The person is at Hogwarts, but the system is in Middle-earth!

Professor McGonagall was greatly puzzled by Rowe's so-called "Middle-earth Monster Compendium," but considering the boy's previous excessive wariness of "fairies" (orcs), she decided to take him to the Eeyore Owl Shop, hoping that buying a pet might alleviate his anxiety.

However, just as they were making their way through the crowded Diagon Alley, a system alarm suddenly went off in Rowe's mind.

[WARNING! High-energy biological reaction detected!]

[WARNING! Extremely dangerous dark relic detected!]

Rowe's body tensed instantly, his right hand instinctively pressing on the blackthorn wand (short sword) at his waist, while his left hand protected his chest.

He looked in the direction indicated by the system, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

Beneath the white steps of Gringotts stood a figure as imposing as a mountain. He was almost twice the height and five times the width of an average person, his long, tangled black hair and beard obscuring most of his face, revealing only a pair of eyes that gleamed like black beetles. He wore an oversized mole-skin coat, exuding a wild aura.

[Scan complete]

[Target: Rupert Hagrid]

[Race Determination: Hybrid Giant -> Skin Changer]

[Danger Level: Skull Level (He transforms into a giant bear and tears enemies apart when enraged)]

[Alignment: Neutral Good (Current) / Frenzied Nature (Potential)]

"Skin-changing humans!" Lowe gasped. "These legendary creatures actually exist?"

In Middle-earth legends, the Beowulf, the skin-changing people, are guardians of nature. They hate orcs, but are not exactly friendly to dwarves or other races. They possess immense strength, can transform into giant bears, and are meat grinders on the battlefield.

"Don't stare at people, it's impolite, Rowe." Professor McGonagall noticed Rowe's stiffness. "That's Hagrid, the gamekeeper at Hogwarts. He's a good man."

"The strong are always worthy of respect, Lady of Light," Rowe said softly, his wariness turning into awe. A skin-changing human who could survive in this world full of orcs (fairies) and dark wizards was definitely a top-tier powerhouse.

The system alarm did not go away; instead, it became even more acute.

[WARNING! A Dark Source of the Supreme Ring Level Detected!]

[Distance: 10 meters]

[Host, please take precautions!]

Lowe shifted his gaze from Hagrid to the small, thin figure beside Hagrid.

It was a very thin boy, wearing round-framed glasses taped shut and ill-fitting old clothes. He looked unremarkable, but in Luo Wei's system vision, the lightning bolt-shaped scar on the boy's forehead was spewing out invisible black energy.

[Target: Harry Potter]

[Identity Determination: Savior -> Ringholder]

[Status: Cursed (Fragment of Voldemort's Soul) -> Sauron's Gaze]

[Note: He bears the heavy responsibility of destroying the Demon King, but he also constantly teeters on the brink of being corrupted by darkness. Death and misfortune will be his constant companions.]

"Damn it..." Lowe instinctively took a half step back. "It's the Ringholder! A moving source of disaster!"

If the skin-changing beings are a physical threat, then the Ring-bearer is a nuclear bomb in terms of causality. As long as you follow him, sooner or later you will encounter Ringwraiths, Balrogs, or something even more terrifying.

"Oh, Minerva!" Hagrid's booming voice rolled across the street as he spotted Professor McGonagall and waved his large, fan-like hand with delight. "What a coincidence! I brought Harry here to shop too."

"Harry?" Professor McGonagall's expression softened immediately. She looked at the thin boy. "My goodness, is it Harry? I mean, Mr. Potter."

Harry looked up shyly and met Rowe's gaze.

In that instant, Harry felt a strange chill. This peer standing behind Professor McGonagall was wearing brand-new robes, with a stiff-looking wand at his waist, and in his hand—well, why was he holding a frying pan?

"Hello, Hagrid," Professor McGonagall greeted him with a smile, then turned to Harry, "Mr. Potter, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Hello," Harry replied politely, though his eyes were still glancing at Rowe.

"This is Rowe, a freshman this year," Professor McGonagall introduced. "Rowell, and this is Harry Potter."

Lowe took a deep breath. There was no escaping it. Now that they were already in close proximity, he had to show enough goodwill to avoid being resented by the future Ringholder, while at the same time maintaining enough distance to avoid getting splattered with blood.

He tucked the frying pan under his arm, stepped forward, and first bowed deeply to Hagrid—an ancient greeting from Middle-earth to the spirits of nature.

"May your honey always be sweet, great forest walker," Rowe said solemnly. "Your power makes the mountains tremble."

Hagrid froze. He'd been called "Big Guy," "Idiot," and "that monster breeder" his whole life, but no one had ever called him "The Great Forest Walker." His face, hidden beneath his beard, flushed instantly.

"Uh... thank you? I mean, you're too kind, kid." Hagrid rubbed his hands awkwardly. "I'm just a gamekeeper."

"Humility is a virtue of the strong." Rowe nodded, then turned to Harry.

He didn't shake hands (he resolutely refused to touch those who held the precepts), but instead looked at Harry from two meters away with a complicated expression.

To most people, Harry was just a skinny boy.

But in Rowe's senses, which were overridden by the system, he witnessed a heartbreaking scene:

On the boy's thin shoulders seemed to lie an invisible, black mountain. The lightning-shaped scar was more than just a scar; it was a living, cursed eye oozing black oil. The evil, cold, and nauseating aura (from Voldemort's Horcrux fragment) was so intense that Rowe could even smell sulfur and rotting corpses.

Harry, completely unaware of this malice that could drive an adult wizard mad, smiled shyly.

"Is this the mark?" Luo Wei murmured softly, his tone devoid of its previous teasing, replaced only by deep shock and sympathy.

This is not acting. Any normal person would feel suffocated to see an 11-year-old child carrying such a hellish burden.

"A heavy burden." Rowe sighed, his eyes softening unconsciously like a seasoned veteran. "Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown. Uneasy lies the heart that destroys the One Ring. Good luck, Mr. Potter."

He paused, then, despite the system's red pop-up warning: "Spoilers will cause the world line to collapse," he added, forcing himself to speak:

"If you feel like someone is talking in your head, or you have a strong urge to wear a certain ring... remember to eat more chocolate, or come find me. Although I may not be able to help, I can call the police for you."

(That's all I can do. Harry, I hope you can survive in this world full of monsters.)

Harry couldn't understand a word he was saying, but he could sense the goodwill in Rowe's tone—a strange but not malicious concern.

"Th...thank you?" Harry was touched. This was the first person he had met since entering the wizarding world who didn't treat him as a "celebrity" or a "rare animal," but rather as a...sufferer.

"Alright, Rowe," Professor McGonagall said, though she found Rowe's words still somewhat cryptic, at least she was being polite. "We're going to Eeyore's Shop. Hagrid, what about you?"

"We're going to Gringotts," Hagrid said, patting Harry on the shoulder.

"Gringotts," Rowe's expression changed, and he looked at Harry again, "to the orcs' lair? To retrieve that thing?"

Could it be to obtain the Philosopher's Stone (the One Ring)?

"Yes, to get some money and to do something for Dumbledore." Hagrid winked mysteriously.

Lowe's eyes sharpened instantly. Sure enough! The Fellowship of the Ring's mission had begun!

"Take care." Lowe bowed to the two of them again, then quickly turned around, grabbed Professor McGonagall's sleeve, and left. "Let's go, Professor. The air here is bad; the dark energy is too strong."

Watching Rowe's hurried departure, Harry scratched his head. "Hagrid, wasn't that boy a little strange?"

"Harry," Hagrid said nonchalantly, "he seems like a fine young man, with good taste! He even noticed my inner beauty!"

...

Ee-la Owl Shop.

Eyes were blinking everywhere in the shop, with only the faint sounds of flapping wings and cooing.

"You need a messenger," Professor McGonagall said, pointing to a beautiful snowy owl. "This one is quite good; it flies fast and is intelligent."

"It's too conspicuous," Rowe shook his head. "A white target is an easy target on the battlefield. Sauron's archers will shoot it down immediately."

He paced in front of the cages, his gaze sweeping over the colorful owls before finally settling on a cage in a corner.

Inside was a small, jet-black owl with sharp eyes. Unlike its kin, it didn't sleep or preen its feathers; instead, it warily watched everyone who entered the store.

[Target: Barn Owl (Variant)]

[System determination: Krebahn - The Raven of Denland]

【Features: Stealth, Reconnaissance, Counter-Espionage】

[Note: This is Saruman's favorite eyeliner, but in your hands, it will become a sharp weapon against the Evil Eye.]

"That's it." Rowe pointed to the black owl. "Only by blending into the darkness can one monitor the darkness."

"That one?" The shop owner asked, somewhat surprised. "That one has a bad temper; it's already pecked three students."

Lowe held out his finger through the cage. The black owl lunged at him, but stopped just before it touched Lowe's finger. It tilted its head, looking at the fervor in Lowe's eyes.

Then it let out a short, hoarse cry, as if accepting a contract.

"Very good." Rowe nodded in satisfaction. "From today onwards, your name will be 'Crebahn.' Our mission is to monitor any unusual activity here, especially the informants of that noseless guy."

Professor McGonagall sighed. She began to think that the boy's paranoia was even more severe than that of Mad-Eye Moody.

As Rowe walked out of the store carrying the birdcage, the system notification sounded again.

Side Quest Completed: Contact with the Ringholder

[Reward Obtained: Skill - Detect Evil Lv1]

[Note: You can see the black aura or light emanating from items or creatures deeply corrupted by black magic/dark power. Caution: Do not stare directly at them for extended periods to avoid losing sanity.]

Luo Wei closed his eyes, then opened them again.

The entire Diagon Alley had changed in his eyes. In the distance, from the direction of Knockout Alley, the rising black smoke resembled the smoke of war; from the direction of Gringotts, a faint glow of blood was visible; and the man with the turban (Quirok) who had just brushed past him was like a beacon radiating black light.

"Hogwarts," Rowe tightened his grip on the birdcage, a wry smile playing on his lips. "This isn't a school; it's clearly an outpost of Mordor."

Since I can't escape this world where the system has distorted my senses, I have no choice but to accept it. If the system insists that I treat this place as Middle-earth, then I'll live the Middle-earth way—even if others see me as a madman.