"I've never learned this magic." Aurora had no intention of being corrected. The sparks constantly leaping from her magic wand adjusted correctly and turned out to be another kind of compound magic that could both illuminate and raise temperature.
It was even more functional than Ian's compound magic—the little wizard pulled out two pieces of dry bread and started to toast them, and soon the alley was filled with an enticing aroma.
"Did you swipe this from the dining hall?" Aurora intercepted a piece and stuffed it into her mouth. The toasted bread had a rich aroma, but she still frowned, seemingly not quite accustomed to the coarse texture.
"A gift made by my younger siblings." Ian, of course, received gifts from the orphanage. However, the little fellows without owls chose to have Snape help deliver them.
Due to Ian's request, Snape visited Wu Orphanage. From the letter received from the director, it seemed Snape didn't display any particularly unpleasant traits there.
"Did you grow up eating these?"
Aurora looked somewhat surprised at the rough slice of toasted bread in her hand.
"Of course not."
Ian opened the hidden main door of the tunnel, and they emerged from a secluded underground stone slab. The cobblestone street outside was also covered with a thick layer of snow today.
"Our early life wasn't too good. We could only have a decent meal during festivals, and only when someone donated could we eat some bread like this."
Ian's magic wand gradually dimmed as clusters of snowflakes fell and landed on his and Aurora's shoulders, becoming white decorations adorning their robes.
"People who dare to face their past can usually create a better future." Aurora rarely said anything truly wise. She looked toward the medieval-style town in front of them.
The festive atmosphere here was also quite strong, not at all weaker than that of Hogwarts, and in terms of hustle and bustle, it even far surpassed Hogwarts' castle.
All the shops seemed to have agreed in advance, all changing into various colorful Christmas decorations. There were even all sorts of peculiar snowmen outside the shops inviting customers. Many wizards dressed up as Santa Claus, though Ian felt that the scene he saw in the Misty Illusion Realm was still a notch better.
"Little wizards, want some cake?"
They walked to the main street.
Ian and Aurora encountered a friendly Santa Claus, who stopped Aurora from accepting the cake and spoke to the wizard walking on the edge of law in Hogwarts Village.
"Mr. John, adding hallucinogens to candy is illegal." Ian didn't even need to open the candy wrapper to identify the ingredients in the candy.
His nose was even more sensitive than Hagrid's Yaya.
"So that smell was a hallucinogen?"
Aurora was momentarily confused. She wanted to pull out her magic wand but found that Ian had already anticipated her thoughts and snatched her wand from her robe in advance.
"It's just a bit of herbaceous outer shell that Muggles use. Don't you know about ancient Eastern spices?" The wizard named John didn't realize what he was missing out on.
He only reluctantly put away the cake and walked into the distance.
"Anyone would suggest his cake shop should move to Diagon Alley, where he'd surely thrive." Ian led Aurora towards the direction of the Three Brooms.
"I think I understand why Hogwarts Village has an age restriction now, it's because some contraband can be sold here." Aurora looked thoughtfully towards her bookstore.
It was unclear what she was pondering selling with the Saints.
"Drink it."
Ian first led Aurora into a deserted alley, then pulled out a bottle of potion and handed it to Aurora. He had prepared this in advance for today.
"Fur Cover Mushroom, turtle shell powder, caterpillar slices, and bat tongue—is this an Aging Potion?" Aurora sniffed the bottle, immediately identifying the magic potion Ian had concocted.
Gulp, gulp, gulp~
Aurora had a good idea of what Ian intended to do.
She eagerly downed her potion first.
Ian quickly drank the vial of Aging Potion he held. As the potion flowed slowly into his throat, a warm and powerful force surged within Ian's body.
It felt as if time itself accelerated at that moment.
In the blink of an eye, Ian and Aurora's bodies underwent an astounding transformation—they morphed from their eleven-year-old selves to a height and appearance resembling adults.
Like the Polyjuice Potion, the Aging Potion could only alter the drinker's outward appearance, making them look older. Its effect lasted longer than the Polyjuice Potion, without requiring hourly doses. Moreover, it was easier to brew, but similarly, it couldn't bring about any fundamental changes.
"Great, great, great. It looks like I won't end up like Malfoy." Ian immediately pulled out a mirror, admiring himself. His facial features, once delicate and handsome, now appeared slightly more defined. The vibrant green in the eyes of the Great Wizard shone with a captivating luster, harboring an indescribable allure.
Soul-stirring, captivating.
"Who is Malfoy?"
Aurora wasn't as vain as Ian, she just borrowed Ian's mirror to check her current appearance. The German girl's skin was now as delicate and smooth as porcelain under the moonlight, her long hair cascading like a waterfall. A few strands danced in front of her increasingly ethereal and beautiful face.