World Hopping With Gacha

The door to the bedroom burst open, and two of my clones barged in, looking both relieved and smug.

"You're back!" one of them said with a grin. "The system wasn't giving us any clues about where you were, so Garuda told us to keep you in stasis. Also…" His eyes widened as he noticed what I was holding. "Wait—is that Excalibur and Avalon?"

I smirked and nodded, holding the sword and scabbard up for dramatic effect. "Indeed, boys. King Arthur has finally got his blade."

After dismissing the clones, their memories flooded my mind like a tidal wave, giving me a front-row seat to everything they had done in my absence. The information was overwhelming, but one detail hit me harder than the rest.

"What the… I've been asleep for over a year?" I muttered, staring blankly at the walls of my case.

Garuda, who had been silent until now, perched on my shoulder and finally spoke. "Yes, you were out for a full year. We tried to wake you, but the Gacha system simply said, 'Host will awaken after completing the trial.' So we left you to rest. Right now, you're on the Hogwarts Express."

"Hogwarts Express?" I blinked, still processing. "Wait… so this is fourth year? The Goblet of Fire arc?"

Garuda nodded.

I leaned back, my mind racing. "Alright, let's see what my clones have been up to. Aside from training, of course."

---

As I sifted through the memories, I couldn't help but feel both impressed and proud of what my clones had accomplished in my absence.

1. Capture of Barty Crouch Jr.:

Thanks to Moriarty, they had exposed Barty's location in his home and had him captured long before the school year even started. This alone meant the original events of the Triwizard Tournament were already drastically altered.

2. Horcrux Hunt Progress:

Throughout the year Moriarty had given Dumbledore locations of several Horcruxes like the Locket, the Cup, the Ring and had delivered the Diadem and the Diary to him.

3. Quidditch World Cup Attack Prevention:

The Death Eaters' attack on the Quidditch World Cup had been thwarted when Moriarty sent an anonymous letter to Madam Bones, warning of the planned chaos. Aurors were waiting at the scene, and the would-be attackers were either captured or fled.

4. Lupin Retained as Professor:

Lupin had kept his teaching position, thanks to behind-the-scenes manipulation to suppress the stigma around his lycanthropy.

I couldn't help but whistle in admiration. "Damn. You guys really went above and beyond."

Garuda chuckled. "Well, we couldn't exactly let the timeline fall apart while you were out. Someone had to keep things on track."

---

With the memories fully integrated, I climbed out of my enchanted case and stretched. My joints popped after being in stasis for so long, and it felt good to finally move again. I plopped down in one of the empty seats in the train compartment and stared out the window at the passing scenery.

"No one at Hogwarts knows, do they?" I asked. "That they've been dealing with a clone all year?"

Garuda shook his head. "Nope. The clones made sure to act just like you. To everyone else, it's as if you were there the whole time."

"Good," I said, nodding to myself. "Then it's time to step back into my role. No more slacking off."

---

As the train rumbled toward Hogwarts, I couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation. With Barty Crouch Jr. captured, the Horcruxes being hunted down, and the Death Eaters already thwarted once, the Goblet of Fire arc was shaping up to be very different from the original.

Still, Garuda's earlier words stuck with me. "The clones mentioned the Triwizard Tournament might still involve Potter," I muttered, frowning. "Even without Barty rigging the Goblet of Fire, someone—Voldemort—wants him in that tournament."

Garuda nodded gravely. "That's correct. The Goblet might still be enchanted to ensure his name comes out. Be prepared for surprises."

I smirked. "Surprises are part of the fun, aren't they?"

Garuda groaned. "You really don't take anything seriously, do you?"

"Not until I need to," I replied, my grin widening. "Relax, Garuda. I've got Excalibur, Avalon, and new circuits that can pump out mana faster than Voldy can even think of saying Avada. Whatever comes my way, I'll handle it."

---Note

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