Chapter 9 Hogwarts Acceptance Letter

It was early morning, and Daniel slowly woke up, the light from the sun creeping through the cracks in his curtains. He stretched out, the sheets tangling around his legs, and groggily rubbed his eyes. A whole week had passed since he discovered the world he was in, and in that time, he had trained relentlessly, pushing himself harder with each passing day. The thought of how much he had grown made his heart race with excitement.

'Now it's time to see my gains', he thought, his pulse quickening as he opened his status screen.

[Name: Daniel Wilson]

[Level: 4 EXP: 100/400

Class: The Gamer

HP: 285/285

MP: 285/285

SP: 300/300

Strength: 25

Agility: 28

Vitality: 32

Intelligence: 35

Wisdom: 22

Charisma: 12

Luck: 10

Stat Points: 20]

His stats weren't quite as impressive as he had hoped, but the gains were there. The initial surge of growth had slowed down, especially when it came to physical training. Playing games with the kids was fun, but it wasn't enough to push his stats like it used to. Even his intelligence had started to stagnate, he was just rereading the same old fantasy books from the orphanage library. There wasn't much else for him to learn.

'Well, at least I've made some progress', he thought, shaking off the frustration.

He took a breath, eager to see the progress he'd made. Alright, let's see how far I've come with my skills. He opened his skills tab, his fingers lightly tapping the screen as he waited for the list to appear.

[Observe (Active) Lvl 28]

[- Lets the user find information about a target.]

[Running (Active) Lvl 25]

[- You will run 50% faster, but your stamina will be depleted twice as much.]

[Meditation (Active/Passive) Lvl 12]

[Active:

- Lets the user gain a +60% boost to the wisdom stat

- Boosts MP regeneration by 60%

Passive:

- Lets the user stay calm more easily

- Boosts MP regeneration by 6%]

[Cooking (Active) Lvl 11]

[- The food you prepare is more delicious.

The food you prepare gives 11% more stat boosts.]

[Martial Arts (Active) Lvl 15]

[- Improves your fighting techniques.

Increases damage dealt with martial arts moves by 30%.]

[Power Strike (Active) Lvl 8 / MP: 10]

[- Increases the power of any close combat strike by 40%.]

Daniel couldn't help but grin at his progress. 'I'm on the right track', he thought, feeling a surge of satisfaction.

But there was one more thing to check, the new skills he had gained from his training:

[Speed Reading (Passive) Lvl 10]

[- Lets the user read 50% faster.]

He remembered unlocking the skill just a few days into his training. With the abundance of books in the orphanage library, it seemed like the perfect fit. Suddenly, he found himself breezing through pages, absorbing information at a quicker pace. It made learning feel far more efficient.

Then came the newest addition:

[Magic Arrow (Active) Lvl 1 / MP: 10]

[- Fires an arrow made from mana, piercing the opponent.]

His heart swelled with pride. 'I did it. Real magic.' He'd spent countless hours shaping his mana, learning how to manipulate it outside his body. It hadn't been easy, but yesterday, he'd finally done it, he'd created his first magical spell.

'Let's test it out', he thought eagerly, a grin spreading across his face. He was about to cast the spell when, knock knock knock, the sound of someone at the door broke his concentration.

"Breakfast is ready!" Miss Jones called from outside.

Daniel groaned, a mix of frustration and disappointment washing over him. 'I've been waiting all week for this, and now I have to stop?'

"Ugh... I guess I'll test it later," he mumbled, begrudgingly getting up and heading toward the cafeteria.

After finishing his meal, Daniel couldn't wait to get back to his training. As he was about to head out to the yard, Miss Jones stopped him again, this time holding an envelope.

"Daniel, wait! You got a letter today." She was holding it with a strange look on her face, eyeing the address carefully.

It was addressed to "Charlotte Baby Home Orphanage, Room 28."

Daniel's pulse skipped a beat when he saw the logo on the envelope. Without thinking, he snatched it out of her hands, his heart pounding in his chest.

'Finally', he thought, his excitement bubbling over. He wanted to tear it open right then and there, but a thought crossed his mind, 'I should probably wait.'

"Thank you for delivering it to me, Miss Jones," he said, his voice a little breathless with anticipation. He didn't want to seem too eager, so he quickly turned and rushed back to his room.

The moment the door clicked shut behind him, he took a deep breath and sat at his desk. The letter in his hands felt heavier than any other he ever had before, like it was pulsing with magic.

He tore open the envelope and unfolded the letter, his eyes scanning it as fast as his fingers could turn the paper.

"HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr. Wilson,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1st September. We will send a teacher to your current place of living, who will explain everything in detail.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress"

Daniel's heart nearly leapt out of his chest. 'This is it. This is real.' The words blurred in front of him as he tried to keep his focus. His mind raced as he tried to compare this letter with the one Harry received in his memories.

'Almost the same,' he thought with a smile, but then an uneasy thought struck him. 'Except the teacher part...'

Suddenly, he was hit by a wave of worry. 'They wouldn't send Snape, would they?' The very idea of the dark, brooding professor showing up to explain things to him sent a shiver down his spine. But the thought was quickly washed away by the flood of excitement.

"I'm going to Hogwarts!" he said aloud, the words feeling surreal but so incredibly real. He had spent his childhood dreaming of this moment, watching the movies and wishing for his own letter. And now, here it was.

He read the rest of the letter carefully. Everything checked out, he would need the same books and equipment he remembered Harry needing. His anticipation grew with every line.

Not wanting to waste another second, Daniel put the letter down and stood up, pacing the room with energy he couldn't contain. He was supposed to be training, but all he could think about was Hogwarts.

He finally forced himself to focus. With an impatient sigh, he decided to train his magic, the excitement of the letter still buzzing in his chest. He stood at the window, focused on gathering mana. He carefully crafted the Magic Arrow, aiming it at the sky. The power crackled in his hands, but he had to be careful, if he damaged anything, the caretakers would know.

So, with a deep breath, he released the spell, watching it soar into the sky, the energy leaving his fingertips in a bright flash.

For hours, he practiced, his body growing tired, but his spirit soaring. He had learned a real spell. He was learning real magic.

By the time night fell, Daniel was exhausted, his muscles aching, his mind racing with excitement. He crawled into bed, his thoughts still spinning with possibilities.

'Tomorrow will be fantastic', he thought, the words lingering as he drifted into a dream-filled sleep.