HP: Hogwart's Journey

Robert slumped at the dining table, looking listless, while Aunt Elsa busied herself tidying up the room. In his arms, he held Puffskein, its eyes shut tight. Elsa mistook it for a plush cushion Robert had purchased earlier.

"Oh, my dear little sweetheart Robert, that buttery yellow suits you perfectly," Elsa teased with a chuckle. "Have you finished your milk? If so, you can go play outside for a bit, but don't wander too far—stay in the yard."

Robert obediently got up, clutching Puffskein as he ran off to play.

"Make sure to put that cushion back in your room—or leave it by the sink. I'll clean it later!" Elsa called after him. Robert froze mid-step, glancing down at the sleeping little creature in his arms. He wondered to himself, 'Would this little guy get upset if it were washed?' 

Should he dry it under the sun after washing, or use a blow dryer? Maybe a quick-dry towel would work? 

Robert stood there mulling it over for a while before realizing it probably wasn't a good idea to flaunt Puffskein in front of Elsa. After wandering around outside for a bit, he eventually retreated to his bedroom for an afternoon nap. Seeing Robert sleeping so soundly, Elsa felt both heartache and helplessness. 

It wasn't until dinner that Elsa hesitantly called Robert over.

"Robert, I… I have something I need to tell you," Elsa said, twisting her fingers nervously. She opened her mouth to speak but then closed it again, clearly struggling to find the right words.

Robert waited quietly, watching her with calm eyes.

The living room fell into an awkward silence.

Uncomfortable with the stillness, Robert broke the silence. "Are you planning to quit this job, Aunt Elsa?"

Elsa's eyes widened in shock. She hadn't expected Robert to hit the nail on the head, but now that it was out in the open, she could no longer skirt around the topic. She nodded reluctantly, her tone tinged with sorrow. "I'm so sorry, Robert. I've met someone I want to spend the rest of my life with. I won't be able to stay and look after you every day anymore."

Robert lowered his head, deep in thought.

Elsa, misinterpreting his silence as tears, panicked. "Oh, my sweet Robert, please don't cry! The foundation will find you a much better caretaker than me. Look, I can't even read, and all I know is housework. They'll find someone who can teach you as well!"

Robert lifted his head and gave her a reassuring smile. "Aunt Elsa, there's no need to worry. I was just thinking… if it's possible, could you stay on as the housekeeper?"

"Huh?" Elsa blinked, unsure if she'd heard him right.

"You could just handle cleaning and cooking—only breakfast and lunch would be fine. I can handle dinner myself. That way, you'd still have time to take care of your little one at home, wouldn't you?" Robert's big eyes blinked earnestly. "I can take care of myself, you know."

"Oh, Robert, this…" Elsa was stunned, unsure of how to respond.

Robert feigned a pained expression. "Does this mean Aunt Elsa doesn't like me anymore?"

Elsa immediately waved her hands in denial. "Of course not! You're my little sweetheart! It's just… I'm worried about leaving you alone at home. Even if you've been sleeping by yourself at night, it feels unsafe to leave the house empty from the afternoon until evening. What if a burglar breaks in while I'm not here?"

"But what if the new caretaker's cooking isn't as good as yours? What if I go hungry?" Robert pulled out his trump card—a pitiful, pleading look. "Please, Aunt Elsa~?"

Elsa, thoroughly defeated by his adorableness, declared with conviction, "I'm not going anywhere! Not a chance!" 

And so, life for Robert returned to its normal rhythm, except for the addition of two new tutors: one to teach him reading and another to instruct him in combat skills. 

One day, two new lines appeared on Robert's personal progress panel: 

[Language Level 0 (1/10)] 

[Close-Combat Level 0 (1/10)] 

"It's time to learn some new skills," Robert mused, making his way to the basement door.

He had stumbled upon the basement by accident. The entrance was hidden in the study, and it had taken him days to clear a narrow path through the thick layers of dust. 

What he discovered down there was astonishing: a family secret.

His parents were wizards.

It was almost unbelievable. He was already ten, and yet no wizard had shown up out of the blue to say, "Kid, I'm your parents' friend. By the way, I'm a wizard. What's a wizard, you ask? Here, let me show you some magic!" 

"Seriously, Mom, Dad, how bad was your social life?"

With that thought, Robert returned to the area he had cleaned the previous day. A bookshelf loomed ahead. Once he cleared the remaining dust, he'd finally be able to read the books stored there. 

After over an hour of effort, his head covered in grime, Robert finally laid his hands on his first magical book: 

"The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1" by Miranda Goshawk.

He opened the cover, only to be overwhelmed by a fit of coughing. When he wiped his teary eyes, he saw a name scrawled inside. "Charles Leslie."

That seemed to be his father. 

Next to the book was a piece of paper. Curious, Robert set the book down and picked up the sheet. The handwriting was blurry, but as a fan of the *Harry Potter* novels, Robert immediately guessed what it was: a N.E.W.T. exam score sheet.

"Pfft," Robert snorted. A straight line of "A"s—barely passing.

He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. 

Setting down the paper, he rummaged through another shelf and unearthed another score sheet. This time, he sucked in a sharp breath. Ten perfect "O"s.

Placing the paper back with reverence, Robert felt like he should kneel in worship. His mother, Anna Leslie, was a genius! 

Without hesitation, he abandoned his father's book and ran off with one of his mother's. 

The book contained spells like the Softening Charm, Severing Charm, Unlocking Charm, Levitation Charm, Locking Charm, Repairing Charm, Lumos Charm, Knockback Jinx, and Fire-Making Charm—spells he recognized from the *Harry Potter* series. 

Every inch of its pages was filled with meticulous notes. Following the instructions, Robert decided to memorize his first spell: 

The Lumos Charm—"Lumos," which made the tip of a wand emit light. 

(To be continued)