Harry settled on the park's grass, the docks' gentle ripples a calming backdrop. He had heard from Lena about wizard's magical core as the wellspring of power, a reservoir shaped by will and intent, but Harry's wandless prowess hinted at something constrained. Summoning the system's translucent screen, its silver text glowing softly, he projected:
'Create a new feature, Core Insight.
Enable visualization and analysis of my magical core, identifying its structure, and condition.
Trigger visualization only on meditative focus and analysis for significant magical exertion or when .
Save the protocol.'
The screen pulsed: 'Core Insight' Protocol saved. Ready for visualization under specified conditions.
Closing his eyes, Harry focused inward, entering a meditative state. The system triggered, and his mind's eye revealed a softball-sized orb, radiant with swirling emerald and silver light, pulsing in his chest. This was his core, vibrant yet constricted by dark, rope-like bindings, their surfaces cracked and frayed, as if worn by years of strain. Thin streams of magic leaked through the tears, fueling his wandless spells, but the bindings compressed the orb, stifling its full potential. The system noted:
Core Insight: Magical core visualization complete.
Size: Comparable to softball
Energy: high, stable.
Bindings detected: multiple, compressive, dark origin.
Condition: significant wear, partial breaches enabling magic use.
Note: Analyze bindings' source, consider removal.
The bindings' dark aura echoed the scar's residual magic, flagged by Foreign Magic Detection:
Scar: Residual dark magic, potential link to caster (Voldemort, 1981).
May influence sensitivity under stress.
Harry's Memory Palace, a digital office of secure knowledge, held Lena's warning: magical bindings could be curses or seals, often tied to trauma or external spells. His core's wear suggested his magic's strength had eroded them, but removal required caution. He resolved to dismantle the bindings, using wandless practice to stress them while monitoring with Core Insight.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry began daily training, alternating between the park, alleys, and quieter corners to avoid other people's notice. Each morning, he meditated, triggering Core Insight to visualize his core. The orb's light grew brighter with focus, the bindings' cracks widening under scrutiny. To stress them, he practiced wandless spells, pushing his magic, honing his skill with both physical and magic.
Core Insight updated: Core Insight: Binding stress detected. Minor fraying on primary binding, magic flow increased by 5%.
Note: Continue exertion.
He escalated with Levitation, lifting stones by the park's edge, the effort straining his core. After a week, the bindings had degraded by 30%, the orb's light pulsing freer, his wandless spells sharper.
In mid-August, Harry intensified training, targeting complex spells. A wandless Shield, taught by Lena, shimmered briefly before flickering, but Core Insight showed:
Core Insight: Primary binding split, 50% degradation. Core output surged, minor instability detected.
The surge felt like a rush of wind in his veins, but instability warned of overexertion. He scaled back, focusing on sustained Light and Levitation, stabilizing the core. By late August, the bindings were 70% worn, frayed ropes barely clinging, the orb nearly unbound.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By August 31, Harry's core shone unbound in his mind's eye, only thin, tattered binding remnants remaining, degraded by 90%. Core Insight check showed:
Core Insight: Bindings near collapse, 90% degradation.
Core size: Comparable to Soccer
Output: high, stable.
Note: Minimal risk, monitor post-removal.
His Status reflected growth:
Status: Harry Potter (Shade)
Attributes:
Strength => 14
Agility => 18
Stamina => 20
Intelligence => 21
Magic => 30
Health Points => 220
On September 1, Harry packed his trunk, wand, books, robes, potion supplies, Hedwig's cage, and his Hogwarts Intel protocol guiding essentials:
Train: King's Cross, Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, 11 a.m.
Downstairs, he faced Petunia, her lips pursed as she polished a vase. "I'm going to school," he said, voice flat. She glanced up, eyes flickering with resentment but no defiance, bound by his narrative. "Go, then," she muttered, turning away. Harry nodded and stepped out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lena and Jasper met Harry at a nearby corner, with their muggle unassuming but swift car. In the car, Lena spoke, voice low: "Hogwarts is a maze of loyalties. Trust sparingly, learn fast. Dumbledore's sharp, but his plans aren't yours." Jasper added, "Watch the Slytherins—ambition cuts deep. Your wand's cores give you an edge, use them quietly." Harry commits their advice to his memory.
At King's Cross, they parked discreetly, the station's bustle a blur of muggles. Lena gripped his shoulder: "You're ready, Shade. Write us." Jasper nodded: "Stay sharp." Harry clasped their hands and watched them drive off. Alone, he pulled the Hogwarts Express ticket from his bag and went to search for the train entrance for the magicals.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
King's Cross Station thrummed with travelers, their voices echoing off tiled walls. Harry, trunk and Hedwig's cage in tow, moved with purpose, his Surroundings Scan dormant in the crowd but ready. The ticket read Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, a detail Hagrid hadn't explained. Lena had mentioned magical barriers, and Harry's sharpened magical sense guided him. Near platforms nine and ten, he paused, focusing around him. A faint hum, like a whispered spell, emanated from the brick wall between the platforms, its surface unremarkable to muggles.
Harry walked past, letting his senses brush the wall, the hum growing stronger, a warm, inviting pulse. Confident, he pushed his trolley toward the wall, the bracelet cool, and stepped through, the magic parting like a curtain. Platform Nine and Three-Quarters opened before him, a scarlet steam engine gleaming under a vaulted roof, witches and wizards bustling, owls hooting. The Hogwarts Express was majestic, its whistle sharp, but Harry tempered his awe.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry maneuvered through the crowd, scanning his surroundings with the help of the system and his bracelet. He boarded the train, finding an empty booth in a quiet carriage. He settled by the window, putting Hedwig's cage beside him.
As the train's whistle blew, Harry leaned back. Hogwarts awaited, a crucible of power and secrets. Harry, as Shade and Potter, was ready, his core unbound, his system a guiding light, poised for the mission ahead.
[Word Count: 998]
=============================
Please provide some reviews for this story and also some power stones, if you feel good about this story.
I'll try to increase the word count in the upcoming chapters, as there are some details which does not match well with others, so I had to separate these things into different chapters.