章 56: Kevin, Hogwarts new student
A few days later, the convenience store reopened. Anthony traded some eggs and vegetables from his neighbors for cookies and fudge, but he knew this wouldn't be enough to live comfortably.
As the snow finally melted away, the sun emerged, casting a brilliant glow over the landscape. Residents could be seen shoveling snow from their driveways, and children bundled up in thick jackets frolicked in the car-free streets.
Anthony ambled down the road, a smile gracing his face. A boy wearing a woolen hat zipped past him, then abruptly stopped and turned around.
"Mr. Anthony!" Kevin exclaimed, his face beaming. "Where have you been? I haven't seen you in ages."
"I changed jobs," Anthony replied. "I'm over in Scotland now. How are you, Kevin? What high school will you be attending?"
Kevin sidled up to Anthony, beckoning him closer with a mischievous grin. "I'm going to a school called Hogwarts! Have you heard of it, sir?" he whispered.
Intrigued, Anthony raised an eyebrow.
"Those owls, Mr. Anthony," Kevin continued conspiratorially. "The moment I stepped into that pet shop in Diagon Alley, I knew something was up."
Anthony nodded. "It's a bit complicated, but I'm a professor at Hogwarts now."
"Wow!" Kevin's eyes widened in amazement. "What do you teach? Arithmancy?"
"Muggle Studies," Anthony answered, noticing Kevin's puzzled expression. "It's about teaching people with magical abilities how people without magic live."
Kevin furrowed his brow, clearly confused. "But I thought there were people without magic everywhere. Does everyone know about it and just not tell me? Like how you pretended to be a cashier, Mr. Anthony?"
Anthony chuckled. "I really was a cashier back then, Kevin."
...
At Kevin's enthusiastic invitation, Anthony found himself at the Jones' residence, fielding questions from curious soon-to-be Hogwarts students and their parents. ("Really? No one is a day student?") He shared basic knowledge about the wizarding world with Mr. and Mrs. Jones, who were eager for information. ("You're so kind, Professor. The school sent a teacher, but we were too afraid to ask too many questions.")
Anthony nodded understandingly. "The wizarding world is quite different from ours."
"Indeed," Mrs. Jones chimed in. "We were all shocked when the teacher arrived. We were having dinner—you know, watching Coronation Street—and suddenly, there was this man in black at the table."
"Didn't he knock?" Anthony asked, surprised.
"No," Mrs. Jones said with a hint of annoyance. "He said he was very busy and told us not to waste time questioning the facts before us."
Anthony's eyebrows shot up. "Was his name... Snape?"
Mrs. Jones's eyes widened. "How did you know?" she asked, astonishment coloring her voice.
...
Before Anthony left, Mr. Jones cautiously inquired about the employment prospects for Hogwarts graduates. The former cashier reassured him that he was a rare exception. Most graduates weren't even aware of the Muggle job market and lacked the necessary qualifications for Muggle employment.
"Wizarding careers and Muggle careers are two different paths," Anthony explained. "Wizarding jobs tend to be more... exciting, shall we say? They usually require advanced magical knowledge but often disregard general education. From what I know, career options after graduation include working as a Curse Breaker at Gringotts—"
"Gringotts?" Mr. Jones pondered for a moment. "Ah, the bank."
"—Fighting Dark Wizards—" like Necromancers, Anthony added.
"Are there many Dark Wizards?" Mrs. Jones asked, a worried look on her face.
"—Researching dragons—"
"Dragons!" Kevin exclaimed excitedly.
"—Becoming a Quidditch player, which involves flying on broomsticks and chasing magical balls—"
Kevin made a face, clearly not interested. He had a slight fear of heights.
"—Or pursuing more familiar professions like working as a civil servant in the Ministry of Magic or as a healer at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries."
Mr. Jones nodded approvingly. "That sounds promising," he said, patting his son's head. "What would you like to do, Kevin?"
Without hesitation, Kevin declared, "I want to study dragons! I want to learn how they're different from dinosaurs!"
His hands animatedly traced shapes in the air, while Mr. and Mrs. Jones exchanged amused smiles as he rushed to fetch his dinosaur encyclopedia. The boy was an avid dinosaur enthusiast, and Anthony could see the evidence in the shoe cabinet overflowing with dinosaur models. Kevin's shoes were even adorned with dinosaur stickers as if a pack of ancient creatures guarded the little boy's sneakers.
"Mr. Anthony, which one is more like a dragon, these or those?" Kevin asked, holding up the encyclopedia.
Anthony smiled. "I don't know, Kevin. You'll have to research that yourself. It sounds like a fascinating topic."
.....
At Kevin's insistence, Mr. and Mrs. Jones allowed him to walk Anthony to the gate.
Hand in hand, they made their way towards the entrance. Kevin glanced back at his mother, who was watching them from the kitchen window and then tugged Anthony closer, motioning for him to bend down.
"Sir, do I really have magic?" he whispered a hint of anxiety in his voice.
Anthony crouched down to Kevin's level. "If Hogwarts says you have it, then you must. Have you ever noticed anything strange happening around you? Escaping unscathed from dangerous situations? Things suddenly going your way without any logical explanation?"
Kevin pondered for a moment. "Robert hit me with his car once," he confessed, "and I landed on Mrs. White's balcony, but I wasn't hurt. Don't tell my parents, okay? They'd worry."
Anthony smiled and nodded. "Your secret is safe with me, Kevin. Don't worry, it was your magic protecting you."
Kevin's eyes lit up, but then he shook his head sadly. "But things never just go my way," he said with a touch of bitterness. "Like... well, I've never suddenly been allowed to have a second ice cream cone."
Anthony patiently explained, "Remember, Kevin, magic isn't a solution for everything. Whether it's ice cream cones or anything else, there are always other ways to achieve your goals."
Kevin nodded. "I asked my parents nicely and offered to get them the newspaper and their slippers. Then I got my ice cream."
"Exactly," Anthony affirmed. "You'll find that language is also an important kind of magic. Magic with spells and magic without spells aren't the same level of difficulty. Language and communication are forms of magic too."
....
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