Chapter 11: The boy who never dies in adversity!
"Can you modify a wand by yourself???"
Snape looked as though he had just heard the most absurd joke in the world.
The kind of joke so ridiculous that it wasn't even funny anymore.
"Yes, that's right. I followed the instructions from Flourish and Blotts' textbooks and added a little of my own creative flair to finish it."
Devero nodded as he explained.
Snape couldn't believe that Devero had so casually admitted to such a thing.
However, recalling how this same boy had just made an ultra-simplified version of the Polyjuice Potion—something even Snape himself couldn't achieve—Snape began to entertain the idea that Devero might not be lying.
"How long have you been doing this?" Snape asked hesitantly.
He knew that if Devero were lying, it would likely result in his expulsion.
"Not long, just two weeks or so. I've probably cast spells a few hundred times in that period."
Snape raised a hand to his temple, massaging it as if to stave off an incoming headache.
If what this boy said was true, and the Ministry of Magic hadn't come knocking after two weeks, then perhaps it had indeed gone undetected.
If that were the case, could it be that this boy wasn't just a potions prodigy but also an unparalleled genius in wand crafting?
"Hold on—tell me in detail, exactly how you modified the wand—damn it! We're out of time!"
Before Devero could explain the specifics of his wand modifications, Snape swore under his breath. He said they were running late and told Devero to find him later at school to discuss it in private.
Then, grabbing Devero by the shoulder—
BANG!
Devero felt as though he had been flushed into a swirling vortex, tumbling chaotically before landing in a new location.
Though he was already quite skilled at Apparition, being taken along by Snape was a completely different experience—much more uncomfortable than when he cast the spell himself.
When he turned to look, they were now in a small alleyway with no other wizards or Muggles in sight.
Snape shoved a train ticket into Devero's hand.
"Now, go to the station and take the train. The platform is Nine and Three-Quarters. The entrance is the stone pillar between Platforms Nine and Ten. Just charge at it without hesitation."
After giving these instructions, Snape narrowed his eyes.
"And one more thing—no Apparating when I'm not watching you. I don't care where you learned it from."
With that, Snape shoved Devero out of the alleyway.
Still slightly dazed, Devero made his way to the train station.
Just as he was about to enter the station, he turned back for a glance, but Snape had already vanished into the shadows of the alleyway.
To be honest, an eleven-year-old half-blood boy carrying a toad on his shoulder at a train station was... well, a bit unusual.
It drew plenty of attention from nearby Muggle adults, but Devero paid them no mind and continued toward Platform Nine.
Before long, he arrived at the stone pillar between the two platforms.
However, the idea of running headlong into a solid stone column without any visible protection made him hesitate.
As he stood there, debating, another boy pushing a large luggage trolley—about Devero's age—hurried onto the platform.
This boy had green eyes, glasses, and messy black hair that nearly covered his forehead.
No doubt about it—this was the legendary Boy Who Lived!
The Savior of the Wizarding World!
Harry Potter!
Devero immediately approached him.
"Hey, are you a new student at Hogwarts too?"
Devero extended his hand in a friendly manner.
"I am too. My name's Devero—Devero Alexander. What's yours?"
Harry, startled by the sudden approach of someone his own age, hesitated for a moment. But when he heard Devero mention Hogwarts, relief washed over him.
"Hello, I'm Harry—Harry Potter. It's so good to meet you!"
He took Devero's outstretched hand and smiled.
But as Devero looked at Harry, he suddenly froze.
Devero would probably never forget the day he saw Harry Potter's system traits.
...
[Name: Harry Potter]
[Age: 11]
[Magic Traits: Love (Ancient Magic/Effective until age 17, currently active)]
[Traits: Savior (Red), Protection of Love (Gold), Horcrux (Gold), Flying Prodigy (Purple), Magical Talent (Purple)]
...
[Savior (Red)]: Innate fame and reputation. In your ultimate showdown with your nemesis, you are destined to achieve greatness! However, your final path depends on your choices.
[Protection of Love (Gold)]: The deep love that shields you. As long as you spend time with a blood relative every year until adulthood, no one can harm you.
[Horcrux (Gold)]: Accidentally made into a Horcrux by a powerful Dark Wizard, you inherit some of their abilities, including extraordinary talent in Dark Magic and Parseltongue.
[Flying Prodigy (Purple)]: A natural-born flier. Your innate mastery of flying objects, especially broomsticks, surpasses what others could achieve through years of training.
[Magical Talent (Purple)]: Superior magical aptitude, enabling you to learn spells at an extraordinary speed and exhibit creativity in spellcasting.
...
Oh my God!
For the first time besides himself, Devero had met someone with more than one gold trait—and even a red one!
And all of Harry's traits were at least purple or above!
No wonder he was the Boy Who Lived—legendary, indeed!
Without hesitation, Devero immediately added [Savior], [Protection of Love (Gold)], [Flying Prodigy (Purple)], and [Magical Talent (Purple)] to his own Trait Queue.
For now, he loaded [Savior (Red)], [Protection of Love (Gold)], and [Magical Talent (Purple)] onto himself.
As for [Horcrux]...
Uh, no thanks. He wasn't interested in sharing dreams with a noseless bald man while he slept. That "honor" could stay with Harry.
It made sense to delay loading [Flying Prodigy (Purple)]—he could always add it later at Hogwarts if needed.
Meanwhile, the decision to load [Protection of Love] wasn't just about safety; Devero had another plan in mind: using the trait's magical effect to identify his own blood relatives.
After all, if the magic activated, it meant he'd found someone with shared blood.
And as for [Savior], Devero was simply curious about how this system would "create" a way for him, already 11 years old, to achieve legendary status and fame.
Ding!
[Copying Trait: Savior (Red)...]
[Copying Trait: Protection of Love (Gold)...]
[Copying Trait: Magical Talent (Purple)...]
[Copy Complete!]
At the moment the traits were copied, Devero didn't feel the same intense physical transformation he had experienced when loading [Potion Prodigy] or [Wand Crafting Genius]—or at least, the changes were much subtler this time.
Instead, he felt as if something had shifted in his very existence—an indescribable change, as if he had glimpsed the entirety of his future, only to instantly forget it again.
The sensation was strange and unsettling.
"Devero? Are you okay?"
Harry's concerned voice jolted Devero back to reality.
"Oh, uh... I'm fine. What were we talking about again?"
Devero decided to set aside these strange feelings for now and revisit them later on the train.
"Well, um, I was saying that I don't really know how to get to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters," Harry admitted sheepishly.
Devero could tell that Harry wasn't keen on revealing his ignorance, not wanting others to think of the famous "Savior" as clueless.
Understanding, Devero grinned and led Harry to the stone pillar.
"Here, Harry. Don't think—just charge straight at this column!"