The moment Charlie woke up, he knew it was time to take stock of his situation. Yesterday had been overwhelming—struggling in class, barely managing simple spells, and dealing with the sinking realization that he was far weaker than he had hoped to be. If he wanted to survive, if he wanted to change his fate, he needed to understand where he stood.
Lying in bed, he focused his thoughts. If the System had given him stats, then there had to be a way to see them.
[System Panel: Status Overview]
Name: Charlie Alden
House: Hufflepuff
Year: Fourth-Year
Magical Control: 3
Spellcasting: 2
Potions: 1
Transfiguration: 1
Dueling: 0
Stamina: 4
System Skills: Minor Spell Repetition (Passive)
Quests: Daily Quest (Basic Magical Practice) – Completed
Hidden Quest: The Forgotten Strength of Hufflepuff (In Progress)
Charlie grimaced. This was bad.
Compared to what he knew of competent wizards, his stats were laughable. His Magical Control was abysmally low, his Potions and Transfiguration were barely above nothing, and his Dueling wasn't even on the board. The only redeeming feature was his Stamina, which explained why he hadn't collapsed from sheer exhaustion after forcing himself to train the night before.
If I'm going to compete in the Triwizard Tournament, I need to fix this. Fast.
The Struggles Continue – Slow but Steady Progress
Charlie spent the morning classes observing others, learning not just from the professors, but from the way other students worked through magic. His goal wasn't to stand out. It was to build a foundation.
Transfiguration class was another disaster. McGonagall had them moving on to turning beetles into buttons, an exercise that required precision and steady magic control. Charlie's beetle twitched, expanded slightly, then promptly exploded into a puff of ash.
McGonagall sighed, rubbing her temple. "Mr. Alden, if you incinerate another insect, I may have to reconsider allowing you near anything living."
Some students chuckled, but Charlie forced himself to nod. "I'll work on it, Professor."
She gave him a look, then, after a pause, added, "Your wand movements are too rigid. Try to flow with the magic, not against it. If you focus too much on what should happen, you'll ignore what is happening."
It was a small piece of advice, but Charlie clung to it.
First System Rewards – Progress is Earned, Not Given
That night, he spent two extra hours in the Hufflepuff common room, practicing minor Transfiguration spells. His wand work was sloppy, his magical control wasn't stable, but eventually—after nearly melting another matchstick—he managed to create a slightly rough, silver button.
The System chimed.
[Skill Progress: Basic Transfiguration +5%]
[Stat Increase: Magical Control +1]
A rush of warmth filled him. It was a small gain, but it was real progress.
He could do this.
Cedric Diggory – An Unexpected Mentor?
The next morning at breakfast, Cedric noticed him rubbing his temples from exhaustion.
"You look dead," Cedric said with a grin. "Studying too hard?"
Charlie hesitated, debating how much to reveal. "Something like that. I've been struggling with some spells."
Cedric raised an eyebrow. "Well, you could always train with me and the others. A few of us practice after classes. You might find it helpful."
Charlie wasn't sure how to respond. Accepting meant stepping into Cedric's shadow—but it also meant a chance to improve.
After a moment, he nodded. "Yeah… I'd like that."
Cedric smiled. "Great. Meet us in the courtyard after dinner."
That evening, Charlie made his way to the training courtyard, a secluded area near the castle's western edge. The glow of torches illuminated the worn dueling platforms, and a handful of students were already gathered.
Cedric stood in the center, demonstrating a perfectly executed Shield Charm as his friends took turns practicing spells on him. Charlie immediately recognized two of them—Lucas and Ben, fellow Hufflepuffs, and another student, a Ravenclaw named Adrian Troy.
Cedric spotted Charlie and waved him over. "Glad you came," he said, stepping aside. "We usually start with basic spell drills, then move on to practical defense exercises."
Lucas grinned. "You up for it, Alden?"
Charlie took a breath. "Yeah. I need the practice."
Ben chuckled. "We all do. Cedric just makes us look bad."
Cedric rolled his eyes. "I do not."
Adrian, the Ravenclaw, smirked. "You kind of do."
They all laughed, and for the first time since arriving, Charlie felt something close to belonging.
The practice session began. They rotated through basic spells, taking turns firing and deflecting Stupefy and Expelliarmus. Charlie quickly realized that while his raw power was lacking, his reaction time wasn't bad.
Cedric, ever the leader, offered pointers. "You're anticipating spells well, but your counter-spells are weak. Try focusing your magic into a sharper burst—don't just cast, commit."
Charlie nodded and tried again. This time, when Lucas fired a Stupefy at him, he countered with a stronger Shield Charm. The red bolt fizzled out midair.
"Better!" Cedric grinned. "Keep that up."
As the session wrapped up, Adrian clapped Charlie on the shoulder. "Not bad, Alden. You stick around, you'll get the hang of it."
Lucas stretched. "At least he's not blasting himself backward like Ben did last week."
Ben groaned. "Are you ever going to let that go?"
Cedric chuckled. "Only if you do it again."
Charlie smirked, feeling more at ease than he had since arriving at Hogwarts. This training wasn't just about getting stronger—it was about gaining allies, learning, and proving himself.
Tomorrow, he'd be back. And next time, he'd be better.
The next morning at breakfast, Cedric noticed him rubbing his temples from exhaustion.
Late-Night Training – A Hufflepuff's Determination
The day passed without any surprises. That evening , Charlie was planning to go straight to bed—but instead, he found himself standing in an empty classroom, repeating his spells in the dim candlelight.
He started with basic Charms practice, focusing on Wingardium Leviosa. His feather barely twitched at first, but he persisted, adjusting his wand movements and focusing on feeling the flow of magic rather than forcing it. After thirty attempts, the feather finally floated properly.
Next, he moved on to Transfiguration exercises, attempting to turn his matchstick into a proper silver needle. The matchstick wobbled under his wand, flickering between wood and an odd, half-metallic texture. His failures frustrated him, but he recalled McGonagall's advice—magic is about visualization. He took a deep breath, pictured the needle's smooth surface, the way light would glint off its polished metal. Finally, after nearly an hour, he managed a crude, dented needle.
His final focus was Stunning Spells, a necessary tool if he ever hoped to survive combat. He conjured a practice dummyfrom an old suit of armor and attempted Stupefy. His first cast barely sent out a weak red light, fizzling before reaching the dummy. He adjusted his stance, tried again, and the second attempt actually struck—but with the force of a light shove.
He gritted his teeth, adjusted his grip on his wand, and poured his frustration into the next attempt.
"Stupefy!"
This time, the dummy rocked backward slightly. It wasn't much, but it was progress.
Then, the door creaked open.
A girl with sharp green eyes and dark hair stepped inside, her wand twirling idly between her fingers.
That evening, Charlie was planning to go straight to bed—but instead, he found himself standing in an empty classroom, repeating his spells in the dim candlelight.
Then, the door creaked open.
A girl with sharp green eyes and dark hair stepped inside, her wand twirling idly between her fingers.
Selena Rosier. A Slytherin, a duelist, and most importantly, an orphan with no ties to Voldemort's past.
She tilted her head, watching him fumble through another weak spell. "Pathetic," she said.
Charlie sighed. "Thanks. That's really helpful."
Selena smirked. "You're ambitious. But ambition without talent is just desperation."
Charlie clenched his fists. He didn't need this right now. "And you're here because…?"
"I train alone too," she admitted, crossing her arms. "Unlike you, I know what I'm doing."
He exhaled. "And you're telling me this because?"
Her gaze sharpened. "Because you're interesting. Hufflepuffs don't normally push themselves like this. You're either an idiot or something else."
Charlie stared at her, then smirked. "Why not both?"
For the first time, Selena actually laughed.
An Unusual Discovery in the Hufflepuff Common Room
Later that night, while reviewing his failures, Charlie noticed something odd near the fireplace in the Hufflepuff Common Room.
A faint carving, almost invisible, but when his wand passed over it, a soft golden glow pulsed.
Then, the System activated.
[Secret Legacy Quest: The Forgotten Strength of Hufflepuff]
"The House of Loyalty has hidden strength. Find it, and prove you are worthy."
His breath caught. What does this mean?
Was it possible that Hufflepuff House held a secret even stronger than loyalty?
For the first time, Charlie realized he might not be walking the same path as the books predicted.
He was carving his own.