The Old Ones of Hogwarts

Chapter 6, Section 6: Extraordinary Trait: Butcher's Instinct

Ever since being personally invited by Dumbledore to study magic at Hogwarts.

The two-week wait felt particularly unbearable.

However, after encountering the mysterious man in black robes when he set off to see the Leaky Cauldron in advance, he gave up the idea and stayed in the orphanage.

Ian shuddered at the thought of the darkness that might exist in the magical world.

He is the soul of an adult.

But college students... how could they possibly handle that kind of situation?

All I can say is that they've behaved themselves.

[Successfully read Roman text, language proficiency +1]

[Successfully read Roman text, language proficiency +1]

[Successfully read Roman text, language proficiency +1]

......

At his desk, Ian flipped through the books on the table, occasionally frowning in thought, repeatedly writing words down in his notebook before softly reciting them.

Self-study always requires strong self-discipline.

This is something that cannot be changed even if you have an attribute panel.

Each increase in proficiency represents something Ian has learned, and each increase can be seen as a small epiphany.

However, this kind of sudden enlightenment still requires serious learning.

of course.

During the upgrade process, you do feel a kind of "enlightenment" or "insight".

Ian is studying.

And just then...

Bang bang bang.

There was a knock at the door, interrupting Ian's rhythm. He turned to look at the door and replied, "Come in."

Click.

The door was pushed open, and the person who knocked was Catherine. She leaned against the door, her eyes sparkling.

"Ian, would you like some chicken drumsticks? The chef said there are extra drumsticks tonight!"

She held a chicken leg in her hand and offered it to him as if it were a precious gift.

At Catherine's feet, a white shorthair cat darted in, its nimble body leaping onto the table and crouching down.

Catherine was startled, then stopped and looked at the cat clearly.

"Giri! You rascal!"

Ian smacked the cat's bottom, picked up the cat that was half-crouching on the table, and comforted Catherine, "Okay, Catherine, I've already disciplined it."

Catherine nodded, looking aggrieved, but still somewhat annoyed as she looked at the cat.

Ian smiled and comforted Catherine.

"Gilliam didn't do it on purpose, Catherine, relax."

"Okay, Ian."

Children's tempers always come on quickly and go quickly.

Catherine finally couldn't contain her curiosity and asked, "Ian, when can we go to the magic academy?"

Ian smiled as he looked at the little girl.

indeed.

No one can resist the allure of magic, but he still had to remind Catherine.

"Catherine, we made a promise, remember to keep it a secret."

Catherine immediately covered her mouth: "Ian, I..."

Ian smiled and said, "Of course, it's fine if you just tell me, but if you want to learn magic, you may have to wait a few years at your age."

"Okay, I'll eat more and grow up quickly. Ian, let's go play with Norn and the others!"

He looked at the little girl's expectant eyes.

Ian shook his head and chuckled, then glanced at the language book on his desk.

Originally, he wanted to upgrade his language skills to level 5 and comprehend extraordinary characteristics.

But now, after being interrupted by Catherine, he has lost the will to study, and forcing himself to continue studying would probably not be very efficient.

He glanced at the attribute panel.

Name: Ian Prince

Class: Bloodline Warlock

Magic: Level 4

Skill: Language Proficiency (Level 4): 500/800

Biological Anatomy (Level 5): 64/1600

Free Fighting (Level 3): 85/400

Psychology (Level 6): 42/3200

[A Unique Feature of Psychology: Perception and Thinking]

[Extraordinary Biological Anatomical Characteristics: Butcher's Instinct]

After these few days of intensive study, my language proficiency has reached level 4. I only need 300 more points of proficiency to reach level 5.

other aspects.

Because I haven't been out doing fortune-telling for people these past few days, my psychology skills haven't improved. The same goes for biological anatomy, which is why my language skills have improved so quickly.

Human time is, after all, limited.

"Let's go."

Ian put the cat down.

The white cat immediately and nimbly left the room, and Ian also left the room with Catherine.

When they arrived in the yard, the children were playing football. They were overjoyed to see Ian—who, despite not being much older than them, often took on a parental role. He wasn't strict, yet he provided a lot of care for the children.

"Hey! Ian, come join our team!"

"No, Ian finally got to come out and have fun, he should be on our team so we can win!"

Unexpectedly, the children almost came to blows.

Ian smiled helplessly: "Alright, alright, let me be the goalkeeper!"

With only a few days left before he left the orphanage to attend Hogwarts, Ian felt an indescribable reluctance to leave the people and many things here.

........

Night fell, and the stars were few and far between.

After washing up, Ian lay down on the bed. Although he had a very fulfilling day, he still couldn't forget the thing he had always longed for.

"When will I be able to practice magic skills...?"

soon.

Sleepiness washed over me.

I drifted off into a deep, sweet dream.

The clear sky is like a freshly washed sapphire, crystal clear. The fluffy white clouds are like carefully sculpted cotton candy, floating leisurely in the air. Sunlight shines through the gaps in the clouds, casting dappled light and shadow, like elves playing, adding a touch of liveliness to this tranquil scene.

I'm in again, in this dreamlike illusion!

Ian opened his arms, took a deep breath, and enjoyed the tranquility of the world.

He saw a fairytale-like forest stretching out under this picturesque sky.

The trees are lush and green, their leaves rustling in the breeze as if whispering ancient secrets. Small animals flit among them, butterflies and bees dance among the flowers, and a winding stone path leads into the depths of the forest, ending in darkness.

This time, he did not see Ariana.

Ian had gotten used to it, after all, there was always a big difference in the passage of time between the two worlds.

In the real world, only seven minutes passed, but in the dreamlike illusion, it felt like half a day had gone by.

Each time one enters the dreamlike realm, several days pass within it, sometimes even by several months. There is no precise standard for the passage of time.

To be honest, it was really a coincidence that I was able to run into Ariana last time.

Ian stepped onto the path through the grass. Strange animals from the forest would occasionally dart out from the bushes, glance at him curiously, and then disappear again. Ian continued along the winding path, sunlight filtering through the leaves and dappling the ground.

I don't know how long it took.

He arrived at a small town hidden in a valley.

Although the town is small, its facilities are quite complete; the old post office stands quietly, the bar signs sway gently in the breeze, and the church spire pierces the sky, solemn and dignified.

Everything seemed normal, but the seemingly harmonious town lacked a sense of life. All the shops were closed, and the shops were completely empty.

It's like the eerie town in some horror movies, only lacking that eerie and sinister feeling.

"The town of the dead."

The scene in this small town reminded Ian of what Ariana had once said: that there used to be people here, but they had gradually left. Perhaps these souls had simply forgotten their obsessions in the hazy illusion, or perhaps they had fulfilled their obsessions, and thus embarked on an even more mysterious adventure.

"In places devoid of human presence, the desolation is palpable." Soon, Ian crossed the deserted streets and arrived at Ariana's cottage.

"Huh? Where is everyone?"

The door to the cottage was tightly shut. Ian stepped forward and glanced into the equally closed window. It was quiet inside, just like the shops—completely silent.

Ian felt something was off.

Over the past few years.

Ariana has never left the vicinity of this town.

This was the first time Ian had ever been unable to find Ariana.

He also wanted to ask Ariana what mark she had given him last time! Could this disappearance be related to a gift she had given him?

Ian began to feel a little worried.

Just then, a voice suddenly rang out behind him, breaking the silence of the street. The voice was elegant, yet somewhat aloof; it was the powerful voice of a mature woman.

"Oh, heartbroken little boy, are you waiting for that poor little girl?"

Ian was startled by the sound and quickly turned his head.

A woman stood before him, her eyes like deep black gems, with slightly upturned corners, and thick eyelashes like fans covering her beautifully curved eyes.

Is this an elegant and stunningly beautiful... young woman? The woman is wearing a long black robe with gold trim, exuding a cool and dignified aura.

However, such a glamorous appearance and style seemed out of place in this simple town.