The air quality in London in 1991 was rather poor.
Even after living in this world for more than a year, Jon still found it hard to get used to the sky that always seemed somewhat gray, even on sunny days.
In this world, he was an orphan taken in by a children's home. But, like countless stories, the seemingly ordinary 11-year-old Jon bore the soul of someone from the 21st century.
In his previous life, Jon was a fresh graduate starting his career. One day, while on his way to work, he witnessed a tragic accident where two young people, both about his age, were struck by an electric bike and fell into a river beside the road.
Confident in his swimming abilities, Jon couldn't just stand by and watch. He took off his jacket and jumped in to save them. However, as he clutched one of the young men, a tangle of weeds wrapped around his ankle, causing a cramp in his calf. In the end, he was unable to save anyone and instead drowned himself.
Fortunately, fate had other plans. When Jon regained consciousness, he found himself in a British hospital, transformed into a 9-year-old boy named Jon Green, abandoned by his parents and taken in by the children's home.
Doctors diagnosed him with a severe concussion, explaining that he had suffered a significant blow to the head. When he awoke, he had inherited the original owner's language talents but had no memories of his former life.
The concussion provided a perfect excuse for his amnesia; after all, the human brain remained a mystery even in the 2020s, let alone in the late 20th century.
Once he was brought back to the children's home, Jon gradually understood his new situation. The original owner had been a quiet, introverted boy, timid and insecure. Apart from being slightly more handsome than his peers, he was otherwise unremarkable, making him the lowest among the orphans.
During a field trip, several boys had pushed the original owner toward a slope. As he rolled down, he struck his head on a protruding rock, leading to the incident that resulted in Jon's arrival in this pitiful boy's body.
However, according to the other kids, Jon hadn't been pushed; instead, they claimed he had suddenly flown into the air, knocking everyone aside before falling back down and hitting the rock.
Such a ridiculous story seemed like the kind of lie only children could concoct, and adults would dismiss it as an excuse to evade responsibility.
Having just arrived in this new life and already encountering unexplainable events, Jon couldn't shake his doubts. Despite all his attempts to find something extraordinary about his body, he eventually gave up on the fantasy of being a supernatural being.
After all, he had simply traveled from 2020 to 1991; historically and in terms of current affairs, it was essentially the same world, just with a different timeline.
Once he grasped the situation, Jon accepted his reincarnation as a fact. In his previous life, while not an orphan, his parents had divorced when he was very young. They had both neglected him after their separation, each starting new families without him.
Raised by his grandmother, Jon had lost her after getting into college, leaving him to live a solitary life.
With no attachments, it didn't matter where he lived. Even in unfamiliar 20th-century England, Jon felt he had the advantage of foresight. He didn't believe his life would be particularly miserable with such a good hand to play.
However, being a child made it inconvenient to do anything, so Jon decided to stay at the children's home for the time being.
His situation in the orphanage was now completely different from that of the original owner. This was not due to any actions he had taken but rather a result of the incident during the field trip. The other kids now regarded him as a freak, shifting from bullying to cold indifference.
In truth, he welcomed this change. From any perspective, he didn't want to associate with those who were petty and would likely become troublemakers in society.
Sitting on a swing in the courtyard, Jon gazed up at a tall green poplar tree standing in the garden.
Nearby, a few older kids looked at him with disdain and avoided him as if he were a plague.
Jon was unfazed by their expressions, as his attention was drawn elsewhere. At the entrance of the orphanage, Mrs. Chris, the head of the home, was leading a young man inside.
This was nothing unusual; although the orphanage was small, volunteers from London occasionally came to help.
What intrigued Jon was the young man's attire. He wore a long black robe with a serpent emblem embroidered on the chest.
His clothing seemed entirely out of place for a modern individual, resembling illustrations of medieval wizards from the folklore books Jon had read.
The young man looked relatively young, perhaps under thirty, with pale skin that suggested he rarely saw sunlight. His light yellow hair was neatly styled, and he walked alongside Mrs. Chris, maintaining a gentle smile, giving off a friendly vibe.
Noticing Jon's gaze, the young man turned to look at him.
Their eyes met, and Jon felt an inexplicable chill from the young man's icy stare, causing him to shiver.
At that moment, Mrs. Chris spoke to the young man, and they approached Jon.
"Jon Green?" the young man asked gently.
Jon was taken aback; he hadn't expected this situation, as it seemed the young man had come specifically to find him.
"Yes, sir."
Without introducing himself, the young man turned to Mrs. Chris and said, "I need to speak to this child privately."
In a surprising turn of events, Mrs. Chris, usually sharp-tongued and harsh, complied without hesitation. She immediately stepped aside to give them privacy.
Jon's expression remained unchanged, but he felt an unsettling sensation in his gut.
Just as his unease grew, a piece of yellowed parchment and a feather quill suddenly flew from the young man's pocket, defying the laws of physics, and hovered before Jon!
"Congratulations, Mr. Jon Green. Because of your unique talents, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is opening its doors to you. As long as you sign your name on this enrollment letter, you can become a new student and learn the ways of magic."