NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4: Chapter 3:
Chapter 3:
…..
Adam's eyes shot open.
The room was shrouded in a tranquil dimness, lit only by the lamp on his desk, which he'd forgotten to turn off… or rather, hadn't had the chance to.
He blinked several times, trying to orient himself.
The ceiling of his room, the furniture piled with hand-me-down clothes from his older brothers, the rumpled sheets he'd slept in since arriving at his grandmother's house…
Everything was there, exactly as he had left it.
He sat up abruptly, breathing quickly as he tried to calm his mind.
So… he was back.
Yup. He was back in his grandmother's house, in his normal bed, with everything exactly as it had been before all that… dream? Adventure?
Well… He wasn't sure what to call it. But he still had Draco's memories, as if they were practically his own.
Then, he noticed something that didn't add up.
"..."
The last thing he remembered was trying to finish writing his story at 11:30 PM on January 2nd. However, the digital clock on his nightstand read 12:00 AM, January 3rd, 1996.
So, according to the clock, barely any time had passed since he'd left that strange magical world… but he was sure he'd spent an entire day there.
Adam stared at the clock for a few seconds, trying to make sense of it.
"This doesn't make any sense…" he murmured.
Suddenly, the transparent screen reappeared in front of him with a message that made him forget all about how strange the situation was.
[Congratulations on successfully integrating into the world of Harry Potter by acting as Draco Malfoy without raising suspicion or being noticed by your family!
You have earned the skill: Perfect Acting]
Below the main text, a description of the skill appeared automatically.
[Perfect Acting:
-Allows the user to imitate and embody any character choose to perfection]
"Perfect Acting?" Adam repeated, frowning as he read the description.
And yeah, instantly, he pictured himself dressed as Sherlock Holmes or a spy in an action movie. It was as if he'd suddenly become a professional actor overnight, without even needing rehearsals. The idea seemed both fun and incredible.
But before he could fully process it, another message appeared.
[From now on, every day at 12:00 AM, you will automatically travel to the world of Harry Potter and return when the same time is reached in that world. Time will not progress in either world while you are absent]
Adam's mouth fell open.
Okay… That explained why it was still 12:00 AM.
Time hadn't moved at all.
That also explained why, in the magical world, his day had started at exactly 12:00 AM on January 2nd, as if the previous day had never happened.
Somehow, the days in both worlds seemed to be… umm, synchronized?
'Wait… Every day?'
Did that mean he had to deal with this madness every single night?
Was he supposed to be Draco Malfoy in a magical world during part of his life and then return to the normal world as if nothing had happened?
Well, It was exciting… but also a little terrifying.
But the excitement definitely outweighed everything else.
It was a unique and incredible opportunity that he didn't want to lose to irrational fear… though one could argue it was perfectly logical to feel a bit afraid, considering he still had no idea where this system had come from. But as long as it gave him access to amazing and magical things, he'd tolerate it without protesting or doubting too much.
Then, the final warning appeared, and it made him frown.
[Warning: The user is advised that if anyone discovers the system or anything related to it, the system will immediately be lost]
Okay…
That message made him nervous.
An uncomfortable sensation settled in his stomach.
He couldn't talk about this with anyone… not even his grandmother or his mother. If anyone found out about the system, he would lose it.
And that meant he'd probably never see the magical world again. He'd never get to go to Hogwarts, learn spells, or experience all the magic and new things that world had to offer.
Adam swallowed hard.
It was a lot to take in, but one thing was clear: he had to avoid mentioning the system or anything about the magical world.
Yup, He'd already decided he wanted to go back, even if it meant returning as Draco Malfoy.
…..
As the screen disappeared, Adam let himself fall back onto the bed, utterly exhausted. After all, he hadn't slept in… well, nearly two days.
He stared at the ceiling, feeling his thoughts crashing into one another.
On one hand, all of this was entirely new and a bit terrifying. But on the other hand, there was something incredibly exciting about the idea of traveling to the magical world every night.
He was nine years old, and he'd always dreamed of something like this.
Well, not exactly this, since all of it surpassed even his wildest dreams. But he'd certainly wished for something extraordinary to happen in his life. Though he'd never admitted it to his friends, fantasy books and movies had always fascinated him. Even if he preferred others to read the books to him rather than reading them himself, he still loved them.
"I'm going to become a wizard… a real one," he murmured to himself, smiling a little foolishly.
Still, one question gnawed at him, one he couldn't ignore: Where had this system come from?
It was as if someone or something was giving him these abilities and sending him to that world for a purpose he didn't understand.
The idea that someone might be controlling all of this from the shadows gave him chills. But he couldn't deny that he wanted to seize the opportunity. If there was one thing Adam knew for sure, it was that he wasn't going to waste the chance to learn magic and explore this magic world.
Besides, he now had two incredible abilities.
Natural Occlumen had already proven how useful it was, helping him absorb Draco's memories and manage the situation he'd found himself in. He had practically managed to stay calm during his first day as Draco Malfoy, even when he felt like he was going to explode inside, thanks to that ability. He actually felt somewhat smarter for some reason, maybe due to this ability as well as nine years of extra memories and experiences.
Now, with the Perfect Acting skill, he could impersonate Draco without a problem and keep exploring that magical world without raising any suspicion.
He could even use it to become a real actor and be famous…a celebrity!
Yeah, that idea sounded amazing. But not as amazing as being a wizard. So yup, that definitely had no comparison.
Adam turned over in bed, hugging his pillow tightly. His mind was brimming with possibilities.
In the coming year, he might even learn spells, enter and explore Hogwarts… There was an entire magical world filled with magical creatures to discover.
Sure, being Draco Malfoy wasn't exactly ideal, but it wasn't all bad either. After all, Malfoy was rich, powerful, and had access to many things in the magical world that others didn't.
So, If he played his cards right, he could do something incredible with this opportunity.
But there was another important detail: he now had two lives.
On one hand, he was Adam White, the youngest of seven siblings, living a normal and boring life. On the other, he was Draco Malfoy, heir to one of the most influential families in the British magical world… but with much less pleasant parents.
Balancing the two wouldn't be easy, especially since he couldn't tell anyone what was happening.
"I guess I'll have to get used to living a double life…" he murmured, laughing a little at how crazy the situation was. And to being Draco Malfoy, the son of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy.
At least his physical body was practically the same in both worlds… otherwise, things would be really weird.
Just imagining being in a completely different body gave him chills.
These were his final thoughts as he turned off the lights.
.....
....
The next morning, Adam woke up feeling strangely refreshed, despite having spent the night dealing with a magical system and traveling to a world where magic existed.
He didn't even entertain the possibility that it had all been a dream, because he still had memories and knowledge that weren't his… memories of Draco Malfoy. Yes, it had all been very real.
He quickly got dressed and went downstairs to have breakfast with his family.
As usual, his older siblings barely paid attention to him. His parents were busy discussing some work issue, probably something related to how his father was always traveling for his job and was practically never home.
So, yeah, Adam went unnoticed, as usual.
Normally, that would have bothered him, but this time he was grateful. The fewer questions they asked, the better.
He wasn't mentally prepared to cover up an entire magical world and the system that had taken him there. He was incredibly excited and wanted to tell someone about it more than anything, but he held back, already aware of the consequences.
However, as he ate his cereal, he couldn't help but feel different. Not just because a part of him felt like Draco Malfoy, but because now he had a secret.
A big secret.
It was as if he were an undercover spy with access to two completely different worlds.
Well… not the best example, but you get the idea.
All of it thrilled him like nothing else, but it also made him feel a little lonely. No one knew what was going on, and he couldn't share it with anyone.
"Adam, why are you smiling like an idiot?" Mia, his closest sibling in age, asked, giving him a suspicious look.
"Eh? Me? I'm not smiling," Adam said with a shrug, continuing to eat and trying to act normal. That's when he remembered that he now had the Perfect Acting skill to make lying easier.
Mia studied him for another moment, but eventually lost interest and returned to her phone. Adam breathed a sigh of relief. He'd need to remember to use Perfect Acting in certain situations if he wanted to keep all of this hidden from his family.
Although, thinking about it… even if he told them directly, he doubted they'd believe him.
'Er… Am I worrying for no reason?' Adam thought to himself, concluding that it might actually be the case, and he relaxed.
Not long after finishing breakfast, Adam remembered something important: the Harry Potter manuscript.
He had to read it again!
But this time, he needed to pay close attention since it could contain information that would be extremely important for his future if things at Hogwarts unfolded the way they were written in the book.
So, the first thing he did after finishing his meal was to search for the manuscript… a manuscript that, under normal circumstances, he never would have read again. But given his new situation, he felt an urgent need to reread it, this time focusing intently on all the details.
Now that he planned to return to the magical world, he wanted to know as much as possible.
…..
Once he found it, he spent literally the entire day glued to it, reading more intently than he ever had in his life.
This, of course, caught his family's attention, but he ignored them completely.
By late afternoon, after finishing the manuscript, he asked his grandmother if there was a second manuscript of the book or if she knew the author and could ask them for the sequel.
His grandmother was surprised by how interested Adam seemed in the book since, well… he wasn't exactly an avid reader, much less one who'd show this level of enthusiasm for any book.
Soon, his grandmother replied…much to Adam's disappointment… that she didn't know if there was a second manuscript because she didn't usually pay much attention to works of fiction, as she focused on poetry.
However, she added that she could try to contact the author if he wanted.
Adam quickly nodded and asked her to do so if possible.
When she agreed with a warm grandmotherly smile, he thanked her wholeheartedly because he truly wanted to get more information if it was available.
Before leaving, he asked her to let him know if she received any news.
Little did Adam know that after this, his grandmother would become curious enough to read the manuscript herself… the book that seemed to have captivated her grandson so much that he wanted to read more.
After reading it, she found it interesting and thought it was well-written, but she wasn't personally very interested in the book. However, considering that a piece of fiction could engage a nine-year-old like Adam to this extent, she realized it might have great sales potential.
But first, she decided she would contact the author and then determine what to do. It was lucky she hadn't rejected the manuscript outright since she hadn't even taken the time to read it until now. Checking the date it had been submitted…mid-last year… she realized six months had already passed, so there was a chance someone else had already agreed to publish it.
…..
The rest of the day flew by.
After finishing the manuscript and talking with his grandmother, Adam tried to focus on his normal tasks, but his mind was completely preoccupied with what would happen that night.
At 12:00 AM, he would return to the magical world. That meant he needed to be ready. He wanted to make the most of his time there, especially now that he knew he could go back every night.
Before going to bed, Adam grabbed a notebook and pencil and began making a list of things he wanted to investigate in the magical world.
If he was going to live as Draco Malfoy, he wanted to do it right.
He wasn't going to be the same Draco that everyone knew. He'd be better. But he also needed to avoid raising suspicion, so he'd have to be careful… especially with Lucius Malfoy, who was far from tolerant.
When midnight finally arrived, Adam was sitting on his bed, waiting with both excitement and nervousness.
Just as the clock struck 12:00, he felt the same strange sensation as the night before. Everything around him went dark, and once again, he found himself falling into the void.
But this time, he was ready.