The concert ended at 10:30, and by the time the two returned to their new home in London, it was already 11:30.
This was a new villa Rick had bought, located in Wimbledon, only a five-minute walk from Richmond Park.
When they arrived home, an elderly gentleman was already waiting at the door and had been for some time.
The moment Audrey saw the old man, she immediately had the urge to flee.
This was the dangerous person she most wanted to stay away from.
Albus Dumbledore.
"Good evening, you two."
"Good evening, sir," Rick replied politely. "And you are?"
"I am the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Your sister has been accepted into our school, so I have taken the liberty of coming today to make a home visit and speak with you about Miss Audrey Astley's schooling. Because it is a boarding school, we must obtain parental consent."
"But, sir..."
Rick wanted to say more, but Dumbledore interrupted him. "I know what you want to say, but why don't we go inside to discuss it?"
He took out the Elder Wand, tapped the main door lightly, and click, the door opened by itself. Dumbledore stepped inside first, as if it were his own home.
He waved his wand elegantly. A tea set, a kettle of hot water, water, and snacks flew on their own to the coffee table in front of the living room sofa. Orderly, everything fell into place.
When Rick heard "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft andWizardry," he thought he had run into a con artist. But the scene before him now made him somewhat uncertain.
He knew quite a few internationally famous magicians. Could they do this?
"Those magicians cannot do this," Dumbledore said, as if he had read Rick's mind. He tapped the Elder Wand again. The vase on the coffee table transformed into a dove, flew to the kitchen, and returned carrying sugar cubes. "This isn't stage magic. It's real magic."
Rick's mouth fell open, and he uttered some meaningless syllables: "Ah... ah... wow..."
"Because young wizards born into non-magical families have never had contact with the magical world, it requires a professor like myself to conduct a home visit." Dumbledore sent a cup of sweet black tea flying in front of Rick. "Try it. Tea brewed with magic."
"Headmaster Dumbledore," Audrey stopped Rick's movement to drink the tea. "It's already the middle of the night. If my brother drinks this tea, how do you expect him to sleep tonight?"
"Ah, right, right!" Rick nodded in agreement. Most of the time, his sister Audrey seemed more reliable than him. This made him feel inadequate, but also very proud. 'This is my sister!'
Dumbledore shook his head. "It's quite all right. For a wizard, making a non-magical person fall asleep is no more difficult than drinking water."
Rick scratched his head. Under Dumbledore's encouraging gaze, he drained the black tea in one gulp.
"It's delicious!" Rick was a little excited, looking at the empty teacup in surprise!
It was his tea, his water, but why did it taste so good? He even felt a happiness radiating from the bottom of his heart.
Rick grinned foolishly, looking extremely happy, but Audrey's expression was not good.
She knew Dumbledore had added a Cheering Draught to the tea.
"Headmaster Dumbledore," Audrey spoke up. "Putting aside the magic, by drugging my brother's tea, aren't you afraid of harming his body?"
"A sharp little girl," Dumbledore chuckled. "Although it may sound like boasting, I am indeed among the very top tier of wizards. You need not worry at all about the potion's dosage, Miss Astley. Besides, the potion I used was personally concocted by our school's Potions Master, with a secret formula added. It has no side effects whatsoever."
"I only added a little something to make the atmosphere of our conversation more relaxed."
"Audrey, I'm fine," Rick patted the back of Audrey's hand. "I'm great. Better than ever."
As Rick spoke, he picked up a small cookie and stuffed it into his mouth, making his words a bit muffled. "Headmaster Dumbledore meant well. If possible, I'd like to ask him for a little more of this amazing... potion?"
Dumbledore looked at Rick with a smile. "So, regarding Audrey's attendance at the magic school, your thoughts are?"
"I have no problem with it," Rick said. "But it's not my decision. It mainly depends on what Audrey herself wants."
Dumbledore turned his head toward Audrey.
Audrey sighed silently. 'This useless brother. Shouldn't you be showing some deep sibling affection right now, refusing sternly because you can't bear to see your sister leave home alone?'
"Actually, when Audrey was eleven, I already noticed she was different from me."
Rick's sudden statement stunned both Dumbledore and Audrey. He continued, "She's not an ordinary person. I knew from early on that she wasn't..."
"Her talent, her strangeness, the weird things she often brought back... All those abnormalities, I think I finally have a reasonable explanation for them now."
"She is a witch. She should be with her own kind." Rick looked at Audrey. "Although I'm reluctant, I still have to say, Audrey, if you want to go, then just go!"
"Of course, this home will always be your home! If you feel the wizarding world isn't good, you can come back anytime! Brother can support you for a lifetime, no problem!"
Audrey shot Rick a look. 'Who wants to go to the wizarding world! Besides, it's not even certain who's supporting whom right now!'
Her final destination was the wizarding world, but definitely not now!
Of course, she was still a little touched. Thinking back, she didn't know how she ended up with this silly brother, but now they were truly like real siblings.
'Support? No matter who supports whom, you need money, right!' At the thought of money, Audrey had an idea.
"Headmaster Dumbledore," Audrey sat up straight, her face serious. "Do you know how much money I earn in a day?"
Dumbledore shook his head.
Audrey said, "Five million pounds a year, and possibly more in the future." She held up her palm, making a 'five' gesture, and waved it at Dumbledore. "If I go to your school, it means I will lose tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions, in income."
Although Dumbledore was still smiling, he looked like he was struggling to maintain it.
Over a hundred million pounds... converted to Galleons, that was no less than ten million. It was an astronomical figure.
"And if I study at your school, and then find a job in the wizarding world after graduation, can I earn that much money?"
The answer was clearly no. Deputy Headmistress Professor McGonagall's salary was less than two hundred Galleons a month!
Dumbledore shook his head. He couldn't answer this question.
A triumphant smile appeared on Audrey's face. She felt that maybe she wouldn't have to run off to America; she could get out of going to Hogwarts just like this.
'Money is invincible! Even someone as powerful as Dumbledore can't resist it!'
"So, if I go to your school, having lost so much, what can I gain? Some fans from the wizarding world?"
"Or perhaps, can your school compensate me for my lost income?"
Dumbledore's eyebrows twitched. This child was much more difficult to deal with than the last time they met!
He recalled their first meeting, when this child had been more nervous than a mouse seeing a cat.
"Mr. Astley," Dumbledore didn't answer Audrey's question, turning to Rick instead. "I would like to speak with Miss Astley alone. I wonder if that would be convenient?"
"Oh, of course, no problem." Rick stood up. The dose of the Cheering Draught had been small, and he had mostly returned to normal by now. "Audrey, I'll head up first. Call me if you need anything."
When only the old wizard and the young witch remained in the living room, Dumbledore's expression immediately became one of complete confidence.
"Miss Audrey Astley," the old bumblebee's smile was unreadable.
"Should I call you Poppy Graham?"
"Or perhaps, should I call you Hydrus Lestrange?"
Audrey: 'Holy sh\*t!!'
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]