Choice

It was not particularly early. Honeydukes, usually packed with Hogwarts students, had already closed for the night, but Jon could still see shelf after shelf inside, laden with all kinds of sweets that children would surely love.

Blocks of Peanut Candy, chocolates of every variety, and puddings were arranged neatly on the shelves, while all sorts of drinks stood opposite them.

It was just that the shop's front door had already been shut.

"The door won't work, but the window will."

Jon glanced at the window that the wind had blown open, pulled his cloak tighter, and climbed out through the windowsill.

He had overlooked the fact that he was not quite tall enough yet and nearly fell as he climbed out.

After taking two quick steps, Jon ducked behind a house, tapped his wand lightly, and lifted the spell on himself.

When he had emerged from the passage earlier, he had forgotten that he had maintained the Disillusionment Charm for An hour. The magic inside his body had already run dry, and that last spell had nearly made him lose control of his body while climbing through the window.

"I should work out more. Otherwise, once I overdraw my magic, my whole body won't be able to hold up."

Jon shook his head, easing the faint pain in it somewhat. Having just leaned against the damp wall had left his hands and feet ice-cold.

"Sigh... miscalculated."

He touched the ring on his hand, took out a mint candy, and popped it into his mouth. The coolness spreading through his mouth finally suppressed the cold in his body.

Only then did Jon feel that some of his energy had returned.

"Fighting poison with poison isn't a good solution. I should use it less in the future."

Jon leaned weakly against the wall and stared blankly into the shadows across from him.

It was his first time seeing Hogsmeade village. It was far more prosperous than the books had described. Though night had already fallen, he could still tell how extraordinary it must have been during the day.

No wonder it was the most prosperous place in the British Wizarding World. With a top academy right beside it, the economic conditions were naturally much more favorable.

Doing business near a school was a universal rule of the world.

Pulling his Wizard Robe closer around himself, Jon began walking slowly along the wall and down the street.

The quiet here was different from the quiet of Hogwarts Castle. It felt far more lived-in, without the castle's heavy academic atmosphere.

With no curfew in Hogsmeade village, if a dark wizard slipped in at this hour, probably no one would even notice.

The buildings on both sides of the street were somewhat old-fashioned in style, but they were ultimately built in the Muggle style. It was easy to feel as though one were wandering through a medieval town.

After all, wizards had emerged from Muggles, but they were still human in essence.

Come to think of it, the Economic War in the human world had already begun, yet the British Wizarding World had not reacted at all. That was truly strange.

Jon did not think there was anything wrong with his deduction. He felt that the British Wizarding World had a problem with its vigilance.

If war was about to begin again, then the German Wizards, having learned from the last time, would absolutely choose to gather in secret rather than expose themselves.

Across all of Europe, after one great war had already taken place, the previous victors would naturally become the targets when the next war began.

Those Ministry of Magic higher-ups who occupied their positions without doing anything, dreaming of peace and stability all day long, simply refused to believe that war could break out again. Especially the newly appointed Minister—his conduct truly was beyond criticism.

Jon shook his head. The world had always been like this; history was always astonishingly similar.

During the World War, Britain's political scene did not recognize that war was inevitable until Churchill came to power.

And in the Original Work, when Voldemort was reborn, the Ministry of Magic likewise refused to believe it. They even carved—I Must Not Lie—into Harry's arm.

What a... boring game.

Jon liked magic, but he hated war. A scholar ought to stay in the laboratory and pursue his studies properly, while professional matters should be left to professionals.

It was like a rather realistic question Jon had considered.

In his own world, he had been the protagonist, free to do whatever he wanted.

But in the world of Harry Potter, Harry Potter was the protagonist.

In his previous life, when he read fanfiction, every protagonist who traveled to another world used their foreknowledge of the plot to turn the timeline into an ending completely different from the original story.

The stories those authors wrote were all very interesting, but Jon did not agree with that approach.

Of course, he could have displayed his exceptional talent and casually joined Gryffindor or Slytherin during the Sorting—though that might have meant never meeting his Ancestor. But it would not have mattered much. As long as he was outstanding enough, it would be discovered sooner or later.

Then he could help Dumbledore change the pace of events. Harry Potter would not need to live so safely, nor would he need so much training. They could simply destroy all the Horcruxes first, then find a way to have Voldemort revive himself using Harry's blood. With the Guardian Spell Lily Potter had left behind, as long as Voldemort did not die, Harry would not die either. So long as Jon hardened his heart and turned Harry Potter into a tool, he could gain fame, status, power, and more.

As long as he wanted it, as long as he was a little more ruthless, he could have it all.

And was hardening his heart really so difficult for someone who had already died once?

Not at all.

Jon knew very well that this question was not difficult at all. It was merely a simple matter of choice.

Who could not choose between two options?

Jon could, so he chose the latter.

Using his advantages to accomplish things was certainly a good choice. As long as he did it well and achieved the result everyone wanted, everyone would be happy—except Harry Potter, the one being used as a tool, who did not seem particularly happy.

That was the point Jon cared about.

He had once loved the story of Harry Potter very much. He loved the people in those stories, the protagonists and supporting characters alike. Even the Slytherins who appeared as antagonists were not people he particularly disliked.

A person's affection was precious. This emotion passed from one person to another was a connection between people and the world.

That was why Jon had made plans for himself long ago. Since he could rely on his own abilities to become the person he wanted to be, there was no need to alter someone else's fate, much less live someone else's life.

Otherwise, what would his former love for this story and the people within it even mean?

As Jon returned to Hogwarts through the passage from Honeydukes, this was what he thought.

Perhaps he would use his foreknowledge of this world to change some Trivial matters, but he would never become a new "The Savior."

Let Harry Potter handle the Grievances and grudges. Jon only wanted to become Jon himself.

That was his choice.

(Author's note: The content of this chapter was less Jon's choice than my original intention. I often read fanfiction, where the protagonists are all outstanding and use their special advantages to change the world. The protagonists of the original stories are then reduced to obscurity. Is that really right? When we love a story, we love the life the protagonist experienced. Yet one day, someone gets the chance to enter that protagonist's world, only to use their understanding to destroy the life that originally belonged to the protagonist. Isn't that rather ridiculous? I know many readers only seek the thrill of reading, because I used to be that kind of person too. But at the very beginning of writing this book, I considered what kind of storyline I should give the protagonist. Replacing the original protagonist would certainly have been easy, and easy to write as well. Change the original plot a little, and it would become another exciting story. But I abandoned that idea. So in the end, Jon chose a new beginning, while The Savior would still save his own world. If my readers are disappointed by this choice, then I want to say I'm sorry. After all, I am only an ordinary person. I cannot take every reader's thoughts into account. It is my fault if I have disappointed everyone, but I still hope you will like this story. These words are very important to me, so I put them in the chapter rather than in the author's notes. I hope readers everywhere can see them, and I also hope everyone can remain true to what they love. That is all.)