February arrived with heavy snow.
On the first morning of the month, Edward woke up early in his warm bed.
The room was dark.
Justin and Ernie slept soundly.
Edward sat up.
He pulled his yellow blankets over his legs.
“System,” Edward whispered.
“Roll.” The glowing wheel appeared in the air.
It spun rapidly.
Ten orbs popped out and hovered above his lap.
He looked at the colors.
He had five bronze orbs, three silver orbs, one gold orb, and one orb that shone with a blinding, bright white light.
Edward blinked.
A platinum reward.
“Open the bronze,” Edward said quietly.
The five brown orbs popped.
A PACK OF SOLDIER PILLS (NARUTO).
Three basic pills that remove fatigue for a full day.
A PLASTIC COMB.
Just a normal, cheap comb.
A SELF-CLEANING TOOTHBRUSH (STAR TREK).
A simple hygiene tool that vibrates to remove dirt without toothpaste.
A WOODEN SPOON.
A BOTTLE OF MOO-MOO MILK (POKEMON).
Highly nutritious and heals minor scrapes.
Edward smiled.
The bronze tier was getting slightly better.
He threw the comb and the spoon into a corner of his space, but he kept the pills, the milk, and the toothbrush handy.
Basic necessities from other worlds were always welcome.
“Open the silver,” he said.
The three grey orbs shattered.
5,000 POUNDS.
Fresh paper cash.
A CAPSULE TENT (DRAGON BALL).
A tiny metal capsule.
Pressing the top turns it into a fully furnished, warm canvas tent.
Pressing a button inside turns it back into a capsule.
A LARGE BOX OF CHOCOLATE DONUTS.
He stored the money and the capsule tent.
He kept the box of donuts out.
He ate a chocolate donut while he looked at the gold orb.
“Open gold.” The gold orb chimed and broke apart.
GOLD REWARD: A BOTTOMLESS WATER CANTEEN.
A heavy metal canteen that constantly refills itself with fresh, cold drinking water.
“Very useful,” Edward nodded.
He stored the canteen.
Then, he looked at the bright white orb.
It pulsed with a strange, heavy light.
“Open platinum,” Edward said.
The orb exploded.
The light filled the space inside his bed curtains.
A heavy object dropped onto his lap.
It was a small, ancient-looking brass key.
PLATINUM REWARD: THE WORLD WALKER’S DOOR.
Item Description: A freestanding wooden door.
When the user opens the door, it leads to an entirely different world.
The world is chosen at random upon the first use.
The user can choose to pause time in their current world while they travel, or let time flow normally.
Edward picked up the brass key.
He stared at it.
A thrill ran down his spine.
He possessed a way to travel to other worlds.
He did not know what world sat behind the door.
It could be a world of heroes, a world of pirates, or a world of monsters.
“My template synchronization is at thirty-five percent,” Edward whispered to himself.
“I have my aura unlocked.
I have a tent, a canteen, and survival supplies.” He squeezed the brass key.
“The summer holidays are coming up,” Edward smiled.
“I will have two whole months away from the castle.
I will use the door then.
I will pause time here and spend my summer exploring a new world.” He placed the brass key safely into his hidden dimensional space.
He felt very happy.
He had a massive adventure waiting for him in his pocket.
He climbed out of bed, put on his winter clothes, and went outside into the snow to do his morning workout.
The rest of February moved along without any major problems.
Because Professor Quirrell was gone, the man never went to the pub in the village.
He never met Hagrid.
He never gave Hagrid a dragon egg.
Harry and Ron did not have to sneak around the castle at night to hide a dragon.
They did not get caught by Argus Filch.
They did not lose one hundred and fifty points for Gryffindor.
They did not have to go into the Forbidden Forest for detention.
Without that massive loss of points, the race for the House Cup remained incredibly tight.
Slytherin held a very slim lead.
Gryffindor sat right behind them.
Every single day, the points moved up and down.
Professor Snape took points from Gryffindor for anything he could find.
He took five points from Ron for dropping a quill.
He took ten points from Harry for breathing too loudly during Potions.
But Hermione Granger and Percy Weasley earned the points right back.
Hermione answered every question in Charms and Transfiguration.
Percy led study groups and helped the teachers.
The biggest problem for Gryffindor came from Fred and George Weasley.
The twins loved playing pranks.
They set off a massive dungbomb in the second-floor corridor, losing twenty points in a single day.
The entire school knew the winner of the House Cup would be decided by the final Quidditch match of the year.
If Gryffindor won the Quidditch Cup, they would earn fifty house points.
It was all they needed to beat Slytherin.
One afternoon in early March, Edward decided to do some exploring.
He walked around the castle alone.
He went up to the first floor, and then the fifth floor.
He looked into empty, dusty classrooms.
He checked behind old tapestries.
He was looking for a very specific piece of furniture.
He remembered a story about a Vanishing Cabinet.
It was a black and gold cabinet that was currently unbroken.
It would be broken because Peeves the Poltergeist dropped it during Harry’s second year.
Right now, it was still Harry’s first year.
The cabinet was completely intact.
Edward found it sitting in an empty room on the first floor.
It stood tall in the corner, covered in a white sheet.
Edward pulled the sheet off.
The black wood looked polished and expensive.
Edward reached out and touched the wood.
He opened his hidden space.
The massive cabinet vanished from the room, swallowed whole by his dimensional storage.
“Always good to secure useful items,” Edward said to himself.
He left the empty room and went down to the Great Hall for dinner.
Spring arrived.
The snow melted away.
The grass on the lawns turned bright green.
The days grew longer and warmer.
Edward kept track of his monthly rewards.
He pulled his gacha on the first day of every month.
The bronze and silver orbs continued to drop a good mix of cash, simple tools, and necessities from other worlds, giving him things like unbreakable rope and strange, tasty snacks.
In March, he received a gold-tier pair of boots that completely muffled the sound of footsteps.
In April, he received a gold-tier camp stove that never ran out of fuel, perfect for cooking outside.
In May, he received a gold-tier skill book covering basic wilderness survival and trap-making, teaching him how to catch food and hide a campsite perfectly.
In June, he received a gold-tier healing potion in a small glass vial.
He did not get any more platinum or diamond rewards, but his inventory was now completely stocked for his upcoming summer trip.
With June came the warm weather, and with it came the final exams.
The entire school changed.
The relaxed mood vanished.
Everyone looked like they were preparing for a major battle.
The library was packed every single day.
Madam Pince walked up and down the aisles, telling people to be quiet.
Hermione Granger looked incredibly stressed.
She highlighted her notes with three different colors of ink.
She made study schedules for Harry and Ron.
Ron looked pale and sick every time he looked at his massive pile of books.
Harry just rubbed his eyes and tried to read.
Edward kept his usual routine.
He did his morning workouts.
He ate large meals.
He sat in the library with his friends, but he did not stress.
His Scholar’s Glasses gave him a perfect memory.
He already knew every word in the textbooks.
He just read fictional stories while the others panicked.
Finally, exam week started.
The weather was boiling.
The large windows in the classrooms were thrown wide open, but no breeze came inside.
The written exams took place in the Great Hall.
The teachers handed out special quills that prevented students from cheating.
Edward sat at his desk.
He read the questions.
He knew all the answers.
He decided to write his answers carefully.
He wanted to be a brilliant student, but he did not want to be a once-in-a-generation genius.
He did not want Dumbledore watching him too closely.
He answered the questions perfectly, but he purposely left out the extra, advanced trivia that Hermione always wrote down.
The practical exams were much more fun.
Professor Flitwick called them into his classroom one by one.
He asked them to make a pineapple tap dance across a desk.
Edward walked in, gave a smooth swish and flick, and the pineapple danced a perfect, lively jig.
Professor McGonagall asked them to turn a mouse into a snuffbox.
She gave extra points for pretty designs.
Edward turned his mouse into a perfectly smooth, polished wooden snuffbox.
It worked flawlessly, but it did not have any fancy jewels or silver hinges.
McGonagall gave him a solid nod of approval.
Professor Snape made them brew a Forgetfulness Potion.
The dungeon was incredibly hot.
Students sweated over their bubbling cauldrons.
Neville Longbottom looked like he was about to cry.
Edward calmly followed the instructions.
He chopped his roots perfectly.
He stirred the exact number of times.
He brewed a perfect blue potion, filled a glass vial, and handed it to Snape without a single word.
Snape just scowled and put it on his desk.
When the final exam ended, the students poured out of the castle.
They ran down to the sunny lawns near the lake.
They threw their bags onto the grass.
“That was the hardest thing I have ever done,” Ron groaned, falling flat on his back in the grass.
“I think I messed up the history dates,” Harry said, sitting down next to him.
“I am sure you did fine, Harry,” Hermione said.
She actually looked relaxed for the first time in months.
“I am just glad it is over.” Edward sat against the trunk of a large tree.
He ate an apple.
“Now we just wait for the results.
And the Quidditch match.” The final Quidditch match of the year arrived two days later.
The entire school walked down to the stadium.
The stands were packed with red and gold flags for Gryffindor, and blue and bronze flags for Ravenclaw.
Harry looked nervous before the game, but once he kicked off into the air, he looked at home.
The game was fast.
The Ravenclaw players flew in tight formations, but Gryffindor had Oliver Wood guarding the hoops perfectly.
Ten minutes into the game, Harry went into a steep dive.
The crowd gasped.
Harry pulled out of the dive right above the grass.
He raised his hand high in the air.
The tiny Golden Snitch fluttered in his fingers.
Madam Hooch blew her whistle.
The game was over.
Gryffindor won.
The Gryffindor stands erupted.
Students screamed and hugged each other.
Ron jumped up and down, waving a large red flag.
Hermione actually cheered loudly.
Edward clapped his hands from the Hufflepuff section.
It was a good, clean win.
The fifty points from the Quidditch Cup pushed Gryffindor past Slytherin on the leaderboards.
The next evening, the students gathered in the Great Hall for the end-of-year banquet.
The hall looked amazing.
It was decorated in red and gold.
Giant banners showing the Gryffindor lion hung from the walls and the ceiling.
The Slytherin table looked very quiet and very disappointed.
Dumbledore stood up at the staff table.
The hall went silent.
“Another year gone!” Dumbledore said happily.
“And what a year it has been.
Hopefully, your heads are all a little fuller than they were before.
Now, it is time to award the House Cup.” He read out the points.
“In fourth place, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two points.
In third place, Ravenclaw, with four hundred and twenty-six.
In second place, Slytherin, with four hundred and seventy-two.
And in first place, Gryffindor, with four hundred and eighty-five points!” The Gryffindor table exploded with noise.
They banged their goblets on the wood.
They threw their hats into the air.
Percy Weasley shook hands with everyone around him.
Dumbledore smiled.
“Yes, yes, well done, Gryffindor.
You have earned the cup.
Let the feast begin!” The golden plates filled with incredible food.
The students ate, laughed, and celebrated late into the night.
Edward enjoyed his meal.
He was glad his friends were happy.
The exam results came out the next morning.
Hermione Granger, to no one’s surprise, ranked first in their entire year.
She got perfect scores in every single class.
Edward looked at the list pinned to the notice board.
He ranked seventh.
It was exactly where he wanted to be.
He was in the top ten, which proved he was smart, but he was not at the very top, drawing attention.
Harry and Ron passed all their classes with decent marks.
Even Neville scraped by with a passing grade.
The next day, it was time to leave.
The students packed their trunks.
They walked down to the train station in Hogsmeade.
The red Hogwarts Express waited for them on the tracks.
Edward carried his trunk easily.
He found an empty compartment near the middle of the train.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked in right behind him.
They pushed their heavy trunks inside.
Edward helped them lift the trunks onto the luggage racks.
They sat down on the comfortable seats.
The train whistle blew loudly.
The train slowly rolled out of the station, leaving the tall towers of Hogwarts behind.
Ron reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans.
He offered them around.
“I still think about it, you know,” Ron said, chewing a bean carefully.
“Think about what?” Harry asked.
“Snape,” Ron said.
He frowned.
“Professor Quirrell just vanishes right after Christmas.
Just disappears completely.
And Snape takes his job right after.
I still think Snape did something to him.” “Ron, stop it,” Hermione sighed.
She rolled her eyes.
“We talked about this.
Dumbledore trusts Professor Snape.
If Dumbledore does not suspect Snape of foul play, then there is nothing to be worried about.” “But Quirrell looked terrified of him!” Ron argued.
“Remember Halloween?
Snape snuck up to the third floor.
He got bitten by that three-headed dog.
He wanted whatever the dog was guarding.” Harry looked out the window.
“Ron might be right, Hermione.
What if Snape got rid of Quirrell so he could go after the package Hagrid took from Gringotts?” Edward sat by the door.
He ate a chocolate frog.
He listened to them talk in circles.
“You guys are overthinking this,” Edward said calmly.
Harry and Ron looked at him.
“What do you mean, Ed?” Harry asked.
“Think about it logically,” Edward said.
He leaned forward.
“Dumbledore stood up in front of the entire school on the very first night.
He told hundreds of students exactly where a dangerous secret was hidden.
He said the third-floor corridor was out of bounds.” “Right,” Ron nodded.
“To keep us safe.” “No,” Edward said.
“If you want to keep a secret safe, you don’t tell a castle full of curious teenagers exactly where it is.
That just invites them to go look.
Dumbledore wanted people to know it was there.” Hermione frowned, thinking about it.
“Why would he do that?” “Because it was a trap,” Edward explained simply.
“Dumbledore knew someone was trying to steal that package.
He put it in the castle to draw the thief out.
And a giant three-headed dog is just a loud alarm system.
It sits at the front door.
I guarantee you, there were magical wards, traps, and other terrible things hidden under that trapdoor.” Harry’s eyes widened.
“A trap for the thief.” “Exactly,” Edward said.
“Dumbledore is not a fool.
He is the most powerful wizard in the world.
If someone tried to break in, the trap caught them.
Or the thief realized they could not get past the traps and simply ran away.
That is probably why Quirrell left.
He got scared and ran.” Ron sat back in his seat.
He rubbed his chin.
“So you think Snape didn’t do it?” “If Snape wanted to steal it, he had all year to do it,” Edward pointed out.
“But the stone, or whatever it is, is still safe.
Dumbledore is happy.
The teachers are happy.
You guys should just let it go.” Hermione nodded firmly.
“Edward is right.
It makes perfect sense.
The headmaster had it under control the whole time.” Harry let out a long breath.
The worry faded from his face.
“Yeah.
I guess you are right, Ed.
It makes sense.” “Good,” Edward smiled.
“Now pass the jelly beans.” They spent the rest of the train ride playing games and talking about their summer plans.
Ron invited Harry to come stay at his house.
Hermione said she was going on a trip with her parents.
“What about you, Ed?” Harry asked.
“Are you going back to the orphanage?” “Yes,” Edward said.
“I will be back in London.
But I have plenty of books to read and things to do.” “We should send letters to each other,” Hermione suggested brightly.
“I will send my owl.” “I will borrow my brother’s owl,” Ron said.
“I will send Hedwig,” Harry agreed, looking happy.
“Sounds great,” Edward said.
“I would like that.” The train finally slowed down.
It pulled into King’s Cross Station in London.
The sky outside was cloudy and grey.
The students grabbed their trunks.
They walked off the train and passed through the magical barrier back into the normal world.
Harry’s uncle was waiting for him.
The man looked incredibly angry and completely unpleasant.
Ron’s large family waited near the gate, all waving happily.
Hermione ran to hug her parents.
Edward stood on the platform.
He held his trunk easily in one hand.
He waved goodbye to his friends.
He watched them leave.
Then, he turned around and walked out of the station.
He stepped onto the busy London street.
He hailed a taxi, gave the driver the address for St.
Jude’s, and sat back in the seat.
His first year was officially over.
He looked out the window at the passing city, feeling completely ready for whatever his summer adventure would bring.