Chapter 6

Hogwarts.

The magical school was on holiday.

However, because a considerable number of new students were to be admitted this year.

Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall was almost overwhelmed with work, and like the other professors, she had to occasionally help the parents of Muggle-born new students understand the existence of magic.

It had to be said that this year's intake of new students was simply too large.

However, no matter how busy the professors of Hogwarts were, there was definitely one person who was relatively relaxed.

The Headmaster of Hogwarts.

Albus Dumbledore.

Dumbledore was a name that everyone in the magical world knew well, and he had long been recognized as the greatest white wizard of the age.

The name of this headmaster was often followed by a string of achievements that left people in awe, and the wizards of the magical world had grown up with Dumbledore's name.

Moreover.

Dumbledore was also considered the greatest headmaster in the history of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a title that the old man, who was over a hundred years old, very much enjoyed.

At this age, there was nothing that Dumbledore enjoyed more than nurturing a group of young wizards to grow up.

Now, Dumbledore was sitting in his office.

The old man's hair was a bit disheveled, he wore a small pair of glasses on his nose, and he had a long white beard. His hands rested on the table, holding a thick magic book.

This was a truly learned old man.

A cup of warm tea was placed beside the old man's hand, and next to the tea was a plate of sweet and delicious scones, with a flat spoon under the plate.

The old man's life was very comfortable.

Above the table stood a birdcage stand, on which a fiery red phoenix perched quietly, occasionally shaking its head.

Dumbledore noticed the phoenix's movement, put down the page of the book he was holding, picked up the spoon, and scooped a small piece of scone to offer to the phoenix, gently soothing it: "I almost forgot, Fawkes has to eat breakfast seriously every day..."

Fawkes, the phoenix.

This was the companion who had always been with Dumbledore, and their relationship was like that of family, one of the few creatures that could always accompany Dumbledore.

Just as the phoenix lowered its head to peck at the scone, its body suddenly froze, as if it had sensed some danger and sharply turned its head!

"Chirp!"

The phoenix's call, which had always sounded like celestial music, now emitted a sudden and stern sound!

This was a signal of impending danger!

Dumbledore hastily put down the spoon, lifted the sleeve of his wide robe, and walked to the window of the headmaster's office to look at the sky.

A chill quietly enveloped the summer Hogwarts.

The caretaker Filch, who was on duty at Hogwarts, and the house-elves in the basement also felt the sudden change in temperature, as if winter had arrived six months early at the school.

When Dumbledore stepped out of the headmaster's office, he saw a massive ice-crystal bird circling in the sky above Hogwarts' protective barrier!

Just the size of its wingspan, which was several dozen meters, made it look like an ancient creature. The abundant and vast magic and ice crystals that composed its body gave a clear sense of the oppressive presence of this giant bird!

As a legendary mythological creature, Fawkes, the phoenix, was undoubtedly the first to recognize the terrifying nature of this ice-crystal bird, which was undoubtedly another mythological creature!

Dumbledore looked up at the circling ice-crystal bird, and the old wizard's sharp eyes saw that it seemed to be holding an envelope in its beak...

So...

Was this a pet delivering a letter?

Dumbledore, a bit puzzled, took off his glasses, wiped his eyes, and put them back on: "Hmm... Am I too old and my eyes are failing me?"

Hmm.

He wasn't mistaken.

It wasn't that he was too old and his eyes were failing him.

It was that this powerful magical creature, which could clearly influence the weather, was actually being used to deliver a letter, a behavior that was overly ostentatious.

Anyone who saw this would certainly think that the sender was challenging Albus Dumbledore, and Dumbledore himself thought so too.

The old man was magnanimous and didn't mind at all.

Dumbledore smiled and waved to the ice bird in the sky, and with a silent spell, his aged voice became loud and clear: "If you're here to deliver a letter, just fly down. There are still some sweets here..."

This was a custom among wizards.

Generally, pets that delivered letters would eat something.

The ice-crystal phoenix in the sky heard the old man's voice and quickly descended, breaking through Hogwarts' protective barrier!

The massive body of the ice bird floated in the space between the floors of Hogwarts, and as it landed, layers of frost instantly formed on the walls.

Fawkes, perched on Dumbledore's shoulder, couldn't help but let out a few shrill cries, as if greeting the ice bird.

Unfortunately...

The ice bird's personality was as cold as ice. It only extended its large head and handed over the envelope it had carefully carried all the way.

To be honest, delivering a letter was quite a challenge for it.

Dumbledore had to stand on tiptoe to get the envelope, and the cold made his fingers tremble, even turning the letter into a solid block of ice.

When the old man took the letter, he thought with a touch of childlike curiosity whether he should turn on the heater in summer to dry the letter...

"Chirp!"

Seeing Dumbledore take the letter, the ice bird didn't linger, but spread its wings and flew away from the school.

"Still a rather individualistic fellow..."

Dumbledore looked down at the envelope, which was addressed to Hogwarts.

This was a letter sent to the school, and the appearance of the ice bird made Dumbledore think it might be a letter of exchange from another magical school.

However, when the old man opened the envelope and read the content, he was a bit confused until he saw the signature, which revealed that it was a reply from a new student.

It had to be said.

Fortunately, he was the one who received it.

If Professor McGonagall had received the letter, she would likely have treated the sender as a problem child, as she was the most concerned with etiquette and couldn't be as calm about everything as the old man.

[Read.]

[By the way, can my pet Anivia come to school? It's a birthday gift from Mr. Barty Crouch.]

[Note: The ice bird delivering the letter is Anivia. It's a bit large, and Mr. Crouch said it might not be allowed, even though it doesn't need to eat anything.]

[Sincerely, Wesley Light]

"Looks like a lively little fellow..."

After reading the letter, Dumbledore had a premonition that this new student, Wesley Light, would likely cause quite a bit of trouble at school.

This was nothing to the old man.

Moreover, Dumbledore knew that this year's intake included several lively new students, such as the Weasley twins.

The name Wesley Light had appeared before.

When Dumbledore remembered where he first heard this name, he picked up the quill on his desk and began to write a reply to Wesley Light.

On the photo wall in the headmaster's office.

The former headmasters of Hogwarts seemed to come to life, asking questions in a chorus: "Dumbledore, who sent you the letter? We heard from the portraits outside that the sender was challenging Hogwarts?"

"No, just a kind and interesting little fellow."

Dumbledore smiled, shook his head, and continued writing the reply with the quill, while responding to them: "When this year's new students start, Hogwarts will be more lively than any previous year..."