Single Dormitory

"Prefect," he said, breaking the brief, awkward silence. "I can stay alone. No need to trouble yourself."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet common room.

The tone wasn't a request; it was more like a statement, or rather, a solution.

The Prefect looked up, meeting Fotkai's gaze.

Those eyes... were hard to describe.

Under the dim green light, they appeared unusually deep and calm, yet they seemed to harbor something unsettling.

The Prefect felt a chill run down his spine. He recalled what had happened in the Great Hall and the various rumors about this new student.

"Well..." the Prefect hesitated.

According to the rules, dormitories were usually shared by two or more people, but there were precedents for exceptions... especially in... special circumstances like this.

He quickly weighed the pros and cons—forcing a roommate could backfire, and if something went wrong, he'd be held responsible.

Rather than that, it was better to...

"Alright." The Prefect nodded, making a mark on the list. "The empty room at the very end is yours alone. Remember to follow curfew and the common room rules."

"Thanks."

Fotkai replied flatly, picked up his trunk, and ignored the mixed glances of fear and curiosity around him, heading straight for the most secluded room the Prefect had indicated.

His silhouette looked especially lonely in the dim corridor, yet it carried an icy aura of Keep Away.

[Emotion Points +10] (From the Prefect's wariness and compromise, as well as the other students' ongoing observation and fear)

[Emotion Points: 505/100]

Emotion Points had finally broken through 500.

But at this moment, Fotkai didn't immediately check the so-called Shop.

He pushed open the door to the single dormitory. Inside, the furnishings were simple: a bed, a wardrobe, a desk, and a window overlooking the bottomless waters of the Black Lake.

He closed the door, shutting out all the stares and whispers.

Leaning against the cold wooden door, he slowly exhaled.

Loneliness, sometimes, was a convenience. It was just that this start seemed even more... out of place than he had anticipated.

He walked to the window, watching the occasional massive shadow drift by outside.

Thus began the first night at Hogwarts.

The cold dormitory door sealed off all sounds from outside.

Skofot casually set his suitcase in a corner and walked to the window.

The deep waters of the Black Lake surged beyond the glass, and occasionally, blurry, enormous shadows swept past, casting fleeting darkness.

He watched expressionlessly for a while, until the faint irritation from being isolated had completely settled.

With a thought, the system panel materialized again.

This time, the previously gray, unclickable [Shop] button was glowing with a faint, enticing white light. The Emotion Points balance read: 505/100.

He focused his mind and opened the Shop.

The interface was simple to the point of being sparse. It was divided into two sections:

[Fixed Items]

[Teleport Card - 5 Emotion Points] (Effect: Teleport)

[Manifestation Card - 5 Emotion Points] (Effect: Whatever you think of, it appears)

[Today's Items]

[Killing Curse Simulation Card - 30 Emotion Points] (Effect: Releases a magical projection with no magical fluctuation, no actual lethal effect, but perfectly simulates the green beam of Avada Kedavra and the agony of a near-death hallucination upon impact. Duration: 3 seconds. Single use only.)

Skofot's gaze lingered on the [Killing Curse Simulation Card] for a moment.

Avada Kedavra... Even seeing that name on a simulation card carried an ominous allure.

This thing, though it couldn't kill, seemed quite useful for scaring people, creating chaos, or seizing opportunities at critical moments.

And the price was acceptable.

He didn't hesitate. "Purchase [Killing Curse Simulation Card]."

[Emotion Points -30]

[Emotion Points: 475/100]

A card phantom with an ominous green glow at its edges appeared in the [Backpack] slot of the system panel, marked with ×1.

[Backpack: Killing Curse Simulation Card ×1]

Looking at that card quietly resting in the backpack, a sense of satisfaction from possessing a trump card and a weapon dispelled the earlier chill of solitude.

Cheerful? Perhaps not.

But a cold, calculating satisfaction was indeed spreading through his heart.

He didn't check anything else, nor did he use the remaining Emotion Points.

Closing the system panel, he simply washed up and changed into his pajamas—

Still that plain, not-quite-soft cotton clothing.

Lying on the cold four-poster bed, listening to the steady, low surge of the lake outside the window, he closed his eyes.

The first day at Hogwarts began with an absurd Sorting farce and ended with him feared and isolated by everyone, but ultimately, it concluded with a [Killing Curse Simulation Card] hidden in his system backpack.

Not too bad.

He needed rest. Tomorrow, there would be more "Emotion Points" waiting for him.

His breathing gradually steadied and lengthened. In the dim dormitory deep within the Black Lake, Skofot Leoqi sank into his first dream in the magical world.

[Emotion Points +5] (From secret satisfaction at obtaining a new trump card)

[Emotion Points: 480/100]

(Minor numerical fluctuation, derived from the value of the protagonist's own emotions, system judgment valid.)

Over the next few days, Fotkai's life at Hogwarts was marked by a plain, intangible estrangement.

The "Off-putting" effect from the [Scavenger] card acted like an invisible force field, keeping most students, especially his Slytherin classmates, at a wary distance.

He moved alone—attending classes, eating meals, returning to his single dormitory at the end of the corridor.

Over several days, through sporadic fear or curiosity generated by his mere presence, he gradually harvested another 30 Emotion Points.

[Emotion Points +30]

[Emotion Points: 505/100]

That morning, as he walked toward the Great Hall for breakfast, a slightly hesitant voice came from behind him: "Leoqi?"

Fotkai stopped and turned around.

It was Harry Potter, with Ron and Hermione standing beside him.

Harry seemed to have mustered his courage. Under the encouraging gazes of his two friends (mainly Hermione), he asked, "We're heading to the Great Hall. Do you... want to come with us?"

Fotkai looked into Harry's green eyes. There was concern there, and perhaps a trace of curiosity and sympathy sparked by the Sorting Hat incident and the conflict with Malfoy.

He instinctively tried to pull out a friendly smile befitting his age.

But the curve of his lips came out stiff, even carrying a hint of coldness he himself hadn't noticed.

He spoke, his voice steady: "Sure."

The moment the word fell, he clearly saw Harry flinch almost imperceptibly, as if pricked by his gaze or that brief smile.

Ron directly shrank half a step behind Harry, while Hermione frowned, watching him warily.

A surge of inexplicable irritation instantly welled up in Fotkai's heart.

He had been restraining himself!

He was just... responding to an invitation!

But the irritation came and went quickly, replaced by a moment of stunned realization.

When had he become so cold and irritable?

Had it started when he equipped the [Scavenger] card?

Was this card not only affecting how others perceived him but also subtly distorting his own emotions?

He suppressed the strangeness in his heart, stopped trying to make any expression, and simply nodded silently, accepting the offer to walk together.

The entire way, the atmosphere was awkward enough to freeze over. The trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione whispered among themselves nearby, but no one took the initiative to speak to him again.