The sun hammered down on number four, Privet Drive, turning the air thick and sticky.
Harry Potter, ten years old and feeling every bit of his miserable existence, was hunched over Petunia Dursley's prize rose bush.
His thin arms ached, his spectacles kept sliding down his sweaty nose, and the dirt seemed to laugh at his attempts to eradicate the endless supply of weeds.
"Don't you dare miss a single one, boy!"
Aunt Petunia's voice, sharp as a rusted carving knife, had drifted from the kitchen window only moments ago.
"If I see even a speck of dirt on those cobblestones, you'll be in that cupboard for a week."
Harry gritted his teeth, yanking hard on a particularly stubborn tangle of nettle root.
He knew better than to risk a full week of starvation.
He dug his fingers deep into the soil, his frustration a burning coal in his chest.
I wish… I wish I had a way out of this.
His thoughts were cut short. A sudden, vicious prick of pain exploded on his left index finger.
A sharp, hidden thorn from the rose bush had punctured his skin, drawing a bead of dark, red blood onto the soil.
"Ow!"
Harry whispered, pulling back quickly. He stared at the minuscule, crimson injury.
For a fleeting second, a strange, electric tingling sensation ran from his finger up his arm, like static electricity meeting metal.
Then, the world changed.
A shimmering pane of blue light PULSED into existence, hovering exactly three feet in front of his eyes.
It was semi-transparent, yet impossibly sharp, overlaid against the mundane backdrop of the Dursley's perfectly manicured lawn.
Harry froze, his heart slamming against his ribs. He instinctively glanced around.
Petunia was still inside, humming vaguely.
No one else was near. Did they not see it? Was he going mad?
He hesitantly reached out. His hand passed right through the blue box, yet the text remained perfectly crisp.
[NEW MESSAGE]
WELCOME, USER!
[THE GAMER SYSTEM] is now active.
Initialization Complete. Scanning Subject…
Subject: Harry James Potter
Race: Human (Wizard)
Trait: Undetectable Focus (Innate)
You have been granted the [GAMER'S MIND] and [GAMER'S BODY] Skills.
TUTORIAL MISSION PENDING…
Harry stared. The terror was quickly replaced by a cold, astonishing clarity.
Gamer's Mind?
The moment he thought about it, a new window appeared with a simple list of skills, like an index card floating in his vision.
[Skill List]
Gamer's Mind (Passive - MAX Level): Allows the user to calmly and logically think things through. Provides a complete immunity to psychological damage and stress.
Gamer's Body (Passive - MAX Level): Grants a body that allows the user to live life like a game. Sleep restores HP and MP completely. Physical damage is converted into HP loss, and upon leveling up, all current injuries and ailments are healed.
Harry instinctively understood. The sheer panic that should have been gripping him—the I must be crazy feeling—was there, but muffled, kept at a safe, intellectual distance.
He was observing his own fear, not drowning in it. It was incredibly calming.
This is real. I need to play along.
The tutorial mission flashed into existence, demanding his attention.
[TUTORIAL MISSION: Initial Test]
Objective: Completely and meticulously weed the current flowerbed, ensuring zero residual roots remain. (Current Progress: 65%)
Reward: 50 Galleons, 1x [Basic Clean-up Charm] Scroll.
Bonus Objective: Avoid detection by Petunia Dursley for the duration of the task.
Bonus Reward: 1x [Stat Point]
Failure Condition: None.
Accept? Y/N
Harry blinked. The weeds. The constant, mind-numbing chore. Now it was a task, an objective, with rewards. His eyes lingered on the word "Galleons"—it meant nothing to him, but it sounded important. And a "Charm Scroll"?
He focused on the Y button. It glowed faintly, and the window slid away, replaced by a simple status bar in the corner of his vision:
[TUTORIAL MISSION ACTIVE: 65% Complete]
He looked back down at the flowerbed, but this time, he didn't see an overwhelming mess.
He saw green bars over the biggest clusters of weeds, and tiny, flashing orange icons over the areas where roots were still lurking under the surface.
The task, which had felt impossible, now felt measurable.
Driven by a focus he'd never possessed before, Harry attacked the remaining 35% of the flowerbed.
He worked with methodical, almost surgical precision, his hands digging, pulling, and sifting the dirt until the area was truly spotless.
One percent… two percent…
Finally, the dirt was smooth, and the rose bush stood proud, every trace of weed gone.
[TUTORIAL MISSION COMPLETE]
Objective Cleared!
Bonus Objective Cleared!
REWARDS GRANTED!
+50 Galleons
+1 [Basic Clean-up Charm] Scroll
+1 Stat Point
LEVEL UP!
Harry Potter had reached Level 2!