Chapter 25: About to Go to Hogwarts

Time flew by, and it was soon the second year.

Lately, little Shanna had been feeling extremely down. Not only did her favorite cakes lose their flavor, but even going out to play with her brother couldn't lift her spirits.

Because, before long, her brother was going to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!

Shanna had asked her mother if she could go too, but her mother said she had to wait until she was 11 years old to attend.

Shanna felt incredibly disappointed. Since the age of 2, when she first met her brother, they had never been apart for more than a day. But now, with her brother going to Hogwarts, he would be staying at the school and only coming back home every few months! Why did such an unreasonable rule exist in the world? It was incredibly frustrating!

Shanna couldn't imagine not seeing her brother for months. How would she cope with that kind of life? So, who was it that made these annoying rules anyway? Shanna decided that when she was older, she would find those troublemakers and take them down, one by one!

"Dealing with troublemakers must be done without mercy! That's what my brother says!"

Despite feeling low, Shanna continued to endure, trying her best to behave as usual, not letting her inner turmoil show, because she didn't want her brother to worry.

...

Time quickly moved to the year 1991.

Recently, Bell's mood was very bad. Not only did his favorite grilled skewers lose their taste, but even playing with his sister couldn't change his mood.

Because, before long, he would be going to that broken school called Hogwarts! Bell was increasingly disliking Hogwarts.

Come on, it's the 20th century, and you're making young wizards start school at 11 years old!? Are you kidding me? Don't you know that Muggle children start receiving elite education in kindergarten at the age of 2? Don't you know that Muggle children are exposed to competition from the moment they learn to walk? Wizards are already lagging behind right from the starting line! Do you know or not!?

And since everyone is a wizard, traveling or going out is a piece of cake. Apparition, Floo Powder, Portkeys, there are plenty of choices, pick whichever you want, and they're affordable.

If you're really not satisfied, driving around Britain wouldn't take long, so why doesn't Hogwarts have day students!?

Bell considered just not going to Hogwarts at all. After all, the quality of education at that school had been deteriorating over the years, almost becoming a chicken farm.

And after a certain unnamed little savior enrolled, all the other young wizards became nothing but study aids for the golden boy. Have you watched detective dramas? Yes! Those are the folks lying on the ground. So maybe it's better not to go?

Moreover, after years of diligent study, Bell had far surpassed the knowledge level of his peers, and because of his naturally strong magical abilities, his magical level now exceeded that of an ordinary adult wizard. So, Bell didn't feel the need to go to Hogwarts. Even if he graduated from seventh grade, Bell was confident he could outperform them; they were just a bunch of weaklings who couldn't even cast a Shield Charm.

(ˉ▽￣～)切~~

"Ahem, can't say weaklings, can't say weaklings..."

And even if he encountered any problems in his studies, he could always hire a tutor like before. If things didn't work out, he could just wait two more years and enter school with Shanna. So, there are always more solutions than difficulties, right?

However, Bell could only think about it. Even if he said it out loud, William and Elena would never agree. No matter how indulgent they were towards Bell, they would never allow him to skip school.

As for the question of "I might die if I don't see Shanna"? Trustworthy people wouldn't care.

Although he was in a bad mood, Bell had been trying very hard to hide it, trying to behave as usual and not let his inner emotions show, because he didn't want his sister to be sad.

...

Even if the two of them were unwilling, even if they hoped time would pass more slowly this time, their magic did not respond to them. So, September 1st arrived as scheduled, neither a second earlier nor a second later.

They woke up early in the morning, as usual, completed their morning training, and the Minashel family sat down together for breakfast. However, the table was missing the usual laughter and joy, replaced by Elena's worried reminders.

"Bell, are your clothes packed? Textbooks? School supplies? Snacks?"

"...Mom, don't worry, everything's ready. And Lim will go with me to Hogwarts, so if needed, she can prepare anything anytime," Bell responded listlessly.

"Okay, the train leaves at 11 o'clock, shall we use Floo Powder at 10:45?" Elena asked Bell.

She also didn't want Bell to go to Hogwarts, so she wanted to spend as much time as possible with her son in these last moments. What if her son couldn't eat well or sleep well at Hogwarts? Just thinking about it made her anxious; she couldn't sleep at all last night.

Elena gave her husband a fierce glare. He was so heartless; he slept like a log last night, not worrying at all about Bell's well-being, hmph!

William, feeling inexplicably stared at by his wife, scratched the back of his head, looking confused.

"No! Shanna can't use Floo Powder before she's 11! It's better not to use Floo Powder until she learns Apparition!" Bell firmly refused.

"But children from wizarding families can use Floo Powder at 7 or 8 years old, right?"

Elena looked somewhat speechless at her son's overreaction. He already knows Apparition, so what's the problem with using Floo Powder? How lazy can you get! (Going to places with anti-Apparition jinx, like the Ministry of Magic, using Floo Powder is more convenient.)

"It's none of my concern when others choose to use it. I simply don't want Shanna to use Floo Powder so early. It could be overwhelming for her, and there's the risk of getting lost if she's not careful."

Come on, Bell didn't care if other people's kids lived or died. What if Shanna accidentally mispronounced the destination and got lost? Even adult wizards occasionally make mistakes.

His sister was so delicate, so adorable, anyone who saw her would want to take her home and raise her. How could Bell tolerate such a thing? Just thinking about it sent shivers down his spine, and he felt like blowing something up, okay?

"Alright," Elena replied. She was accustomed to her son's behavior, especially when it involved his sister; he tended to be overly protective.

"Then we'll just have to leave earlier and drive to King's Cross Station in London."