[ Chapter XVII (17): "FIRST-EVER STUDENT OF HOGWARTS" ]
John Constantine couldn't believe who was standing in front of him. Apparently this weirdo, the guy he thought of as someone that is trying to steal his kidney...
Apparently that guy is a wizard, and the soon-to-be Headmaster of John when he gets into Hogwarts. Inside his mind he called him many names, and yet here the guy is; having saved him from getting beaten up.
Damn...
But a part of John still couldn't believe it, do wizards not have good fashion sense? Is the wizarding world really that weird? He doesn't know, but at the moment his mouth opened up in awe; looking bewildered at the stick and ice cream wielding guy.
[ "You're a wizard?!" ]
[ "Yeah...?" ]
[ "Really?!?" ]
[ "I'm pretty sure. Yes." ]
[ "..." ]
[ "..." ]
[ "..." ]
John looked at his supposed Headmaster from head-to-toe. And he could see the dishelved appearance of the guy, the messy clothing he wore, and even the subtle mannerism he displayed.
The corner of his brows slightly rises, still not wholeheartedly believing that this man is... a wizard, even though he had personally witnessed the spectacle earlier.
He himself had received an admittance letter for this Hogwarts school by Owl, wherein the name Felix Harp is written in the bottom as Headmaster i.e. meaning his a wizard.
But no matter how much he forces himself, he still couldn't help but be shocked. His worldview of wizards being people in robes, wielding staff, and being thousands-of-thousands of years old— disappearing, and instead replaced with...
This?
[ "You really sur-" ]
[ "Yes for the hundredth time now Mr. Constantine, I am really-really sure." ]
About to question back, Felix stopped him by raising one of his hands; as he bit into, and finished the ice cream that was melting on his hand... Not wanting to waste any more of it.
Feeling a headache coming in, he held onto his head— [ "Brain freeze..." ] Being the cause of it, which steamed from him wanting to eat two ice cream cones in one bite... He did, and now this is the side-effect.
[ "Okay, now where was I?" ]
He looks thoughtfully at the kid in front of him, Felix having forgotten why he got here in the first place. Thankfully remembering it rather quickly with his forgetful mind...
To convince the parents of potential students to enroll their kids.
[ "Oh... Yeah, about that. Mr. Constantine where are your parents?" ]
Felix asked earnestly, really wanting to talk to the parents of a named character in the universe he found himself in. Not just a simple named character's parents, but also his future student's parents. With him ready to preach the good news.
He waited, and waited. And the more anxious he became. With no words coming out of the kid in front of him, he then realized rather quickly why...
John seems to not be close to his parents; possibly an orphan; possibly a runaway, he doesn't know exactly which-is-which, but he knows from the silence that there seems to be skirmish in-between the parent-and-son dynamic of the Constantine's.
So that's bad.
[ "..." ]
The smile plastered on his idiotic face slightly turned into a frown, as he look quickly at the situation of the kid... Which wasn't great.
Heavily bruised, frail body, malnourished, dirty tattered clothes, and uncut hair that is slightly covering the kid's face...
He felt pity. But what the hell can he do?
He is just an alien here, working for an AI overlord that forces him to be a Headmaster of some magical school... No real power except for the purchased ones. And worse of it all, he isn't great with kids!
[ "Oh..." ]
From what his experiences told him, he needs to gain the kid's trust. And even respect. May that be through giving him novelty items, or giving him sweets.
Rule out the latter, he doesn't have sweets; he just ate all of it. So go with the former, especially because that kid, Constantine seems to love magic... Based on what he sees and hears.
[ "Then..." ]
[ "Kid, do you want to learn magic?" ]
He whistles, giving the kid the most novel of novelty items he has at hand... And that'll be his wand, a bland standard black wand without core. But is enough, and is usable for someone, and anyone to do magic.
Kids included.
John that was contemplating how to answer his principal couldn't help but be bewildered on what the latter just said... Huh? He looked closely and realized, that yes, he is going to learn magic that is a fact— and he is being handed a... A stic-? A wand!
He remembers seeing this in movies, apparently witches use these things to do magical things... But most of the time, people who wield magic in the movies, cartoons, or television use a staff instead of a wand.
John deduces that there are possibly countless ways to do magic, may that be either through wands or staff... This case, the former.
[ "Wha- but?" ]
[ "Come on, take it." ]
Bewildered, and excited. He did what his Headmaster told him, and was about to grab the black wand presented in front of him with extreme care; but before that, he wiped his dirty hands on his pants. Then he finally grabbed the wand with both hands, careful.
Worried that he might damage the priceless treasure, treating it like glass, or like a porcelain doll. Worried also about the possibility of being kicked out, even before studying due to him scratching or damaging a priceless object.
Unbeknownst to the worried boy, yes that is pricess. And yes, no one can acquire one, or wield one unless they are faculty members of Hogwarts, or are students of Hogwarts... But to Felix that is just worth 5 Points i.e. nearing worthless.
So he doesn't quite exactly understand why John is treating it like it's a holy object, saced, or something along those lines... Then realized why... Oh; [ "No need to treat it like that, John... That is now your property." ]
He'll ultimately give each and every single student one before the school year starts, so why not give a special someone a special treatment, and give him his wand early...
This is in some way despicable, because Felix already assumes that John Constantine would be his student... In case, if not...
Then at least he earned a few brownie points, which would be a good thing in the future— with him finding another way to associate himself with the kid...
Tutoring might do if he doesn't want to be a student of Hogwarts.
[ "T-this is really mine...?!" ]
But judging from the way he treats the wand, like a holy object... That worse case scenario might just be an what if... And not reality. Thankfully.
[ "Yeah...?" ]
[ "I mean, it's yours as long as you learn magic." ]
He really needs to gain this character's favor... Named characters in games, and not random non-playable characters (npc) gives more benefits than not.
And if the System plays the way it does... Then plausibly students that are more linked to this universe. People that are destined for greatness in the future. People who are gifted.
Then aren't they gonna give Felix more Points than less?
So at the moment, in his tiny mind that is composed of sleeping braincells, and a rock, some cobwebs and dust... He formulates many ways so he could get closer to this, student.
And also because he really likes seeing people smile, more than seeing them have a frown, or look at him in disgust, or be wary of him.
[ "So... Are you ready to learn magic?" ]
So yeah, I guess Hogwarts first-ever official Student that learned magic from him isn't a random no-named, nobody; but instead a named, somebody.
[ CONGRATULATIONS, PLAYER! ]
[ NEW STUDENT UNLOCKED: JOHN CONSTANTINE LVL. 1 (RARE) ]
Huh...?!!
[ ——— ] [ ——— ] [ ——— ] [ ——— ]
[ 04/23/2025 ]
[ 04/24/2025 ]