Charlie tilted his head, then kept the motion going. With a quick flip of his wrist, a chocolate appeared in his palm.
He tossed it to the old man.
"I want the one with the special ingredient," the old man said.
Charlie looked at him and shook his head.
"Sir, that's a dangerous thing to say. I don't mess with that stuff."
The old man paused, then chuckled and shook his head. "I meant sunlight."
"It's already in there. Besides, this is just street magic. Take it seriously if you want, but remember to pay." Charlie covered himself first, then added, "One pound."
The old man didn't rush to hand over the money. He unwrapped the chocolate, studied its color and texture, then slowly placed it in his mouth. He closed his eyes, focusing completely on the taste.
A real connoisseur.
A moment later, he opened his eyes again.
"Truly remarkable… You clearly have a unique gift. This kind of technique doesn't usually show up in young wizards. Manipulating natural elements is normally tied to specific spells…"
The old man had seen everything and didn't seem overly shocked.
After all, children's accidental magic was the strangest and most unpredictable phase of all. Some could talk to animals, others made objects appear and vanish, a few levitated uncontrollably, and some even Apparated by mistake. Anything was possible.
Charlie didn't catch the old man's quiet muttering.
His mind was somewhere else entirely.
[Wish Dust +0.1 — Albus Dumbledore]
"…"
He knew that name very well. And… this was the first time he'd ever gotten Wish Dust from an old man.
0.1 points wasn't small at all.
Who would've guessed the century-old wizard still had such a childlike heart.
Charlie glanced back. After tasting the chocolate, Dumbledore wore a satisfied little smile.
"I forgot to introduce myself. I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
So, Mr. Charlie Wonka… would you like to come to our school and learn real magic?"
"Of course, but…"
Half an hour later
Charlie officially opened his acceptance letter and read every line carefully while asking,
"I'm curious—do you personally collect every single student? That must keep you busy."
"Not usually. Most students come from wizarding families and don't need guidance.
For Muggle-born children without wizarding backgrounds, we send an owl with the letter first, wait for a reply, and then a staff member escorts them.
The rare cases I usually handle myself are…"
"Orphans. The letter can't even reach them, and we're naturally suspicious and don't trust anyone, so you need a gentle-looking old man like yourself to show up in person?"
Dumbledore opened his mouth, then added, "And precocious."
His large, kind hand patted Charlie's shoulder. "Hogwarts is a place full of love, just like a home. Please believe me, Mr. Wonka."
"Mm… maybe so. But sir, I still have some questions."
Charlie followed up with a string of questions about Hogwarts—from the general shape of the wizarding world to Diagon Alley, from Gringotts to tuition, room and board, and the new-student allowance.
Once everything was settled, he stood up. "All right, shall we head to this Diagon Alley now? Train?"
"Of course—" Dumbledore drew the word out.
"—not!"
After all that talking, nothing beat letting Charlie feel magic for himself. That was Dumbledore's plan.
He rested a hand on Charlie's shoulder and said softly, "Deep breath."
Charlie obeyed. The next second, a powerful pull hit him right in the stomach. He felt like his whole body was being shoved through a water pipe like a rag.
The feeling came fast and left just as fast. Before it could really hurt, there was a loud pop by his ear and he was standing in an alley.
He popped a chocolate into his mouth. Warm sunlight spread across his tongue, quickly washing away the discomfort of the Apparition.
"Wow… uh… okay. Magic. Are we in Diagon Alley now?" Charlie rubbed his forehead.
"No, we're still on Charing Cross Road. I'll take you through the gateway between the Muggle and wizarding worlds—the Leaky Cauldron."
With Dumbledore leading, they stepped out of the alley and walked along Charing Cross Road.
Charlie was an orphan. The tramp who'd found him had died unnoticed in some forgotten corner when Charlie was eight.
He himself was basically a street kid doing a London-orphan cosplay, earning just enough for bread with smooth talk and magic tricks.
He had no romantic illusions about London and no reason to leave Chester for a "trip." The last time he'd been here was three years ago.
If he'd been a normal kid from a well-off family, he probably would've wandered down famous Charing Cross Road ages ago and naturally discovered the Leaky Cauldron and the wizarding world.
But there were no ifs…
Five minutes later, an ancient pub that looked completely out of place appeared in front of him.
The landlord, Tom, came forward to greet them, hunched and thin but beaming.
As Dumbledore walked in, some patrons stood to say hello while others shrank deeper into the shadows.
Dumbledore was gentle and unhurried. He exchanged pleasantries with everyone, then led Charlie to the small courtyard behind the pub.
He drew his wand and tapped the right brick. Under Charlie's expectant gaze, the magical world opened its doors.
Owl hoots, children's laughter, and adult voices rushed toward him all at once.
Faint memories of blurry movie scenes from his past life floated up, then got instantly overwritten by the real Diagon Alley in front of him.
A Chocolate Frog hopped right past Charlie's eyes, chased by a boy shouting, "Hey, get back here, you little rascal!"
"Ernie, don't get so worked up over a frog bouncing on the ground!" his mother called behind him.
"Let's go," Dumbledore said with a small smile, guiding Charlie down the street.
"Chocolate Frogs? Looks like there are things I'm going to like here," Charlie grinned.
"And plenty more surprises, I'm sure. Also—" Dumbledore patted his waist, then pulled out a gold coin.
"I don't carry pounds, so for that sunlight chocolate earlier—one Galleon."
Charlie took the gold coin, and the relevant memories surfaced.
One Galleon… Harry had bought a bit of everything on the train and still hadn't spent that much.
Looked like one Galleon would cover a sample of every common, fun magical sweet he could find.
What a generous hand—or was he just funding a candy run?
Charlie pocketed the Galleon with a smile. "Thank you, generous Headmaster."
"Just call me Professor."
By now they had reached Gringotts. Dumbledore made sure Charlie got the full allowance—thirty Galleons—even though he already had some money of his own.
Thirty Galleons covered everything on the school list, though it would be tight with nothing left over for a pet, a broom, or extras.
After Gringotts they went to Flourish and Blotts. In the second-hand section Charlie picked out decent copies of the textbooks.
Of course, second-hand didn't solve everything. A History of Magic and One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi were used across multiple years, and the second-hand copies were in rough shape, so he had to buy new ones.
Cauldrons, telescopes, and scales, on the other hand, looked great even second-hand.
The work robes, gloves, pointed hat, and cloak ended up being the biggest expenses.
Their final stop was Ollivanders Wand Shop.
Nothing too special—well, maybe a little.
Surprisingly, Ollivander's eye was razor-sharp. The very first wand he handed Charlie fit him perfectly.
"Rowan wood—strongly averse to deception and trickery. It usually needs a pure-hearted owner. Unicorn-hair core, symbolizing loyalty."
When Ollivander placed the wand in Charlie's hand, a single wave sent silver sparks bursting from the tip. Another wave and the sparks vanished completely. It felt perfectly natural.
They left Ollivanders, passed back through the Leaky Cauldron, and stepped onto Charing Cross Road. Dumbledore handed Charlie a train ticket and carefully explained where to find Platform 9¾.
He also gave him a quick lesson on the Statute of Secrecy, wands, and the Trace.
"So, shall I take you back to Chester, Mr. Wonka?"
"Of course—" Charlie nodded, then changed tack.
"—no need."
Dumbledore smiled, then nodded with a touch of resignation.
"I still want to wander around London a bit. There's a train from King's Cross to Cheshire—about three and a half hours. I know the route."
"Very well. Please stay safe. Remember, stick to busy streets, avoid unfamiliar alleys, and always stay where there are people." Dumbledore gave a little wink, then vanished with a loud pop.
The busy street was full of ordinary passersby, yet not one of them glanced their way.
Charlie thought about what Dumbledore had just said, then smiled and turned back into the Leaky Cauldron.
He had a feeling the old Headmaster had been hoping he'd explore Diagon Alley on his own.
Besides, did he really trust a kid alone in Diagon Alley?
Then again—Dumbledore had grown up in an era where children worked 9-to-9-to-7 factory shifts.
He probably didn't see anything wrong with a boy taking the train home by himself.