Harry Potter: The Boy Loved by Beasts

First step to power!

Chapter 20 :gathering of the hungry!

Author: You seem strangely familiar with picking locks and wallets.

Vira: Experience from my previous life. Remember how I said I had some hobbies after leaving the job?

Author: So you learned to be a thief after resigning?

Vira: They were pretty easy to pick up, and I figured they might come in handy. Looks like I was right about that.

Author: Yeah, you were—just had to wait an entire lifetime to use those skills. Congrats. (said in a sarcastic tone)

The night's sleep wasn't as good as in the village—probably because the bed was too soft. Or maybe it was because the dozens of pups and kittens that liked to stick to him weren't here.

While he had already made friends in the city, they seemed more like the "woof-from-a-distance" type, each finding their own spot in the garden rather than piling onto him like back home. Not being pestered in his sleep was nice and all, but having just him and Viper in such a large room felt a bit... uncomfortably spacious.

So, when he woke up in the morning and habitually put his hand over his face, only to find no one there, he couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. But he got over it quickly and headed to where he had tossed his bag, hoping to grab something to eat—only to find it empty.

Right. He had eaten everything in the car. And while he had happily borrowed food from vendors yesterday, he hadn't thought to keep any for later—just kept stuffing himself without a second thought.

But in the city, Vira didn't really mind much. He headed toward the neighboring villa, climbed the fence, and slipped inside the compound, letting the crows search for the kitchen.

While they didn't find the kitchen, they did find people carrying food to the dining table and quickly reported back to him. That was good enough.

Vira sneaked inside the villa, making his way toward the dining room. As soon as one of the workers left to bring the rest of the food, he walked in, grabbed a plate, and ate smoked salmon and scrambled eggs with toast, washing it down with a glass of milk.

It was so delicious that he decided he would eat this every single day.

That decision was immediately overturned when he saw two scary-looking men entering the room.

They wore navy suits, wheat-colored shirts, plain black ties, and polished leather shoes—but those weren't the details that made Vira's instincts scream danger. No, what stood out was their well-toned build and the gun holsters strapped to their shoulders.

Vira knew that if he stayed even a second longer, he'd end up dead. Outside, he might have had a chance. But here, in an open dining room with nothing but a table and chairs for cover, he'd be an easy target. If they had decent aim, it would be over in seconds.

And being alone, far from his friends, made it all the more terrifying—especially in the presence of armed men.

Vira, hidden under the table, sprinted the moment the two men were distracted by a girl's voice.

He knew she would see him, but he couldn't care less—as long as he slid out the window, he'd be safe. With the birds covering his escape, there was no way the two men could catch up to him. The path outside the window was too narrow for them to fit through, and he was confident he could reach the bushes and disappear before they even made it outside.

Just as he expected, the girl shouted, drawing the guards' attention toward him. But before they could even react, he was already out of the room, sprinting toward the bushes.

Ducking into cover, he whistled for the birds, and they answered instantly, swarming the air around the guards, flapping and cawing to throw off their aim.

Now, all he had to do was keep running.

Within minutes, Vira was back at the villa where he had been staying. But he didn't stop—he hadn't covered his tracks, and if the guards were smart, they'd be able to follow him.

So, he ran. Not just out of the compound, but out of the entire area.

He made his way back to the industrial district, once again sneaking past the guards stationed around the factories.

After this encounter, Vira felt a bit shaken. He decided to stay away from well-decorated, fancy villas for the time being. Instead, he wandered around the factory areas, stealing bread and porridge from workers' kitchens.

It was safer here. The place was full of grooves, alleys, and hidden paths where he could disappear in an instant. And with his speed—plus his animal friends causing distractions—he doubted anyone could capture him, even if he was caught stealing.

Hiding in the industrial area and surviving off stolen money, Vira wandered the city for a few months.

During these months of pickpocketing and theft, he also started gathering homeless people from different parts of Leicester. Some were kids around 11 or 12, while others were men in their mid-30s. He found a few girls, but most had already given up on themselves, turning to prostitution to survive. The only ones he managed to gather were the young ones, the ones who still had some fight left in them.

Stealing money was easy. In a city with hundreds of thousands of people, blending in was effortless, and Vira was skilled enough not to get caught.

With the money he had stolen, he could easily support the 370 homeless people he had gathered over the months. He wasn't sure why he was doing this, but he had rented out a large space, keeping them sheltered and providing them with food and drinks.

For the few who were addicted to alcohol, he allowed them to drink at night. They weren't that bad—they never caused trouble and were actually kind to the younger ones, so Vira didn't mind.

A few months of regular meals and proper shelter had made the homeless healthier, yet Vira was still confused—why was he gathering them in the first place?

If I had to guess, I'd say Vira saw these homeless people the same way he saw his animals—he fed and cared for them simply because they liked him. Or maybe it was something else entirely.

But just feeding them wasn't enough. They needed a way to survive, so he decided to teach them some skills—not exactly good ones, but ones that would keep them alive.

He tried teaching them pickpocketing and lockpicking. Some of the younger ones managed to pick it up, but their running skills… well, let's just say they weren't going far in this line of work.

He knew from experience that no matter how good of a thief you were, luck mattered more than skill. If fate decided to screw you over, you'd be caught. And passerby witnesses? Always a problem. Someone would see you steal—it was inevitable. The only thing that kept you safe was speed—and unfortunately, most of them failed in that department.

So, he didn't let them steal.

Instead, he put the stronger adults to work—not with pickpocketing, but with bigger thefts. Jewelry, valuables, things he couldn't carry alone. There was a nightclub just two streets away, supposedly run by a local smuggling gang, and it became their fence. Whatever they stole, the adults sold there.

And just like that, Vira's thieving stirred up the entire city for a long time.

But he didn't remain a thief for long.

One early morning, during his usual pickpocketing routine—which he did more out of habit than necessity these days—Vira barely paid attention to the few pounds he got from factory workers. Too little to care about. He was after bigger things now—jewelry, expensive watches, anything worth selling.

But then, one wallet made him stop and think.

It was dark brown leather, finely stitched, with a gold corner—definitely expensive, judging by his experience. Tossing the wallet in the air as he walked back toward the area he rented, Vira smirked.

"Didn't expect that prick to have such a nice wallet. Looked so thin, I thought he was a starving beggar. Guess you really can't judge by appearances."

This was good luck.

"Might as well head to Oadby to steal this time. Been a while since I went there—those gun guys were scary as hell. And man, I miss the food. Should be able to snatch some if I go now."

With these happy thoughts, our petty thief strolled toward his hideout, planning to gather James, Peter, and the others for the job.

But just as he neared the entrance, a shout stopped him in his tracks.

"Give me back my wallet, you filthy gutter rat!"