Jack Carter didn't think this was how his life would end alone in his small apartment, hunched over his computer.

The storm outside raged on, rattling the thin windowpanes, but Jack barely noticed.

His focus was locked on the glowing screen in front of him.

He'd just finished reading yet another Harry Potter fanfic, his favorite escape from the monotony of his ordinary life.

It was the same routine every evening: work at a dead-end IT job, heat up a frozen meal, and dive into the world of magic and wizards to forget the dull reality.

He loved Harry Potter not just the books or the movies, but everything about it.

The lore, the world-building, the fan theories.

Over the years, it had become an obsession. Jack had lost count of how many times he'd wished to step into that world, to live in a place where magic was real.

As he scrolled back up to reread a particularly gripping scene, he muttered, "Man, they always nail the tension. Why can't I write something like this?"

His eyes flicked to the half-empty Word document on his second monitor, where a title stared back at him: Untitled Harry Potter Fanfic.

He hadn't written more than a paragraph.

Jack leaned back in his creaky chair and sighed, running a hand through his messy brown hair.

The clock on his desk blinked 2:47 AM, glowing faintly in the darkness.

He knew he'd regret staying up so late, but it didn't matter.

He didn't have anyone waiting for him.

No friends, no girlfriend, no one to care if he got up in the morning or not.

The faint hum of his space heater and the steady drumming of rain on the roof filled the silence.

He grabbed his coffee mug cold, again and stared at the empty walls of his flat. "Some life I've got," he muttered to himself, shaking his head. "Stuck in a job I hate, reading about a world I'll never get to see. Bloody fantastic."

The pain came out of nowhere.

It started as a dull ache in his chest, spreading rapidly until it felt like his ribs were being crushed.

Jack doubled over, clutching his chest.

His coffee mug slipped from his hand, shattering on the floor. "What the—?"

His vision blurred as the pain grew sharper, more unbearable.

He gasped, trying to breathe, but it felt like his lungs had stopped working.

Panic set in.

He tried to push himself upright, but his legs gave out, sending him crashing to the floor.

"No, no, no," he wheezed, his voice barely a whisper. "Not now. Not like this."

His heart raced, pounding so loudly it drowned out the storm outside.

Jack's mind reeled.

He was only 26. How could this be happening?

He hadn't done anything with his life.

He hadn't traveled, hadn't fallen in love, hadn't made a difference.

His last moments were going to be spent alone, on the floor of his dingy flat.

"Someone… help…" he croaked, but no one was there to hear him.

The cold, unyielding darkness crept in, and the pain began to fade.

His last coherent thought, strangely enough, wasn't of regret or fear.

It was of Harry Potter.

If I could just have one more chance… I'd do it differently.

---

When Jack opened his eyes, the pain was gone.

The first thing he noticed was the silence.

No storm, no hum of electronics just a deep, profound stillness.

He sat up, groaning, and looked around.

The world was… empty.

A vast, featureless expanse stretched out in every direction.

The ground beneath him wasn't solid or liquid, just a strange, shifting void that felt both weightless and firm.

"What the hell…?" Jack muttered, rubbing his chest.

The ache was gone, but something about this place felt off.

It wasn't a dream, at least not one he'd ever had before.

"That's because it isn't a dream," said a voice, smooth and unearthly.

Jack spun around and froze. In front of him stood a figure unlike anything he'd ever seen.

It wasn't quite human its form shimmered like starlight, constantly shifting and changing.

Its "face" was a blur of features, like a dozen people all overlapping at once.

"Don't be afraid," the figure said, its voice calm yet resonating with a strange power. "I'm here to help."

Jack blinked, his mind struggling to process what he was seeing. "Who… what are you?"

The figure smiled or at least, Jack thought it did. "You can call me ROB. It's what your kind likes to name beings like me. Random Omnipotent Being. Fitting, isn't it?"

Jack stared at ROB, his confusion turning to disbelief. "This has to be a joke. I'm dead, aren't I?"

"Indeed," ROB said with a nod. "Heart attack. Quick and clean. You're lucky, in a way."

"Lucky?" Jack snapped, his voice rising. "I'm 26! I haven't done anything with my life! How is this lucky?"

"Because," ROB said patiently, "I'm giving you a second chance."

Jack froze. "A second chance?"

"Yes." ROB gestured to the empty void around them. "You see, I have a habit of intervening in situations like yours. A lonely soul, wasted potential, a deep yearning for more. It's… entertaining for me."

"Entertaining?" Jack's voice was bitter. "What am I, some kind of pawn in your game?"

ROB chuckled softly. "Hardly. Think of it as an opportunity. I'm sending you to another world a world you love. One where you can live again, on your own terms."

Jack's heart skipped a beat. "Wait… you mean—?"

"Yes," ROB said, cutting him off. "The world of Harry Potter. Or, as you know it, the Wizarding World."

Jack's breath caught in his throat.

He'd fantasized about this for years, but hearing it said out loud felt surreal. "You're serious? You're sending me to the Harry Potter universe?"

"Quite serious," ROB replied. "But I won't send you in empty-handed. That would be cruel."

Jack frowned. "What's the catch? There's always a catch in these kinds of things."

ROB tilted its head, amused. "Smart. There isn't a 'catch,' per se, but you won't be dropped in as some all-powerful wizard. You'll start as an 18-year-old, freshly graduated from Hogwarts, with no ties to the main cast. However, I will give you a gift."

"A gift?" Jack asked cautiously.

ROB raised a hand, and a soft golden light surrounded Jack.

He felt warmth flood his body, a strange tingling sensation coursing through him. "I'm giving you the ability to comprehend magic more easily. Spells, runes, enchantments you'll understand them faster and deeper than anyone else. Call it a cheat, if you like."

Jack's mouth went dry. "Why?"

"Because," ROB said simply, "this world isn't the fairytale you imagine. It's dark, flawed, and broken in many ways. Prejudice runs rampant, lives are lost senselessly, and power corrupts even the noblest of souls. I'm curious to see what someone like you someone with a fresh perspective can do to change it."

Jack's mind reeled.

It was insane.

Impossible.

And yet… the thought of living in that world, of experiencing magic firsthand, was too tempting to resist. "And I'll keep my memories? Of the books, the movies, everything?"

"Correct," ROB said. "Use them wisely. Or don't. It's entirely up to you."

Jack hesitated, a flicker of doubt crossing his face. "What if I screw it up? What if I make things worse?"

ROB shrugged. "Then that's your problem, isn't it? Life is full of risks, Jack. You either take them or you don't. But I think you'll do just fine."

Jack stared at ROB for a long moment, then nodded. "Alright. I'll do it."

ROB smiled again, stepping back. "Good. Then I wish you luck, Jack Carter. Your new life begins now."

Before Jack could say another word, the void shattered like glass, and he was consumed by a blinding light.