Chapter 157: The Trip to Paris, France

"Why does it feel more and more familiar?"

That evening, George stood in front of the mirror in his bedroom, touching his features with a trace of puzzlement in his heart.

He had noticed that as this year went by and his body grew, his clone's appearance was starting to resemble his Marvel counterpart more and more.

"Could it be because of the shared physique and abilities?"

But after some thought, he dismissed the idea. After all, his cat and panda forms didn't seem to resemble his original self.

"Maybe it's because cats and pandas aren't human."

"Forget it. It's not important anyway."

Appearance didn't impact strength, so even if this clone ended up looking exactly like his original self, it didn't matter.

Shaking his head, he decided not to dwell on it any further. Lying down on the bed, he drifted off to sleep, knowing he had to leave for Paris the next day.

The next morning, George got up early, had breakfast, and left Paige to be cared for at Ollivander's shop. Dragging his suitcase, he made his way to the Leaky Cauldron.

As it turned out, Amy lived at the Leaky Cauldron as a long-term tenant, renting by the year.

Since she rented long-term, Tom, the bar's owner, gave her a lower rate than usual.

The reason Amy lived there year-round was simple—she was broke and didn't own a home of her own.

As a former Auror with decent skills, George couldn't understand how Amy had ended up so poor.

After greeting Tom, George went upstairs to the second floor, found Amy's room, and knocked on the door.

"Amy, it's George. We should get going!"

After knocking for what felt like ages, he finally heard movement from inside.

After about two minutes, the door opened slightly, revealing Amy's sleepy face.

"Oh, it's you. Is it already eight? Come in and have a seat. I'll be ready in a minute."

Amy yawned and weakly turned back into her room.

Hearing this, George had no choice but to drag his suitcase inside.

"You sleep without clothes on?"

As he entered the room, which had clothes strewn all over the floor, he found a chair to sit on and pointed at Amy's bare upper body.

"Oh, I drank too much last night and got too hot, so I just took them off."

Glancing at her exposed body, Amy didn't seem embarrassed. She casually picked up her wand from the floor and started casting spells.

First, a Reviving Charm to clear her grogginess. Then a Scouring Charm to clean the messy room, a Summoning Charm to gather her scattered clothes, and a quick Conjuring Spell to dress her upper body.

In no time, the room was spotless thanks to her skillful use of magic.

To Amy, George was just a first-year kid. Given that she was old enough to be his mother, she didn't think much of the situation. Her carefree personality also made her less concerned with such minor details.

"I'll just brush my teeth and wash my face. Then we can leave."

"Take your time. No rush."

George nodded, secretly thinking, 'She's got a great figure.'

Amy, in her early thirties, was in her prime—her skin was fair, and her physique was pleasing to the eye.

After tidying herself up, Amy grabbed her suitcase, and the two of them went downstairs. After a simple breakfast, they Apparated directly to the Ministry of Magic.

"To leave the country, wizards need to register. We'll go to the Magical Transportation Department on the sixth floor to handle the paperwork, then take a Portkey to the French Ministry of Magic."

"Let me make it clear: the 100 Galleons only cover your tuition for learning Apparition. All other expenses you incur on this trip are your responsibility."

"Of course. If your teaching progress satisfies me, I'm willing to pay you an additional 20%."

George followed Amy to the magical elevator in the main hall, smiling as he spoke.

Hearing this, Amy immediately grabbed George's suitcase.

"I guarantee my teaching will satisfy you.

You're still young, so leave the luggage to the adults."

"Thanks for the help."

George didn't protest. Money was no concern for him.

Spending more for better service and dedicated teaching was worth it.

This past year, he had learned a lot about magical creatures from Hagrid, which allowed him to collect rare materials in the Forbidden Forest. These materials were valuable, so he could earn plenty of Galleons if he wanted to.

Even without his foster father's inheritance, George could live comfortably in this world.

Noticing George's generosity, Amy's attitude warmed considerably. To outsiders, it might have looked like she was doting on her son.

"Amy, long time no see! When did you have a son this old?"

The receptionist at the Magical Transportation Department, seeing Amy fussing over George, couldn't help but ask in surprise.

Amy quickly waved her hand.

"What son? You know I don't even have a boyfriend. This is a client of mine!"

"A client? You're still running that little shop? With your skills, you don't need to do that. Let the past be the past and move on."

The receptionist seemed to know Amy well and tried to give her advice, but Amy interrupted with a raised hand.

"Enough of that. Let's get our paperwork done. There's a line behind us."

"Alright, but visit me at home sometime."

The receptionist sighed but swiftly completed their paperwork.

With the formalities done, George and Amy headed to the Portkey Office. During the process, George didn't ask about Amy's past—he didn't feel it was necessary.

After all, his goal was just to learn Apparition from Amy, not to get to know her life story. Amy, for her part, didn't bring it up either.

"French Ministry of Magic!"

After paying their fee, the Portkey Office manager handed them a miniature Eiffel Tower engraved with "French Ministry of Magic."

As soon as they touched the Portkey, a peculiar force enveloped their bodies, pulling them into a vortex and transporting them.

After about two or three seconds, George found himself in a new room. Beside him stood Amy, holding their suitcases.

"Not bad! You didn't even get dizzy on your first Portkey ride."

Amy looked impressed, noticing George's calm demeanor, aside from a hint of surprise.

She remembered her own first Portkey experience—it had left her disoriented for several minutes.

"My physique is better than most. What's our next step?"

George surveyed the unfamiliar surroundings. His enhanced body made the Portkey's disorienting effect negligible, though the experience itself wasn't particularly pleasant.

"Well, the next step is…"