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Chapter 18
The White Demon King's Gaze
Hydras stepped into the Magical Menagerie.
This was a shop that specialised in selling magical pets.
The moment she pushed open the door, a pungent stench assaulted her senses.
The owner had clearly attempted to mask the smell with some kind of perfumed potion, but the result was counterproductive—it only made the odour stronger and more nauseating.
The shop was cramped and chaotic, cages stacked everywhere in disorganised piles. The female shopkeeper, wearing thick black-rimmed spectacles, hurried over the moment a customer entered.
"Oh, darling, what are you looking for?" she chirped. "I've got everything—common pets, rare ones, exotic ones!"
Hydras scanned the shop and immediately dismissed the creatures that were unmistakably wizarding in nature—giant orange snails, jewel-studded turtles, shape-shifting rabbits, and the like.
Her attention quickly settled on the owls, the cats, and the snakes.
"An owl? A snake? A cat would be lovely too—"
The shopkeeper's sales pitch was abruptly cut short.
Clang, clang—
Tweet—
Meow—
Hiss—
The entire shop erupted.
Every animal went berserk at once, throwing itself against cage bars, rattling doors, scrambling desperately as if trying to escape.
Creatures that weren't confined—birds, snakes, turtles, lizards, fluffy little beasts—immediately swarmed toward Hydras, moving as fast as their bodies allowed, all displaying an unmistakable eagerness.
A snowy owl landed on her left shoulder.
A raven perched neatly on her right.
With nowhere else to land, countless birds circled overhead.
Four or five snakes slithered up her legs and coiled around her waist.
A mass of fluffy creatures surged forward, nearly burying her calves.
The shopkeeper clapped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Oh my—my little darlings have never reacted like this before! I've never seen them so affectionate toward anyone!"
Her voice was already loud, yet it was completely drowned out by the animals' excited cries, forcing her to shout even louder.
"Child, are you some kind of runaway princess or something?!"
Hydras covered her ears.
She had known the shop would be noisy—but this was unbearable.
As delightful as it felt to be adored by small animals, the chaos and high-pitched noise were enough to make her head throb.
She wanted out. Immediately.
Then she noticed a tabby cat sitting quietly in a corner.
It was calmly grooming itself, completely indifferent to Hydras's presence, unaffected by her strange "charm."
Hydras didn't know why small animals reacted to her this way, nor did she want to investigate.
But when something truly unusual appeared, it was impossible not to approach.
Carrying a bird on each shoulder, wrapped in snakes, dragging a herd of fluffy creatures, and trailed by turtles and lizards, Hydras walked over to the tabby.
It was a fine-looking cat—healthy, well-built—but clearly non-magical. When Hydras touched it, she sensed no magical constitution whatsoever.
"Meow!"
The tabby struck out.
It swatted Hydras's hand—so fast she barely registered the movement.
You should know her body was comparable to that of a Class 4XXXXX magical creature.
Yet the most curious part was—
The cat hadn't extended its claws at all.
Only the soft pads of its paw tapped her hand.
No pain. No sting.
Just… a warning.
What was this?
Gentle violence?
"That one," Hydras said decisively, pointing. "I want it."
The shopkeeper blinked.
"What? Darling, what did you say?"
"I. Want. It."
"Oh! That one wandered in on its own," the woman said. "No magical blood at all—but it seems to be an Eastern breed. Quite rare here, so I kept it."
Hydras nodded.
"How much?"
"Three Galleons. Cage included."
…
After paying, Hydras grabbed the cage, burst out of the shop, and fled as if escaping a battlefield.
The instant she left, the shopkeeper flicked her wand.
"Immobulus."
Every creature that had tried to follow Hydras froze in place.
The Magical Menagerie fell into sudden silence.
Those still inside cages instinctively shrank back, closing their mouths.
Their owner had never used magic on them before—yet today she had raised her wand.
Terrifying. Absolutely terrifying.
Better stay well-behaved.
That girl was far too tempting.
But after all that fuss, they got nothing.
Only the aloof cat had won.
…
…
Outside, Hydras glanced back, still shaken, and wiped her brow—even though there wasn't a trace of sweat.
"From now on, you're called Golden Tiger."
She lifted the cage and met the tabby's bright, intelligent eyes.
Opening the door, she gently pulled Golden Tiger out, then stuffed the empty cage into her sachet.
"You're free," Hydras said, patting its back. "If you want to follow me, I'll be happy. If you want to leave, I won't stop you. Call it charity."
Hydras Lestrange was rich now.
She was no longer the girl who had once spent an entire afternoon searching the garden just to scrape together three Galleons.
She set Golden Tiger down and headed toward Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour.
The tabby shook its head, then followed her with elegant, unhurried steps.
Hydras walked a few paces, turned around, and realised Golden Tiger was still there.
Delighted, she kept glancing back and winking at it as she walked.
Suddenly, Golden Tiger stopped and covered its eyes with one paw.
Hydras was baffled.
Thud.
She walked straight into someone.
"I'm sorry!"
She bowed immediately without even looking up. She hadn't been watching where she was going—this one was entirely her fault.
"Hehehe… not watching where you're going is a bad habit, my dear."
The aged voice was gentle yet powerful, filled with quiet wisdom.
Hydras looked up.
A tall, thin old wizard stood before her.
His silver hair fell loosely around his shoulders, and his beard—just as silver—reached nearly to his waist.
His bright blue eyes were deep and penetrating, as though they could see through the world itself.
That alone wouldn't have been enough to identify him—there were many old wizards like that.
But his long, crooked, hooked nose gave him away instantly.
Albus Dumbledore.
The White Demon King she had always wanted to avoid.
"You're quite strong for a child," Dumbledore said mildly. "You hurt me."
"I—I'm very sorry! Please forgive me!"
Hydras apologised again, desperate to escape this encounter as quickly as possible.
"Oh dear… you may have cracked a rib," Dumbledore said, one hand pressing his side while the other extended gently, palm up.
Hydras stared.
The greatest white wizard of the age.
Headmaster of Hogwarts.
Order of Merlin, First Class.
Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot.
Was he… extorting her?
"Sir…" Hydras lowered her head, utterly aggrieved. "What sort of compensation do you want?"
Seeing her expression, Dumbledore's mood visibly improved.
"There's an ice cream parlour just ahead," he said with a chuckle. "Would you mind treating an old man to a tub of ice cream?"
Thank Merlin.
"Of course," Hydras said instantly. "I can afford ice cream."
One minute later—
An old man and a young girl sat outside the shop, ice cream in hand.
Hydras, however, was anything but relaxed.
Dumbledore was staring at her far too intently.
"Why aren't you in school, child?" he asked gently.
"I'm a Squib," Hydras replied without hesitation.
"Ah…" Dumbledore stroked his beard. "That must be difficult. Are your family kind to you?"
Hydras paused, thought carefully, then answered,
"I left home. I live with a Muggle now."
She suddenly remembered something and called toward the shop,
"Sir! Two more tubs, please! One vanilla, one lavender Earl Grey—takeaway!"
"You seem to like ice cream," Dumbledore said with a smile. "Though too many sweets aren't good for your teeth."
You're the last person who should say that.
Hydras smiled politely and explained,
"It's for my brother. He's the Muggle I live with—he's never tried wizarding ice cream before."
"Brother?"
Dumbledore's expression softened.
Soon, both tubs were empty.
Hydras stood at once.
"I'm very sorry for bumping into you, sir. If there's nothing else, may I go?"
"Of course. Thank you for the ice cream, my dear."
They both rose.
The small round table between them felt like a vast gulf.
"Even if you are a Squib," Dumbledore said gently, "you should never lose hope. Perhaps one day, you'll become a great wizard."
Hydras bowed slightly.
"Thank you. It's getting late—I should be going. Goodbye, sir."
"Goodbye, child. I look forward to our next meeting."
"Oh—how careless of me," Dumbledore added. "I forgot to ask your name."
Hydras froze.
This old fox… asking now?!
Hydras Lestrange was wanted.
Audrey Astray was supposed to be a Muggle.
She was wearing Hermione Granger's face—and Dumbledore could easily consult the Book of Admittance.
Risky.
Better to make something up.
"Bobby," Hydras said calmly.
"My name is Bobby. Bobby Graham."