Tom Riddle didn't look for trouble with Hoffa. In fact, after receiving the invitation from the Hogwarts, he kept a low profile.
Hoffa wasn't stupid enough to look for trouble with him. All he did was eat, exercise, and familiarize himself with the environment. These three things.
A month later, Hoffa had basically explored the area around the orphanage. He also roughly knew the location of the Broken Cauldron Bar.
At this moment, Hoffa was holding a paper map of London and walking on the road to the Broken Cauldron Bar.
He was wearing a worker's hat and the socks on his Martin boots were dirty. He was dressed like a child laborer selling newspapers.
The streets of London in 1938 weren't as bustling as they were in later years. The roads here were paved with gray bricks and were full of potholes. On the road, some old cars with roofs drove past, emitting black exhaust fumes. Their colors were monotonous, completely unlike the cars of later years, which were colorful.
Many people who didn't have enough to eat were wandering around with signs looking for work. Some dispirited young people were smoking on the street corners. This was the aftermath of the economic crisis of 1929. The decline of the empire on which the sun never set was evident after the First World War.
At the corner of the street, Hoffa saw a group of workers with pipes in their mouths and paste in their hands painting the wall. He took a closer look. It turned out that these people were putting up black and white posters of the British royal recruitment.
Seeing this poster, Hoffa's heart sank.
At this point in time, he had forgotten the most important thing. This thing didn't come from the Magus World, but from the Muggle World.
The Second World War was about to start!!
Hiller was still alive! A large number of Demon Kings from the same period were all alive!
Hideki Tojo, Mussolini …
Compared to the Dark Magus Lord Voldemort who hadn't grown up yet, these guys were a genuine group of Demon Kings! The destruction and slaughter caused by Lord Voldemort was probably not even a fraction of the others.
Hoffa didn't know much about history, but he knew that the Second World War started in 1939. It was only a year from now.
After seeing the poster, Huo Fa actually froze on the spot while holding the map.
He wanted to cry but had no tears.
Damn God, of all times, why did it have to come to this war-torn era!?
…
Beep beep beep!
The sound of a car horn pulled Hoffa out of his despondency.
He turned around and saw an old motorcycle driving over. The last time Hoffa saw this kind of motorcycle was in an anti-Japanese drama. It was the kind of motorcycle that one person drove and one sat in the back of the vehicle.
Two soldiers in dark green clothes stopped in front of Hoffa, a smoking soldier leaning in the back of the motorcycle and asked loudly.
...... is?
Huo Fa was startled and looked at the two young soldiers in puzzlement. He didn't know these two. Could it be that his name was written on his face?
He nodded. "It's me."
Immediately, the soldier sitting in the back of the carriage took out a stack of letters from behind his butt. He dipped the letters in his saliva, flipped through them, and handed one to Huo Fa.
"Your letter, little fellow. Keep it well and don't lose it."
After saying that, the soldier who was driving stepped on the pedal, and the motorcycle sped away again.
Hoffa took the letter in surprise.
Bonington Market Street
532 meters west of the Broken Cauldron Bar
The second corner.
To: Mr. Hoffa Bach
Just like in the novel, the words were written in emerald green ink. There were no stamps. It felt like a thick parchment in his hand.
Hoffa looked at the two soldiers with his mouth wide open. He flipped the letter again. There was a wax seal and a shield emblem. The letter "h" was surrounded by a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake.
Although he knew he would receive a letter after Dumbledore told him that day, he did not expect it to be in this situation.
He looked up at the sky, puzzled.
How did these fellows locate him so accurately?
Hoffa put down his doubts and opened the letter excitedly. His fantasy in his previous life had become a reality. He could not be more excited.
Hogwarts School of Magic
Headmaster: Amando Dippet
(Vice President of the International Wizard Union, Honorary Royal Wizard, Chief Wizard of Wissengammon)
Dear Mr. Bach,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been approved to study at Hogwarts School of Magic. Enclosed is a list of required books and equipment.
The semester is scheduled to begin on September 1st. We will be waiting for your owl to bring your reply before July 31st.
Vice Headmaster
Yours sincerely, Adbe Ghoshak
Hoffa flipped the paper over and over several times. Without a doubt, this letter was the same as in the novel, but also completely different.
He got three pieces of information from this letter. First, his headmaster was not Dumbledore, but a man named Amando Dippet. Second, the vice headmaster was not Mille's doll Mag. It was a stranger named Adbe Ghoshak.
Third, the Muggle world was not completely separated from the Wizard World. At least within the royal family, there were people who knew about the existence of the Wizard World.
For example, those two soldiers just now were very likely to be wizards. Otherwise, they would not have handed this strange letter to him so calmly. Of course, he could not rule out the possibility that they were cursed.
However, after seeing Principal Amando Dippet's title as Honorary Royal Wizard, Hoffa felt that his previous speculation was more realistic.
This was not surprising. The people at the top of the world definitely had more information than ordinary people. With such a large group of wizards, without the cooperation of the Muggle higher-ups, it was impossible for the Ministry of Magic to completely hide the existence of wizards.
Secretly noting down the information he got, Hoffa pulled out the second page.
This page was very ordinary. It only recorded some textbooks and props necessary for Hogwarts. It was similar to what he saw in his previous life.
However, Huo Fa shuddered as he read through it.
He remembered something very important.
That was, he had no money …
Yes.
He was truly in a state of extreme poverty. He relied on the orphanage for his meals.
He did not have any property left by his dead parents, and he did not know where to apply for the Hogwarts Poverty Fund. He did not even have a relative like Uncle Vernon in this world.
He could not ask the people in the orphanage for money for Hogwarts. Those people were also pitiful people. It was not easy for them to raise him.
Standing on the streets of London in 1938, Hoffa was blown by the cold wind of reality. He felt a chill on his body.
Even if he was a transmigrator, he felt very helpless at this moment.
"Do you have to be like this, Boss … Giving me hope and then destroying it?"
Hoffa sighed to himself and put the letter in his pocket.
He had no choice. He definitely had to go to Hogwarts. It was his childhood dream in his previous life.
Even if he had to beg for food! He had to collect the tuition fees!
Clenching his teeth, Hoffa walked to the Broken Cauldron Bar.
If he wanted to beg for food, he had to go to the Wizard World. After all, the Wizard Gold Coins did not exist in the Muggle World.
The only good news was that he already knew the exact location of the Broken Cauldron Bar.
…
The Broken Cauldron Bar was in the middle of a suit shop and an umbrella shop. The Muggles around it walked around and ignored it. Hoffa put the map in his pocket and walked in.
This legendary bar was just as described in the book. It was dark, broken, and mixed with good and bad people.
There were wizards drinking, witches smoking, and a few creatures that looked like fairies playing cards in the corner. The table was filled with coins.
The only difference was that the boss at the counter was not as old and hunchbacked. Although the bald spot on his head showed his fate, at least he was not bald now.
On the wall of the bar, rows of black oil paintings were particularly eye-catching.
Everyone in the oil paintings could move.
Hoffa slowly looked over. At the end of the group of oil paintings, he saw an oil painting of an old woman. In the painting, she wore a wooden hairpin and smoked a pipe, looking like a landlady.
When she saw Hoffa, she fiercely spat out smoke. "What are you looking at, little pauper!?"
Huo Fa curled his lips and frowned.
He saw under the oil painting.
The Broken Cauldron Bar — — Founded by Daisy Dodrich
(1467-1555)
Hoffa didn't want to argue with an oil painting. He went to the bar of the boss, Tom.
The young boss, Tom, was wiping glasses in front of the bar. He just looked up at Hoffa who pushed the door open and didn't care anymore.
Hoffa thought of the grand occasion when the future Harry Potter entered the bar for the first time and compared it with his embarrassing situation of being ignored. He could only sigh.
He really didn't have the legendary protagonist aura.
He looked eagerly at the gold coins in the hands of a few fairies who were playing cards, then walked to the bar with a straight face.
The bar was very high. Hoffa had to tiptoe and cough. "Hello."
"Hello." The reaction of the bar owner, Tom, was neither warm nor cold. It was just very ordinary.
Hoffa: "I want to ask, do you recruit workers here?"
Tom stopped wiping glasses and looked at Hoffa with a little surprise. "What did you say?"
Hoffa: "Excuse me, I want to find a job, the kind that works for a short time."
Tom said in surprise, "Merlin's beard, wizard children nowadays come out to look for jobs at such a young age?"
Hoffa was mad, but the situation was beyond his control. He could only sigh. "There's no other way. Isn't there an economic crisis outside?"
Tom grinned and shook his head. "Sorry, we don't recruit child labor here." After that, he turned to the other side of the table and continued wiping glasses.
Hoffa didn't give up and followed. "Wait a minute, do you know any other shops in Diagon Alley that are hiring?"
Tom was unhappy. He frowned and put down the rag heavily.
"Hey! You kid, why don't you go to school in Hogwarts and learn to look for a job like an adult? Do you think work is so simple? "
Damn! Hoffa cursed in his heart. You think I don't want to go? If I had money, why would I be so nice to you?
Why is this old guy so snobbish? He was so warm when he saw Harry Potter, but when he saw me, it was like seeing the plague. He couldn't wait to chase me out.
Tom's voice attracted the attention of several wizards. Among them, a tall hunchbacked witch turned around and asked with a smile while smoking a pipe, "Little guy, are you short of money? Do you want to go to Overturn Alley with this big sister … "
Before she could finish, Hoffa quickly replied, "No need, thank you for your kindness. I still want to look for work in Diagon Alley. "
Of course, he wouldn't agree. This witch who looked like his grandmother actually called herself a big sister. It was obvious that she wasn't normal.
The tall witch pursed her lips and blew a mouthful of smoke in his face.
Hoffa lowered his stance and said to the boss, Tom, "I want to go to Diagon Alley. Can you open the door for me?"
Opening the door was Tom's job. His bar was here, and he was considered half a gatekeeper.
He didn't refuse and said lightly, "Follow me."
Hoffa thought that there were so many shops in Diagon Alley. Perhaps one of them would offer him a job.
Standing in front of the wall, Tom said, "Count up to three, count down to two, and knock three. Remember to use some magic when you knock, if you have a wand in the future."
Hoffa hurriedly nodded, thinking that he didn't have a single cent. Olivander probably wouldn't give him a wand on credit.
Seeing that Hoffa's attitude was still acceptable, Tom asked, "What's your name, kid? Why are you looking for a job?"
Hoffa felt that things had taken a turn for the better and quickly said, "My name is Hoffa. I'm looking for a job to earn some money to buy books."
In the main hall of the bar, one of the fairies who was playing cards suddenly turned his long ears and looked over.
The boss, Tom, furrowed his brows, "If you don't have money, write to the Hogwarts and apply for subsidies. They don't lack this bit of money. Also, if you want to look for a job in Diagon Alley, I advise you to give up on it. All the shops there are registered by the Ministry of Magic. They are not allowed to recruit children under the age of 16. "
The hope that had just been ignited in Hoffa's heart was instantly extinguished. It was like a balloon that had burst through its skin, deflating with a sizzling sound.
He wanted to write to the Hogwarts and apply.
The letter said that they were looking forward to a reply from his owl, but the problem was …
Hoffa didn't have any owls …
Of course, owls could be bought in Diagon Alley, but he didn't have any money …
Not a single one.
However, just as Hoffa was about to lose hope, one of the fairies who was playing cards jumped off the stool and squeezed through the waists of several male wizards.
The fairy waved his hand, "Wait a minute, little wizard, what's your name?"
Huo Fa turned his head curiously, only to see a sprite wearing a monocle, a leather jacket, leather shoes, and a suit over his arm walking over. He was only half the height of a normal person, about the same height as Link. He had a fashionable tuft of blonde hair on his forehead and two earrings hanging from his ears. Compared to the other pot-bellied old fairies, he looked rather pleasing to the eye.
"I'm Hoffa. What's the matter?"
The fairy nodded and pushed up his monocle.
"Your surname is Bach, right?"
"Yes." Hoffa was very surprised.
"What took you so long? I've been waiting for you for three days," the fairy complained. "My name is Indor. Nice to meet you."
He stretched out his hand skillfully, like a salesman.
Huo Fa held the other party's hand. His heart was in a mess. He sized up the sprite who was dressed like an employee and wondered what he had done to make a sprite wait for three days. After all, these creatures were extremely stingy. Did he owe him money?
But Indor quickly said, "A few days ago, a male wizard asked me to do something. He asked me to wait here for a child called Hoffa."
Indor coughed and rummaged through the pockets of his trousers. From a pile of green copper coins, he took out a crumpled letter and handed it to Hoffa.
"This is the letter that the male wizard asked me to give you."
Hoffa hurriedly took a look. There was no signature on the letter, only some circled English words.
I didn't prepare two grants last time.
I'll ask Indor to bring you to Gringotts to get them.
He's a good fairy.
Get along well.
See you at school.
The words were concise, but Hoffa knew who wrote the letter at a glance. It was Dumbledore. So he didn't forget about him. Hoffa's heart warmed and he sighed in relief.
At least there was still someone in this world who cared about him. He didn't have to work anymore.
After reading the letter, Hoffa looked at the fairy in front of him and found him even more pleasing to the eye.
Wait, why did this guy suddenly rub his hands together and laugh so unscrupulously?
Hoffa asked suspiciously, "What are you laughing at?"
The fairy pushed his glasses and laughed, "That's the situation, but there was an accident."
"What accident?" Hoffa had a bad premonition.
"The accident is that this guy has been playing cards in my bar for three days and has been losing for three days." The one who answered was Tom. The bar owner crossed his arms and sneered, then turned and left. He ignored Hoffa.
Looking at the ashamed fairy in front of him, then looking at Tom's back, then looking at the other fairies who were collecting money at the table.
Hoffa felt as if several Dementors were kissing him. Wisps of souls slowly floated out of his orifices.
"What do you mean? My school grant. "
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