[Chapter Size: 2500 Words.]
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Amanda gently closed the book Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in front of her. The golden thread on its spine glimmered faintly in the candlelight of the fireplace.
"It's decided. That's it."
A faint blush colored the pale, sickly cheeks of the girl, who looked so fragile that a mere gust of wind could shatter her.
"Hogwarts… the wizarding world, that's quite fascinating."
"Number 07195, are you certain you wish to transfer your consciousness to this parallel dimension after death?"
A robot, dressed like a butler, emerged from the shadows behind her. Its mechanical, masculine voice addressed the terminally ill girl with firm precision.
Modern technology was already capable of creating multiple parallel times and spaces, but it could not overcome the genetic flaws of artificial humans.
The defective artificial humans of the New Century would be sent to a parallel world of their own choosing after the failure of experimental treatments. It was perhaps the greatest mercy offered by this high-tech society.
"Of course."
The girl replied without hesitation.
She signed the agreement the robotic butler handed her and then connected her brain–computer interface, preparing for the subsequent data transfer.
Three days later.
Beep!
An alert sounded, and on the screen the progress bar for the consciousness transfer jumped to 100%.
"Open the window."
Amanda slightly opened her eyes and gave her final instructions.
The robotic butler turned to her with an expressionless face. "Are you sure you wish to proceed with this operation? It will take your life immediately."
Amanda knew that even without opening the windows, her body would only last a few weeks in the sanatorium.
Before losing consciousness, she wanted to see the world one last time.
"Execute immediately."
All the stereoscopic projections in the room shut down, and the dark ceiling slowly shifted aside.
Burned, black, foul-smelling, polluted, and toxic gases instantly filled the vacuum-sealed treatment room.
"The sky… doesn't seem to be blue."
Amanda murmured thoughtfully to herself and lost consciousness moments later.
…
Knock, knock, knock!
There was a rapid knocking at the door.
Amanda suddenly woke from her slumber.
"Amanda! Amanda? Are you awake?" A young voice called from outside the house.
Amanda rubbed her eyes. It felt as though she had overslept, her body still heavy with fatigue. For a moment, she remained disoriented.
She looked around. It was an unfamiliar room. Several books and notes written in English were neatly arranged on the desk. Beside it stood an old wardrobe, and a faint scent of camphor lingered in the air.
It seemed she had successfully been transported into the Harry Potter world.
Realizing this, she cleared her throat and responded to the dark brown wooden door: "Yes, I'm awake."
"Then I'll come in."
The young woman pushed the door open. Her long, wavy brown hair gleamed in the sunlight streaming in, but what stood out most was the bright smile on her face.
Amanda rubbed her forehead, searching the implanted memories provided by the transfer system.
This woman was Karina, a teacher who often visited the orphanage to help.
"Hey, look at this."
Karina held up a pale yellow envelope in her hand.
Amanda's eyes drifted to it, and the elegant emerald-green ink instantly seized her full attention.
Surrey
Heathrow
Dawes Orphanage
Fifth room on the left, third floor
Miss Amanda Merlin (recipient)
"Merlin? That surname…"
Amanda's eyes widened in disbelief.
If she remembered correctly, Merlin was not just a figure of legend but the most legendary wizard of the magical world itself.
Normally, the identities arranged by the parallel-world transfer system were random, designed only to ensure that the user could enter the chosen plot timeline.
It was like pulling a hidden limited-edition item from a gacha machine.
The identity of being a descendant of Merlin was nothing less than a royal flush in the wizarding world.
But she could not understand why the Merlin family had vanished for so long, or how she—a descendant of Merlin—had ended up in an ordinary orphanage.
And the emerald-green handwriting on this letter… If her memory served her correctly, it was almost certain to be a Hogwarts acceptance letter.
For the first time in over a decade, Amanda felt her heart beat faster and faster.
"Amanda, someone wrote you a letter!"
Karina's voice pulled her back to the present.
Amanda took the letter, turned it over, and the reddish-brown wax seal on the back confirmed her suspicion.
It was a wax emblem in the shape of a shield, composed of a lion, a badger, an eagle, and a serpent encircling a capital "H."
Amanda's hands trembled slightly as she opened the letter.
Karina asked with concern, "Amanda, are you all right? Do you know who wrote to you?"
Amanda thought for a moment. Since she would be leaving for Hogwarts anyway, it was better to tell her directly.
"This is an acceptance letter."
"Really?" Karina looked both surprised and delighted. "So in just over a month you'll be starting secondary school?"
"Could it be that Amanda has always had top grades and was specially admitted to some academy?"
Amanda shook her head. "I'm afraid not."
Karina looked even more puzzled.
"This is a school of magic where I'll study wizardry for seven years."
Amanda met her gaze and spoke slowly.
Before Karina could react, Amanda opened the letter in front of her to prove she wasn't delusional.
…
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, Grand Sorcerer of the Order of Merlin)
Dear Miss Merlin,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Enclosed is a list of books and equipment required for the coming term.
The term is scheduled to begin on September 1st. Since you are currently residing in a Muggle orphanage, Professor McGonagall will arrive on August 1st to escort you to Diagon Alley to purchase your supplies.
Sincerely, Minerva McGonagall
…
Karina's mouth fell open so wide it looked as though a pumpkin could fit inside. After a moment, she stammered, "W-what… this… this is unbelievable… My God, this isn't some kind of prank, is it?"
Amanda shook her head. "Probably not."
But she said nothing more, for she could think of no argument that might truly convince Karina.
Karina furrowed her brow, her mind clearly racing.
"If… if you don't mind, could I borrow this letter for the headmistress to read?"
She believed that the wise, elderly director of the orphanage, had enough knowledge and experience to confirm the letter wasn't some mischievous trick.
Amanda understood her thoughts and nodded. "Of course."
Even if something went wrong, she wasn't afraid. Professor McGonagall would be coming in just a few days to take her to buy school supplies.
Even if no one yet believed in magic, they would see it with their own eyes soon enough.
After Karina left, Amanda lifted the mirror from the desk and looked at her reflection.
The face staring back was both familiar and unfamiliar.
The familiar: pale blond curls, a small high-bridged nose, and clear blue eyes that sparkled.
The unfamiliar: fair, rosy skin and plump, healthy cheeks. At a glance, it was obvious this girl looked strong and full of life.
Amanda was overwhelmed by emotion. She lifted her head and breathed freely. Fresh air coursed through her blood, into her organs, through her limbs and bones, and made her nerves quiver.
"I can live again in another world, and this time, I must do everything I've ever wanted."
At that moment, nothing made her happier than being alive, free, and healthy.
She picked up the calendar on the desk.
"July 15th, 1991… At this time, Harry Potter should still be…"
Amanda blinked mischievously.
Perhaps she could change the original course of this world, and alter all those unsatisfying endings.
And she had a few selfish reasons of her own.
…
The selfish motive of Amanda was simple.
Of the four main houses at Hogwarts, her favorite was Slytherin.
She was a cunning, powerful, and ambitious Slytherin.
At Hogwarts, and even across the entire British wizarding world, most wizards were prejudiced against those from Slytherin.
Although Amanda had to admit that Slytherin had produced many dark wizards who followed the Dark Lord, became his servants, and committed all kinds of evil deeds and sins, the house also had its heroes: Regulus Black and Severus Snape.
And then there was Merlin, her distant ancestor, rumored to have been a Slytherin as well.
As Oscar Wilde once said, "Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future."
Amanda firmly believed that it was wizards themselves, not the house, that were evil.
Her goal was to restore Slytherin to its former glory.
After making up her mind, Amanda glanced sideways at the column of maps beside the Surrey sign, searching for the location of Privet Drive in Little Whinging.
At this moment, she might change Harry's perception of Slytherin before he even received his Hogwarts acceptance letter.
Perhaps… she might even persuade Harry to join Slytherin?
This daring thought crossed her mind.
Amanda nodded thoughtfully.
The plan was not impossible. After all, even the Sorting Hat had said that Harry Potter could achieve greatness in Slytherin.
If even the savior himself were sorted into Slytherin, then her mission would already be half accomplished.
An hour later, Amanda stepped off the bus on Privet Drive.
Instead of foolishly rushing to Number Four, banging on the door, and shouting, "Excuse me, is Harry Potter here?" she chose a more discreet approach to find him.
She remembered clearly that it was summer break and that Harry usually lingered outside on Privet Drive to escape his cousin Dudley and his gang.
After passing twelve lampposts along the street, she found a lonely, thin boy swaying slowly on a swing in an overgrown playground, his back to the road.
From behind, all one could see was his messy black hair and the oversized, shabby clothes hanging loosely from his frame.
Amanda felt certain in her heart that the boy before her was the famous Harry Potter.
She greeted him timidly:
"Hey!"
The boy glanced around, as if checking to see if anyone was nearby. Realizing that someone had called to him, he turned his head uncertainly.
Three or four meters away stood a girl with a face as delicate as a porcelain doll's.
Harry had never seen anyone so beautiful. If he had, it was probably only on television when Dudley monopolized the screen.
"Uh… hello… Are you talking to me?"
Harry stammered, unable to believe that such a pretty girl would speak to him first.
"Yes, yes."
Amanda forced what she hoped looked like a harmless smile.
But she quickly realized the smile might not be working, as Harry seemed even more confused.
She dropped the smile and glanced at the empty swing beside him.
"I mean… if you don't mind, can I sit next to you?"
"Uh… sure."
From the corner of her eye, Amanda studied the boy beside her.
A gust of wind lifted his thick bangs for a moment, revealing the lightning-shaped scar on his forehead.
There were also his round glasses, cracked and held together with tape, and the faint glimmer of emerald-green eyes behind them.
There was no doubt, this was Harry Potter.
"You know," Amanda said suddenly, turning to him with a serious look, "we're the same kind of people."
"Sorry… I don't understand," Harry replied blankly, his innocent green eyes reminding Amanda of a small woodland creature.
"I mean, we both use magic. We're wizards."
Harry's eyes widened even more. Amanda ignored his shock and pressed on:
"Surely you've noticed… when you're scared, or angry, strange, unexplainable things happen around you?"
Harry immediately thought back to the time, not so long ago, when he had spoken to the python at the zoo, then the glass had vanished, and the snake had nearly frightened Dudley to death. He also remembered all the other strange things that had happened whenever the Dursleys grew angry with him or mistreated him since childhood.
But even so, he couldn't bring himself to accept what the girl was saying so quickly.
After all, it was unbelievable.
"You mean… I'm a wizard? My God, how is that possible?"
Harry muttered to himself, his eyes full of disbelief. It was obvious the weight of her words struck him harder than he could process.
"Harry, you're very famous in the wizarding world. In fact, I've known about you since you were a child, and I also knew your parents."
Amanda dropped another revelation.
"My parents?"
Harry seized on the word at once, stopped swinging, and looked at Amanda with sudden urgency.
"Yes. Both of your parents were brilliant, well-known wizards. I believe one day you'll make them proud."
"Please… what else do you know about my parents?"
Harry couldn't help but speak with reverence.
"Your parents, Lily Potter and James Potter, were kind and noble wizards. But they were killed while fighting against Voldemort, the Dark Lord…"
Amanda watched Harry's face grow pale as she went on.
"But when he tried to kill you, something happened, something that came from you. The spell rebounded, and Voldemort vanished from the world without a trace."
"My parents…"
Harry whispered the words, and as Amanda spoke, fragmented images suddenly flashed before his eyes.
Blinding green light. The shrill scream of a woman, could it have been his mother?
And then the sound of cold, terrifying laughter.
This time the vision was clearer than in any of his past nightmares.
Though what the girl said sounded outrageous, Harry realized it was the only explanation that truly made sense.
"Harry, I also know you'll receive a letter of acceptance to Hogwarts this summer. After the holidays, we'll all be going there to study."
Amanda deftly shifted the topic, pulling Harry away from his grim thoughts.
"Hogwarts? That's a school? We're going there?"
"Hogwarts is the finest school of magic in the world. For the next seven years, we'll study magic there together."
Amanda gave him an introduction to Hogwarts, and Harry listened with fascination.
But then, suddenly remembering something, he interrupted her, his voice tinged with disappointment.
"But Aunt Petunia's planning to send me to Stonewall High… I'm afraid she and Uncle Vernon will never let me go to Hogwarts."
Amanda gave him a mysterious wink.
"Don't worry. Hogwarts will make sure you get there. You're a wizard."
"Really?" Harry asked eagerly.
"Of course."
Harry couldn't explain why, but there was something about this strange girl that filled him with an unshakable sense of trust.
For now, he chose to believe her. But a new question quickly formed in his mind.
"Hmm… you just mentioned Hogwarts has four houses, and that the Sorting Hat decides which one we'll join?"
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