1 Chapter 1: My Name is Tom, and I'm an Orphan
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A gentle breeze rustled the neat hedges along the road. The street lay silent beneath the afternoon sky, pristine and untouched. Everything was so clean, orderly, and even the roadside trash bins appeared spotless.
The only signs of life on the street were a young boy and a silver tabby American Shorthair cat. The boy's clothes didn't quite fit; he wore an oddly styled white short-sleeved shirt and tattered denim shorts, with long black hair flowing down his head.
Despite his ill-fitting attire, the boy was clean, and his hair, while long, wasn't greasy. He was currently engrossed in rummaging through a trash bin. As he searched, lines of text flashed through his mind.
[Meat +1]
[Poultry +1]
[Potatoes +1]
[Carrots with an unidentified liquid on the surface +1]
[Daily Task: Completed ingredient collection] Magic Stone +10
The boy muttered to himself, "...Feels like something incredible got mixed in there. But it doesn't matter. I'm just a machine, completing tasks without emotions."
Suddenly, the door to a house across the street opened, revealing a young girl with thick brown hair carrying a small bag.
The girl stood in her garden, calling out to him through the fence, "Hey."
"My name isn't 'Hey,' it's Tom, Tom Yodel."
The girl puffed her cheeks in annoyance. "Alright, Tom. My mom made some small cakes. Do you want to try them? Oh, by the way, I'm Hermione, Hermione Jean Granger." With that, she thrust the bag into the boy's hand.
Hearing the girl's name, Tom paused. He felt something stirring in the depths of his mind, but he couldn't quite recall it. The boiling memories seemed locked away...
Unaware of his inner turmoil, Hermione continued talking, "Also, I don't think it's a good idea to roam the streets every day. You could try the shelter in town or the orphanage to see if they'll take you in, or maybe find an apprenticeship in a small shop...," she glanced at the boy's face, clearly not older than fourteen, hesitated for a moment, and then added, "If you have family, go back to them. Your parents must be worried."
Hermione was quite talkative, and Tom couldn't imagine himself having such a long conversation with a scavenger.
He smiled at Hermione and picked up a withered white rose from the garden's bushes. In his hand, the rose quickly regained its vitality, looking as if it had just been plucked.
"Here, this is for you. Thanks."
He handed the flower to the kind girl in front of him.
"Oh!" Hermione looked surprised.
By this time, the tabby cat had quietly approached both of them, silently observing. But no one paid it any mind; after all, what ill intentions could a cat have?
Tom, from the corner of his eye, noticed the cat and bent down to pick it up. Perhaps it happened too suddenly, but the cat, being a cat, didn't react in time and was swiftly picked up. Tom's hand landed on its head, petting it gently.
"It's pretty, right? I've always wanted to have a cat, but I'm afraid they'll eat the pigeons near my house—oh!"
The tabby cat suddenly exerted force, jumping out of his arms.
"Haha, this cat is still shy. I'll be on my way. Thanks for the cake!" Tom smiled at Hermione, then waved and left without waiting for her response.
Tom strolled casually, eventually reaching a bridge where he stored various odds and ends under it—his entire possessions.
There was a smoldering fire pit on the ground. Tom rummaged through the items, then pried open a black mud ball.
He broke the mud ball's outer shell, revealing leaves inside. An unidentifiable bird appeared before him. A strange scent filled the air—not a pleasant one, just the smell of raw meat, unseasoned.
Tom took out a jar from a corner, sprinkled some shiny white granules on the bird, and then began to devour it, alternating between bites of the cake.
Before long, one-third of the scraggly goose was gone. While enjoying his meal, Tom suddenly raised his head, alert and attentive. A pointed iron rod appeared silently in his hand.
A tall and stern-looking woman appeared before him, dressed in an emerald-green robe with a lopsided pointed hat.
"Do you have a moment?" Tom asked, alert and cautious.
"I am Professor Minerva McGonagall."
"Professor?" Tom repeated, appearing vigilant. "Why are you here? Am I causing trouble for you?"
"No, I work at a school called Hogwarts. Could you do what you did in front of Miss Granger's house again?"
"Sure." Tom picked up a leaf and brought it back to life.
Professor McGonagall's eyes flickered with surprise.
"As I thought... But your name isn't on the list," she mused. For Professor McGonagall, discovering the boy meant that she couldn't simply leave him. Even though he wasn't on the list of new students, she decided to admit him—this was her small privilege as Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts.
She understood that if Tom's magical abilities weren't guided, he would either die from a magical explosion or become something far more dangerous. She recalled a memory from her youth and shuddered involuntarily.
In both principle and practice, she couldn't leave a potential menace roaming the streets of London.
So, there was only one answer!
"I came here to invite you to the school where I work—Hogwarts. You've been accepted to Hogwarts. It's a school for students with special abilities." She quickly added, "I know it sounds strange, but Hogwarts isn't a madhouse; it's a school of magic."
Tom was speechless, showing no emotion on his face.
Professor McGonagall seemed to remember something suddenly and asked, "Oh, I forgot to ask, what's your name? Do you have any family?"
"I'm Tom, and I'm an orphan," Tom replied reflexively.
Professor McGonagall paused, her face showing a hint of recognition.
This family background sounded strangely familiar...
New book seeking collection, seeking investment!
Internal investment has passed, sign without worry, invest to earn!
(End of Chapter 1)
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(End of this chapter)
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