The Grey Family was startled simultaneously, Fiona and Vid exchanged a glance.
Ferdinand's face was tense, his grip tightening instantly.
After a few seconds, he asked in a deep voice, "What's going on?... Why are you suddenly asking this?"
Landon, holding his head, sat on the sofa, not speaking for a long time before saying, "Do you know why last year we sold everything we owned and moved to the United States?"
"I remember... you said it was because your wife's uncle in the United States passed away... he left all his estate to you..."
Ferdinand did not continue speaking. Evidently, the story that the Landon had told at that time was a lie.
"I'm sorry, I lied to you."
Landon said dejectedly, "There was no inheritance... the reason we moved is because Carrel received a letter... an acceptance letter..."
"Acceptance letter!"
Fiona exclaimed. After they all looked over at her, she hurriedly added to cover up:
"What kind of letter would make your entire family move from the UK?"
Landon smiled bitterly, "It was a letter... an acceptance letter from a magic school... it seemed to be called Hogwarts..."
Vid and the others' faces changed to varying degrees, but Landon didn't notice. He was immersed in telling his story—
About a year and a half ago, one morning, Carrel found a strange letter in the home mailbox from something calling itself a Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry acceptance letter.
There was no stamp on the envelope, no one knew how the letter got there, and the usual thought was that someone snuck it into their mailbox at night.
Landon thought, despite the letter stating that a professor from the school would visit in two days to discuss the acceptance, that it must be some scam or some new publicity stunt to trick the gullible.
He thought so and warned his family not to pay any attention but Carrel had a different opinion.
The eleven-year-old boy took the acceptance letter, running off to boast to his friends—he was special! He was about to become a powerful wizard!
The kids naturally mocked his wild dream and didn't care at all.
But that night, a person in a black robe knocked on the door of the Johnson Family's house.
"He said magic really exists. He demonstrated extraordinary skills right in front of us... He made us float in the air without any tools. He also turned our coffee table into a spider..."
Landon said with a dazed expression, as though still immersed in his initial shock.
"And then?" Ferdinand asked, "Did he say he was a professor from Hogwarts? To prove magic to you?"
After saying this, he realized he was wrong.
If that were how things developed, the Landon Family wouldn't have fled Britain in such haste.
Sure enough, Landon shook his head.
"No... he said... he said magic is real, but Hogwarts is more than just a school... it's a base that trains soldiers and brainwashes young wizards..."
Vid's expression instantly became strange.
Who was that guy? His line of thought was so in sync with Fudge.
If the Minister of Ministry of Magic heard these words, he would surely feel a kindred spirit, right?
"And then? What else did he say?"
Ferdinand pressed on.
"He said..."
Landon tried hard to recall the words that changed their family's life.
"Hogwarts isn't as wonderful as you imagine; it not only teaches magic but is also a base for training soldiers. All young wizards undergo brainwashing education there."
"Moreover, Hogwarts adheres to the law of the jungle; if you're not strong enough, even if you're killed by a classmate, no one will pursue it."
The man in the black robe cast a sympathetic glance at Carrel.
"I think you can understand, a child like you who has never been exposed to magic will have no advantage at that school against those students from wizard families who've been learning magic from a young age."
"Children from non-magic families there are called 'Mudbloods,' signifying they are as low as mud, to be trampled at will."
"So Muggle-born students in school are the ones bullied by everyone. Typically, less than a tenth survive to graduate."
"Then... what should we do?" Mrs. Johnson asked in panic, hugging her son: "We won't go to school! We won't go to that school, is that not okay?"
The man in black shook his head: "I'm afraid not. Hogwarts doesn't allow any talented young wizards to fall through the cracks—even if they're Mudbloods. If you refuse, the school's professors will forcibly take Carrel away and make you completely forget he ever existed."
In a state of panic, Landon had no way to think about the irrational aspects, desperately grasping at the hope and pleading:
"You're a wizard too, surely you have a way to save us, right? Otherwise, you wouldn't have appeared to tell us this!"
"Of course." The man in black revealed a mysterious smile: "Of course, I will save you—that's precisely why I'm here."
"You must remember, the only thing that can make a magic school wary is another magic school!"
"As long as you write back to Hogwarts, saying your family is preparing to move to the United States and that Carrel will attend `Ilvermorny Magic School in the United States, Hogwarts will naturally back down. They won't get into a fight with Ilvermorny over a mere Mudblood."
"Really... is that all we need to do?" Mrs. Johnson asked nervously.
"Of course not!" The man in black said: "If you say you're moving to the United States, you must move there, and quickly! If you're still in the UK before the term starts, Hogwarts will certainly know! By then, nothing can save you!"
"Then... does Carrel really have to go to that Ilvermorny?" Landon asked.
The man in black shook his head: "Ilvermorny isn't any different from Hogwarts... you should best live incognito, never letting anyone discover you. Carrel must hide his abilities and live as a normal person for safety's sake."
"But I don't want to hide!" Carrel clenched his fists and said loudly: "I have a wizard's talent, why should I live as a normal person? If I can't go to a magic school, can't I learn magic from you?"
"Carrel!" Landon hurriedly interrupted.
The man in black said, "You certainly can... why not? I was once just like you... Fortunately, my mentor took pity on me, and that's how I became who I am today..."
"But child, this path is not an easy one; it means standing against major magic schools. If you join us, you will face countless powerful enemies—are you truly prepared for that?"
No hot-blooded young person can resist such provocation and the temptation of being "special."
Carrel certainly couldn't either.
"As soon as we got off the plane, that man in black appeared, accompanied by an old witch, and took Carrel away."
Landon covered his face, speaking in pain: "Since then, Carrel has never come back, not even sending a message... I realized we might have been deceived, but there was nothing I could do..."
"My wife and I inquired everywhere about Hogwarts, Ilvermorny, magic schools... no one could give us an answer. Until one day, Annie suddenly forgot everything..."
"The Forgetfulness Spell turned out to be real... She forgot about the magic school and even forgot we had a son..."