Chapter 42: The Unexpected Visitor
As for the content of the letter, that will be left aside for now, but the messenger brought an unexpected surprise – an owl.
The content of the letter was so astounding that he read it several times before he could accept its authenticity.
The owl perched before him, seemingly asking for something. When Zhao Lun didn't understand, it flew toward the food on the table.
"Oh, wait a moment." Zhao Lun recalled a scene from a movie, realizing what the owl wanted. He quickly moved toward a cabinet, opened it, and retrieved some meat to offer the owl.
The owl, not picky, ate contentedly, finishing the food Zhao Lun had prepared for it. When it had its fill, it glanced at the remaining food regretfully, then prepared to take flight.
"Hey! Wait a second." Zhao Lun thought for a moment, called out to the owl, and took out a box to pack the leftover food, handing it to the owl. "Take it back to eat."
The owl chirped happily, flapping its wings, soared into the sky, and vanished from his sight.
The whole incident left Zhao Lun unsettled, feeling as though things had moved beyond his expectations.
After pondering for a long while, he finally settled on a plan. He stood up, grabbed the phone, and called Monica and the others, one by one. It wasn't until later that he remembered the owl's visit.
How had the owl arrived? He was curious about that.
His snow sculptures, which ruled the skies of the area, would never allow any other bird or creature to enter without their permission. The owl's arrival, judging by its appearance, seemed to have gone unchallenged. Stepping outside, he let out a sharp whistle. Not long after, two snow sculptures returned, then took off again to continue their flight through the sky.
It seemed they hadn't noticed the owl, Zhao Lun thought, as he opened the envelope and read the letter once more. Even now, he couldn't quite believe that such a school existed in this world.
Two days later, everyone who was supposed to return had come back. The hall was quiet as everyone read the letter Zhao Lun had received. It was thick and heavy, written, it seemed, on parchment. Zhao Lun noticed a purple wax seal with an emblem: a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a serpent forming a large letter "H."
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Chairman of the International Confederation of Wizards, President of the Wizarding Association, Sir Merlin's Level 1 Wizard)
Dear Mr. Allen Zhao,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Enclosed is a list of required books and equipment.
The term begins on September 1st. We await your owl's reply by July 31st.
Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall
They read the letter again and again, still finding it hard to believe.
"Is this for real?"
"It seems so."
"A magic school? I can't believe there's magic here! Oh my god, this is unbelievable!"
"Brother, are you leaving us?"
"No! Just for school, I'll have holidays, and I'll graduate too."
"Brother, Maria wants to go as well."
"Well, you'll have to wait until you're old enough."
"Sir, what should we do?"
"You? Keep doing what you were doing, the plan must go on, especially this year; we're almost at the end of this opportunity."
"Alright."
Everyone was still uneasy, but they followed Zhao Lun's plan and prepared to continue their previous work.
Zhao Lun, seeing their agreement, immediately began writing a reply, signaling his acceptance. When the letter was done, he didn't have to think about how to send it — an owl appeared before him.
"Oh, it's you? You haven't left yet?" Zhao Lun recognized it as the same owl that had delivered the first letter.
The owl hooted softly, asking for food. Zhao Lun quickly called Monica to bring some meat from the kitchen. The owl ate joyfully, finishing half of the hearty portion. Zhao Lun packed the rest into a box for it to take back, and, of course, included the reply letter as well.
During this time, everyone watched in silence, waiting for the owl to fly away before resuming their discussion.
"This is incredible!"
"This is a great discovery!"
"Who would've thought that there are such mysterious things in this world we never knew about!"
"Are the wizard legends true?"
"Are they evil?"
The discussions grew intense, lasting well into the evening.
They were all curious about magic and wanted to learn more about it from him. Unfortunately, Zhao Lun didn't know much either. He couldn't share much, so he resorted to looking through the previously recorded books and stories about wizards to satisfy their curiosity. To his surprise, he found some related tales.
Legends of wizards, mermaids, werewolves, vampires, ghosts, dragons, unicorns, elves, the Grim Reaper, and more.
In these stories, these mythical beings represented power, existing only in legend. Magic was beyond the reach of ordinary people. Then there were some evil wizards who attacked humans. Mermaids sang hypnotic songs in the sea, luring ships into the abyss. Evil dragons captured princesses, while knights slew the dragons to rescue the princesses, eventually falling in love.
"What is this? It's just a second-rate novel."
Everyone felt it was far-fetched, similar to the popular novels sold in stores.
From these books, Zhao Lun could see that ordinary people feared the unknown, and there was malice in their assumptions about these legendary creatures. It also reflected their attitude toward wizards. They rejected them, filled with hostility that was worrying. He was certain that if these mythical creatures fell into their hands, they would not escape the fate of being torn apart.
Zhao Lun sifted through the irrelevant details, eliminated the unreliable ones, and quickly found some older records.
"Alright, here are some things. If you want to know more, go collect similar materials."
When dinner time came, Zhao Lun asked everyone to stop and have dinner. Afterward, they all went their separate ways. Recently, time had been tight, and their work relied on him to oversee it.
The next morning, Zhao Lun opened the list of supplies once again, feeling troubled.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Uniforms: First-year students need:
Three plain black robes.A plain black pointed hat for daytime wear.A pair of protective gloves (made of dragon hide or similar material).A winter cloak (black with silver fastenings). Note: All clothing must be labeled with the student's name.
Textbooks: All students must have the following books:
"Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1" by Miranda Goshawk"A History of Magic" by Bathilda Bagshot"Magical Theory" by Adalbert Waffling"The Standard Book of Transfiguration" by Emeric Switch"One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi" by Phyllida Spore"Magical Draughts and Potions" by Arsenius Jigger"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by Newt Scamander"The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection" by Quentin Trimble