Chapter 2: The Legend of the Academy

Ivan was about to ask another question when the sound of cheerful applause rose from the audience below. He had no choice but to suppress his curiosity. After placing the Sorting Hat on the table at the four corners, he walked down the steps.

As Ivan descended, several older students from Gryffindor moved aside in their seats, making room for him. A pair of identical twins with fiery red hair quickly ushered Ivan into the empty space between them. One of them spoke dramatically.

"Oh my god, I dare say, you're the first to blatantly disregard Professor McGonagall's authority during the Sorting Ceremony. This is just…"

"Just what?" Ivan asked, puzzled.

"Just so brave!" the other twin chimed in.

"You're destined to be a legend in the school!" Both twins exchanged a knowing glance and said in unison.

Ivan was momentarily speechless. The twins' logic was strange, and he couldn't quite wrap his head around it.

"Well, thanks," Ivan said politely, trying to make sense of their "blessing." Then, he asked, "I'm Ivan Hals. What about you two?"

"I'm George Weasley, and that's Fred over there," one of the twins answered first, winking at Ivan. "You'd better remember, next time don't mix us up. Fred absolutely hates it when people get his name wrong."

"Okay, George, I don't think I'll get it wrong," Ivan replied, fully aware of their habit of switching places. He turned to the other twin and said, "Right, Fred?"

Fred, who had been plotting with his brother to prank the new student, stared in shock. George, who had spoken to Ivan first, was also momentarily stunned, and after a long pause, he asked, "Wait, how did you know I was George?"

"Isn't it easy to guess? Who doesn't know you Weasley twins love pranks?" Ivan casually explained, though he couldn't admit he had read about them in the books.

"My god, are we already this famous? Even the new students know about us?" George and Fred exclaimed, both marveling at how their long-standing rebellion against Hogwarts' rules was finally getting recognized.

Ron, who had been enjoying his meal beside them, almost spat out his food. When did his brothers become so famous among the new students? How come he didn't know?

George and Fred, curious about Ivan's private conversation with the Sorting Hat, were especially intrigued. It was the first time they'd seen someone talk to the Hat for such a long time.

Ivan, not wanting to reveal too much, played it off, figuring that knowledge of Dark Magic wasn't something to flaunt. He casually shifted the topic toward George and Fred's adventurous experiences at Hogwarts, subtly asking about secret passageways and hidden information in the castle.

Having read the original books, Ivan knew that the Weasley twins possessed a magical map that showed most of Hogwarts' secret passages and could even mark the names of people inside the castle. With it, one could move freely through the school without worrying about being caught by professors or caretakers.

Although Ivan had already seen many secrets of Hogwarts in the books, having such a map in hand would still be incredibly useful, and he wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to gather more information. Naturally, George and Fred, with their fondness for mischief, didn't hesitate to share a lot with him, even attempting to recruit him for their pranking endeavors. However, they didn't reveal anything about the magical map.

Ivan wasn't surprised. After all, it was their first meeting, and no matter how friendly the conversation, they wouldn't disclose such an important secret. Ivan was just trying to build some rapport for future opportunities.

Just then, a sudden sound echoed in Ivan's mind.

**[Ding, Host has acquired secret information. Task generation in progress. 

Task Goal: Explore Hogwarts 

Current Progress: 2100 

Task Description: Every little wizard should have a sense of curiosity. The thousand-year-old castle holds countless secrets. Please explore and learn about them. When exploration progress reaches a certain level, rewards will be given based on performance.]**

The unexpected message stunned Ivan, interrupting his conversation with the Weasley twins.

A golden finger?

Ivan quickly realized what it was, and his excitement followed. Although he was overjoyed to have been unexpectedly transported to Hogwarts, a part of him had also felt uneasy about arriving in such an unfamiliar environment. That unease had been suppressed for the sake of pretending to be normal, but now, he felt more at ease.

He quickly dismissed the Weasley brothers, who were still eager to talk about their adventures, and focused on exploring this new golden finger. After trying various methods from the book to summon the system, a series of information finally appeared before him.

Ivan Hals 

Profession: Wizard 

Magic Bar: Fear Curse Level 1 (3200) 

Knowledge Theory: Magical Item Creation Level 0 (435500) 

Magical Items: 

Wand (Purple Ash, Unicorn Hair, 11 and 3/4 inches) 

Magic Power: Medium 

Compatibility: 72.5% 

Grade Points: None

The information bar in front of him was expected, but some of the details were a surprise.

"Fear Curse? Magical Item Creation?" Ivan murmured. As a newly arrived, somewhat clueless little wizard, these abilities clearly weren't something he brought with him from his old world.

Recalling the memories that had surfaced during the Sorting Ceremony, Ivan quickly realized that these were abilities that the original Ivan Hals had already learned before coming to Hogwarts.

This kind of situation wasn't uncommon among young wizards. Even Hermione Granger, who came from a Muggle family, had learned some basic magic before attending Hogwarts. It was far more common for wizards from magical families to be proficient in magic before arriving.

However, the Fear Curse seemed unfamiliar. Ivan thought about it for a while but couldn't recall it from the books. It didn't seem to be part of the magic in the original story.

This didn't surprise him. After all, Harry Potter was just a book and only showed a glimpse of the magical world. It couldn't possibly cover all the magic out there. The black magic shown in the books was rare, but in reality, true dark wizards would certainly know more than just a few spells.

Hogwarts' Restricted Section alone likely contained countless books on Dark Magic.

What really concerned Ivan, however, was the background of the original Ivan Hals. A family that would teach their child Dark Magic before attending Hogwarts clearly wasn't a peaceful one. Ivan worried for his safety. If anyone discovered that the soul of a different world had taken over Ivan Hals, who knew what dark magic would await him?