Alex couldn't believe his eyes. After forty lukewarm pulls, he thought he'd used up all his luck. But the final ten-pull had blessed him with not just one but two gold cards. With the newbie banner's bonus, that made three legendary cards from one batch.
He stared breathlessly at the golden glow as it faded, revealing the three radiant cards beneath.
Name:Albus Dumbledore
Grade: Gold
Talents:
Transfiguration: 8 (History-Maker)
Dark Arts: 8 (Born for Azkaban)
Defense Against the Dark Arts: 8 (Ally of Justice)
Spells:
Majority of Dark Arts
All standard defensive spells
Advanced transfiguration techniques
...
Name:Phoenix (Pet Card)
Grade: Gold
Gender: Female
Talent: Rebirth
Abilities: Healing Tears, Spell Consumption for Defense, Long-Range Communication, Apparition
...
Name:Gellert Grindelwald
Grade: Gold
Talents:
Dark Arts: 8
Prophetic Animagus (Only top two talents displayed)
Spells:
High-tier Dark Arts
Defensive magic
Ancient black magic
Alex was stunned. The Twin Kings of Magic — Dumbledore and Grindelwald — both landed in his lap. And to top it off, a phoenix, the literal symbol of magical authority in the wizarding world.
He hadn't even stepped into Hogwarts yet, and he already had the endgame loot. The phoenix alone was legendary. With its Apparition and message delivery abilities, he could literally vanish from Hogwarts anytime things got too hot.
Still, the cards came with a caveat. For each gold card, he could only extract one ability, spell, or talent.
With Dumbledore, the choice was obvious: Defense Against the Dark Arts.
His current talent in that field was a modest 4 — promising, but not exceptional. With Dumbledore's boost, he could reach 5 or even 6, putting him just beneath the realm of magical titans.
Grindelwald, though... that was a tougher call.
Should he double up on defense again, push that score to 6 and become practically unassailable? After all, even legends like Snape, Sirius Black, or James Potter probably sat around level 5 in their prime.
But one glance at his own Dark Arts talent — already 8 — made the decision for him. With Grindelwald's boost, he'd hit level 9. That was the system's ceiling.
"To hell with it. I want to see what peak Dark Arts talent feels like."
"System, fuse Dumbledore's Defense Against the Dark Arts talent, and Grindelwald's Dark Arts talent."
Ding. Talents fused.
...
That was it? No transformation sequence? No thunder and lightning?
Alex blinked. He didn't feel any different. But then again, talent was passive — it would only show when he began to learn and wield those arts.
"Alright, summon the phoenix."
A flash of fire burst before his eyes. The blaze twisted into a glowing ring, and from its center emerged a breathtaking creature — majestic, regal, its feathers radiating warmth and elegance.
The phoenix landed gracefully on his shoulder, nuzzling his face affectionately with its golden beak.
Alex gently stroked its feathers, a smile tugging at his lips.
"Dumbledore's phoenix is named Fawkes. Guess I need to give you a name too. How about... Furry?"
"Yiing~!"
He froze.
"…What?"
Was that how phoenixes were supposed to sound? What was with the cute squeak? Was his phoenix a whimpering gremlin?
Shaking his head, he played with Furry for a while, then turned his attention to the rest of his spoils.
500 Galleons. A solid stack of new spells. And six more purple cards:
Transfiguration x1
Potions Knowledge x1
All-Purpose Jinxx2
Occlumency x2
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, letting the spell knowledge and magical theory sink in. The data flowed smoothly into his mind, etched into memory.
Five minutes later, he opened his eyes — sharper, more focused.
"Excellent. My Occlumency is already at the level of a veteran with a decade of practice. No way Dumbledore or Snape can casually peek into my thoughts now. That should be enough to keep my secrets safe."
Host: Alex Gunter
Age: 11
Birthday: October 31st
Identity: Founder of Gunter Investments, Graduate of Garden Elementary, Incoming Hogwarts First Year
Bloodline: Wizard Spirit (Awakening — will evolve with strength)
Magic Scale: 7
Magical Items: None
Charms Talent: 5 (Outstanding)
Defense Against the Dark Arts Talent: 5 (Outstanding)
Divination Talent: 0 (Troll-Level)
Dark Arts Talent: 9 (Demon King Descends)
Gold Coins: 0
The draws had transformed him. His magical reserves had doubled — according to the system, the average first-year student started at Magic Scale 1. Most adults reached around 5. He was already above that.
Of course, raw magic meant nothing without control and knowledge. Even a well of magic could be rendered useless without the means to wield it.
The days that followed were quiet but fruitful. Alex devoted himself to his magical studies.
No wand yet, and unfortunately he hadn't drawn any wandless casting talents.
Still, the knowledge from the Transfiguration and Potions purple cards gave him an edge. The system didn't provide full mastery — just a Hogwarts second-year level baseline. But duplicate draws had enhanced his understanding, deepening his grasp of the material.
And crucially, his ceiling wasn't capped. With effort and time, he could surpass even the system's initial offerings.
So he studied, practiced, experimented. Days passed.
Until finally, July 31st arrived.
9 a.m.
Ding-dong!
Ding-dong!
The doorbell chimed.
Alex stood up, heart thrumming. They were here. The Hogwarts representative. But who?
He opened the door, curiosity alive in his eyes.
Standing on the threshold was a gaunt, pale-skinned man with shoulder-length greasy black hair. His features were angular, severe, and dominated by a massive hooked nose. His black robes fluttered in the summer breeze.
He looked like a vampire bat that had crawled out of an old castle.
Alex knew, of course. Severus Snape.
But he had to pretend otherwise.
"Yes? Can I help you?"
Snape inclined his head slightly in a formal gesture, his voice low and scratchy.
"Good morning, Mr. Gunter. I am Severus Snape, Potions Master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and Head of Slytherin House."
"I've come today to help guide you into the world you were always meant to belong to. As your escort, I'll assist you in procuring the supplies needed for your magical education."
Alex painted his face with just the right amount of surprise, eyes widening a touch.
"Professor Snape, please come in." He stepped aside, gesturing toward the interior. "When I received that owl's letter, I didn't know what to think. Magic? It all sounded so unreal... but your visit makes me believe. Please, let's talk inside."
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