Ian Prince
This is the name Ian has in this life.
In truth, he doesn't know how long he's been in this world. Unlike many who close their eyes and open them to find themselves in another realm, Ian didn't immediately reincarnate after his accidental death as a college student in his previous life.
His consciousness drifted through a period of fragmented memories, filled with blurry and confused years. It felt as though he had been flying through many places, witnessing countless things he couldn't quite remember.
Now, looking back, Ian couldn't understand why he had such an experience. It didn't feel like he was searching for a lost sheep; it felt more like aimlessly wandering with a soul that had no fixed place.
Until a light appeared.
He flew toward the light.
That was when he opened his eyes again and found himself in a world that was both familiar and strange.
As a crossover individual, Ian possessed the typical "Gold Finger" that such people have. In addition to an attribute panel, the ability to cross the boundary between life and death seemed to have become his unique talent.
Every week, while sleeping, Ian would come to this peculiar place, which the simple little girl in front of him called the 'Twilight Zone'.
Yes, 'Twilight Zone'— the realm of the deceased in the Harry Potter universe. Some say it is a transit station to the underworld, while others believe it is the path to the afterlife. From Ian's previous understanding of Harry Potter, he knew that after Dumbledore's death, he appeared in the Twilight Zone at a train station.
He speculated that the reason he could come here was probably due to his death and resurrection, combined with the wisdom of two lives. Perhaps it had something to do with hitting a bug in this world.
Forgive him for having only watched a few movies and read some fanfiction, without delving deeply into the relevant lore. Had he known he would cross over, he would have surely become a Harry Potter scholar in his previous life.
Of course, even a Harry Potter scholar might not have known much about this place; otherwise, the Twilight Zone wouldn't have been the most enigmatic area on the map in the original work.
"You look a little shaken," the girl in front of him said.
Ariana was a ghost who didn't even know how long she had been dead. Despite that, she still retained her childlike innocence and a hint of immaturity from when she was alive. She was one of Ian's few friends in this place.
As for the Twilight Zone, Ian always thought of it as a treasure trove. Most young wizards awaken their magic power to the first level of control, but the reason he had reached level 4 of magic power was because he had studied here.
Of course, it wasn't with Ariana, as she was an ordinary person who didn't understand magic. Ian learned his magic power control from another friend.
However, that person was always unwilling to truly teach him magic, constantly emphasizing that Ian was still too young.
…
"That terrifying old man! It's because of that terrifying old man!" Ian stressed.
"Why do you say he's a terrifying old man? Does he look scary?" Ariana asked, curious.
As they walked together, Ian shook his head, explaining, "No, he doesn't look scary. On the contrary, he's quite an elegant old man. It's just that he's a bit of a peeping creep— at least, that's what I've heard."
"Aren't you curious what he came to find you for, Ariana?"
The two of them reached the edge of a river, where a few butterflies flitted around them, gracefully dancing. A small rabbit peeked out from under a tree, watching them.
The sunlight cascaded down, casting a gentle, serene landscape.
"What does he want from you? Does he want to spy on you while you bathe?"
Ariana's words left Ian momentarily speechless.
"He's come to let me attend Hogwarts, Ariana. I guess I truly am a registered wizard!" Ian said, looking at the flowing river with a tone of pride.
In his last life, he wasn't very old, though he had wandered for a long time, aimlessly drifting. In summary, he was just a slightly more capable version of Ariana.
After all, how else could the two of them have become friends? There must be some similarities.
"Hogwarts? I know about Hogwarts! It's the best wizarding school in the world! Also, the safest place in the world!"
Ariana's eyes lit up as she looked at Ian.
"Ian, if you ever run into trouble at Hogwarts, you can find my two older brothers for help. They are students there and very kind-hearted."
It was clear that she was genuinely excited.
However, Ian replied, "Trouble is inevitable."
He dipped his legs into the river and lay down on the lawn, speaking slowly with a hint of resignation: "Your older brothers are students. How powerful can they be? This year or next, Hogwarts might be facing the revival of the noseless monster. Ordinary people can't handle something like that."
Regarding Voldemort, Ian felt a bit uneasy. He could avoid interacting with the Boy-Who-Lived, but who knew if, during their schooling, he'd be caught up as collateral damage? It was hard to believe that Hogwarts truly was the safest place.
"The noseless monster?"
Ariana tilted her head in confusion.
"Yes, he's the big villain who's about to come back to life."
Perhaps because this place was detached from reality, and since Ariana had been a friend since childhood, Ian didn't hide his "knowledge of future events." He had hinted at many prophecies like this before, but Ariana never showed any curiosity.
"Is the noseless monster really that strong? Ian, my two older brothers are very strong." Ariana said earnestly.
Ian sat up with a bit of curiosity and asked, "Are your two older brothers twins?"
When mentioning twins, Ian immediately thought of the Weasley family, but Ariana's hair color didn't match, and he hadn't heard anything about the Weasley family having a deceased younger sister.
Was it another magical house? A pureblood family of twenty-eight?
In a perfect version!
Ian scratched his head, trying to figure it out. He asked again, "You really don't remember your last name?"
Ariana shook her head, her expression a bit despondent.
Ian blinked, then asked, "Then how am I supposed to find your older brothers for help?"
"My older brothers..."
Ariana's expression became reflective, but she couldn't recall any information about them. She only remembered having two brothers who loved her dearly, and she had been waiting for them here.
"It seems I'm slowly forgetting my past and my desires."
Ariana looked melancholic, resting her chin on her hand as she gazed at the flowing river.
Ian hurriedly tried to comfort her, feeling somewhat at a loss for words: "In the Twilight Zone, souls linger due to their obsessions. When your obsession disappears or when you forget everything, that's the moment you move on to the next life."
"It's not a bad thing."
Ian looked at Ariana with clear eyes, and suddenly, he noticed her eyes redden.
"But, my older brothers..."
Ariana's voice trembled, and she started to choke up.
This... Ian didn't know how to comfort her. He could only take out the chocolate he had prepared earlier and said, "I'm giving it to you. I originally wanted to keep it for myself."
He had already bought the chocolate in advance and hid it in his pocket—of course, it wasn't that he forgot to bring it.
"Chocolate, Ian, you're so nice!"
When Ariana saw the chocolate, her sadness seemed to fade, and she smiled through her tears. After taking a bite, she couldn't help but say, "Actually, I really want to see my older brothers again."
Ian scratched his head and looked at the side of the girl's face before speaking.
"I'll go back and see if I can find out who lost their younger sister. Maybe when I tell you, you'll remember, and you'll be able to stay here a few more years."
"Everyone dies eventually. Just endure, and outlast them. When they're gone, you'll be able to see them here." Ian spoke earnestly to Ariana.
Ariana, feeling surprised and grateful, said, "Thank you for comforting me, Ian, but you can't go and kill them just for my sake and to reunite with my older brothers, okay?"
Wow! Is this offering me new ideas?
Ian: "..."
He really didn't know how to respond to that eye roll.
"Do you think I'm some evil villain?"
Ian looked genuinely innocent.
"The witch living in the castle said you have that kind of quality."
Seeing Ian's speechlessness, Ariana couldn't help but laugh.
A witch in the castle, huh? Ian felt a sense of awareness and glanced behind him at the castle hidden in the forest. He had heard some rumors about it.
However, the Twilight Zone was vast, and with his current abilities, he couldn't explore too many areas yet.
At that moment, he felt a cool sensation in his palm.
He turned around and saw Ariana holding his hand, smiling as she said, "Ian, thank you for your kindness. This is also a congratulatory gift for your admission..."
"I want to give you a present."
As she spoke, Ian felt warmth slowly spreading from her hand. He looked down and saw a vivid red light flowing from Ariana's hand into his own.
A delicate pattern appeared on the back of his hand but quickly faded.
"What is this?" Ian asked, surprised.
Just as he spoke, the surroundings began to turn surreal, and Ariana's figure started to blur.
He understood.
It was time to leave, so he made no move to resist.
"See you next week," Ian smiled and waved goodbye.
Ariana also smiled and waved back.
"See you next week."
(End of this chapter)