Chp 3: System Initiated

Putting on the school's robe, Brian sighed softly as he looked at the Slytherin badge on his left chest. He came to this world somewhat late. The former self might have belonged to the Slytherin House, but for him, it was not.

Despite that, he was also glad that he had come at the right time, otherwise it would be very difficult for him to hide from the Sorting Hat's probe. Until he could somehow master Occlumency, he would undoubtedly need to avoid Dumbledore if he didn't want his secret to be discovered.

Even if it's unlikely that Dumbledore would use Legilimency on the students, it's still better to be safe than sorry, right?

Regarding the boy who lived, Harry Potter, Brian was not interested in getting involved in his death-seeking adventures. The primary concern on his mind was how to get stronger so he could protect himself and his new family in future turmoil. And Voldemort was not his problem either.

As for himself... Brian's eyes flickered with a moment of uncertainty. Even though he was transported into the world of his favourite book, everything here was so strange to him. He felt wholly out of place.

For the first time in his life, he didn't know what to do and felt lost.

He'd always been a self-reliant person. He worked hard and was focused on his goals, but just as his life was beginning to turn around, he was tragically involved in an accident.

"The past is the past, and there's no point in dwelling on it. Better to move on."

In this new life, he wanted to be in charge of his own fate, especially since magic existed here. He had been intrigued by magic ever since he was a young boy. Something about its mystery captivated him.

"I might as well aim to reach the pinnacle of magic and surpass Dumbledore, Voldemort and everyone."

Brian's eyes were like a pool of calm water. What's the point of living if you don't have something to work toward?

After sorting out his textbooks, Brian remembered the strange things that had occurred to him last night. He concentrated, and a line of writing appeared in his sight.

[System initiated!]

[Welcome Brian Fawley!]

[By taking part in the important events in the Harry Potter books, you can earn points to level up your skills.]

[Gain one point for attending the sorting ceremony!]

Points: 1

Magic Power - Junior Wizard (Congratulations! You're not a muggle!)

Intelligence - Junior Wizard (This determines how quickly you can learn.)

Agility - Junior Wizard (It is not always magic power that decides who wins a battle, but rather how quickly one can think on their feet literally.)

Transfiguration - Troll (You're dumb as a troll in this subject.)

Charms…

[Rank: Troll → Junior Wizard → Senior Wizard → Adult Wizard → Auror → Sorcerer → Grand Sorcerer]

Curiously, Brian reached out toward the writing and felt what he thought was a phone screen. After some trial and error, he figured out how the system works.

There was a lot of other stuff as well but he paid attention mostly to what was written at the top. Most of the major events in this world revolved around Harry Potter. It would be fine if he were a Gryffindor, but that wasn't the case because he was a Slytherin. Moreover, his father was a Death Eater, which was an open secret in the wizarding world.

Brian willed the screen to disappear, and all the writing faded like smoke. Since he was at a loss as to how to approach Harry, he put the matter out of his mind for now.

"Whatever, I'll just go with the flow," Brian shrugged his shoulders.

After checking the time, Brian went to wake up his sleeping roommates, who turned out to be Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe, and Gregory Goyle. It seemed he was not going to befriend Harry Potter any time soon.

Hogwarts' staircases were notoriously tricky, what with their varying lengths and turns, shaky railings, and even the occasional mini-trap. Not to mention navigating the confusing layout that was Hogwarts.

Then, he saw Draco making fun of the ghost, Peeves the Poltergeist, who was making a racket in the hallway. After being chased by Peeves and having chalk thrown at their heads for several minutes, the four of them finally managed to escape.

"I'll write to my father and ask him to expel the blasted ghost from Hogwarts," Draco growled furiously.

"Actually, I think that ghost was kind of interesting," Brian shook his head amusedly, patting the dust off his body, feeling better for the first time. Their first class was Potions, which was taught together with the Gryffindors.

Whoever thought to put Slytherin and Gryffindor together was a brilliant idea should be kicked in the head. If everyone wasn't afraid of Professor Snape, Brian had no doubt that the two houses would have a go at each other at that very moment.

Other classes were much calmer. Brian's favourites were Charms and Transfiguration. Few subjects reflect the mystery of magic more intuitively than these two branches of magic.

The Charms Master, Professor Flitwick, propped himself up on a tall stack of textbooks. Small as he was, his teaching skills were excellent. The small wizard always took the time to properly explain the important points of casting a spell.

Brian found that his talent was not bad. Despite some difficulties, he was able to cast a spell they were learning in the class, albeit at a slower pace than Draco.

And that's while using an ineffective wand. His wand was eleven and a half inches long, made of ebony, with a dragon heartstring as the core; it had been purchased from Ollivanders.

It seemed after he replaced the old Brian, the wand was no longer suited to him. He felt as if the wand was rejecting him.

Crabbe and Goyle did not fare well in the class. They couldn't cast a spell until the class was over, and even then they could only manage a few sparks from the tip of their wands.

Professor Flitwick had to assign them more additional assignments so they could master this spell before the next class.

As was to be expected from the dumb pair, they soon forgot what they were supposed to practise by the time they got back to the common room. For goodness' sake, they even forgot the spell's name.

While Draco poked fun next to them, the hapless Brian was forced to teach them once more. Two hours later, the two of them were finally able to cast the wand-lighting spell.