Having escaped famine, I was accepted into Hogwarts.

Chapter 7? What? I'm starting to lose sanity?

There were only five of us eating lunch in the auditorium, so we all sat at one table.

Kane knows Dumbledore, Hagrid, and the others.

There are two more: one is Professor Severus Snape, who previously only existed in Dumbledore's stories. He's a professor with greasy hair and a grumpy face. The other is Felch, the castle caretaker, who is probably similar to... the headmaster? He looks... a bit like a vulture.

Professor McGonagall, the vice-principal, was supposed to be there as well, but she discovered that one of the young wizards whose acceptance letters had already been sent had run away from home, so the letters hadn't reached him. Now, unsurprisingly, he's left Hogwarts and is searching the world for that disobedient wizard.

After hearing Dumbledore's explanation, Kane felt a pang of sympathy for the young wizard who had run away from home. He wondered what kind of injustice he must have suffered to choose to run away from home, and tears of heartache streamed down his face.

Dumbledore smiled at the sight and said, "Everyone, eat."

As the rustling sounds of eating filled the air, Snape suddenly looked up at Dumbledore beside him and whispered, "Who is that?"

"An unfortunate young wizard, Kaneheath," Dumbledore said, then looked at Kane. "This is Severus Snape, the Potions Professor at Hogwarts."

Kane, of course, wanted to make a good impression on the future professor, so he wiped his hands with a napkin and reached out to him, bypassing Dumbledore.

Snape paused for a moment, then shook hands with Kane with a reserved air. Almost instantly, he understood the special qualities of Kane.

The child's body contained a bizarre and absurd aura of black magic, as illogical as a madman's sketch, giving him the feeling that it was about to burst out of the child's body and pounce on him at any moment.

I hope this kid isn't a Slytherin. Besides, I'll have to keep those unruly Slytherin students in check after school starts. If someone with dark magic like that gets on my mind, then Hogwarts is the place. They'll all be silent once they're in.

The two shook hands and quickly parted ways. Dumbledore then spoke up at the opportune moment: "Actually, according to the normal timeline, most young wizards should have already received their Hogwarts acceptance letters and have started going to Diagon Alley to buy their school supplies. Hagrid, would it be alright if you took the children to Diagon Alley this afternoon?"

Hagrid pounded his chest with his fist, making a deafening noise: "Of course, no problem."

At this moment, Dumbledore suddenly remembered some important things, such as the precious sense of ritual that one only has to experience once in a lifetime.

Thinking of this, he quickly left the dining table. A few minutes later, an owl flew into the hall from the ceiling carrying a gorgeous envelope and threw it in front of Kane.

"This is a ritual that every young wizard must go through in their life. Tear it open."

Kane looked at the slightly faded ink on his fingers, and could tell that it was probably just written by Dumbledore. Out of a sense of morality and care for the elderly, he readily opened the envelope.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(President of the International Wizarding Federation, First-Class Archmage of the Order of Merlin, Chief Wizard of Wizengamo)

Dear Kanehis:

We are pleased to inform you that you have been admitted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...

"Hmm, I'm going to frame this letter." After reading through the entire letter, Kane folded the envelope and carefully placed it in his jacket pocket, trying not to bend it.

"By the way, the letter mentioned a magic wand?"

Dumbledore took out his Elder Wand: "This is it. Through the wood and the magical core within, it helps wizards channel their magic, allowing simple magic to burst forth with miracles through the wand's guidance and the wizard's will."

"I mean, can wands be customized?" Kane asked.

"...Olivendell has hundreds of different combinations of wands in stock. If you choose carefully, it's not much different from custom-made. Or perhaps you'd like to use some special materials?" Dumbledore smiled.

"Hmm, I'm asking you, is there any way to send me some living wood, or nightmare fuel or something like that?" Kane suddenly asked in his mind, knowing that Maxwell could definitely hear him.

"Of course not, but you might be able to use your own shadow to infect ordinary trees. As for Nightmare Fuel? I reckon your sanity will be depleted in two days. Then you can kill the Shadow Monsters that come looking for you, and you'll get the Nightmare Fuel." Maxwell suddenly appeared across the long table, leaning on the table with a smile.

Kane, who was calmly drinking pumpkin juice, suddenly started coughing violently. Hagrid kindly reached out and patted him on the back. Unfortunately, the giant's strength almost sent Kane flying, but at least he stopped coughing.

"Eat slowly. This is Hogwarts. There's no shortage of food here. You'll never go hungry again," Dumbledore kindly reminded him.

"I know." Kane recovered somewhat, then looked at Maxwell: "In this real world, what could possibly make me lose sanity?"

"Of course it's you." Maxwell shrugged and disappeared.

"Are you alright?" Dumbledore asked Kane.

Kane shook his head: "I'm fine. Can I go to Diagon Alley tomorrow? I have some things to do this afternoon."

"Of course, tomorrow morning will do. As for now, if you need any help, ask Hagrid or come to me." Dumbledore smiled and agreed to this difficult task for Hagrid.

Kane popped another bit of ice cream into his mouth and slipped away from Hogwarts Castle.

Dumbledore, watching Hagrid still enjoying his meal, couldn't help but cough.

"Dumbledore, do you have a cold?" Hagrid asked.

"Hagrid, what I mean is that you should go with Kane," Dumbledore said bluntly.

"Oh, indeed. The Forbidden Forest is so vast; it wouldn't be good if he encountered any danger." Hagrid realized this and hurriedly rushed out.

"I think what you're really afraid of is the bizarre danger he might create, rather than the danger itself." Snape understood Dumbledore like a gun understands a bullet, and stated the correct answer directly.

"After all, I have a very bad feeling." Dumbledore felt his heart pounding.

Snape wasn't particularly interested in Dumbledore's ominous premonition, but the other person at the table had something to say.

Felch asked hoarsely, "Dumbledore, shouldn't the young wizard's acceptance letter have been sent out long ago? But that brat's acceptance letter seems to have been just written by you. Does that mean he wasn't accepted by the Book of Admission at all?"

Dumbledore shook his head: "Of course not. I checked the records before. Kane's acceptance letter did leave Hogwarts two days ago, but it seems that when the letter was delivered, Kane was running away from home and had already put it into action, so..."

For a moment, all three people in the auditorium fell silent.

"Oh, Minerva will definitely come back and slam her fist on the table in my office," Dumbledore sighed.

Meanwhile, at number four Privet Drive, Professor McGonagall looked at the house before her. Compared to a young wizard who had mysteriously disappeared, even Harry Potter, the savior of the entire wizarding world, seemed insignificant.

After all, even if Harry Potter was in a bad situation, at least he was still alive, but that missing little wizard is now truly missing and his fate is unknown.

Professor McGonagall tidied her meticulously styled hairpins one last time and slowly knocked on the door in front of her.