"If you insist on going to that Hogwarts place to study, then pay for your own school expenses! The orphanage won't spend a single penny on you!"
"I understand, Caregiver Anna."
...
Sean watched as Caregiver Anna entered the common room and gently closed the door.
If he made too much noise and Anna thought he had an attitude problem, dinner would change from cheap pork sausage to baked bean bread. Without tap water, that stuff could choke a person to death.
But the tap water was never clean - drinking too much would make you sick, and once you got sick in this impoverished orphanage in the southern suburbs, death would be waiting for you.
How did Sean know all this so clearly? Because that's how the original owner of this body had died.
Disease, bitter cold, and malnutrition had jointly claimed his life. "Sean," who had transmigrated last winter, had always taken this as a warning. He tried his best to drink those cheap black teas, and would even fight for a cup of the older kids' instant coffee, even if it meant staying awake for a day or two.
Over the past six months, he had figured out his situation.
It was now late August 1991.
This was the Croydon district in the Harry Potter world - one of London's most impoverished areas.
And the Wool's Orphanage where he lived was the most impoverished orphanage of all.
Why?
Because there was only one orphanage here, opened purely for political achievements.
Just like the Britain he knew from his previous life.
At the end of 1990, the "Iron Lady" Margaret Thatcher had stepped down.
Her Thatcherism brought economic reform, but also significantly widened the wealth gap.
The City benefited from deregulation, with the wealthy seeing their fortunes soar, while traditional industrial areas and inner-city poor districts faced unemployment and cuts to public services.
This was especially evident in Croydon district.
The Wool's Orphanage where he lived hadn't received proper funding in five years, leading to financial strain. Each child not only couldn't drink enough safe water, but only had a thin blanket for winter.
In such conditions, if he couldn't get into Hogwarts, he might not even survive to adulthood, especially given his poor health.
Even a slight cold or fever could kill him - not because London's healthcare was backward, but because those heartless caregivers might not "notice in time" when a child fell ill.
"Hogwarts is tuition-free, and as for expenses, I have the scholarship that Professor McGonagall applied for."
Sean retrieved a bag from the deepest part of his iron bunk bed. Inside were 143 gold Galleons, a wand, some robes, and other items.
He had strictly purchased according to the minimum standards on the school supply list. Even so, it had cost him a full 157 Galleons, leaving him with less than half of his year's savings.
And tomorrow was the day Hogwarts term began.
"I need to hurry. If I don't perform well enough to qualify for a scholarship, I'll be finished... the Galleons definitely won't be enough..."
When he had gone to get his acceptance letter and shop for supplies, Professor McGonagall had mentioned this reward, but it was for outstanding young wizards.
Would Sean perform outstandingly?
The prospects looked dim - after all, it had taken him a full 500 practice attempts just to learn the Levitation Charm.
Fortunately, he had a cheat.
[Name: Sean Green]
[Identity: Wizard]
[Title: None]
[Proficiency]
[Levitation Charm: Apprentice Level (1/300)]
[Lumos Charm: Apprentice Level (1/300)]
[Cleaning Charm: Locked (27/30)]
[Three apprentice-level spells can unlock apprentice-level title in the Charms field]
[Advancement: Three beginner-level spells can unlock beginner-level title in the Charms field]
...
Yes, Sean had a proficiency panel with very practical functions. As long as he practiced correctly, he would get attempt rewards. Apprentice-level spells only required 30 correct practices, and three apprentice-level spells could unlock an apprentice-level title.
It seemed simple enough.
But even this simple task had taken Sean two full months to barely complete, averaging one and a half correct practices per day.
It was a truly pitiful magical talent - he wondered if it was due to his transmigration.
He suspected the magical world he'd never met was targeting him.
Though the magical world probably couldn't be bothered with him.
"Today, I must complete the title unlock!"
Sean confidently pulled out his wand, then carefully stepped on the warped floorboard and poked his head out through the drafty single-pane glass window.
The Victorian semi-detached house in the impoverished southern suburbs had fallen into silence.
"Good, they're all asleep. As long as I'm careful, I won't be discovered."
If the original owner had left him anything useful, it was this isolated, remote single room.
Though he'd been given it out of fear of disease transmission, for the current Sean, it was undoubtedly a good thing - it meant he had enough private space to practice magic.
"Scourgify!"
Sean clearly pronounced the spell at a dirty poster and waved his wand in an S-shape.
Unfortunately, the count on his panel didn't increase.
Sean didn't mind and cast the spell again, waving his wand once more.
Only through personal study did Sean truly appreciate how obscure and difficult magic was.
Take this Cleaning Charm - where should the stress be in the incantation? How heavy? What kind of S-shape should the wand gesture draw - big or small? Where should it be faster, where slower?
Sean knew that "Scour" meant to wash and "ify" meant to make something into, so together it meant to make this thing clean.
So his pause should be between "Scour" and "ify." As for that S-shaped gesture, he could only try his luck.
Fortunately, he could judge success or failure based on whether his proficiency increased, summarizing experience from previous correct practices.
"Scour—g—ify!"
Sean pronounced the spell for the fifth time, waving his wand according to his experience.
"Faster at first, then slower, and the final arc needs to be bigger..."
Sean muttered to himself while strictly following his successful experience in waving the wand.
Suddenly, light blazed forth, and the poster on the table instantly shed its stains!
[You practiced the Cleaning Charm once at beginner standard, Proficiency +3]
[Cleaning Charm unlocked]
[New Charms field title unlocked, please check]
[A wizard talent unlocked, please check]
Success!
Sean picked up the newly cleaned poster and examined it carefully, then couldn't help but marvel at the wonder of magic.
As for that "beginner standard," just like spell effects could differ, the standards for correct practice also varied - apprentice and beginner levels.
Apprentice level would increase proficiency by 1 point, while beginner was 3 points. As for whether there were standards beyond beginner, Sean didn't know. With his magical talent, even having beginner level was a blessing from Merlin.
"Let me check the new title."
Sean eagerly opened his panel, which showed three new lines:
[Title: Spell Novice]
[Slightly increases perception of charms, slightly improves charm talent]
Sean continued reading:
[Wizard Sean, Charm Talent: Green (Enhanced by Spell Novice title, original talent was White) Note: Average wizards are Green]
Sean sucked in a sharp breath.
White trash?!
No wonder he couldn't learn spells. With this talent, even if it exploded, Sean would have to praise it for being loud.
Good thing he had a cheat, or it was hard to imagine how difficult his future studies would be.
After a brief examination, Sean's gaze became even more determined.
No talent? Then repetition it is!
Let me see your limits, panel - add proficiency!