Chapter 1: London Orphan

"If you insist on going to that Hogwarts school, then pay for your own tuition and supplies! The orphanage won't give you a single penny!"

"I understand, Caretaker Anna."

...

Sean watched Caretaker Anna walk into the common room and gently close the door.

If he made too much noise and made Caretaker Anna think he had an attitude, dinner would change from cheap pork sausage to beans on toast.

If you didn't drink the tap water, that stuff could choke a person to death.

But the tap water was never clean, and drinking too much of it would make you sick. Once you fell ill in this impoverished orphanage in the southern suburbs, all that awaited him was being taken away by the Grim Reaper.

How did Sean know this so clearly? Because the original owner had died of illness exactly like that.

Disease, freezing cold, and malnutrition had collectively claimed his life. Since transmigrating last winter, "Sean" had taken it as a warning.

He tried his best to drink that cheap black tea, and he would even fight for a cup of the older kids' instant coffee, even if it meant staying awake for a day or two.

Over the past six months, he had figured out his situation.

It was late August 1991.

This was the Croydon district of the Harry Potter world, one of the poorest areas in London.

And the Hollysey Orphanage where he lived was the poorest orphanage of them all.

Why?

Because it was the only orphanage here, and it existed solely for the sake of political performance.

It was just like the Britain he knew in his previous life.

At the end of 1990, the "Iron Lady," Margaret Thatcher, stepped down.

Her Thatcherism had brought about economic reform, but it had also significantly widened the gap between rich and poor.

The City of London benefited from deregulation, and the wealthy saw their fortunes surge; meanwhile, traditional industrial areas and impoverished inner-city districts faced unemployment and cuts to public services.

This was particularly evident in the Croydon district.

His orphanage, Hollysey, hadn't received decent funding in five years. This led to a tight budget; not only could the children not get enough safe drinking water, but they also only had one thin blanket each to get through the winter.

Under these circumstances, if he couldn't get into Hogwarts, he might not even live to adulthood. After all, his health had always been poor.

A slight cold or fever could cost him his life. This wasn't because London's medical care was backward, but because those mean-spirited caretakers might not "discover" a sick child in time.

"Hogwarts waives tuition. As for the supplies, I still have the scholarship applied for by Professor McGonagall."

Sean took a bag from the very bottom of his iron-frame bed. Inside were 143 Galleons, a wand, some robes, and other items.

He had purchased everything strictly according to the minimum standards on the admission list, yet even so, it had cost him 157 Galleons. Less than half of his total savings for the school year remained.

And tomorrow was the day Hogwarts started.

"I have to be quick. If I don't perform well enough to get a scholarship, I'm done for... the Galleons definitely won't be enough..."

When he received his acceptance letter and went shopping last time, Professor McGonagall had intentionally mentioned this reward, but it was aimed at young wizards who performed exceptionally well.

Would Sean perform exceptionally well?

The chances were slim. He was the one who had practiced the Levitation Charm a full five hundred times before learning it.

Fortunately, he had a cheat.

【Name: Sean Green】

【Identity: Wizard】

【Title: None】

【Proficiency】

【Levitation Charm: Apprentice Level (1/300)】

【Lumos: Apprentice Level (1/300)】

【Scourgify: Unlocked (27/30)】

【Three Apprentice-level spells can unlock the Apprentice-level title in the field of Charms】

【Advanced: Three Novice-level spells can unlock the Novice-level title in the field of Charms】

...

Yes, Sean had a proficiency panel, and its functions were quite practical. As long as he practiced correctly, he would receive a count bonus. Apprentice-level spells only required 30 correct practices, and three Apprentice-level spells could unlock an Apprentice-level title.

It seemed easy enough.

But even for such a simple task, it had taken Sean two months to barely complete it, averaging one and a half correct practices a day.

It could be said that his magical talent was abysmal, 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 didn't have the time to pay him any mind.

"Today, I must finish unlocking the title!"

Sean confidently took out his wand, carefully stepped on the creaky floorboards, and poked his head out of the drafty, single-pane glass window.

The Victorian semi-detached house located in the poor southern suburbs had fallen into silence.

"Very good, everyone is asleep. As long as I'm careful, I won't be discovered."

If the original owner had left him anything useful, it was this independent, remote single room.

Although he had been assigned it out of fear of spreading disease, for the current Sean, it was undoubtedly a good thing.

It meant he had enough private space to practice magic.

"Scourgify!"

Sean clearly recited the incantation at the dirty poster and waved his wand in an S-shape.

Unfortunately, the count on the panel did not increase.

Sean didn't mind; he recited the incantation and waved his wand again.

Only by learning it himself did Sean realize how obscure and difficult magic was.

For example, with this Cleaning Charm, where should the stress of the incantation be? How heavy should it be? What kind of S-shape should the gesture be—large or small? Where should it be fast, and where should it be slow?

Sean knew that "Scour" meant to wash, and "ify" meant to make something into a state, so together it meant to make this thing clean.

So his pause should be between "Scour" and "ify." As for the S-shaped gesture, he could only leave it to luck.

Fortunately, he could judge success or failure based on whether the proficiency increased, summarizing his experience from previous correct practices.

"Scour—g—ify!"

Sean recited the incantation for the fifth time and waved his wand according to his experience.

"Faster at first, then slower. As for the final curve, it needs to be larger..."

Sean muttered to himself while strictly following his successful experience to wave his wand.

At that moment, a light suddenly flared, and the stains on the poster on the table faded away!

【You have practiced the Cleaning Charm once at a Novice standard, Proficiency +3】

【Cleaning Charm unlocked】

【New title in the field of Charms unlocked, please check】

【A wizard talent has been unlocked, please check】

Success!

Sean picked up the freshly cleaned poster, examined it carefully, and then had to marvel at the magic of magic.

As for the "Novice" standard, just as spell effects varied, the standards for correct practice also differed, divided into Apprentice and Novice.

Apprentice added 1 point of proficiency, while Novice added 3. As for whether there were standards beyond Novice, Sean didn't know. Given his magical talent, having a Novice standard was a blessing from Merlin.

"Let's see the new title."

Sean couldn't wait to open the panel. Three lines of content had refreshed

【Title: Charms Novice】

【Slightly increases perception of spells, slightly improves spell talent】

Sean continued to look down.

【Wizard Sean, Spell Talent: Green (Enhanced by Charms Novice title, original talent was White) Note: Average wizards are Green】

Sean gasped.

White was trash?!

No wonder he couldn't learn spells. With this talent, even if he exploded, he'd have to praise how loud it was.

Fortunately, he had a cheat; otherwise, it would be hard to imagine how difficult his future path of study would be.

After a brief check, Sean's eyes became even more determined.

No talent? Then repeat!

Let me see your limits, panel, add proficiency!