Feeling helpless, Aldric sought help at the Leaky Cauldron. But instead of assistance, he was met with hostility.
"Get lost, Mudblood! Go back to your filthy mud pit!" sneered a drunken wizard as Aldric approached. "It's because of Mudbloods like you that the wizarding world is such a mess!"
Aldric's anger flared. He dashed forward and knocked the half-empty mug from the wizard's lips. "What did you say? Say it again, if you dare!"
The wizard wasn't prepared for such boldness. Spitting out his drink, he shoved Aldric to the ground with a wet hand, then pulled out his wand, pointing it at him. "You filthy Mudblood! How dare you disrespect a noble pureblood! Levicorpus!"
Suddenly, Aldric felt a strong force yank his trousers, flipping him upside down. His belt snapped with a loud crack, and in an instant, his pants were torn down, exposing his bright red underwear for all to see.
The bar exploded with laughter at Aldric's embarrassing situation, but instead of calming him, the laughter only fueled his anger, threatening to overwhelm any sense of reason. "Fuck you!" he roared, sending out a shockwave that smashed everything nearby.
The Leaky Cauldron descended into chaos as tables and chairs shattered into pieces. The wizard who had cursed him ended up slammed into the bar counter, but thanks to an Shield Charm cast by Tom, the owner, he was unharmed.
Furious, Tom stormed out from behind the counter. "How dare you!" he shouted. "Take your rubbish and get out of my bar,Now! You're not welcome here!"
Aldric understood that Tom was trying to protect him, staying any longer would only attract Ministry investigators. Still, he couldn't accept the insult. He locked eyes with the pureblood embedded in the counter, committing his face to memory.
Without another word, Aldric left the Leaky Cauldron swiftly. After he was gone, Tom ordered his staff to throw Aldric's belongings outside, then crouched down to check on the injured pureblood wizard.
Meanwhile, Aldric hadn't gone far. He hid just outside the bar, waiting for someone. The humiliation was too much to bear. He's not just any child, he's Aldric Thistlewaite, one that have survived criminal underworld.
The shockwave had destroyed the bar's fireplace, causing damage beyond the reach of any repair spell. Tonight, the patrons would have to find another fireplace in Diagon Alley or Apparate away.
Judging by the pureblood's dazed state, Aldric doubted he could even perform such advanced magic. No one knew how much time passed before the pureblood finally left, bragging inside the bar about the number of Muggle-born wizards he had bullied and how easy the Muggle-born witches were. He only staggered out when closing time hit.
Aldric melted into the shadows and followed him. The wizard was so drunk he'd lost the ability to cast spells, wandering aimlessly through Diagon Alley instead of using the fireplace.
Eventually, he collapsed in front of a shop and fell into a deep sleep from which he never woke. Seizing the moment while his magical energy still surged, Aldric bound the man to a large stone and threw him into the river beside Diagon Alley.
"Pureblood!? Hah, more like a waste." Aldric tossed a pouch of coins he'd taken from the wizard, his expression calm.
In his pocket, two wands lay quietly. Being kicked out of the Leaky Cauldron didn't bother Aldric much.
That night, he booked a room at a nearby inn willing to host him. Now, with the pureblood taken care of, Aldric could finally practice magic without interference.
Since the textbook authors hadn't provided exact measurements, Aldric had to rely on trial and error to figure out the right spellcasting gestures. Fortunately, luck was on his side.
In less than a hundred tries, he nailed the technique to petrify anything, he had finally mastered the curse. The pureblood's wand he held was engraved with the crest of the 28 pureblood familie.
Aldric didn't care. What a joke. In less than two months, they would be too busy with their own troubles to even remember he existed. No one would spare a thought for an eleven-year-old boy slipping through the cracks.
Aldric always saw himself as a tolerant person; he could forgive any wrong if the price was paid. And the pureblood had already paid enough, with his life and wand.
As for more revenge, Aldric had no plans for it. Maybe someday they could even become allies. After all, there are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests.
More than two weeks passed in what felt like the blink of an eye. During that time, Aldric kept studying magic from the books.
Hard work pays off: he finally mastered several common, simple spells. Now, pulling a heavy trunk behind him, he was headed to King's Cross Station.
The more magic he learned, the more eager he became to learn even more. He couldn't wait to start at Hogwarts and dive into more powerful magic.
Ignoring the curious stares from passersby, Aldric approached Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, where a magical barrier waited for his touch. Standing in front of the barrier, Harry Potter was chatting with a group of students.
"Hey, Harry!" Aldric called out.
Harry, who had been looking a bit nervous surrounded by a group of strangers, visibly relaxed when he saw Aldric. "Oh! Aldric! Why are you just getting here? I thought you'd arrived ages ago!"
Aldric shrugged with a sheepish grin. "Sorry, Harry. A black cat blocked my way."
Harry gave him a confused look. "Wait, are you into cats?"
Aldric waved off the question. "Never mind that right now."
Seeing Harry didn't quite buy his excuse, Aldric didn't push it. Instead, he glanced at the group of red-haired kids. "Aren't you going to introduce your new friends?"
"Oh, I totally forgot!" Harry said, suddenly remembering. "This is the Weasley family. I've been asking them how to get onto Platform Nine and Three-Quarters."
Then he turned to Aldric. "And this is my good friend Aldric!"
Aldric smiled warmly. "Nice to meet all of you. Thanks so much for looking after Harry." He gave a polite little bow, and Mrs. Weasley immediately stepped forward and pulled him into a hug.
"Such a sweet and polite boy," she said, clearly charmed by Aldric's innocence.
Nearby, two tall redheaded boys exchanged mischievous grins and made silly faces. "Look, Mom's got a new son," one teased.
"Yeah, I think we might be out of favor now!" the other added with a laugh.
Mrs. Weasley turned sharply toward one of them. "George!"
"You've got the wrong guy, Mom. I'm George! Can't you even tell us apart? That's disappointing," the other boy grumbled as they both pushed their luggage toward the barrier, laughing.
"You little rascals!" Mrs. Weasley said, mock-angry but smiling warmly. "Alright, Harry, Aldric, you two should get going too. The train's about to leave.
Ron, here, take these sandwiches I made for you. Don't get hungry on the way."
With that, the three boys said their goodbyes and hurried through the barrier into the bustling platform, ready for the journey ahead.