Rey hadn't just made the glass vanish for a moment; he could also move objects with his mind.
Making the glass disappear was a desperate discovery he'd made just moments ago. If he hadn't been backed into a corner, he never would have thought he was capable of such a thing.
But because he had successfully used telekinesis earlier, he figured vanishing glass wasn't too much of a stretch.
The telekinesis—or whatever it was—happened when that perverted employee had him pinned to the ground, kissing his neck. In his panic, Rey had desperately wanted to grab the brick lying just out of reach. Suddenly, the brick had flown straight into his hand, leading to those three life-saving strikes against the man's skull.
The glass incident was the same. It was pure desperation. He had willed the glass to disappear, and for a moment, it actually did.
It was a good thing it worked. Otherwise, he would have been hauled off to the police station for a reward and shipped right back to the orphanage.
Rey didn't think he'd get a second chance to escape. Panting heavily, he tried to suppress a giddy, almost manic laugh.
He had superpowers.
He could move things with his mind, and he could make solid objects vanish into thin air.
Maybe he had other dormant abilities, maybe not. But with just these two, he wouldn't starve.
As long as he had the chance to grow up, he could live an incredible life, superpowers or not.
That was the confidence of someone who had lived twice. Plus, this world seemed to match the 1980s Britain of his memories.
Right now, Rey felt like a prophet. He knew the general trajectory of history, and even a rough idea of the future was enough to gain a massive advantage.
Once the adrenaline wore off and his eyes adjusted to the dark, Rey found his way to the bedding department of the store.
There were display beds here—made up, soft, and comfortable. Sleeping here meant he wouldn't freeze to death.
Exhausted physically and mentally from the escape, Rey crawled into a display bed and fell asleep almost instantly.
---
Rey woke up the next day at the crack of dawn.
He had to. If he was caught trespassing in the department store, it would be a disaster.
His dreams that night had been vivid, weaving together his past life and his current one. The memories tangled together, leaving him with a surreal, disoriented feeling as he woke up.
Rey quickly got dressed, still shaking off the grogginess. Just as he was about to leave, he noticed a letter.
It looked like an ordinary envelope, but it was made of thick parchment. It was sitting right on top of the quilt he had slept under.
Rey couldn't believe he hadn't noticed it before he went to sleep.
The front of the envelope bore a crest and a wax seal.
He flipped it over and read the address written in emerald green ink: Mr. Rey Faest, Shop No. 4, 17 Burlington Market Street.
"This..."
Rey gasped. The address was incredibly precise.
He had only arrived here yesterday, yet a letter had already found him. Burlington Market Street was correct, though he wasn't sure if this specific bedding display counted as "Shop No. 4."
But the letter was clearly for him—it had his name on it.
The whole thing felt strangely familiar. Rey looked around the empty department store, a suspicion growing in his gut. He tore open the envelope and pulled out the letter.
"Dear Mr. Faest, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry..."
Rey's hands trembled as he read the rest. As a modern person who had transmigrated, if he didn't know what this meant, he'd have to be living under a rock.
Even though the Harry Potter series had ended years ago in his previous life and the plot details were fuzzy, the words "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry" were unmistakable.
Rey had assumed he was just reborn into a parallel version of 1980s Britain.
He never imagined he was actually in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
---
An acceptance letter, a list of required supplies for first-year students, a ticket for the Hogwarts Express at King's Cross Station leaving from Platform 9¾, and a map to Diagon Alley.
"Harry Potter... So, my 'superpower' is actually magic."
Rey immediately redefined his abilities.
The world of Harry Potter wasn't just about wizards. It had dragons, werewolves, magical creatures... and vampires.
Ryan Evers.
The orphanage director was a vampire. And not just any vampire—one who could walk in the sunlight.
He wore a heavy ring—a Daylight Ring.
The arrogant Ryan Evers had actually told Rey this himself.
Once a year, on the day after his birthday, Rey would be called into Evers' room. Rey would always find himself staring at that ring.
Evers, his eyes burning with dark desire, had once vaguely threatened him: "Wait until you come of age. After I take your blood to resurrect... I can share this with you. We can both be creatures who walk in the sun."
Before regaining his memories, Rey hadn't understood. But thinking back on it now, it was obvious. Ryan Evers was a vampire protected by a magical ring.
Pushing that terrifying realization to the back of his mind, Rey quickly washed up in the employee restroom and slipped out of the mall.
His timing was perfect; he left just before the staff started their shifts.
The streets were already busy with pedestrians and groups of children heading to school, so Rey didn't stand out.
Since this was the Harry Potter universe, Rey checked the map included with his letter and set a course for the Leaky Cauldron.
Just as he turned the corner outside the mall, he glanced back to check for tails—and froze. He saw a familiar figure walking into the main entrance of the department store he had just left.
Ryan Evers.
Rey sucked in a cold breath. The man was a monster who would eat him alive without spitting out the bones. Just seeing him sent a chill down Rey's spine.
Rey quickly pulled back, hiding behind the corner, afraid to look again.
Evers had suddenly stopped in his tracks as if he sensed someone watching him.
It was just a hunch, not a certainty. After a brief hesitation, Evers continued into the mall.
Rey didn't waste a second. He bolted to the other side of the street and jumped onto a double-decker bus.
Shortly after the bus pulled away, Ryan Evers reached the corner where Rey had been hiding. His expression was twisted with rage. "Was that a coincidence? Or is he deliberately hiding?"
Evers punched the brick wall of the corner. The ring on his right middle finger struck the masonry with a crisp clink.
The punch was terrifyingly strong, shattering the brick and sending up a cloud of dust. Yet, his finger wasn't even scratched, and the ring remained perfectly shaped.
---
Rey switched buses three times before finally arriving at Charing Cross Road in Westminster.
It was one of London's most historic streets, blending the leisurely pace of the old city with the hustle of the modern metropolis. It had a unique charm, lined with all sorts of eclectic shops.
According to the instructions, the Leaky Cauldron was located deep within the old street, sandwiched between a record shop and a bookstore.
It was approaching noon, and the street was crowded with tourists. Rey blended right in.
In his past life, he never had the time to travel here. In this life, seeing it for the first time, he was captivated by the artistic and historical vibe of the place.
Forcing himself to focus, Rey scanned the storefronts until he found it.
The Leaky Cauldron.
Until this moment, a part of him had still been skeptical. But seeing it confirmed everything. This really was the world of Harry Potter.
The entrance was tiny, just a narrow, dark door squeezed between two shops.
To the left hung a battered sign reading The Leaky Cauldron. To the right was just a simple, nondescript door.
It looked completely out of place on this busy street, its ancient, grimy appearance making it unforgettable once noticed.
However, people without magic—Muggles—couldn't see it at all. Only wizards, or those with the potential to be wizards, could perceive the pub.
Steeling his nerves, Rey stepped forward, pushed open the creaky door, and walked inside.
The interior was dim and smoky. Even in the middle of the day, they needed candles for light.
There were old wooden tables, peeling walls, and faint sunlight struggling through the grime of the high windows.
The air smelled of sherry and stale beer, accompanied by the faint sound of a fiddle.
When Rey walked in, he immediately drew attention.
A pub was a place for adults. Rey looked like an eleven-year-old girl.
He shouldn't be here, certainly not alone.
But the Leaky Cauldron was invisible to Muggles. The fact that Rey walked in proved only one thing: he was a young wizard.
---
The pub was old, but not exactly dirty—just worn.
Rey kept a calm smile on his face, trying to look at ease so people would think he was there for a reason, not just a lost kid.
The patrons—some in pointed hats, others in eccentric robes—paused their conversations to look at him, then shrugged and went back to their drinks.
Unless it was Harry Potter himself, a random kid entering the pub wasn't going to hold their interest for long.
Rey climbed onto a tall stool at the bar. Tom, the bald and toothless innkeeper (though currently looking a bit younger and rosier than in the movies), smiled at him.
"Miss, we don't serve alcohol to minors," Tom said kindly.
Tom was dressed in old-fashioned clothes, matching the 19th-century vibe of the rest of the pub.
Rey sat there, looking at the barman, feeling a bit awkward. He immediately pulled off the pink woolen beanie, revealing his short, messy hair.
"Sir, I don't want alcohol," he said, his voice still carrying a childish pitch but clearly male. "I just wanted to ask... do you take pounds here?"
He had no Galleons, no Sickles, no Knuts. He only had British pounds.
Tom blinked, surprised that the little girl was actually a boy. He recovered quickly and smiled warmly.
"Of course we do, sir."
---