HP: Hogwart's Journey

The Chen Clan's territory was quite large, but Robert knew that from the outside, it looked like a narrow alley. However... hadn't the wizards of the rotten country (Britain) figured out how to use the Undetectable Extension Charm to expand their suitcases? Surely the Flower Country's mystics had similar methods? Robert even had a strange feeling that the entire Chen Clan territory might not exist in the original space.

Perhaps because it was the day of the ancestral worship ceremony, Robert saw some things that were usually rare. There were sachets made of various materials, typically crafted from colorful silk, but today he saw ones woven from grass. Delighted, he bought a few. They could be gifted or kept for personal use.

The afternoon passed quickly, and it wasn't until bedtime that Robert received a message from his... oh, grandfather. The old man was quite spirited, as evidenced by the fact that he sent a paper crane to notify Robert and then immediately climbed in through the window.

Robert was taken aback by the sudden appearance of his grandfather. Even though he wasn't sleeping, he still valued his privacy! The old man, full of energy—perhaps having had too much tea before coming—sat down and said, "You've got some luck, kid!"

Robert was confused and could only ask, "Huh?"

"What do you mean 'huh'? Call me Grandpa!" The old man smacked Robert on the forehead with a pipe that seemed to appear out of nowhere, making him wince and obediently say, "Grandpa."

"Good boy," the old man said, pulling out a newly printed thread-bound book from his pocket. "Take this and study it. Memorize it before you leave and return it to me. Ask me any questions you have. Once you're out, I won't admit to having shown you this. You figured it out during the ancestral worship ceremony."

Robert's eyes lit up. This was definitely something valuable—a secret technique! He quickly thanked his grandfather and carefully stored the book.

Just as he was about to say something, the door opened. It was Opal and White Tiger, freshly bathed and dried, coming to claim their spot on the bed.

"Chirp chirp chirp..." Opal fluttered its tiny wings, wobbling and zigzagging its way in—Robert thought it could also be called... gliding.

White Tiger, on the other hand, walked in with graceful, tiptoed steps, a stark contrast to the spherical creature.

"Grandpa, this is Opal..." Robert began to introduce them, but when he turned around, his grandfather had disappeared. He blinked and asked, "Where'd he go?"

The next second, the old man reappeared in the same spot, calmly sipping tea. Robert stared at him, then at the open window. Didn't he get tired from all that coming and going?

The old man coughed, offering no explanation, and instead turned his attention to the two pets. His experienced eyes nearly popped out of his head. "What the heck is that ball?"

"It's a bird! It's a bird!" Robert quickly defended his pet. "It might be a bit round and have short wings, but it's definitely a bird!"

The old man opened his mouth, looked at Robert, and finally managed to say, "What in the world is its father?"

"Uh..." Robert hesitated before saying, "Maybe, possibly, probably... the Puffskein I used to have?"

"Meow meow meow???" The old man looked utterly baffled, unconsciously acting cute despite his age. It seemed like he was about to spit out a "T" but swallowed it back, asking instead, "Do Puffskeins even have genders?"

Robert nodded with a troubled expression. "Otherwise, how would there be subspecies of Puffskeins..."

The old man glanced at Opal and chuckled. "Its father must have been a brave Puffskein warrior."

Robert had a feeling his grandfather knew what kind of bird Opal's mother was, but he felt too embarrassed to ask. After all, it was his fault for not keeping a closer eye on his pet, Pudding, which led to Opal's birth. The worst part was that the darn Puffskein had just dumped the baby on him, its former owner, and ran off! Too shameful to even bring up!

Robert placed the little one on the soft cushion by the bed and reached out to pick up White Tiger, but the cat swiftly dodged him. White Tiger jumped onto the bed, claiming the pillow as its own, leaving Robert speechless. A cat stealing his pillow—this was a first.

"Why is the tiger black?" the old man exclaimed, startled by White Tiger's actions.

"It's just baby fur," Robert casually explained, then realized something was off. "Wait, Grandpa, how do you know it's a tiger?"

The old man circled the two pets three times, marveling. "It's the aura, the aura. Cats don't have such a fierce presence."

"Really?" Robert tilted his head, recalling the image of a certain cat utterly obsessed with catnip.

White Tiger, catching Robert's gaze, clearly knew what he was thinking. It arched its back and let out a low growl.

Deciding to give it some face, Robert didn't reach for the pouch but gave the cat a meaningful look instead. White Tiger reluctantly got off the pillow and went to its own bed.

The old man, looking at the two pets, seemed to recall something amusing and smiled slyly. He pulled out a small notebook, flipped through it, and said to Robert, "Kid, I'll tell you a great way to boost your combat power. Want to hear it?"

Seeing the strange smile on his grandfather's face, Robert felt a sense of foreboding and wanted to stop him, but the old man paid no heed. "First, find a beast soul that's over a thousand years old, then get a dead egg. Bury them under a big tree during a full moon, and three days later, something surprising will crawl out of the eggshell."

With that, the old man chuckled and handed Robert a small black stone. "Here, you can play with this. Remember to bind it with your blood!"

And with that, he swaggered off, disappearing as quickly as he had come.

Robert was stunned, looking at the black stone in his hand and recalling his grandfather's words. He couldn't shake the feeling that the old man was up to no good!

White Tiger, seeing the stone, narrowed its eyes and leaped onto the bed with remarkable agility, landing in front of Robert.

"Do you know what this is?" Robert shook the stone, curious. This cat seemed surprisingly knowledgeable.

White Tiger nodded but didn't speak, turning back to its bed and lying down. Soon, soft breathing could be heard. Both pets were asleep.

(End of chapter.)