"If you insist on going to that Hogwarts to study, then pay for the tuition and miscellaneous fees yourself! The orphanage won't give you a single Knut!"
"I understand, Matron Anna."
...
Sean watched as Matron Anna walked into the common room and gently closed the door.
If you made too much noise, letting Matron Anna think you had an opinion about her, dinner would change from cheap pork sausages to baked bean bread.
Without drinking tap water, that stuff could choke you to death.
But the tap water was always unclean, and drinking too much of it would also make you sick. Once sick, in this poor orphanage in the south suburbs, what awaited him was being taken away by the Grim Reaper.
Why did Sean know this so clearly? Because the original owner had died of illness just like that.
Disease, severe cold, and malnutrition had jointly taken his life. The "Sean" who had transmigrated here since last winter had always been on guard against it.
He tried to drink that cheap red tea, and even the instant coffee of the older kids he would fight for a cup, even if it meant losing sleep for a day or two.
Over these past six months, he had figured out his situation.
It was now the end of August 1991.
This was the Croydon district in the Harry Potter world,
one of the poorest areas in London.
And the Hollyside Orphanage he was in was the poorest orphanage.
Why?
Because there was only one orphanage here, and it was opened for political achievements.
Just like the Britain he knew in his previous life.
At the end of 1990, the "Iron Lady" Margaret Thatcher stepped down.
Her Thatcherism brought economic changes, but also significantly exacerbated the wealth gap.
The City of London benefited from deregulation, and the old lords' wealth surged;
While traditional industrial areas and inner-city poor regions faced unemployment and cuts to public services.
This was especially evident in the Croydon district.
The Hollyside Orphanage he was in hadn't had decent funding for five years, which also led to tight funds. Not only did each child not have enough safe water to drink, but for winter, there was only one thin blanket.
In such a situation, if he couldn't go to Hogwarts, he might not even live to adulthood, after all, his body had always been weak.
A slight cold or fever could take his life. This wasn't because London's medical care was backward, but because those stingy matrons might not "promptly discover" the sick children.
"Hogwarts is tuition-free, and as for miscellaneous fees, I still have the scholarship applied for by Professor McGonagall."
Sean took out a bag from the deepest part of the iron frame bed, inside which were one hundred and forty-three Galleons, a wand, some robes, and other items.
He had strictly purchased according to the minimum standards of the enrollment list. Even so, it had cost a full one hundred and fifty-seven Galleons. All his savings for this school year were left with less than half,
and tomorrow was the start of term at Hogwarts.
"I have to hurry. If I don't perform well enough to apply for the scholarship, then I'm done... The Galleons definitely won't be enough..."
During the last time he got the enrollment letter and shopped, Professor McGonagall had intentionally mentioned this reward, but it was aimed at young witches and wizards who performed exceptionally.
Would Sean perform exceptionally?
The hope was slim. After all, he had practiced the Levitation Charm a full five hundred times before learning it.
Fortunately, he had a cheat.
[Name: Sean Greene]
[Identity: Wizard]
[Title: None]
[Proficiency]
[Levitation Charm: Apprentice Level (1/300)]
[Lumos: Apprentice Level (1/300)]
[Scourgify: Unlocked (27/30)]
[Three Apprentice Level Charms (can unlock the Charm Domain Apprentice Level Title)]
[Advanced: Three Beginner Level Charms (can unlock the Charm Domain Beginner Level Title)]
...
Yes, Sean had a Proficiency System, and its function was very practical. As long as he practiced correctly, there would be count rewards. Apprentice Level Charms only needed 30 correct practices, and three Apprentice Level Charms could also unlock an Apprentice Level Title.
It seemed not difficult.
But even such a simple thing had taken Sean two months to barely complete, averaging one and a half correct practices per day.
It could be said to be a dismal magical talent, and he didn't know if it was because of the transmigration.
He suspected that the magical world he had never met was targeting him.
Although the magical world probably had no time to pay attention to him.
"Today, I must complete the unlocking of the title!"
Sean confidently took out his wand, then carefully stepped on the warped floorboard and stuck his head out from the drafty single-pane glass window.
The Victorian semi-detached house located in the poor south suburbs had already fallen into silence.
"Very good, everyone's asleep. As long as I'm careful, I won't be discovered."
If anything useful the original owner had left him, it was this independent, remote single dorm room.
Although it was assigned because of fear of disease transmission, for the current Sean, it was undoubtedly a good thing.
This meant he could have enough private space to practice magic.
"Scourgify!"
Sean clearly pronounced the incantation at the dirty poster and waved his wand in an S-shape.
Unfortunately,
the system count didn't increase last time.
Sean didn't mind, and once again pronounced the incantation and waved his wand.
Only after personally learning did Sean appreciate the obscurity and difficulty of magic.
For example, this Scourgify, where should the stress be in its incantation? How heavy? What kind of S-shape should the incantation gesture draw, big or small? Where should it be faster, and where slower?
Sean knew that Scour meant to wash, and ify meant to make... into, connected it was to make this thing clean.
So his pause should be between Scour and ify, as for that S-shape gesture, he could only try his luck.
Fortunately, he could judge success or failure based on whether the proficiency increased, and summarize experience from previous correct practices.
"Scour—g—ify!"
Sean pronounced the incantation for the fifth time and waved his wand according to experience.
"First faster, then slower, and as for the final arc, it needs to be bigger..."
Sean muttered to himself while strictly waving his wand according to his successful experience.
At this moment, light suddenly flashed, and the poster on the table instantly lost its stains!
[You have practiced the Scourgify once to Beginner standard, proficiency +3]
[Scourgify has been unlocked]
[A new Charm Domain title has been unlocked, please view]
[A Wizard talent has been unlocked, please view]
Success!
Sean picked up the now-clean poster and examined it carefully, then couldn't help but sigh at the wonder of magic.
As for that Beginner standard, just like spell effects having differences, the standards for correct practice also differed, divided into Apprentice and Beginner.
Apprentice would increase 1 point of proficiency, while Beginner was 3 points. As for whether there were standards after Beginner, Sean didn't know. With his magical talent, having a Beginner was Merlin's blessing.
"Let's see the new title."
Sean eagerly opened the system, where three new lines had refreshed:
[Title: Charm Novice]
[Slightly increases perception of Charms, slightly enhances Charm talent]
Sean continued looking down,
[Wizard Sean, Charm Talent: Green (Charm Novice Title boost, original talent was White) Note: Average wizards are Green]
Sean sucked in a breath of cold air.
White grade?!
No wonder he couldn't learn Charms. With this talent, even if it exploded, Sean had to praise it for being loud.
Fortunately, he had a cheat, otherwise it was hard to imagine how difficult his future path of study would be.
After a brief check, Sean's gaze became even more determined.
No talent? Then grind!
Let me see your limit, system, add proficiency!