not all wizards are like this, really…" Ian was about to defend the wizarding world's reputation when he saw a wizard on the street making out with a monkey.

It was also a tongue kiss.

"..."

Ian had no idea how to salvage the image of wizardkind after that.

"That's… an immigrant. Not a local wizard."

It was the only excuse Ian could come up with, and honestly, in Britain, that kind of excuse could actually sound believable. After all, everyone knew Britain was slowly turning into a colony of India.

They continued down the street.

Ian also used the opportunity to purchase all the supplies he needed. When they passed by a pet shop, however, Hermione firmly declined her parents' suggestion to get a pet.

"I can barely take care of myself right now, let alone an owl or some other pet. Maybe when I'm older, you can give me a cat."

She clearly had a very sharp sense of self-awareness. But judging by the emotions Ian sensed from the little witch, he figured Hermione's decision had a lot to do with her desire to spend more time studying magic.

Women influence how fast a man draws his wand.

Cute pets? They influence how fast a woman draws hers.

"See you at the start of term." After a long half-day of shopping, Ian said goodbye to the Granger family at the Leaky Cauldron. He had stayed at the inn upstairs the previous night, an affordable place that even supported custom room enchantments.

"Thank you for your incredible patience today. You've been a wonderful guide." Mrs. Granger gave Ian a warm hug before leaving with her family.

"I really need to start studying early. I must already be so far behind those kids who grew up with magic."

Even during her goodbye, Hermione was still worrying about falling behind in her studies.

"That's true. Some young wizards can already stun professors before school even starts. You've definitely got to push yourself harder."

Ian deliberately piled on a little more pressure. He was telling the truth, of course, he just didn't mention that he was the only young wizard in the whole school who could do that.

"I knew it! I knew it!"

Hermione's face visibly tensed in concern. Even before she stepped out of the pub, she was already pulling out the books she had bought, clearly planning to study on the bumpy ride home.

And London's roads?

Absolutely terrible.

"Another day of enlightening the youth."

Ian felt he had once again earned a bit of karmic merit. He ordered a non-alcoholic butterbeer from the bar and downed it in one go, then wiped his mouth and climbed the creaky staircase to the upper floor.

"This year is definitely going to be something special!"

"Right? Can't believe Harry Potter is finally starting school!"

"You think the Boy-Who-Lived smells better than other boys?"

…

In the pub, because Harry Potter had caused quite a stir earlier that day,

everyone was still talking about him hours later. Though… the conversation was starting to take a distinctly British gossip tone.

"Lupin-senior, look what I brought you!" Ian found Lupin, who had locked himself in his room all day, and pulled out a photo he had taken of Harry Potter.

They had run into Hagrid earlier on the street, he had been shopping with Harry.

"Didn't think Potter's kid would be this grown already…" Lupin's expression was complicated as he took the photo. His trembling hands showed how shaken he was inside.

"I thought you skipped Diagon Alley today because you knew Harry would be there." Ian looked at the down-and-out werewolf with some surprise.

"I'm not a Seer. How could I possibly know that in advance?" Lupin shrugged helplessly.

"Then you should go to Diagon Alley now, you might still run into Hagrid and Harry Potter," Ian immediately suggested, but Lupin's reaction was a little strange.

"We should head back soon. We don't want to make Miss Helena and the others worry."

As he spoke, Lupin began gathering his things and left the inn room ahead of Ian.

His retreating figure seemed somewhat hurried.

As if… he was avoiding Harry Potter.

But more than that, perhaps he was trying to avoid the beautiful memories of his own past. To return to the orphanage, they once again took the Knight Bus.

For the next month or so, Ian enjoyed a relatively peaceful and pleasant period. Though he still couldn't return to the Twilight Zone, every time the world slipped into a dreamlike night, he could once again clearly sense the existence of that other world.

He just couldn't cross over yet.

Ian suspected that the Black-Robed Skeleton's "blacklist" hadn't been fully cleared from the Twilight Zone.

"At least things are heading in the right direction. Give it a few more weeks, and I should be bouncing around the Twilight Zone again."

That was a definite piece of good news for Ian. But even though his "qualifications" were soon to be restored, that didn't stop him from dragging the black-robed skeleton out for stewing every time he couldn't enter.

Big bones, boiled into soup.

(To Be Continued…)

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