"It should be about ti."
Suddenly, all the windows in the Great Hall opened, and hundreds of owls flew in from outside, carrying various packages and letters. They circled above the students' heads, searching for their recipients.
During the first few days of school each year, the owls were always especially busy.
This was because there were always young witches and wizards who left sothing at ho, then hurriedly wrote letters ho as soon as they arrived at school.
A large eagle owl landed steadily on Adrian's table, dropping a copy of the Daily Prophet and a letter for him.
Picking up the Daily Prophet, Adrian saw the headline written in the largest font: "The Boy Who Lived, Harry Potter, Has Entered Hogwarts."
"I'm aware of that," Adrian muttered, tossing the newspaper aside with no intention of reading further.
Next, Adrian picked up the letter.
Opening the envelope, as Adrian had expected, the signature on the letter was Ruskin.
The owner of that magical creature shop in Diagon Alley.
The content of the letter was very concise, getting straight to the point: "Mr. Adrien Westeros, the magical creatures you requested have been brought. Please co to the Three Broomsticks in Hogsade at one o'clock this afternoon to receive them. We will send soone over. If you wish to postpone the delivery date, please reply promptly."
Finally, it has arrived, Adrian nodded with satisfaction.
He hadn't expected Mrs. Ruskin to prepare the magical creatures he needed so quickly.
Of course, Adrian hadn't bought those magical creatures outright but had opted for a rental arrangent.
After all, he only needed to show them to his students during class, not actually raise them.
But even for rental, it required quite a few Galleons. Fortunately, the budget Hogwarts had given him was sufficient.
At one o'clock that afternoon, Adrian appeared punctually at the entrance of the Three Broomsticks in Hogsade.
The Three Broomsticks was a place no Hogwarts student would find unfamiliar, and Adrian was no exception.
Like most students, he was very fond of the butterbeer there.
However, he hadn't been there for a long ti; after all, he had been traveling around the world, and since returning, he'd rarely had the opportunity to visit Hogsade.
Pushing open the door, the interior looked just as Adrian rembered it.
The noisy crowd, the packed bar counter, and the landlady, Madam Rosrta, chatting rrily with several male custors.
"Over here! Mr. Westeros!"
As soon as Adrian entered, he heard a young voice calling his na.
Adrian looked in the direction of the voice and saw a familiar figure.
Ruskin herself was sitting in a corner by the window, smiling and waving to him.
This was unexpected—Adrian hadn't thought Ruskin would co in person.
He had assud so clerk or employee would co, considering Ruskin was the owner of the magical creature shop and had seed quite busy during his last visit.
Adrian raised an eyebrow slightly, then walked over and sat down in the chair across from Ruskin.
"Good afternoon, madam," Adrian greeted her, while observing her expression. "I didn't expect you to make this trip personally."
Ruskin's lips curled into a smile as she flipped her hair and said, "After all, you're a very important custor."
At this point, Adrian's gaze fell on a briefcase Ruskin had placed on the table.
From his experience, he was certain the briefcase contained more than t the eye.
"Did you bring the magical creatures?" Adrian asked carefully in a lowered voice.
"Of course," Ruskin patted the case in front of her, then said mysteriously, "And there's even one that wasn't on your list."
"Not on my list?" Adrian frowned upon hearing this. "I think I don't need any other..."
"Don't be so quick to refuse," Ruskin smiled, resting her chin on her hand as she leaned on the table, confidently saying, "You'll like this one."
Her expression seed certain that Adrian would be satisfied with her goods.
This piqued Adrian's curiosity. Although he didn't intend to buy, he wanted to see what Ruskin could produce that would surprise him.
"Well then," Ruskin drained the rest of her butterbeer in one gulp and stood up, holding the case. "I think we'd better find another location. This place isn't suitable for this little darling to move around."
Indeed, Adrian looked at the bustling crowd around them. He was almost certain now that what Ruskin had wasn't so simple.
Although most of the patrons at the Three Broomsticks were wizards, dealing in magical creatures was still a sensitive topic, especially those regulated by the Ministry of Magic.
"Follow ," Ruskin headed toward the back door, gesturing for Adrian to follow her.
Adrian didn't hesitate and followed behind her.
The two of them went around the bar counter, through the crowded room, and pushed open an inconspicuous wooden door, entering a narrow back alley.
Like most back alleys, there wasn't a soul in sight, only a few rats rustling in the corners.
Ruskin skillfully walked to the end of the alley and, after ensuring no one was around, put down the briefcase, gently tapped the lid, and whispered an incantation.
As the spell was cast, the briefcase opened by itself. A mont later, a small head peeked out from the briefcase.
In appearance, it seed to be so kind of bird, its head covered with silvery-white feathers, sowhat like an eagle, but its beak wasn't as sharp as an eagle's.
Almost instantly, Adrian recognized the type of bird.
"A Thunderbird!" Adrian exclaid.
"Shh—"
Ruskin quickly gestured for Adrian to keep quiet, her eyes indicating he should lower his voice. "It's still a child, don't frighten it."
"Alright," Adrian lowered his voice. "Where did you catch it from? Is this legal?"
Ruskin didn't answer directly, but instead asked, "Mr. Adrien Westeros, do you rember that paper you published about Thunderbirds many years ago?"
She gently stroked the Thunderbird's feathers as she asked, a glint of mischief flashing in her eyes.
"'The Possibility of Artificially Raising Thunderbirds'?" Adrian pondered.
"That's the one—it gave great inspiration," Ruskin snapped her fingers, then proudly declared, "I believe I'm the first wizard in the world to successfully breed Thunderbirds."
In fact, when Adrian wrote that paper, he had only provided a theoretical approach. Although he had done so practical experints, they were rely isolated cases.
Normally, Thunderbirds are highly sensitive to danger, making even approaching them extrely difficult.
But Adrian discovered that when standing in the center of a thunderstorm and suppressing all malicious intent, Thunderbirds would beco unusually stable and willing to communicate.
If you frequently "communicated" with a Thunderbird in a friendly manner during thunderstorms, it would co to favor you as a friend.
However, few wizards could survive in the center of a thunderstorm, let alone befriend a Thunderbird.
And the Ruskin in front of him had actually accomplished this!
Adrian couldn't help feeling sowhat surprised.
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