Warren found his dormitory using the list on the parchment. Although Slytherin dorms usually housed four students, the arrangements varied with the number of first years. Warren had lucked out, as only three were assigned to his room.
The other two were unremarkable, and Warren paid them no mind. If they had any sense, they would move out soon enough.
The moment he pushed open the door, the large orange and gold cat launched herself at him. Her front paws landed on his chest, and she rubbed her head vigorously against his chin.
Alright, alright, Milo, you clingy little thing. You're getting too heavy.
Meow.
Hungry? Sorry, I couldn't bring you to the feast. Okay, stop rubbing. I'll get you some treats, and you can have breakfast with me tomorrow morning. Warren laughed, soothing the demanding cat.
In his past life, he had been an ordinary office worker in a big city with neither the time nor the energy for a pet. He had bought Milo primarily because she was intelligent, hoping she would help him keep an eye on Scabbers. However, as time passed, he had grown to truly love this affectionate, oversized sweetheart.
If he could feel this way about a cat, what about his family? Warren thought of Percy, Fred, George, and Ron, recalling the shock on their faces when he was sorted into Slytherin. He winced. What would his parents think?
But there was nothing he could do. He was a transmigrator with the mind and ambitions of an adult. Thank goodness the starter pack had granted him max-level Occlumency. Otherwise, never mind his secret as a transmigrator, his adult thoughts alone would have terrified the Sorting Hat. Even the most naturally cruel child, limited by their experience and immature worldview, still retained some innocence and foolishness. An adult with a fully formed moral compass was different. Their actions might be constrained by law, but their thoughts could not. The casual cruelty inherent in an adult's every thought would likely be enough to land them in Azkaban.
Pushing those thoughts aside, Warren stroked Milo's fur and issued a silent command: "System, claim reward."
Several lines of information appeared before him.
[Claiming Reward]
[+1 Free Affinity Point]
[+50 Mana Level]
The air shimmered with a faint ripple of magic. Milo noticed the shift and glanced up at Warren. Seeing nothing amiss, she returned to her treats.
Warren opened his system panel.
[Host: Warren Weasley]
[Mana Level: 432 (Average adult wizard: 500)]
[Affinities: Charms 7, Dark Arts 6, Transfiguration 7, Potions 10, Herbology 6, Divination 2 (Max: 10)]
[Spells: Occlumency LV5 (MAX), Shield Charm LV3 (3/8), Disarming Charm LV2 (2/4), Levitation Charm LV2 (1/4), Full Body Bind LV2 (1/4), Fire Making Charm LV2 (2/4), Wand Lighting Charm LV3 (0/4)]
[Potions: Elixir of Happiness, Invigoration Draught, Blood Replenishing Potion, Sleekeazy's Potion, Hair Raising Potion, Beauty Potion (Master Level, includes multiple formulas)]
[Reputation Points: 17]
[Free Affinity Points: 1]
[New Quest Available. Check for details.]
Warren examined his statistics. It had been roughly two months since his Hogwarts letter arrived. In that time, his Mana Level had increased by sixty-two points. Fifty came from the reward he had just claimed, while the remaining twelve resulted from natural growth over the two months.
Based on the standard values listed in parentheses, Warren had already devised a theory regarding the natural development of a witch or wizard's magic. There was no universal template, as magic awakened and manifested at different times for every child. However, he was certain that natural growth was tied to magical affinity. The higher the affinity, the greater the magical gain each month.
Once again, there was no hard and fast rule. Warren suspected that the primary affinities driving growth were Charms, the Dark Arts, and Transfiguration, whereas the others had a comparatively negligible effect. Perhaps there were developmental variables involved as well.
He had watched his brothers closely over the years, yet he still couldn't determine a reliable metric based solely on his own circumstances. Magic was rarely that simple. Nevertheless, boosting his affinities was undoubtedly the correct path. It would directly affect how quickly he learned, mastered, and developed new magic.
Warren took a moment to acclimate to the sudden surge in magical power. Once he was certain he had it under control, he turned his attention to his affinities. He needed to decide where to allocate his new point.
Judging by his comparisons with Percy, Fred, and George, along with the speed at which he learned spells, an affinity of seven was pretty damn good. According to the books, that likely placed him around Hermione's level, perhaps even a little higher. For now, it was sufficient for learning spells.
His affinity for the Dark Arts was somewhat low, but it wasn't as if he could learn much of that subject right now anyway.
He frowned at the thought. The Dark Arts were not merely difficult to learn. Casting them required calling forth specific emotions. To use an Unforgivable Curse, you needed genuine murderous intent and malice. To use the Cruciatus Curse, you needed cruelty and hatred. The Dark Wizards and Death Eaters who ended up unhinged and raving were not born that way. That madness was at least partly a consequence of their overuse of the Dark Arts.
Warren rubbed his chin. Before he could delve into the Dark Arts, he needed to figure out how to avoid the inherent pitfalls. Dumbledore likely knew a method. Before his fixation on the power of love, the headmaster had been a master of the Dark Arts himself. However, there was no chance he would agree to teach a student such dangerous magic.
There was someone else who had mastered the Dark Arts without losing his mind: Snape. The Slytherin Head of House was both a Potions Master and a Dark Arts expert. He had invented Sectumsempra while he was still a student. If Warren could get on his good side, he could kill two birds with one stone. It would be perfect.
Dark Arts was out. Herbology was out. Divination was his greatest weakness. Even if he boosted it, it would be useless. That option was out too.
That just left Transfiguration.
Transfiguration was the most complex and extensive discipline. It was not merely a collection of spells. It was a vast system of knowledge that overlapped with Charms, the Dark Arts, and even Potions. From the simplest transformation of inanimate objects to live targets, spell transfiguration, and human transfiguration, every step forward in Transfiguration was a leap forward in every area. It was also the only branch of magic that, from the very beginning, did not require incantations.
Warren stopped debating with himself. He allocated his free Affinity Point to Transfiguration.
The change was imperceptible, lacking the sudden surge of magical power he had felt previously. However, when Warren drew his wand and lightly touched one of Milo's treats, a sensation unlike anything he had ever experienced flooded his mind.
His magic flowed into the treat like a gentle stream. It soaked into the snack, mapping out its innermost structure and feeding that information back to him. For the first time, the entire process felt smooth and lucid. The usual sluggishness and haziness were gone. With just a thought, he manipulated those internal structures effortlessly. Countless minute details became clear, allowing him to adjust them with silken ease, using his magic to impose his will upon reality.
Pop.
The treat transformed into a live mouse, wriggling in his palm.
Milo's eyes went wide. She pounced.
According to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration, you could not change the fundamental nature of something. That meant Milo was about to eat a mouse that tasted like fish.
Meow.
It was double the fun.
//==============//