Chapter 471 Downtrodden Gold

Chapter 471 The Destitute Daughter
As the space twisted slightly, three figures suddenly appeared in a relatively hidden corner of Diagon Alley.

This is still a bustling wizarding commercial district, with people coming and going on the streets, and the shop windows filled with all kinds of strange and bizarre magical goods. Occasionally, you can see wizards in gorgeous robes bargaining with shop assistants, and the air is filled with the familiar smell of pumpkin juice, Honeydukes candy and parchment.

After Xie Ling stood still, he raised his hand to straighten his collar, then took out the wand from his pocket and waved it gently -

His body began to change quietly.

The originally handsome face with a hint of evil charm was changing at a speed visible to the naked eye. The lines of the facial features became stronger, the blond hair gradually darkened, and finally turned into short dark brown hair. Even the figure became slightly taller, and the temperament changed from aristocratic elegance and coldness to that of a calm, mature, and experienced adventurer in his thirties.

——That was the appearance of Carter Young in his previous life.

His original destination was to go directly to Ella's Cabin, but at the moment he was with Katarina, and it was obviously not appropriate to let an outsider know about Ella's Cabin, an important stronghold.

"Now, let's go." His voice was low and steady, a faint smile on his lips.

Furong looked at his changes curiously and couldn't help but walk up to him and touch his cheek. She was surprised to find that even the touch of his skin was different from before!

"It's incredible." She chuckled, then took Xie Lin's arm, "Since you have a new face, what should I call you?"

"My name in this identity is Carter Young." Sherin shrugged and walked towards the Leaky Cauldron.

The Leaky Cauldron.

Pushing open the half-worn wooden door, the Leaky Cauldron was still filled with the faint aroma of ale. This was still one of the most lively gathering places in Diagon Alley, where all kinds of wizards talked and traded, and even whispered some not-so-honest information in the corner.

When Sherin and the other two walked into the bar, they attracted almost no attention.

Tom, the bar owner, was still standing behind the counter wiping the wine glasses. When he saw someone coming in, he subconsciously raised his head, glanced at Sherin's unfamiliar face, then glanced at the two young and beautiful female companions beside him, and a kind smile appeared on his face.

"Welcome." He said in his usual hoarse voice, "What would you three like to drink?"

Xie Lin smiled slightly, walked to the counter, took out a gold galleon from his pocket, and gently placed it on the counter: "No hurry, we want to book a room."

Tom's fingers nimbly put the gold galleons into his pocket. He nodded and took out an old register from under the counter and turned to the latest page: "Okay, how many days do you want to stay?"

Xie Ling hesitated for a moment, then replied, "Three days first. The name is Carter Young."

"Okay." Tom quickly wrote the name "Carter Young" on the register, and then handed Sherin an old brass key. "The last room on the third floor. I hope you enjoy your stay."

Sherin took the key, nodded to Tom, then looked back at Fleur and Katarina: "Let's go."

The two of them didn't say much and followed Xie Ling upstairs.

When I opened the door, a faint smell of old wood hit me. The room was not big and the furnishings were simple - an old wooden bed, a single sofa, a somewhat mottled desk, and a small window through which I could see a corner of Diagon Alley.

The walls were dark brown wood, there was a shaky candlestick in the corner, the lampshade at the head of the bed was covered with a thin layer of dust, it looked like it had been there for a long time, and the floorboards made a slight creaking sound when stepped on, revealing the history of the room.

Furong wrinkled her nose and said bluntly, "This place is too shabby. Do we really want to live here?"

Xie Ling smiled slightly, raised his wand, pondered for a while, and then casually turned the wand in a mysterious arc.

The magic in the air vibrated slightly, and the scene in the room changed instantly -

The wooden boards on the wall became smooth and bright, and the color turned into a warm off-white. The bedding on the bed was brand new, soft and fluffy, exuding a faint lavender scent. The single sofa became a dark soft sofa, and the dust on the desk disappeared, turning into a smooth and tidy sandalwood table, with even an antique silver candle lamp on it.

The floor was also reshaped by magic, and the creaking old wooden planks became a patterned carpet, which was soft and comfortable to step on. There were a few more elegant paintings on the wall, and the curtains were made of soft velvet, swaying gently in the wind.

The whole atmosphere of the room changed from a dark and damp inn room to a warm and comfortable high-end hotel suite.

Xie Ling just waved his magic wand lightly, and the room was completely renewed. The old wooden walls turned into a warm and soft beige color, the bedding on the bed became fluffy and comfortable, the floor was covered with soft carpets, and even the air was filled with a faint scent of lavender.

Furong's eyes lit up instantly. She looked at the scene in shock and couldn't help but exclaimed in a low voice in French: "Mon Dieu..." She reached out and gently touched the curtains that had become soft and smooth, and stepped on the carpet with joy. In addition to her surprise, undisguised admiration gradually emerged in her eyes.

Katarina's eyes widened, and she looked around in disbelief. Finally, her gaze fell on Sherin, and she couldn't help but raise her eyebrows, "Your Transfiguration... seems to be stronger than before..." Katarina came from a pure-blood family with a deep foundation, so her vision was naturally good. This was not a simple transformation of objects, but a reshaping of the entire space. Even the atmosphere, light and temperature of the room became exceptionally comfortable, as if it was a newly renovated high-end hotel.

This is space deformation!
It is a higher level existence than human deformation - human deformation is the teaching content of the seventh grade advanced classes in major magic schools. It is the limit of knowledge that can be taught in the school. Space deformation is a top-secret knowledge that can only be mastered by masters who have devoted their lives to studying deformation.

She looked at Xie Ling meaningfully, with a complex look of awe and admiration in her eyes.

Furong came back to her senses and couldn't help but jog to Xielin and gently grabbed his sleeve. Her blue eyes were full of admiration: "Xielin, what level of Transfiguration is this? I've never seen magic that can reach this level!"

Katarina looked at Xie Ling with deep eyes: "If I'm not mistaken, you even reshaped the flow of magic in this room? Even the air is much fresher than before. I have to say, this level of magic, there are probably not many people in the whole of Europe, no, I should say the world's wizarding world who can do it." Xie Ling's mouth curled slightly, with a hint of free and easy confidence in his eyes: "It's just a little trick that is not worth mentioning."

Furong snorted softly, put her arm around Xie Lin's arm, and raised a smile on the corner of her mouth: "Don't be modest, my genius boyfriend." Her eyes were full of admiration and love, and she almost stuck to him.

Katarina narrowed her eyes slightly. She and Fleur were not close friends, but they were classmates at Beauxbatons, both recognized as top talents in the school, and the two most beautiful girls on campus. Whether in terms of strength or beauty, they were always the focus of everyone's attention, and even invisibly, they were each other's biggest competitor.

Now, she watched Furong holding Xie Lin affectionately, her eyes full of happiness and admiration, while she herself had fallen to this point due to the destruction of her family. Her past pride had turned into a cruel reality, and she suddenly felt an indescribable complex emotion in her heart. Was it envy? Was it reluctance? Or was it injustice towards the trick played by fate? She herself couldn't tell.

She snorted softly and looked away, not wanting to show any of her emotions.

……

The night was dark and the room was filled with a quiet and depressing atmosphere.

Fleur had long since fallen asleep, her long silver-gold hair spread across her pillow, her breathing soft and steady. With a gentle wave of his wand, Shaylin cast a sleeping spell to ensure she would sleep more soundly.

Sure enough, Furong's mouth corners slightly raised, revealing a lovely smile, as if she was enjoying something beautiful in a dream. Xie Lin chuckled and shook his head, pulled the quilt for her, his eyes stayed gently for a moment, and then turned and walked towards Katarina by the window.

Katarina leaned against the window, staring at the night sky through the glass. The moonlight sprinkled on her long crimson hair, making her silhouette look even colder and more lonely.

Xie Lin could see that her expression was calm, even with a hint of deliberately maintained indifference, but the unconcealable pain deep in her eyes could not be deceived.

Xie Lin walked to her side, stood side by side with her, looked at the bright moonlight outside the window, and slowly said: "The moonlight is nice today, Furong has fallen asleep - tell me, what happened?"

Katarina withdrew her gaze, was silent for a moment, and then slowly spoke.

There was a hint of fatigue and sadness in her deep voice: "You still remember the attack on the bottom of the lake, right? That was planned by me and the Ghost Society. Originally, we thought it was a foolproof hunt, but we didn't expect it to become a nightmare in the end."

She sneered softly, her eyes were dark and her tone was full of bitterness: "We all underestimated you. As a result, everyone except me was wiped out, and the two leaders of the Ghost Society even fell into your hands..."

"Walpurgis is not a place that allows failure." She sneered, with a hint of self-mockery in her eyes. "If you fail the mission, you must accept the punishment. This is their rule."

She raised her head and looked at Xie Lin, with a cold smile on her face. "But I'm not stupid enough to sit there and wait for death. After the Triwizard Tournament, I immediately returned to France and wanted to discuss countermeasures with my family to see if I could get a glimmer of hope."

At this point, her voice suddenly turned cold, as if it was chilling to the bone: "But do you know what they did? The Mengluo family, the family I have been loyal to all my life, the bloodline I have always been proud of, they actually betrayed me."

Her tone was mixed with anger and disappointment. "I have given so much to the Monroe family. I have always worked hard for the glory and development of the family, even swearing allegiance to Walpurgis. But when disaster struck, they did not hesitate to abandon me like a useless chess piece, without even giving me a chance to beg for mercy."

Her fingers clenched the windowsill, her knuckles turning white from the effort.

"The family elders unanimously decided to expel me from the family and completely sever ties with me. They were afraid of being implicated by me and afraid that Walpurgis's wrath would fall on them... So, they simply treated me as an abandoned pawn and discarded me without hesitation, as if by doing so, they could completely shirk the responsibility for the failure..." Her voice became increasingly low, as if she was suppressing the anger in her heart.

Xie Ling listened quietly, his eyes still looking out the window. He did not interrupt her and let her continue talking.

Katarina took a deep breath and continued, "I thought, at least I would still have parents..."

Her eyes dimmed slightly, and the corners of her lips trembled slightly, as if she was trying hard to suppress some emotions. "They decided to take me with them. They knew how terrible Walpurgis was, and they knew that we had no chance of winning, so... they planned to take me to Albania, hide my identity, and completely turn me into an ordinary Muggle, severing contact with the wizarding world."

Her voice lowered, as if she was recalling some painful scene. After a long while, she slowly spoke: "But we couldn't escape."

"They sent people from the Pirate King's family to hunt us down—Barbarossa and his men." Her eyes suddenly turned cold, and her nails almost dug into her palms. "My parents fought desperately, but in the end..."

Her voice choked for a moment, her lips trembled slightly, a flash of pain flashed across her eyes, and then she regained her composure: "They are dead."

She finally stopped, her lips trembling slightly, her eyes fixed on the dark night outside the window. The pain in her eyes made her look lonely and desperate.

The air seemed to freeze for a moment, and the silence of the night made her voice sound particularly cold.

Xie Lin sighed softly, finally turned his head and looked at her with complicated eyes.

Katarina closed her eyes and let out a long breath, as if trying to suppress all her emotions. When she opened her eyes again, the fragility in her eyes was covered by indifference.

"So, now I am homeless." She whispered, with a slight arc on the corner of her lips, but she couldn't hide the loneliness between her eyebrows. "My parents are dead, my family doesn't want me anymore, and I am only lucky to have survived. Perhaps, being alive is the greatest punishment for me..."

Xie Lin looked at her quietly. The moonlight outside the window shone through the glass onto her side face, outlining a delicate and cold face. She stood in front of the window, her long red hair slightly messy, reflecting her deep but dark eyes. Xie Lin could see that her expression was calm, even with a hint of deliberately maintained indifference, but the pain deep in her eyes that could not be concealed could not be deceived.

This is a poor girl.

Although she was once his enemy, it was also because of him that she was indirectly responsible for the destruction of her family and her current state of destitution. Looking at her lifeless eyes, Xie Lin knew that she had lost the courage to live and all hope in life. Xie Lin could no longer hate her.