Learning Spells

As Gerald watched them walk away, a strange feeling suddenly welled up inside him.

It was as if the fictional characters he had imagined countless times had suddenly come to life right before his eyes.

"Mr. Green."

Professor McGonagall's voice pulled him out of his brief daze.

She had already dragged the suitcase to the door and was looking back at him.

"We have everything you need. It's time we headed back."

Gerald nodded.

By the time they left the Winkle Secondhand Clothing and Hat Shop, the sky had darkened.

The streetlights in Diagon Alley lit up one after another. They weren't electric lights, but glowing orbs floating in the air.

Professor McGonagall glanced at Gerald.

"Are you ready, Mr. Green?"

Professor McGonagall placed a hand on Gerald's shoulder.

"Ready."

The next instant, Gerald felt an invisible hand yank hard at his body.

The scenery around him blurred instantly, turning into countless streaks of colored light.

By the time he recovered his senses, he was standing in Grandpa Henry's yard.

Professor McGonagall let go and straightened her robes.

"The Hogwarts Express departs from King's Cross Station at eleven o'clock on the morning of September first."

Professor McGonagall released his arm and handed him the ticket marked Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.

"The platform is between platforms nine and ten. Just walk straight toward the barrier between the ticket gates. Don't be afraid. Walk straight through."

Gerald took the ticket and nodded earnestly.

"I'll remember, Professor. Thank you for everything you've done for me today."

Professor McGonagall looked at him, a barely perceptible softness flickering in her eyes behind her square spectacles.

"Hogwarts will be a new beginning, Mr. Green. It is for every student, but perhaps especially for you."

She paused, seeming to want to say something more, but ultimately only gave a slight nod.

"That's everything, then. I'll see you on September first."

With that, she turned away and vanished into the twilight with a soft pop.

Gerald looked down at his right hand, loosely curling his fingers before opening them again.

"A world of magic..."

Gerald murmured those words, then pushed open the yard gate and went inside.

Grandpa Henry was sitting on a chair in the kitchen, smoking his pipe.

The old man looked up when he saw Gerald return.

His clouded eyes lingered on Gerald for a moment, then settled on the old suitcase in his hand.

"Well? Did you get everything?"

"Everything, Grandpa." Gerald set his things down and sat opposite the old man.

"Good. Are you hungry? I saved you some food."

"I actually am a little hungry. The food's in the kitchen, right? I'll help myself."

Grandpa Henry nodded and exhaled a cloud of smoke without saying anything more.

Gerald knew the old man still had plenty of questions, but he had chosen not to ask them.

That was Grandpa Henry. He never asked too many questions, only offered his quiet support.

Gerald suddenly spoke.

"Grandpa, I'm going to make a lot of money someday. Then we'll expand the farm and hire some workers. All you'll have to do is enjoy yourself."

Grandpa Henry froze for a moment, then smiled.

"All right. I'll look forward to it."

Gerald smiled, went into the kitchen for a quick bite, then carried his suitcase up to the attic.

Only after opening the suitcase did he discover that the space inside was far larger than its exterior suggested.

It must have an Undetectable Extension Charm on it. Though the Ministry of Magic seems to strictly regulate that spell, only allowing it on suitcases and travel tents.

Gerald put the thought aside, took out his wand and The Standard Book of Spells, Grade One, and opened the book across his lap to read.

His heart raced, and his hands trembled.

The moment had finally arrived-the scene he had imagined countless times in his previous life.

"Lumos."

Light instantly shone from the wand's tip, illuminating the entire attic as brightly as daylight.

It worked! But nobody told me Lumos was this bright.

Let's try this one next.

"Wingardium Leviosa."

This time, it didn't work. The Standard Book of Spells, Grade One lay motionless on his lap.

Gerald tried several more times in succession, still without success.

Is it because I don't have enough magic, or because my wand movement isn't precise enough?

But then another possibility occurred to Gerald.

The wand might be slacking off.

After all, it hadn't fully acknowledged him as its master yet. It was still showing up for work without putting in any effort.

Since the panel treats this wand as a magical artifact...

He quickly bit his finger and let a bright red drop of blood fall onto the wand.

The drop was soon absorbed.

[High-grade magical artifact Kirin Horn Wand has successfully acknowledged its master.]

As the line of small text appeared, Gerald instantly felt his connection with the wand become extraordinarily close.

It actually worked!

Gerald hadn't expected such an old-fashioned method as binding it with blood to actually succeed.

All right, that's cultivation for you.

"Wingardium Leviosa."

As Gerald finished speaking, The Standard Book of Spells, Grade One slowly floated into the air.

He couldn't help laughing.

Graduated!

Now let's fast-forward to taking the wizarding world by storm.

Gerald eagerly tried out some other spells.

He mastered most of them quickly. Even the relatively difficult Reparo worked smoothly after a dozen or so attempts.

"Am I actually a genius?"

Gradually, Gerald began trying spells that weren't in The Standard Book of Spells, Grade One.

Sectumsempra, for instance.

Gerald stood, went over to the window, and pushed it open.

The night breeze refreshed him.

He steadied himself, raised his wand, and flicked it at a tree a hundred meters away.

"Sectumsempra!"

Nothing happened.

Unwilling to give up, Gerald tried dozens more times, but still failed.

Looks like spells such as Sectumsempra are still too advanced for me right now. This probably involves the levels of magic and conviction in the Harry Potter world. Compatibility with my wand can't solve that.

What a shame.

Avada Kedavra was even further out of reach.

I'd wanted to test Avada Kedavra's power while nobody knew about it.

After all, in a sense, the stretch before starting their first year was when Hogwarts students had the most freedom.

They didn't yet have that troublesome thing called the Trace on them.

The Ministry of Magic could detect underage wizards using magic outside school precisely because the Trace attached itself to them.

Whenever magic stirred nearby, the Ministry of Magic received an alert.

But there was a loophole.

The Trace could only detect where the magic had occurred, not which wizard had cast it.

If an underage wizard lived in a wizarding household, the Ministry of Magic couldn't distinguish whether the caster was the minor or an adult family member.

That was also why children from pure-blood families could practice magic during the holidays, while Muggle-born children couldn't.

Once I go to Hogwarts, I won't be able to use magic freely when I come home for the holidays.

"Unless I can find a way around the Trace." Gerald rubbed his chin. "I'll worry about that when the time comes."

Gerald lay down and tucked his hands behind his head.

"Hogwarts."

He softly spoke the name, the corners of his mouth lifting.

Who could have imagined that after being reborn, he would not only awaken a cultivation panel but also receive an acceptance letter from Hogwarts?

"Whatever happens, I've come out ahead."