CHAPTER 5

After meeting Ryan and Daisy, Owen took the family and the Weasleys to say goodbye.

"Adrian, we've got to stay in touch. Just… don't send Errol straight back, yeah? He's ancient," Ron said earnestly, his freckled face full of sincere reluctance. "You're seriously cool, mate."

"Sure, Ron," Adrian replied with a faint smile. To him, Ron's eager enthusiasm was a bit much, though not unwelcome.

Though Adrian appeared silent on the way home through the Floo Network, he was inwardly far more animated than he'd been heading to Diagon Alley. The sudden emergence of the Xueba System felt like discovering a magical artifact of legendary power—new, curious, and full of promise. He couldn't wait to test its full capabilities. The System, he now understood, would likely become the cornerstone of his magical development, his greatest ally in the unfamiliar world of Hogwarts.

Back at their home in West Yorkshire, Owen and Morgan Le Fay didn't immediately inspect the extravagant "Neptune" broom. Instead, their attention was on their younger son, who had just stunned half of Diagon Alley with his uncanny knowledge.

"Adrian, I know you love reading," said Owen, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "But I didn't expect you to know so much! You must've picked up more than I realized from all those books I brought home."

He tried recalling moments where Adrian had shown such academic brilliance before, but aside from his rare questions and quiet reading habits, there was little to suggest his son was a walking encyclopedia of magical knowledge.

"I've never seen you like that, Adrian," said Ryan, staring at him with disbelief. "You knew stuff even I didn't know. You didn't cheat, did you?" He didn't sound accusatory, just stunned. Ryan had always thought himself the more naturally gifted.

"How'd you do it, sweetheart?" Morgan Le Fay asked, brushing her son's tousled hair affectionately. "I don't remember you ever studying those topics—not ones about the planets' magical alignments or obscure wizarding history."

"Adrian's always been clever," piped up Emily, who had thrown herself onto the couch, legs dangling. "He just doesn't brag like Renn does. I always ask him loads of questions. Renn usually ignores me, but Adrian always answers. I knew he wouldn't mess up!"

Emily beamed proudly, too young to realize Adrian's answers may have been more about stopping her chatter than genuine tutoring.

"I don't think Adrian cheated," Owen mused, tugging thoughtfully at his son's ear. "He hasn't been to Diagon Alley before, and some of those questions aren't even in standard Hogwarts textbooks. Some of it sounded like Muggle Studies… Alan, is that what they taught in your primary school?"

"I don't want to go to a Muggle school!" Emily whined immediately, clinging to her father's leg. "I want to stay here with you, Daddy!"

Owen chuckled, hoisting her up with ease.

"Adrian, when did you get so brilliant?" asked Daisy, arms crossed. "You're going to make Renn look bad once Hogwarts starts." Though proud of her brother, she still remembered how often Ryan teased her about her Ravenclaw scores. Adrian outshining him was poetic justice.

Adrian, however, remained quiet, because he had just heard the beep—the subtle chime of the Xueba System activating again.

"Congratulations, host," came the system's melodic voice. "You have completed the novice trial task and won the Super Reward. You are now eligible for one system lottery draw. Award: 'Magical Application Strategy – Vol. 1'. Would you like to draw now?"

"Obviously," Adrian replied in his mind. Who wouldn't? Who in their right mind leaves prizes sitting unclaimed? Even though some of the knowledge or gear might take time to master, the sooner he started, the better.

A vivid image appeared in his consciousness—a magical roulette wheel, glittering in seven radiant hues: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. The size of the sectors grew smaller the further down the spectrum. The bronze pointer hovered at the top.

"Begin," he commanded silently. The pointer spun rapidly.

"Stop!"

The pointer clicked into the smallest sector—violet.

"Unbelievable," Adrian thought, a grin playing at his lips. Of all the places… jackpot. He instinctively felt this was the highest-tier reward.

A shimmering purple treasure box emerged in his mind's eye and slowly opened, revealing golden runes that reformed into glowing text:

"Permanent Ability Gained: Eidetic Memory (Textual)."

Adrian's eyes widened. "Wait… I can remember everything I read?"

"Affirmative. Host has unlocked Tier-1 Eidetic Recall. Any text read once will be perfectly retained."

"Just text? What about ancient runes or hieroglyphs?"

"As long as the symbol qualifies as written language, recognition and recall are supported."

Adrian's heart raced. This… this is huge. For any Hogwarts student, let alone a Muggle-raised one, such an ability was beyond valuable. With the enormous number of textbooks, class lectures, spell lists, and potion recipes, having photographic recall would give him a massive edge.

Even more, this gift would let him keep pace with—or surpass—students like Hermione Granger or top Ravenclaws. He didn't need to scramble with last-minute cramming like Neville Longbottom. His path was clear: study, retain, dominate.

He smiled faintly as he looked around at his bustling home—Emily prattling, Ryan brooding, Daisy smiling to herself.

They don't know it yet, Adrian thought, but I'm already leagues ahead of where I was yesterday.

"Perhaps we haven't paid you enough attention… I didn't realize my son was this remarkable!" Owen took Adrian's hand in both of his, looking part-proud and part-regretful.

"Dad, I just really enjoy reading," Adrian said modestly. "My memory's unusually good. Once I've read something a few times, it sticks. You probably never noticed, but I sometimes peeked at Daisy's and Ryan's textbooks."

"What? You what? You peeked at my textbooks?!" Daisy exclaimed, only realizing after she shouted that some of those books contained her doodles and half-written notes.

"Wow! That's incredible!" Emily gasped, then dashed off to her room. Moments later, she came running back, her arms wrapped tightly around a thin, illustrated volume.

"Adrian, try reading this and prove it!" the petite girl insisted, thrusting the book into his hands. It wasn't thick, but her eyes sparkled with expectation.

"The Tales of Beedle the Bard," Adrian read aloud, recognizing the title with genuine curiosity. He knew of the storybook from wizarding folklore. It had a respected place in magical culture—particularly one tale within it.

"Read The Tale of the Three Brothers!" Emily said eagerly as she flipped to the story. She had already told Adrian versions of other tales like "The Fountain of Fair Fortune" and "The Wizard and the Hopping Pot" multiple times.

Adrian scanned the tale once. The words seemed to leap off the page and etch themselves into his mind. He could feel his magical ability working—an eidetic recall granted by the Xueba system. Every sentence lodged into memory as if burned by spellfire.

Without hesitation, he closed the book, handed it to Daisy instead of Emily, then began to recite:

"There were once three brothers who were traveling along a lonely, winding road at twilight. In time, the brothers reached a river too deep to wade through and too dangerous to swim across. However, these brothers were learned in the magical arts, and so they simply waved their wands and made a bridge appear across the treacherous water…"

His family stared, stunned.

Though the story wasn't long by wizard standards, Adrian's recital was flawless, word-for-word. Even Daisy's wide eyes and dropped jaw said it all. This wasn't simple memorization—this was a spellbound performance.

Who would have thought the quietest in the family had the most untapped potential?

"…Then he greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, and, equals, they departed this life."

Adrian finished the story with calm confidence, then looked at Morgan Le Fay, who was clearly moved, eyes glistening. "Mum, I'm thirsty."

"Oh—of course you are! You've been talking so long," she said, caught between laughter and amazement. With a flick of her wand, the kettle soared to the sink, water filling it from the tap. Another flick, and it hovered onto the stove, where a fire burst to life below it. Even amid her emotional high, she effortlessly cast silent household charms—standard fare for an experienced witch like her.

"Praise Merlin… Adrian, you've made me so proud," Morgan Le Fay whispered, stroking his hair fondly. She tousled it once, then gently straightened it again. "Alright, that'll take ages to boil. Go fetch a few bottles of pumpkin juice, but not too much—you'll spoil your appetite."

"Sure, Mum. I'll bring one for Emily, too," Adrian said cheerfully, springing from his seat. He chuckled softly—his mum used to forbid sugary drinks before meals. Clearly, today's display had broken her own rule.

"It's getting late—we should make dinner extra special. Daisy, help me, will you?" Morgan Le Fay called. "Let's do something warm. Beef kidney pie, maybe a nice shepherd's pudding…"

She strode toward the kitchen, dragging a still-stunned Daisy along. The older sister, despite being pulled away, kept her eyes locked on the storybook Adrian had returned.

Meanwhile, Owen and Ryan had circled around Adrian's brand-new broom, the "Neptune," deep in discussion about its magical enhancements and care.

What pure-blood wizard could resist the allure of a top-grade broomstick? Even Adrian, though he carried the memories of two lifetimes, felt his heart stir at the sight of it. The smooth wood, the embedded Cushioning Charm, the polished tail twigs—it wasn't just a broom. It was freedom.

Nearby, Emily sipped her pumpkin juice and peppered Adrian with endless questions. To her, her brother was more magical than any spell in their textbooks.

Later that evening, full from dinner and sprawled on his bed, Adrian stared at the ceiling.

Today was perfect, he thought, the memory of everyone's stunned faces still vivid.

And then, with a fond smile: Also, it's the best feeling in the world to have my little sister think I'm the most magical person alive.