HP: Hogwart's Journey

Robert arrived at the community park. Today, he was here to attempt learning a new skill—one he had been eyeing for quite some time. Whether he could succeed today was still uncertain. 

The park had been set up with a stage. Staff bustled about, some managing various prizes while others arranged two whiteboards on the side. The event was part of a new initiative by the local Chinese Language Learning Club, aiming to promote knowledge of Chinese culture within the community and encourage people to learn more about the "Flower Country." 

It didn't take long for Robert to spot his target—a child with the nickname "the prodigy." The little boy was currently blowing snot bubbles while sucking on a lollipop, looking utterly carefree. His parents, however, stood nearby, radiating pride as they modestly conversed with the surrounding adults. Clearly, introducing their genius child to others was a source of great joy for them. 

"If Charles and Anna were still alive, would they be just as proud of me?" Robert wondered, his heart sinking at the thought. 

The event soon kicked off, and Robert, being the only child present without a guardian, drew plenty of attention. When people learned he was an orphan, sympathetic gazes followed him, though he didn't seem to care. 

Meanwhile, the prodigy took the stage as the host began hyping up the crowd, showering the boy with praises like, "He could assemble a clock at the age of three!" and "He could recite an entire children's storybook by five!" The compliments seemed to roll off the boy's back, as though he had heard them far too often. Calmly, he listened to the host, then began his performance. 

The host handed him a page with some Chinese characters, instructing him to study it for one minute and then write as many as he could recall on the whiteboard. 

After swiftly scanning the page, the boy picked up a marker and began writing. Within minutes, he had finished six characters, while his competitor—a timid child—couldn't write even one. 

"Waaaaah!" The other child burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably and resisting all attempts to console him. The organizers had no choice but to hand him a small consolation prize to calm him down. 

The incident only amplified the prodigy's reputation, leaving some parents hesitant to let their own children participate. What if their kids went up there and couldn't write a single word? How embarrassing would that be? 

But Robert wasn't deterred. He stepped forward, politely informing the host that he wanted to give it a try. 

The host, already impressed by the boy's independence, became even more sympathetic upon learning he was an orphan. 

"Little guy, why do you want to participate in this contest?" the host asked, attempting to liven up the atmosphere. 

Robert blinked innocently and replied in a soft voice, "It's Angela Auntie's birthday soon, and I want to win her a teddy bear." 

The teddy bear wasn't the biggest prize available, but it was certainly the most expensive—and only the winner could claim it. Since Robert's goal was to beat the prodigy, aiming for the bear made perfect sense. 

The host chuckled. "What a determined young man! Let me go over the rules again, just for you." 

He continued, "On this sheet, there are ten Chinese characters. I'll give you one minute to memorize as many as you can. Then, you'll write them on the whiteboard over there. The winner will be the one who correctly writes the most characters. Got it?" 

Robert nodded firmly, and the host handed him a sheet of paper.

As expected, the sheet contained ten Chinese characters, all relatively simple ones like "丁," "上," "云," and "左." Since he had once been a part of the yellow-skinned populace, Robert easily wrote them down, eliciting gasps of surprise from the crowd. 

People couldn't believe their eyes—a child who could recall more characters than the so-called prodigy! The scene turned chaotic for a moment as the audience began cheering for Robert, urging him to remember more characters. 

For a brief moment, Robert was overwhelmed. In his previous life, had there ever been such a group of people so enthusiastic about Chinese characters? But he soon realized he was mistaken. This crowd wasn't really interested in Chinese characters—they just wanted to witness the birth of another prodigy. In other words, they were simply stirring up excitement. 

Feeling a bit awkward, Robert finished with a score of 32 characters, beating the prodigy's 22. He became the undisputed winner of the day. 

Clutching the expensive teddy bear prize, Robert declined any interviews and quietly slipped back home. 

Just then, a new line of text appeared on the panel: 

[In a flawless version verified at the Book-and-Bar!] 

[You defeated Mike Kane in the Knowledge Mastery Duel. Photographic Memory +10.] 

[Skill Point +1.] 

[Photographic Memory Level 1 (1/20).] 

"Skill points?!" Robert's eyes widened in delight. So, there was something like this? Without hesitation, he used the point, leveling up his Photographic Memory. 

[Photographic Memory Level 2 (1/40).] 

[You can now choose one of the following as an expansion skill:] 

[Practical Application.] 

[Rote Memorization.] 

Though there were no detailed explanations, Robert chose "Practical Application" based on the name. 

A cool sensation swirled through his brain, and Robert felt his mind working faster. Spells he had almost forgotten suddenly resurfaced, and the analysis of magical techniques in his books now seemed clearer and easier to understand. 

"This skill is fantastic," Robert muttered, clicking his tongue in amazement. "Now I have even more motivation to learn magic." 

At the moment, however, Robert couldn't use magic. The reason? He didn't have a wand. 

Yes, it was highly unscientific. In a world of magic, the idea of needing a wand to cast spells seemed absurd. To be fair, wandless magic did exist, but its limited power and versatility relegated it to being an advanced skill. 

So, a magical world concerned itself with "science?" That was undeniably magical in itself! 

As Robert's thoughts spiraled in random directions, a sudden thud sounded from the yard outside. 

"Thump!" 

Startled, Robert froze in place for a long moment before cautiously peeking out the window toward the ground below. 

Under the cherry tree in the yard, someone in a gray and white hooded cloak was sprawled face-down. Moonlight illuminated their back, revealing a dark, ominous stain. 

Shrinking back slightly, Robert hesitated. He suspected the person was gravely injured—too injured to move, perhaps. 

But he didn't dare go down. 

Firstly, he was just a child, and any child encountering something like this would naturally be frightened and inclined to run away. Secondly, he couldn't determine whether the person below bore any ill intentions. 

What if he went down to check and was attacked? 

(End of Chapter)