Esther Mayne was born in 1981 in the United Kingdom, and now lived in a small, obscure, and slightly tongue-twisting village in Devon, England,Ottery St Catchpole.
Anyone who had read one of the world's best-selling series, Harry Potter, or watched the movie adaptations might find the name familiar. It was a village where Muggles and wizards lived side by side, and the well-known Weasley family resided here as well.
Of course, unless a wizard deliberately chose to appear in front of Muggles, it was impossible for Muggles to detect their existence.
It was now the middle of July in the year 1992. The "Boy Who Lived" had just completed his first year at Hogwarts. "You-Know-Who" had not yet returned, and the Weasley family was not busy traveling everywhere to resist him. Therefore, at this moment, Ottery St Catchpole was nothing more than an ordinary and peaceful little village.
Today was Esther's eleventh birthday. She woke up very early and, after finishing breakfast, paced back and forth in the living room, both excited and nervous.
"Sweetheart, I promise Hogwarts will send you an acceptance letter, so could you please sit still for a moment and stop pacing around?"
Her father, David Mayne, folded up the Daily Prophet and spoke helplessly.
He was tall, with deep-set features and handsome looks. Since he was at home, he wore only a casually buttoned white shirt, and a pair of silver-rimmed glasses rested on his high, straight nose, giving him a gentle and cultured air.
When Esther heard him, she stopped walking, bounced onto the sofa beside him, rolled over in excitement, and then sat up properly with exaggerated obedience.
"Okay, Dad. I'm just really excited, but I promise I won't disturb you while you read."
Seeing her sit down quietly, David nodded in satisfaction and reopened his newspaper.
If only smartphones existed right now.
Esther sighed inwardly.
Yes, she was a transmigrator.
At first, she simply thought she had traveled to the United Kingdom of the 1980s. The people around her, including her parents, behaved completely normally, and there was never any mention of magic in daily life.
Until one night when she was eight years old—her magic suddenly surged out of control, and all the furniture in the house flew into the air. She was terrified, thinking she had encountered a ghost, and cried for her parents. Then she saw them pull out little wooden sticks and point them at the rampaging furniture, restoring everything to normal. Only then did she realize she had transmigrated into Harry Potter.
Crossing into a children's novel was far better than ending up in a horror story.
Not to mention, it was a children's novel she loved dearly.
"Come, have some fruit."
Her mother, Letitia, walked in with a plate of freshly cut fruit.
She was born into one of the twenty-eight Sacred Pure-blood Families—the Macmillans—and had graduated from Hufflepuff. With her golden hair and warm brown eyes, she looked gentle and kind.
"Thank you, Mum."
Esther picked up a large, bright red strawberry and held it to Letitia's lips first.
Letitia, touched, ate it and affectionately stroked her daughter's head. "Oh, my little darling. Mummy loves you."
Beside them, Mr. Mayne twitched the corner of his mouth, expressionless, clearly finding their overly sentimental display of "mother-daughter affection" a bit much.
Just as Esther finished the strawberry, an owl carrying an envelope hit the window with a loud thump.
Esther's eyes lit up instantly. "An owl! My acceptance letter must be here!!"
She rushed to the window, threw it open, and let the owl inside.
The owl handed her a letter stamped with the Hogwarts crest, and she opened it eagerly:
---
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore,
(Order of Merlin, First Class; Grand Sorcerer; Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot; Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards)
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
A list of necessary books and equipment is enclosed.
Term begins on 1 September.
We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
---
It looked exactly like what she had seen in her previous life in the movie!
Thrilled, Esther bounced around her room with the letter in hand—her long-lost owl had finally found her in this new life!!
For someone who had loved Harry Potter so much in her previous life, this was undoubtedly an incredible blessing.
She held the envelope lovingly, unable to let go.
"Congratulations, sweetheart. Mummy believes you'll grow into a wonderful witch."
Her mother walked over and gave her a gentle kiss.
Esther smiled sweetly. "Thank you, Mum."
But she didn't actually want to become too exceptional. After all, the Chosen One was about to enter his second year soon, and Hogwarts' Chamber of Secrets would soon be opened. Instead of aiming to be an outstanding witch, it was better to set a simple, practical little goal—survive safely until the end of the series.
Fortunately, she wasn't in the same year as the Chosen One. As long as she was sorted into Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw—houses that usually had less involvement in major plot events—she would basically stay out of the main storyline. Then she could watch the protagonist save the magical world while keeping her own life perfectly intact.
What a delightful arrangement.
Feeling pleased, Esther turned to her parents and asked seriously:
"Dad, Mum, which house do you think I'll be sorted into?"
Her father folded his newspaper again, a hint of interest in his eyes.
"Although I'd really like you to enter Ravenclaw, it's more likely you'll become a Gryffindor or a Hufflepuff, since you truly don't enjoy reading."
Esther puffed up her cheeks in protest, hands on her hips.
"I don't dislike reading! I only equally despise everything related to math, chemistry, physics, and astronomy!"
David chuckled, clearly amused by her angry little expression.
"See? If you got into Ravenclaw, it would be a catastrophe for both you and your classmates."
Letitia lightly patted her husband's shoulder, telling him to hush, then turned to comfort her daughter:
"Don't listen to your father. No matter which house you enter, it will be a blessing for that house. After all, everyone loves such a beautiful and bright little witch like you."
In a mother's eyes, her child was always the best.
Esther felt happily flattered. If she hadn't already decided to be a background character, with her mother praising her like this, she felt she could kick Draco Malfoy and punch Voldemort already.
David shook his head silently at the excessive mother-daughter admiration.
"I actually want to go to Hufflepuff, because Cousin Ernie said Hufflepuff is closest to the kitchen, so you can get hot midnight snacks at night!"
Of course, she had known about the kitchen since before transmigrating, but she could only pin the knowledge on Ernie.
Letitia nodded encouragingly.
"That's right! Hufflepuff is a very warm and united house."
As a former Hufflepuff herself, she was delighted by her daughter's choice.
Behind the affectionate mother-daughter scene, David hesitated.
In his opinion, the best house was still Ravenclaw.
***
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