3: The Witch in the Castle, A Gift for Enrollment

Ian Puslin.

That was the name he bore in this life.

In truth,

he had no clear sense of how long he had been traveling through worlds.

Unlike many who blink and find themselves in another realm instantly, after his unexpected death as a university student in his previous life, he did not immediately reincarnate into another world.

His consciousness lingered through a hazy stretch of time, memories fragmented and elusive. It was as if he had been endlessly flying—passing over countless places, witnessing countless things he could no longer recall.

Looking back now,

Ian could not fathom why he had such an experience. It did not seem like he was searching for a lost sheep; rather, it felt more like a wandering soul adrift without purpose or destination.

Until a light appeared.

He flew toward it.

Only then did he open his eyes again to behold a world both familiar and strange.

As a traveler between worlds, Ian possessed the gifts typical of such beings. Beyond his attribute panel, crossing the threshold between life and death seemed to be his unique talent.

Every week, in his dreams, Ian would find himself in this peculiar place, a realm that a simple young girl called the Enigmatic Mirage.

Yes, the Enigmatic Mirage—a realm of the departed in the Harry Potter universe. Some say it is a transit point to the underworld; others claim it is the path to the afterlife. From what Ian knew in his past life about Harry Potter, he remembered that after Dumbledore’s death, he appeared at a train station within this realm.

He guessed the reason he could come here was tied to his death and rebirth, a kind of dual-life karma, perhaps even a glitch in this world’s system?

Forgive him for only having seen a few movies and read some fanfiction, without delving deeper into the lore. Had he known he would transmigrate, he surely would have become a Harry Potter scholar in his previous life.

Of course,

perhaps even a Harry Potter scholar would not fully understand this place; otherwise, the Enigmatic Mirage would not remain the most mysterious area on the original map.

“You look a little shaken,”

said the girl before him. She was a ghost who did not even know how long she had been dead, yet despite this, Ariana still retained the innocence and slight naivety of her childhood.

She was one of Ian’s few friends in this place.

Regarding the Enigmatic Mirage,

Ian always felt it was a treasure trove. When young wizards awakened their magic, their power usually remained at level one. Ian’s magic was at level four.

The reason was that he had studied here.

Of course,

he did not learn from the girl before him; Ariana was just an ordinary person without magical ability. Ian had acquired his magic control from another friend.

Only,

that friend never taught him real magic, always insisting he was too young.

“A terrifying old man! It’s because of a terrifying old man!”

Ian’s tone held emphasis.

“Why terrifying? Does he look scary?”

Ariana was curious.

Ian and Ariana strolled together. He shook his head and explained,

“No, he doesn’t look scary. On the contrary, he’s quite a refined old man. But he’s a peeping tom, or at least that’s what I’ve heard.”

“Aren’t you curious why he came to see me, Ariana?”

They arrived beside a river. Around them, a few butterflies chased one another gracefully, and a little rabbit peeked out from beneath a tree, watching their backs.

Sunlight filtered softly over the scene.

“What does he want with you? To spy on you bathing?”

The girl’s words caught Ian speechless.

“He came to get me into Hogwarts, Ariana. I really am a registered wizard!” Ian looked at the flowing river, his tone proud and boastful.

Though young in his past life, drifting for so long in a haze, he was, in summary, just a ghost slightly better off than Ariana.

Otherwise, how could they be friends?

They must share some similarities.

“Hogwarts? I know it! I still remember Hogwarts—it’s the best wizarding school in the world! And also the safest place in the world!”

Ariana looked at Ian with delight.

“Ian, if you get into trouble at Hogwarts, you can ask my two brothers for help. They’re students there and very kind-hearted.”

Her enthusiasm was obvious.

But,

“It’s certain you’ll run into trouble.”

Ian stretched one leg into the river and lay down slowly on the grass, speaking with some helplessness.

“Your brothers are students—how powerful can they be? This year, or maybe next, our school might face a Dementor outbreak. Normal people can’t handle those.”

Regarding Voldemort,

Ian was also somewhat worried.

He could avoid crossing paths with the Chosen One, but who knew if he might become collateral damage while studying at Hogwarts? No one truly believed Hogwarts was the safest place.

“Dementors?”

Ariana tilted her head in confusion.

“Yes, they’re the big bad villains about to revive.”

Perhaps because this place was severed from reality, and because she had been his friend since childhood, Ian did not hide the fact that he knew future events.

He had often dropped similar prophetic hints before.

Yet Ariana never showed curiosity.

“Are Dementors really that powerful? Ian, both my brothers are very powerful.”

Ariana spoke seriously.

Ian sat up, curious.

“Your two brothers are twins?”

Speaking of twins, Ian immediately thought of the Weasley family, but Ariana’s hair color was different, and he had never heard of any Weasley sister who had passed away.

Could they be from another magical family?

The twenty-eight pure-blood sacred families?

He couldn’t figure it out. Ian scratched his head and asked again,

“Are you sure you can’t remember your last name?”

Ariana shook her head, looking somewhat forlorn.

Ian blinked.

“How can I ask your brothers for help then?”

“My brothers…”

Ariana fell into a reverie but couldn’t recall any information about them. She only remembered she had two brothers who loved her very much and that she was waiting for them here.

“It seems I’m losing my grasp on my obsession and past completely.”

Ariana’s eyes grew sad as she rested her cheek on her hand, gazing at the flowing river.

Ian hurried to comfort her, somewhat awkward.

“In the Enigmatic Mirage, souls linger because of their obsessions. When your obsession fades or you forget everything, that is the moment to move on to the next life.”

“That’s not a bad thing.”

Ian looked at Ariana with clear eyes, but suddenly her eyes reddened.

“But my brothers…”

Ariana choked on her words.

Ian didn’t know how to comfort her, so he took out some chocolate he had long prepared.

“Consider this a bargain—I was going to keep it for myself.”

He had bought the chocolate in advance and kept it in his pocket; of course, he hadn’t forgotten it.

“Chocolate… Ian, you’re so kind!”

Seeing the chocolate, Ariana’s sadness faded. She smiled through her tears, took a bite, then couldn’t help but say,

“Actually, I really want to see my brothers again.”

Ian scratched his head and looked at the girl’s profile.

“I’ll go back and ask around who lost a little sister. Maybe when I tell you, you’ll remember, and you can stay here a few more years.”

“Everyone dies eventually. Just hold on, wait for them to die, and then you can see them here,” Ian said seriously to Ariana.

She looked surprised and grateful.

“Thank you for your comfort, Ian. But you mustn’t go killing my brothers just to reunite us.”

Good grief!

Are you giving me new ideas?

Ian: “......”

He truly didn’t know how to roll his eyes harder.

“What do you take me for, some evil villain?”

Ian looked innocent.

“The witch in the castle said you have that kind of character.”

Seeing Ian’s exasperation, Ariana couldn’t help but laugh.

The witch in the castle?

Ian glanced toward the castle hidden in the forest behind them. He had heard some rumors about it.

Still, the Enigmatic Mirage was vast, and with his current abilities, he couldn’t explore many areas.

Just then, a cool sensation touched his palm.

Ian turned and saw Ariana holding his hand, smiling warmly.

“Ian, thank you for your kindness. This is also a gift to celebrate your enrollment…”

“I want to give you a present.”

As she spoke, Ian quickly felt a warmth spreading through his hand. Looking down, he saw a vivid red glow flowing from Ariana’s hand into his own.

An intricate floral pattern appeared on the back of his hand but soon faded away.

“What is this?”

Before Ian could finish speaking, the surroundings began to blur and shift.

He knew.

It was time to leave. He made no resistance.

“See you next week.”

Ian smiled and waved goodbye.

Ariana smiled and waved back.

“See you next week.”