Following the instructions on the enchanted parchment, Vaughn made his way to his dormitory.
Slytherin usually assigned four students per room, though it could vary depending on the size of the incoming class. Vaughn was fortunate, there were only three of them in this one.
He couldn't be bothered to remember the names of the other two. If they had any sense of self-preservation, they'd move out sooner or later anyway.
The moment he opened the door, a large cat with fiery orange and golden fur came bounding toward him, leaping up and placing both front paws squarely on his chest. Its fluffy head nuzzled insistently beneath his chin.
"All right, all right, Fruity, you clingy little beast, you're heavy!"
"Meowr~"
"You're starving, aren't you? Sorry, no pets allowed at the Welcoming Feast… but don't worry. I'll feed you some fish snacks now, and starting tomorrow, you can join me for breakfast."
Grinning, Vaughn gently scratched behind Fruity's ears as he reached for the treat pouch in his robes.
Back in his old life, Vaughn had been an average office drone in a busy city. He'd never had the time or the energy, to take care of a pet. He'd originally bought Fruity because the cat was clever and to keep an eye on Scabbers.
But the longer they spent together, the more he grew attached to this clingy furball.
If a cat could worm its way into his heart this easily, how much more so the family he'd now been born into?
As he fed Fruity one fishy treat after another, Vaughn couldn't help but think back to the wide-eyed stares from Percy, Fred, George, and Ron when he'd been Sorted into Slytherin.
That was going to be a headache.
And Merlin only knew what Mum and Dad would think.
But there was no helping it. Vaughn was a transmigrant, someone from another world, reborn here with the mind of an adult and the ambitions of one too.
Thankfully, his starter package had included a max-level Occlumency spell.
If not for that, he wasn't sure the Sorting Hat wouldn't have lost its mind, never mind keeping his transmigration a secret. Just having a grown man's thoughts in a child's head might've been enough to terrify it.
Children, even when cruel by nature, were usually naïve and simple-minded.
Adults, on the other hand? The law might restrain their actions, but not their thoughts. Every passing notion could be dark enough to land someone in Azkaban for a weekend getaway.
Shaking off the musing, Vaughn began brushing Fruity's glossy coat as he softly muttered:
"System, claim reward."
A few lines of text flickered to life in the air before him.
[Reward Claimed]
[Talent Point +1]
[Magic Capacity +50]
The air shivered slightly, pulsing with magical energy.
Fruity paused mid-chew, looking up curiously. Seeing that Vaughn wasn't alarmed, she gave a satisfied flick of her tail and resumed devouring her snack.
Vaughn opened his system interface.
[Name: Vaughn Weasley]
[Magic Capacity: 432 (Average adult wizard: 500)]
[Talents]
Charms: 7
Dark Arts: 6
Transfiguration: 7
Potions: 10
Herbology: 6
Divination: 2 (10 is maximum)
[Spells]
Occlumency – Level 5 (Max)
Protego – Level 3 (3/8)
Expelliarmus – Level 2 (2/4)
Wingardium Leviosa – Level 2 (1/4)
Petrificus Totalus – Level 2 (1/4)
Incendio – Level 2 (2/4)
Lumos – Level 3 (0/4)
...and more.
[Potions Known]
Elation Draught
Invigoration Tonic
Blood-Replenishing Potion
Sleekeazy's Hair Potion
Regrowth Elixir
Beautifying Brew (Master level – contains various sub-formulae)
[Reputation Points: 17]
[Unspent Talent Points: 1]
[New mission available – click to view]
From the time he'd received his Hogwarts letter to his first day on campus, about two months had passed. Vaughn had increased his magic capacity by 62 points during that time.
Fifty had come from the system reward just now. The other twelve had been gained naturally over those two months.
He had long suspected that the natural growth of a wizard's magic was tied to their talent stats.
Since every young witch or wizard awakened their magic differently, there was no universal standard, but the data didn't lie. The higher the relevant talent, the faster one's natural magical growth.
He figured the three key areas influencing this growth were Charms, Dark Arts, and Transfiguration.
The others probably contributed too, but their impact seemed much smaller. Even then, he hadn't been able to pin down a reliable growth formula. He'd watched his older brothers like a hawk for years, but it still hadn't been enough.
Magic, he concluded, was far more complicated than just numbers.
But if there was one thing he was certain of—it never hurt to improve a talent.
Talent didn't just affect raw magic growth. It impacted learning speed, spell mastery, and even magical creativity.
After focusing for a few minutes and making sure the increase in his magical power wasn't causing any instability, Vaughn turned his attention to the most important choice:
Where should he spend that one precious talent point?
"Based on comparing myself to Percy, Fred, and George over the years," he mused aloud, "a score of 7 is already considered very impressive."
"In the books, that's probably around Hermione's level, maybe even a bit better. So Charms should be fine for now."
"Dark Arts is a little low, but honestly, I won't have access to many spells in that category anytime soon."
His expression darkened slightly.
Dark Arts weren't just difficult to find. Using them required… emotions.
To cast Avada Kedavra, you needed raw, focused hatred.
To use Cruciatus, you needed enough cruelty to truly enjoy someone else's pain.
People like Death Eaters weren't born mad, they slowly twisted themselves through repeated exposure to such magic.
"Before I even think about learning Dark Magic," Vaughn muttered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "I need to figure out how to insulate myself from that effect."
"Dumbledore probably has a method. He used to be quite the Dark Arts prodigy before his whole 'Power of Love' phase. But… let's be honest, he'd never agree to teach a student Dark Arts research."
"There's only one logical choice left…"
"Snape."
The Slytherin Head of House wasn't just a Potions Master, he was a genius in the Dark Arts. He'd invented Sectumsempra while still in school.
If Vaughn could get on his good side, it'd be two birds with one stone.
Brilliant.
"So… Dark Arts? Pass. Herbology? Not urgent. Divination?" He sighed. "I'm hopeless there. Might as well be blindfolded in a foggy room. Pass."
"That leaves… Transfiguration."
Transfiguration was the most complex and expansive magical discipline. It wasn't just a collection of spells, it was a framework that intersected with Charms, Potions, and even certain Dark Arts.
From changing non-living objects, to transforming animals and even humans, Transfiguration was deep and vast. And every point of improvement made a noticeable difference.
It was also the only subject that didn't require incantations from the very beginning.
No more dithering. Vaughn allocated the free point to Transfiguration.
The upgrade happened in perfect silence, no dramatic effects like the magic boost.
But the moment Vaughn drew his wand and tapped the fish snack on the floor, something immediately felt… different.
Magic flowed like a gentle stream from his wandtip into the treat, mapping every internal detail with stunning clarity, sending back tactile impressions to his mind.
The process that used to be so murky and frustrating was now smooth, precise even elegant.
Vaughn's thoughts nudged the structure, twisting it, reshaping it and the spell obeyed like a perfectly oiled machine. Concepts that had once seemed elusive now clicked into place.
Poof!
The fish treat turned into a lively, twitching mouse.
Fruity's pupils went wide with excitement.
She pounced immediately.
According to the principles of Gamp's Law, Transfiguration couldn't change the true nature of an object.
Which meant Fruity had just eaten a mouse that tasted like fish.
"Meow~!"
Double the happiness.