That night, a rich aroma drifted from the kitchen on the first floor.
Elinore had clearly put a great deal of effort into preparing dinner. The table was covered with fluffy whipped cream cakes and golden pumpkin pies drizzled with syrup, making them look irresistibly delicious. The sound of roasting meat came from the oven, accompanied by plates of crisp, golden-fried potato chips—everything radiating warmth and indulgence.
His father, Ted Brian, sat at the dining table, sipping a cup of black tea while casually crossing his legs and flipping through the day's newspaper.
When Brian came downstairs, Ted set down his tea, gave him a quick hug, and chuckled, "Come on, son, enjoy the wonderful dinner Elinore made."
Elinore smiled as she brought out the roasted meat and pudding. The family of three gathered around the table and enjoyed their meal in polite comfort.
What struck Brian as slightly odd was that Elinore hadn't mentioned the strange owl from earlier that afternoon. Still, she had never been one to ask too many questions. Since he was young, Elinore had always respected his space. So, Brian didn't think much of it. After some consideration, he decided to explain the morning's events after dinner.
After all, he needed their permission to attend Hogwarts.
As the meal came to a close, Brian cleared his throat. Ted and Elinore paused and looked at him.
"Mom, Dad, I have something to tell you."
Brian explained what had happened that morning and handed them the envelope.
Elinore took the envelope without much expression and passed it to Ted, who slowly sipped his post-dinner coffee as he read the letter carefully.
After a moment of silence, Ted looked up and handed the letter back to Elinore. His eyes fixed on Brian, and he spoke earnestly, "Brian, I don't believe in magic. This seems like someone's idea of a joke. And even if it were real, I wouldn't send you off to a school we know nothing about. You know your mother and I just want you to be safe—not chasing after something like this."
"I…" Despite being a transmigrator with a system cheat, Brian wasn't sure how to respond.
Indeed, truth must be proven through practice, but right now, he couldn't perform any magic.
Fortunately, Elinore spoke up after glancing at the letter. "I've heard of people like the ones this letter describes—perhaps these are the 'wizards.' But Brian, what do you think?"
Brian paused and thought for a moment. He straightened up and said seriously, "I don't think anyone could resist the opportunity to learn magic. I believe there are things in this world that defy explanation—just like the strange events you sometimes read about in the news. If magic does exist, then it would explain a lot. I don't want to miss the chance to learn. I want to go to this school—Hogwarts."
Silence fell. Elinore and Ted didn't respond right away, and time seemed to drag.
Brian began to worry. His answer suddenly felt too weak and unconvincing.
Damn, this felt like a surprise pop quiz... I should've prepared better.
Finally, Elinore's eyes sparkled with something unreadable. She spoke slowly and clearly, "Ted and I will consider supporting your decision—if you pass a little test." She pulled out the second page of the letter and handed it to Brian. "If you want to go to that magic school, your father will give you £1,000. With it, you'll have to buy everything you need for the school year on your own.
If you can do that, we'll let you attend Hogwarts."
Brian's eyes lit up with joy. He rushed forward and hugged her. "You're the best mom in the world!"
Ted looked at Elinore, clearly surprised.
Out of Brian's sight, Elinore gave Ted a small nod. "Don't get too excited yet. He still needs to come back with everything on that list."
Brian, meanwhile, was already strategizing. He remembered from the movies that Professor McGonagall often visited Muggle-born students to answer their parents' questions. He planned to politely ask her to escort him to Diagon Alley.
Straightening up, he said confidently, "I'll plan everything carefully. Don't worry, Mom."
Elinore laughed softly. "Imagine that—we have a wizard in the family."
Ted didn't reply. He muttered something under his breath, not catching Elinore's teasing.
Although Ted was the breadwinner, he usually followed Elinore's lead in family decisions. Seeing her accept the idea of magic, Brian finally relaxed. If he couldn't go to Hogwarts, his system cheat would be wasted—and without the cheat, he wouldn't even get the motivational "pep talks" it issued every day.
So this was a win.
Excited, Brian returned to his room, hoping that Professor McGonagall would arrive soon.
Brian sat at his desk, completely deflated.
A whole month had passed. No one had come to visit, except the mailman and the milkman.
"They said they'd come to visit Muggle homes, didn't they? I must've watched a fake movie," Brian muttered. But still, he had to get to Diagon Alley—he couldn't let those daily pep talks from the system go to waste.
What really annoyed him was that the system only provided motivational quotes at midnight. That was it. No special powers. No extra help.
A cheat system? More like half a system.
"Useless motivational system," Brian grumbled.
Right now, the most important thing was to head to Diagon Alley and get his school supplies. He had to leave tomorrow, or he might run out of time.
He thought back to the movies again. Hagrid had taken Harry to a pub as the entrance to Diagon Alley.
Brian pulled out a notebook and started sketching a detailed plan for tomorrow. He listed possible problems and backup solutions. He regretted not preparing better before talking to his mom. A wise man learns from every stumble.
"Can a transmigrator afford to be anything but smart?" he asked himself.
His notebook was soon filled with notes and contingency plans. There were 13 potential conversation paths just for talking to the pub owner at the Leaky Cauldron. Another 26 for handling money exchange with the goblins at Gringotts.
Eventually, Brian leaned back, satisfied. He double-checked the pounds and clothes in his bag, then went to bed, ready to set out early the next morning.
"Ding! To become the greatest wizard the world has ever seen, the host must conquer every challenge. Every hardship is just another stone on the path to greatness. Push forward, and you will rise to the top of the wizarding world."
There it was again. That damn motivational system!