The Leaky Cauldron buzzed with life as the morning sun streamed through its grime-streaked windows. The clinking of mugs, the hum of conversation, and the rustling of newspapers filled the air, blending into the cozy, bustling atmosphere it was known for.

  Inside, Tom, the pub owner, stood behind the counter wiping a mug with a rag, flashing his usual wide smile, nodding now and then to customers at different tables, greeting them as if they were old friends.

  While in front of him, a young witch moved skillfully through the crowd, balancing a tray full of drinks and pastries as she dodged the loud customers laughing over their jokes, performing her job with ease.

  Amid this lively bustle, a figure sat alone at the table near the corner. He appeared South Asian, brown, and middle-aged, and his presence seemed almost negligible to everyone else, as not a single occupant was seen looking in his direction, not even to offer a nod to include him in sharing their jokes.

  That was except for the waitress who was walking toward his direction.

  "There you go, Mr..."

  "Khan," the man said, offering a polite smile. "Thank you, young lady."

  The witch flushed slightly, her cheeks warming as she straightened. "Yo-You're welcome," she managed to stammer, looking away from the eyes that seemed to have made her lose her composure.

  It had been a few months since she had started working as a waitress at the Leaky Cauldron, and she was now used to dealing with all sorts of customers. It wasn't unusual for some of them to try to get her attention. However, she was a young woman just above 20, and the wizards who did so were either three times her age or thoroughly unremarkable in appearance.

  She had dismissed every attempt, but today was different. Though the person she had just served didn't seem to be seeking her attention, she couldn't help but wonder, why couldn't it be the other way around? Why couldn't she take the initiative instead?

  After all, it's not every day that a man this handsome, carrying an air of elegance, would come and sit for a meal in this dilapidated old pub.

  However, just as she placed the food and drinks on the table, he thanked her and subtly, but politely, indicated with clear words that her presence was no longer needed.

  Unfortunately for her, it seemed the handsome man was not here to make new friends or enjoy the company of the opposite sex, bringing an end to her hope for a more engaging exchange.

  Letting out a soft sigh, she turned and walked away, unwilling to linger or push further.

  Though disappointed, she briefly wanted to glance back. After all, some men liked to act mysterious at first.

  However, as soon as the thought crossed her mind, her footsteps paused, and the idea vanished completely.

  She continued with her duties as if nothing had happened, the only difference being that now she, too, seemed like everyone else, ignoring the inconspicuous corner as if nothing were there.

  Khan enjoyed his food quietly while observing everything happening inside the pub. His face showed no particular expression, just blank, as if nothing of interest was around him—until, half an hour later, he briefly lowered the newspaper he was reading and glanced toward the entrance, a slight gleam in his eyes.

  He saw a massive figure duck through the low door, followed by a smaller one. The atmosphere seemed to pause as all the occupants looked at the pair with keen interest, while the bustling noise filling the pub almost faded to silence.

  Khan wasn't interested in the others' reactions. His attention was focused on the smaller figure beside the giant man. The child seemed very curious about everything he was seeing, as if this place was something extraordinary, like a first-time experience of witnessing something incredible.

  Khan's eyes flicked to the boy's face—round glasses, messy black hair, and a lightning-shaped scar barely visible beneath his tousled hair.

  A slight smirk tugged at his lips. It's finally here, he thought.

  The brief silence inside was broken by the scrape of a chair as a witch stood abruptly. Her voice trembled with excitement as she gasped and then said, "Bless my soul... Harry Potter!"

  The name hit the room like a spell. Instantly, the atmosphere changed from mundane to once again electric. Wizards and witches alike turned in their seats, eyes wide with awe, their whispers growing louder.

  Some very exaggerated reactions came from the occupants, as Khan watched a wizard fumble with his hat, spilling his drink, while a witch clutched her chest, as if she might faint.

  He watched the excitement unfold as, one after another, witch and wizard alike approached the boy, shaking his hand and offering flattering words.

  As the giant man and Harry Potter made their way toward the back of the pub, Khan finally made a move. He stood up from his table, placed a few coins on top of his newspaper, and quietly followed the pair toward the back entrance.

  His movements, like before, was ignored by everyone else, as if he wasn't even there.

  The giant man, whom he knew was Hagrid, and Harry Potter walked into the empty courtyard. Khan was a little behind, but his attention never left them. He watched as Hagrid made a few gestures, tapped the wall with his wand, and opened the entrance to the heart of magical Britain—Diagon Alley.

  Khan kept his distance—not too far, but not too close either. He walked slowly, discreetly following the pair through the bustling streets. Once again, despite moving through the large crowd, people walked past him without any acknowledgment, as if they were deliberately avoiding him.

  Minutes passed like this. Khan stayed some distance behind the half-giant and the boy, following them as they walked passing stall by stall, occasionally listening to their conversation.

  When they reached a place that looked different from all the other stalls, he focused more on their conversation.

  "Hagrid... what's this place?" He heard the boy ask, looking at the multiple-story building that appeared much busier, with more people coming in and out than at the other places.

  "That right there, Harry, is called Caesar's Magitech," Hagrid said, gesturing toward the busy building. "A recently famous store that sells all sorts of magical gadgets... it's become quite popular around the world."

  The half-giant leaned down a little, lowered his voice, and cupped his hand by his mouth as if sharing a secret. "Tell you what, Harry, I'm actually friends with the owner."

  Hagrid straightened up, puffed out his chest, and flipped his thick coat proudly. He raised his eyebrows at the boy, clearly expecting a reaction of awe or admiration.

  Khan watched their interaction, a subtle twitch forming at the corner of his eye as he observed the half-giant acting more like a child than the child standing beside him.

  The pair continued down the street, bypassing the other stores until they reached Gringotts, the wizarding bank. Khan watched them enter the grand building, but he stayed outside. After a moment, he moved to a quieter corner where fewer people were moving about.

  Raising his right hand, he focused on a bracelet-like object wrapped around his wrist. Slowly, his entire body disappeared, turning completely invisible. He then snapped his fingers, casting another spell on himself.

  Since he was already invisible, it seemed as though nothing had changed. However, he knew this spell added another layer of invisibility on top of what the gadget on his wrist had already provided.

  Now, with his already inconspicuous presence further amplified by several layers of invisibility, he returned to the bank and positioned himself a short distance from Gringotts' entrance. There, he stood silently and waited.

  About half an hour later, he spotted the half-giant and the boy exiting the bank and heading toward the wand shop. Once again, he followed, observing their movements closely.

  From the entrance of Ollivanders Wand Shop, he saw the boy separate himself from the half-giant. Harry Potter entered the shop alone, while Hagrid turned towards the pet store which was a couple of minutes away.

  Khan's attention then changed solely to the half-giant as he increased his pace following him, now making it clear who his true target was.

  When Khan got a couple of meters closer, he flicked his fingers, casting a spell. A few seconds later, his pace quickened, and he was walking side by side with the half-giant.

  His expression turned solemn as he made his move. While walking beside Hagrid, Khan reached for the man's thick coat, gently moved it aside, and slipped his hand into the inner pocket. There, he carefully retrieved a small pouch.

  If anyone else had used an invisibility spell and attempted the same, the veteran half-giant would have surely noticed his jacket moving, let alone something being taken from the inner pocket. But it seemed that nothing was out of place, as if Khan's actions had gone completely unregistered by the giant man's five senses.

  Khan didn't stop moving after retrieving the pouch. He maintained the same pace, walking beside Hagrid. As he did, he carefully took the content of the small bag and cupped it in his palm.

  It was a red stone—not as shiny as a ruby, nor as plain as a simple crystal. He didn't do anything with it or to it, other than holding it firmly while keeping pace for about half a minute.

  However, during that brief time, his expression changed several times, starting with excitement, then to confusion, followed by curiosity, before finally settling into a look of understanding.

  They were now halfway to the pet store, and Hagrid had yet to notice anything amiss. Khan placed the stone back into the pouch, then carefully reached once again for the half-giant's thick jacket. He repeated his previous actions in reverse, slipping the small bag back into the inner pocket from where he had taken it.

  There, he stopped following and watched for a brief moment as Hagrid moved ahead and finally entered the pet store, also known as the Magical Menagerie.

  Khan then turned around and walked toward an alley where people seemed to be deliberately avoiding. As soon as he entered, he stopped, glancing to his left and right before his invisible figure vanished from the spot.

  ...

  Woosh!

  The soft thump of Apparition echoed in a small, brightly lit room furnished with only a desk and a comfortable-looking chair by the wall.

  A figure materialized into view as he canceled the magic cast on himself and walked over to the chair. He slumped down tiredly, as if he had just completed a heavy task, then leaned back comfortably, resting his head while looking up at the ceiling, looking thoughtful.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  A sigh escaped his lips, followed by a triumphant smile as he murmured to the air, "Finally..."

  Just then, his expression changed. "Is it time already?" he murmured again, before straightening his posture. His brows furrowed uncomfortably as his appearance began to change.

  A few twitches and some uncomfortable movements later, his middle-aged, Indian-looking self disappeared completely, replaced by a young white man with dark chestnut hair.

  Maverick let out another sigh as he leaned back in the chair, recalling the eventful morning he had just experienced. It was now the 31st of July, 1991, as far as he remembered, and according to the many exaggerated storybooks he had read about a certain wizard, it was also the birthday of Harry Potter, also known as the "Chosen One."

  He recalled every bit of the Harry Potter first book and the first movie he could remember, and knew that today would be the day Hagrid would take the young wizard around Diagon Alley to gather supplies for his freshman year.

  He also remembered that the half-giant would be retrieving a very valuable item from Gringotts as per Dumbledore's request, and that particular item had been the target of his actions today.

  The Sorcerer's Stone, or Philosopher's Stone—whatever it was called—was believed to be an alchemical artifact with incredible properties. From what he recalled, it was said to have the power to extend one's life and transform any element into whatever the holder desired. Two incredible abilities, ones that Maverick, with his cheat that could replicate extraordinary item's extraordinary characteristics, wanted for himself at any cost.

  However, acquiring the stone while it was at Hogwarts would be difficult. Not impossible, but difficult. Moreover, doing so would risk drawing the attention of one powerful, and very nosy Arch-Magus, which he had no interest in, or rather avoid entirely.

  Therefore the best chance to get his hands on it without anyone noticing would be during its transport, when it was far away from the school.

  Luckily for him, he had knowledge from beyond the fourth wall, and knew exactly when and where the stone would be before it made its way to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

  But he didn't want to take any chances of being discovered, even though he was confident that he could pull off the task. So, he devised a plan involving several layers of precautions to ensure that, even if he were to be discovered, the name Maverick Caesar would be the last anyone would think of.

  He used the Polyjuice Potion to transform into another man—someone entirely random, halfway around the world—and gave himself a new name. He then cast the Notice-Me-Not variant spell to dim any attention directed at him, just enough to go unnoticed, but not completely.

  But when the moment to take action arrived, he quadrupled the layers of precautions, using magic suppression and invisibility twice—once through his magic and once from the alchemical bracelet—effectively erasing his magical presence while becoming completely invisible.

  Finally, at the last moment, he cast the illusion spell to manipulate the nearby people's perception, as well as the half-giant Hagrid's sense of touch and sight, ensuring that nobody— not even Hagrid himself— could see, hear, or feel anything other than what he intended them to.

  After that, it was simple. He took the stone from Hagrid's pocket, held it in his hand long enough for his system to register it, then returned it to Hagrid's pocket and disappeared from the scene as if nothing had happened at all.

  Now that he was alone in this remote place he had prepared, far from anyone, he finally went through the multiple system prompts that had appeared the moment he touched the famous creation of Nicolas Flamel.

  —————————

  [ Item: Sorcerer's Stone ]

  [ Extraordinary Characteristic: Life Enhancement ]

  [ Grade: Excellent ]

  [ Extraordinary Characteristic: Transmutation (Semi Permanent) ]

  [ Grade: Basic ]

  First of all, the Sorcerer's Stone displayed multiple characteristics, unlike a normal magical item. But this wasn't the first time something like this had happened, so Maverick wasn't overly surprised.

  The other items that had prompted multiple characteristics were his very own alchemy products—the ring and the bracelet—that his teacher had given him. From this, he concluded that extraordinary characteristics could be replicated multiple times from such items, though he had yet to test the theory in practice.

  Nonetheless, the two characteristics the Sorcerer's Stone displayed were, in simple terms, unremarkable. However, that didn't mean they weren't important. Maverick just expected the Stone to have better traits, maybe even mythical grade, given all the attention over it. After all, this was the same Stone that had inspired an entire book, with its name in the title.

  Unfortunately, things don't always turn out as you expect.

  He focused on the first characteristic, Transmutation (Semi-Permanent). The name matched the rumors about the Stone being able to turn any metal into gold. But according to the system, the change wasn't permanent.

  He wondered if Flamel had exaggerated its abilities, or if the transformation simply lasted for a very long time but not indefinitely.

  Either way, he trusted the system's judgment more than old stories. On top of that, the characteristic was labeled as Basic, which made him lose interest in copying it.

  Then there was the Excellent-grade characteristic, "Life Enhancement." From the name, it once again aligned with the rumors of the Stone granting a long lifespan. However, much like the earlier characteristic, this too seemed to be a watered-down version—prolonging life rather than granting literal immortality.

  But an Excellent-Grade trait was still much better than some basic ability. Moreover, Maverick had come to a realization—very, very few items ever prompted an Excellent grade. Almost 99% of the items he had tested so far turned out to be Basic grade.

  This made him wonder what kind of item the system would regard as Mythical grade. The Deathly Hallows, perhaps? Or maybe... the Infinity Stones? It was a curious thought, but one for another time.

  He then focused on the next set of prompts, the ones that had appeared when he made up his mind earlier to copy the Excellent-grade characteristic.

  [ Do you want to use one Extraordinary Characteristic Point to replicate Excellent-Grade Characteristic, Life Enhancement? ]

  Following that came the system's way of informing him it had something else in mind, much like what had happened when he replicated the Extraordinary Characteristic of Scamander's suitcase.

  [ Unable to integrate Extraordinary Characteristic! ]

  [ Converting Extraordinary Characteristic to an integratable state. ]

  [ Conversion complete. ]

  [ New Extraordinary Characteristic: Vitality ]

  [ Replicating Extraordinary Characteristic. ]

  [ Extraordinary Characteristic: Excellent-Grade Vitality (unfused) ]

  Now, the new trait had been added to his list of Extraordinary Characteristics, but with the "unfused" remark. This was one of those cases where he was genuinely thankful that the abilities he replicated did not integrate with his body immediately. Otherwise, there would be a whole lot of other factors he would have to consider when copying a new ability.

  He let out a long breath and stood up from the chair, his expression changing to one of full concentration. Before proceeding with the fusion, he extended his vast Magical Sense outward, ensuring there wasn't a soul nearby.

  Satisfied, he turned back to the chair, flicked his finger, and transfigured it into a comfortable-looking bed. His Transfiguration skills were no joke. At his advanced proficiency, the magic would last for hours, and he assumed the integration wouldn't take longer than that—after all, this wasn't a breakthrough in rank.

  After that, he lay down comfortably, taking a deep breath in before exhaling slowly to prepare his mind and body for what was to come. Once he felt ready, he brought up the system panel and willed the new characteristic to fuse.

  He felt the effects of the system at work almost immediately. It was like an itch or like tiny creatures were crawling all over his body, both on the surface and inside. It was very uncomfortable, but not unbearably painful.

  The sensation continued, sometimes stronger, sometimes weaker. Eventually, he closed his eyes and turned off the active Magical-Sense he had extended outward, thinking of may be try and relax to not feel the flow of time.

  Seconds turned to minutes, and minutes turned to hours. He was no longer lying on the bed, as it had been transfigured back to its original form. Now, he sat reading a book, trying his best to distract himself from the irritation. Unfortunately, it didn't work either, as his face was seen twitching every so often in response to the pain.

  Putting the book aside, he racked his brain for another way to distract himself, but nothing came to mind. Finally, he decided to simply wait out the process and endure.

  And so, he waited patiently as the system worked its miracle, integrating the trait and transforming his body on a cellular level. At the same time, the crawling irritation across his body started to change, mixing with pain and getting stronger with each passing moment.

  Fortunately, his pain tolerance was no longer as weak as when he ranked up to Great-Magus, and he was able to persist even when the pain reached its peak.

  Another hour later, the discomfort and pain slowly started to fade away and, eventually, disappeared completely. However, due to the accumulated fatigue from enduring the pain for so long, he couldn't immediately tell what had changed in his body.

  Thankfully, the system finally gave the prompt that the characteristic had been fused, meaning he could now get a more detailed description from the system interface.

  Before that, he first cast a quick cleaning spell on himself, getting rid of all the sweat from his skin and clothes. Then, he sat comfortably on the chair once again and turned his attention to the system.

  [ Name: Maverick Caesar ]

  [ Class: Wizard ]

  [ Rank: Great-Magus ]

  [ Magical Energy: 7,826+ ]

  [ Points: 2,559 ]

  [ Extraordinary Characteristic Points: 0 ]

  [ Extraordinary Characteristics: ]

  [ Excellent grade Spellcasting ]

  [ Excellent grade Independent Expanded Dimension ]

  [ Excellent grade Flight ]

  [ Excellent grade Vitality ]

  [ Talents: ]

  [ Magical Energy Manipulation (Advanced +) ]

  [ Magical Sense (Advanced +) ]

  [ Spacial Rift (Advanced +) ]

  [ Dominant Spirit (Advanced +) ]

  [ Transfiguration (Advanced +) ]

  [ Alchemy (Advanced +) ]

  [ Potions (Intermediate +) ]

  [ Spells: ]

  [ Aquired Master Proficiency: ]

  [ Fiendfyre + | Illusio Lunam Lectorem + ]

  [ Aquired Advanced Proficiency: ]

  [ Flipendo + | Bombarda + | Bombarda Maxima + | Expelliarmus + | Sanare Vipra (Advanced healing) + | Protego + | Finite Incantatem + | Petrificus Totalus + | Stupefy + | PatronusCharm + | Episkey (Healing) + | Reparo + | Revelio + | Disillusionment + | Wingardium Leviosa + | Occlumency + | Legilimency + | Apparition + | Mirror World spell + | Confundus + ... ]

  He took a brief look at the status screen, and the first thing that caught his eye was that his Magical Energy had increased noticeably by more than a thousand units. He clearly remembered it being around six thousand five hundred just this morning, meaning this was directly related to the new extraordinary characteristic.

  His mind quickly came up with a few hypotheses, but for now, he set the thoughts aside and turned his attention to the new addition on his system panel.

  As he focused, the system provided a brief description of the new ability.

  [ Extraordinary Characteristic: Excellent grade Vitality ]

  Note:

  Improves recovery, endurance, and physical resilience. Increases resistance to injuries and greatly enhances the body's natural healing process.

  Healing factor increased by 1000%

  Cell degradation rate decreased by 500%

  Judging from the system's remark alone, his physique had gained an overall boost in all of its positive functions. He was already a Great-Magus, which meant his biology was far superior to that of a regular human.

  Now, with the enhancement from the vitality characteristic, he figured he was physically much stronger than even the peak of Great-Magus, and possibly even close to the physique of an Arch-Magus.

  Nodding in understanding, he decided to run a little test and retrieved a blade from his storage ring.

  Swish!

  With a swift movement, he swiped the blade across the skin of his arm, using enough force to make a cut that would normally affect a regular Great-Magus.

  A faint white mark briefly appeared on his skin before disappearing in seconds. He arched an eyebrow at the result, then repeated the action, applying more force with the next swipe.

  Swish!

  This time, a clean cut appeared, followed by blood starting to gush from the capillaries. But within moments, the bleeding stopped, and the cut began to heal visibly before closing completely in seconds.

  A typical Great-Magus would need at least 15 minutes to half an hour for a cut like that to heal completely, but for him, it happened almost instantly, just like the system had remarked about his healing factor now being ten times more powerful.

  Sending the blade back to the storage ring, his thoughts once again turned to his Magical-Energy. It had increased by over one thousand units, but more importantly, this was the first time an Extraordinary Characteristic had directly affected his Magical-Energy.

  This wasn't difficult to figure out. After all, every time his Magical-Energy increased, his physique showed a corresponding improvement. So, it wouldn't be wrong to assume that the same could happen in reverse.

  Putting all that aside, another important detail he noticed while looking at the system panel was that he could now promote himself to the rank of Arch-Magus if he wanted to.

  However, if he ranked up now, he would be left with only a hundred or so points, which was simply not enough, especially considering there was a good chance of awakening two new talents upon promotion.

  Perhaps after the end of the year, he thought. After giving it more consideration, he decided it was better to wait.

  More time passed, during which he performed some final tests on himself and gained a solid understanding of his new capabilities.

  One point was very clear to him. Apart from the seven Speakers, there should not be any witch or wizard alive in the world right now who could match him in magic or power.

  But Maverick was by no means arrogant or overly proud of this fact. There was still so much he didn't know about this world, not to mention the things he does know. To put it simply, witches and wizards were just one group of extraordinary individuals, and there were many others out there.

  So, if there ever came a time when he would feel even slightly confident about his strength, it would be after reaching the rank of Arch-Magus. At that point, he would at least have the capital to voice himself among his own kind.

  Until then, today's accomplishment was just another step forward on his path toward realizing his ambitions in this grandiose universe.