The first-year Hufflepuff dormitory was plunged in a warm, dark silence. The only light, a pale moonbeam filtering through the circular window, faintly illuminated the two four-poster beds. In one of them, Cedric breathed with the depth and peace of someone overcome by the exhaustion of a day filled with magic, exploration, and reading.
In the other, Virtus lay on his back, his eyes wide open, staring not at the stone ceiling, but at a semi-transparent screen only he could see.
Beside his pillow, Lux, the orange kitten, rolled over before settling into a small, purring ball of fur, indifferent to the moment's significance.
[Impact Points: 3604]
The numbers glowed in the air. Three thousand six hundred and four. It seemed like a lot, and it was, considering the slowness with which wizards generated stable impact points. Cedric, for example, had been a constant but modest spring throughout the day, releasing clusters of 10 or 15 points as they read together, totaling about 70. But multiplying that reaction by hundreds, perhaps thousands of witches and wizards who already had the book in their hands... the result was more than satisfactory for a first day, especially considering it had barely been a day since its publication.
It's fine, Virtus told himself inwardly, automatically stroking Lux's back. It's only the first day. Most still think it's fiction. When they find out it's real... when the chaos truly breaks loose... the points will pour down in buckets.
A wave of emotion, pure and anticipatory, coursed through him. This was the moment. His first foray into the Gacha. The system promised anything from the Harry Potter universe, from any timeline; this meant a vast array of possibilities.
His imagination soared: what if in some reality the first Dark Lord of the 20th century had been an ambitious Albus Dumbledore and the defender of light, an idealistic Gellert Grindelwald? The possibilities were as terrifying as they were fascinating.
His gaze fixed on the floating buttons:
[1 PULL = 1000 Impact Points
10 PULLS +1 = 10,000 Impact Points]
Without hesitation, with the determination of one who knows this is just the first of many steps, Virtus mentally pressed the button for 1 pull. And then, twice more. Three consecutive pulls. An expenditure of 3000 of his precious points.
The screen flickered and transformed. The ethereal blue was replaced by a resplendent gold. A large roulette wheel, so intricate it seemed to have no visible writing, but if you looked closely enough, you'd see its divisions, resembling impossibly fine threads of light with barely a few millimeters of separation between them, testified to the vast number of items within the wheel.
After the roulette appeared, the image split into three, and the three seemingly identical roulettes began to spin simultaneously, a whirlwind of symbols and colors too fast to decipher.
Lux, who seemed to sense the static electricity of his owner's excitement, rose sleepily, yawned showing his little pink tongue, and gracefully moved to curl up directly on Virtus's chest. He, without taking his eyes off the roulettes, sank his fingers into the soft orange fur, seeking comfort in the contact.
Fifteen seconds that felt like an eternity. Then, one by one, the roulettes began to slow, with a metallic click resembling the ringing of a bell that only existed in his mind. Each one stopped, and a text box emerged before them. Then, the three screens merged back into one, and the final list unfolded before his eyes.
[CONGRATULATIONS, HOST! YOU HAVE OBTAINED:]
[1. Knowledge & Practice: Academic Magical Proficiency (4th Year - 1970s Generation) (Current Reality)]
[The theoretical knowledge and consolidated practical skill expected of a competent student upon completing their fourth year at Hogwarts. Includes all core subjects (Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, Herbology, Astronomy, History of Magic, etc.) and electives of the era (Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, Duelling, etc.)]
Virtus felt the air leave his lungs. It was incredible! Exactly what he needed. He had been so absorbed in writing and drawing the book that he hadn't even had time to skim his own textbooks.
Now, with this reward, he could relax, focus on socializing and his long-term plans without worrying about falling behind academically.
As he read the reward description, his mind caught on a detail: 1970s Generation. That meant this curriculum was from the era of his Potions professor Severus Snape, the deceased Potters, the imprisoned Sirius Black... An era that produced exceptionally talented and resilient wizards. And "Duelling" and other electives that, in the current era, were no longer available as subjects... seeing the curriculum from a few decades ago, it was no wonder so many of those graduates had chosen to participate in the war so young, right after graduation.
With a sigh of deep satisfaction, he accepted the reward.
It was like being submerged in a river of warm water. A torrent of memories that weren't his, but felt so familiar, flooded his mind. It wasn't just data; it was the muscle memory of wand movements, the intuitive understanding of theories, the memory of hours and hours of fictitious practice. He felt... capable. As if he had lived and studied those four years. If it weren't for the natural limitation of his eleven-year-old magical core, he would have been tempted to seek a duel with an older student just for the thrill of testing himself.
Satisfied, his gaze dropped to the next reward. And he froze.
[2. Artefact: Quill of Change (Alternate Timeline 13502)]
[Created by Merlin Emrys with the help of his great friend, Morgana LeFay. Its original purpose was to modify the assassination attempt on the heir to the British throne, the young Arthur. However, the quill was unable to alter the past but revealed an unexpected power: the ability to rewrite the future. Merlin and Morgana used it to ensure Arthur's betrothed gave birth to his firstborn even without being pregnant yet, modifying the probabilities and randomness of the event in their favor, thus legitimizing his lineage.]
[The quill can modify future events at the wielder's discretion. However, if the change is too drastic or incongruent with existing reality, it will fail and the quill will vanish. Uses: x1.]
An immense weight, a pressure he hadn't even been fully aware he was carrying, lifted from his shoulders.
This! This was what he desperately needed. The biggest narrative loophole in his plan: his own absence in the original story. Eventually, with the system's help, his power and visibility would increase beyond his ability to stop it. This would make his lack of presence in the "Harry Potter" saga books suspicious.
The system's anonymity protected him from being found, but not from being investigated as Virtus King, just another Hufflepuff student. Dumbledore was too clever not to notice such a large inconsistency. He would start asking questions. Why isn't such a prominent student mentioned? Are the events in the book wrong? What else is inconsistent?
To avoid this, he had already been sowing subtle clues in his writing: the Weasley twins acting "more reserved," contrary to their livelier personalities in reality, hints of some event the year before Harry's arrival. Some students chatting here and there about something related to a Defence professor... But all this was delicate work, with many loose ends.
With this quill, however, he could stitch it all together perfectly, harmoniously. He could define a tragedy that would justify his absence. He would no longer have to guess which professor Dumbledore would appoint; he could ensure they picked the right one, with the necessary needs and characteristics for his plan to work.
~I'll have to think about this very carefully,~ he told himself with iron determination. ~I only have one chance.~ As he decided to save it for later, a new system window appeared: "Quill of Change" has been stored in the Reward Vault.
He took a deep breath and moved on to the third and final reward. And again, astonishment struck him, this time not for its immediate utility, but for its nature.
[3. Legacy: Memories and Biography of Helga Hufflepuff (Current Reality)]
[A vivid, sensory chronicle of the life of one of Hogwarts' founders, from her birth to her death. Experience her greatest achievements and her deepest tragedies. Observe the life of one of the most formidable witches the magical world has ever known.]
It wasn't a power artifact, nor practical knowledge. It was... pure history. A window into a complete life. And his mind, that of a lover of books and stories, immediately saw the potential.
Transforming this experience into a new book. The lives of the founders were an almost absolute mystery; almost no one in the magical world knew anything concrete about them, beyond that they united to create Hogwarts, Salazar fought with Godric, Rowena died of a broken heart, and Helga was the longest-lived. What secrets, what pains, what triumphs lay within Helga Hufflepuff's memories?
He looked away from the screen and glanced at the flower-shaped clock on the wall. 11:54 p.m., according to the hands. Tomorrow was Sunday and he had no obligations. Curiosity was an irresistible itch.
"System," he whispered into the darkness, so softly that not even Lux altered his purr. "I accept the reward."
A soft ding resonated in his skull.
And then, the world faded away.