A month later.
Knockturn Alley welcomed a rare guest—Tom, the owner of the Leaky Cauldron.
Everyone knew that Knockturn Alley was one of the darkest and most dangerous places in the magical world. The wizards here were typically outlaws or fringe elements of society, and they were highly wary of strangers.
The moment Tom appeared at the end of the alley, the previously noisy Knockturn Alley fell into silence. All eyes turned toward him. Some wizards stopped their shady dealings. Others quietly reached for their wands.
A tense and eerie atmosphere settled over the place.
Whispers began to ripple through the crowd.
"Isn't that Tom from the Leaky Cauldron?"
"What's he doing here?"
"He doesn't look quite right today."
"Does he have some hidden purpose?"
A scar-faced wizard with fierce eyes stepped forward, sneering.
"Hey, Tom, what brings you here? Looking for a bit of fun?"
Tom ignored the taunt completely. His hand stayed clenched tightly around his wand. His expression clearly said, "Don't mess with me."
He understood all too well that in a place like this, any unnecessary conflict could easily spiral out of control. He wasn't afraid of these outlaws, but he wasn't here to cause trouble either.
And of course, no one wanted to provoke him.
After all, Tom was the proprietor of the Leaky Cauldron—an establishment of considerable reputation and influence in Diagon Alley. Most of these people would rather keep their distance and figure out his purpose from the shadows.
Cloaked wizards began quietly tailing him, watching from behind barrels, under hoods, and through cracked doors, hoping to uncover his true intentions.
Tom continued walking, slowly making his way through the winding alley. His sharp eyes scanned everything around him.
He passed a small shop that sold dark artifacts. The shopkeeper—an ancient, wrinkled wizard—stared at him with suspicion, never saying a word.
For some reason, Tom gave a subtle, triumphant smile, but he didn't stop. He simply moved on.
Next, he passed a shop specializing in forbidden books and illegal potions. The shop's half-open door emitted a sharp, pungent odor. Tom took one glance inside and mentally noted the location. It might prove useful in the future.
Suddenly, several dark wizards emerged from a side alley, blocking his path. They all wore malicious grins.
One of them asked coldly, "Tom, what exactly are you doing here?"
Tom met their gazes with an icy stare. His voice dropped low and dangerous.
"I'm just taking a stroll. Nothing more."
They didn't believe him, not for a second.
But they didn't dare attack him outright either. His reputation in Diagon Alley wasn't something to be taken lightly.
They exchanged glances, clearly weighing their options, and eventually stepped aside to let him through.
Tom continued, winding through the narrow backstreets and past crumbling buildings. He gave no clear indication of what he was searching for—just wandering as if he had all the time in the world.
A few minutes later, he came across a hidden exit and quickly slipped out of Knockturn Alley.
The outlaws were left scratching their heads, puzzled by his strange behavior. They gathered in corners, whispering among themselves about what Tom might have been up to.
—
"Wuhu~!"
In a room at the Leaky Cauldron, Tom—no, Devlin—raised his arms and cheered in triumph.
That's right.
The Tom who had just ventured into Knockturn Alley wasn't the real Tom, but Devlin, who had transformed using Polyjuice Potion!
It had taken him an entire month to brew the potion, but now, it had paid off. He had finally completed the remaining 2% of his Diagon Alley exploration.
More than that—his progress had jumped to 70%!
When he passed by the first shop in Knockturn Alley, the system had notified him that he'd completed another portion of exploration. Feeling a bit greedy, he decided to see if he could push it even further and max out the level.
But things hadn't gone exactly as planned. He didn't expect anyone to confront him. Two people had blocked his way, forcing him to scare them off before bolting from the alley in a panic.
"Never again," he thought. "I can't be that reckless."
Next time, he'd try going early in the morning—assuming dark wizards aren't early risers.
But today, it turned out they weren't asleep at all. They simply hadn't gone to bed.
Still, it was worth it. His exploration meter was now at 70.1%.
Grinning, Devlin opened his attribute panel.
[Name: Devlin Alexander]
[Age: 11]
[Identity: Hogwarts First-Year (not yet enrolled), Potions Apprentice]
[Spell Library:
Levitation Charm (Mastery / Silent + Verbal),
Summoning Charm (Proficient / Verbal),
Unlocking Charm (Proficient / Verbal),
Apparition (Entry / Verbal),
Full Body-Bind Curse (Proficient / Verbal),
Stupefy (Proficient / Verbal),
Disarming Charm (Proficient / Verbal), ...]**
[Traits:
Transmigrator (Unique),
Magical Prodigy (Unique),
Potions Genius (Gold),
Master of Magical Cooking (Purple), ...]**
[Trait Library: Unique (2), Gold (2), Purple (2), Blue (55), Green (451), White (8232)]
[Pet: Eyre (Mocus Swine)]
[Items: Spell Proficiency Card x1, Trait Upgrade Card x1, Wand (Purple Sandalwood)]
[Magical Realm Exploration Count: 1]
[Realm - Diagon Alley: Exploration Level 70.1%]
After a month of focused study, Devlin had mastered several dark curses and refined his Disarming Charm. He could now hold his own, at least somewhat, in a confrontation with dark wizards.
As for Apparition, he considered it too risky to practice. One wrong move, and he could end up splinched. Not a good look before his first day at Hogwarts.
And then there was the issue of the Trace.
He'd thought about it early on—he'd read the original books, after all. He had no interest in being expelled before even starting school.
Fortunately, one of his rarest traits—'Born Wandmaker'—came in handy. After a few days reading wandlore books, he found a method to block the Trace's signal without alerting the Ministry of Magic.
Of course, he couldn't just remove it—that would immediately raise alarms.
Instead, he constructed a specialized structure that could temporarily seal the Trace. When he was outside Hogwarts, it remained closed. While at school, he would reactivate it. No one would ever suspect a thing.
No average eleven-year-old wizard could have pulled that off. But Devlin wasn't average.
His wand—a finely crafted piece of purple sandalwood—cooperated perfectly throughout the process.
This recent transformation into Tom and infiltration of Knockturn Alley also showcased the strength of his 'Potions Genius' trait.
He hadn't even found a complete recipe for the Polyjuice Potion. But thanks to his extensive potions knowledge, clues from the original story, and some legal herbs purchased from a local shop, he successfully brewed a simplified version.
It didn't last long. It wasn't 100% accurate either.
For example, the Tom he transformed into was noticeably shorter—by at least ten centimeters—and his eye color hadn't changed.
The brewing time had been much shorter than standard.
But no one in Knockturn Alley seemed to notice.
In short: the experiment had been a great success. And—so far—there were no visible side effects.
"Alright, let's upgrade that trait!"
Devlin eagerly activated the Trait Upgrade Card and selected 'Potions Genius'.
After all, he was currently apprenticing under Snape. Boosting his skill in this area could only help—whether he chose to follow Snape or forge his own path later.
[Ding!]
[Trait Upgrade Card used successfully!]
An incredible sensation surged through his body. It was similar to the one he experienced when he first received 'Potions Genius', but this time much more intense.
Then—strangely—he felt like the Polyjuice Potion had taken effect again.
He glanced in the mirror and was shocked to see that he'd grown taller!
"Huh? Did it enhance the potion's effects to the optimal state?"
He quickly pulled up his updated trait panel to confirm.
[Potion Physique (Red):
You possess the innate talent to brew any potion. A single glance is enough to deduce a potion's ingredients and brewing method. Any potion you ingest will have twice the normal effect.]
He smiled.
Everything was going according to plan.