The empty classroom was quiet. At this moment, the setting sun broke through the clouds, casting its orange afterglow through the window and engulfing half the class, the silver-haired girl, and the grand piano included.
Alina sat on the leather stool, her eyes down as she focused on scooping one mouthful of lemon ice cream into her mouth after another as if all that was significant in the world was held in the palm of her hand.
Dumbledore glanced at the girl who had suddenly become like an obedient kitten and shook his head, a bitter smile on his face. He hadn't expected the advice Professor McGonagall had brought back would actually be useful.
The old wizard raised the wand in his right hand and gave it a skillful shake. One of the wooden desk chairs in the back of the classroom flew over to him. He used magic to clear the dust off and then stood up and sat himself down.
"Hello, Alina. Let me reintroduce myself. I am Professor Dumbledore, the Headmaster of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
Alina gave a slight nod to indicate that she was listening to Dumbledore, but inwardly, she grumbled. Fortunately, he hadn't read straight from his Chocolate Frog card, or else she would have to reconsider what the average IQ of the Magic World was.
Dumbledore cleared his throat and gave Alina a sincere look as he continued.
"With regards to the Magic World and Hogwarts, I presume that there's no need for me to explain. We primarily invited Miss Alina to tour our school so that we could once more invite you to attend."
"Oh..."
Alina used the metal spoon to poke the porcelain saucer, which lightly clung. Her eyelashes trembled as she spoke in a soft whisper.
"It seems like the Magic World's language conventions are different from the Non-Magic World. We normally call this sort of conduct drugging and kidnapping."
What peeved her the most was not that she had been knocked out and taken to Hogwarts. It was that the bait that had been used to lure her in was the fish that she had so painstakingly roasted!
Dumbledore's amiable smile couldn't help but freeze. He softly coughed and pretended that he hadn't heard the girl's condemnations, continuing on with his usual expression.
"Cough! We all know that you are no ordinary person. As time goes on, you will inevitably discover that you will be running into odd situations in your normal life."
Loss of control over magic wouldn't happen only once. The majority of young wizards and witches, lacking the guidance of a developed system, we're unable to control or use the magic building up in their bodies. Only through the venting of their emotions could they unconsciously release their magic.
But unlike with the vast majority of children, Dumbledore could sense that Alina was well aware of how she was different, and she had managed to skillfully fuse it into her everyday life. One had to realize that the couriers used by wizards were not so easily caught by Muggles.
"You possess extraordinary talent in magic, and Hogwarts can develop your abilities to their furthest extent, teaching you how to control and use your magic. With regards to the power in your body, you do not..."
"I know." Alina put down the cup and saucer and interrupted him. "But don't I also have the right to choose to be an ordinary person? Frankly speaking, Professor Dumbledore, do you really think that Muggles live happy lives?"
"Although it's not as convenient, perhaps they live happier lives because they know less? So you are willing to enter Hog..."
Dumbledore frowned in confusion, not understanding why this girl had suddenly asked this question. After some thought, he answered the question in a rather uncertain tone.
"No, you're wrong."
Before Dumbledore could finish, the silver-haired girl sat up straight, folded her legs together, and naughtily wagged a finger. She declared in a profound tone of voice, "The happiness of Muggles is something you can't even imagine."
Based on the details in the original work, the luxury goods and means of entertainment in the Magic World were lacking to an absurd degree. Whether it was the decorations on their clothes, the design, or quality, they all exuded the old-fashioned style of the nouveau riche of Middle Ages Europe.
As for their transportation methods, when it the top existences of these two worlds, broomsticks like the Nimbus or the yet-to-be-released Firebolt didn't seem all that different from ordinary wooden broomsticks when compared to luxury sports car brands like the Bugatti Veyron and the Shelby Supercar.
As for food and drink, the truffle hailed as the 'King of Delicacies,' went for 4000 euros a kilogram. Meanwhile, a small jar of Almas caviar went for 25000 US dollars. Meanwhile, the Densuke black rind watermelon produced in Japan, the most delicious black rind watermelon, in the world was normally sold on average for 6000 US dollars...in Alina's view, if the people of the Magic World wanted to enjoy such luxuries, the only method was to forcefully seize it.
"...In short, no matter how I think of it, an ordinary person lives much happier than a witch or wizard. So why do I have to become a witch and be ruled by your Magic World?"
Truthfully speaking, in her last life, Alina had not personally enjoyed these pleasures enjoyed by the nouveau riche, but this didn't prevent her from using this knowledge to flaunt the luxuries of the Non-Magic World to Dumbledore. Even if she had to hide some details and information that couldn't be revealed, she could still make the entire Magic World seem extremely impoverished and lacking.
"Oh, Professor Dumbledore, is there anything to drink?"
Alina licked her dry lips and glanced at Dumbledore, shamelessly adding a request. Talking about so much had left her throat rather dry.
"Of course. From what you've said, the Non-Magic World truly is very attractive."
Dumbledore had listened to Alina's explanation (showing off) with quite some interest. He now gently nodded and waved his wand, causing a cup of iced pumpkin juice to appear in the silver-haired girl's hand.
He had gradually begun to grasp the unique way with which one needed to communicate with this little girl.
"However, Miss Alina, you might not have quite understood what I meant. You are not an ordinary 'human.'"
Dumbledore shrugged his shoulders and emphasized the word 'human.' He slowly began to explain, "When an immature witch or wizard loses control of their magic, they might start floating, objects might disappear, they could suddenly appear in a different place, or even fly...but they won't influence another person's mind."
The silver-haired girl who had been happily sipping on her pumpkin juice suddenly froze. After taking so many language courses from Benitez, she was no longer that idiot who had just crossed over and didn't know English. The term Dumbledore had chosen to use had finally gotten a reaction out of her.
"Do you mean that I'm a Mutant (from X-Men)?" Alina joked with a dry smile. She sensed that things were beginning to get out of her control.
"Mutant? No..."
Dumbledore confusedly repeated Alina's words, clearly not understanding the joke. His half-moon spectacles gleamed as he raised his head and sternly intoned.
"You are a half-Veela, Miss Alina Kaslana. Veela are magical creatures that have existed for far longer than wizards and witches. With your half-Veela blood, you were part of the Magic World from the moment you were born."
Clang.
As Dumbledore spoke, the metal goblet full of iced pumpkin juice dropped from the girl's hands and struck the floor, spilling pumpkin juice everywhere.
"Ve...Veela?! Me, a magical creature?"
Alina's eyes bulged in disbelief. While silver hair was rather rare, it wasn't a complete impossibility. She had crossed over many years ago, and at most, she had imagined that she possessed the blood of the Kaslana family. She had never associated this hair color with a magical creature. After all, if she had been a Veela descendant, wasn't an opening set of being abandoned on the streets of London a little too non-magical?
Crucially, Alina suddenly realized that she had had some misconceptions. Spending too much with time with the business and financial concepts of the Non-Magic World had made her forget the most quintessential difference between the Magic and Non-Magic Worlds: magical creatures.
One's way of living could be changed, and one's quality of life could be raised, but what could not be changed was how one saw the world. In a flash, the names and appearances of all kinds of mystical, magical creatures appeared in Alina's mind: the Blast-Ended Skrewt, the Graphorn, the Mandrake, the Basilisk, the Mackled Malaclaw, the Fire Salamander, the Thunderbird, the Horned Serpent, the Phoenix...
As someone who had been reborn, she would have plenty of time to make money, and there would be countless opportunities within the next few decades to prosper in the Non-Magic World. However, if she missed out on some of these amazing creatures—like a certain precious Basilisk that was still sleeping, the thought of which made Alina subconsciously lick her lips—then no matter how much money she made in the Non-Magic World, she would never again have a chance to see (taste) those beautiful and mystical creatures.
When one was reborn, what was most important was not to retread another person's path to success, but to vigorously explore the unknown.
"Miss Alina? Miss Alina?!"
Alina heard Dumbledore's worried voice and sensed that someone was shaking her by the shoulder. Coming to her senses, she saw Dumbledore's concerned face appear before her.
"Are you okay? Suddenly learning one's background truly isn't a good feeling. My apologies. I didn't know this matter would be such a shock to you."
Dumbledore sighed in relief now that the girl was slowly coming back to her senses. The sight of her eyes going slack and her starting to madly chuckle while foaming at the mouth (drooling) had scared the wits out of him.
Perhaps, no matter how early a child matured, it was still rather difficult to accept that one had been an orphan abandoned by the Magic World...
Dumbledore murmured to himself as he gazed at the shocked and overjoyed expression on Alina's face.
"So that's how it was. In other words, I was born to study at Hogwarts."
As Dumbledore was wondering if he should call another cup of lemon ice cream for Alina so that she could compose herself, the silver-haired girl, raised her legs and hugged her arms around them, and nodded her head with great seriousness.
"???"
Dumbledore's wand was already raised in the air, but the words he had been preparing to speak were swallowed back down his throat. He stared in shock and confusion at this silver-haired girl who had suddenly changed her mind, not understanding what she meant.
Following Dumbledore's gaze, Alina looked down at her legs that were now resting on the leather stool and immediately put them back down in embarrassment. Folding her legs together, placing her hands on her knee, she bashfully chuckled and began to speak in a sickly sweet tone.
"Dear Headmaster Dumbledore, in truth, it's not that I can't enter Hogwarts to study. But I hope that you could agree to a few small requests of mine..."