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

  Iom, the pub owner, stood behind the ter wiping a mug with a rag, fshing his usual wide smile, nodding now and then to ers at different tables, greeting them as if they were old friends.

  While in front of him, a young witch moved skillfully through the crowd, bang a tray full of drinks and pastries as she dodged the loud ers ughing over their jokes, perf her job with ease.

  Amid this lively bustle, a figure sat alo the table he er. He appeared South Asian, brown, and middle-aged, and his presence seemed almost negligible to everyone else, as not a single oct was seen looking in his dire, not even to offer a nod to include him in sharing their jokes.

  That was except for the waitress alking toward his dire.

  "There you go, Mr..."

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

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

  It had been a few months since she had started w as a waitress at the Leaky Cauldron, and she was now used to dealing with all sorts of ers. 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 thhly unremarkable in appearance.

  She had dismissed every attempt, but today was different. Though the person she had just served didn't seem to be seekitention, 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 e and sit for a meal in this dipidated old pub.

  However, just as she pced the food and drinks oable, 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 pany of the opposite sex, bringing ao her hope for a more engaging exge.

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

  Though disappointed, she briefly wao gnce 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 pletely.

  She tinued with her duties as if nothing had happehe only difference being that now she, too, seemed like everyone else, ign the inspicuous er as if nothihere.

  Khan enjoyed his food quietly while everything happening ihe pub. His face showed no particur expression, just bnk, as if nothing of i was around him—until, half an hour ter, he briefly lowered the neer he was reading and goward the entrance, a slight gleam in his eyes.

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

  Khan wasn't ied ihers' reas. 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 pce was somethiraordinary, like a first-time experience of witnessing something incredible.

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

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

  The brief silenside 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 the room like a spell. Instantly, the atmosphere ged from muo once agairic. Wizards and witches alike turned in their seats, eyes wide with awe, their whispers growing louder.

  Some very exaggerated reas came from the octs, 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, oer another, witd wizard alike approached the boy, shaking his hand and fttering 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, pced a few s on top of his neer, and quietly followed the pair toward the batrance.

  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 opehe entrao the heart of magical Britain—Diagon Alley.

  Kha his dista too far, but not too close either. He walked slowly, discreetly following the pair through the bustling streets. Once agaie moving through the rge crowd, people walked past him without any aowledgment, 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 versation.

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

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

  "That right there, Harry, is called Caesar's Magitech," Hagrid said, gesturing toward the busy building. "A retly famous store that sells all sorts of magical gadgets... it's bee quite popur 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 expeg a rea of awe or admiration.

  Khan watched their iion, a subtle twiting at the er of his eye as he observed the half-giant ag more like a child than the child standing beside him.

  The pair tinued dowreet, bypassing the other stores until they reached Gringotts, the wizarding bank. Khan watched them ehe grand building, but he stayed outside. After a moment, he moved to a quieter er where fewer people were moving about.

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

  Since he was already invisible, it seemed as though nothing had ged. However, he khis spell added another yer of invisibility on top of what the gadget on his wrist had already provided.

  Now, with his already inspicuous presence further amplified by several yers of invisibility, he returo the bank and positioned himself a short distance frotts' entrahere, he stood silently and waited.

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

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

  Khan's attention then ged 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 seds ter, his pace quied, 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 pce, as if Khan's as had gone pletely uered by the giant man's five senses.

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

  It was a red sto as shiny as a ruby, nor as pin 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 ged several times, starting with excitement, then to fusion, followed by curiosity, before finally settling into a look of uanding.

  They were now halfway to the pet store, and Hagrid had yet to notiything amiss. Khahe stone bato the pouch, then carefully reached once again for the half-giant's thick jacket. He repeated his previous as in reverse, slipping the small bag bato 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 ehe pet store, also known as the Magical Menagerie.

  Khaurned around and walked toward an alley where people seemed to be deliberately avoiding. As soon as he entered, he stopped, gng 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 fortable-looking chair by the wall.

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

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

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

  A few twitches and some unfortable movements ter, his middle-aged, Indian-looking self disappeared pletely, repced by a young white man with dark chestnut hair.

  Maverick let out anh as he leaned ba the chair, recalling the eventful m he had just experienced. It was now the 31st of July, 1991, as far as he remembered, and acc 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 khat 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 frotts as per Dumbledore's request, and that particur item had beearget of his as 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, ohat 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 i in, or rather avoid entirely.

  Therefore the best ce to get his hands on it without aig 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 kly 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 ces of being discovered, even though he was fident that he could pull off the task. So, he devised a pn involving several yers of precautions to ehat, even if he were to be discovered, the name Maverick Caesar would be the st anyone would think of.

  He used the Polyjuice Potion to transform into another man—someoirely 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 pletely.

  But when the moment to take a arrived, he quadrupled the yers of precautions, using magic suppression and invisibility twice through his magid once from the alchemical bracelet—effectively erasing his magical presence while being pletely invisible.

  Finally, at the st moment, he cast the illusioo manipute the nearby people's perception, as well as the half-giant Hagrid's sense of toud sight, ensuring that nobody— not even Hagrid himself— could see, hear, or feel anything other than what he intehem to.

  After that, it was simple. He took the stone from Hagrid's pocket, held it in his hand long enough for his system tister it, theur to Hagrid's pocket and disappeared from the se as if nothing had happe all.

  Now that he was alone in this remote pce he had prepared, far from anyone, he finally went through the multiple system prompts that had appeared the momeouched the famous creation of Niel.

  —————————

  Author's Note:

  Just a quick update — up to Chapter 99 is already avaible on P AT r30n!

  PAT r30n [.] / RyanFic