Chapter 4

The professor's response came the next day, and it was negative. McGonagall couldn't assist me in this situation. She suggested a few paths I could take if I wanted to become a tutor. The first option was through the Teachers' Guild, which links students with tutors. To join this guild, specific credentials in the magical world are required. The minimum rank for membership is an apprentice in the subject I'd like to teach. So, this was not suitable for me, as I didn't have the necessary rank. The professor mentioned that I could also try taking exams externally to earn the title. This would exempt me from studying that subject at Hogwarts, but I could still attend classes to deepen my knowledge with the professors.

The second option was to find students on my own, although I would earn much less money this way. Without the guild's protection, people might try to take advantage of me. The professor advised me to think very carefully about this method of earning money. It didn't seem like the best path for me. It's unfortunate, but I'll try to find another way.

After sending a thank-you letter, I requested information from the guild about what needed to be done to obtain the title. My parents were pleased with my determination. I also visited the local library and happily borrowed books on local sciences, history, and much more. However, I didn't have time to study them yet, as I was busy with the books I had downloaded at Hogwarts.

The responses from the guilds arrived around the same time, causing a bit of a stir on our street, but the neighbors quickly forgot about it. The letters seemed to be written in a similar fashion. They listed the books and materials I needed to study, along with the next exam date and its cost. The ten Galleon fee for the apprentice title was quite significant.

The next day, I went to Diagon Alley again and headed straight to the bookstore. There, I was greeted by the familiar seller, who was reading a newspaper. He glanced at me with interest.

"Good day," I greeted him.

"Good day, sir," he nodded. "What book are you looking for?"

"I'm looking for 'Charms' by Ondreus Waflals," I told him.

"Good choice," he nodded. "Are you by chance preparing for the apprentice exam in Charms?"

"Yes, I am" I nodded back.

He nodded, disappeared for a few seconds, and then returned with a rather thick tome, incomparable to the Charms book I had loaded for preparing for the OWLs. I plunged into meditation and immediately began downloading it into my Archive.

Putting it aside, I shook my head. I'll upload it later. I need to check if I can use the same method that helped me so much at Hogwarts.

"How much does it cost?" I asked.

"Six Galleons," the seller immediately replied.

"Expensive," I sighed. "I can't afford it right now."

"Then save up or ask your parents," the seller said somewhat irritably and took the book away.

"Alright," I nodded to him, ignoring his tone. "Thank you."

"Any other books you're interested in?"

"Not at the moment."

The seller shrugged and returned to the counter, watching me closely. I wandered a bit more among the books displayed on the shelves and showcases. Showing interest, I started downloading all the necessary books.

The download didn't take much time or energy, so I got the books and materials I needed to prepare for the apprentice exams in Charms and Transfiguration, as well as the Hunter's Guild. The Hunter's Guild is the direct employer for students who excelled in DADA. There's also the Battle Mages Guild, but it's too early for me to consider taking the exam there.

I was analyzing the books when I got home. It turned out that a work friend of my mother's had come to visit, bringing her daughter, who was also sixteen, like me.

"Hi," I nodded, entering the room.

"Ah, Timothy," the woman said with a smile. "I haven't seen you for so long! You've grown so much this year."

"Thank you," I smiled back. "I'm glad to see you too."

"How's your studying?" she asked as I sat at the table with them. "I hope they're not pushing you too hard at the private school?"

"There's a lot to learn," I nodded. "But it's worth it."

"Of course, it's worth it," she nodded. I finally remembered her name was Maggie, and her daughter was Tamara. She works as a middle level manager in a bank. A decent job, but she's not rolling in money. Her daughter was in my class before I went to Hogwarts. "A good education always pays off. Go talk to Tamara; maybe she'll find something interesting, instead of just parties and fun."

I shrugged and walked over to Tamara, who was sitting in an armchair, reading a fashion magazine and chewing something. She didn't even look my way, so deeply engrossed was she in the magazine. Not wanting to disturb her, I shrugged again and went to my room to change into more comfortable clothes.

I returned five minutes later and opened a book. If she didn't want to talk, then I had nothing to say either.

"Maybe you'd like to go for a walk," Maggie suggested. "I heard there's a nice ice cream shop nearby."

"Mom," Tamara sighed and closed the magazine. It was clear she loved makeup, but everything looked surprisingly neat. Let's just say, Tamara is a beautiful girl.

"What, Mom," her mother snorted. "Go for a walk, get some fresh air… instead of sitting here and growing moss."

"Alright," Tamara said reluctantly.

"Go on," her mother urged. Honestly, I would've preferred to stay home and analyze the books I got. But okay, if I need to talk to Tamara, it's probably worth it.

It was warm outside, so I wore my usual jeans and a T-shirt. Tamara was in a light summer dress that accentuated her non-teenage figure. But what to talk to her about, I had no idea.

We walked silently to the ice cream shop. There were quite a few people there, sitting at tables, chatting, and eating delicious-looking ice cream.

"What kind of ice cream do you want?" I asked her, breaking the silence. "I'll pay."

"Pistachio with strawberries," Tamara said without batting an eye.

Our turn came, and we were greeted by a tall man with a gray beard, wearing a yellow turban.

"What kind of ice cream would you like to order, sir?" he asked slightly waving his head from left to right.

"Pistachio with strawberries and vanilla," I replied after checking the menu.

"Cup or cone?"

"Cone," I chose the more expensive option. "And I like plain vanilla."

I paid with the pocket money my father had given me. In three minutes, we got our ice cream and headed to a small bench at the park's entrance.

"Don't think you have even a small chance of dating me," she said bluntly after finishing her ice cream. "I already have a boyfriend."

I paused for a moment, then continued eating my vanilla ice cream. It turned out to be very tasty and of high quality. In Fiore, ice cream was incredibly popular, and people went to great lengths to come up with new and interesting recipes.

"I wasn't thinking that," I replied calmly. "You don't interest me."

The silence was overwhelming. I looked at her and saw a strange expression, a mix of disbelief and confusion. Maybe she's popular among the students at her school, but it doesn't matter to me. And as for looks, I've seen better at Hogwarts.

"What?" she said.

"Well, think about it if you can," I said calmly. "Why would I want to date you? What can you offer me besides beauty? There are many like you. And I wouldn't even be your first."

The silence dragged on. It seemed my last statement was a bit too much.

"You'll regret your words," she said in a high-pitched tone. It seemed my words had hurt her. "My boyfriend is the captain of the football team. He'll break your legs."

"Really?" I asked, looking at her, then moving closer. "Let him try."

I'm not afraid of some football player. In Fiore, I trained in martial arts whenever I had extra money and showed decent results for someone who couldn't use magic properly. Here, my body isn't trained, but that doesn't mean I can't do anything.

"So, better not play such interesting games," I added calmly.

"Hmph," she snorted and turned away. But she didn't throw away the ice cream, finishing it instead.

After that, we walked back home in silence. Maggie immediately understood that our conversation didn't go well and sighed sadly. Honestly, I can understand her. From my memory, private school education is quite a statement for a good future. Private school students always get into excellent universities, into great specialties. After that, graduates of these specialties live very well. Besides, in private schools, you can make many interesting and useful connections, although that's not the main thing. So, I can understand her wanting the best future for her child. Judging by everything I heard, Tamara's boyfriend won't become a professional football player in a near future. But I don't know enough to judge.

"If you want to go for another walk, call me," Maggie said.

"Of course," I nodded. "I'll do that."

We said our goodbyes warmly. Then I helped my mother with the dishes, although there weren't many.

"How was your time with Tamara?" she asked as I dried the last plate.

"Meh," I replied honestly.

"I see," she nodded, accepting my words. "If you want to talk, I'll be happy to listen… But you should probably talk to your father about this."

I just nodded, accepting her words.

After washing up, I went to my room. There, I plunged into meditation and finally started analyzing the loaded materials and books. The analysis went incredibly quickly since most of the information was already in the books I had downloaded earlier. What wasn't there simply complemented the existing data catalog.

Around midnight, the last book was analyzed, and I happily went to bed. I woke up early in the morning to the sound of thunder. Gray clouds hung heavily over the city. Heavy rain fell, breaking into a drumbeat. The wind bent trees in different directions. The weather was not the best today.

I went downstairs and saw my father in his home clothes, reading a newspaper.

"No work today?" I asked him.

"Had to postpone," he replied. "I was supposed to work with the team outside, but it's incredibly dangerous in this weather. So, we'll rest."

Mom was already sitting at the table, drinking hot coffee. Her work wasn't canceled, so she'd have to go to school in this weather.

"Timothy," she addressed me. "Do you have any plans for the day after tomorrow morning?"

"Saturday?" I clarified. "Not yet. Why?"

"You need to see the dentist," she said. "No matter how good the medicine at your school is, you need to check with a qualified specialist. Just to calm my nerves."

"Alright," I agreed. "If it's the dentist, then the dentist it is."

"Good, then I'm off," Mom said.

She kissed Dad, hugged me, and left.

"What are your plans for toady?" Dad asked, putting the newspaper aside.

"I'll be working on my homework," I replied. "I got a scholarship, and to maintain it, I need to study a lot."

"Right," Dad nodded. "As one short guy said: 'Study, study, and study again.'"

I should know who he was talking about… but I didn't.

Back in my room, I took out my Charms books and paper to start on my homework. Of course, homework isn't mandatory. No one checks it. It's entirely up to the student whether to do it or not. I believe it's worth doing because it's an extra chance to learn something new. However, I quickly hit a wall. I just didn't have the knowledge to complete the assignment. The task was simple: I needed to modify the Lumos spell to add some additional effects. But I knew nothing about spell construction, and there was no information on this in my books. I'd have to go back to Diagon Alley to find the information I needed at the bookstore.

Setting aside the Charms assignment, I decided to move on to my Transfiguration homework. The problem was the same. I needed to modify a spell, but I had no idea how to do it. Potions followed the same pattern: modify the potion. Herbology required modifying the plant. Care of Magical Creatures involved modifying the creature. It was immediately clear that I could only complete everything theoretically.

I can't use magic at home until I'm seventeen. Without it, I couldn't properly do the assignments. To make spells work, I needed to test them. To check potions, I needed a proper room and a way to clean up failed results. The same goes for other assignments. I didn't have any of that and wouldn't have it any time soon.

But that doesn't mean I can't try to do theoretical calculations. While it won't be a full completion of the assignment, at least it's a start. Besides, I wouldn't be able to practice spells anyway. Generally, I realized the situation for people like me isn't very pleasant. Those whose parents are wizards have it differently. They can use spells under the supervision of their relatives.

So, I decided to continue reading the books I had. To avoid getting too immersed, I took breaks for exercises in my room. Outside, the weather was still raging, but there were signs it would end soon. I don't like such weather.

When Mom came home from work, we had dinner, watched the news together, and then went to our rooms. I returned to studying the material but not for long this time. A good night's sleep never hurt anyone.

The rain stopped at night, so the morning was somewhat cool, but the forecast promised warmth. My parents went to work. I had breakfast alone and then went to Diagon Alley again. I didn't pay much attention to the amazing technology of this world, though I wanted to keep staring. But it would have been strange, at least.

When I turned the corner, almost reaching the bus stop, I saw Tamara surrounded by several young guys. One was holding her close, and the others were laughing about something. I'm not afraid of them, but it's better to wait for now. The needed bus passed. They stood there for a while longer and then went somewhere, laughing about something. I had a strange suspicion. Were they waiting for me? A bit paranoid, but it couldn't be dismissed. Healthy paranoia never hurt anyone.

Waiting for them to disappear around the corner, I finally came out. I had to wait another five minutes for the bus in my direction. This time, the route was a bit longer due to several transfers, but it was worth it as I studied the city a bit.

In Diagon Alley, I did the same as last time, stopping at the bookstore and starting the needed download. I noticed a café nearby where I could sit while the books were being downloaded. The book I ordered was called – Spell Construction.

An idea came to mind. Why not check the bank for books? Maybe here, like in Fiore, the most interesting books are kept in a protected place, almost impossible to access without permission.

Gringotts Bank was located away from all the other buildings in Diagon Alley. It created the impression that the building tried to appear independent from the others. Around it was a paved square with only a few wizards walking around. There were no benches or trees to sit by. So, I needed to be inside without drawing suspicion.

I needed to exchange some money into the magical world currency. At the same time, I could see how well I could download books and learn a bit about the local banking system since I knew almost nothing about it.

I didn't pay much attention to the sign before the entrance. It probably said something about how stealing is bad and that severe punishment would follow. Nothing new or interesting.

Inside, the bank was enormous and incredibly ornate. Yet, it didn't feel airy or foggy. Goblins were interesting creatures, whose history is intertwined with that of wizards so closely that where one begins, the other ends. It's a history of constant uprisings, battles, betrayals, captures, and executions. Only in the last fifty years has it calmed down a bit.

I noticed a family with blond hair, dressed in incredibly expensive robes. The man tapped a cane with a snake head, waiting for something. The stunningly beautiful woman stood, also watching the surrounding wizards and witches. Their child looked at the surroundings with slight disdain and arrogance, showing himself a bit spoiled.

Distracted from them, I headed to the reception, waiting for my turn. I had to go into meditation, then come out of it when needed, move forward, and return to it. When it was my turn, I walked up leisurely.

The goblin sat on a raised platform, looking at me from under his round glasses, making his long nose even more crooked. His long fingers held a quill, writing something on his parchment.

"Purpose?" he asked in a harsh, creaky voice. It was immediately clear he wasn't human.

"To exchange money," I replied at once.

He nodded, as I wasn't the first to do this and wouldn't be the last. He displayed the amount I had and waited. The goblin quickly counted, then made a note. After that, he took out a small stack of coins, counted it, and handed it to me.

"Your money," he said. "Anything else?"

"Yes, do you have a brochure that explains the bank's services?" I asked him.

"Yes, we do," he nodded. In a second, a piece of paper with beautiful borders and the bank's symbol on the back appeared from under the desk. "Here you go."

"Thank you," I nodded, taking the brochure.

With the money in my pocket, I stepped aside to the wall, pretending to study the brochure. In reality, I plunged into meditation and quickly tried to find the information I needed. First, I searched for "Spell Construction."

This brought up a lot of books flying around me. I quickly found the largest book, as thick as my height, and immediately started downloading it. The process began slowly, but it didn't matter. I could pause, then restore and continue from where I left off.

When I stepped outside, I paused and went into meditation again. Standing for about five minutes, I had to continue my way as I was starting to draw attention from the local security. Leaving the square, I realized I couldn't continue the download. Well, I'll do it later.

When I was already approaching the needed station by bus, I immediately noticed a group of teenagers I knew well. It was Tamara with her boyfriend and his friends, as I understood. Besides them, there were a few girls, but they weren't as attractive as my acquaintance. It seems I know what's going to happen. Well, okay.

Stretching my neck and fists, I stood up from my seat, and when the bus stopped, I got off. The conversations and laughter immediately stopped. A smile appeared on my face. Standing on the sidewalk, I turned to Tamara and her football player boyfriend.

"Ah, it's you," I nodded to her. I didn't start the conflict, though it reeked of it. I immediately noticed the football player. Yes, he's fit and sporty, but I'm not afraid. "Hi."

"Timothy," Tamara replied in a sweet tone. "Meet my boyfriend, Austin. I told you about him."

"Nice to meet you," I nodded to him, still smiling.

"Alright, dumbass," he began, trying to express his discontent. He stood in such a convenient way that I couldn't resist. A quick, powerful punch to the stomach immediately bent him in half.

No one even had time to react. They didn't expect that. Am I afraid of a crowd? No, but I'm cautious.

Austin tried to straighten up, but it still hurt. To not let the situation slip, I grabbed him by the neck and squeezed, lifting him slightly. Fear from the others became more noticeable.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know what you wanted to say," I said. "When you come back to your senses, tell me, but now I want to warn you. Any wrong move, and you might have problems. Do you understand?"

"Khh," he tried to say something. I had to let him go.

"So, did you want to tell me something?" I asked him with a smile, tilting my head slightly.

He tried to catch his breath, holding his throat, saying nothing. His look was somewhat frightened. It seems I overdid it a bit. Well, I didn't expect him to give up so quickly.

"Nothing," he gasped. "Nothing."

"Well, alright," I nodded. "Then I won't keep you. I have things to do. Unlike you, I think about my future. Goodbye."

Passing through the crowd wasn't difficult. Without looking back at them, I slowly walked forward, continuing to listen to the surrounding sounds. But no one followed or tried to stop me. They weren't ready for this and got scared. On the other side of the street, I saw a man in a police uniform who gave me a thumbs-up and smiled. I smiled back. It seems a policeman was watching us. Maybe he would've intervened in a serious fight, but he decided not to.

I returned home in a peaceful state. I made myself a snack and went to my room to continue studying the material. In general, nothing else interesting happened during the day. No one called my parents to complain about what happened. Maybe I misjudged the situation, and no one planned to hit me? No, nonsense… If they don't intend to fight, they don't surround with such a crowd.

At night, I started analyzing the received materials.

The weekend began quietly. We had breakfast, then Mom drove us to the dentist. I didn't forget to take one of the books to continue studying.

Saturday in London was incredibly lively. Cars were always moving somewhere. People kept hurrying, even though many had the day off. There were also many tourists, which wasn't surprising.

The clinic was on the other side of the city, but having a car made it easy. It was a small building where several dentists and their assistants worked. In the reception, we just sat and waited. The receptionist quickly gathered our information.

"Please wait, Dr. Granger will be free in about ten minutes," she said with a white smile.

A TV was on the wall, showing some movie. There were magazines and newspapers on a small coffee table. A doctor occasionally came into the reception, but not the one I was scheduled to see.

Dr. Granger appeared right on time, about ten minutes later. He was a short man with glasses in a black frame. His face mask was slightly lowered. Black hair was neatly combed back. He made a peaceful and pleasant impression.

"Come in, friends," he said. Waiting for us to get up, he led us through the corridors to his office. A small curly-haired girl was reading a book at a table there. "Hermione, go to the tea room. Wait for me there."

"Okay, Dad," she replied and stood up. She gave us a curious look and disappeared down the corridor.

"See, she loves to study," Mom said. "You don't see that every day."

"Yes, she's talented," Dr. Granger nodded. "She devours books not by days, but by hours. A little prodigy."

"Wow, looks like she might be talented" Mom nodded, with a slight approval in her tone.

"Have a seat, Tim," the dentist addressed me, pointing to the strange dark blue chair. "I haven't seen you for almost a year. How's school?"

"Pretty good, I think," I nodded. "Studying little by little. Taking exams. That sort of thing."

"Well, that's good," he nodded. "Then let's check your teeth. How are they?"

The check up began. The doctor carefully examined each tooth, using tools. Suspicious areas received additional scrutiny. It took just over half an hour.

"Well, what can I say," he said, removing his glasses. "Tim's teeth are in excellent condition. It seems the school feeds him incredibly high-quality food."

"Yes," Mom nodded with slight relaxations.

I just nodded. I really had nothing to say on this topic. Wizards have many medical spells that can do much more than ordinary people's technology and knowledge.

"Overall, it's good," the doctor nodded. "What color toothbrush do you want?"

"Let's go with green."

Dr. Granger quickly packed a green toothbrush along with some toothpaste and handed it to me. The bag had the clinic's name and symbol on it.

In the reception, Mom paid, and we went on with our day. We visited a huge shopping center that could compete with any markets in Fiore. I got new clothes, almost completely updating my wardrobe. I chose comfortable things without going overboard with colors. Shirts, pants, underwear, and most importantly, socks.

In the shopping center, I noticed a few wizards who stood out a bit. They attracted attention with interested looks, strange clothing choices. But the most attention-grabbing were those with visible wands in holsters on their belts. I had one myself, but it was on my arm. I didn't part with the wand for my safety.

In the same shopping center, there were several magical shops, but they were skillfully hidden by magic and simple location.

After finishing all the shopping, we returned home. Dad was doing something in the garage with a few of his friends.

"You're back?" he asked. "I see you shopped well. By the way, Tamara called. She wanted Tim to call her back."

"Oh?" Mom said with a slight smirk and winked at me. "You should definitely call her back."

Honestly, I didn't care. Whether she called or not. If it's important, she'll call back. If not, then no. I wasn't going to call her first. No way.

"Alright," I said. "I need to continue studying."

With those words, I went to my room and continued studying the books I had. The Spell Construction book I got from the bookstore was incredibly interesting, revealing basic things about how spells work and what's needed to develop them.

But I also found a true gem called "Theory of Magic." Magic is an energy field almost impossible to see with the naked eye and in a normal, conscious state. This field can be seen with incredibly complex artifacts, under psychotropic drugs, or by having an altered consciousness from birth. Spells are created by moving a wand in this magical field, forming magical figures. These figures then turn into a tangible effect, which can be seen and felt.

Now, with a better understanding of what magic is and how it works, I can somehow improve my skills in this area. For that, obviously, I need to train a lot and study a lot. But I'm already doing that.

In general, creating and modifying spells is an incredibly complex and tedious process. Modifying one spell will take me more than a month, so I shouldn't worry too much about not completing it. I can work on something to show the professors later and ask for their advice.

Setting aside this book, I returned to the Charms book. It was more interesting to me right now. I only took breaks for physical exercises, which allowed me to take a break from the information and let it settle. After that, I moved on to the Transfiguration book, which was more complex in understanding since the theory was more complicated.

Then I went for a short walk around the neighborhood with my father, during which he asked me with interest about some small details of Hogwarts. I told him what I knew and sometimes just embellished, making even the most mundane things fun. In general, a rather pleasant time. But inside, a small worm of doubt and regret still twisted. After all, I'm not their child. I'm just a foreign soul in a body. Exhaling, I pushed these thoughts aside and returned to the conversation.

On Sunday, we had a day off. Everyone did what they wanted. For me, the plan didn't change. I continued studying the books I had downloaded, paid some attention to spell construction, and did physical exercises. Spent time usefully.

"Tim!" Mom called me to the phone from the first floor. "Someone wants to talk to you."

"Tsk," I muttered. I straightened my clothes and went downstairs. The woman handed me the phone and smirked. I think I already know who might be on the other end of the line. Interesting technology, I must say.

"Yes," I said into the phone.

"Timothy," a familiar female voice said. "It's Tamara."

"Yes, what is it?" I asked her.

"I," she began, then sniffled. "I wanted to apologize."

"Okay," I said and fell silent.

The silence dragged on.

"I broke up with Austin," she said after a while of silence.

I continued to remain silent. What else should I say in such a situation? I don't know.

"Do you want to meet up?" she said. "Go for some ice cream?"

Why not? Even though we're not on the best terms right now, why not be friends. Maybe she can be useful. We'll see.

"Alright," I said. "I'll be free this evening."

"Great!" she said with a touch of joy in her voice. "Then let's meet at six near the ice cream shop."

"Okay," I said. "See you then."

"Bye, Tim!" she said and hung up.

I also put the phone back. In general, it would be useful to take a break. I had a few hours until the scheduled time, so I could use it for studying. Which I did.

Half an hour before, I quickly got ready, changed into more decent clothes, and set off. It was warm outside, birds were singing, and rare white clouds floated in the sky, sometimes hiding the pleasant sunlight.

I arrived at the ice cream shop a bit earlier than planned and waited. Tamara arrived right on time. She was dressed simply but attractively. Let's say, she couldn't compare to the fashionistas of Fiore, but still…

"Hi," she greeted, walking up to me.

"Hi," I replied and fell silent, closely observing her reactions. It was clear she was a bit embarrassed and that the past few days hadn't been easy for her. I wonder why? Maybe her boyfriend dumped her, not wanting to get involved in such a conflict. I don't think it was her move.