London, Charing Cross Road.
Tucked between a large bookstore and a record shop stood the Leaky Cauldron.
From the outside, this pub was inconspicuous—so much so that passersby often overlooked it.
Its appearance gave off an ancient and slightly run-down vibe, as if time had forgotten it.
At that moment, inside one of its rooms, a boy with blond hair was busily moving around.
He was tidying up all sorts of strange-looking items: bottles and jars containing colorful powders, liquids, and odd plant roots and stems.
In addition to these ingredients, he was organizing a set of delicate yet slightly worn tools.
Several thick leather-bound books lay scattered across the table.
The boy gently closed them, arranged them alphabetically, and placed them neatly into a trunk.
"Alas, Merlin's beard, I still have to go to school!"
Develo sighed with a sense of helplessness.
He had been in this world for a year, learning potions under the guidance of a rather eccentric teacher.
It had been an exhausting experience.
His favorite part of each day was when the teacher left to teach at school.
He never expected that he'd also have to attend that same school—Hogwarts.
Though Hogwarts had always been a dream to him, the thought of going there now made him uncomfortable.
After all, Develo wasn't originally from this world.
A year ago, he had transmigrated—his soul suddenly waking up in the body of a young boy.
He appeared to be of Eurasian descent, with blond hair and dark brown eyes—features that hinted at an Asian background.
As for why he transmigrated? Don't ask.
The answer was... a dump truck.
When he woke up, his first sight was of a greasy, messy-haired man with a gloomy face lifting him off the bed with one hand.
That was his master—Snape.
Develo's first impression of Snape?
A grumpy, emotionally constipated old virgin.
The man radiated frustration.
Touching his hand, still red from being slapped for sleeping in, Develo recalled how the old bat had barked a bunch of instructions before disappearing.
Only then did he realize he had truly transmigrated—into a magical world, no less—and become a disciple of a potions master.
To top it off, he'd somehow picked up fluent English, a language he had struggled with in his previous life.
Over time, he began piecing things together.
His teacher—none other than Professor Snape from Harry Potter!
That revelation made him both thrilled and terrified.
Thrilled, because he had landed in the magical world he'd always adored.
Terrified, because Snape was the same strict, sarcastic nightmare as in the books.
Unfortunately, his early days didn't go smoothly.
His memories hadn't fully returned, and many tasks Snape assigned him were bungled.
The punishments were... memorable, to say the least.
Even now, Develo winced when recalling them.
Thankfully, he had since mastered nearly all the skills needed to be a competent potion assistant.
Snape rarely found fault with him anymore.
Still, living with the man was unnerving.
He wasn't looking forward to having him as a teacher at school, too.
As for why Develo became Snape's apprentice—apparently, his mother had entrusted him to Snape's care.
After that, there was no more news of his family.
Develo had once tried asking Snape about them, but the man immediately turned hostile and nitpicked everything he did for days.
Develo learned his lesson and never brought it up again.
Despite the challenges, Develo didn't just sit idle.
From day one, he had suspected he'd be in the same year as Harry Potter.
He had a chance to enter the plotline from the very beginning.
Still, for now, he was stuck as Snape's assistant—a kind of child laborer.
And things probably wouldn't get any easier once school started.
At least his magical talent wasn't bad.
Though Snape never taught him any spells, Develo found he had a natural sensitivity to magical ingredients.
It helped him pick up potion-making quickly.
Plus, he looked pretty good—definitely better than his past life.
That was some small consolation.
After finishing packing, Develo got ready to head downstairs.
Today, he and Snape were going to Diagon Alley to buy supplies for school.
Yesterday, Snape had brought him to the Leaky Cauldron early and told him to stay put until today.
Dragging a trunk that was two-thirds his size, Develo descended the stairs.
In the pub below, the owner—Tom—was already preparing for the day's business.
Hearing footsteps, Tom looked up.
It was Develo.
His blond hair glinted in the morning light.
"Good morning, Mr. Develo!" Tom greeted.
"Did you sleep well?"
Develo smiled, looking a little nervous but polite.
"Good morning, Mr. Tom. Thank you for your hospitality—I slept very well."
Tom noticed the trunk and chuckled.
"Looks like you brought a lot of stuff! Professor Snape didn't say much when he dropped you off, only that he'd come today to help you get your school materials."
Develo nodded slightly, trying to relax.
"Yes, he said we'd go to Diagon Alley today. It's my first time there, so... I'm a bit nervous."
Really, he was nervous about facing Snape again.
"Don't worry," Tom said with a reassuring smile.
"You'll love Diagon Alley—it's a magical place. And with Professor Snape with you, things will go smoothly."
He paused, then offered, "Would you like some breakfast first? I can whip up some fresh bread and hot tea."
Develo's eyes lit up.
"That'd be great—thank you, Mr. Tom."
Watching Tom head to the kitchen, Develo mused to himself that being a child had its perks—people always looked out for you.
He doubted Snape had arranged it though.
That old bat wasn't the type.
As he waited for breakfast—
Crack!
A chill ran down Develo's spine.
He knew that sound.
Turning around, he saw a tall, thin wizard in a black robe standing at the door.
Pale skin.
Greasy black hair covering part of his face.
Snape.
Develo's walking nightmare for the past year.
Reluctantly, he waved.
Snape noticed him and began to walk over.
"Develo, let's go. We have a long shopping list to get through today," he said.
Develo nodded, preparing to lift his trunk.
At that moment, Tom came over with two breakfast plates.
"Professor Snape, please have breakfast. I've made a plate for you too."
Develo looked longingly at the food.
He figured Snape would just refuse and walk off.
But—
"Okay. Eat quickly."
Snape sat down.
Develo froze in shock.
Was he actually in a good mood today?
Without wasting another second, he sat and began eating.
Then Snape pulled out an envelope and handed it to him.
It was a Hogwarts acceptance letter.
Develo's eyes widened with excitement.
Even if he had mixed feelings about Hogwarts because of Snape, this letter was still a dream come true.
But just as he opened it—
[Ding!]
[Detected a qualified host. Entry system is being bound…]
[Binding successful!]
What was that!?
Before he could react, another voice echoed in his mind:
[This system is called the Entry System. Everyone has exclusive entries—representing talent, destiny, and potential. This system allows the host to view entries of people within a three-meter radius and copy them!]
[Entry colors: white, green, blue, purple, gold, red… plus special entries with unpredictable strength.]