"Dad! Why have I never heard of such a thing?"
Adam's grandparents, who were still quite spry, took the international channel of the Ministry of Magic and arrived at Adam's house just before lunch.
During this time, Mrs. Old Stein, who had been introduced to the wizarding world by the elderly Mr. and Mrs. Robert, became furious as soon as her parents arrived.
Although her husband had no personal contact with the magical world and dismissed wizards as mere fairy tales, he'd at least heard about them. However, it wasn't until Hogwarts failed to send an admission letter that his doubts began to grow.
"Why have I known nothing about this since I was a child?"
Adam's grandmother was trying to distract him by talking about household matters, but Mrs. Stein, unable to contain her frustration, turned to her father.
" Adam's grandfather explained, spreading his hands wide.
"When you grabbed the golden abacus and ignored the wooden sword, copper coins, and jade pendant next to it, we knew you didn't have the talent But you sure had a talent for business. Out of all your siblings, you were the best at making money."
Mrs. Stein choked at this revelation, then frowned and asked, "But what about Adam? Even though he was born in England, didn't you test him when he was a baby? Didn't you give him one of those... spiritually charged objects?"
"Oh, we did! But he grabbed a book that didn't contain any spiritual energy. Turns out, he's really into reading. Not like you, who we had to chase down from the trees whenever we asked you to read," Adam's grandfather chuckled.
"Dad!" Mrs. Stein's cheeks flushed red.
"Ahem," her father cleared his throat. "I remember clearly that the book had no spiritual energy. So, Adam didn't seem to have the talent . Is the standard for magic in the UK different from ours?"
Mr. Old Stein stroked his beard thoughtfully, suddenly wondering if perhaps others in their family, previously deemed without potential, had also been overlooked.
"It's not impossible…"
"Anyway, it's a good thing that Adam received the letter from Hogwarts. It shows he has the talent to become a wizard."
Mr. Robert clapped his hands, turning to Adam with a smile. "Grandpa will take you to Diagon Alley tomorrow to buy all the supplies you need!"
"Tomorrow still—"
"Grandfather…"
"Grandma too—"
"Wait a moment!" Adam suddenly raised his voice, silencing the room, which had become a bit noisy.
"I don't want to go to Hogwarts."
Everyone froze at his words. Adam's parents, shocked, remembered the original reason they'd returned home.
"What?! Why?" Mrs.old Stein and her husband asked simultaneously.
Before they could process Adam's declaration, Mr. Robert interrupted them. "Do you want to remain a Muggle?" He pulled out his wand as if ready to demonstrate its power.
"There's nothing wrong with being a Muggle," Adam quickly countered, glancing at his parents. "And it's not that I don't want to learn magic. I just don't want to go to Hogwarts. Aren't there other magical schools in the world?"
"Why not Hogwarts?" Mr. Robert was stunned, and a hint of hurt crept into his voice. "Hogwarts is the best wizarding school in the world!"
The other three elders in the room, none of whom had attended Hogwarts, glanced at Mr. Robert simultaneously.
"Don't scare the boy," Adam's grandmother Emma said softly. She moved her fingers slightly, and Mr. Robert was magically pulled back down to the sofa with a thud. Turning to Adam, she took his hand.
"My dear, there are indeed other magic schools, but why don't you want to study at Hogwarts?"
"Well..." Adam hesitated. "I just have a bad feeling. Like... Hogwarts might not be very safe."
"With Dumbledore there, Hogwarts is the safest place for magic in the world—"
Before Mr. Robert could finish his statement, his scarf came to life and wrapped itself around his mouth, silencing him. Grandma Emma frowned. "Hush. If Dumbledore were omnipotent, our family wouldn't have had to flee to france."
Emma, who was originally from France, had encountered Grindelwald's terror attacks there. Afterward, she moved to the UK for safety and met Mr. Robert. They married and had children, but when Voldemort rose to power, they moved again—to france—to protect their non-magical son. Adam's parents met during that time.
She understood all too well that while Dumbledore might eventually defeat the dark forces, it didn't mean he could guarantee no one would suffer in the process.
Still, she didn't take her grandson's premonition lightly. Adam was a bright child and not one to speak carelessly. Wizards with sharp intuitions about the future weren't unheard of. After all, Grindelwald, who destroyed her homeland, had been a wizard with the gift of prophecy.
Even so, Emma sighed and said, "The decision made by the Book of Admission and the Pen of Acceptance is irreversible. These are ancient and powerful magics. Since you received the Hogwarts letter, your name has been written in the book since birth. I'm afraid it's not possible to attend another magic school."
Adam blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected that.
"What about transferring?" he asked, trying another approach. "I could enroll first, then transfer to another school later."
"I've never heard of anyone doing that, but we could write to Dumbledore and ask him," Emma said, though her tone made it clear she didn't think this was a likely solution. Adam could tell that the magic behind the Admission Book wouldn't be so easily tricked.
"Then what about taking a leave of absence? Maybe I could claim I'm not well and wait a few years…"
"That's even worse," Grandma Shen Derong interjected. "If your magic isn't properly guided at the right age, it could cause harm to your body or attract dangerous attention."
Sensing Emma's hesitation, Shen Derong continued. "Young wizards don't know how to control their magic, and magical outbursts can be dangerous. It's something you need proper training for. We can't teach you everything you need to know at home."
"…Alright," Adam sighed, finally accepting that he'd have to go to Hogwarts. But at least, he thought, once he learned some basic spells and gained control over his magic, he might be able to take a break or transfer after his first year. The first year at Hogwarts wasn't too dangerous, after all. As long as he avoided the trapdoor, even the Weasley twins had survived with no major injuries.
"In that case, let's not write to Dumbledore," Adam decided. The last thing he wanted was to attract attention and make his situation worse.
"Alright," Emma said, patting Adam on the head. "Tomorrow we'll go to Diagon Alley. You'll see lots of magical things, and I think you'll like it."
Looking at the concern in his grandmother's eyes, Adam nodded. Though he wasn't entirely convinced, it seemed his path was set.
(End of chapter)
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