Hogwarts revealed its patterns slowly.
By the second week, Aditya could predict which staircases would shift after lunch, which corridors echoed spells more clearly, and which professors tolerated curiosity versus those who punished it. The castle wasn't random—it was responsive. And that made it perfect.
He hadn't activated a mission yet.
Not because he couldn't—but because he understood restraint.
His system remained stable, humming quietly beneath his awareness.
Active Slots (2/2):
– Foundational Spellcasting Precision — 62%
– Charms Application Under Supervision — 24%
Passive Slots (3/3):
– Magical Core Stabilization — 50%
– Environmental Magic Adaptation (Hogwarts) — 41%
– Subconscious Wand Alignment — 16%
Progress was slower now. That was expected. Growth never stayed exponential.
Fred and George, however, operated on an entirely different curve.
"You ever notice," Fred said one evening, dangling upside down from a staircase railing, "that Filch patrols the fourth-floor corridor exactly seven minutes after dinner?"
"Which means," George added brightly, "there's a window."
Aditya looked at them, expression unreadable. "Window for what?"
The twins grinned in perfect sync.
"Exploration."
That night, they slipped out under a Disillusionment Charm Fred had somehow acquired, dragging Aditya along with the confidence of boys who had never met consequences they respected. They didn't head toward forbidden sections—not yet—but into forgotten classrooms and sealed-off storage halls.
Places soaked in residual magic.
As they moved, Aditya felt the castle respond.
[Passive Progress Increased]
Environmental Magic Adaptation (Hogwarts): +2%
He catalogued everything. Old ward anchors. Scratched runes under desks. Traces of experimental spellwork abandoned decades ago. Hogwarts didn't erase mistakes—it layered over them.
That was when the system intervened.
[Mission Available]
Mission Type: Exploration / Risk Assessment
Objective: Map an Unregistered Magical Zone
Difficulty: Low–Moderate
Reward: Unknown
Aditya stopped walking.
Fred nearly collided with him. "Oi—what's wrong?"
"Nothing," Aditya said calmly. "Just… give me a minute."
He accepted.
The mission didn't add pressure. It sharpened focus.
As they entered a long-abandoned charms practice room, the air thickened. Magic pooled unnaturally in the corners, drawn into half-faded sigils etched into the floor. Someone—years ago—had attempted layered spell reinforcement without understanding feedback loops.
Dangerous. Unstable.
"George," Aditya said quietly. "Don't step there."
George froze mid-step. "How'd you—?"
The sigil flared faintly, reacting to proximity. Aditya moved without panic, adjusting wand angle and channeling magic precisely—not to activate the spell, but to bleed it off.
Slowly.
Carefully.
[Active Task Progress Increased]
Foundational Spellcasting Precision: +4%
The sigil dimmed.
Fred let out a low whistle. "That was… not normal first-year stuff."
Aditya straightened. "Someone made a mistake here. I just corrected the flow."
Which was true.
But incomplete.
When they left the room, the system updated.
[Mission Complete]
Unregistered Magical Zone Mapped
Achievement Earned: Hazard Recognition (Beginner)
Reward: Active Slot Efficiency +5% (Temporary)
Not a new slot.
A test.
Aditya understood then: the system wasn't rushing him. It was measuring him.
Later that night, lying awake in his dormitory, he stared at the stone ceiling.
Voldemort felt distant. Abstract.
But danger? Mistakes? Dark magic left behind by arrogant men?
Those were already here.
And Hogwarts, for all its warmth and wonder, was filled with echoes of people who thought they were ready.
Aditya clenched his fist—not in fear, but resolve.
He would not be one of them.