The Black Bloodline of Hogwarts

After the ship arrived in London, the family did not stay in the hotel for long. Altair had already arranged for someone to purchase a property in central London, a duplex on the 3rd and 4th floors of Building 3, Wickham Court, Charing Cross Road.

Charing Cross Road. This was another name that Julien recognized. Even on the way there, Julien had already seen the dilapidated sign hidden among a row of old bookstores and record shops: Leaky Pot Restaurant.

The family didn't actually enjoy life in the bustling city center; they preferred the tranquility of the Bordeaux countryside—vineyards, oak trees, and wine cellars shrouded in morning mist. However, it was indeed convenient for their family business.

After settling in, Altair busied himself with contacting Blackvine Winery's distributors in the UK to prepare for the wine's entry into the British market, while Clara helped manage household affairs and business while also contacting Penny in her spare time.

Clara quickly contacted her distant cousin, Penny Dursley, and arranged to visit her two days later.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye. When all the trivial matters were temporarily settled, Clara took Julien to "Madeleine's Pastry Shop" - not far from the record store - and bought a box of exquisite pastries: cream puffs, raspberry truffle chocolates, and rainbow macarons specially prepared for the children. Afterwards, they drove to Little Huigkin in Surrey.

As the car drove away from central London, the scenery outside the window gradually changed from bustling city streets to tranquil suburban landscapes. Little Wheeington was indeed a typical Muggle neighborhood.

The streets were spotless, lined with similar detached houses, each with neatly planted flowers and plants in its yard, and sunlight streaming onto the off-white walls from a uniform angle.

Everything here is completely different from the wineries in Bordeaux. The Petit-Huegin district is indeed as described in the book: it is breathtakingly clean, with even the trash cans arranged like a military parade.

"Even a cat wouldn't dare wander around here," Julien thought. "No wonder Harry could only befriend spiders when he was a kid."

The car stopped in front of a slightly old house. The monotonous off-white exterior walls of the house had turned slightly yellow, and the lawn in the yard was trimmed very neatly, as if every blade of grass had been measured.

The lawn was dotted with some plants whose names I didn't know. Although it wasn't flowering season, the yard was clearly well-maintained. A small plaque hung at the entrance, engraved with "Dexter".

Clara turned off the engine and turned to Lian, saying, "This is it, Aunt Penny and Mr. Dursley, this should be their home."

Julien took a deep breath, suppressed the turmoil in his heart, and got out of the car with his mother.

Clara, carrying a box of pastries, stepped forward and rang the doorbell. The "ding-dong" of the bell rang out in the quiet courtyard, carrying a crisp sound.

A moment later, the door opened. A slightly plump woman with a rosy complexion appeared in the doorway.

She wore a floral dress, her hair was styled in neat waves, and her eyes held a shrewdness typical of Muggle housewives.

Upon seeing Clara standing at the door, Penny's face initially showed obvious surprise, but she quickly composed herself and put on a polite smile.

"Clara?!" Her voice rose, then fell again. "Twenty years...you look...not much different."

Her gaze then swept over Yu Lian—an expensive little suit, silver buttons, a polite nod—and she quickly judged: a respectable person, worth associating with.

"Penny, it's been a long time, indeed many years," Clara replied with a smile, her tone gentle. She stepped aside to let Julien stand in front of her, "This is my son, Julien Black. Julien, quickly call Penny Auntie."

Julien looked up, his gaze falling politely on Penny, and nodded slightly: "Hello, Aunt Penny." Even as a child, he was very polite.

His voice was clear, with the gentleness unique to young people, but his eyes subtly observed the movements inside the room.

He could vaguely hear the sound of a television coming from inside the house, a slightly rude male voice, and... an extremely faint sound, like someone tiptoeing.

Penny's gaze lingered on him for a few seconds, seemingly unaffected by the surname "Black," and she nodded slightly, but her tone softened with enthusiasm: "Come in, it's windy outside. Vernon, Clara's here! I told you."

She stepped aside to make way for the doorway and called out into the house.

Julien followed his mother into the house. The living room was simply and plainly decorated, with a dark velvet sofa, several newspapers and a glass jar full of candy on the coffee table, and a Muggle comedy program playing on the television.

A tall, obese man with a fleshy face stood up from the sofa. He was wearing a loose shirt that bulged out of his belly. He was Penny's husband, Vernon Dursley.

Vernon's gaze fell on Clara, a polite smile appearing on his face, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. His eyes lingered on Clara's wool shawl—pure cashmere? How much would that cost?

"Hello, Mrs. Black. I've heard Penny mention you. Welcome, welcome."

When his gaze swept over Yu Lian, it also first revealed a scrutinizing look.

"Dali! Dudley! Come down here quickly!" Penny called from the bottom of the stairs in the living room. "We have guests! Aunt Clara and cousin Julien are here!"

"Thump, thump, thump, thump..." Several heavy footsteps echoed at the top of the stairs.

A smaller Dursley was tumbling down the stairs in a way that made the stairs groan in pain.

His pale golden hair, like faded wheat stalks or an over-washed tablecloth by his mother, clung damply to his unusually large forehead.

The little boy named Dali had a broad face with two small, sharp blue eyes that were now slightly narrowed due to the difficulty of going downstairs, flashing with his usual impatience.

His neck was practically nonexistent, making the collar of his black T-shirt, which bore the logo of a certain rock band, taut.

The pair of expensive, spotless sneakers landed heavily on the stair treads, exuding an undeniable, all-encompassing aura.

When he finally reached the bottom of the stairs, the entire space seemed to shrink.

Like his shrewd parents, his gaze first fell scrutinizingly on Julien. Seeing Julien dressed in an expensive little suit, a smile naturally spread across his face, his features scrunching up.

"This must be Julien's cousin. My name is Dali." He said, extending his thick arm.

After the guests and hosts were seated, the adults had their own topics of conversation. After learning that Clara and her husband had come to England to do wine business, Penny and Vernon became even more enthusiastic.

Dudley then led Julien to a corner of the living room.

"So, in last week's game, Arsenal's offside goal was just because the referee was blind..." Dali waved his chubby arms, his spittle almost splattering onto the lemon cake in front of him.

His small eyes were fixed on Julien with a rare, eagerness to climb up to him.

As astute as the Dursleys were, when they saw the well-dressed, articulate Julien and his elegant mother Clara visiting, they had already reached a consensus through their exchange of glances—this was a relative "worth continuing to associate with."

Dudley immediately picked up on this signal and pulled out the only "topics" he had heard from television and his classmates' boasts, trying to make himself seem like a worldly and respectable boy.

"Indeed, there's a lot of controversy. But I admire Dali's defensive counter-attacking strategy more; it's very well-organized."

Julien nodded slightly, his voice steady, echoing the discussion about football. He then cleverly steered the conversation to boxing, which Dali was more passionate about, mentioning the names of several famous boxers, which immediately made Dali's eyes light up.