My Life in Harry Potter Universe

Scarlet gradually began to recall her previous life, eventually realising and confirming that she had been reincarnated into a new world when she was five.

She was living in an orphanage - a rather decent one located in a well-to-do area. The church was just around the corner, and a few volunteers would come by weekly to check on the children. The orphanage housed about forty kids, with one director and six staff members. The director and two staff stayed overnight with the children, while the others only around during the day. They could always call on the church if an urgent situation arose.

Like tonight, when one of the children came down with a high fever, and it was Scarlet who noticed.

She quickly knocked on the director’s door, and one of the staff members rushed the child to the church to borrow a car and take them to the hospital.

Madame Brown, the director, sighed with relief when she received a phone call from the staff member at the hospital, saying the child was being treated by the doctors and that she would stay there until further notice.

“Thank you, dear,” Madame Brown said, patting Scarlet’s head as the girl waited with her for the call. “How did you notice?”

“Well, he usually eats a lot, but tonight he gave me some of his dinner, so I thought something might be wrong. I didn’t feel he had a fever at the time,” Scarlet yawned and continued, “He went to bed early, so I thought I’d check on him before going to sleep myself, just in case, and that’s when I found out he was burning hot.”

“You’re very observant,” Madame Brown said, clearly impressed by the little girl. “Thanks again. Now off to bed with you.”

“Yes, Mama Susan...” Scarlet rubbed her eyes as she walked towards her bed, situated among nine other children. Suddenly, she remembered something she’d been pondering for a few days and decided to ask now that the opportunity had presented itself. “Um, Mama?”

“Yes, darling?”

“Could I have a word with you tomorrow, when you have a moment?”

“Of course.”

“I mean, in private - to talk about my education.”

Madame Brown sensed something odd; now that she thought about it, the way Scarlet spoke was far more mature than what one would expect from a typical five-year-old. However, she didn’t dwell on it and agreed to Scarlet’s request, tucking her in and giving her a kiss on the forehead before leaving the room.

The next day, after breakfast, Scarlet met her in her office. All the school-age children had been sent to the nearby school, which was within walking distance, so before the staff returned, Madame Brown was the only adult present in the orphanage. Scarlet knew this was the perfect time for their private talk, ensuring no one would overhear.

“Good morning, Scarlet,” Madame Brown said, sitting down on a small stool so that her eyes were level with Scarlet’s. “Now, about that education matter you wanted to discuss?”

“Yes, about that,” Scarlet said, pulling out a book, “This is Edgar’s homework from last year, and I realized I could solve it quite easily.”

Madame Brown was taken aback by Scarlet’s words. She examined the book; Edgar’s writing was as messy as ever, but beside it was a much neater script, with answers far more accurate than Edgar’s. “Good heavens!”

“Although I’d rather keep a low profile, I’ve been thinking about the financial side of things,” Scarlet suggested. “Could you look into the possibility of me skipping a few grades? That way, we could save some money on my education, and I could finish school earlier and head off to university sooner.”

Madame Brown was momentarily stunned before she patted Scarlet’s head, “Don’t worry about the fees, dear. Our funding is more than sufficient to cover your primary school expenses. You don’t need to push yourself.”

“Actually, I’ve got other plans in mind,” Scarlet slowly revealed her intent, “I’m hoping to start earning money earlier so that I can save up for travelling the world. It's, going to cost quite a bit, isn’t it?”

Madame Brown was silent for a moment, her mind racing with thoughts before she voiced her concern. “That’s quite an ambition. I can arrange for you to skip grades if you’re set on it, but...you might find it lonely. You’d be the only little one among older children. It could be difficult to make friends...”

“Oh, about that...how shall I put it?” Scarlet scratched her head, “I’ve always felt like the odd one out among kids my age. It’s not that they don’t want to be friends - they’re really nice - but I just can’t seem to find much in common with them. I’m not interested in the games they play or the cartoons they watch. Sometimes I don’t even understand what they’re talking about, I doubt they understand me either.”

Madame Brown felt a pang of sadness in her chest.

“I tried to fit in with Edgar and his lot, but as you mentioned, they don’t really connect with me - a five-year-old, after all. So... I reckon I’ll be a bit lonely regardless, at least until I’m older. But I think it might be easier for me to make friends as an 18-year-old at university, where I can meet all sorts of people.” Scarlet noticed the compassionate look in Madame Brown’s eyes and smiled. “Don’t worry, Madame. I don’t mind being on my own. In fact, I see this as a good opportunity to focus on my studies, like drawing and other subjects, and to explore my interests for further education. The community library has everything I need for self-education.”

Madame Brown regarded Scarlet for a long moment before speaking. “It seems like you’ve got quite a detailed plan.”

“Yes, I do.” Scarlet nodded, “In fact, I’d like you to help me open a bank account so I can save any earnings. I plan to enter maths competitions and similar events, and if I win, there’s often a cash prize. I’ll need somewhere to save that money.”

Seeing the determination in Scarlet’s eyes, Madame Brown was convinced. “If you’ve made up your mind, then I’ll do what I can to help. Just...don’t push yourself too hard, will you?”

“I won’t,” Scarlet promised.

Later, she was taken to the community library, where she was left under the care of a kind librarian, an elderly lady called Madame Robinson, while Madame Brown began the paperwork and applied for Scarlet’s school leave for the week.

“What sort of books would you like to read today?” Madame Robinson asked.

“Books about mythologies and legends,” Scarlet replied eagerly.

Madame Robinson, who knew every book in the library, soon returned with three thick volumes. They were filled with dense text and old-fashioned illustrations that might put off most children, but she knew Scarlet was capable of reading them. “Here are a few I think will suit you.”

Scarlet thanked her and dove into her studies.

Though most of what she’d told Madame Brown was true, she hadn’t revealed her deepest motivation: world travelling was just a surface reason. What she truly sought was to find a spirit to believe in, like the Harvesting Fox from her previous life.

She had been a priestess for nearly her entire previous life, accustomed to the bond with her spirit and the feel of channelling spiritual power. It wasn’t that she longed for powerful or destructive abilities; rather, she missed the gentle ripple of air when she waved her hand, the little flowers and grasses that sprouted at her touch, and the comforting presence of a cuddly fox that relished her affection.

I hope my Harvesting Fox has found a suitable caster to bond with and isn’t too sad about my death, Scarlet mused as she immersed herself in the books.

She wasn’t sure if a caster association or such spirits existed in this world, but the legends and mythologies were worth exploring. She hoped to discover a new belief, a new anchor point in this life. Why did she still retain the memories of her past life? It’s wasn’t natural for a newborn mortal to carry more memories than one life should hold. She had already begun to notice how her thoughts and actions felt out of sync with this world.

Loneliness, feeling misunderstood, being an outlier in every group, sleepless nights, the inability to fully integrate into this world, the pain of her death, the loss of her abilities that had almost become second nature, as if she’d lost a limb...She feared she might sink into depression if she couldn’t find a suitable way forward.

She needed a new belief, and Christianity wasn’t her answer; she had tried, but it hadn’t worked.

She needed this new belief, sooner rather than later. Ideally, it would be a spirit or belief rooted in England or Ireland, somewhere she could reach by train and where she could convince Madame Brown to let her visit by attending competitions. If the belief she sought wasn’t within England or Ireland, she’d need a bigger budget to reach nearby countries and a network of contacts to uncover those legends, as the books in the community library might not suffice. University libraries, especially those in old institutions, might hold the answer she sought.

No one knew Scarlet’s true intentions. But Madame Brown did her best to accommodate Scarlet’s requests, starting with the grade-skipping. This became quite the local news, bringing more visitors to the orphanage and increasing donations. Some even expressed interest in adopting Scarlet, but she politely declined their offers.

“I’m quite content living here,” her words were quoted in a small section of the local newspaper. Though a modest piece, it still brought positive attention to the orphanage, Madame Brown, and the staff.

As a result, Scarlet gained more freedom to move about, always under the supervision of a staff member, of course. She could explore different streets and communities to find competitions she could enter. And beyond that, antique and old curiosity shops became her favourite destinations.