The food at the Santa Maria Welfare Home is very good, and more than 100 children can eat meat every day. It's just that Britain is not a food desert, and the style of the dishes is really monotonous. Fish, chips, chips, and fish are the foods that appear most on the table.

Looking at the golden fried fish in front of him and a few pieces of broccoli and green beans dotted next to it, Ike misses braised pork every day.

It's a pity that Grogers is a small place and doesn't have the existence of Chinatown.

What's more, Ike doesn't have much money.

The welfare home will only solve the children's food, clothing, housing and transportation, even if St. Mary receives a lot of donations every year, and will not give the children some pocket money like ordinary people. If you want money, you have to work.

Older children can work as waiters at local supermarkets, convenience stores, shopping malls, and restaurants, and younger children can also be newsboys, riding bicycles to deliver newspapers from door to door.

At this embarrassing age, Ike can neither be a waiter, nor rob his younger siblings, and there are really few ways to make money. And because of that special ability, Julianne rarely let Ike out of Santa Maria.

If it weren't for that, it wouldn't have earned the title of Oak Guardian.

After eating the fried fish and broccoli in front of him with a drooping face, and washing the plate and putting it in the dishware recycling area, Ike said hello to Julia and went back to his bedroom.

As Julianne's favorite, at the age of 10, Ike received the same perk that other children only received when they were 14: a private room.

A bed, a cupboard for clothes, a table and a chair are all there is to Ike's room.

On the table was the book Julianne had given to Ike, and there was an old bag next to the leg. It's school holidays, and Ike doesn't have much homework, most of his books are in the school cabinet, and there are only two or three borrowed books from the school library in his bag.

"World History (II)" is not very esoteric.

Picking up a copy, Ike lay down on the bed. Reading a book before going to bed is a habit left over from the past. At this time, there are still nearly 20 years before smartphones become popular, and there is no way to read books.

The next morning, Ike was woken up by a "knock, knock, knock" sound. Squinting his eyes and following the sound, he saw an owl standing outside the window with a letter in its mouth, tapping rhythmically on the glass with its sharp beak.

Seeing that Ike woke up, he moved his head with some excitement, and knocked on the window more often.

"Not really." Ike couldn't tell what it was like to see this kind of scene, a little excited, and a little surprised. As someone who has watched eight movies plus two "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them", plus dozens of fandom stories, this kind of scene Ike is quite familiar.

Opening the window, the owl flapped its wings and flew in. Ike reached for the letter and looked at the familiar shield coat of arms on it, with a large "H" in the middle, surrounded by a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake.

When I turned it over again, I saw a line written on it: Gloucestershire, 231 Tredworth Road, Bed in the third floor room of St. Mary's Welfare Institute, received by Mr. Ike Stredder.

"Sure enough! It really is! Ike hurriedly opened the envelope and took out the letter, which read, as expected:

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(President of the International Federation of Magic, President of the Wizards Association, First Class Magician of the Order of Sir Merlin)

Dear Mr. Stred,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Enclosed is a list of the required books and equipment.

The semester is scheduled to start on September 1 and we will be waiting for your owl to hear back from you by July 31.

In view of your special situation, we will send someone to your accommodation to answer your questions and give you the necessary assistance.

vice-principal

Minerva McGonagall.

"Coo, coo, coo," Ike relieved, looking at the owl that was tilting its head to the side, smiling and reaching out to touch its head.

"We'll have to wait for the reply." After that, he put on his clothes with his gloves, grabbed the letter and went out.

"Dean Julianne! Dean Julianne! ”

Ike knocked on the door for a few moments before Julianne opened it. Before Julianne could speak, Ike handed the letter over.

"Dean Julianne, I received a letter."

"Little Ike, you're up early today." Julianne took the letter with a smile, and instead of reading it, she pulled Ike into the room and poured him a cup of black tea.

"Normally you have to sleep until nine o'clock before waking up, and today so early, just because of this letter? Let me see...... Hmm, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? ”

"What is this? Prank? ”

"I don't know." Ike shook his head, "It was sent by an owl, I think it's true." Dean Julianne, you know, I ......"

"That's right." Dean Julian nodded, "It doesn't seem like it's impossible. ”

"By the way, it says someone is coming? Why didn't you say when it ......?"

"Dean Julianne......" Ike pointed to the fireplace in the room that had suddenly lit green, "I think someone should be here." ”

Julianne looked over the fireplace and saw a man suddenly emerge from the green fire. She wore square glasses, black hair curled up in a high bun, and wore a dark green robe with a somewhat pointy wizard's hat, and looked serious.

"Hello, Ms. Julianne, Mr. Stred. I'm the Deputy Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Minerva McGonagall, and you may call me Professor McGonagall. ”

Professor McGonagall nodded slightly, and reached out to shake Julianne and Ike's hand. "Speaking of which, your fireplace needs to be cleaned up, it's a little dusty, Miss Julianne."

"Clean it up." Professor McGonagall pulled out her wand, and the dust in the room was whipped up by a small whirlwind and flew down the fireplace chimney.

Julianne looked at everything, even though she had been mentally prepared beforehand, she was still surprised.

"Is this magic?"

"Just a simple cleansing charm, ma'am." Professor McGonagall said, swinging her wand again, turning a chair into a majestic lion, into a tap-dancing teapot, and with a wave of her wand, turning the chair back.

"Mr. Strade is gifted with magic, and he will have a good education at Hogwarts." Professor McGonagall gave a brief overview of Hogwarts.

"Oh, little Ike." Julianne stroked Ike's hair, "Although I knew that one day you would leave me, I didn't expect this day to come so quickly. ”

"But it's okay, I think you're at Hogg...... Hogwarts school will be fine. ”

"At least you don't have to hide it anymore, do you?"

"Wait, Miss Julianne." Professor McGonagall asked, "You just said hidden?" ”

"Of course." Julianne nodded, "Little Ike is an amazing child, I've always known that. As he spoke, he motioned for Ike to perform.

Facing two pairs of expectant eyes, Ike waved his hand, and a pen flew up from Julianne's desk, circled around the three of them a few times, and returned to the table steadily.

"Unbelievable, Mr. Stredder." Professor McGonagall was a little surprised, "You are indeed a very talented little wizard, you must know that even a child of a wizarding family rarely does such a thing as you, almost nothing!" ”

"You're overrated, Professor McGonagall." Ike bowed slightly, "I just don't want others to get hurt because of me." ”

Julianne stroked Ike's hair and recounted what had happened in the orphanage. When Professor McGonagall heard this, she couldn't help but say, "Mr. Stred, I have to say that your talent is amazing. ”

"Perhaps...... I'm going to change a little bit. Professor McGonagall thought for a moment, then continued, "Then, Mr. Stredder, on July 12th, which is two days from now, I will come back and take you to buy the books and equipment you need for the new students. ”

"It's going to be the end of the month, but I'd like to see some magic books sooner, it's always good, isn't it?"

"Of course, Professor McGonagall." Ike hurriedly replied, "See you on July 12th." ”

"See you on the 12th." Professor McGonagall nodded slightly to Julianne and Ike, then waved her wand, and with a screeching "snap", Professor McGonagall disappeared into the room.

After a long while, Julianne came to her senses from what had just happened, bent down slightly, and said with a smile: "Little Ike, I didn't expect you to be a wizard, and you will soon go to a magic school to learn magic. It's unbelievable! ”

"Incredible!" Julianne sighed, "When I picked you up in front of the orphanage more than ten years ago, you were still such a small one, and now that you have grown up, you are leaving me to study magic. ”

"Oh! Magic! Unbelievable! ”

Ike looked at Dean Julian, who was a little at a loss, and felt a lot of emotion in his heart, and hurriedly comforted: "It's not like I'll never come back, I'll still come back after the school holidays." ”

"I hope you don't give my room to anyone else, then I won't have a place to sleep at night." Ike blinked his blue eyes, very playful.

"Of course, your room will always be there."

"This is your home, isn't it? Little Ike. ”

"Yes, this is my home, you are my family......"

"The dearest family ......"