Harry Potter: Prince of Shadows

Ian Prince.

That was his name in this life.

To be honest, Ian didn't know how long he had been in this world. Unlike the typical tales of opening one's eyes and instantly finding themselves in a new realm, Ian's experience had been anything but immediate. In his previous life, he had been a university student, but an accident claimed his life. Instead of an immediate reincarnation, he had wandered through a haze—a blurry, fragmented existence filled with drifting memories he couldn't piece together.

Looking back now, Ian couldn't explain it. It wasn't as if he had been searching for something or someone. Instead, it felt more like an aimless journey, a restless soul wandering without direction.

Then came the light.

He had flown toward it, and when he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a world that was both familiar and unfamiliar.

As a transmigrator, Ian wasn't without his perks. Along with a status panel—his golden finger—he seemed to have gained the unique ability to traverse the boundary between life and death. Every week, while asleep, Ian would find himself in a strange and mysterious place that the girl before him called the "Limbo Realm."

Yes, the Limbo Realm. A domain in the Harry Potter universe, known to some as the land of the dead. Some claimed it was a passage to the afterlife; others believed it to be a transitional realm. Ian, with his limited knowledge from the Harry Potter films and a few fanfictions, recognized it as the same realm where Dumbledore appeared in a train station after his death.

Why Ian could visit this place remained a mystery to him. Perhaps it was tied to his unique status panel—a soul reborn with lingering memories from two parallel worlds. Maybe he had inadvertently triggered some glitch in this world's system.

Had he known he would end up in this world, Ian would've become a dedicated Potterhead in his previous life.

Still, even hardcore Harry Potter fans might not have had much insight into the Limbo Realm. After all, it was one of the most mysterious places in the original canon.

"You seem shaken," said the girl standing before him. She was a shadow who didn't even know how long she had been dead. Despite her circumstances, Ariana retained the innocence and childish nature she had in life.

She was one of Ian's few friends in this ethereal realm.

To Ian, the mysterious was a treasure trove. Most young wizards awakened with only Level 1 magic level, but Ian had reached Level 4—all thanks to his time spent here.

However, it wasn't Ariana who taught him. She was an ordinary soul who had never learned magic. Ian's progress came from another friend, someone who refused to teach him real spells, always claiming he was too young.

"A terrifying old man. It's because of a terrifying old man," Ian exclaimed, emphasizing his point.

"Why do you call him terrifying? Was he scary-looking?" Ariana asked curiously.

The two strolled along a riverbank, butterflies fluttering around them while a rabbit peeked out from beneath a tree to watch them pass. The sunlight was soft, casting a warm glow over the serene landscape.

"No, he wasn't scary-looking. On the contrary, he was quite a gentleman," Ian explained, shaking his head.

"Why would someone like that come to see you?" Ariana asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

"He wanted me to attend Hogwarts," Ian said with a smirk, skipping a pebble across the water. "Turns out, I'm a wizard,"

In his previous life, Ian hadn't been much older than Ariana. Although he had spent what felt like an eternity drifting in limbo, his youthful personality had survived intact. Perhaps that was why they had become friends—they had more in common than they realized.

"Hogwarts? I remember Hogwarts! It's the best wizarding school in the world! And the safest place too!" Ariana said, her face lighting up with excitement.

"If you run into trouble there, you can ask my brothers for help. They're students at Hogwarts, and they're very kind," she added earnestly.

Ian sighed, stretching out on the grass and dipping his feet into the river. "Trouble? That's a given," he muttered. "Your brothers may be great, but I doubt they can handle what's coming. This year or next, our school is bound to host a certain villain... and that guy's not exactly an easy fix."

Ariana tilted her head, puzzled. "Villain?"

"Yeah, an evil one who's about to make his comeback," Ian said with a wry smile. Given the separation between the Limbo and reality and his friendship with Ariana, he didn't bother hiding his knowledge of the future.

"Is this villain very powerful?" Ariana asked. "My brothers are strong, you know."

"Are they twins?" Ian asked curiously, his thoughts immediately jumping to the Weasley twins. However, Ariana's hair color didn't match, and he couldn't recall any mention of the Weasleys having a sister who passed away young.

Could it be another magical family? One of the Sacred Twenty-Eight?

"Do you remember your last name?" Ian asked, scratching his head.

Ariana shook her head, her expression tinged with sadness. "I'm not sure. I only remember waiting here for my brothers."

Ian frowned. "If you can't remember your last name, how am I supposed to find your brothers?"

Ariana's gaze grew distant. "I guess… I'm starting to forget why I'm here," she said softly. "When a soul loses its attachments and memories, it's time to move on to the next life."

Ian felt a pang of guilt. "That's not a bad thing," he said gently. "When it happens, you'll find peace."

Ariana's eyes reddened. "But… my brothers…"

Ian panicked at the sight of her tears. Clumsily, he fished out a chocolate bar from his pocket and handed it to her. "Here. I was saving this for myself, but you can have it."

Ariana's tears dried instantly as she took the chocolate, her face lighting up. "Chocolate, Ian? You're the best!"

Watching her chew happily, Ian chuckled. "If I can, I'll try to find out more about your brothers when I'm back. Maybe if I learn something, it'll jog your memory, and you can stay here a little longer."

Ariana smiled warmly. "Thank you, Ian. But don't do anything crazy, okay? Promise me you won't hurt anyone to help me."

"What do you take me for? Some kind of dark wizard?" Ian asked, rolling his eyes dramatically.

Ariana giggled. "Well, the witch in the castle thinks you have it in you."

Ian froze. "The witch in the castle?"

He glanced toward the hidden castle in the forest, a place he had heard about but never explored. The Limbo realm was vast, and Ian's abilities didn't allow him to traverse all its regions yet.

Before he could ask more, he felt a cool touch on his hand. He turned to see Ariana smiling as she held his hand.

"Ian, thank you for your kindness. As a gift for your first year at Hogwarts…" she said softly.

A warm sensation spread through Ian's hand. He looked down to see a crimson glow seeping from Ariana's hand into his. A delicate pattern appeared on the back of his hand before quickly fading.

"What was that?" Ian began to ask, but the world around him started to blur. The world was fading—it was time to leave.

"See you next week," Ian said, waving.

"See you next week," Ariana replied with a smile.