Chapter 4: A breakthrough and a letter
– Two Years Later –
The entire building stopped shaking, and the thunder rumbling in the sky suddenly stopped. She had broken through!
Golden Core–beginner stage!
Heather could hardly believe it. She sat on the floor of the loft, feeling the power coursing through her veins, a warmth that hummed beneath her skin. The past two years had been intense, every day a grind of training, cultivating, and learning. But it had all paid off. She had reached a stage of power that most cultivators took dozens, if not hundreds, of years to achieve. And the obscurus that had once coiled inside her was gone, used up as dark fuel to propel her cultivation to new heights.
The Absolute Yin cultivation method was extraordinary, but Heather knew it wasn't just that. From the knowledge Shen Yue had imparted, she was pretty sure she was a heaven-defying genius. Maybe it was her magic. Was it more powerful than Qi? It certainly felt that way. The dark, suffocating energy that once threatened to consume her had been transformed into strength, and now she was stronger than she ever thought possible.
Heather brushed her hair back, still getting used to the way power settled within her. She was only one great realm away from becoming something beyond human, a literal goddess. She clenched her fists, feeling the raw energy buzzing under her fingertips. But with that strength came a strange new problem.
"I wonder what I should do now," Heather muttered. She felt like she had hit a wall—a bottleneck, as Shen Yue had called it. Cultivation wasn't just about sitting in a room and meditating; sometimes, you needed life experience, real challenges, to break through to the next stage. Heather wasn't sure why that was a rule of cultivation, but it seemed to be true.
As she sat pondering her next move, a soft scratching sound caught her attention. She turned her head, eyes narrowing at the loft window. An owl was perched there, pecking lightly at the glass. Heather's brow furrowed in surprise. It wasn't just any owl—she could sense something special about it. Magic. This bird wasn't like the others she'd seen in the city.
Heather stood up, the wooden floor creaking beneath her, and walked over to the window. The owl watched her, its amber eyes intelligent and alert. Heather unlocked the window and swung it open, letting the cool night air rush in.
"Hi there, pretty bird," Heather said softly, studying the owl's sleek feathers.
The owl gave a small hoot and lifted its leg, presenting a letter tied with a piece of twine. Heather's eyes widened as she reached for the letter. "Is that for me?" she asked, half to herself.
The owl bobbed its head in a nod, and Heather couldn't help but let out a surprised laugh. She untied the letter and held it in her hands, heart thudding with curiosity. The paper was thick and creamy, different from the thin, cheap kind she usually found. It felt... important.
She glanced back at the owl, which was now staring at her expectantly, as if waiting for her to open it. Heather's fingers trembled a little as she broke the seal and unfolded the letter. The words at the top made her breath catch in her throat:
Dear Miss Heather Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
Heather's eyes widened as she read on, a mix of shock, excitement, and disbelief swirling inside her.
A school for magic!
An entire place where people like her learned to use their powers!
"Is this the will of the Heavens?" Heather asked herself before chuckling. She didn't particularly believe in the heavens but she had to admit this was one hell of a coincidence. Today was her 11th birthday, she had reached the Golden Core realm, and she had been accepted to a magic school all on the same day?
"Learning magic sounds useful," Heather said. Shen Yue had implanted some Yin sword techniques in her mind but Heather felt like it would be a good idea to expand her offensive and defense repertoire. Especially since she didn't even have a sword yet, although she could create temporary blades that would last a few minutes.
Heather quickly searched for a pen to sign her acceptance on the Hogwarts letter. She clicked her tongue when she realized there wasn't a single writing instrument in her loft. Heather snapped her fingers and created a tiny dagger out of Yin Qi, or darkness magic she supposed if she wanted to be technical about it. She pricked her finger with the blade and used that to sign her name.
The owl looked at her in shock but Heather assured the bird she was fine. "See, I'm already healing!" Heather held up her perfectly healed finger. A Golden Core Cultivators body was built of sterner stuff. A regular steel blade wouldn't have even been able to pierce her skin at this point.
She handed the acceptance letter back to the bird and it flew out the open window. With that taken care of Heather figured she needed to find the shopping district mentioned in the letter to buy her school supplies. Thankfully, there was an address attached…
…
Heather arrived on the busy street listed in her letter, looking around for Tom's Pub—or whatever it was called. She hadn't arrived on foot or by bus. No, Heather was hovering above the street on a large, black sword, one she'd conjured. She had no need to hide her powers anymore. She was strong now, stronger than most could imagine, and if regular people wanted to stare, let them. She had nothing to hide.
As she floated down and stepped off the sword in her tattered clothes, she could feel the eyes of every person on the street. They gawked, whispering to each other and glancing back in disbelief at the eleven-year-old girl who'd just landed from the sky. Heather ignored them, focusing instead on her task. She looked around, scanning the buildings until her gaze settled on the one she was looking for.
"There it is," she muttered to herself, spotting the shabby little pub tucked between two larger buildings. With a quick stride, she headed towards it. She sensed the presence of magic as soon as she stepped inside. And just like that, she disappeared from view, leaving the baffled people outside even more confused.
Her first impression of the pub was... disappointing. It was dark, dusty, and felt like it hadn't been cleaned in a century. She had expected something a little more magical, but the place looked more like it had been plucked out of the 1800s and left to rot. Still, it was buzzing with strange people in even stranger clothes—robes, hats, cloaks. 'Maybe Shen Yue would've appreciated the outfits,' she thought, amused.
The patrons were all talking about something in excited whispers. She heard fragments here and there: "the boy who lived," "honor to meet him," and "what a remarkable lad!" Apparently, a magical celebrity had passed through, and she'd missed it. Heather felt a little disappointed. She didn't know a single thing about this magical world beyond what the letter had told her, and a chance to see some magical celebrity might've been fun.
But as soon as she stepped past the doorway, something strange happened. Every single person in the pub stiffened, their chatter falling silent. The energy shifted as they all turned, staring at her with wide, disbelieving eyes. Heather felt a twinge of discomfort under their intense gazes, but she lifted her chin, trying not to let it show.
She caught whispers as she made her way toward the bar. People murmured words like "impossible" and "is that power really coming from a little girl?" It was obvious her presence was shocking them, though she couldn't understand why. She wasn't doing anything that strange—just walking.
Ignoring the whispers, Heather reached the bar counter, where a nervous-looking bartender was talking to a pale man wearing a purple turban. They both stopped talking as soon as she arrived, and the man in the turban stared at her in shock, his eyes wide and almost fearful.
"Hi there," Heather said, her voice polite and calm. "Can you tell me how to get to Diagon Alley?"
The bartender fumbled for words, his voice shaky. "S–sure thing, little g—I mean, my lady," he corrected himself, bowing his head a little, which only confused Heather further.
"Is something wrong?" Heather asked, raising an eyebrow. The bartender's face went pale, and he quickly shook his head.
"N–no, my lady, nothing at all. Everything's fine," he said, forcing a nervous smile.
"Ok?" Heather said hesitantly.
The bartender introduced himself as Tom and was about to lead Heather to the entrance to Diagon Alley when the man in the purple turban stepped forward, a strange, nervous energy around him. "P–pardon me," he stammered, his voice wavering. "I am Professor Quirrell of Hogwarts. May I ask your name?"
Heather looked at him, noticing how his eyes darted around as if he expected something to jump out at him. "I'm Heather Potter," she said simply.
"P–Potter!?" Quirrell's voice cracked, and his eyes widened in shock. The room, which had already been unnervingly silent, seemed to hold its breath.
Tom's jaw dropped, and he glanced at Heather with eyes full of surprise and curiosity. "Is that really your name, m–my lady?" he asked, almost in disbelief.
"Of course it is," Heather replied, feeling a bit annoyed at the fuss. Also, why did he keep calling her "my lady?"
Tom exchanged a look with some of the patrons nearby, then turned back to her. "People thought the Potter family was gone... after... you-know-who," he said, lowering his voice and glancing nervously around the room.
A collective gasp rippled through the pub, and Heather felt like rolling her eyes. These people were so dramatic. She didn't know who "you-know-who" was and wasn't sure she wanted to. She decided not to ask, not wanting to seem clueless.
She turned back to Professor Quirrell. "I'll see you at Hogwarts, then." He opened his mouth as if to say more but shut it when Heather turned her attention back to Tom.
"Ready?" Tom said, clearing his throat and giving her a cautious smile. He led her to the back of the pub, where a brick wall stood, looking completely ordinary. "Now, watch carefully and remember the pattern," he said as he tapped the wall three times with his wand.
Heather's eyes widened as the bricks shivered and shifted, rearranging themselves into an archway that opened up to reveal the most magical place she'd ever seen. Diagon Alley was alive with color and noise, bustling with hundreds of witches and wizards moving in every direction. Shops lined the cobblestone street, their windows filled with everything from broomsticks to cauldrons, books to enchanted trinkets. It wasn't just an alley—it was more like an entire block filled with magic, stretching farther than she could see.
Heather stepped through the archway, eyes wide with wonder. This was what she had imagined when she thought of a magical world. It was a far cry from the dark and dusty pub she had just left behind.
Before heading back, Tom gave her a kind smile. "I'd recommend going to Gringotts first, Miss Potter, to access your family's vault. You'll need money to buy your supplies."
Heather blushed, suddenly realizing she hadn't planned for this at all. She had spent the past two years stealing whatever she needed from regular stores, but something told her that stealing from magical shops would be a lot more complicated. She nodded and thanked Tom before he turned and went back into the pub.
With that, Heather started pushing her way through the crowds, heading for the large bank at the end.