The Wind and the Wings of Hogwarts

This outfit was already quite extravagant, not to mention his long, silver hair that hung down his back and his long, silver beard that also reached his waist.

While in the wizarding world, it wasn't apparent, but once in the Muggle world, Dumbledore seemed like a very typical wizard who had stepped out of a fairy tale.

It's incredibly eye-catching.

As they walked, some children even ran up to him and boldly spoke to him.

"Are you a magician, sir?"

"Yes, I am a wizard."

Dumbledore replied with a smile.

Because he looked very kind, the children started asking him all sorts of questions.

"awesome!"

"Do you know magic?"

Will it produce candy?

"Can you perform for us?"

"Oh, of course."

Dumbledore reached out and conjured a handful of colorful candies out of thin air, which he then distributed to them.

Amid the children's cheers, the adults who witnessed the scene also began to applaud.

They gradually gathered around, looking at Dumbledore with expectant eyes, as if they were watching a street magic show.

"Well done, sir."

"You are the most meticulously dressed magician I have ever seen!"

"Thank you."

Dumbledore remained calm and composed as he dealt with them, and, amidst the enthusiastic anticipation of the audience, casually performed a few small "magic tricks."

He conjured flowers and birds with his bare hands, which drew enthusiastic applause.

Scott could only watch in disbelief as all of this unfolded.

"Oh, thank you, but no need."

Finally, Dumbledore politely declined the audience's offer of monetary donations.

"This is not a performance; we are just here for sightseeing."

Upon hearing this, someone immediately began enthusiastically introducing the town to them and giving them directions.

They proudly proclaim that the town boasts spectacular historical architecture, with St. Magnus Cathedral located in the town center, next to the ruins of the former bishop's and count's residences.

Scott asked about the library.

The residents then proudly told him that Kirkwall has the world's northernmost Carnegie Library.

The library opened in 1909, and the original building still exists, but the library itself has now moved to a larger building on Intersection Road.

Following their directions, Scott and Dumbledore arrived at the Carnegie Library located at Intersection Road.

Here, Scott successfully found more information about the Stennes Standing Stone.

The name "Stane" for the Standing Stones of Stenness comes from the Orkney dialect.

In Old Scandinavian, "stane" means "stone promontory".

1.2 kilometers to its northwest is the Broadgay Stone Circle, and 1.2 kilometers to its east is the Meshove Tomb.

Several other Neolithic sites on the island are also located nearby.

The Stennes standing stones are generally flat, about 30 centimeters thick, with four of them reaching 5 meters in height.

Originally, there were 12 pieces in total, forming a ring.

The ring is about 32 meters in diameter, and the surrounding area is also ring-shaped, with a moat that is 44 meters in diameter.

The entrance to the standing stone faces the Barnhouse Neolithic human settlement located beside Lake Hare.

There is a solitary stone about 5.6 meters high in the northwest of the circular area. This stone seems to be used to point to the location of the Broadgay Stone Circle.

Archaeologists have discovered charcoal, pottery, and animal bone remains in the moat surrounding the standing stone. The ceramics found here are related to the Skarabra site and the Meshove tombs.

In addition to these, Scott also learned about some modern history.

In the 18th century, religious ceremonies were still held at the Stenes Standing Stones, where people believed they could communicate with the Norse gods.

In 1814, Muggle archaeologists documented the religious ceremonies and stone pillars here.

The most unique of the standing stones is called the "Odin Stone".

There is a hollow cylinder on this stone, and local couples hold hands and walk through this opening to show their fidelity to each other.

In the past, Muggles have also held other rituals here that are believed to be magical.

But now, that "Odin Stone" no longer exists.

In 1814, a farmer named W. Mackay immigrated to the Isle of Melanie and acquired a large tract of land near Standing Stone.

Dissatisfied with the locals who were performing religious ceremonies next to the Odin Stone, he smashed the Odin Stone and knocked down another standing stone.

This action aroused public outrage in the local area, forcing him to stop the destructive behavior.

It wasn't until 1906 that the toppled stone was re-erected.

However, the shattered "Odin Stone" could not be restored.

Upon seeing this, Scott said to Dumbledore, "Now it seems that, in addition to the assumed limit of seven people, the destruction of the Odin Stone may also prevent the entrance from appearing."

Dumbledore offered no comment; he was interested in the literature on these Muggle writings, and equally interested in the other works in the library.

While Scott was copying down the documents about the Steiners Standing Stone, he paced around the library, picking up books from the shelves and looking at them with great interest, nodding repeatedly.

They spent an afternoon in the library, and before leaving, the elderly librarian suddenly spoke to Scott.

"Are you interested in the Stennes Standing Stone, child?"

Scott paused for a moment, then nodded.

“Yes,” he replied. “We were planning to visit there, so we came here to look up some information.”

The caretaker grinned. "It's late today, so are you planning to go there tomorrow?"

“Yes,” Scott replied.

“You’d better go at a different time,” the caretaker said in a low voice. “Nobody goes to Melanie Island tomorrow, especially not in the morning.”

Upon hearing this, Scott immediately asked, "Tomorrow? Morning? Will anything unusual happen there tomorrow morning?"

"Oh, an anomaly, yes."

"The administrator said softly."

"Tomorrow is June 21st, the day with the longest day of the year. In the past, the residents of Merain Island held ceremonies there to communicate with the gods."

At this point, he shrugged regretfully.

"Unfortunately, no one here worships the gods of Asgard anymore."

“So, what’s the anomaly?” Scott asked again.

“Impatient young man.” The caretaker rolled his eyes at him. “You can just wait and listen to my story like your grandfather did.”

Scott glanced back at Dumbledore, whom he regarded as his "grandfather".

Dumbledore simply smiled slightly, appearing very composed and polite.

So the administrator spoke up again.

"You've probably seen the record of W. Mackay destroying the Odin Stone, haven't you?"

“Yes.” Scott nodded.

"Perhaps that's why," the caretaker continued. "In any case, on this day every year, the sunrise cannot be seen within the circle of the Stenes Standing Stone."

"Can't see the sunrise?" Scott raised an eyebrow in surprise.

The caretaker said mysteriously, "Yes, tomorrow morning, the area will definitely be shrouded in thick fog, and people will lose their way after entering the standing stone circle."

"Is that all?" Scott asked deliberately.

But the administrator simply nodded and didn't say anything more unusual.

“That’s all,” he said. “But it would be wiser to wait until the fog clears before going in.”

Scott found it a bit strange.

"Sir, that circular path is only 32 meters in diameter. Why would anyone get lost there?"

Even in the thickest fog, it's impossible to get lost.

"That's a curse!"

The administrator spoke in a low, somewhat excited voice.

"Anyone who approaches that place on this day will surely encounter misfortune..."

Just then, a young man came running over in a hurry.

"father!"

He stopped the administrator.

"You don't need to watch over this place for me anymore. You should go home now."

As he spoke, he pinned a name tag with his photo and name to his chest and said to Scott and Dumbledore, "Sorry."

"Please don't take my dad's words to heart."

“He was just… oh, my brother went there when he was little because he was playing, and he couldn’t see the road in the thick fog… he had an accident.”

He offered a polite explanation.

“Because of this, my dad always thinks there’s a curse there. Anyway, you don’t need to believe him…”

Just then, the substitute manager suddenly began to vehemently refute his son's words.

"Kevin! You brat! I told you! The curse exists!"