The Return to Hogwarts

However, the bad weather couldn't dampen the children's spirits. With their bags on their heads, they hurried across the puddles, smiles on their faces, and ran towards the six-story building from all directions.

In the not-so-spacious foyer, Amosta was surrounded by dozens of children, some as young as four or five, others as old as Harry and his friends. They listened intently as Amosta described the beautiful scenery of the outside world.

"--Not just Europe, Dean. The reason I haven't been back for so long is because I also went to another continent, Egypt. I think you've all heard of it."

“There are pyramids and endless deserts there, Brother Amosta. When I went to deliver milk to Mrs. Kelly, I glanced at the images on TV from her foyer,”

In the bustling crowd, a little boy with rosy cheeks raised his hand and shouted excitedly.

"It's beautiful there!"

"Can we have a TV too, Brother Amosta?"

A little girl in Amosta's arms, whose voice still had a babyish quality, asked in an envious tone.

“That’s not a problem, Lina,”

Amostah kissed Lina's forehead and said with a smile, "I'll discuss this with Mrs. Reagan. From now on, every dormitory room in this building will have a color TV. We can even arrange a room to put a few computers in, so you can take turns playing games when you have free time."

The children's cheers drowned out the pattering rain, almost shattering the windows of the hall. Amid the noisy laughter, some more curious children asked, "Isn't Amosta a salesman for a drilling company? Why would Egypt, a place full of desert, need drilling rigs?"

"Ahem, there are cities on land there too, Elisa. Where there's land, there's always a need for drilling rigs—"

Amosta, who had been making things up, touched his nose and said awkwardly.

"Brother Amosta!"

Crouching in front of him, little Hammer, who had finally found a chance to speak, waved his hands and looked at Amosta eagerly, asking,

"Since you're back this time, can you stay home a little longer?"

"Of course, no problem, little Hammer."

Amosta ruffled little Hammer's hair and smiled happily.

"I'll be staying a few more days, kids. In fact, besides seeing you all, I also wanted to help with your schooling. Those guys in charge of public schools can't keep trying to fool me with small problems like a lack of classrooms and teachers!"

The children looked at each other, then burst into strange laughter.

"This problem has been solved, Brother Amosta!"

Little Hammer, with a smug look on his face, exclaimed happily.

"Sister Vitia has already made arrangements with the school for us. By September, many people here will be able to attend public schools!"

"Sister Vitia?"

Amosta opened his mouth in surprise.

"Who is that? A new employee?"

Chapter 107 Your name

As night falls, the starlight that has traveled light-years away, cleansed by the rain, shines with unparalleled purity and brilliance. The starlight reflects in the puddles that accumulate in the ancient streets and courtyards, transforming the wet ground into a mysterious and unpredictable starry sky.

Inside the six-story building of the orphanage, the restaurant that used to be on the second floor has now been transformed into a banquet hall, where a dinner party is currently being held.

In terms of scale, this banquet could not compare to Hogwarts' opening banquet or Halloween banquet, but in terms of liveliness, it was no less spectacular.

As the banquet progressed, Amosta, who had initially been the center of attention, was gradually sidelined. The children, who had never enjoyed such a sumptuous meal even on Christmas, skipped around with light steps. They moved among the tables laden with fragrant grilled steaks, sausages, potato pies, cream puddings, and various juices, their smiles on their innocent faces more radiant than blooming tulips.

Amosta leaned against the wooden railing of the stairs, watching the scene before him with a gentle expression.

His gaze shifted, and when it finally settled on the smiling figure dining with the children, his eyelids trembled almost imperceptibly, and a strange light flashed in his eyes.

This is a lady with a gentle and serene appearance.

She wore a simple, off-white dress that just covered her knees, and her long, emerald-green hair, the same color as her eyes, was draped smoothly over her shoulders. Her fair skin glowed almost imperceptibly under the not-too-bright light, and the fresh scent surrounding her could be faintly smelled even from dozens of feet away.

With her hair styled in a misty, cloud-like tress, she was graceful and elegant—that was Amosta's assessment of her.

To be honest, even Amosta, who has traveled between two worlds and has seen a great deal, has never seen a lady with such an elegant demeanor.

Ms. Vitia Hill, who was volunteering at the orphanage, seemed to notice Amosta's gaze. She turned around, looked at Amosta by the stairs, nodded, and smiled.

Amosta responded with a smile, then, taking advantage of everyone's inattention, turned and walked up the stairs.

The lively commotion from the second floor could still be heard from upstairs. Amosta walked expressionlessly down the dimly lit corridor, his eyes scanning the surroundings. He occasionally tapped on the walls to assess the quality of the dormitory. Before he knew it, he had reached the top floor.

Amosta climbed up a steel ladder next to a laundry room to the roof and strolled to the railing.

The view from the rooftop wasn't very expansive, as the rows of low-rise buildings opposite and on both sides blocked most of the scenery around the orphanage. Fortunately, it was far from the hustle and bustle, and the lights were dim, so the starry sky was still quite bright.

Amosta rested his arms on the railing, tilted his head back, and gazed quietly at the night sky. After some time, a cool night breeze brushed against his face. Amosta squinted and took out a cigarette from his pocket.

Smoking was Amosta's habit in his previous life, and he was quite addicted to it back then. However, since coming to this world and experiencing infancy, infancy, and childhood again, he has successfully given up this bad habit and has no intention of picking it up again.

However, when he's in a bad mood, he'll still take out a cigarette and smell the aroma of tobacco.

Suddenly, crisp footsteps echoed from the steel ladder behind him. Amosta crushed the cigarette in his hand and threw it into the wind before turning around. When he saw the coat hanging on Vitia's arm, his unfathomable gaze flickered for a moment.

"Mrs. Reagan told me that every time you come back here, you like to spend a long time alone on the rooftop—"

Vitia walked gracefully to Amosta's side and handed him her coat.

"It seems you are a man who prefers quiet, Mr. Blaine."

"Thanks,"

Amosta took the coat but didn't put it on. He looked at Vitia, who still appeared tall despite wearing low-heeled sandals, and casually smiled, saying...

"You're welcome, Miss Hill. Just call me Amosta."

Although she tried her best to hide it, some other emotions still showed in Vitia's pure eyes.

Every day she worked at the orphanage, she could hear the children expressing their longing for the young man's return, and over time, she couldn't help but feel curious.

"Mrs. Reagan and the children say that you've solved the schooling problem for the little ones here. That's remarkable, Miss Hill. Those corrupt officials and equally greedy staff in the schools are not easy to deal with. How did you manage to do all that?"

Amosta's gaze swept over Vitia's eyes and hair as he asked with a smile.

"Actually, I'm not as good as you think, Bray Amostall. I just asked my father for some help. He's a professor at University College London and has some connections with government officials, albeit minor ones, but fortunately the problem isn't complicated—"

Amostah nodded noncommittally, then looked down at the nearly deserted street below. Although he was expressing gratitude, his tone was calm and unwavering.

"Anyway, Miss Hill, I still have to thank you on behalf of the children."

The two stood by the railing, and in the deep night, they spoke as if they knew each other very well, even though they had just met.

"--When I was here, the environment in the courtyard was much worse than it is now. In the summer, the rooms were so stuffy that it was unbearable to stay in. We could only lay out mats in the courtyard and try to fall asleep while enduring the many mosquitoes bred by the poor drainage system."

In winter, due to a lack of funds to repair doors, windows, and cracked walls, the rooms were drafty, and the biting cold winds were far beyond what a thin blanket could withstand. To avoid freezing to death, several of us would squeeze onto one bed, shivering and waiting for dawn.

Many children my age cut off all ties with the orphanage after leaving, and I understand that, because it held too many unpleasant memories for them.

Amosta brought up the past abruptly, but Vitia didn't show any surprise. She pursed her lips and asked...

"Mrs. Reagan told me that you later went to a boarding school, which your parents reportedly enrolled you in before you were born."

Amosta stroked his fingers and smiled casually.

“I spent my entire adolescence there. It was a very good school with delicious food and a good night’s sleep. So, Miss Hill, your upbringing must have been much better than that of these children?”

Vitia brushed aside the stray strands of hair in front of her eyes, and instead of directly answering Amosta's question, she spoke in an ethereal voice,

"Actually, it's not as wonderful as you imagine."

Amosta nodded slightly and said nothing more.

The two stood side by side, gazing at the deepening night sky, their silence accompanied by an unspeakable sense of oppression.

Throughout the entire ordeal, not a single child came up looking for Amosta or Vitia. These clever little ones had their own little schemes. After quietly cleaning up the messy restaurant with the staff, they returned to their rooms and hid under the covers, laughing and talking about Brother Amosta and Miss Vitia on the rooftop.

One by one, the lights in the houses on both sides of the street went out, until finally, apart from the dim yellow glow of the two rows of streetlights, all was quiet.

“Then, Miss Vitia,”

As the moon set in the west, Amosta turned his head expressionlessly and spoke again.

"May I ask your real name?"

"Vitia—"

The elegant lady beside him smiled unsurprisedly on her fair face. She lowered her eyes and spoke softly, her voice tinged with a hint of apology.

“Vitia Kriona, that’s my real name, Mr. Golden Viper—”

P.S.: I've started work, so the second update is a bit late. Sorry.

Chapter 108 Your Purpose

"I've been very careful, but I don't know when it started, it seems like everyone knows who 'Golden Viper' really is--"

Amosta chuckled self-deprecatingly.

"We paid a heavy price to find you."

Vitia's tone was filled with deep apology; she seemed to want to apologize for approaching Amosta in this way. However, Amosta didn't give her a chance to speak. He turned and left, walking steadily towards the stairs. Only after his figure completely disappeared did a detached voice echo from the dark opening.

"Let's go somewhere else, Ms. Clona. I don't want to fight anyone here, especially not a powerful wizard like you."