Chapter 7
December 1987, London
Sitting on the sofa, Alan looks out the window to see the snow falling outside. London at this time of year is just...so cold. This morning, after waking up and feeling the cold seeping into his skin, all Alan wants to do is just come back to the very warm and welcoming bed and then spend the whole day doing nothing but lying motionless on it. But no, he has school and other things to handle. That's the curse of being an adult: you just can't say "Fuck it" and then let the world burn without giving a shit. Besides, living in the orphanage, he doesn't have the privilege of wasting time sleeping in bed and doing nothing. There are studying, researching, practicing, homework, cleaning, doing laundry, cooking, fixing, and all other nameless things. All those things...no one's gonna do for him, so he has to pick his ass up and start doing them.
Thinking back, this is the second time Alan has seen the snow. When he lived in Vietnam, he lived in the South of Vietnam, where it is in the tropical climate zone. Meaning there is no "winter" but only hot seasons all around the year. Alan used to joke with his friends that in the South, there are only two seasons: the hot season and the hotter season! Even in December, in southern Vietnam, all you get will be some chilly colds occasionally. Unlike in London, where the winter can easily freeze you to death if you don't cover yourself enough with warm clothes.
Being used to the tropical climate, Alan really just has a hard time dealing with the winter of London, which is super cold and has super-strong icy winds that can blow you away if you're a tiny scrawny kid like Alan. The only bright side of suffering the deadly cold for at least 3 months is that Alan really likes the snow. The feeling of witnessing millions of snowflakes fall right in front of your eyes while admiring the whole world glowing and gleaming with white snow is the best feeling ever!
On freezing days like this, the only activity that he likes to do is read. Especially...fantasy books. Fantasy books just give him the feeling of freedom, of adventures, and of something greater beyond these mundane things, of something that he yearns to have a taste for. He also used to read a lot of fiction that had the reincarnation factor, with different plots and a bunch of characters ranging from male to female, from men to monsters to aliens. Most of them told stories about how the main characters transformed themselves from ordinary people into heroes with multiple rare talents without even making any effort. And then the main characters went on adventures, fought great battles, faced angels, and slayed demons...and here he is, living in one of these stories! But this time? This time, it won't be easy. Alan truly wishes his life could be easy like in these stories, but nope! Life has never been easy! Especially for those who know how it's gonna end, and there will be a lot of people going to die if he doesn't interfere.
Mindlessly changing into his school uniforms, Alan thinks back to his birthday last month, November 20. He still can't believe that it's already been a year since he died, was reborn, and lives in the new universe—the Potterverse! Where magic is real, and he has magic! How crazy is that? Things just work out in unexpected ways, doesn't it? One year and he had already managed to unlock three titles: A Shop Owner, A Pet Owner, and Werepeople! — You have to put a little spice in your life, right?
First things first, about the shop: it's now called A Little Raven—yeah, not "A Little Owl" anymore. "Sorry, owls, you're lovely and majestic, and I'm kind of like you, but my feathery son hates your gut!" — Alan silently apologizes to the owls. But it's real—Muninn really hates owls! Alan used to watch a few videos showing how owls and ravens are mortal enemies, but honestly, he thinks it's edited and doesn't trust them much. But nope! Muninn decides to prove that the mutual hatred between these two birds is very real!
Speaking of Muninn, Alan has to share that he is now not a "little" raven anymore, as currently, being a two-month-old white raven, Muninn has been growing really fast! All of his feathers are grown out in a beautiful creamy-white colour, and his body length is now around 40 cm with a wingspan of 80 cm. After reading some books and asking some questions to Mr. John, Alan comes to the conclusion that his feathery boy is quite big compared with other ravens of the same age. Knowing that makes Alan quite happy, to be honest, because being bigger basically means being stronger and healthier, which are the most important to Alan when it comes to Muninn's well-being. All he ever wants is to see his feathery son healthy and happy. But, yeah...there is a drawback!
You see, while becoming bigger and older as he grows, Muninn also becomes smarter. And by being smarter, Muninn now realizes that he is not a kid anymore! As a matter of fact, from what Alan learned about ravens, at 2 months old, Muninn basically reaches the subadult stage and will stay in this stage for 2-4 years until he finally reaches the adult stage. Therefore, Alan totally agrees when Muninn claims that he's not a kid anymore but is now an adult. However, by claiming to be an adult, Muninn is now saying that he doesn't want to be left alone at home anymore and now wants to come with him to school and all other places. Basically, Muninn wants to be with him, by his side, all the time.
Honestly, Alan's heart breaks for a moment, knowing that Muninn feels like being left alone at home. However, even if Alan wishes to bring Muninn with him all the time, he just can't bring a raven—a white raven—to school and other public places. People will sure as hell notify the animal protection center or maybe even the police when they see a child has a white raven—an extremely rare animal—by his side. Alan absolutely has no desire to have the animal's control or the animal protection center, or the police breathing down his neck for illegally keeping an extremely rare animal as a pet. They will, no doubt, take Muninn from him, and Alan doesn't want it to happen.
You can call him a hypocrite, but Alan doesn't want to separate from Muninn so soon. It's been 2 months raising Muninn, and maybe because of truly understanding him and being constantly called Mom for 2 whole months, Alan feels attached to Muninn and starts to really see him as his son—a very vocal, feathery son—but a son nonetheless! He knows that someday Muninn will grow up and leave the "nest" to have his own life and maybe his own family, but Alan doesn't want the time he has with Muninn to be too short. He wants to extend the time he has with Muninn a little longer so that when the time finally comes and he has to say goodbye, he will have all the good memories to remember about his feathery son and be able to let him go.
Aside from worrying about the government, Alan is also worried about those who seek Muninn harm. Being a super rare animal, Muninn is, of course, an absolute treasure for those who seek to have this exoticism... What do you think some wildlife trafficking organizations will do if they hear about an 8-year-old orphan boy keeping a white raven as a pet? If Alan is them, an orphan can be damned because, no matter what, he will get that bird!
At best, they will make a profit out of Muninn while still keeping him alive; at worst...Alan truly does not know. Call him an overthinker, but only thinking about those scenarios is enough to make him go into a panic attack, and after he gets a hang of himself, Alan goes right into his Berserker's mode! Let's just say that: Alan truly wishes someone who also has magic wouldn't let it loose as he did. Because it's a hell of an experience to rearrange everything in his room—originally his training room—after his magic lashes out and levitates everything.
Furthermore, Alan has to spend hours trying to explain to Muninn why it's a very bad idea to come with him to school or any other public place, as some organizations like PETA will surely take Munin away from Alan as it's illegal for Alan to keep him as a pet. Alan also has to explain to Muninn how Alan has to abide by the laws and then spend the next few hours explaining the concepts of human laws and how humans have to abide by them to Muninn. Being a raven, Muninn, of course, doesn't get why humans have to abide by the laws, but if his mom tells him so, then so be it.
Alan also explains how it will be much worse if some bad guys out there know about Muninn if he isn't being careful. Alan might not have expected to be a mom to a white raven when he saved Muninn, but he is now, so he will try his best to protect his son from everything that means him harm. And if someone wants to get their hands on his son with bad intentions? Well, remember when people said: Do not come between the lioness and their cubs? Yeah, consequences be damned! Alan will rip whoever means Muninn harm to pieces—with his own hands—by his own claws!
Seeing the seriousness laced deep in Alan's voice, Muninn finally accepts that he will not follow Alan to school and will try his best to hide in all the public places so that no bad guy will know that he even exists. But thankfully, or unfortunately, that rule won't apply today. Today, Alan decides to take a walk around the neighbourhood looking for the special owl that he has been looking for for a whole year now but has not succeeded. Why does Alan say that the rule of not bringing Muninn with him in public places won't apply today? Well, because it's December, there has been snow falling outside for days. The whole city is blurred by the gleaming white snow, and by being a raven with all creamy-white feathers in the snow, Muninn is nearly invisible!
And yeah, until Alan finds a better idea, he decides that he will still walk around the neighbourhood to find that owl. But honestly, December really is the worst time of the year to look for an owl because, despite the deathly cold and falling snow. And of course, the search fails miserably! At this time, Alan truly doesn't know what he's even thinking!
After walking and searching mindlessly for hours in the cold, he finally, finally manages to find a barn owl sitting on the tree nearby. He knows owls won't go into hibernation like bears, so it's not a total surprise to find them in this weather; they have to eat, after all. However, one look at the barn owl, and Alan can't help but let out a disappointed sigh: it is not the special owl he's looking for. Well, what can he say? He gets used to failing at searching for that special owl, so it's not a total surprise to fail, right? Ugh!!!
Feeling the cold seep into his clothes from all directions, Alan considers returning to the orphanage and calls it a day. But just at the moment he turns his back, there are multiple things happening all at once, making Alan stop dead on the spot.
As mentioned, today Alan has Muninn tag along with him on the search. For the whole walk, Muninn has been standing on his shoulder, which is kind of heavy because Muninn is now too big to stand on his shoulder now; while talking nonstop about everything and anything he finds fascinating and wants to share with his beloved mom. But for one moment, if Muninn is still talking on his shoulder, he stops right away when he spots the barn owl. The next moment, Muninn flaps his wings, takes off, and flies straight toward the barn owl, who, surprisingly, is also flying toward Muninn, and then they meet each other in the middle of the air and waste no time to start fighting!
Have you ever seen two birds fight before? Alan did. He saw chickens, or should he say rooters to be exact, fight all the time, and he hated it! Why? You see...Being Vietnamese, Alan loves a lot of things about his people and cultures, but there is one sports activity that the old generations love so much that he wants to erase from his culture, and that's forcing rooters to fight in a cockpit.
In his past life, Alan used to live in the countryside, and in the countryside, he saw lots of people breed, raise, and train a special kind of rooter, put them in a cockpit, and then force them to fight each other to...death! He was so shocked at watching these rooters fighting each other; they were really out for blood and wouldn't stop until their opponents died or were stopped by the owners. You would not believe how brutal, aggressive, and bloodthirsty a chicken can be without seeing these rooters fight. They truly make Alan realize why people say that chickens are descendants of dinosaurs. There's just something primal and animalistic about them that has to be passed down from generation to generation by their ancient ancestor - Tyrannosaurus Rex - the most incredible predator the world has ever known.
And Alan absolutely hates it! Not only is animal cruelty at its worst, but there is also gambling involved: people bet on these innocent animals' lives! And god, how much he hates it!
Anyway, these are rooters; how about ravens fighting owls? Have you seen them fight? Well, Alan is now having an opportunity to witness it, and he's got to say he finds it really...funny! It is chaos, but...hilarious! The first thing that pops up in his mind is "What the fuck? Muninn can fly now?", and then "Shit! They are fighting" and the last thing is "Oh my god! There are so many feathers!". Being so shocked, Alan stops dead in the spot for 10 seconds before he gets over his shock and then runs straight at the two birds, who are still fighting each other but now on the ground, or maybe he should say: on the snow! Seeing that these two birds are really trying to get the best of each other, Alan knows he needs to make them stop fighting and thankfully, he knows a trick. Taking off his jacket, Alan wastes no time putting it over the fighting birds, covering them whole.
Why does he do something like this? Well, Alan learned this trick from his uncle in the past. There was a time when he saw two dogs fight each other aggressively, and his uncle stopped them by covering them with a large blanket. And they did stop! Seeing this, Alan can't help but ask his uncle:
- Uncle Minh, why do they stop? How can it even work?
- It's because when two dogs fight, they will use all of their senses to focus on their opponents. But if you change the scenery abruptly, their instincts will override their intentions of fighting to check up on the surrounding environment to see why it changes. And then they don't have the intention of fighting anymore.
And it works on birds too! Thank god! Alan truly doesn't know what to do if they don't stop. He has power; of course, he remembers that, but he doesn't want to hurt either of them so "Phew!". Wasting no time, Alan picks Muninn up, who is still covered by his jacket, and then runs away from the owl to put as much distance as possible between these two maniacs. Right at this moment, Alan decides that there will be no more searching for owls when Muninn is with him. Glancing back and seeing that the owl is now flying away too, Alan decides: "Yup! That's it! I'm done! We're going back home now!"
Returning to his room from a long walk, Muninn put Muninn on his desk, crossing his hands. Just before Alan can ask why Muninn fights with the owl, Muninn flaps his wings aggressively and speaks first:
- I hate that thing! Mom, what is that thing?
- It's an owl - Alan tells Muninn with a raised eyebrow.
- Owl? Hah! Stupid owl! Mom, did you hear what he said? Winner? I'm the winner! Stupid owl!...
And then Muninn goes on a rant about how owls are so stupid, thinking that they won, how he hates owls so much for being "stupid feathery flying chicken" and how Muninn will show him who is the real winner and who is the better bird...on and on while aggressively flapping his wings and walking back and forth within the desk.
Looking up and taking a deep breath, Alan decides that he has no need to ask why Muninn fights that barn owl anymore, seeing that his son is "giving" him all the reason, and decides to ask the question he's dying to ask instead:
- Well, please tell me, since when were you able to fly?
That makes Muninn stop right in the track, turn around to look at Alan, and ask:
- I did?....YEAH! I DID! I FLEW!!!!
And then Muninn takes off the desk and starts flying around the room while speaking nonstop about how good it is to fly, how pretty he is, and how better he is at flying than owls... Yeah, don't ask; he has to say it to spit the owls! Alan, looking at Muninn happily flying around now, covering his face while letting out a resentful sigh, says quietly to himself: "Oh God, I released a monster, am I?" and he did! Because since that day, Muninn has been flying everywhere he likes, and it's a disaster. However, at the same time, Alan can't help but let out a small smile after witnessing his son fly beautifully and majestically for the first time.
But there is one thing though: not long after knowing about the owls, Muninn soon makes the connection that his little shop is called "A Little Owl" and let's just say he-does-not-like-it! So of course, Muninn demands it be changed to "A Little Raven" as ravens are always better than owls. Well, if your son asks you to do something with a "perfect reason" to do it, you have to do it, right? So yeah, the shop is now called "A Little Raven".
Apart from the shop and raising Muninn, Alan decides to put his Metamorphmagus practice on hold for a little bit. He has already mastered transforming his body and face into anyone or any feature he likes without a second thought, and can hold the transformation for as long as he wants. He can just walk out of the orphanage, and no one will be able to find him. But Alan still stays at the orphanage; he builds something for himself here, and all these people are very nice to him; they're like his family, so he won't abandon them. Besides, to live on your own needs a lot of effort, money, and all other things, and it's too much work, so...he will just stay with the orphanage until Madame Maxime decides that he's too old and kicks him out. He doubts she will do such things, though! So yeah, he will live here until he dies!
Furthermore, with lots of practice, he finally achieves the title of "Werepeople" as he can transform his hands into Raven's claws seamlessly with perfect control. It is like a huge milestone for him because it gives him the confirmation he needs to know that he can do so much more with his power! He has some ideas of what to do next, but he needs to gather more information about them before testing them out. So...Metamorphmagus can wait! Right now, he has something much more interesting to try out!
You see, since saving Hermione from the bullies, besides getting a girl best friend that will stick with him no matter what, really, Hermione is awesome, despite being so young; the world seems to decide that Alan needs to be rewarded, as he saved one of its main characters. And the reward is that somehow, his magic has become very active lately, and he can...feel it!
Alan knows that he has magic; of course he does, what else is able to give him the ability called Metamorphmagus? But knowing that he has it and being able to feel it run through his veins and reside deep inside his mortal body are two different things. Just like right now, at this moment, while sitting on the bus to get to school, Alan can easily feel some kind of invisible energy like fire constantly running through his veins, humming endlessly with a low frequency that no one else is able to hear but himself. Not only that, Alan can feel that "fire" is trying to reach out to the outside world, to something much bigger than him or anyone else in this realm, to resonate with it, to achieve magnificent things, and to shape reality. Without a doubt, Alan knows that's his magic calling out for him. The magic that has been there within his body the whole time, but only until now, he can feel it. And it is extraordinary!
You just can't imagine how happy he is after waking up every day recently and feeling that there is "fire" running through his veins. Needless to say, that feeling alone is enough to make Alan feel like he is on cloud nine. He doesn't know if other wizards and witches can feel magic like him, but this feeling...is marvellous! Of course, there is a negative side to possessing magic inside his body; just like his Metamorphmagus ability, his magic also deeply links to his emotions. Meaning that there are some incidents where his magic reacts when he can't get a hold of himself. Mostly levitating things and destroying...lightbulbs, many lightbulbs...
But all these incidents only make Alan want to test his magic out more, to see what other magnificent things lie ahead of him that he can achieve with his magic. Alan knows that the wizards and witches of this universe use wands to channel their magic, cast spells, and all other things. Some might even say that no one can perform magic without using wands; some people even depend on their wands so much to use their magic that if their wands are snapped in half, they can't even perform magic anymore. And Alan finds it...disgraceful.
To Alan, the wands are just tools to help wizards and witches channel their magic. He, as a wizard, is the one who has magic run through his veins; he is the one who holds the power! Not the wand! The wand might be a sentient being that can choose its master, as Ollivander loves to say, but the wand can't give a person the ability to have magic to cast spells! If the wands can do such things, then there will be no Squib or Muggle in this universe. Because in that case, everybody can cast spells if they obtain a wand, and that's not the case, isn't it?
The magic is what matters, and it comes from within the wizards and witches. We are the ones that possess this incredible ability that can help us achieve many marvellous things. We are the ones who have the ability to shape reality with our will alone. We are the ones who make the impossible possible. We are the ones who make wishes come true, and we are the ones who make magic...Magical!
Humans are well-known for creating and using tools to help elevate themselves in the long run of survival to become the apex predators of all apex predators. Humans are the ones who created automobiles so that we could run as fast as cheetahs. We're the ones who created planes so that we could explore the boundless expanse of the sky like birds. We're the ones who created submarines so that we could explore the wonders of oceans like fish. We're the ones who created weapons so that we could have our own "claws" like tigers so that we could protect ourselves from dangerous animals. We're the ones who created spaceships so that we could reach the moon! We're using tools to make us better, so how can wizards and witches depend on wands to do things that we're born to do?
Don't get him wrong. Alan knows that there are reasons for the wands to be that important to wizards and witches. He will not decline the use of it; he will use it; he is not that stupid. If there is something that can help him channel his magic better, of course he's gonna use it. But he won't let himself be dependent on a wand too much so that one day he can't even channel his own magic if he loses the wand! Nope! Not gonna happen! Besides, Alan knows that there are people who cast spells but are non-verbal and non-wand, so there is no reason for him to not be able to do it. He knows, his toxic trait is showing, but...just forget it!
That's why, after deciding to put his training with Metamorphmagus on hold and seeing that his magic somehow became very active recently, Alan spent all of his free time practising his magic.
When it comes to magic, in his past life, Alan spent countless hours daydreaming and thinking about what the most important things about magic and it came to him: Body, Mind, and Soul. Alan believes that magic comes from the soul and resides deep inside our souls. Take Voldemort as an example: even without a body, he can still possess Quirinus Quirrell, and possession is a form of magic. Or the ghosts in Hogwarts; their existence alone is already magic. Therefore, Alan believes that magic comes from the Soul, flows through the Body, goes out to the outside world, and finally shapes reality by the will of the Mind!
The first thing Alan tries out with his magic is to... meditate. He knows, how basic and cringe-worthy it is to mediate when you have magic to do many other things. But what can he say? He just believes that the basics are really important. It's like when you build a house, the base—the foundation—is the most important part. How long your house lasts will depend greatly on how well you build its foundation. That's why, before starting to cast any spells or try some crazy magic or rituals, he wants to have better control over his magic. And the only way he can think of that will help increase his control over magic is by meditating!
In his past life, whenever he wanted to escape reality, he would come to the pagoda nearby, burn incense, pray for all the Buddhas, and then just sit there listening to all the monks chant scriptures and prayers to Buddhas. Sometimes Alan would join with the monks in chanting too, but not too many. The feeling of it is just so peaceful that it helped him a lot with dealing with all of his traumas. This time, though, what he wants to get from doing meditation is to achieve that peaceful mind, because the most important part of meditation is to put your mind at peace, to reach deep into yourself, and then open yourself to the world.
Just to be extra, Alan decides that he wants to create his own "Zen zone". Alan is thinking about buying some incense and some Buddhist scriptures, but he just doesn't know where, so he goes to the closest source of information—Mr. John—and asks him out:
- Hi Mr. John, Good day to you! Uhm...I want to ask you about something. It might sound weird, but do you know where I can buy some Asian incense and Buddhist scriptures?
- Incenses and Buddhist scriptures? Why do you need those? - Surprised, Mr. John asks in return.
Scratching his neck, Alan doesn't know what to say. He just can't tell Mr. John that he wants to buy some incense and Buddhist scriptures because he believes they will help him meditate better so that he can control his magic better. That's just stupid! So...Alan decides to tell him the closest truth:
- I heard about Buddhism and read lots about it. And I decided that I wanted to be a Buddhist, so I wanted to buy these things to create a little Buddhist temple in my room.
Now that answer makes John super surprised! He knows Alan is very mature for his age, but he doesn't know that Alan's such a religious person. An 8-year-old orphan boy wants to practice Buddhism in his room? That's just...new.
- Well, I know there is a Buddhist temple selling these things, but it's quite far from here. — Mr. John stops for a second and then says — I tell you what: let me come talk with Irene, and then I will bring you there.
- Really? Thank you, thank you, thank you! Mr. John, you're a hero!!!
It took them 45 minutes long to get to the Buddhist temple by bus, and god, he hates the bus! Apart from being killed by 1 in his past life, Alan also gets motion sickness whenever he gets on the bus or in a car. Every day, going to school by bus is torture for Alan, but he sucks it up and deals with it. In his past life, he only used a motorcycle or a bike to travel, but in this life? Alan will sure as hell master Apparition so that he will never ever put his feet on the bus or in the car ever again! Alan heard that Apparition felt like being "forced through a very tight rubber tube" and most people will vomit the first time they Apparate, but Alan just doesn't care anymore; whatever helps him stay away from the bus and cars, he will take it.
While suffering on the bus due to motion sickness while at the same time using all his strengths to keep himself in check so that he will not vomit on the bus and make a fool of himself, Alan suddenly realizes that there is another way he can get in touch with the Wizarding Worlds—the Knight Bus!
"Fuck! How can I never remember it? Ugh!!!!" Alan swears. He really needs to do something with his mind; he remembers a lot of useless things but forgets all the important things. Anyway, getting back to the Knight Bus, it is a magical means of transportation in the Potterverse. Wizards and witches can summon it by raising their wands on the streets if they are in need of emergency transportation and don't know how to apparate. Yeah, you heard that right. Not all wizards and witches know how to apparate, as it's a very difficult magic to learn. All the wizards and witches in England will be taught in Hogwarts when they're in sixth grade by a conductor of the Ministry, and if they pass the test, they will have a licence issued by the Ministry to use Apparition to travel. But, well, not everyone passes the test, and not all the wizards and witches have licences to apparate so most of the time they don't bother with it. And that is where the Knight Bus comes in!
"Alright, the Knight Bus will be summoned by raising a wand. But I don't have a wand, so I have to obtain one first. But...maybe...I can summon it without using a wand?" Alan talks to himself.
Just think about it! How can the Knight Bus know if a wizard or a witch is in need of summoning them by raising his or her wand? Knowing how bad the English Ministry of Magic is, Alan's sure that they won't be able to record all the wands that belong to all the magical folks in England. They just simply don't have the resources to pull it off; it's too much effort and money to do such a thing, so of course, they won't bother with it. Hence, it can't be because of the wands. The only answer is that it must be the wizards and witches! As Alan has been saying, the wands don't hold the power; the wizards and witches do! And the more he thinks about it, the more Alan thinks he might be correct!
You see, the Knight Bus cannot know the wands that's calling out for them but they still come when wizards and witches raise their wands on the streets, so the Knight Bus must have a magical system to help it do such a thing. And as the Knight Bus highly doesn't have a magical system to recognize all the wands in England, it has to recognize something so that it knows it needs to come when being summoned. And that thing must be magic! The magic that comes from the wizards and witches, leaks out of their bodies, goes through the wands, and then goes out into the world. And that magic will send a signal to the Knight Bus, which will capture those signals, locate where they come from, and then go there to pick up the wizards and witches in need.
By thinking so, Alan suddenly has an idea: "Well...can I summon the Knight Bus by raising my hand on the street and then sending out my magic with the intention of summoning the Knight Bus to me?". This idea has so much potential that Alan believes it will work. But first, he has to have better control over his magic!
Arriving at the Buddhist Temple, one looks at the temple, Alan knows it's a Chinese Buddhist Temple. Buddhism is a well-known religion in all Asian countries, but it varies by country and culture. The temples are sacred places, but each country will build them a little differently depending on their culture. The decorations, structures, and all other things in this temple are just...very Chinese. And it is beautiful. The temple is quite large, actually. Alan has visited a lot of huge temples before, and this temple is not very small in size compared with those huge temples. The temple has a courtyard that has a pond with two huge and pretty koi fish swimming inside right in the middle. There is also a large Bodhi tree planted just right next to the pond, spreading its majestic canopy and covering almost the whole temple. Smelling the burning scent of hundreds of burnt incense while hearing the sound of the wind caressing millions of leaves from the Bodhi tree and witnessing the sunlight leaking through the tree's canopies just makes Alan feel a deep sense of sacred serenity. That's why he just loves to visit temples so that he can feel that kind of serenity in modern times.
Taking a deep breath and leaving Mr. John to admire the temple alone, Alan comes to the meditation halls to talk with one of the monks resident in the temple to ask if he can buy some incense and some Buddha scriptures here. Lucky for him, they have all of these things. But right before he takes his wallet out to pay, there is an ancient-looking monk who steps out from the inside door, looks at him with gentle eyes, and says:
- Nice to meet you, young man with the soul of a traveler.
- Sorry...Uhm...I don't know what you mean. — "Who is this old man, and what is he talking about? Is he talking about me being reborn?" — Alan talks to himself while also taking a step back away from the old monk and slightly putting his body in a fighting position, while in his mind he also gets himself ready to call upon his Metamorphmagus power.
The old monk just looks at him knowingly without doing anything, not even stepping forward. Gently, he says:
- No need for that. I just came here to talk and to give you something. You can call me 玄空 - Xuan Khong. I'm the head monk of this temple. I know you will understand everything I'm gonna say, so I'm hoping that you won't react too violently, as you have the power to do so.
Still standing in his fighting position and keeping his power in check. He feels like there is a fire that slowly runs through his veins and starts humming aggressively in his ears, ready to lash out and destroy everyone that means him harm. Taking a deep breath and willing his magic to stay put, Alan says to the old monk:
- Sure! I'm Alan Walker, by the way.
- I knew your name already, but it's good to finally see you again in person like this. Nice to meet you, Alan Walker. Well, the thing I want to tell you is that a year ago, I had a vision of you coming here, at this temple, on this day.
- A vision?—Alan asks back. "Like a prophecy? Is he a Seer?" - Alan talks to himself.
- Yes, a vision. Seeing that you're not surprised at me having a vision of you coming here today, I think you know what kind of "vision" I'm talking about.
- I have some ideas of what it could be, but... why does it have anything to do with me? - Genuinely, Alan asks.
Looking at Alan with a knowing gentle smile, Monk Xuan Khong answers Alan's question:
- You see, the thing about my visions is that they're not prophecies. Prophecy is the thing that has an abiding factor to it, meaning that there might be some greater powers beyond our understanding that affect this realm so that the prophecies will happen one way or another. There are, of course, a few times when the prophecies won't play out as they're predicted, but most of the time, the prophecies are set in stone.
- Alright, prophecies are set in stones, got it! So...what is that about your vision of me?
- As I said, my visions are not prophecies; they're not set in stone. They're just snippets of time that I have the power and the luck to witness. They're just possibilities for what might or might not happen. My vision of you is telling me that if I give you something today, it might help you a lot in the long run and might be an even bigger help to you in the future, and all those helps might result in a bigger help for our kind in the future! So...I want you to keep this, Alan!
And then Xuan Khong takes off his mala that he's wearing around the neck and gives it to Alan. Looking down at the mala, Alan realises that it's quite old. Alan knows this kind of mala; it has 108 beads made from some kind of wood unknown to Alan as he doesn't know much about woodlore. With very good eyesight, Alan is able to see that there are carvings in all 108 beads, but they're kind of tiny, so Alan can't make out all of the carvings but only the carvings of Buddhas in the beads as they're the biggest.
Looking up at Xuan Khong with skeptical eyes, only to see reassurance in Xuan Khong's eyes, Alan slowly and carefully takes the mala from Xuan Khong. Right when he touches the mala, something instantly washes over him—something that gives him the feeling of sacred serenity and otherworldly peacefulness. Something that right away reaches deep into himself and resonates with his magic, somehow making him like he’s falling deep inside his body, and then stops abruptly to see the world galaxy burning so brightly with a fluorescence blue in front of his very eyes. And he knows, without a doubt, that’s his magic! And his magic is...alive! It becomes a sentient being that resides inside his mortal body, breathing, thinking, right within his touch and willing to follow his wills. Like he and his magic now finally know of each other, like they finally met and become one! And it feels...magnificent!
Alan has to take 10 minutes to regain his composure. Taking a few deep breaths, Alan looks back at Xuan Khong with wonders in his eyes, while Xuan Khong just stands there looking at him with a knowing look, like he knew "that" was going to happen when Alan touched the mala...wait! Of course he knew; he is a Seer and is the owner of this mala, so of course he knew!
Seeing that Alan has now regained his composure, Xuan Khong speaks again:
- The mala... has 108 beads; all of them were made from a 1000-year-old Bodhi tree, a mother tree of the Bodhi tree planted out there. There are 108 Buddha carvings carved on the beads, along with 108 lotus flowers. There are also 108 swastikas carved into the beads, but because of the Germans, people might find them offensive, so please be careful when you use the mala in public. This mala has been passed down for at least 10 generations; it was brought here from the Shaolin Temple of China by the Shifu of my Shifu, the one who built this temple in the first place, about 100 years ago. 10 generations of monks have been using it while chanting scriptures and prayers to Buddhas, infusing it with their magic, their goodwill, and their intentions to find peace in and for this world and in ourselves into these beads every single day for 1000 years. It is, no doubt, a powerful ancient artifact, so, with all my heart, please keep it safe, Alan.
- You're not kidding? — "He has to be kidding, right?" - Alan tells himself.
- I assure you, I am not. - Monk Xuan Khong tells Alan with genuineness in his voice.
Looking at Monk Xuan Khong as if he grows another head, but nope! He is dead serious! "This guy is absolutely crazy!" - Alan takes a deep breath, counts to 5, and says:
- Honestly, it's an honour for you to consider giving me the mala. It's, without a doubt, the most incredible and valuable item that someone could ever give me. But...I can't keep it. I'm a Buddhist, but, to be honest, I'm not a really devoted follower of Buddha. And this mala—this powerful ancient artifact—should belong to the monk. To someone who is truly devoting themselves to Buddha, to someone who truly knows its value and will keep it safe, and then carry on the tradition of passing it down to the next generation to someone they see fit. Someone, that's absolutely,...not me!
With that, Alan gives the mala back to Monk Xuan Khong, but Monk Xuan Khong doesn't even bat an eye at the mala and just looks at Alan with a gentle smile instead.
- Alan... With all the things you just said, you just told me why you're the perfect one to keep it. You're a follower of Buddha; you might not be a "really devoted follower" like you said you're a follower nonetheless! But at our core, you and I, we're the same. You know how valuable the mala is; you know how powerful it is and how powerful you can be by keeping it, but you still offer to give it back. And that makes you a great owner of it. And I know for a fact that if you're its owner, you will do everything in your power to keep it safe—keep it from those who seek to use its power to harm others. That's why, in this timeline, in this realm, the mala is meant to belong to you.
Taking a deep breath, Monk Xuan Khong looks at Alan with sincerity in his eyes and says:
- Please keep it, Alan. Because right now, at this moment, I already feel the wheel of time turning and see new possibilities being created, and in them, I see many possible outcomes...and maybe, just maybe,...when the time comes...you will save us all.
With that sentence, Alan right away feels there is something in the air—shifts! Something that's immensely powerful, something that is so ancient and otherworldly that's beyond the compromise of mortal minds, shifts in the air! At the same time, Alan suddenly realizes that Xuan Khong's eyes are now glowing with a silvery, gleaming white glow. He's looking straight at the space above Alan's head, like he's seeing something in there, and he did! Because, right now, without needing any explanation, Alan can tell that Monk Xuan Khong's power of the Seer is activating. He's seeing possible outcomes that might or might not come true.
Unbeknownst to Alan, right at the same time Monk Xuan Khong uses his power, there is also another person, an old man, who shares the same incredible gift as Monk Xuan Khong, suddenly also feels the wheel of time turn and instantly activates his gift, only to see many, many new possibilities run across his very eyes...
Keeping his mouth shut to wait until Xuan Khong comes back to himself, a few minutes later, the white glow in Monk Xuan Khong's eyes finally dims. Seeing that Monk Xuan Khong doesn't look so good, his face is really white. Alan asks:
- You're alright? You don't look so good. Do you need any help?
- I'm fine, Alan. I'm kind of old now, so using my power is quite taxing on me. But I will be fine. A good rest will fix it all. So back to what we're discussing: please keep the mala, Alan. And please keep it safe.
Holding his gaze on Monk Xuan Khong for a long moment, Alan finally nods his head and says:
- I will. Thank you so much, Monk Xuan Khong. I promise you, I will keep it safe. Whoever wants to take it from me will have to step over my body first.
- Hahaha! Don't be that serious! There is one thing about the mala: it won't work for dark wizards and witches.
- Really?
- Yes! You see... Too many monks have been using it, and you know how we monks are: we're pacifists. After 1000 years of being infused by the magic of the monks, the Mala has a very strong sense of right and wrong! It won't give its alliance to those who have gone dark and mean to harm other people. However, it still holds immense power within itself, and power is just power with no right or wrong. So someone might still be able to siphon that power to do bad things. That's why you have to keep it safe. And Alan,...
Stops for a moment to look deep into Alan's eyes. Monk Xuan Khong continues:
- ... There is darkness in everything; it's just how life is. But it's up to us to choose what to do with that darkness. A psychopath who has the high potential to become a serial killer but manages to lock all the serial killing thoughts within himself and doesn't do anything to harm anyone for all his life will not be called a criminal. What we do is what defines who we are, so Alan, please promise me that you will keep yourself in check and not let the darkness win.
Knowing full well why Monk Xuan Khong says something like this, there is just too much darkness inside Alan's mind after going through too many traumas in his past life. But just like Monk Xuan Khong said: "What we do is what defines who we are"—Alan also doesn't want to become a person who, one day, looks into the mirror only to see the demon looking back. That's just not the kind of person he wants to become. Nodding, Alan says with confidence in his voice:
- I know. I promise I will keep myself and my morals in check.
- That's what all I'm asking for. Well, it's quite late now, so what do you think about having lunch with the monks? Let me assure you that our food is delicious.
- Of course, I'd love to. Eating vegetables is my favorite thing. Let me call my uncle.
And the food is really delicious! After calling out to Mr. John, Alan comes with Monk Xuan Khong to the living quarters and then has lunch with all the monks currently resident in the temples. While having lunch, Alan hears many stories of the monks, about the temples, and all other things... All in all, it's been a very lovely visit. After having lunch, before they part ways, Monk Xuan Khong pulls him aside and tells him that:
- If you have any questions or just need to talk about something or anything, you can reach out to me. I will ask one of my owls to check on you often so that you have a way to contact me when you want. Also, here are my telephone numbers so that, in case you can't reach me through letters, you can call me instead. Besides, the temple will always be available for you, Alan. It'll be an open sanctuary for you whenever you need it. And the last thing, please come visit often.
Excitedly, Alan rushes to speak:
- Oh my God! Thank you so much, Monk Xuan Khong! You don't know how long I have been looking for an owl that can deliver tickets. I'm starting to lose my mind here! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
- Hahaha! I know! There will be an owl waiting for you at your orphanage! Now off you go!
- Goodbye, Monk Xuan Khong! See you soon!
Just like that, Alan gets on the bus again to return home, and despite having a burning feeling of wanting to vomit, he can't help but feel that this time the universe is on his side! He's on cloud nine, and nothing can stop him from feeling happy about it! How can he not? He now has all the things he needs to create his own "Zen zone" to mediate, for free! Alan asks to pay, but Monk Xuan Khong doesn't have it and tells him to stop wasting effort cause he won't accept any money or payment from Alan. Monk Xuan Khong also gave him a small statue of a sitting Buddha that represents meditation and concentration after hearing the reason why Alan came to the temple in the first place.
Not only that, he now has the means to get in touch with the Wizarding World—the special owl that can deliver letters! Finally! Alan was being honest with Monk Xuan Khong; he was truly starting to lose his mind looking for that special owl in his area. But now he doesn't need to worry about that anymore cause Monk Xuan Khong said that there'll be an owl waiting for him at the orphanage. All he needs to do is think about how he has to craft the letter so that Andromeda won't get suspicious of him for reaching out to her.
Furthermore, Alan is now the owner of a powerful ancient artifact that, despite not giving him perfect control over his magic, gives him the ability to feel and reach deep into his soul to see his magic! And it is the best thing that's ever happened to him. Yesterday is the first time ever that he's been able to reach deep into himself while still being conscious and knowing that he's meditating. Like his mind and body were detached from each other but still connected somehow, and there was it! The wonders of magic were right in front of his very eyes. By being deep in the mediating stage, Alan was able to touch the power that's residing inside his mortal boy, to feel the power it holds, and to know that there was a whole "galaxy" glowing and burning so brightly within himself that's willing to work with him to bring wonders to the mortal realms. That feeling...was everything!
Arriving at the school and getting off the bus while touching the mala around his neck, Alan is thinking about testing his theory of summoning the Knight Bus by waving his hand out on the streets and letting out a little of his magic to see if it works. He knows now that he already has a way to contact Andromeda and get in touch with the Wizarding World, as yesterday he found an owl—a very special kind of owl—resting on the tree near the orphanage. Let's just say that the meeting between Alan and the owl was...chaotic! Muninn was not happy at all, as there was an owl resting nearby, and Alan was seeing that owl! Muninn tried to fight with the owl several times yesterday after seeing it, but the owl somehow just flew away every time Muninn came at it. Like...it knew that Muninn was just a kid and didn't know any better, and it—the owl—was an adult, so it wouldn't bother Muninn and didn't want to fight with Muninn, and it made Muninn even...madder!
Alan had to spend a lot of time calming Muninn down and reasoning with him about how the owl is only temporary and how he really needs the owl to help him deliver some very important letters that can save lives. After a lot of reassurance from Alan that Muninn is still the best, still his favorite son and Alan will never keep an owl as a pet or keep any other pets besides him... Muninn finally agreed to not fight with the owl anymore. "Thanks God for the small mercy" - Alan told himself.
After successfully reasoning with Muninn, Alan turned his attention to the owl. He knows the owls of the Potterverse are very smart, so he just looked at the owl now resting on the window of his room and told it straight away:
- Sorry owl, my raven is...just...sorry about him. I know you're here to deliver letters, but I don't have any right now. Can you come back three days later?
The owl seemed to understand what he said, so it hooted three times. Sadly, Alan didn't understand the owl's language, so he turned to Muninn and asked:
- Muninn, can you tell me what the owl just said?
Muninn seemed to be still annoyed at the owl. Muninn was not very happy, but his beloved mom asked him, so he still answered with a quite unhappy croak:
- Mom, it said that it would come back here three days later to collect letters.
Hearing what Muninn said, the owl hooted again agreeably, looked at Alan and Muninn one last time, and then flew away. Seeing the owl fly away with a smile on his face, Alan couldn't help but think that the universe truly stands by his side this time and everything is starting to fall into place and everything and everyone will be fine. However, as mentioned, Alan still wants to test out his way of summoning the Knight Bus because, not only does it give him another means of transportation, but it also gives him confirmation of his theory that wizards and witches are what really matter, as we're the ones who hold the power.
Walking towards his locker to take out some books, only to find his newly-become best friend, Hermione Granger, standing right in front of it with her face so pale that she looks like a walking corpse. Worrily, Alan rushes to her to check if she's alright, but before he even has a chance to open his mouth, Hermione sees him first and runs straight towards him, grabs his hand, and pulls him into the school storage while aggressively pushing away anyone who's in the way, making lots of his classmates and students shout and complain at them. Honest, Alan is at a loss; he truly doesn't know what's going on or what happened to Hermione, making her this...terrified, so he just keeps his mouth shut and goes along with her while also saying sorry to other kids being pushed away.
Opening the school's storage and then closing it with so much force that the door rattles, Hermione turns back to face Alan and doesn't wait for him to let out a word. Hermione speaks:
- Oh my god, Alan! Oh, my freaking god! Alan! I swear to you! I SWEAR, it's REAL! Oh my god, Alan! You have to believe me, or else I don't know what else to do! I have to trust me on this! I swear to you...
Alan has absolutely no idea what the hell is happening with Hermione; however, he is aware that she goes into a panic attack and is hyperventilating, which does not bode well! Deciding that whatever she means to say can wait, Alan grabs Hermione by the hands, turns her whole body to face him, and holds her in place. Looking into her eyes, he says:
- HERMIONE! Look-at-me!
As told, Hermione stops dead right on the track.
- Good! Now, I need you to breathe with me...in...out...in...out...
- In...Out....In...Out - Hermione follows his lead.
- Good! Again! In...out...in...out—Alan repeats with a more gentle voice this time.
Doing as told, Hermione follows Alan's lead and starts breathing on his queue, and after 10 minutes of silent breathing, she finally comes out of her panic attack and regains her composure. Seeing that Hermione is now getting better, Alan releases her and takes over the situation. He firmly asks:
- Good! Now tell me, why are you being so...terrified? What happens? You look like you're seeing a ghost! - "Wait! Ghosts are real. Are there any ghosts in this area? Has Hermione met one of them?" - Alan talks to himself in his mind.
After being released from Alan's grip, Hermione finally realizes that she just went into a panic attack. She's never had it before, so it's very new to her. That's why she doesn't know she has it in the first place, and thanks God for Alan; if not for him, she doesn't know if she can get over it by herself. She has been so terrified for the whole time of getting to school from home, and now that she is finally here, she found Alan, and she was right—Alan being here is truly helping her a lot!
Taking a deep breath to brace herself, Hermione looks straight into Alan's eyes and says:
- Alright, there is something that happened to me, and I need you to trust Alan. Or else I don't really know what to do...
- Of course, you can tell me anything, and I give my words: I will believe whatever you say. Just say it!
- Right, right! This morning, I summoned a book. I fucking summoned a book! It flew right into my hand from my bookshelves, which are 3 meters away from me. Oh God, I swear I did it! You have to believe me.
Hearing what Hermione is telling him, the first thought that pops up in his mind is "Oh! So her magic is also manifest!" and the second thought is "Alright! Alright! Cats are out of the books now. No need to hide anymore". And his last thought is "She trusts me enough to tell me about her magic! So you know what to do, Alan; don't worry, you got it!". Seeing that Hermione is now starting to panic again, Alan finally decides to put her out of her misery. He grabs her again and says:
- Hermione! Listen! I believe you!
- You did? - Hermione says while looking at Alan astoundingly. Gods! Honestly, Hermione won't even blame Alan if he doesn't believe her, because she can't even believe in herself right now!
- I did! I do!
- Oh my god! Thank you, Alan. I really just can't... - She is overwhelmed with relief right now! Now she understands why people say that a gay best friend is the best kind friend!
Seeing Hermione's face shows how relieved she is after hearing that he believes her, Alan can't help but feel proud and honored, knowing that his words and trust mean a lot to her. He looks at her and says:
- Listen, Hermione! I need you to listen to me very carefully, alright? I also have something that's very, very important to tell you. But this place is not the place to talk about it. So here is the plan: we're going to walk out of this hideous storage, find our teacher, Ms. Andy, and tell her that we will take a day off school because you're not feeling well and in no condition to learn. Then we will get back to your house, which I know has no one as your parents are at the clinic right now, and then... You're going to tell me everything that happened this morning, and in return, I will tell you everything! Deal?
Now getting a little better, knowing and having someone who will believe in her no matter how crazy her story is, Hermione realizes that Alan is correct: she is in no condition to learn! Having no idea of what else to do, Hermione decides to follow Alan's plan. Besides, she is now curious about what Alan's going to tell her, as there is that voice of his when he talks about something that's super serious. Nodding, Hermione tells Alan:
- Deal! Let's get out of here!
- Good choice! Now! Let's go!
And that's why they go back to Hermione's home from school, and just right after they close the door of Hermione's bedroom, she goes straight to reciting every single detail of what happened this morning...