Chapter 2 – The Cupboard Builds Character
"The cupboard hasn't gotten bigger. You have."
—
Harry stood on one foot in the dark.
His left leg lifted slowly behind him, arms out for balance, face stiff with concentration. The ceiling of the cupboard was too low for stretches, so he improvised: bodyweight holds, slow limb movements, anything that strained a muscle.
He wobbled. Regained balance.
One second. Two. Ten. His calf started burning around fifteen.
Ding.
[+1 Agility] – You have learned to move with awareness and control.
[Agility: 2 → 3]
He grinned. Just a little. Not enough to make noise.
This was the third stat gain today. One for Willpower when he skipped drinking the chalky, milk-water Petunia gave him. One for Intelligence when he read an old Gardener's Weekly cover-to-cover and noticed half the facts were wrong. Now this.
There was a pattern forming.
He lowered his leg and sat back down on the frayed towel that passed for his cupboard blanket. The floor was still cold through it. His stomach still empty. But his mind buzzed with quiet triumph.
He'd learned something else too: small effort counted. Not just heroic acts or moments of pain. Even a few seconds of discomfort, if deliberate, gave returns.
He tapped the inside of his thigh rhythmically. Thinking. Planning.
How many XP would he need to reach Level 2?
Opening the Stats screen brought the now-familiar blue glow, faint enough not to leak under the door.
[PLAYER: Harry J. Potter] – Level 1
XP: 31 / 100
Class: Survivor
HP: 47 / 50
Stamina: 23 / 25
Status Effects: Hunger (Moderate), Fatigue (Low)
Not even halfway there.
But he was progressing. He just needed to keep the pressure on.
He flipped to the Skills tab. Three active now:
[Skills]
- Endure (Lv. 1) – Reduces stamina drain from pain, cold, fatigue
- Observe (Lv. 1) – View vague info on targets
- Physical Training (Lv. 1) – Slight STR/END XP bonus from manual effort
He highlighted Observe, eyes narrowing.
This one intrigued him the most. Unlike the others, it worked on the world. It talked back.
He looked down at the old spoon Petunia had tossed on the floor near the cupboard's edge — bent and dull, the one he used to eat toast crumbs.
He focused.
Observe.
Ding.
[Item: Bent Kitchen Spoon]
Material: Low-grade steel
Durability: 6/10
Notes: Slightly warped. Clean. Not sharp enough to be useful.
He blinked. Then reached toward the spoon again.
Another test: the scuff mark on the linoleum near the door — probably from Dudley's trainers.
He stared at it longer. More deliberately.
Observe.
Ding.
[+3 XP – Observe]
Progress to Lv. 2: [18/50]
There it was.
It wasn't just about looking. It was about attention. Focus. Intent.
The System didn't reward laziness. It rewarded engagement.
He picked up the rolled-up newspaper Petunia had dropped in the bin that morning — The Daily Mail. Crumpled and reeking of vinegar.
He unrolled it and started reading.
One paragraph at a time. Slowly. Line by line. Word by word.
—
The Daily Mail was garbage.
Harry knew that instinctively — even before reading. But now he had proof.
Every time he read a passage, then observed it, he'd get a flash of feedback. The system didn't just reward reading — it rewarded understanding.
Which was harder.
"Property taxes expected to rise…"
Observe.
Nothing.
"Government spending on school lunches decreased again…"
Observe.
+2 XP
Interesting.
Eventually—
Ding.
[Observe Lv. 2 → New Effect Unlocked!]
- Slight increase to detail when observing objects.
- Unlock Passive Skill: Item Insight Lv. 1
He opened the Skills tab again.
[Skills]
- Observe (Lv. 2)
- Endure (Lv. 1)
- Physical Training (Lv. 1)
- Item Insight (Passive) Lv. 1 – You more easily comprehend the purpose and properties of mundane objects.
He turned toward the cupboard walls, scanning familiar surroundings with new purpose.
The old shoebox at his feet. Observe.
[Item: Old Shoebox]
Material: Cardboard
Durability: 2/10
Function: Storage
Hidden Property: Slightly muffles sound if sealed.
He tested it. Lid down. Clamped tight.
It really did muffle the sound.
A hiding place.
He looked up at the cracked wooden shelf above his head.
[Item: Wall-Mounted Shelf]
Material: Painted Pine
Durability: 4/10
Notes: Minor structural weakness in rear-left mount.
Potential Use: Concealment if shifted slightly forward.
That... was valuable.
A place to hide things behind the shelf. Even if just a spoon or a scrap of paper.
Later that day, in the garage, Vernon sent him to "sort" a box. Harry used Observe on everything. Tools, books, wires.
[Item: Flathead Screwdriver – Worn]
Material: Iron + plastic
Durability: 5/10
Function: Basic tool
Quality: Poor
Possible Use: Escape tool (Limited)
He took it. Slipped it into his jumper. Quiet. Careful.
Back in the cupboard, he curled an old notebook wire into a tiny loop. He didn't even know what he was building yet. A hook? A pick?
Didn't matter.
Ding.
[+3 XP – Item Insight]
[+1 XP – Intelligence]
Some kids had toys.
Harry had wire, tools, stats… and a game no one else could see.
—
That night, he lay flat on his back, arms across his chest.
Breathing exercises. Each breath expanded his ribs — still bruised. Still sore.
He held still.
He didn't need a gym. He didn't need equipment.
He needed pain.
Each breath stung. That meant it was working.
He flexed every muscle he could, held it. Shook through the tension. Waited.
Ding.
[+2 XP – Physical Training]
[+1 XP – Strength]
[+2 XP – Endure]
Later: he resisted scratching the itchy blanket. Didn't move when his back started aching.
Ding.
[+1 XP – Willpower]
He opened the stats screen.
Strength: 3
Endurance: 4
Agility: 3
Intelligence: 4
Willpower: 5
Charisma: 2
Luck: ???
Willpower 5.
That was good. Maybe even better than muscles.
When he finally dozed off, hours later, the System rewarded him again.
[Endure Lv. 2 → Passive Bonus: Minor overnight HP/Stamina regen unlocked.]
+4 HP
+3 Stamina
Healing. From sleep.
He wasn't just enduring anymore.
He was adapting.
—
The next day, Petunia sent him to wipe down Vernon's study.
He slipped in like a shadow. Dusting. Watching.
He found an old paperback — "Tactics and Survival: Gulf Recollections."
He read. Page after page.
Ding.
[Quest Gained: Knowledge Is Power]
Type: Reading Challenge
Objective: Study 3 nonfiction texts
Progress: 1/3
Rewards: +1 INT, +1 Trait (Passive), Hidden Reward
A Trait?
He cast Observe on the book.
[Item: Tactics and Survival – Paperback]
Use: Teaches mental adaptability, survival logic, and strategic decision-making.
Durability: 6/10 (worn spine)
Effect: Grants 10 INT XP when fully read.
Hidden Effect: ???
But then—
Ding. New color. Not blue.
[System Notice]
Player progression speed flagged as anomalous.
Observer Node activated.
Monitoring increased.
Harry froze.
Something was watching him. The System… or something behind it.
He stared at the message. Then closed it.
He would still grind. Still read. Still push.
But now he knew: he wasn't alone in the dark.
Someone else was reading his progress bar.
—
End of Chapter 2.