Harry Potter: Eternity Wizard

As the greatest wizard of this century in Britain, Albus Dumbledore held multiple positions besides being the headmaster of Hogwarts, making his daily schedule incredibly busy.

Despite being over a hundred years old, he remained full of energy, always managing to handle his numerous responsibilities efficiently—most of the time.

However, some matters were beyond even his power and wisdom to solve perfectly.

For example, raising children.

Even after so many years as headmaster, there were always students who gave him headaches.

Harry Potter, who was starting school this year?

Of course not. While Harry had been separated from the wizarding world, he had always been under Dumbledore's watchful eye. Dumbledore knew this child well; with careful guidance, everything would fall into place naturally.

The real problem was another child.

"Roger Virgil…"

When Dumbledore confirmed that Roger was indeed a wizard, the boy had been quite happy.

But his actions afterward gave Dumbledore some concern.

After his trial ended, the first thing Roger did was arrange the funeral for his biological parents.

Since Dumbledore was aware of this, he couldn't just stand by and let an eleven-year-old handle it alone.

He sent a trusted person to assist Roger—not just to help, but also to observe him.

To get a better understanding of Roger's inner world through his actions.

And the results…

Sigh. Dumbledore let out a sigh.

During the funeral, Roger's parents' friends and relatives all came to pay their respects. But whether it was his father's acquaintances or his mother's family, Roger barely interacted with any of them.

To Roger, this was perfectly normal.

For one, they hadn't seen each other in years, so there was already a sense of distance. And more importantly, Roger was a soul that had taken over this body—treating the original host's family as his own was difficult for him.

To Roger, it was better to part ways and move on. His trial might have ended, but he still had plenty of troubles left unresolved.

Both the problems he had caused in the past and those he would inevitably create in the future were far beyond what a few slightly well-off Muggles could handle. Since he had already taken over this body, he owed some kind of karmic debt—but at the very least, he shouldn't drag the original host's relatives into his mess.

But from Dumbledore's perspective, it seemed as if Roger was rejecting his own family. The trauma of war had not disappeared, even after regaining his freedom.

Looking at the pair of woolen socks in the corner, Dumbledore felt a bit melancholic.

Getting old made one sentimental, always recalling the past.

Being hurt by Muggles. Attacking Muggles to protect himself. A Seer. A child with exceptional talent and a mind that worked differently from others…

A sister, a father, a dear friend, a student who lost his way… In Roger, Dumbledore saw too many familiar shadows.

Too many painful memories he would rather not relive.

He truly did not want to see past tragedies play out again before his eyes in a different form.

Dumbledore wanted Roger to follow the right path, to live a happy life.

But as the man at the pinnacle of the wizarding world, Dumbledore simply did not have the time or energy to personally watch over Roger, no matter how much he wanted to.

Since he couldn't do it himself, he did what he had done with Harry Potter—entrusting the matter to someone he could rely on.

---

"Transfiguration is taught separately from most spells because its fundamental nature is vastly different from ordinary magic?" Roger looked up from the booklist he was about to purchase.

On the way to the Leaky Cauldron, Roger asked questions nonstop, just like any ordinary child fascinated by the magical world.

"It's not just the fundamental nature; even the way spells are cast is different," Professor McGonagall replied casually. Many young wizards she encountered had this same curiosity.

But the vast majority of them would eventually lose their fascination with magic once they experienced the struggles of studying at Hogwarts, turning into mere students cramming for exams.

Only a rare few would maintain their thirst for knowledge, dedicating time and effort to researching magic beyond the curriculum.

"Most spells work by applying a magical property to the target. For example, the Swelling Charm makes something 'swell,' curses cause 'death,' and general spells might create 'heat' or 'levitation.'

"But Transfiguration, on the other hand, alters an object's physical properties—its size, structure, density, or even its very existence.

"The key difference in spellcasting is this: with regular magic, you make something 'become' a certain way. With Transfiguration, you make something 'turn into' something else. At first glance, they seem similar, but once you study magic in depth, you'll realize the difference is enormous." Since she was explaining to a yet-to-be-enrolled student, Professor McGonagall kept her explanation simple.

Looking at Roger's thoughtful expression, she felt a sense of helplessness.

She had interacted with him often while helping with his parents' funeral arrangements, and she had noticed that Roger did not behave like an eleven-year-old at all.

A perpetual thinker weighed down by uncertainty—that was how McGonagall saw Roger.

The only time he ever acted like a normal child was when he was learning about magic, filled with excitement like a kid with a new toy.

Before starting at Hogwarts, students had to buy their textbooks, new uniforms, cauldrons for Potions class, wands, pets, and other supplies.

If at least one parent was a wizard, they would typically guide their child through these purchases.

But if both parents were Muggles, Hogwarts staff would handle the task of introducing them to the magical world.

For example, when Harry Potter first entered the wizarding world, it was Hagrid, the half-giant, who guided him.

Roger, however, had no relatives connected to the wizarding world—his entire family were Muggles.

So he, too, needed a guide to take him to Diagon Alley. Without a wizard's help, it was impossible to enter.

His guide was none other than one of Dumbledore's most trusted people—Professor Minerva McGonagall, head of Gryffindor House and Hogwarts' Transfiguration professor.

As they neared the Leaky Cauldron, only a few minutes away, McGonagall turned to Roger.

"Roger, after you graduate from Hogwarts, what do you plan to do? Join the Ministry of Magic? Return to the Muggle world? Or…"

If she had asked this question to any other first-year, most of them wouldn't have had a definite answer.

But having spent so much time with Roger, McGonagall believed this child had already made up his mind.

And indeed, she was right.

Roger gave a clear answer.