Brian's journey as a new student at Hogwarts began with him getting lost early in the morning.
He stared at the swaying, crooked, and constantly shifting staircases before him, wearing a puzzled expression.
Almost all of Hogwarts' 142 staircases were enchanted; they refused to stay still or settle for simply being staircases. Some would go on strike at specific times, while others dismantled their steps and vanished halfway through someone's climb.
It's usually a good thing for living beings to have ideals, and it's certainly worth encouraging. But the problem was—they were just staircases. What ideals could they possibly need? And if they did have ideals, what were people supposed to do while walking on them?
As a freshly enrolled novice, no matter how much preparation Brian had done, his mastery of Hogwarts' staircases was practically nonexistent. After ascending a few flights, he had no idea where he was anymore.
Since he'd woken up far too early, he hadn't encountered any other students. After several failed attempts to find his way, Brian decided that if he still couldn't locate the Great Hall, he'd retrace his steps and wait for the upper-year students to wake up so he could follow them instead.
"What are you doing here? Are you lost, junior?" came a melodious, ethereal voice from behind him.
Brian froze and turned to see a girl in a black wizard's robe standing nearby. Her skin was fair, her features delicate, and her golden hair loosely tied back with a translucent jade hairpin. Pinned to her chest was a badge with a soaring eagle.
"Yeah… how do I get to the Great Hall, senior?" he asked awkwardly.
Being caught in such an embarrassing situation by a girl wasn't exactly ideal. Fortunately, the Ravenclaw senior didn't seem too bothered. Her bright, intelligent eyes gave him a quick once-over, then she smiled sweetly.
"Come with me, junior. This year's new students are quite diligent—it's rare to see two of you up so early on the first day."
Brian couldn't help but wonder who the other early riser was. At this hour, most were likely still curled up in bed, clinging to the last moments of summer vacation. After all, they were still kids—sleeping in was practically a birthright. Thankfully, Hogwarts had sensible scheduling; the first class didn't begin until nine. And it was only about 5:30 AM now. Aside from his cursed biological clock, who else would be awake?
They chatted casually as they walked, the enthusiastic Ravenclaw senior doing most of the talking—offering tidbits and trivia about Hogwarts Castle—while Brian listened, occasionally asking questions.
By the time they arrived, Brian had already gained a general sense of the castle's layout.
Indeed, following a senior was a great way to avoid unnecessary trouble.
When they reached the Great Hall, the four long tables were empty, not a soul in sight. The senior paused, then said apologetically, "Oops! I forgot—the Great Hall doesn't start serving breakfast until seven-thirty. If you're really hungry, I can take you to see the house-elves."
Brian was instantly impressed. This senior was too enthusiastic, too radiant, too kind. If he could stick close to her, life at Hogwarts would definitely be easier. Besides, who would say no to spending time with a beautiful girl?
He felt a flicker of regret at not being sorted into Ravenclaw and silently cursed the Sorting Hat.
"It's okay, senior. I'll just wait here and read for a bit," he replied, scratching his nose awkwardly. "Um… I'm Brian. A new Gryffindor student. Thanks a lot for today."
"It was rude of me—I forgot to introduce myself," she said with a soft smile. "I'm Sonia Wallis, a fourth-year from Ravenclaw."
There was a flicker of something sly in her eyes, though it quickly vanished.
Brian thanked her again, then made his way to the Gryffindor table. He pulled out A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration from his bag, figuring he could squeeze in some study time before breakfast. After all, his very first class would be Transfiguration, taught by none other than Professor McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor House.
The textbook wasn't particularly difficult, but its thick, dry pages made reading a slog. The deeper Brian read, the more it felt like wading through mud—filled with arcane theories and strange annotations. Emery Switch not only shared his unique understanding of Transfiguration, but also translated many concepts into the language of magical theory, which added another layer of complexity. Brian had to pause after each section to absorb and interpret the information in his own way.
An hour passed in a blink. He'd barely managed to get through a quarter of the book.
[Temporary Quest: Use a Transfiguration spell successfully in your first class and receive praise from the professor.]
As the saying goes, a good start is half the battle. Young wizard, take your first step toward becoming the strongest in the Wizarding World!
Reward: Transfiguration Master-level Experience Card (1 Hour), Upgrade Point +1
[Long-term Quest: Explore Hogwarts]
Hogwarts is a thousand-year-old sanctuary for young wizards, hiding countless secrets. As a new student, show your courage and curiosity. Uncover ancient mysteries and become a legendary hero admired by your peers and professors!
Note: This quest has no time limit. Rewards will be based on completion progress.
Just as Brian was digesting another dense passage, the system's voice rang out in his head—serious and commanding.
More quests? Two at once?
Yep… definitely very system-like.
What was with "bravely exploring Hogwarts" and becoming a "young hero"? That sounded like a great way to get killed.
Still, the reward description piqued his interest. If he completed the quests thoroughly, the prizes might be extraordinary. Upgrade Point +10? A Philosopher's Stone? The possibilities were dizzying.
"You can imagine more boldly," the system interjected slyly.
Damn system—it was getting cheekier by the day. Still, if the rewards were that generous, maybe a little secret adventuring wouldn't hurt.
Brian came back to his senses, a quiet resolve forming inside him. He could fulfill the system's tasks and maintain his plan of being a low-key slacker at Hogwarts.
His heart pounding slightly, eyes gleaming with ambition—
Stay calm. Don't rush.
"Brian, junior—are you studying Transfiguration?" Sonia had appeared beside him again, eyeing the textbook in his hands with a smile.