Struggling to survive at Hogwarts

Time passed slowly in this eerie atmosphere, and whether people liked it or not, the giant wheel of time kept turning.

The children in the orphanage originally planned to secretly laugh at Thea and make her feel afraid, as if only in this way could they prove that they had won the game of isolating Thea.

Thea wasn't unaware of their thoughts, but she didn't pay much attention, maintaining her own pace: organizing the plot, going for walks, helping the nearby residents with small favors, and then pretending to be innocent to learn about the world from them.

With her sweet and lovely smile, the clever and quick-witted Thea became known as the most sensible child among the nearby residents.

It seemed that only Jennifer harbored resentment about this matter, but once she left the dormitory, she reverted to her usual well-behaved and sensible self.

The orphanage seemed quite lively these past few days. The children had stopped being naughty and had become well-behaved, which amazed the gatekeeper, who kept praising the director's effective management to Thea, saying that it was the only way to keep these mischievous kids in line.

Not only did the children become more well-behaved, but the few adults in the orphanage also became more diligent: even the stingiest accountant, Connie, took out the orphanage's funds to buy a new batch of clothes to improve the appearance of the facility.

The distinctive clatter of a horse-drawn carriage echoed outside the gate, accompanied by the long neighing of the horse, as the carriage stopped at the entrance of the orphanage.

Windsor had started organizing the children to line up in two rows at the door two hours earlier, thinking that Headmistress Mrs. Green would arrive soon, but she did not expect to make the children wait for so long.

The chilly wind of early winter swept over the high walls and lashed the children without mercy. The cold and hunger made the crowd restless. When they saw the carriage stop in front of them, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

Thea looked closely: first, a fair hand came into view, then a middle-aged woman leaned half her body out of the carriage, and looked quite surprised when she saw the children lined up neatly at the door.

He then raised his hand and waved enthusiastically to the crowd. Windsor immediately went forward and offered to help the woman down from the carriage. The woman did not refuse and followed Windsor's help to get off the carriage.

The first thing he did after getting off the carriage was to turn around and greet it warmly again: "Darcy! We've arrived, hurry up and get off, my poor darling, who would have thought that motion sickness is so torturous!"

The people inside the carriage moved swiftly, getting off before Mrs. Green could finish speaking.

The simple action made Mrs. Green feel as if she were facing a great danger. She quickly helped the young woman up, afraid that she might bump into something.

Thea looked over, a hint of amazement flashing in her eyes: the woman wore a wide-brimmed hat, with a few strands of hair peeking out from the brim, her pale face making her appear extremely fragile. Her beautiful long, curly hair was tied back with a white ribbon, and her long skirt flowed like a blooming flower.

Mrs. Green looked at the girl, her eyes filled with pride. The beautiful scene was ultimately broken by a cough.

Mrs. Green then came to her senses, a hint of displeasure flashing across her face, but it quickly disappeared.

Facing the orphanage children, she still wore that enthusiastic expression, warmly greeting them, "Come on in, my darlings! It's so cold, I'll make sure you get double the hot cocoa!!!"

The children's dissatisfaction vanished instantly, their minds filled with thoughts of double the hot cocoa, and they cheered as they ran toward the restaurant.

Thea and Jennifer lagged behind. The two walked at a leisurely pace. Thea seemed to sense the gazes behind her, but when she turned around, she only saw Mrs. Green and a few others escorting a young woman named Darcy away.

Thea stepped into the dormitory and, unsurprisingly, saw Jennifer tormenting her poor pillow again. With a slight sigh, she went over and rescued the pillow from Jennifer's clutches.

Seeing that Thea took the pillow away without saying a word, Jennifer felt increasingly aggrieved and said in a tearful voice, "You're ignoring me again! Do you like that Darcy like everyone else?"

Thea took out her handkerchief and wiped away her tears, coaxing her helplessly, "I've only just met her, how could I possibly like her already?"

Jennifer was easy to coax and stopped crying immediately.

Seeing this, Thea pressed on, saying, "Even if they all like Darcy, she won't stay long. Once she leaves, you'll still be the most likable one."

Jennifer finally regained her composure. Seeing this, Thea brought up another topic: "Didn't you notice? Mrs. Green's attitude towards Darcy is rather strange."

Reminded by Thea, Jennifer began to recall, "Now that you mention it, it seems so. Mrs. Green does seem to like her a lot, but it feels like she's going too far?"

"Doesn't it feel like Mrs. Green is being treated like a fragile piece of porcelain, as if you're afraid she'll get hurt?"

Jennifer immediately responded, "Yes! Just like handling porcelain!"

When Thea saw that Jennifer had fully recovered and was no longer dwelling on her grievances, she felt relieved. She then returned to the table, took out paper and pen, and began to write and draw again.

"What are you writing?" Jennifer asked curiously as she leaned closer.

"I plan to write down what happened today."

Upon hearing Thea's answer, Jennifer curled her lip and said boredly, "So you're writing in your diary? How boring. What decent person would write a diary?"

Thea looked at her with some surprise, and seeing only boredom on her face, she couldn't help but think to herself, "Indeed, who in a decent person would keep a diary?"

Seeing that Jennifer was really bored, Thea's eyes flickered, and she suggested, "How about you do me a favor and find out everything about Darcy, down to the smallest detail? If you can find out why she came back, that would be even better. Is that alright, Jennifer?"

Jennifer was initially reluctant, but after seeing Thea lower her head and ignore her after speaking, it was as if she had just said it casually.

Seeing that she was so insincere in asking for help, Jennifer went out to find out more information, vowing that once she found out, she would make Thea beg her to tell her.

Hearing Jennifer's angry footsteps, Thea finally looked up at the direction Jennifer had rushed off to, her eyes crinkling into a sly, fox-like smile. So what if the trick is old-fashioned? As long as it works.

Coming to my senses, I found myself unconsciously twirling my pen, recalling Mrs. Green's strange attitude, and my doubts grew stronger.

If there's no profit to be made, why would anyone go to such lengths to showcase Darcy's special qualities to everyone?

Recalling all the images of Darcy—his overly pale face, his slightly loose long dress, his lack of makeup, and his lack of excessive jewelry—Thea's smile widened as she thought about it. Things seemed to be getting more and more interesting.