"Young wizard, is this pretty? Not at all sweet," a pretty blonde girl of about ten years old began, taking the initiative to strike up a conversation.
Hey, hey, hey, the shopkeeper is right there. Is it really right to complain about the food directly? Ryan muttered to himself, before replying slightly testily: "Don't you think ice cream is a bit too sweet these days? If you want to maintain a good physique, low-sugar ice cream is a much better choice."
After firing back at the blonde beauty who had initiated the chat, Ryan suddenly froze.
This little girl is extraordinary; those are unmistakable magical readings. Let the system take a look:
Race: Wizard
Power: 6 (Human limit is 10)
Physical Strength: 19 (Human limit is 10)
Magic Power: 15 (Human limit is 10)
Skills: Spells Level 1 (9%), Potions Level 1 (5%), Shapeshifting Level 1 (3%), Herbology Level 1 (1%), Astronomy Level 1 (2%), Defense Against the Dark Arts Level 1 (1%) (Common skills like reading and cooking excluded).
These statistics were impressive, even surpassing Ryan's baseline after his initial transmigration. However, in the wizarding world, a wizard's raw magical power depends primarily on age and individual development. She was older than Ryan, so the figures were normal.
Naturally, her physical strength was far below Ryan's. Aside from giant demigods, no one in the wizarding world could match Ryan's physical stats—a unique byproduct of his system. Generally, wizards possessed slightly higher physical endurance, magical resistance, and vitality than ordinary humans, but their core vulnerabilities, such as brain and heart function, remained identical to Muggles. Unlike Ryan, who engineered his body through the system, ordinary wizards lacked such targeted physical scaling.
Agility and speed for normal wizards simply relied on a balanced mix of strength and conditioning.
The girl's face flushed slightly under his prolonged gaze. "Just how much longer are you going to stare?"
Ryan blushed in return. Unwilling to lose a verbal exchange, he retorted: "You're a Hogwarts student, aren't you? Let's see... school starts on September 1st every year, and there are only two days left. Shouldn't you be diligently reviewing your coursework instead of teasing younger kids?"
"How did you know? Do I really look like a witch? Are you from a magical family—I mean, are there wizards in your household?" Penelope asked, her eyes wide with curiosity. "Oh, forgive me. I suppose I haven't even introduced myself. My name is Penelope Clearwater. You can call me Penelope."
This girl is Penelope Clearwater—Percy Weasley's future girlfriend. Prefects in Hogwarts were chosen from fifth-year students. Since Harry Potter and Ryan were the same age, and Percy became a prefect when Harry entered school, Percy was four years older than Ryan, making Penelope the same age as Percy.
In the original books, Ryan remembered Penelope as a girl with long, curly hair. He hadn't expected her to be a blonde, nor quite so striking. And true to canon, she was indeed a Ravenclaw.
"I saw you around Diagon Alley," Ryan fudged smoothly, quickly changing the subject. "My name is Ryan—Ryan Smith. I come from a magical family. Since school is starting soon, I was just curious. Have you ever tried casting spells? How many do you know?"
"I tried a few simple ones at home, just for practice, and they all seemed to work," Penelope admitted shyly, giving off a distinct Hermione-esque vibe.
Successfully covering his tracks, Ryan steered the conversation toward Diagon Alley, casually arranging to meet her over the next couple of days to discuss magical lore.
Walking home later, Ryan couldn't help marveling at his own conversational prowess, considering how much of a shut-in he usually was.
Still, a curious thought nagged at him. In the seventh book, when Hermione used a polyjuice-assisted fake identity, she claimed to be a witch from a pureblood family named Penelope—though that might have just been an improvised lie, much like Harry inventing Vernon and Dudley's names on the spot. But Hermione wouldn't have been so vague unless... was Penelope actually Muggle-born?
And wait—wasn't Penelope attacked by the Basilisk and petrified during Harry's second year? Only Muggle-borns were targeted by the Basilisk, right? Or had she just been caught in the wrong place at the wrong time?
Ryan searched his memories, but the original books never explicitly clarified her blood status.
Never mind that for now, Ryan thought with a smirk. Sorry, Percy, looks like your future girlfriend has a new study partner.
The final two days passed in a blur. Both in his past life and his present one, Ryan abhorred crowded places. His previous trips to the ice cream parlor had been purely tactical—first for the food, second to force himself out of his comfort zone and build exploration skills.
Now, however, he considered Penelope a genuine friend. He was still young, and Penelope likely befriended him simply because he was well-read, articulate, and deeply knowledgeable about the hidden wizarding world.
"Ryan, I'm a little nervous," Penelope admitted as they sat together. "I've never had any formal magical training before. I wonder if—"
"Penelope, you don't need to worry," Ryan interrupted. "Most young wizards aren't nearly as academic or prepared as you think. Don't worry about me either—I'm a massive exception. Wizarding children start school at age eleven with no prior elementary education. Most rely entirely on their families, and underage magic laws prohibit them from owning wands beforehand. Practical subjects like math and grammar are rarely taught formally until after term begins. Most struggle immensely just to write a coherent essay."
"I see," Penelope said, blushing slightly. "I read in Hogwarts: A History that the school is divided into four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. How are students actually sorted?"
"It boils down to personality traits," Ryan explained, clearing his throat and striking a dramatic, professorial pose.
"Gryffindor's emblem is a lion. They look for brave, daring students, though in practice that often manifests as sheer recklessness, impulsiveness, and chronic rule-breaking. Hufflepuff's emblem is a badger; ostensibly, they value hard work and loyalty, but realistically they accept anyone who doesn't fit the other three. Most campus gossip originates from Hufflepuff, and their common room is famously relaxed.
"Ravenclaw's emblem is an eagle, seeking out wit, wisdom, and sharp intellect. They're quite selective. You'd fit right in there, Penelope.
"Then there's Slytherin, represented by a serpent. They prize ambition, resourcefulness, and traditionally pure bloodlines, which fosters a pretty toxic house culture. Slytherins value results above all else and use any means necessary. They produce a high number of Azkaban inmates—though Gryffindors give them a run for their money, usually through petty, impulsive crimes. Ravenclaws in Azkaban are mostly economic criminals or rogue experimentalists, while Hufflepuffs are a fifty-fifty split: they have a lot of members, but still produce fewer dark wizards than Slytherin."
"Merlin, I've never heard such a cynical breakdown of school houses!" Penelope exclaimed.
"Some truths aren't printed in textbooks," Ryan shrugged, taking a bite of his ice cream and feeling secretly pleased. It was better to give Penelope an unvarnished look at wizarding society now so she wouldn't experience culture shock later.
It was remarkable how Penelope always managed to interject at precisely the right conversational beats—true to form for a future Ravenclaw who had clearly done her reading.
Thankfully, he had managed to sound mature without giving away his true mental age.
Their rapid rapport was also helped along by Penelope's pleasant personality and striking looks. In his past life, Ryan had sworn off high school romances, waiting for college; little did he know a soul transmigration would upend all his life plans. Love, the most powerful magic in the world... what kind of force is it really?
They chatted cheerfully until dusk, promising to exchange letters frequently once Penelope arrived at Hogwarts, before finally parting ways.
After Penelope left, Ryan officially retired from visiting the ice cream parlor. Even months later, the shop owner was reportedly still complaining that business had never recovered to the levels it hit when the peculiar, articulate young Smith boy used to hang around.