Chapter 2: Hogwarts

Seated on the speeding train, Noah had finally calmed down. The initial excitement and anxiety had settled, leaving him in a contemplative state as he gazed at the scenery rushing past the window.

He couldn't help but think about his future. To be honest, he had no idea what lay ahead. This world felt both intriguing and inexplicably dangerous. There was an underlying sense of uncertainty that made it hard for him to fully relax.

Still, overthinking wouldn't help. The only silver lining was that this world wasn't some apocalyptic setting, but rather a strange amalgamation of different universes. It was as if the dimensional walls had shattered, pulling together various worlds for reasons unknown.

Whether these worlds were originally from comics or movies, Noah wasn't entirely sure, nor did he care to figure it out. The timeline was still early, and at just eleven years old, he doubted he could do anything that would shake the world.

"So far, I know that America follows the Marvel timeline, and now that I'm in London, it seems I've stepped into the Harry Potter universe. Who knows what other chaotic elements exist in this world?"

Sighing, Noah rubbed his nose and shifted his gaze toward the other students in the compartment. The young witches and wizards were excitedly chattering away, their eyes filled with wonder. Their enthusiasm was almost contagious, yet Noah found it hard to share their excitement. This world was simply too bizarre for him to be carefree.

"Forget it. No use thinking too much. At the very least, I can become a magician, right?"

With that thought, he mentally summoned his system panel.

To be honest, Noah wasn't a fan of the system's interface. It was ridiculously basic—worse than even a cheap web game. However, it was all he had, so he had to make do. If it had been overloaded with unnecessary details, it probably would have just annoyed him more.

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[System Panel]

Name: Noah Finniel

Age: 11 years old

Mage Level: Order :0 Rank: 1

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Noah scowled at the rank displayed on his panel. After all the time he had spent trying to make progress, he had barely scratched the surface. Seeing that "Rank 1" was enough to put him in a bad mood.

Through the system, he had already gained a rough understanding of the magician ranking structure.

Magicians were classified from Order 1 to Order 10, with each stage further divided into ten ranks.

Right now, he was at the very bottom—a complete novice who had just started learning magic. In simple terms, he was nothing more than a rookie mage.

"This isn't even Order 0, Rank 1—this is a disgrace for a transmigrator."

Noah groaned inwardly. At this level, he could barely do anything. Even if he had a wand, he wouldn't be able to cast any proper spells. The most he could manage were minor tricks that weren't even worth mentioning.

His experience at Diagon Alley had been disappointingly uneventful. There was no dramatic explosion of magic, no special treatment, no discount—just a routine wand selection process, like any other ordinary student.

It only confirmed one thing: he was not the protagonist of this world.

But that was fine. Noah wasn't looking to be the center of attention. If anything, he preferred keeping a low profile.

"Staying under the radar is probably the smartest move. As long as I grow strong and ensure my safety, I don't mind getting involved in certain major events later on."

For now, though, he was just a small fry in a vast and unpredictable world.

Yawning, Noah decided to rest. The train ride was long and boring, and this old-fashioned steam train wasn't exactly comfortable. He had grown up used to high-speed trains—this slow, rattling ride felt like torture.

According to his memory, the Hogwarts Express took nearly the entire day to reach its destination. By his calculations, the trip lasted over eight hours.

"Instead of suffering through this, I might as well check out the system's library and read some books."

As for socializing?

Noah glanced at the excited students around him and quickly dismissed the idea.

"I don't even know which house I'll be sorted into. Let's talk about making friends after that."

Speaking of which, he hadn't decided which house he preferred yet.

One thing was for sure—he did not want to be in Gryffindor.

That house was filled with reckless, trouble-seeking students who always got away with everything. While Harry and his friends constantly pulled off ridiculous stunts, Noah doubted he would have the same plot armor.

And Dumbledore?

The old wizard was a mystery. Undeniably powerful, but also extremely manipulative. Building a good relationship with him might be beneficial, but only if Noah could earn his recognition first.

As for Voldemort…

Noah couldn't help but scoff.

"He's honestly one of the worst villains I've ever seen."

Voldemort had power, but his execution was pathetic. If not for Dumbledore being old and Voldemort's talent for hiding, he would have been dealt with long ago.

Take Dumbledore in his prime, for example. He had defeated Grindelwald—a villain who was far more terrifying, cunning, and powerful than Voldemort. And Grindelwald had the emotional advantage of Dumbledore's past connection to him, yet he still lost.

"Honestly, if Dumbledore hadn't been so passive, Voldemort would've been handled ages ago."

Shrugging off those thoughts, Noah immersed himself in the system's library.

To his delight, the virtual library was far more impressive than he had expected. There were books on nearly every magical subject he could think of.

Monster Atlas and Solutions

Laws of Magic Application

Alchemy Techniques

And many more.

However, Noah knew his limitations. Most of these books were far beyond his current level. Instead, he focused on reading about the fundamentals—magic concentration and spellcasting basics.

At this stage, reading too much advanced material would be pointless. He needed to build a strong foundation first.

The journey remained peaceful. Time passed quickly as Noah lost himself in his studies.

When he was finally shaken awake by the students around him, he realized they had arrived at their destination.

Stretching lazily, he followed the crowd off the train, his gaze falling on the grand silhouette of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Even though he wasn't overly sentimental, he felt a small flicker of excitement. This would be his home for the next several years—a place that would determine his future and, more importantly, his survival.

"I wonder which house I'll end up in... Meh, doesn't really matter. Wherever I go, I'll figure things out."

With that thought, Noah stepped forward, ready to begin his journey in the wizarding world.