Not only is there no Dumbledore, but there’s also no surprise segment with owls delivering letters. Ian feels that his path to magic has certainly been quite a winding journey. While others are guided by the gentle Professor McGonagall or the simple-minded, wealthy giant Hagrid, why is he stuck with Hogwarts' most unpopular Half-Blood Prince?

Yes, the man in the black, oversized, mop-like robe, with greasy hair that hasn't seen shampoo in years, is currently in the office of the orphanage's headmaster—none other than Severus Snape, the current head of Slytherin.

This professor has many titles, such as potion genius, a chronic sufferer of delusions, and an ultimate invincible pure love warrior stacked with buffs. However, perhaps the most well-known label on Snape is that he was once a Death Eater following the Dark Lord. Ian knows that he now serves as Dumbledore's double agent, but that fact does nothing to conceal his past as a Death Eater. The aura that instills fear in others is not something that can be faked.

Because of this, having Snape as his guide is not good news for Ian.

“Ian, come in!”

The head of the orphanage, sitting directly opposite the door, saw Ian being surrounded and quickly smiled, waving him in. Ian entered, shutting the door behind him. Outside, a chorus of children’s wails erupted.

“Poor little Ian can finally welcome a better life; thank God,” Ms. Ilena said happily as she introduced Ian to the somber Snape. “This is Ian, the most sensible and heart-wrenching child we have here.”

“I believe that although he comes from a poor background, he will definitely become one of the best children in your place. Even those noble children are not as clever as Ian,” Ms. Ilena generously praised him.

This made Ian feel a bit embarrassed; after all, he is an adult soul from another world, and comparing himself to other children seems a bit unfair.

“I hope that is indeed the case.”

Snape, sitting opposite Ms. Ilena, was also observing Ian. From the moment Ian walked in, he hadn’t taken his eyes off Ian's face, and that stern expression with complex emotions left Ian somewhat bewildered.

Is this… a feeling of guilt?

The extraordinary ability of thought perception, stemming from psychology, allows Ian to sense the most intense emotions and certain deep-seated desires within others.

At this moment, due to Snape’s unsettled heart, Ian immediately sensed his emotions. This anomaly reminded Ian of something Dumbledore once said.

Does this professor feel that he owes him a lot? Is this professor the Snape in front of him? Ian felt a strange sense of confusion; he was obviously not Harry Potter and could not possibly be Lily Potter’s illegitimate child.

So, where does this emotion from Snape come from?

“What are you doing?! How is this possible?!”

Suddenly, while Ian was filled with doubt, a flash of incredulity crossed Snape's eyes. His expression turned uncertain, and the way he looked at Ian became sharp, like a thorn in the throat.

“Ah?”

Startled, Ian took a few steps back. Ms. Ilena was equally puzzled by Snape's reaction.

“Legilimency! Mr. Prince, Dumbledore didn’t tell me you had this hidden talent!” Snape's eyes were shaking somewhat violently.

Surprise? Unease? Worry?

His expression was exceptionally stern as he stared at Ian, and the emotional fluctuations he revealed became increasingly evident. These perceptions of emotions only deepened Ian's confusion about the potions professor in front of him.

What’s going on with him?

He can't possibly be the illegitimate child of a Muggle! Because he couldn’t have Lily Potter, he found a Muggle that looks like her and threw him into an orphanage?

That’s impossible!

This… is too explosive, too illogical!

The more curious Ian became, the more pronounced his perception abilities felt.

Thus,

“I said! Enough!”

Snape's tone suddenly rose several notches, his voice stern.

“I… I can’t control it…”

Ian was also extremely nervous at this moment. He never expected Snape to detect his thought perception probe, nor did he anticipate that this ability would be mistaken for the magic of Legilimency.

“Professor, perhaps if you could control your emotions, it would ease the current situation a bit?” Ian could only softly remind him since Snape was clearly very upset.

“Ha~”

Snape took a long, displeased breath. After he closed his eyes and adjusted for a moment, Ian’s clear perception gradually blurred.

“What did you see?”

When Snape opened his eyes again, his face still wore an expression of disbelief.

“I didn’t see your memories; I could only sense your emotions. Your mind may be a bit chaotic?” Ian answered honestly.

Since Snape already sensed the anomaly in him, it was clearly futile to hide this ability. Some special talents are not a hassle for wizards.

“A natural legilimens… that’s good… Mr. Prince, do you think you have some gifts of fate, allowing you to do whatever you want with pride?”

Snape’s gaze now carried a clear annoyance. His tone was as cold as it could be.

It was as if he was forcing words out through gritted teeth, his voice loud enough that Ian couldn’t help but glance at Ms. Ilena. However, at that moment, Ms. Ilena was smiling at the two of them, occasionally nodding.

Clearly, in the conversation between Ian and Snape, both what Ms. Ilena heard and saw must have been quite different from what was actually happening.

“Confundus Charm…”

Ian looked at Ms. Ilena, who seemed isolated in another world. For some reason, he felt a strange tightness in his heart.

“I’m asking you a question, Mr. Prince. To ignore a professor before even enrolling? If this were Hogwarts, I would definitely give you a…”

Snape’s tone was somewhat sarcastic when he suddenly interrupted his speech. His dark face looked as if he had choked on something.

“Sorry, Professor, I really can’t control it.”

Ian felt quite helpless.

“Can’t control it? Then learn to control it!”

Snape reprimanded sharply.

“Uh…”

Perhaps Ian’s acting was working; seeing Ian feign innocence, Snape clenched his jaw, and his tone began to soften a bit.

“As a professor of the academy, I will only kindly warn you this time: until you have sufficient strength, any behavior that might provoke other wizards is a foolish provocation.”

“Hogwarts has always been very lenient towards students, but the prerequisite is that you must be a well-behaved little cub and not be like that annoying group of Gryffindors who always cause trouble.”

Snape’s voice was extremely serious.

However, when mentioning Gryffindor, his tone also carried unmasked disdain.

“What is Gryffindor?”

Ian wanted to change the subject, feigning ignorance and confusion.

“Hehe, just a bunch of simple-minded, strong-bodied fools. At Hogwarts, smart people will choose to keep their distance from them, or else they will become unfortunate immediately.”

Snape was quite enthusiastic with his sarcasm.

However, this response clearly exemplified the classic case of “the more you listen, the more confused you become.”

He didn’t even explain that Gryffindor was a house.

“Okay, Professor.”

Ian didn’t pursue or refute the matter. Instead, he acted obediently, which eased Snape’s frown somewhat.

“Ma’am, I need to take this child away early to handle some necessary procedures.” He no longer looked at Ian but turned to Ms. Ilena.

The next moment, it was as if Ms. Ilena, who had been hanging on the line for a long time, finally restored her eyes and expression to normal, smiling brightly as she replied to Snape.

“Of course, of course, that old headmaster has already taken care of all the paperwork, and Ian can go with you now.” After saying that, she urged Ian to pack his things.

Since he had been preparing, most of Ian’s belongings were already packed into a large suitcase.

Thus, he quickly dragged a massive suitcase out. At eleven years old, he was just a bit taller than the suitcase.

As soon as he stepped out of the bedroom, Ian saw Ms. Ilena, several other orphanage staff members, and almost all the children waiting for him in the yard.

Snape stood at a distance in an open area, exuding an aura of “stay away”—even acquaintances would probably not want to approach him.

“Ian, Ian, will you bring us back chocolate?”

“Don’t worry, Ian, I’ll take care of your room and your little cart.”

“Wah, wah, wah, big brother Ian, please don’t die, okay? They say we won’t see you anymore in the future.”

…

The children showed reluctance at Ian’s impending departure.

As the king of the orphanage, everyone had deep feelings for Ian… even that five-year-old girl who mistook “not seeing him” for “dying” held significant importance in her heart for Ian.

Perhaps one day, this weight of affection would change with the passage of time and fade as everyone grew older and went their separate ways.

But at this moment, the reluctance they expressed would absolutely not diminish in the slightest.

“Ian, don’t look back; your future will be bright.” Ms. Ilena touched Ian’s face, her eyes filled with tears as she gave him a profoundly meaningful reminder.

The other children couldn’t decipher the underlying meaning, but that didn’t mean Ian couldn’t.

“Professor, I can come back during the holidays, right?”

He loudly asked Snape, who was standing far away.

“That’s your business; don’t bother me with such foolishness.”

Snape’s tone was indeed filled with impatience, but he remained quietly standing in the shadow by the wall, not urging Ian at all.

“I will definitely come back; this is home, isn’t it?”

Ian stepped forward and hugged Ms. Ilena. “If it weren’t for your dedication and changes here, this orphanage wouldn’t be as filled with joy and laughter as it is now.”

“We will all have a future, I promise.” Ian’s voice was very earnest.

“Ian… you don’t have to…” Ms. Ilena’s voice choked as she hugged Ian tightly. Meanwhile, the nearby children began chattering.

“It’s my turn to hug Ian!”

“Anna! You’re hugging too long!”

“Alan! You’ve wiped your snot on Ian’s clothes!”

…

After saying goodbye to almost everyone, Ian refused others’ help and walked toward Snape, dragging his suitcase.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Ian exchanged a few words with Snape, who then led Ian out of the big iron gate, gradually disappearing into the heavily foggy streets of London.

“Ian will definitely succeed; he is a sensible and heart-wrenching child,” the cook in the kitchen cried, his voice filled with firm belief.

“Yes, I never doubt that.”

Ms. Ilena affirmed, wiping the corners of her eyes. Just as she turned to comfort the children, she felt a heavy sensation in her pocket.

As if sensing something, Ms. Ilena quickly reached in.

A thick envelope was pulled out.

“When did this happen?”

Ms. Ilena was somewhat astonished.

She opened the envelope, and her hands began to tremble uncontrollably.

“This child…”

Her voice quivered.

Inside the brand new envelope were filled with pound notes, though the denominations were small and scattered, collectively they added up to a considerable amount.

Enough for the orphanage's children to have a warm winter.