章 100: 0100 Return
He had left in the dead of winter, when the snow piled up high and blocked the door, and now he returned in the peak of spring, when the maple leaves had shed their crimson hues and burst into fresh green. The vibrant foliage contrasted with the clear blue sky, creating a refreshing and pleasant scenery that lifted his spirits.
He was on the outskirts of the city, where the ground was littered with rusty iron rails, and the narrow streets had hardly changed since his last visit. Unlike the muggle city that was constantly evolving, the wizarding world seemed to be frozen in time. The old buildings with a hundred years of history bore the marks of time, stubbornly resisting any change. They had a charm of their own, but also a sense of decay.
The only exception was the six-story building with a sky-blue exterior wall that stood out among the gray surroundings. The bright color was like a splash of ink on an old painting, attracting curious eyes from passers-by. Behind the newly renovated iron gate was a courtyard that had also undergone a transformation.
The dirt-covered courtyard was now paved with smooth stone slabs. In the flower bed in the corner, bright Tudor roses and clover grass were bathing in the morning sun. The golden sunlight danced on the delicate petals, sparkling with crystal dewdrops. A fountain in the center of the courtyard spouted water into the air, creating a soothing sound. A sense of satisfaction filled his chest as he looked at the beautiful scene.
He wore a black short-sleeved T-shirt and blue jeans, and sneakers on his feet. He looked like a typical muggle, standing quietly in the yard. Behind him was a large suitcase that contained gifts he had promised to Mrs. Reagan for the children.
Carrying such a big suitcase was actually very troublesome, but he had no choice. He couldn't pull out a folding bicycle from a handbag.
The noise of breakfast in the dormitory gradually subsided. He knew that soon a bunch of children in ill-fitting and worn-out uniforms would rush out and start their day's work.
Delivering milk, delivering newspapers, washing dishes for breakfast shops - that was what most of the children's childhoods were like. He had done similar things when he was here in his early years.
Of course, he soon got tired of these boring and low-income jobs and started doing some more interesting and profitable 'tricks'.
For example, doing homework for children from a grammar school located in the center of the old city a few miles away, using his 'superpowers' to escort some bullied children to and from school, or reselling some small things that children would be interested in.
The last one had the highest income, but he didn't do it for long because he ran into trouble. Although there was no such thing as 'urban management' on British streets, muggle police or government prosecutors also played a role in maintaining the city's appearance.
Time was a magical container that could turn bitter memories into sweet wine. Things that happened in the distant past and were not beautiful became fragrant with time.
"Experience is more important, Cage. Even if there are more residents on East Street, I can guarantee that I can finish the task faster than you!"
A crisp and spirited voice came from the hall, making him snap out of his reverie. He raised his eyebrows and curled his lips into a smile brighter than the golden sunlight.
When they saw the tall and handsome young man standing in the courtyard, those children who came out one after another across the hall were stunned. They didn't react even when they were pushed by the little ones who were blocked in the hall.
"Brother Bryan?"
The brown-haired boy at the front of the crowd rubbed his eyes and muttered incredulously.
"Good morning, kids!"
Bryan grinned and opened his arms wide, inviting them to hug him.
The summer weather was as fickle as a teenage girl's mood. It shifted without warning, betraying its earlier promises. The morning sky, clear and bright, soon gave way to a sudden downpour. The ancient sewer, neglected for decades, could not cope with such rapid rainfall. In no time, the stone street was flooded with water that reached your ankles. The water was murky and cold, soaking your shoes and socks. You could feel the dirt and debris brushing against your skin as you walked through the puddles.
But the bad weather could not erase the good mood of the children in the orphanage. They held their bags over their heads and walked quickly through the puddles with smiles on their faces. They ran from all directions to that six-story building that stood out like a beacon of hope among the gray ones. It was the only building in the area that had a sky-blue exterior wall and a newly renovated iron gate.
In the not-so-spacious hall, Bryan was surrounded by dozens of children, some as young as four or five years old, and some as old as Harry and his friends. They looked at Bryan eagerly and listened attentively to him telling about the beautiful scenery of the outside world. His voice was warm and lively, his eyes were sparkling with excitement, and his gestures were animated and expressive. He made them feel like they were traveling with him to those exotic places.
"-Not only Europe, Dean. The reason why I haven't come back for so long is because I have also been to other continents. One of them is Egypt in Africa. You must have heard of it, right?"
He took out his camera and showed them a picture of the majestic pyramids and the endless deserts that he had captured. The picture was clear and vivid, showing the contrast between the golden sand and the azure sky. The children gasped in awe and admiration.
"Wow, Brother Bryan, that's amazing!"
One of the children exclaimed. "Brother Bryan, I saw something like that on the TV in Mrs. Kelly's house when I delivered milk to her."
A little boy with red cheeks in the crowd waved his hand excitedly and shouted, "It's beautiful there!"
"Can we also have a TV, Brother Bryan?"
A little girl who still had a milky voice in her speech asked with envy.
"That's not a problem, Lena."
Bryan kissed Lena's forehead and smiled, "I will talk to Mrs. Reagan about this. In the future, every dormitory in this building will have a color TV. Even, we can arrange a room to put a few computers. That way, when you have some free time, you can take turns playing games or something."
The children burst into cheers that drowned out the sound of rain and almost shattered the glass of the hall doors and windows. In the noisy laughter, some curious children also asked why Bryan, who was a salesperson for a drilling company, would need a drill in a place like Egypt where there are deserts everywhere.
"Cough cough, there are also cities on land there, Eliza."
Bryan touched his temples and said awkwardly, "Where there is land, there is always a need for drills-"
"Brother Bryan!"
Squatting in front of him, little Hammer who finally found a chance to speak waved his hand. He looked at Bryan eagerly and asked,
"Can you stay at home for a few more days this time?"
"Of course no problem, little Hammer."
Bryan rubbed Hammer's hair and smiled happily,
"I will stay for a few more days, kids. In fact, in addition to seeing you this time, I also want to help solve your problem of going to school. The public school guys can't always fool me with the lack of classrooms and teachers!"
The children looked at each other and then laughed strangely.
"This problem has been solved, Brother Bryan!"
Little Hammer showed an expression of showing off. He shouted happily,
"Sister Victoria has already helped us negotiate with the school. By September, many of us will be able to go to public school!"
"Sister Victoria?"
Bryan opened his mouth in surprise.
"Who is that? A new staff member?"
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FicFrenzy
FicFrenzy We have reached a milestone of 100 chapters, and Bryan has come full circle to where his journey began. From the next chapter onwards, the story will take a detour from Hogwarts for a while, but it will still involve core elements from the wizarding world. Thank you all for your support and feedback.
章 101: 0101 Your Name
As the sun set, the starlight that had traveled across light years of space was purified by the raindrops and regained its original brilliance. The starlight was reflected in the small puddles that had accumulated in the quaint streets and courtyards of the town, embellishing the wet cobblestones with a mysterious starry sky that mirrored the one above.
In the six-story building of the orphanage, the dining room on the second floor, which was normally used for meals, had now been transformed into a festive hall. At this moment, a lively dinner party was being held here to celebrate the return of Bryan, the benefactor of the orphanage.
If it came to the grandeur of the banquet scale, this banquet was obviously not comparable to Hogwart's opening banquet or Halloween banquet, where hundreds of students and teachers gathered in the magnificent Great Hall. But if it came to the joyfulness of the atmosphere, this banquet was more than enough to make everyone happy.
As the banquet progressed to the second half, Bryan, who was originally the center of attention, was gradually left aside by the children and staff. Even on Christmas, the children who rarely had a chance to enjoy such a rich feast were eager to taste everything. They moved lightly among the tables full of fragrant fried steaks, roasted sausages, potato pies, cream puddings, and various juices. The smiles on their tender cheeks were more delicate than blooming tulips in spring.
Bryan leaned on the wooden railing of the stairs, watching the scene in front of him with a gentle expression on his handsome face. He wore a simple black suit that accentuated his tall and slender figure. His silver/grey hair was neatly combed back, revealing his sharp features and deep eyes.
His eyes moved around, and when his gaze fell on that smiling face that was dining with the children, his eyelids trembled slightly and a different color flashed in his eyes.
This was a lady with a gentle and pleasant appearance.
She was one of the volunteers who helped out at the orphanage. She wore a simple style long skirt in beige that just covered her knees. Her emerald green long hair that matched her eyes was softly draped over her shoulders. Her skin emitted a faint fluorescence under the not too bright light. The fresh breath lingering around her body, even if separated by tens of feet, Bryan could still smell it faintly.
Graceful temples and elegant posture–this was Bryan's evaluation of her.
To be honest, Bryan, who shuttled between two worlds and had a wide range of knowledge, had never seen a lady with such a graceful temperament in either world. This lady who volunteered at the orphanage seemed to notice Bryan's gaze. She turned her head and looked at Bryan by the stairs. She nodded her head slightly and there was a friendly smile on her lips.
Bryan smiled back in response. Then, taking advantage of everyone's inattention, he turned and walked up the stairs quietly.
The upstairs could still hear the lively noise on the second floor. Bryan walked expressionlessly in the dim corridor. He looked around and tapped on the walls from time to time to judge whether the quality of this dormitory was up to standard. Unconsciously, he had reached the top floor.
Through a steel ladder next to a laundry room, Bryan climbed onto the roof and walked to the railing.
The view from the roof was not very open, because the low-rise buildings on both sides and opposite blocked most of the scenery near the orphanage. Fortunately, it was far away from trouble and dimly lit. Therefore, the starry sky was still bright and clear.
Bryan rested his arms on the railing and looked up at the night sky quietly. After a while, a cool breeze came across his face. Bryan squinted his eyes and took out a cigarette from his pocket.
Smoking was Bryan's habit in his previous life, and he had a big addiction at that time. But since he came to this world and experienced infancy, childhood, and adolescence again, he had successfully quit this bad habit and had no intention of picking it up again.
However, when he was in a bad mood or under pressure, he would still take out a cigarette and smell the aroma of tobacco. It was like an old friend who accompanied him through many hardships.
The steel ladder behind him suddenly made a crisp sound of footsteps. Bryan crushed the cigarette in his hand and threw it into the wind before turning around to look. When he saw Victoria's coat hanging on her arm and her gentle smile on her face, his deep and unfathomable eyes flickered for an instant.
"Mrs. Reagan told me that every time you come back here, you like to stay on the rooftop for a long time–"
Victoria walked gracefully to Bryan's side and handed over her coat. "You seem to be a person who likes quietness, Mr. Watson."
"Thank you,"
Bryan took over her coat but didn't put it on. He looked at Victoria who was wearing low-heeled sandals but still looked tall and elegant. He smiled casually and said,
"Don't be polite, Miss Hill. Just call me Bryan."
Although she tried her best to hide it, there was something else in Victoria's clear eyes besides curiosity. She had heard a lot about this young man from the children and the staff of the orphanage. He had changed their lives for the better with his generosity and kindness. He had given them hope and happiness.
Every day she worked here at the orphanage, she could hear these children talking about their longing for this young man's return with an expectant tone. Over time, she couldn't help but be curious about him.
"I heard from Mrs. Reagan and the children that you solved the problem of these little guys going to school. It's quite amazing. Those officials and equally greedy staff in the same school who are sitting on their jobs are not easy to deal with. How did you do all this?"
Bryan's eyes swept over Victoria's eyes and hair, which shone like emeralds under the starlight. He smiled and asked.
"Actually, I'm not as good as you think, Bryan. I just asked my father for some help. He is a professor at the University of London and has some connections with some government officials. Although it took some time, the problem was not complicated–"
Bryan shrugged his shoulders and made a modest gesture. He looked away and looked down at the street below where there were not many people left.
"Anyway, Victoria, I have to thank you for the children."
Although he expressed his gratitude, his tone was calm and indifferent.
The two stood side by side, looking at the increasingly deep night sky, talking in a tone that seemed familiar to each other but was actually a first acquaintance.
"–When I was here, the environment in the hospital was much worse than it is now. In summer, the room was stuffy and unbearable. We could only spread mats in the yard and endure the many mosquitoes bred by the backward drainage system here while trying to fall asleep.
In winter, due to lack of funds to repair doors, windows and cracked walls, there was a draft everywhere in the room. The biting cold wind was not something that thin quilts could resist. In order not to freeze to death, we would squeeze into one bed with several people, shivering and looking forward to the dawn. Many children who were about the same age as me left the orphanage and broke contact with it completely. I understand this behavior because this orphanage brought them too many unpleasant memories–"
Bryan talked about the past, the topic was abrupt, but Victoria did not show a surprised expression.
"Mrs. Reagan told me that you went to a boarding school later. I heard that it was registered by your parents before you were born."
Victoria tried to change the topic and asked gently. Bryan rubbed his fingers and smiled casually.
"I spent my entire teenage there. It was a very good school. The food was delicious and I could sleep well. What about you, Victoria? I suppose your growing environment is much better than these children below?"
Victoria lifted up the messy hair in front of her eyes and did not answer Bryan's question directly, but said in an ethereal voice,
"Actually, it's not as good as you imagine."
Bryan nodded slightly and didn't say anything more.
The two stood side by side, staring at the deep night sky, accompanied by a kind of unspeakable depression. From beginning to end, no child came up to look for Bryan or Victoria. These clever little guys also had their own little thoughts. They quietly cleaned up the mess in the dining room with the staff and returned to their rooms. They hid in their beds and laughed and discussed about Bryan and Victoria sister on the rooftop.
The lights in the houses on both sides of the street went out one by one. In the end, except for the dim yellow light from the two rows of street lamps, everything was silent.
"So, Miss Victoria,"
When the bright moon was westward, Bryan turned his head expressionlessly and spoke again. His voice was cold and sharp, like a blade that cut through the air.
"Can I ask your real name?"
"Cliodna–"
The elegant lady's bright face showed an unsurprising smile. She lowered her eyes and whispered with a hint of apology,
"Cliodna Coffey, this is my real name, Mr. Golden Viper–"
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