That night, Professonagall returo Hogwarts.

  Perhaps because the term had not yet started, the night at Hogwarts seemed rather empty.

  Professonagall walked alohrough the deserted corridors, apanied only by the sound of her own footsteps and the murmurs from the portraits.

  Stopping in front of aremely ugly stone gargoyle, Magall said, "Iced pear juice!"

  The gargoyle suddenly sprang to life upon hearing these words, jumping aside. The wall behind it split into two, revealing a spiral staircase.

  Professonagall stepped onto the staircase, and with a loud rumble, the wall closed back up. The staircase began to asd, rotating like a Muggle escator.

  At the top of the staircase was a wooden door. Magall walked up and knocked on the door. With a creak, the door opened on its own.

  Magall ehe room. It acious circur room, with numerous portraits hanging on the walls.

  The men and women in the portraits were eagaged in their own activities, but they all were subtly watg Magall.

  Behind a rge desk sat a tall, thin old man.

  His silver hair and beard were long enough to tuto his belt. His long nose looked slightly crooked, likely broken before. Behind his half-mooacles were blue eyes that seemed to hold immense wisdom.

  "Professonagall, would you like some cockroach clusters?"

  "No, Albus. I took the child to Diagon Alley today," Magall replied, gng at the so-called cockroach clusters and decisively shaking her head.

  "How was it?" Albus Dumbledore asked, his long fingers pig through the clusters. "What kind of child is little Esmeralda?"

  Professonagall thought for a moment before answering, "A good child, very talented, but also very unfortunate." She then reted Esmeralda's story to Dumbledore.

  After hearing about Esmeralda's unfortunate childhood, Dumbledore remained silent for a while before saying, "Happy people heal their entire lives with their childhood, while unfortunate people spend their entire lives healing their childhood... We ot choose our ins, but we choose how to live. In this world, there are always those who face life's misfortunes, unafraid of the thorns along the way, and blohtly iorm..."

  "Albus, I think she is a strong child. You asked me to keep an eye on her, and I have observed her over the past few days. She manages her life well, arrangiime very properly... However, when I officially met her today, her behavior was very mu lih the maturity expected of her age, but I could sehat she was always hiding something. She only showed her obedient and well-behaved side..." Professonagall said, recalling the events of the past few days.

  "This indicates that little Esmeralda is a clever child, who uands how to win others' favor. By showing her obedient and sensible side to a teacher, she naturally gains the teacher's approval. Like a ing little fox," Dumbledore said.

  Sometimes he wondered if he was being overly cautious.

  After all, Esmeralda had not even formally started school, aill had plenty of time to observe and guide her.

  "Yes, she knows exactly what she needs," Magall said, recalling the se at the sed-hand bookstore.

  Esmeralda had not chosen books randomly; she had selected them with purpose. The books she purchased would help her better uand the magical world. She was acutely aware of her shortings and was determio find ways to overe them.

  "But, Albus, I still don't quite uand why you are so ied in her. She is just... Twist is just another child from an orphanage, like him..." Professonagall struggled to prehend why Dumbledore would be so ed with a child who had not yet started school. Was it because she, like the one whose name couldn't be mentioned, had an unfortunate childhood?

  "I want to learn more about Miss Twist, not because of him," Dumbledore said, reminisg for a moment, then addressing Magall, "The reason is the Book of Admittance."

  "The Book of Admittance?" Professonagall was even more puzzled.

  "On this nd, whenever a child shows magical talent, a name is added to the Book of Admittahen, we ihe child to Hogwarts at the appropriate age," Dumbledore expined.

  The Book of Admittance was stored in an unremarkable, locked tower at Hogwarts. If Dumbledore hadn't discovered this situation by o one would have noticed.

  The Book of Admittand the Quill of Acceptance are a magical items whose purpose is to provide Hogwarts with a list of prospective students.

  Whenever a child on the British Isles first dispys their magical abilities, the Quill of Acceptance records their name in the Book of Admittance. When the child reaches eleven or twelve, they receive their Hogwarts acceptater.

  However, not every child who has a magical outburst receives an acceptater. Some children's abilities are insuffit to bee a wizard, or they are merely influenced by residual magical energy from their parents, rather than their own abilities.

  In such cases, although the Quill of Acceptaill records the child's he Book of Admittance prevents its writing, rejeg the child.

  "Miss Twist's name is in the Book of Admittance, but what does that mean?" Professonagall was even more fused by Dumbledore's words. She couldn't see any e between the Book of Admittand Eda.

  "Yes, Eda's name is in the Book of Admittance, and her acceptance is uionable," Dumbledore expined slowly, seeing Magall's fusion.

  "Esmeralda Jessica Twist—I don't know when her name first appeared in the Book of Admittance, but I do know that two years ago, her name disappeared from the book..."

  "Disappeared?" Magall found it incredible. "Disappeared, and then reappeared? Has this ever happened before? you make it happen?"

  Professonagall, though having worked at Hogwarts for a long time, had never entered such a situation.

  The Book of Admittance had almost never been wrong.

  For the first time, she wondered if she was truly getting old, and if her mind wasn't as sharp as it used to be.

  "I 't do it, Minerva," Dumbledore said. "In faames disappearing from the Book of Admittance is not unpreted. Usually, it indicates unfortunate news, such as the child losing their talent or passing arematurely."

  "But her of these situations applies to her!"

  "Ihe most on two cases don't fit her situation. At the time, I didn't think much about it. I merely thought it ity that her name had vanished. However, a few days ter, I discovered that Esmeralda Jawist's name had reappeared in the Book of Admittance," Dumbledore said, showing a puzzled expression.

  Professonagall also fell into deep thought. A name appearing in the Book of Admittance was normal.

  A name disappearing was also somewhat normal.

  But a name disappearing and then reappearing a few days ter was highly unusual.

  "So, that's why you asked me to keep an eye on her?"

  "That's the initial reason, but other events tributed to my deinerva, do you remember the signifit i in London two years ag the summer? elius personally led the Department of Magical Acts and Catastrophes staff to the se."

  Professonagall did recall that i.

  The se showed strong traagical outburst, and half a street was blown away, causing quite a stir at the time.

  Although there was no Dark Mark left at the se, most people believed it was the work of Death Eater remnants.

  The ter of the act left only a few colpsed buildings and two uifiable bodies. Apart from that, the Ministry of Magic found no useful informatioually, the Ministry, with no other leads, had to disguise the i as a gas leak act.

  However, people who had enjoyed a few years of peace didn't buy this expnation.

  The angry public shed out at Minister Millit Bagnold and elius Fudge, the head of the Department of Magical Acts and Catastrophes. But what was the e between these events?

  "These two events seem pletely ued, eveirely disected. How could a young witch who hasn't even started school be lio su act?" Magall asked, waiting for Dumbledore to crify.

  "During that period, I was busy with the preparations for udents and often checked the Book of Admittance. Unfortunately, I never saw it in a. When the act happened, I was iower reviewing the list of udents. After elius informed me of the bad news, I immediately left the tower for the Ministry of Magic," Dumbledore recalled. "When I returned from the Ministry, I noticed that Eda's name had disappeared. A few days ter, when her name reappeared, I was just curious."

  Dumbledore extended his long fingers, rhythmically tapping his forehead, and tinued, "Until one day, I suddenly realized that the street where the act happened was very close, very close to the orphanage where she lived!"

  "That's a bit of a stretch..." Magall said.

  "I know, it's almost impossible for a young witch to blow up half a street at the age of ten. I've privately observed Eda, and she is ialented, but this is not something she could do at her age. She doesn't seem like the kind of person who would do such a thing," Dumbledore said.

  Dumbledore had secretly observed Eda several times. (A/N: Sus....)

  She could beat up children who bullied her in the orphanage and take good care of the younger kids.

  Her talent was indeed impressive, but Dumbledore didn't believe Eda could blow up half a street at the age of ten.

  "The act se had traces of dark magiething beyond young Esmeralda's abilities. However, she is the only wit that neighborhood. From any perspective, I must keep a closer eye on her."

  "Who have you mentiohis to, Albus?" Magall thought of some potentially harmful situations that could ruin this child.

  Dumbledore poio himself first, then to Magall. "Only the two of us. This is just my jecture, not even worthy of being called a guess. I 't destroy a child's future with baseless, even absurd suspis, Minerva."

  "I will keep a closer wat her," Magall said, her gaze drifting to aable where a tattered, wrinkled wizard hat sat.

  "I 't trol the S Hat, Minerva. But fortunately, she will sooarting school..."

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