After returning from Diagon Alley, Felix Chance locked himself in his room and began to delve into the study of magic in this world.
Through experimentation and observation, he gradually developed a rough understanding of how magic worked in the world of Harry Potter. Magic here was essentially a system of manipulating reality through magical energy—energy that originated from living beings themselves. That explained why only wizards and magical creatures could cast spells: they were the ones with innate magical power.
To cast spells in this world, one needed a focused will, precise pronunciation, and the correct wand movements. The caster's intent determined the goal and effect of the spell, while the incantation and gestures acted as essential catalysts. These components worked together to channel magical energy and influence the underlying "rules" of reality to produce results.
Compared to crudely forcing magic to affect the world directly, the structured spells of this universe were more like using console commands in an RPG to instantly achieve objectives—efficient and clean, even producing effects that blatantly violated basic scientific laws like energy conservation or entropy. Think of the Reparo charm, or Accio—they shouldn't work, but here, they did.
As for wands, it was well known that magical creatures often possessed more raw magical power than wizards. Wands were crafted from parts of these creatures combined with specific woods to act as magical converters and regulators—essentially, tools to streamline and focus magical output.
When a wizard became truly familiar with a spell—when they understood its principles and practiced it enough—they could eventually cast it without speaking or even using a wand. This was known as nonverbal and wandless magic. These methods were faster and more unpredictable, making them ideal in combat or surprise situations. However, since mental incantation was a weaker catalyst than spoken words, and raw hand gestures less efficient than a wand's channeling, both power and accuracy suffered as a trade-off.
Given Felix's natural aptitude, he quickly mastered a handful of basic but practical spells, such as Lumos, Wingardium Leviosa, and Reparo. But further progress required more than what his cramped room could offer. Fire-based charms, potion-making, and more advanced spells needed proper materials and a safe environment—not to mention that some spells, if misfired, could lead to irreversible accidents or worse, attract the attention of Mrs. Gariff, the orphanage matron, or the other children.
With no other choice, Felix restrained his curiosity and set his sights on the day school began.
Waiting was always the hardest part.
Finally, September 1st arrived.
At exactly nine o'clock, Felix stood in King's Cross Station, eager to be early so he could board the Hogwarts Express ahead of the rush. That way, he could pick a compartment for himself and avoid being stuck with anyone uninteresting. Outside of the main trio, only Fred and George Weasley, Cedric Diggory, and a few pretty girls were worth his attention.
The station was busy with travelers. Standing between Platforms 9 and 10, Felix kept a careful eye out for a moment when no one was watching. He needed to slip through to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters without drawing attention.
He didn't have to wait long. A group of oddly dressed witches and wizards walked past him and, without hesitation, ran straight at the wall—and disappeared. One by one, they vanished through the barrier.
Felix gritted his teeth, suppressing the urge to mock how absurd it all looked, and followed them. The moment he stepped forward, he felt himself pass through something like a veil—and suddenly, the space around him opened up.
Before him stood a crimson steam engine with a sign: "Hogwarts Express."
Thanks to his unique sensitivity, Felix could feel that this platform existed in a special spatial layer—an overlapping pocket reality adjacent to the real King's Cross Station.
"Unbelievable," he murmured. "They actually pulled off something like this using magic."
He joined the crowd and climbed aboard the train.
It was still early, so most compartments were empty. Felix walked toward the rear of the train and chose an empty compartment further back. He noticed that older students tended to sit toward the front, while the back was dominated by first-years.
After stowing his luggage, he unzipped his bag and released the small, furry creature who'd been quietly nestled inside for quite some time—Himari, his loyal companion. Then he pulled out Hogwarts: A History and began to read. Most kids his age might have found the book boring, but for Felix, it was a rather enjoyable way to pass the time.
Himari meowed, brushing affectionately against his legs, clearly hoping for attention. But Felix was absorbed in his reading. Without looking, he pulled a fragrant piece of grilled fish from his bag and handed it to her, giving her a quick, distracted pat on the head.
Himari accepted the bribe with only mild indignation and sauntered out of the compartment to explore.
Felix wasn't worried. Himari might still be young, but she was a nekomata—a cat spirit with more than enough intelligence to take care of herself.
Some time passed before she suddenly dashed back into the compartment, leaping straight into Felix's lap like she was being chased.
Because she was.
A girl followed close behind—bushy brown hair, large front teeth, and already dressed in her Hogwarts uniform. The moment Felix saw her, he recognized her.
She looked remarkably like a young Emma Watson.
Hermione Granger. The heroine of the Harry Potter series. The clever know-it-all who would eventually dominate the top of her class. A brilliant character… who was, tragically, paired with Ron in the end. A true waste of potential.