"If you're so set on going to that Hogwarts place, you'll have to pay for it yourself! The orphanage isn't coughing up a single Knut!"
"I understand, Matron Anna," Sean replied quietly.
…
Sean watched as Matron Anna stormed into the common room, shutting the door softly behind her. You had to be careful—make too much noise, and she'd think you were mouthing off. That'd turn your dinner from cheap pork sausages to baked bean bread. And if you didn't drink tap water, that stuff could choke you.
The problem was, the tap water wasn't clean. Drink too much, and you'd get sick. And in this rundown South London orphanage, getting sick meant you were as good as dead, handed over to the Grim Reaper himself.
How did Sean know this so well? Because the original "Sean" had died that way.
Disease, freezing cold, and malnutrition had claimed the boy's life last winter. The new Sean, who'd crossed over into this body, had been cautious ever since. He stuck to cheap black tea whenever he could, even fighting the older kids for a sip of their instant coffee, though it kept him up for days.
Over the past six months, he'd pieced together his situation. It was late August 1991, and he was in Croydon, one of the poorest parts of the Harry Potter world's London. The Holyhead Orphanage, where he lived, was the poorest of them all. Why? Because it was the only orphanage around, built for political show rather than actual care.
It was just like the Britain he'd read about in his past life. By late 1990, the "Iron Lady," Margaret Thatcher, had stepped down. Her policies had sparked economic upheaval, widening the gap between rich and poor. The City of London thrived with deregulation, while old industrial areas and inner-city slums like Croydon faced unemployment and slashed public services.
The Holyhead Orphanage hadn't seen proper funding in five years. The kids didn't even have access to enough safe drinking water, and they shivered through winter with just a thin blanket each. In a place like this, if Sean couldn't get to Hogwarts, he wasn't sure he'd survive to adulthood. His body was frail—a cold or fever could easily finish him off. Not because London's healthcare was backward, but because the stingy matrons might not "notice" a sick kid in time.
"Hogwarts doesn't charge tuition, and as for supplies, I've got Professor McGonagall's bursary," Sean muttered to himself.
From the depths of his rickety iron bed, he pulled out a small bag. Inside were 143 Galleons, a wand, some robes, and a few other essentials. He'd bought everything strictly according to the bare-bones Hogwarts supply list, but even then, it had cost 157 Galleons. That left him with less than half his savings for the entire school year.
Tomorrow was the start of term at Hogwarts.
"I've got to hurry," Sean whispered. "If I don't perform well enough to earn a scholarship, I'm done for… These Galleons won't last."
When he'd picked up his acceptance letter and shopped in Diagon Alley, Professor McGonagall had mentioned a scholarship for outstanding young witches and wizards. But would Sean be outstanding?
His chances were slim. It had taken him 500 tries just to master the Levitation Charm.
Luckily, he had a cheat.
[Name: Sean Green]
[Status: Wizard]
[Title: None]
[Proficiency]
- [Levitation Charm: Apprentice Level (1/300)]
- [Luminary Charm: Apprentice Level (1/300)]
- [Cleaning Charm: Locked (27/30)]
[Three Apprentice-Level Charms will unlock the Apprentice-Level Charm Title]
[Advanced: Three Beginner-Level Charms will unlock the Beginner-Level Charm Title]
Yes, Sean had a Proficiency Panel. It was incredibly useful—every correct practice counted toward his progress. Apprentice-Level charms only needed 30 correct casts to master, and three Apprentice-Level charms would unlock an Apprentice Title.
It sounded simple enough, but it had taken Sean two months to get this far, averaging one and a half correct casts a day. His magical talent was, frankly, dreadful. He wasn't sure if it was because of his transmigration, but he half-suspected the wizarding world was out to get him.
Though, honestly, the wizarding world probably didn't care enough to bother.
"Tonight, I have to unlock that title!"
Sean gripped his wand with determination, carefully stepping onto the creaky floorboard. He peeked out the draughty single-pane window. The crumbling Victorian semi-detached house in the poor South London suburbs was quiet.
"Good. Everyone's asleep. If I'm careful, no one will notice."
If the original Sean had left him anything useful, it was this isolated, single room. It had been given to him to prevent disease spreading, but for the new Sean, it was a blessing. It meant he had a private space to practice magic.
"Scourgify!"
Sean aimed his wand at a grimy poster, enunciating the incantation clearly while tracing an S-shape with his wand.
No luck—the panel didn't register any progress.
He didn't let it bother him. He cast again, repeating the incantation and wand movement.
It was only through hands-on practice that Sean had realized how tricky magic was. Take the Cleaning Charm, for example. Where did the stress fall in the incantation? How heavy should it be? How big or small should the S-shape be? Where should the wand move faster or slower?
He knew "Scour" meant to cleanse, and "-ify" meant to make something happen. So, the pause should come between "Scour" and "ify." As for the S-shape, it was a bit of a gamble.
Thankfully, the Proficiency Panel let him know when he got it right, so he could build on his successes.
"Scour—g—ify!"
On his fifth try, Sean cast the spell again, following his past successes. "Start fast, then slow down, and make the final curve bigger…" he mumbled, carefully mimicking the wand movement.
A flash of light burst forth, and the poster was suddenly spotless!
[You have practiced the Cleaning Charm at a Beginner Standard. Proficiency +3]
[Cleaning Charm Unlocked]
[New Charm Title Unlocked. Please Review]
[New Wizard Talent Unlocked. Please Review]
Success!
Sean picked up the now-pristine poster, marveling at the magic. Different spells had different standards for "correct" practice. Apprentice-Level gave +1 proficiency, while Beginner-Level gave +3. Whether there were higher standards, Sean didn't know—reaching Beginner was already a miracle for his talent, Merlin's beard!
"Let's check the new title."
He eagerly opened the panel, which updated with three new lines:
[Title: Charm Novice]
[Slightly increases Charm sensitivity and slightly boosts Charm talent]
Sean scrolled down.
[Wizard Sean Green, Charm Talent: Green (Boosted by Charm Novice Title; Original Talent: White). Note: Average Wizard Talent is Green]
Sean sucked in a breath. White-level talent?! No wonder he struggled with spells—his natural ability was absolute rubbish! If not for his cheat, he couldn't imagine how brutal his Hogwarts journey would be.
After a quick glance, Sean's resolve hardened.
No talent? Fine. He'd grind.
"Let's see how far you can take me, panel. Time to rack up that proficiency!"