Time passed swiftly, and before he knew it, the new school term had arrived. Zhao Lun had no choice but to prepare for the start of school.
A new semester, new textbooks.
That morning, after breakfast, Zhao Lun set off with Maria.
Thanks to their previous experience, Zhao Lun easily guided Maria to Diagon Alley.
"Wow! Brother, is this Diagon Alley?"
"It looks so old."
"Huh? They're selling cauldrons here!"
"There are so many people!"
"Are they all wizards? So many wizards!"
"Ah! That eye moved! It winked at me!"
Maria, who was experiencing the magical world for the first time, was brimming with excitement. She seemed to have endless energy, finding everything fresh and new, pulling Zhao Lun to look at everything.
Zhao Lun had tried to advise her not to shout, but seeing her disappointed face, he couldn't bear to interfere, so he let her drag him around.
As for danger, Zhao Lun was confident that as long as he activated his "cheat mode," nothing could harm him.
Maria's charm aura was already active, and although no one had ill intentions towards her, trouble inevitably followed. The bigger her charm, the greater the trouble it attracted.
Since she was still young, Zhao Lun was mostly ignored by the crowd, except for the occasional glance, as they all focused on the little girl visiting Diagon Alley for the first time. A few people even flashed friendly smiles at her, but for Zhao Lun, some cast him looks tinged with judgment.
He felt the weight of their stares.
They had arrived early, and after purchasing the books, they still had time. Maria insisted on continuing to wander around.
"Wait here, we need to meet someone."
After checking the time, Zhao Lun made his way to the agreed-upon spot. Not long after, the people they were waiting for arrived.
It was the Weasley brothers.
"Hey! Allen!"
"Haha! So good to see you!"
"And you too, the lovely Maria! Are you excited to meet your handsome brother Fred?"
The two brothers greeted Zhao Lun warmly with a hug, then moved to embrace Maria. However, the little girl had no intention of being kind. She raised her foot and stomped on their feet, one after the other.
"Ow!"
The brothers howled in pain, clutching their feet, their cries echoing across the alley.
People around them turned, thinking a werewolf had appeared, giving the brothers disdainful looks.
A little pain and they howl like wolves? Really? They were making a fool of every wizard present! No one said anything, but the judgment in their eyes was clear.
The two brothers immediately understood the meaning of the looks, their expressions deflated in an instant, like deflated balloons, and they looked quite pitiful.
"Hmph! Brother was right when he said you have thick skin! As expected!"
"You're lying again! You can only deceive the ignorant, but you can't fool Maria!"
Maria looked at their performance with disdain, causing the two men to freeze, unsure whether to continue or stop immediately.
They turned to Zhao Lun, their eyes full of resentment. It felt as though all their misfortunes were the result of his words!
"Haha, George, Fred, look over there!"
"Oh! Is that your sister? Is she starting school too?"
"Come, Maria, let me introduce you to a new friend!"
At that critical moment, Zhao Lun was saved by familiar faces: Potter, Ron, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and the little girl he had seen before.
He seized the opportunity, not bothering with any further explanations, and pulled Maria toward Mrs. Weasley.
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley, Miss Ginny, hello."
"This is my sister, Maria."
Ignoring the resentful glares from the brothers, Zhao Lun introduced Maria with great seriousness.
Maria's charm aura was undeniable, drawing attention even without him prompting it, and Mrs. Weasley was especially delighted.
"Oh! What a lovely child!"
"She's so beautiful, just like a little princess!"
"This is my daughter Ginny. I believe you two will be great friends."
Mrs. Weasley was so warm and kind, embracing Maria and kissing her cheek, making Maria feel the sincerity and letting herself be held by her.
Ginny, the little girl, looked a bit shabby and shy, seemingly insecure. In front of Maria, she seemed even more self-conscious and hid behind her brothers, not daring to speak.
The Weasley family had many children, and their income was modest, so they lived frugally, with every penny stretched to its limit.
Most of their children wore hand-me-downs, and although Ginny, being the only daughter, had avoided wearing her brothers' old clothes, she wasn't much better off. Most of her belongings were hand-me-downs too.
Unlike Maria, who had been through hardships in the past, now in a world of extremes, Maria's elegance was evident. She looked like a fairy, dignified and powerful, exuding confidence that made any peer feel inferior.
Ginny's life was modest, and comparing herself to Maria, she seemed like Cinderella. Maria's presence made her feel even more insecure.
"Hey! Ginny, I've heard my brother talk about you. He said he saw you at the train station."
"He also said you're very pretty and a huge fan of Harry Potter."
"That day, he even teased you for squealing when you saw Potter."
Maria blurted out Zhao Lun's words, causing Ginny's face to turn bright red as she hid behind Mrs. Weasley, her face buried in her mother's clothes.
Potter, looking bewildered, stared at Zhao Lun, his glasses reflecting the question: "Did you say that?"
Zhao Lun felt like he'd been caught in a trap and quickly shook his head in denial.
"I never said that!"
He had only recorded it—he swallowed the rest of the sentence.
"Brother is amazing!"
"He knows so much! By the way, he also got you a gift. Here."
"This is a first-year textbook he prepared for you, to make you his girlfriend."
"He already has three girlfriends: Hermione, Cho, and Penelope..."
Everyone's eyes turned to Zhao Lun in an instant.
Zhao Lun, who usually prided himself on his thick skin, felt the weight of all eyes on him at that moment. He was fighting the urge to spank Maria.
Girlfriend?! They are just female friends! This mischievous child had clearly taken the wrong medicine today and was digging a pit for her brother!
He really wanted to shout, "Maria, you can't do this to your brother!"
It seemed like Maria was determined to cause trouble for him today, completely oblivious to his warning glances as she continued to "praise" her brother.
Her words left everyone stunned, their mouths forming an "O" shape, and their eyes fixed on Zhao Lun, as if they were preparing for a confrontation, shielding their sisters behind them, glaring at him with hostility.
"Cough, cough, Maria, don't be naughty."
Zhao Lun had no choice but to step in to stop her "innocent" remarks.
"If you're naughty again, I won't take you with me."
At the crucial moment, Zhao Lun used his trump card, managing to stop her words in time. Otherwise, things would have spiraled out of control.
When Ginny heard Zhao Lun wanted to date her, her face turned bright red, and she buried her face in Mrs. Weasley's clothes. Potter looked over again, his expression that of a gossip-seeker.
The Weasley brothers, who had been pranked by Maria, suddenly realized what had happened and looked at Zhao Lun with sympathy.
Having a sister like this, Zhao Lun, your life will surely be full of excitement.
Zhao Lun shrugged, relieved that they finally understood.
"Hehe, such a lovely girl. Come on, I'll take you. If your brother won't, Auntie will."
Mrs. Weasley looked like she was ready to defend Maria.
"Dear Allen, would you mind if Auntie took this lovely Maria for a while?"
"Uh, well, she's been a little mischievous... Sorry for the trouble."
Maria huffed.
"Don't worry, George and Fred are also very naughty..."
Mrs. Weasley implied that they were also mischievous but still listened to her.
"Alright, here is the gift I prepared, a book by Lockhart."
"It's very popular right now, so I'm giving it as a gift. This is Ginny's new book. Please don't refuse it. Consider it a gift for our first meeting. I hope the beautiful Miss Ginny..."