"July 15, 1990: Godric Gryffindor, destroyed my Chocolate Frogs, bad attitude, owes me two Galleons."
The red-haired young man leaned toward Ariana, pointing at Adam, who was crouched on the ground, muttering to himself with a serious expression. His quill danced across the pages of a black-covered notebook.
"…Is he always like this?"
Ariana sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead. She opened her mouth, hesitated, and finally managed, "Adam's usually pretty normal. Well… maybe."
"Alright, fine, I'll cover the cost of those Chocolate Frogs. But what's this about 'nine percent daily interest'?!"
"Even in the darkest days of the wizarding world, those greedy goblins never dared to set terms like that!"
Gryffindor stared at the scribbled words in the notebook, his mouth twitching.
Adam shot him a sidelong glance, calmly crossing out a line before his quill resumed its dance.
Extremely bad attitude, additional penalty…
"Okay, okay, enough! I'm certain now—you're definitely not Gryffindor material."
"My Sorting Hat would have to be completely mad to let you into my house. You're a Slytherin through and through."
He scratched at his fiery red hair, only to realize his familiar hat wasn't there, and let out a soft sigh.
"Look, I don't have any Galleons on me right now. How about this? I'll give you a rare treasure if you help me with something."
Adam's eyes lit up instantly. He sprang to his feet and stood before the red-haired man.
"How rare are we talking?"
Gryffindor gestured toward the distance and lowered his voice.
"A goblin-made treasure, worth at least half a forest of Chocolate Frogs."
"And all I need in return is a worthless old contract."
[Commission Task: A legendary wizard lingering in the Otherworld seeks your help to recover a contract from a thousand years ago, to make amends for his regrets.]
[Commission Reward: A goblin-forged heirloom, 1 Skill Enhancement Point]
[Note: Risk and opportunity go hand in hand. Success doesn't rely on the whims of chance—courage and keen observation will ensure a bountiful reward.]
Adam's face fell, his eyes narrowing as his tone turned sharp.
"Let me guess—this so-called 'rare treasure' is probably stashed somewhere in Gringotts, isn't it?"
"Trying to pull a fast one on me? Since I'm still willing to acknowledge you as a Hogwarts founder, you'd better—"
Gryffindor burst into laughter and pulled out an ancient dragonhide map. It was covered in intricate lines, outlining a sprawling underground structure.
"But what if I could teach you how to sneak into Gringotts without ever getting caught?"
"—you'd better sit down so we can talk this commission over properly!"
Adam's expression flipped to one of eager compliance. With a tap of his wand, he conjured a few rough stools and a round table.
He enthusiastically pulled Gryffindor to sit, acting as if he were welcoming a long-lost relative.
Ariana covered her mouth, stifling a laugh, as Gryffindor shook his head with a wry smile, letting Adam tug him along.
"So, you're sure the contract and the treasure are in Gringotts?"
Adam studied the unrolled map. Solid and dotted lines crisscrossed, layered over each other, marking hidden passages and secret chambers.
A thick line connected the numerous underground spaces, likely representing the tracks to the vaults, but many areas were unlinked—clearly deliberately hidden, protected zones.
"Of course. Those greedy, cunning goblins would never touch that contract. The magic bound to it would instantly drain the life of any goblin in range and curse their kin as well."
"So they used the power of that treasure to bury the contract deep in a place where the sun never shines. And that place can only be Gringotts."
"It's a torn contract, then?"
Adam followed Gryffindor's explanation, and the man nodded in confirmation.
"But couldn't the goblins just hire a wizard to toss it out somewhere or sink it into the sea?"
"Only a wizard with magic akin to mine could even pick up that contract, and they'd still have to contend with its binding magic."
"But those stingy goblins would never pay the steep price for a legendary wizard just to deal with a contract."
Gryffindor reminisced, taking a snack from Adam and popping it into his mouth.
A second later, he spat it out. The taste of rotting berries mixed with fermented muck made his stomach lurch. He chugged a full glass of water to recover.
"What in Merlin's name did you give me?!"
Adam blinked innocently, glancing at the torn wrapper.
"Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. Guess you got a weird one."
He picked out a few beans and handed them to Ariana. She hesitated before trying them, her eyes lighting up.
"This one's blackcurrant, this is strawberry, and… toffee!"
Gryffindor eyed the beans Adam offered him next with suspicion, noticing the boy's subtle movements.
"Wait, let's swap."
Adam shrugged helplessly, trading the bean he was about to eat.
Gryffindor grinned as he ate the new bean, though his expression shifted slightly.
"What flavor did you get?" Adam asked, blinking innocently.
"Nothing, let's get back to the map. If I'm right, the contract is hidden in the deepest vault—the last place I saw when I left Gringotts…"
Gryffindor waved it off calmly, discreetly chugging more water.
His eyes flicked to the seemingly harmless young wizard, silently vowing never to eat anything Adam offered again.
After a while, Ariana and Adam, who'd polished off most of the snacks, stood up.
"Even with your escape route planned, it's been a thousand years. We can't be sure what the underground looks like now. What if we end up in a collapsed passage?"
Adam frowned, staring uncertainly at the map copied into his notebook.
Gryffindor saw through his not-so-subtle hint for more rewards and gave him a playful smack on the back.
"That's all I've got. The rest is at Hogwarts—go get it yourself if you're so clever."
Adam froze, speechless for a long moment. Ariana circled him curiously.
"Don't touch him yet. This is a test of his magic—it's good for him," Gryffindor said seriously, though his barely concealed grin betrayed his amusement.
Immersed in a sea of magic, Adam heard nothing from the outside world.
A sudden surge of immense, commanding magic coursed through him, flowing wildly through his body.
The magic traced his veins, forming a constellation of stars, gathering at his heart to symbolize the moon and sun.
If not for his Occlumency keeping his mind clear, he wouldn't have been able to control it.
[Received Gryffindor's Gift: Mastery of the Starforged Body Technique.]
It took a while for him to snap out of it. Soaked in sweat, his clothes clung to his skin as if he'd been pulled from a lake.
Adam shot Gryffindor a resentful look, muttering under his breath.
"I'm a wizard. What's the point of learning this?"
With a flick of his finger, Gryffindor evaporated the water from Adam's clothes, leaving him basking in warm sunlight, feeling much better.
"Of course it's useful. Haven't you ever wondered how wizards fought dragons and gods bare-handed before wands existed?"
"Magic swords?"
Adam, sprawled on the ground, asked skeptically.
"Magic swords are one form. Different cultures had their methods—like wielding enchanted artifacts to summon lightning in the East or channeling divine power through the body in Africa."
"Still feels useless," Adam muttered, picturing the Gatling-wielding deities of his past life's myths.
Gryffindor flicked a Bertie Bott's bean at Adam's forehead.
"I know what you're thinking. The wizarding and Muggle worlds have advanced rapidly. I've met young scholars who described Muggle technology to me—some even spoke of devastating wars."
"One of them got hit by an apple, another was always clutching a violin…"
Adam's mouth twitched. "Newton and Einstein?"
Gryffindor nodded, his gaze drifting to distant snow-capped mountains, as if seeing the future. His tone remained calm.
"No matter how times change, those are external tools. As a wizard, you must master your own power. When the tides of history come, it'll keep you standing at the crest."
"You don't need to train deliberately. The magic will follow the star paths, subtly reshaping your body until it transforms, letting you wield greater magic… even the power of gods."
Adam still had doubts. "So, wizards' long lifespans come from magic affecting their bodies?"
"More precisely, magic shapes the body, allowing the soul to endure longer."
Coming to his senses, Adam pulled out his notebook, scribbling with his quill.
Gryffindor smiled approvingly—until he leaned in and saw what Adam wrote. His face darkened.
"July 15, 1990: Godric Gryffindor, incited a young wizard to rob Gringotts, failed to intimidate, resorted to bribery, taught me…"
"What kind of nonsense are you writing?! And why haven't you crossed out my debt?!"
Adam tucked away his notebook, his tone flat. "I take payment for tasks. What does that have to do with you owing me money?"
Gryffindor's red hair flared like a blazing fire. He drew his sword with a flash of cold steel.
"Don't you dare run, you little brat! You'll never get into Hogwarts!"
Ariana watched the two figures disappear into the distance, holding the emerald-green letter, her eyes on the horizon, a faint smile curving her lips.