Having escaped famine, I was accepted into Hogwarts.

Chapter 2: Encountering a Shadow in the Early Morning While Sleeping, Unable to Defeat Despite All E

Harry ran quickly toward the alley where Kane had gone.

Kane, upon seeing Harry running towards him, knew exactly what he wanted: to take him back to the Dursleys' house.

In Kane's mind, Mr. and Mrs. Dursley were good people. After all, they really took Kane, who had just transmigrated, home and took care of him for a month without asking for anything in return.

Regardless of whether they lived in a stairwell or not, at least they were sheltered from the wind and rain. Kane was grateful to them from the bottom of his heart. However, gratitude aside, he really didn't want to live with them because the Dursleys' talent for psychological violence could really shorten a person's lifespan.

Harry's ability to endure it is due to his exceptional talent; he simply doesn't possess that talent.

Harry quickly entered the alley where Kane was hiding. Kane was hiding behind an abandoned car. Looking at Harry walking towards him in the rearview mirror, Kane had a thought. His shadow, which had merged with the alley, slowly twisted into several not-so-cute puppies, which rushed out of the shadow and howled at Harry.

Harry frowned, picked up an iron pipe from the ground to bolster his courage: "Kane, come out, let's go back. Uncle Vernon was just saying that out of anger, and Aunt Petunia even asked Mrs. Figg about your whereabouts. As long as you go back, they'll all selectively forget."

Kane stepped out from behind the car with a hint of helplessness: "More likely, they'll laugh at me, and I don't like that feeling."

Harry sighed, "It's just psychological abuse, isn't it? At least you get to eat every day and have a place to sleep where you can shelter from the wind and rain."

Kane retorted, "This place isn't bad either. It's just that I'm exposed to the wind, sun, and rain and don't have food to eat, but at least no one will verbally abuse me."

For the first time, Harry couldn't believe he was actually saying those words: "Can't you be a little more mature?"

Kane shook his head: "I've been mature before, and what maturity has taught me is that maturity won't bring you any spiritual benefits. I really can't bear to let my fragile spirit dance on swords for a little bit of material things. So Harry, go home and eat, or Dudley might eat all of yours."

Ha Li shook his head vigorously: "You're coming back with me!"

Kane sighed. If bribery didn't work, he'd have to resort to coercion.

"If you don't go back soon, these two might bite you." Kane said without another word and controlled the two shadow beasts to rush towards Harry. Of course, he didn't really intend to hurt him; he just used the shadows to blind Harry for a while.

"Alright, let's go home, Harry, let's go home." Kane said, walking towards Harry and trying to help him out of the alley.

Harry was momentarily stunned by the blindness, but he quickly realized that it must have been Kane who did it. He had long known that Kane was just as extraordinary as him; he had experienced things like suddenly making a pane of glass disappear or falling from a height without getting hurt.

Previously, the only thing that Kane seemed extraordinary to him was his shadow, which would sometimes bar its teeth and claws and then quickly return to normal. Now, the feeling that he couldn't see anything at all was probably the first time he had experienced Kane's amazingness.

Once he realized that Kane was the one who caused his strange behavior, he was no longer afraid. He then grabbed the hand that was supporting his shoulder and tried to drag Kane out of the alley.

"Harry, you're really stubborn." Kane manipulated the eerie shadow claws, making them mimic his own resistance as Harry was slowly dragged out of the alley.

Soon, Harry, who had regained his sight, gradually felt that "Kane" behind him was struggling less, and he felt a little relieved. He looked back and saw that there was no Kane there.

The hand he was holding so tightly was just a dark shadow, and now, that shadow has suddenly disappeared.

Oh, not completely vanished; the shadow materialized into a mouth and spoke Kane's voice.

"Bye-bye Harry, I still have somewhere to go, Sayonara."

Harry gritted his teeth: "Can't you just speak English?!"

As soon as Harry finished speaking, the last shadow belonging to Kane vanished with a bang.

"Fine, fine..." Harry gritted his teeth, looking at the empty alley behind him. "I pray I don't find you, you evil Shadow Imp, I'll definitely..."

Harry paused abruptly at this point: "If I can beat you then, I'll make you pay!"

Kane was unaware that Harry had already put him on his kill list because of his abrupt departure from home. He had arrived at a run-down and somewhat unprofessional motel.

There are advantages to being legitimate, such as safety, and there are also advantages to being illegitimate, such as Kane being able to rent a small room even without identification.

However, in order not to attract the covetous eyes of this shady motel owner, he found a small alley beforehand and hid most of the money he earned from performing magic in some hidden pockets of his clothes, only taking a small portion and leaving it haphazardly in the visible pockets, like a poor child who couldn't pull out a second coin from his pocket, effectively preventing the unscrupulous owner from raiding him at night.

"Boss, how long will this money cover?" Kane piled up a bunch of crumpled bills and coins at the hotel counter. The boss glanced at them and immediately recognized the approximate amount: "About two days. There's a private bathroom, but no breakfast, lunch, or dinner."

Kane did the math: fifty pounds for two nights' stay was about the normal price.

He took the key and found the room. Overall, it was pretty good. The room wasn't big, but it wasn't crowded either. He quickly washed up and went straight to bed. He was exhausted today and needed to sleep.

Meanwhile, Harry, back at the Dursleys' house, dejectedly opened the door, closed it, and slipped on his slippers.

Vernon, who was watching TV, said sullenly, "There's food in the kitchen. You two eat and then go to sleep!"

As he spoke, he turned off the TV and headed upstairs, as if it were unforgivable for Harry and Kane to have even the slightest bit of entertainment in his house, and he didn't want them to hear the sound of the TV.

"Kane didn't come back, it's just me." Harry said, picking up his share with a hint of disappointment.

Vernon, halfway up the stairs, stopped. "He's not back? Where is he now?"

Harry lowered his head even further, his nose almost touching the plate: "I don't know."

Vernon frowned, then quickly snorted, "Let him freeze all night, he'll definitely slink back tomorrow, and his share will be in the trash!"

After saying that, he went upstairs without looking back.

Harry looked at the plate that should have belonged to Kane, and angrily pulled it away roughly. He then forcefully shoved the food into his mouth, as if the sausage in his mouth were Kane's flesh. His chewing motion was also indescribably violent.

Finally, with a snap, he bit his tongue, and tears and blood flowed out at the same time, whether from the pain or something else, he didn't know.

After finishing his meal, Harry lay sobbing in the small stairwell, his breath trembling as he looked up at the low "ceiling" above him. Listening to the cheerful laughter upstairs, which was devoid of any sadness, he seemed to understand why Kane would rather suffer outside than come back.

Meanwhile, in the motel, Kane, who had been sleeping soundly, was suddenly stung by something strange and jolted awake.

"It's Charlie!" he murmured.