Summer morning, Devon.
The cool early breeze swept across the fields outside Ottery St. Catchpole, over Stoatshead Hill, rippling through the vast reeds beyond like rolling waves.
The residents of Ottery St. Catchpole had always believed nothing existed out there but reeds and wasteland.
But the wind knew better—a wizarding family lived hidden among those reeds.
They had a sizable garden with a pond that rippled alongside the swaying reeds. The main structure was a towering house that looked perpetually on the verge of collapse. Only the first floor appeared solid and well-built—though the paint was faded, it was well-maintained, and a wooden sign reading "The Burrow" hung by the door.
It seemed to tell the story of a young couple who, over twenty years ago, had poured all their hopes for a warm and happy life into that single-story cottage when they first settled here.
Clearly, life had thrown them more curveballs than they'd anticipated. As their family grew, so did the house—stacked higher and higher with each new child.
Until it became the precarious oddity it was today!
At the top of the Burrow, in the attic that had been infested with ghouls just a few years ago, the space had been completely transformed. Rows of shelving lined the walls, crammed with boxes and bottles in chaotic abundance, leaving only a small clearing in the center.
A simple workbench stood there, surrounded by potion-making equipment arranged in precise order. A fire burned beneath a cauldron, its contents bubbling steadily.
Before the cauldron stood Vaughn Weasley, his red hair catching the light as he processed ingredients with focused precision, carefully monitoring the potion's temperature.
"Dittany, Boomslang skin... right, and just a pinch of fairy wings..."
Vaughn reduced the flame and waited for the temperature to drop before adding his final ingredient.
"Last comes the Flobberworm mucus, to give the beauty potion its transformative properties..."
He muttered to himself while carefully observing the changes in the cauldron. As the mucus dissolved and the temperature dropped in controlled increments, the final bubble burst—and something magical happened.
The thick, murky black liquid suddenly cleared, becoming transparent as freshly melted sugar syrup, giving off a sweet, pleasant aroma.
"Yes!"
Vaughn quickly retrieved a box of bottles from the seemingly chaotic shelves—knowing exactly where to find them despite the mess. He waved his worn wand, levitating the potion and carefully filling each small vial.
Finally, he meticulously attached his handwritten labels:
[Vaughn's Beauty Potion (Anti-Wrinkle Formula)]
[Apply topically with massage to smooth away wrinkles and restore firm, healthy skin]
When everything was done, Vaughn stretched hard, his bones cracking satisfyingly. He gazed out the attic window at the reeds swaying like waves in the morning breeze and the brightening sky on the horizon, feeling momentarily dazed.
Eleven years since he'd arrived in this world. From birth, he'd known his last name was Weasley, known he had five older brothers named Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, and George.
And then there was his twin brother—who'd been kicked in utero and ended up being born five minutes late—christened Ronald Bilius Weasley. Ron, for short.
How could Vaughn not have realized what world he'd been reborn into?
Harry Potter...
Eleven years was a long time. Though he'd tried to keep those memories alive through constant reflection, living in this world had inevitably made his past life begin to fade.
Vaughn shook his head, pushing the thought aside, and focused his mind:
"System!"
At his mental command, a panel invisible to anyone else materialized before his eyes:
[Host: Vaughn Weasley]
[Magical Power: 370 (Average adult wizard: 500)]
[Aptitudes: Charms 7, Dark Arts 6, Transfiguration 7, Potions 10, Herbology 6, Divination 2 (Maximum: 10)]
[Spells: Occlumency LV5 (MAX), Shield Charm LV3 (2/8), Disarming Charm LV2 (2/4), Levitation Charm LV2 (0/4), Petrificus Totalus LV2 (0/4), Incendio LV2 (1/4), Lumos LV2 (0/2)...]
[Potions: Elixir to Induce Euphoria, Wideye Potion, Blood-Replenishing Potion, Hair-Smoothing Potion, Hair-Thickening Potion, Beauty Potions (Master Level, multiple formula variations)...]
[Renown Points: 12]
This system had awakened the moment Vaughn was born.
Having read the books and seen the movies, knowing full well how dangerous the future would become, Vaughn hadn't simply given up when he'd been born into this world. The system's existence had given him courage—that much was undeniable.
Vaughn glanced at his aptitude stats, his eyes lingering on [Potions 10]. Even after seeing it countless times, the sight still brought him a deep sense of satisfaction, like scratching a persistent itch.
All his other aptitudes had been determined at birth. Only Potions had come from the system's "welcome package"—a reward that included maxed-out Occlumency and one randomly maximized aptitude!
Over these eleven years of gradual exploration, Vaughn had figured out how his so-called "Renown System" worked. So far, it had never issued quests, had no shop, no lottery.
Its core function was simple: it calculated Renown Points based on how widely Vaughn's reputation had spread, settling accounts monthly.
Renown Points could be used to upgrade spells. The numbers in parentheses next to each spell showed how many points were needed to reach the next level.
The difficulty of the spell determined the cost—harder spells required more points.
Of course, he could also improve spells through practice, but that required massive amounts of time and natural talent.
After understanding how the system worked, Vaughn felt incredibly lucky that his starter package had randomly maxed out his Potions aptitude.
Potion-making was admittedly complex and sophisticated, but its barrier to entry was remarkably low. With ingredients, recipes, and a cauldron, any wizard could get started. Some simple potions didn't even require wand-waving.
No other magical discipline was better suited for a young wizard like Vaughn who didn't even have his own wand yet.
Vaughn was naturally cautious.
He understood that both his status as someone reincarnated and the system's existence were enormous secrets. As a child, he'd never tried to stand out or act unusual.
It wasn't until age four that Vaughn began cultivating his "prodigy" persona, completely outpacing Ron in basic skills like vocabulary, writing, and drawing.
Then at seven, he'd gradually steered his "genius" reputation toward what he truly excelled at—Potions!
Starting with the simplest brews, he'd spent four years progressing from asking Bill and Charlie fumbling questions to independently improving recipes. Vaughn had become a minor celebrity as a potion-maker.
In the field of beauty potions especially, the papers he'd published and the various formulas he'd refined had made him something of a "Beauty Master" in wizarding circles—a real "friend to witches everywhere"!
As for why he'd specialized in beauty potions...
Simple: they were easy to gain recognition with, and they sold like hotcakes!