The days passed quietly in the Vale Orphanage. Spring deepened into early summer, and London unfolded itself in soft green light and silvery clouds. Cael Vale moved like a shadow between two lives.
One life was public—books, chores, exams, and the scent of shepherd's pie lingering in the hallways. Children laughed in the garden. Mama Linda hummed as she folded laundry. The world turned.
But beneath it all hummed something secret and undeniable.
Magic.
—
It had been nearly three weeks since he completed the quest of solving 1,000 integrals—an act he now considered an unspoken war crime against his own sanity. Still, the System's reward was undeniable: Perfect Recall, increased intelligence, and a subtle but growing reservoir of magic trickling into his body like morning light through old curtains.
It wasn't much.
But it was his.
—
Now he sat at his battered desk in the corner of St. Alder's Primary, a modest local school just down the road from the orphanage. The final exams lay spread out before him like landmines.
One last battle in the Muggle world before Hogwarts, he thought with dry amusement.
He picked up his pencil and began.
Math? Child's play.
Science? Memorized by heart.
History? Honestly, nothing the British Empire ever did was more dramatic than Goblin rebellions.
English grammar? Still more mysterious than spell theory.
"Focus," Cael muttered, chewing the edge of his pencil. "You're still a normal kid. Don't go full Einstein and ruin your cover."
Right on cue, the System's voice buzzed into his head like a smug mosquito.
"Okay, let's not insult Einstein. You're nowhere near his level of intelligence. Right now, you're just a slightly upgraded Ron Weasley."
"Wow. Harsh."
Cael frowned. "At least Ron's loyal to Harry, right?"
"Sure, and he's also been a coward, whiny, and emotionally twelve. So yes—fitting."
Cael was about to retort when a shadow loomed over his desk.
"Is there a problem, Mr. Vale?" said a stern voice. "Or are you just wasting time? If you can't solve anything, hand it in and leave. This is an exam, not social hour."
Cael's eyes flicked upward. Of course—it was Mr. Grimshaw.
The teacher.
The one who'd hated the orphanage for years and, by extension, every child who came from it. Cael knew the backstory now—Grimshaw once tried to buy the land the orphanage sat on for pennies, but a former orphan-turned-government-official had intervened and blocked the deal. Grimshaw had never forgiven them.
And now, Cael—quiet, polite, top-of-his-class orphan Cael—was his last grudge to hold onto.
"No problem, sir," Cael said evenly, refusing to rise to the bait. "Just thinking through the answer."
Grimshaw sneered. "Let's hope your thoughts are worth something for once."
He stalked off.
System, Cael said silently, next time give me a "Punch This Guy in the Nose" quest.
"Sorry, violence doesn't scale well with charisma-based protagonists."
—
An hour later, the bell rang. The final exam was over. School was out. The entire United Kingdom sighed in collective relief as summer break began.
Cael walked home with the lazy, drifting satisfaction of someone leaving an old life behind.
—
Mama Linda was waiting at the front door, apron dusted with flour, arms open. "Welcome back, dear. How were the exams?"
Cael grinned. "Great. I think I'll get some of the top scores."
Her smile widened. "Then I'll put in an application to Eton Academy. If you do well enough, who knows? They might take a bright boy like you."
He blinked. "Eton? That's a little… posh, isn't it?"
"Dream big, my boy," she said, tousling his hair. "Just because you come from here doesn't mean you don't belong up there."
Cael's throat tightened. For a second, he forgot about Hogwarts entirely.
He just nodded. "Thanks, Mama Linda."
—
The exam results arrived ten days later. As expected, Cael had scored near the top of his class. Grimshaw didn't even look him in the eye when he handed over the certificate.
The System added a notification in his peripheral vision.
"Achievement Unlocked: Model Student – +1 INT, +1 Charisma (local reputation)"
"Great," Cael muttered. "Another reason for Grimshaw to hate me."
"Maybe next quest: Survive Spiteful Middle-Aged Man Without Magic."
Cael grinned. "I'd pass with flying colors."
—
And so the days drifted by. Cael studied. Watched the skies. Felt the pulse of something waiting—building inside his chest. July crept onward, each morning thick with anticipation.
Then, on July 20th, it happened.
He was half-asleep, sunlight barely filtering through the thin curtains, when—tap. tap. tap.
A noise at the window.
Cael blinked, sat up, heart thudding.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
He crossed the room and opened the window.
A large brown owl sat on the sill, head cocked, golden eyes unblinking. In its beak was a thick, cream-colored envelope, sealed in rich red wax, stamped with the coat of arms:
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
His fingers trembled slightly as he took the letter.
"…It's real," he whispered.
System Notification
Mainline Quest Unlocked: "The Beginning of Magic"
Status: Accepted
Objective: Enroll at Hogwarts.
Reward: Access to full young Wizard Magic points , Wand Binding, and the Adventure of a Lifetime.
Cael clutched the letter to his chest and closed his eyes.
This was it.
The real beginning.