September 1st arrived with clear skies and pleasant weather—the perfect day to begin a new school year.
King’s Cross Station was already bustling with activity.
Young witches and wizards carrying trunks, cages, and all kinds of luggage moved through the crowded platforms.
Mord Black walked calmly through the station, pulling a small suitcase behind him.
Although it appeared to be no more than a foot long, it was actually an alchemically enchanted suitcase crafted from the hide of a Transfiguration Lizard and expanded with an Undetectable Extension Charm.
The inside was spacious enough to rival the storage area of a small car.
While it couldn’t compare to Newt Scamander’s famous magical suitcase—which was practically a world of its own—it was more than large enough to hold all of Mord’s belongings.
Soon, he stopped in front of the stone pillar between Platforms Nine and Ten.
As a child in his previous life, he had often imagined that an ordinary wall near his home hid the entrance to a magical world.
He had even tried running into it a few times.
He never expected that one day he would actually walk through a real magical gateway.
“System, open the panel.”
The familiar interface immediately appeared before his eyes.
Lord Demon King: Mord Black
Magic Rating: Young Wizard
Known Spells:
– Dark Light Blinding Curse Lv.2
– Persistent Filth Curse Lv.1
Recipes:
– Life and Death Wand
– Medicinal Poison Frog
Items: None
Followers: None
Darkness Points: 50
During the past few weeks, Mord had made considerable progress.
Besides mastering several basic charms, he had unlocked two corrupted Dark Arts spells.
The Dark Light Blinding Curse was the darkened version of Lumos, and after continuous practice, he had already raised it to Level 2.
Meanwhile, the Persistent Filth Curse was the corrupted form of the Cleaning Charm.
Instead of removing dirt, it covered its target in incredibly stubborn filth that was almost impossible to wash away.
Mord had secretly tested it at home once.
The result…
Even thinking about it now made him feel slightly nauseous.
Oddly enough, he already missed the portrait of his troublesome father.
Every day, he could provoke the portrait into anger and reliably earn Darkness Points.
It had become one of his easiest sources of points before entering Hogwarts.
Unfortunately, the portrait had been magically fixed in place, making it impossible to bring along.
He wondered whether Hogwarts might have similar “renewable resources.”
His thoughts were interrupted by a hesitant voice.
“Excuse me… do you know where Platform Nine and Three-Quarters is?”
Mord turned around.
The familiar lightning-shaped scar and broken glasses immediately caught his attention.
“Harry Potter?”
The boy standing before him was none other than the famous Boy Who Lived.
Harry struggled to push his heavy trunk while carrying a cage containing a snowy owl.
“Yes… hello.”
Harry wasn’t surprised that Mord recognized him.
Ever since visiting Diagon Alley, countless strangers had identified him on sight.
Still, he never felt comfortable when people stared at the scar on his forehead.
He simply hadn’t expected it to happen this soon.
As far as Harry was concerned, Mord intended to let their relationship develop naturally.
He had no desire to become Harry’s guardian or babysitter.
However, since he had no intention of becoming the next Dark Lord—or serving Voldemort—they were natural allies.
Besides, being on good terms with Harry would undoubtedly earn him Dumbledore’s trust.
“Hello. I’m Mord Black.”
He smiled politely.
“Platform Nine and Three-Quarters is through this barrier. You can come with me.”
“Thank you.”
Harry instantly felt more comfortable around him.
Unlike everyone else, Mord had only glanced at his scar before treating him like an ordinary person.
Walking toward the stone pillar, Mord stepped forward without hesitation.
The moment he passed through the wall, his surroundings changed completely.
An old-fashioned scarlet steam train stood before him.
Steam billowed into the air while hundreds of witches and wizards hurried across the platform.
Owls hooted overhead, trunks rolled across the ground, and parents shouted their last-minute farewells.
The platform was wonderfully chaotic.
Mord simply smiled.
After experiencing crowded holiday travel in his previous life, this was nothing.
Harry, however, stared wide-eyed in amazement.
“Haha… wizards are people too.”
Mord patted Harry on the shoulder.
“Welcome to the magical world. Go find yourself a compartment.”
With that, he walked away.
The system chimed once again.
[Ding!]
The future Demon King has successfully befriended the Boy Who Lived, earning his trust.
Reward: Darkness Points +10
Mord’s eyes brightened.
Ten Darkness Points…
Just for exchanging a few words?
Back home, he had to spend an entire day provoking his father’s portrait to earn the same reward.
Perhaps…
Important characters truly provided greater rewards.
Thinking back, he remembered receiving generous rewards while interacting with Hermione as well.
His theory seemed increasingly likely.
Building relationships with key figures might become one of the fastest ways to earn Darkness Points.
Looking ahead, he spotted Hermione waiting beside the Hogwarts Express.
The moment she saw him, her eyes lit up.
“Mord!”
She waved enthusiastically.
“Come quickly! Most of the compartments are already full!”
She had arrived much earlier but had deliberately waited outside, hoping to meet him before boarding.
“Good morning, Hermione.”
Mord smiled.
“Let’s find a compartment.”
Hermione picked up her suitcase, but it was obviously much heavier than she expected.
Her cheeks turned red as she struggled. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
“I’ve got it.”
Mord easily lifted the suitcase.
Its weight surprised even him.
“What did you pack?”
Hermione smiled awkwardly.
“Mostly books… my school books and a few Muggle books. I thought they might still be useful.”
“I like that.”
Mord nodded approvingly.
“You’d fit right in with Ravenclaw.”
Hermione smiled.
“Ravenclaw sounds wonderful… but I’d still like to be sorted into Gryffindor.”
Mentioning Hogwarts Houses immediately filled her with excitement.
The two eventually found an empty compartment.
As they stored their luggage, Hermione spoke eagerly.
“I finished reading Hogwarts: A History. You’re right—it was fascinating! It says Professor Dumbledore was in Gryffindor, and many people consider it the best House.”
Mord shrugged.
“The best House is the one that suits you.”
He paused before adding with a grin,
“As long as you don’t end up being a terrible person.”
Personally, he didn’t mind any House…
Well…
Any House except Slytherin.
In fact, Hufflepuff sounded ideal.
After all, he was kind, honest, hardworking, loyal, humble…
Most importantly, being a Hufflepuff would make it much harder for anyone to suspect him of becoming a Dark Wizard.
The system immediately interrupted.
[Ding!]
The future Demon King has demonstrated remarkable shamelessness—an essential quality for every Dark Lord.
Reward: Darkness Points +1
Mord silently ignored the sarcastic notification.
Opening his backpack, he took out several old books.
“I brought the books I promised to lend you.”
Hermione’s face lit up.
“Really? Thank you!”
She hugged the books happily.
“Thirty Things Every Muggle-born Wizard Should Know has been incredibly helpful, but I still want to learn more.”
Once she started talking about books, there was no stopping her.
She spoke enthusiastically the entire time.
Fortunately, Mord didn’t mind listening.
Having a beautiful girl chat beside him certainly made the journey far more enjoyable.
Before long, the Hogwarts Express let out a loud whistle.
The train slowly began preparing for departure.
Mord assumed the compartment would remain private.
Then came a gentle knock at the door.
Standing outside was a young girl with long black hair cascading like a waterfall.
Her voice was soft and pleasant.
“Hello… may I sit here?”