Ding!
Congratulations, you have obtained the extraordinary trait [Butcher Instinct].
In the kitchen, as Ian was about to kill the hen in front of him with a knife, a look of surprise flashed across his face. He quickly checked the effect of the trait.
Obtaining an extraordinary trait meant that a skill had reached a high level, allowing one to grasp part of its true essence.
Just like the psychology trait enhanced mental perception, what would the trait of biological anatomy bring?
Ian examined the trait and discovered that [Butcher Instinct] allowed him to instantly analyze the best anatomical structure of any creature he faced.
How should he put it? This skill was... better than nothing?
Looking at the hen in his grasp, Ian suddenly felt as if he could see through its feathers, directly identifying the most precise place to cut.
Then, with a swift movement of the knife, he heard a "click."
The hen was slaughtered cleanly.
His decisive technique even drew praise from the nearby chefs.
"Wow, Ian, your slaughtering skills are getting better and better!"
After killing the chicken, Ian helped cut the plucked meat.
With a few precise strokes, the chicken was neatly portioned.
Ian smiled. "Hehe, I'm getting more skilled."
Since acquiring this extraordinary trait, his progress had been rapid.
These extraordinary traits applied to ordinary skills were indeed magical, though only in a limited way. Ian couldn't help but wonder—if he learned magic, would the extraordinary traits born from it be even more powerful and mysterious?
Unfortunately, he still had to wait half a month for the owl to deliver his learning books.
Even now, Ian had no idea why Dumbledore insisted on a home visit first.
Was the charm of Wood's Orphanage really that great?
Sitting at his desk in the morning, he found himself unable to focus on reading.
"I have to wait so long! I really want to learn magic!"
Days passed, each feeling like an eternity.
This wasn't like waiting for a package from an online order. It was more like knowing that a goddess had descended, yet still having to wait for the post to deliver a crucial item.
"I am, after all, an adult soul," Ian mused.
How could he describe his feelings? Impatience? Restlessness? Perhaps both.
In reality, it was the anticipation of discovering a new world—the thrill of stepping into a realm filled with magic, far removed from the ordinary.
Who wouldn't be eager to explore the unknown?
On this particular day, Ian made a decision—he was skipping work.
After all, he was his own boss. As an adult, he had to make adult choices. Wasn't Diagon Alley just a simple destination?
Could that really stop him?
With the "fortune" he had painstakingly saved, Ian set out to locate [The Leaky Cauldron], relying only on his faint memory of the original story.
The bar was hidden from Muggle sight, accessible only to wizards. Beyond it lay [Diagon Alley]—a world of magic.
In the original story, Harry Potter had entered Diagon Alley this way.
So, Ian intended to do the same.
However, he had one major problem—he only knew the name of the bar, not its actual location.
The streets were bustling.
Ian disappeared into the crowd, running through block after block. Yet, despite scanning the storefronts around him, he couldn't find the elusive bar.
"Bull's Head Bar… Jenny's Restaurant… Tomorrow Hotel… KFC…"
The streets were lined with all sorts of businesses.
But none of them were what he was searching for.
Like Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, The Leaky Cauldron was only visible to wizards. In theory, Ian should have been able to see it. He just hadn't found the right place.
"Huh?"
While searching, Ian suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
Someone was following him.
His heart pounded.
A human trafficker?
Organ trafficking wasn't exactly common these days, was it?
Ian quickened his pace, weaving through several alleyways while discreetly glancing back.
A figure in a black robe trailed behind him, their face obscured.
Well.
That suddenly seemed... reasonable.
This outfit didn't look like simple cosplay.
A dark wizard abducting a young wizard? The thought sent a shiver down Ian's spine.
The devil knew their motives. Were they looking for a successor to inherit forbidden magic?
"I'm being targeted!"
Ian's chest tightened.
Panic surged through him.
Thankfully, at that moment, he spotted the entrance to a subway station. Without hesitation, he sprinted inside.
The black-robed figure stopped at the entrance, refusing to follow.
Perhaps they didn't dare use magic in such a crowded place.
After all—
Kidnapping a young wizard and openly violating the Ministry of Magic's laws were two very different offenses.
It was like the difference between petty theft and terrorism.
Ian's heart pounded wildly as he boarded the subway.
An hour later, he arrived back at Wood's Orphanage.
"That was close! The wizarding world is really chaotic!"
In front of the orphanage's weathered entrance, Ian's thin figure slipped inside.
He failed to notice two figures watching him from the shadows.
One of them was the very person Ian had mistaken for a dark wizard.
Beside him, Dumbledore's steady voice broke the silence.
"Aren't you being a little too cautious, preventing him from contacting the wizarding world so soon?"
The black-robed man remained silent.
Like a statue in the night.
His thoughts drifted back to an hour ago, when he had cast a mysterious spell on Ian—one that made him unable to see [The Leaky Cauldron], even when it had been right in front of him.
Yes, Ian hadn't failed to find it. He had simply been unable to perceive it, thanks to the interference of magic.
"Diagon Alley isn't a playground for children," the black-robed man finally spoke.
"There are many dark wizards roaming there. I don't want him to end up like his foolish—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
Turning his head, he locked eyes with Dumbledore.
After a long pause, his voice emerged hoarse and resolute.
"He belongs in Slytherin."
Without another word, the black-robed man activated Apparition, vanishing in an instant.
Only a faint breeze and lingering magical traces remained.
"Wood's Orphanage…"
Dumbledore remained in place, quietly studying the orphanage's worn-out gate.
His gaze lingered on its weathered sign, lost in thought.
His expression grew complicated.
"I hope I won't make a mistake again this time."
He let out a heavy sigh.
Then, turning, he disappeared into the night.
But as he walked away—
His figure seemed slightly more hunched than before.