Chapter 2: The Proficiency System and Diagon Alley
As the saying goes, he had a car, a house, and both parents deceased.
Tom Riddle was undoubtedly a transmigrator.
At first, Tom simply thought he was a tragic rich second-generation heir. The best outcome he imagined was inheriting the publicly listed company his parents left from his uncle.
Then living a decadent, extravagant life of debauchery.
Until he was eight years old, when the magic power within him erupted, snapping a tree branch.
Only then did Tom realize this world seemed... different from what he had imagined.
When he learned this world was the magical world of Harry Potter,
Tom felt utterly terrible. He knew all too well what the name 'Tom Riddle' signified.
The terrifying, snake-faced man... the dreadful psychological shadow Lord Voldemort cast over London's magical community was far from faded.
He was now also named Tom Riddle. Wasn't that just asking for trouble?
However, it was also very difficult for Tom to change his name.
An unavoidable question was: why would you suddenly want to change your name?
You could have changed it at any time in the first eleven years.
Why suddenly decide to change it right after the Hogwarts acceptance letter arrives?
That just seems suspicious no matter how you think about it, right?
By then, that 'Old Dumbledore' would surely come to personally see what was wrong with this 'Tom Riddle'.
A single Legilimency probe would directly access Tom's memories.
All secrets would be exposed, including Tom's cheat.
That's right, as a transmigrator, Tom also had his own unique advantage.
Also at the age of eight, he awakened his own system.
[Proficiency System]
[Name: Tom Riddle]
[Age: 11]
[Gender: Male]
[Skills: Reading LV5 (max), Boxing LV5 (max), Sleeping LV4, Swimming LV2, Archery LV2...]
[Talents: Quick-wittedness, Iron Fist]
[Quick-wittedness: Increased brain capacity. Your learning and comprehension abilities far surpass ordinary people.]
[Iron Fist: Your fists are as hard as steel, capable of exerting 200% of their normal strength.]
After a proficiency skill reaches level 5, the corresponding talent awakens.
'Quick-wittedness' was the result of Tom's daily diligent reading.
These skills and talents were all results he obtained through years of heaven-rewarding diligence, involving massive, repetitive daily training.
Snape: "Ahem, well, that's all I have to say."
"Riddle... sir, since you have no questions, we shall prepare to depart for Diagon Alley to procure the items you need for school."
"Alright, no problem."
Seeing that they were finally getting to the main event, Tom instantly perked up.
Tom continued pretending to know nothing: "By the way, Professor Snape, how do we get to Diagon Alley? By bus?"
Snape placed his hand on Tom Riddle's shoulder and gave the instruction: "Stand steady, don't move."
Before the words faded, the surrounding world suddenly constricted inward.
Tom Riddle felt as if he were being forcibly crammed into an incredibly narrow rubber tube.
Darkness and swirling ribbons of light flashed before his eyes alternately, a continuous deafening roar filled his ears, and every inch of his body protested.
Only when the feeling of solid ground returned underfoot did that suffocating pressure abruptly vanish.
They appeared in a narrow, damp alley.
Snape released his grip.
"Cough, cough, cough."
Tom was bent over, hands on his knees, face pale, chest rising and falling slightly.
"That was Apparition," Snape stated.
"One of the most common methods of long-distance travel for Wizards. Highly efficient, but requires intense mental concentration. Otherwise, some... unpleasant things can happen."
"Such as leaving a part of your body behind at the starting point. We call that'splinching'."
Snape added in a tone as flat as if he were telling someone else's story.
"Hiss..." Tom sucked in a sharp breath.
Wouldn't that mean with just a slight lapse, one could end up like Louis XVI?
Snape: "It seems you're adapting quite well."
Having said that, he paid no further attention to Tom's reaction. Instead, he turned and walked towards the inconspicuous, dark wooden door deep within the alley.
Snape pushed open the dark wooden door.
The scene inside was completely different from outside.
It was a dimly lit but rather lively pub, with candles hanging from the low ceiling.
The air was filled with the murmur of conversation, the crisp clinking of glasses and plates, and the rich aroma of roasted meat.
However, when Snape's tall, thin figure appeared in the doorway, the previously boisterous pub fell into an eerie silence.
The pub owner, Tom, who had been wiping a glass, froze mid-motion. He looked up, his smile stiffening on his face.
Several Wizards who had been laughing and talking loudly in a corner simultaneously fell silent, their gazes turning towards the door.
Their expressions were complex—fear, disgust, apprehension.
Because Snape had previously been a follower of Lord Voldemort, one of the important members of the Death Eaters.
Not only was he a Potions Master, but his proficiency in the Dark Arts was also very high.
Naturally, the assembled Wizards both feared and hated Snape.
Snape paid this no heed.
He strode into the pub, his black robes trailing on the floor.
"Professor Snape, you sure command quite the presence."
"Everyone goes quiet the moment you walk in..."
Tom looked around curiously, finding this atmosphere novel.
"Be quiet."
Snape's eyelid twitched.
He suddenly felt that this Tom Riddle would not be a well-behaved, obedient student in the future either.
The slightly portly bartender behind the counter finally broke the stalemate.
He put down the glass and cloth in his hands, forced a smile onto his face, and quickly came out from behind the bar.
"Severus!" he called out loudly. "Never thought I'd see you here! A drink? Or... something else?"
"We're just passing through, Tom," Snape said. "A new student needs to prepare some magical supplies. We need to pass through here to get to Diagon Alley."
"Oh, oh! Of course, of course!" the bartender nodded hurriedly, his gaze naturally falling on the boy beside Snape.
"This is... the new student? What a lovely young Wizard."
"Hello, Mr. Bartender. I'm a new student for Hogwarts. What a coincidence, my name is also Tom," Tom greeted with perfect politeness and obedience.
"Is that so? Haha, what a coincidence indeed. Here, young Tom, this butterbeer is on me."
Seeing the well-behaved and sensible young Tom, Old Tom was amused and laughed heartily.
He pushed over a mug of foamy butterbeer and placed it in front of Tom.
Tom examined the 'butterbeer' before him curiously. Ever since reading Harry Potter, he had wondered what this stuff tasted like.
Old Tom: "Don't worry, young Wizard. This butterbeer is just a beverage, it contains no alcohol."
Tom's eyes lit up. Just as he was about to reach for the butterbeer, he suddenly felt his body move against his will, bypassing the bar entirely and heading straight for the back door.
"Huh? What's going on?"
Tom moved like a marionette, acting on his own.
"That stuff isn't worth drinking. We have many things to do."
Snape tossed the remark casually over his shoulder at Tom, then gave a slight nod to the bartender before walking straight towards the inconspicuous brick wall at the back of the pub.
Old Tom the bartender's laughter died awkwardly mid-air. He rubbed his hands together, watching Snape's retreating back.
Snape stopped in front of the brick wall and took out his wand.
Snape led Tom through the pub and into the backyard.
"Professor Snape, how could you use magic on your own student?"
Tom looked at Snape with a resentful expression, but Snape ignored him completely, paying no attention.
Tom stood in the middle of the courtyard, looking around curiously, but all he could see were unremarkable brick walls and assorted clutter.
Snape walked straight to the wall directly opposite them and raised his wand.
He tapped the wall lightly a few times with the tip of his wand.
"Three up... two across..."
The moment the wand tip left the last brick, something magical happened.
The brick that had been tapped began to vibrate slightly. Then, like a pebble dropped into water, it sent ripples spreading across the surface of the wall.
Centered on it, the surrounding bricks began to move, rotate, and fold on their own. The entire process was silent.
A small hole appeared in the center of the wall. The hole rapidly expanded, forming an arched doorway.
On the other side of the archway, a completely different world suddenly opened up.
It was a winding street paved with cobblestones, lined with all sorts of peculiar, crooked buildings.
Groups of Wizards wearing various styles of pointed hats and robes bustled along the street.
Tom stood motionless, eyes wide open, staring in amazement at the scene beyond the archway.
"This is Diagon Alley."
Having said that, Snape took the lead and stepped into the street brimming with magic.
Tom followed closely behind Snape and stepped into Diagon Alley.
The scene before him was even more vivid than he had imagined. The buildings on either side leaned precariously, as if they might topple at any moment, yet they maintained a strange balance.
All sorts of shop signs hung overhead, some of them glowing.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~"
In the robe shop's window, robes waved their sleeves on their own.
"Hoot? Hoot?"
An owl emporium emitted hooting sounds, with dozens of pairs of eyes gleaming from behind the window.
Snape walked ahead without glancing sideways, completely accustomed to everything.
He noticed that the Tom behind him was completely captivated, his pace slowing, eyes darting everywhere, unable to suppress the excitement and curiosity on his face.
"This is a normal reaction for an eleven-year-old child," Snape thought to himself.
He stopped, turned around, and looked at Tom, who was practically pressed against a shop window.
"We'll go to Gringotts first," he stated succinctly, pointing at the tall white building at the end of the street.
"You need to withdraw some Galleons. Although the Gaunt Family has declined, I'm sure they still have a few hundred Galleons."
"I actually get to inherit an estate?" Tom scratched his head in confusion.
Originally, Tom thought he would have to exchange pounds for Galleons like other young Wizards from the Muggle world.
But now it seemed that wasn't necessary? The 5000 pounds he had brought seemed useless now.
The two of them entered Gringotts.
The building gleamed in the sunlight. Before the bronze doors stood Goblin guards in scarlet uniforms.