This is a civilized world.
August carefully emerged from the narrow alley where he had arrived in this world and saw the street filled with humans like himself, surrounded by black, gray, and white walls and tall buildings.
The smooth, bustling street was dominated by gigantic steel structures that towered over the asphalt. Below, cars and pedestrians moved at a steady speed, immersed in the incessant pulse of the city.
August felt increasingly uneasy; why did these buildings seem so familiar? He observed the tall statue in the distance, holding a book and raising a torch, and for an instant, he couldn't organize his thoughts.
"Have I returned?" He recognized the Statue of Liberty, the iconic copper monument that France gifted to the United States in 1886.
"Am I in the United States?" August observed the pedestrians on the street, most in characteristic long, dark coats of the era, and the buildings completely lacked modernity, which was a bit strange.
He walked a few steps and found a newsstand, checking the date on the newspapers. He was stunned for a moment: it was 1926!
August was sure he was on Earth. There were familiar buildings and the language was English, but he couldn't be certain if it was the same Earth as his home Earth.
"This great city shines with the crystallization of human wisdom!"
"Cinemas, cars, radio, electric lights—Amazing!"
"Where there is light, there will be shadow! Friends, something is lurking in our city, causing destruction and then disappearing without a trace!"
"We have to fight!"
"Join us! Let's start a second Salem, let's fight side by side!"
As August looked around, he heard a female voice delivering a passionate speech.
August looked over. A group of people was gathered in front of the steps of a bank, and a middle-aged woman in a grim black coat and a round hat spoke loudly on the steps.
Beside her, a man held a banner. The banner had four letters written on it: "NSPS," and below was a somewhat strange drawing. In the image, two hands were breaking a stick-like object.
August's expression was discreet. He saw a brown-haired man in a blue-toned coat run into the bank, and then a young woman in a hat seemed to discover something and cautiously followed him.
"Newt and Tina?" August seemed to have discovered something incredible. "It looks like I've come to this world."
His doubts dissipated. He understood where he was now and what kind of world he was in.
"Looks like I'm lucky," August chuckled softly, feeling that this time he was very fortunate, as this world was familiar to him.
"What should I do now?" Precisely because he knew this world well, he also clearly knew the dangers it held.
For example, a certain Dark Lord who had been causing trouble in Europe and was planning a revolution had changed his identity and transformed into the Chief Auror and Minister of Security of the Magical Congress of the United States of America.
It was ironic that a Dark Lord became Minister of Security without anyone noticing, but this also indirectly reflected the quality of this Dark Lord's abilities.
With August's current abilities, rashly approaching him would undoubtedly be signing his own death warrant. So August was considering whether to join Newt's small group or stay on the sidelines and observe how the chaos that would come to New York unfolded.
---
The magic in this world is very strange. Its effects in combat are notably inferior to the wizards described by his ancestor, but some of its abilities are truly peculiar, such as the astonishing ability of an Animagus to transform into an animal.
In August's world, similar spells exist. August now wants to first collect the spells of this world and, by analogy, this could accelerate his understanding of wizarding knowledge, thus advancing faster to the level of a formal wizard.
Before thinking too far ahead, he realized he had no money on him, only two gold coins in his pocket for emergencies.
"Is there a wizarding market similar to Diagon Alley around here?" The movie he watched didn't describe these details, so it would probably be impossible to find it directly.
The only people he knew here were Newt and his companions. Unfortunately, they didn't know him, and trying to contact Tina, a local, seemed complicated.
As a former Auror, her vigilance was constant, and even after being transferred, she longed to prove her worth to regain her original position.
And Newt, although he seemed a bit goofy and bewildered in the movie, was actually a competent person in spells, powerful with his magic, and knowledgeable.
If he were to rashly approach these two, he would likely be met with vigilance and suspicion.
The current situation of wizards in the United States is not very good. Internal purifiers, who are fallen wizards, and dark wizards who fled from Europe, have not yet been fully purged, and it doesn't seem like they are improving; rather, their number is increasing daily.
Outside, there are also anti-wizard organizations like the middle-aged woman from a moment ago, constantly exposing their existence to the public, which is genuinely a headache.
At that moment, he suddenly remembered a certain plot: when Newt was trying to retrieve an invisible creature that had escaped him, he went to a wizard bar and got information there. Perhaps he could start from that place.
Wanting to make contact with Newt wasn't because he was the protagonist, but to build a good relationship with the person behind him.
Dumbledore, the only wizard in the entire Wizarding World who could confront the Dark Lord.
At this moment, Dumbledore was not yet the headmaster of Hogwarts; he was still just a Transfiguration professor, although he was much more popular than the current headmaster, Armando Dippet.
Befriending Newt would allow Dumbledore to consider him one of his own, which would bring him more substantial benefits in this world.
As for why he didn't join the side of the Dark Lord Grindelwald, leaving aside the fact that Grindelwald surely wouldn't attach importance to his current strength, Grindelwald's destined defeat at the hands of Dumbledore made him abandon that idea.
Most of the wizards who followed him would be purged, except for those ancient families who could avoid punishment thanks to their influence. Wizards like him, without background, would probably suffer and die in magical prisons similar to Azkaban.
No matter how he thought about it, it was better to remain on the protagonist's side and preserve himself, although that was not August's ultimate goal.
What was the most valuable resource August could gather in this world? It wasn't potion ingredients or various magical creatures, but wizarding knowledge, which was clearly different from that of the wizards in August's world.
For example, the [Apparate spell]. In August's world, spatial movement spells could only be studied when the Grand Wizard stage was reached.
If he could acquire some experience with the spells of this world, he could research some very practical spells.
Therefore, he would have to go to the place with the richest collection of knowledge in the entire Wizarding World. For that purpose, August could only think of the Hogwarts library.
It is said to house most of the books in the Wizarding World, and even some rare copies not found elsewhere, like the method for creating Horrocrux that the next Dark Lord, Lord Voldemort, would use.
So building a good relationship with the protagonist group is very necessary, preferably to familiarize himself with Dumbledore, to facilitate future requests to enter Hogwarts and examine the books there.
The most important thing now is to find a place for wizards to gather and to exchange some of this world's currency. He only has two gold coins and doesn't know how many Galleons they can be exchanged for.
August watched intently as he walked down the street and finally found his target listening to the woman's speech on the steps of the bank.
August adjusted his collar and walked up.