Daniel spent the rest of his Christmas break doing two things.
First, he focused on training his mental and physical stats. To train his mental stats, he read as many books as possible in the Muggle library, and to train his physical stats, he hunted in the dungeon and maintained his usual workout routine. At first, normal training seemed ineffective, barely increasing his stats anymore. But after investing in some training equipment, his progress surged again.
The second thing he did was spend time with the kids at the orphanage. Whether it was playing games, reading stories, or helping the caretakers with chores. It was a nice change of pace, but like all good things, the break didn't last long.
Sunday, January 5, 1992
Daniel woke up early, as usual. After doing his morning routine, he started packing for his return to Hogwarts. Technically, there was nothing to pack, he kept most of his belongings in his inventory. But to avoid suspicion, he went through the motions anyway, carefully considering what to physically pack versus what to leave stored away. Once finished, he sat down in his chair, reflecting on his progress.
'I gained six new skills over this break.'
He opened his skills window. 'Five from the library, and one from the shop where I bought my new training equipment.' His eyes landed on his latest skill:
[Physical Conditioning (Passive) - Lvl 8]
[- Improves the efficiency and gains of the user's physical training.]
A smirk played on his lips. 'The new skill and the equipment really improved my stat gains.'
Just then, a knock on his door pulled him from his thoughts.
"Breakfast is ready!"
With one last glance at his status screen, he got up and headed to the cafeteria. After a quick meal and heartfelt goodbyes to the children and caretakers, he left with Miss Jones for King's Cross Station.
Upon arriving at Platform 9¾, he noticed the place was nearly empty. A quick Tempus spell showed he was an hour early.
'Better early than late,' he thought, finding an empty compartment on the train. Settling in, he pulled out three small presents from his inventory, one for each of his closest friends. Closing his eyes, he leaned back and relaxed, waiting for them to arrive.
Before long, the compartment door slid open. He turned to see Michael stepping inside.
"Hey, how was Christmas?" Michael asked, plopping down onto the seat across from him.
"Pretty good. We got some anonymous donation of presents at the orphanage," Daniel said with a grin. He reached into his bag and handed Michael a wrapped package. "I would've given you this on Christmas, but I forgot to ask for your address."
Michael blinked in surprise, his face tinged pink. "Oh-uh, thanks! I didn't bring anything for you."
Daniel waved him off. "Don't worry about it."
They chatted for a while, and soon, the rest of their friends joined them. With laughter and conversation filling the compartment, the journey back to Hogwarts passed in no time.
Back at school, they had the rest of the day free. Instead of wandering the castle or causing mischief, they lounged in the common room, catching up on everything that had happened over the break.
The next day, lessons resumed, and Hogwarts life settled back into its usual rhythm. But in the middle of Charms class, as they practiced their spells, a notification suddenly popped up in Daniel's vision:
[Your skill [Basic Spells (Passive) Lvl 100] has evolved.]
He blinked and quickly opened his skills window.
[Intermediate Spells (Passive) - Lvl 1]
[- Helps with performing intermediate charms and jinxes.
- Your intermediate charms and jinxes are 1% stronger.]
A slow smile crept onto his face. 'Finally.'
He wanted to rush off immediately and see what new spells he could learn, but class wasn't over yet. Forcing himself to focus, he continued practicing, though anticipation buzzed in his mind.
After Charms, and a painfully dull History of Magic lesson, he was finally free. Wasting no time, he headed straight to the library. His first objective? Finding the Invisibility Spell.
Scanning the shelves, his eyes landed on the book he needed. 'There it is.' The moment he absorbed the skill, the knowledge of the Disillusionment Charm filled his mind.
'Now, I can start exploring the castle again.'
Encouraged, he searched for more spells he could now learn. One, in particular, stood out, the Freezing Spell. His mind immediately jumped to the Pixie Dungeon.
'This will make hunting in the Pixie Dungeon ten times easier. I still haven't spawned the boss, but with this spell, it should be easy.'
Satisfied, he left the library and made his way to an empty dungeon to practice. Hours passed in the blink of an eye, and when he finally stepped outside, he realized it was already past curfew.
'Oops.'
Hurrying back to the common room, he slipped into the dormitory, only to find his friends still awake, waiting for him.
"Where were you?" Michael asked, narrowing his eyes.
Daniel grinned. "Exploring. Found something interesting. I'll show you later."
Terry, half-asleep, looked like he wanted to ask more but decided against it. Instead, they exchanged a few words before finally settling in for the night.
As Daniel lay down, a single thought played in his mind.
'Tomorrow, I'll see if I can spawn the Pixie Boss.'
With that, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, already anticipating what was to come.