Ch 14: Gacha Again

I sat near the edge of the Owlery, the cool night breeze brushing against my face. The stars sparkled like diamonds scattered across the inky sky, and the full moon cast a serene glow over Hogwarts. Beside me, Tonks sat cross-legged, humming some random tune while fiddling with her wand.

"You know," I said, breaking the silence, "you should get a boyfriend or something. People might start thinking of you as a pedophile, hanging out with a kid like me so much."

Tonks froze mid-hum and turned to glare at me. "Fuck you, Arthur."

I smirked. "No thanks."

"God, you're insufferable," she muttered, flicking a small hex at me that I dodged.

"Me? Insufferable?" I gasped in mock indignation.

"I hope you were the one who faced the troll that day."

I raised an eyebrow. "Huh? What troll?"

She stared at me, confused. "Are you joking or something?"

I shook my head. "No, seriously, what are you talking about?"

"You don't know about the troll incident during the Halloween feast?"

The realization hit me like a rogue Bludger. 'Shit, I completely forgot!' I groaned, rubbing the back of my neck. I had been so focused on training that I skipped the feast entirely.

Tonks tilted her head, her face breaking into a smug grin. "Wait, don't tell me... you, the all-knowing Arthur Wayne, missed the biggest event of the year?"

"Don't look so smug," I muttered, trying to deflect.

"Oh no, this is gold," she said, laughing. "The great Arthur, who acts like he knows everything, didn't even know about a bloody troll roaming the castle!"

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," I said, standing up and stretching. "I'm going to sleep."

"Sure, go cry yourself to sleep, Arthur."

"Fuck you, Tonks."

"Fuck you too, Arthur."

---

The next day dawned cold and crisp—January 1st, the start of a new year. And more importantly, the day for my next round of Gacha spins.

The past three months had been... lackluster, to say the least. I got three different sets of clothes (stylish, but not particularly useful), some high-grade meat (which Garuda devoured with enthusiasm), and a pile of cash that I promptly stored in my CS System, officially making me a millionaire.

Not bad, but not exactly exciting either.

"Alright, Lady Luck," I muttered as I opened the Gacha interface. "Be good to me this time."

I hovered over the spin button, feeling a mix of anticipation and dread. "Three spins. Let's go."

[Spin] [Spin] [Spin]

The wheel spun rapidly, the icons blurring together. My heart raced as the first spin slowed down, finally landing on an item.

[Animal Speech]

Understand and talk to animals, be they normal or magical.

My eyes widened. "Whoa, okay, that's actually useful." I could already imagine the potential—getting information from magical creatures, befriending wild animals, maybe even having Garuda do more than just screech at me.

The second spin stopped.

[Gallery]

Save moments of your life like a memory or a picture.

I tilted my head. "Huh... neat, I guess?" It wasn't as flashy as some other items, but the ability to record and revisit moments in perfect clarity had its charm. Plus, it sounded like something that could come in handy in the future.

Finally, the third spin came to a stop.

[Snow White's Apple]

The Poisoned Apple: Eating it guarantees death to you or your enemies.

My jaw dropped. "What the actual hell?"

I pulled the apple out of the inventory. It looked completely ordinary—shiny, red, and perfect, like something out of a fairytale. And that's exactly what it was.

"Why does this feel like both a blessing and a curse?" I muttered, placing it back into storage.

---

I couldn't wait to try out my new abilities. The first opportunity came almost immediately when I went to feed Garuda.

"Morning, buddy," I greeted him, tossing a chunk of meat his way.

"About time," he said, his voice sharp and slightly annoyed.

I froze.

Garuda cocked his head, looking at me. "What? Did you think I couldn't talk?"

"Y-You can talk?" I stammered, still processing what was happening.

"No, you can understand me now," he corrected, flapping his wings. "Took you long enough."

This was going to take some time getting used to.

---

Later that day, I tested the Gallery ability. All I had to do was focus on a moment, and it would save like a mental snapshot.

I tried it out during lunch, capturing the image of the Great Hall decorated with floating candles and the remnants of the New Year's feast. When I accessed the Gallery later, it was like stepping back into the moment—every detail preserved perfectly, even the scents and sounds.

"Okay, this is actually amazing," I admitted.

---

While the new items were exciting, they also got me thinking. The Poisoned Apple wasn't something to use lightly, but it could be a powerful trump card in the right situation.

As for Animal Speech, I realized its true potential when I overheard a group of owls gossiping about the movements of certain professors. It hit me then—I could use this ability for more than just casual chats. Spying, gathering information, even uncovering secrets about the castle... the possibilities were endless.

The wheels in my head started turning.

"Time to make some plans," I muttered to myself, a sly grin spreading across my face.

---Note

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