Chapter 307 - 307: The First Day of School in the Dream

Time slipped quietly through his fingers.

Ever since returning from Hogwarts empty-handed, another half month had passed in the blink of an eye.

Dawn immersed himself completely in his research.

During those fifteen days, he organized every Special Trait Pattern related to the human body into a complete volume while also making gradual progress in his study of the soul.

For example...

By experimenting with potions that altered a person's emotions, he discovered the abstract patterns associated with emotional states.

With further development, he believed he might eventually create spells whose power could be strengthened by channeling the corresponding emotion.

There were other discoveries as well.

Unlike the body's clearly separated systems—bones, muscles, organs, and the like—the abstract patterns connected to the soul were deeply intertwined.

Altering even one caused countless others to shift along with it.

Previously, Dawn had tried modifying only the pattern related to memory to see what would happen.

Without deliberately maintaining the change, however, more than a dozen soul-related patterns automatically adjusted themselves to match the altered memory pattern.

As for the reason...

He had yet to unravel that mystery.

Beyond his research, there was another source of progress.

Each night, the dreams revealing fragments of his true past became a little clearer.

The amount of information he could hear increased day by day.

Dawn was now completely certain.

There was something deeply wrong with his past.

The gap between reality and the memories he possessed was far greater than he had ever imagined.

Yet the person he wanted answers about most...

Merlin...

Had appeared only once.

No more.

No less.

September 17th.

It was another ordinary evening.

After finishing a day's worth of research, Dawn set down his quill.

He gazed at the blood-red sunset beyond the window before taking out Hufflepuff's Cup to prepare dinner.

A magically enhanced steak.

A goblet of lightly intoxicating fruit wine.

After finishing his meal, he took a hot bath, climbed comfortably into bed, and closed his eyes.

His mind had been exhausted by a full day of thinking.

Sleep claimed him almost immediately.

As naturally as breathing, his consciousness drifted back into the familiar sea of chaos.

Darkness surrounded him.

He focused his attention, waiting for the voices to begin.

But...

Something changed.

The indistinct voices never came.

Instead...

A tiny point of light suddenly appeared before him.

Dawn's half-asleep consciousness froze.

Then joy flooded through him.

Ever since the Castle Consciousness had begun affecting his dreams half a year ago, nothing had changed.

At long last...

The dream was finally evolving.

Without hesitation, Dawn focused every bit of his awareness upon that speck of light.

A wave of dizziness washed over him.

When his senses returned...

He found himself standing somewhere entirely different.

Bright sunlight.

A spacious bedroom.

A corner piled high with toy cars.

Soft blue curtains.

Matching bedsheets.

A single armchair placed before the television, filling the room with a warm, welcoming atmosphere.

So this is it...

The dreams created by the Castle Consciousness aren't limited to sound after all.

They can show images too.

The loading time was just incredibly long.

Excitement surged through him.

Watching events unfold with his own eyes was infinitely better than floating through darkness listening to disembodied voices.

He looked around.

It didn't take long to conclude that he'd never seen this place before.

Fortunately...

He had already expected as much.

Taking a few steps around the room, Dawn looked down at the toys scattered across the floor.

After a moment's hesitation, he bent to pick one up.

His fingers passed straight through it.

Like a ghost.

"...Hm?"

He blinked.

Quickly, he tried touching the furniture.

The bed.

The curtains.

The chair.

The result was always the same.

Only then did he understand. Unlike the visions produced by the Resurrection Stone...

Here...

He possessed no physical form. He was merely an observer.

That was troublesome.

Dawn frowned.

If all he could do was watch history unfold... Then studying World Correction would become almost impossible.

He sank into thought.

Perhaps this limitation was connected to the wording of the request he'd made when using the Castle Consciousness to unify everyone's perception.

But there had been no choice.

The Castle Consciousness wasn't an omnipotent wish-granting machine.

It had limits.

To avoid wasting the opportunity, he'd deliberately made a conservative request.

Bang!

Bang! Bang!

Suddenly, someone knocked on the bedroom door.

Dawn snapped back to attention.

A woman's anxious voice sounded from outside.

"Are you awake yet, Lai? The sun's already high in the sky! If you don't hurry, you're going to miss the train to school!"

School?

Dawn raised an eyebrow.

He looked toward the calendar on the desk.

Sure enough...

It read September 1st.

And...

Lai?

He silently repeated the unfamiliar name.

Could it be...

Even my name in the past was completely different?

If so...

The difference between my memories and reality is even greater than I imagined.

Or...

Maybe this person isn't me at all.

His brows knitted together.

At that moment...

The bedroom door opened.

A slightly plump woman wearing an apron entered with gentle steps and lightly patted the boy sleeping beneath the blanket.

Standing against the wall, Dawn noticed that she never looked in his direction even once.

He had expected that.

Still...

He couldn't help feeling disappointed.

As he'd suspected...

He was merely a spectator here.

A ghost watching a film.

Unable to interact with anyone.

"Lai! Lai!"

The woman called several more times.

Finally losing patience, she yanked away the blanket.

Only then did the sleepy-looking boy sit upright with a miserable expression.

Dawn stared closely at his face.

It took him a few moments to recognize it.

The boy looked exactly like him.

There was no doubt now.

This was his past.

The resemblance was undeniable.

Yet...

The difference in temperament was even greater.

It was Dawn's face.

The same sharp features.

The same eyes.

But instead of arrogance and cold indifference... This boy radiated warmth.

Ease.

Gentleness.

Dawn frowned unconsciously.

For some reason... He found the sight strangely irritating.

While he was still lost in thought, Lai had already finished dressing.

Yawning repeatedly, he followed the woman into the dining room.

Bacon.

Milk.

Sandwiches.

A simple breakfast waited on the table.

Seated nearby was a slightly overweight middle-aged man in a suit, calmly reading the morning newspaper.

"Lai."

The man lowered the paper as they entered.

"You finally got up."

"You know, one day I'm genuinely expecting a letter saying you've been expelled because you overslept and skipped too many classes."

Lai shrugged casually as he pulled out a chair.

"Then all you can do is hope the rules at a magical school aren't as strict as the ones at my old private school."

He stuffed a strip of bacon into his mouth before glancing at the wall clock.

Then he froze.

"Wait... It's only a little after eight. I thought the train doesn't leave until eleven."

"It's better to leave plenty of time than panic later."

The woman sat down and shot him a glare.

"That Platform Nine and Three-Quarters doesn't sound like something easy to find."

"Aww..."

Lai let out an exaggerated groan.

Since he was already awake, however, he didn't complain further.

Silence settled over the breakfast table. Only the sounds of eating remained.

Like an invisible ghost, Dawn quietly observed the couple. There wasn't a trace of the Richters anywhere in them.

That realization made him strangely unhappy.

Soon...

Breakfast ended.

The family gathered their luggage and left the house.

Dawn followed automatically.

He quickly realized he seemed tethered to Lai. No matter where the boy went, he was carried along beside him.

The cool morning breeze brushed against his face.

Looking around, Dawn recognized the familiar stone roads and green fields.

After a brief pause, he realized...

Although the house itself was different...

This was still Kent.

He immediately began searching the surroundings, hoping to identify where the home from his memories should have been.

Unfortunately...

Before he could figure it out, the family climbed into their car.

The scenery rushed past the windows.

Soon they had left Kent behind.

The entire drive passed in silence except for the steady hum of the engine.

Eventually...

They arrived at King's Cross Station.

Lai jumped out first.

He grabbed his luggage from the trunk, lifted his owl cage with his free hand, and headed toward the station.

His mother hurried after him.

Their luck proved exceptionally good.

Almost immediately after entering, they spotted a plainly dressed wizard walk directly into one of the brick pillars and disappear.

The entrance.

"So..."

The woman knelt before her son.

She carefully straightened his clothes.

"When you get to school, make sure you get along with your classmates.

If someone bullies you, don't just endure it. Stand up for yourself."

She continued giving advice one piece after another.

His father chimed in as well.

"And don't stay up too late.vIf you can't wake up in the mornings, ask your roommates to help.

But remember... Don't take your morning grumpiness out on them."

"...Okay."

"I know."

Lai scratched his head with a helpless smile.

After patiently listening to everything they had to say, he finally wheeled his trunk toward the pillar.

Dawn was pulled along with him.

The crowded platform came into view.

Ahead stood the old scarlet Hogwarts Express.

Though aged, it gleamed brilliantly beneath the hopeful eyes of countless children.

Dawn couldn't help smiling faintly.

For every British witch and wizard... This train marked the beginning of their magical lives.

He himself had ridden it only once.

And even then... His mind had been occupied with entirely different concerns.

At the time, it hadn't seemed particularly meaningful.

Looking back now... He couldn't help feeling a touch of regret.

He sighed softly.

Then...

His expression stiffened.

Even that memory... Had apparently been fabricated.

His emotions immediately became tangled again.

Meanwhile...

Lai had already boarded the train.

He walked briskly through several compartments, searching for empty seats.

Passing Harry's compartment, he glanced briefly inside before continuing toward the rear of the train, where things were less crowded.

Sliding open another compartment door, he smiled apologetically.

"Sorry... The compartments up front are full. Would it be alright if I sat here?"

"Of course!"

A brown-haired boy stood up with a bright smile. He helped lift the luggage inside.

"My name's Abel Davies. I'm a first-year too."

"It's nice to meet you!"

The blond boy beside him looked less approachable. Even so, he stood politely.

"I'm Aemon Carter. Also a first-year."

"Lai Lane. Nice to meet both of you."

The three boys exchanged introductions.

Watching from the side, Dawn raised an eyebrow.

So...

The surname was Lane.

His past wasn't completely unrelated to the memories he possessed after all.

At least he'd still met the same people.

Yet...

Listening to their cheerful conversation... Feeling the warm atmosphere inside the compartment...

Especially when imagining himself in Lai's place...

Everything felt painfully wrong.

"Damn it.

Dumbledore was right.

My past self and my current self really are like two completely different people."

Remembering one of his earlier conversations with the Headmaster through the Two-Way Mirror, Dawn clicked his tongue.

No matter how hard he tried... He simply couldn't see this boy as himself.

The disconnect was overwhelming.

Why is he being so polite? Why does he talk like that? Dawn silently criticized every one of Lai's actions.

Yet despite all his complaints... The atmosphere inside the compartment only grew friendlier.

Abel opened a bag of sweets and offered them to everyone.

"So... Which house do you all want to join after the Sorting?"

"Definitely Ravenclaw."

Aemon answered without hesitation.

"My dad graduated from Ravenclaw. He says they're the smartest house."

"That's what I've heard too." Abel smiled before turning toward Lai. "What about you?"

"Hmm..."

Lai thought for a moment.

"I don't really have a strong preference. But if I had to choose... I'd probably like either Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw."

He answered casually and was just about to ask Abel the same question.

Suddenly...

The compartment door slid open.

A brown-haired girl stepped inside.

Speaking so quickly that she barely paused for breath, she said, "Um... sorry."

"I wasn't trying to eavesdrop.

But why?

Don't most people want Gryffindor? That's Headmaster Dumbledore's house."

Aemon frowned immediately.

He already hadn't appreciated the interruption. Her almost interrogative tone only made matters worse.

Abel sensed the growing awkwardness and prepared to smooth things over.

Before he could speak, Lai rested his chin on one hand and answered first.

"Why? Because Gryffindor sounds troublesome.

Courage and adventure sound great... But I'd rather have a peaceful life."

Dawn narrowed his eyes.

From that single sentence...

He could already tell. Lai seemed to possess memories of Harry Potter just as he did.

Then...

Did Lai also have memories of a previous life? If so... Why had he become such a different person?

The girl frowned.

Then, realizing how abrupt she'd been, she blushed.

"Oh... Sorry.

I haven't introduced myself.

My name's Hermione Granger. I'm starting Hogwarts this year too."

After a brief pause, she abandoned the topic of houses and asked why she'd come.

"Have any of you seen Neville's toad? It wandered off."

The three boys exchanged glances.

Each shook his head.

"I see."

"Sorry to bother you." Hermione scratched her unruly brown hair.

Looking disappointed, she turned to leave.

"Wait."

Abel stopped her.

Standing up, he smiled warmly. "Someone's pet is missing, right? I'll help you look."

"It'll be much faster if there are two of us."

Hermione blinked.

She couldn't help remembering the red-haired boy she'd met earlier, who had insisted a failed spell had actually worked.

Compared to that... The three boys in this compartment felt incredibly pleasant.

She was about to decline.

Lai interrupted instead.

"Hey."

"Why not try the Summoning Charm first? We're wizards, aren't we?"

"The Summoning Charm?"

Hermione looked completely bewildered.

Her lips twitched.

Though she clearly tried to restrain herself, she still corrected him with barely concealed pride.

"Sir... You clearly didn't read your books carefully.

The Summoning Charm only works on small, inanimate objects. It can't summon living animals."

"You're right. But magic isn't nearly as inconvenient as that."

Lai smiled.

His childish grin carried an unmistakable hint of mischief.

He drew his wand.

With a casual flick, he quietly said, "Neville's toad."

°Accio°

Ribbit!

A loud croak echoed from the corridor.

Moments later...

A plump toad came flying through the doorway. It flailed wildly before landing with a splat at Lai's feet.

Dawn raised an eyebrow.

Whatever else could be said... His past self had certainly possessed remarkable magical ability.

The only question was...

Could he also see the Special Trait Patterns?

Once again, Dawn found himself thinking.

Inside the compartment...

Abel and Aemon burst into applause.

"Whoa!"

"That's amazing!"

Aemon looked genuinely impressed.

"Lai... Now I'm convinced. You're definitely going to Ravenclaw. You belong there."

Lai only shrugged with a smile.

Hermione, however, stared at the toad in complete disbelief.

"That's impossible! The books clearly say— My goodness! How did you do that?"

"Well..."

Lai spun his wand between his fingers before raising one finger and wagging it playfully.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you. A good magician never reveals his secrets."

"Magician?"

Hermione blinked.

"Wait... If I remember correctly... Isn't that a magician's rule? We're going to a school for witches and wizards, aren't we?"

"We are."

Lai spread his hands helplessly.

"But I couldn't help it.

When I was little, I loved pretending to be a stage magician while secretly using real magic.

After doing it for years... It just became a habit."

"You performed magic in front of Muggles?" Hermione looked horrified.

"That's obviously illegal!

Doesn't the Ministry forbid underage magic in front of Muggles? Your parents actually allowed that?"

"Don't worry."

"If nobody catches you... It isn't a problem."

Lai answered with a grin, completely shattering Hermione's worldview.

"As for my parents... They're ordinary people. They don't know anything about the Ministry's laws."

Watching Lai's mischievous smile...

Dawn had to admit something.

No matter how different this boy seemed... There was still a trace of himself hidden somewhere beneath the surface.

Even if, chronologically speaking, it felt backwards to say so.

Hermione remained thoroughly confused.

"Then...

How did you already know magic?

I mean... I didn't even know magic existed until I received my Hogwarts letter."

"Oh, that."

"When I was six... I met a wizard. He taught me."

Lai answered vaguely.

Dawn's eyes narrowed instantly.

A wizard?

When he was six?

Another experience completely different from the memories he possessed.

Who was that wizard? Merlin himself?

His jaw tightened. More than anything, he wanted to cast Legilimency on his younger self.

Unfortunately...

Nothing happened.

He couldn't even see Lai's Special Trait Patterns. Extracting memories was equally impossible.

Meanwhile...

Lai picked up the toad.

With a quick Transfiguration spell, he transformed a candy wrapper into a small cage before placing the toad inside.

"That... That's Transfiguration? And you're already this good?"

Hermione gasped again.

Her eyes filled with disbelief. For a moment, she felt deeply discouraged.

Then determination blazed within them.

"I'll catch up."

"I'll definitely catch up to you."

She took a deep breath.

Silently making that promise to herself.

Then she accepted the little cage and hurried away to return the toad to Neville.

___________

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