novelhk Chapter 1 A New Beginning
Chapter 1 A New Beginning
1990, Plymouth, Devon, England.
The coastline near Plymouth Naval Docks awakens in the morning mist, with waves constantly crashing against the rocks, creating layers of spray.
Before long, the morning sun dispelled the morning mist, turning Plymouth Bay into a shimmering expanse of shattered gold. The sky here is completely different from that of London; there is no perpetual haze, only a clear, pristine blue, with a few fluffy white clouds lazily floating at the horizon.
In the garden of a sandstone villa in a row of townhouses not far from the beach, a young boy leans back in a comfortable wicker chair, his face covered by an open book, "Ancient British Runes," his breathing rising and falling gently with each even breath. Sunlight filters through the pages, casting dappled shadows on his face.
Unfortunately, the peaceful time did not last long.
"Karen! Breakfast is ready!" Emily's voice came from the kitchen, accompanied by the clinking of cutlery. "After you finish eating, remember to pack your sailing gear; we're leaving soon."
Karen's lazy nap in the sunlight came to an end. He stretched, and the book slipped from his face, revealing his slightly sleepy gray-blue eyes. He picked up the book, squinted to adjust to the bright sunlight for a moment, and then slowly walked towards the restaurant.
In the dining room, Emily was portioning golden-brown bacon and fried eggs onto their respective plates. Karen casually shoved her book onto the shelf and looked around. "Where are Daddy and Lily?"
"Here I am!" Accompanied by the sound of thumping footsteps, a brown-haired girl with a ponytail rushed down from the second floor, carrying a waterproof bag with a dolphin pattern on it.
Lily, sitting down in the chair, proudly shook her waterproof bag. "I'm not like some lazy cat; my swimsuit, sunscreen, and diving goggles are all packed!"
"Your father went to the dock early this morning to inspect the 'Seagull'." Emily placed a steaming cup of black tea in front of Karen. "He said we should prepare more food this time, since this might be the last time the whole family goes out to sea this year."
Karen took a bite of her crab sandwich, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Another checkup? Didn't the 'Seagull' just have maintenance last week?"
"You forgot?" Emily wiped the coffee machine. "You're going to school in London soon, and we've already planned a trip for the holidays, which means this might be the last time the whole family goes out to sea together this year. Your father wants to take this opportunity to spend a few more days at sea."
The Hawthorne family is considered typical middle-class in Plymouth. David, a senior engineer at the naval shipyard, earns a hefty £26,000 a year; Emily is the head nurse at the municipal hospital, earning £18,000 annually. Such a dual-income family in England could easily afford their children a top-notch education.
Those who have attended top public schools in the UK should know this.
Whether it's Eton College, Harrow School, or Winchester College, these top public schools all have one thing in common: extremely high entry requirements.
This high threshold not only requires high student ability, but also high family income and the professions of family members. Tuition fees are a quarter of a middle-class family's annual income, and it is preferred that parents are doctors, lawyers, or engineers, with even higher priority given to families with alumni or grandparents who are alumni.
Karen, of course, had no need to worry about these things. In fact, he had already received an acceptance letter from Eton College. This achievement, which seemed incredible to others, was simply a matter of course to him.
Since awakening his past life memories at the age of five, he has possessed an almost photographic memory, not to mention the knowledge he accumulated as an engineering student in his previous life.
That's right, Karen is a time traveler.
Karen, who awakened her past life memories at the age of five, not only learned that she was a college student who died shortly after graduating from engineering school, but also discovered her superpowers.
Therefore, Karen knew very well that these worldly achievements paled in comparison to his greatest secret—a superpower known only to himself. Whenever he concentrated, he could see blue light flowing through the air, and he could even use his mind to levitate and move small objects such as books and teacups. This ability appeared to him as a ghostly blue energy, like living threads wrapped around objects.
Besides these, what made Karen realize that the world was not simple was an adventure he experienced when he was eight years old.
When he was eight years old, he saw an old couple at the site of the Mayflower Steps in Plymouth Harbor. They were enveloped in a blue light that was much more intense than what Karen had seen, and the energy flowed like living things through the rings and robes they wore.
The elderly couple paused for a moment in front of the Mayflower Steps ruins, seemingly observing something, or perhaps reminiscing about something.
Just as Karen was about to step forward to ask, one of the old men suddenly summoned an object from the ruins—the object emitted a nauseating, asphalt-like black light, which gave him a splitting headache just from glimpsing it, and he eventually collapsed on the beach.
When Karen woke up, he was lying on the beach not far from the ruins, with a scroll of parchment written in runes and a note beside him.
It reads, "Child, your eyes can see through the web of magic, a talent that amazes even me—but remember, some darkness is like a poisoned needle; the longer you gaze into it, the deeper it pierces your soul. In my life, I have seen too many bright eyes clouded by peering into the abyss… Your talent is a gift; do not let it become a wedge to pry open your mind."
For years, Karen had been unable to decipher the parchment scroll. The runes seemed to follow a certain pattern, yet were also deliberately scrambled, like an elaborately designed puzzle. He had suspected the elderly couple were legendary alchemists, or perhaps even…
Unfortunately, he never saw the elderly couple again after that.
However, although Karen wanted to learn about these unknown things, he was not in a hurry, because he had enough time to explore this unknown world.
After all, life after transmigrating was quite wonderful for Karen: loving parents, a lively and lovely younger sister, and a wealthy life—all things he had dreamed of in his previous life.
The three of them finished their breakfast quietly, and Karen helped clean up the dishes.
Emily was doing a final check, her finger tapping the list on the doorframe: "Sunscreen, lunch basket, first aid kit... Lily! Where's your sun hat?"
"Here it is!" Lily slid down the stair railing, her straw hat askew on her head.
Karen picked up his canvas backpack, neatly packed with his sketchbook, binoculars, and his copy of "Ancient British Runes." As he turned the brass lock, the salty sea breeze rushed in.
Just as the door was about to close—
"Thump!"
A muffled thud interrupted her. The three turned to look at the source of the sound. A brownish-grey striped owl lay dazed in front of the recently closed door, its wings drooping unnaturally. Even more striking was the letter beneath it, its beige envelope gleaming faintly with a golden sheen in the sunlight.
"Where did this owl come from? Why is it bumping into our door?" Lily stared curiously at the owl on the ground.
Karen's heart suddenly raced. He carefully picked up the envelope, and the dark green handwriting came into view:
[17 Crescent Street, Huy, Devonshire, at the door, Mr. Karen Hawthorne]
When he turned the envelope over and saw the deep red wax seal, his breath almost stopped. It featured a design of a lion, snake, badger, and eagle surrounding the letter "H".
In an instant, Karen realized that the unknown world she was in might be a world she knew well, a magical world depicted in the Harry Potter novels.
His fingers trembled slightly as he opened the envelope; the words on the parchment confirmed his suspicions:
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Headmaster: Albus Percival Woolflick Bryan Dumbledore
(President of the International Wizarding Federation, First Class Medal of the Order of Merlin, Archmage, Chief Wizard of Wizengamo)
Dear Mr. Karen:
We are pleased to inform you that you have been admitted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Enclosed is a list of required books and equipment.
The semester is scheduled to begin on September 1st. We will await your reply by July 31st via owl.
Vice-Chancellor
[Respectfully submitted by Minerva McGonagall]
"Mom," Karen's voice trembled slightly with excitement. He looked up, his eyes sparkling with a light Emily had never seen before. "I think my plans to go to school in London... may have to change."
As Emily received that incredible acceptance letter, Karen's gaze drifted past her shoulder to the dissipating morning mist on the distant horizon. He suddenly understood that his life was about to begin anew.
Sunlight streamed through the parchment, making the dark green lettering exceptionally clear. Emily read line by line the incredible text, her brow furrowing unconsciously.
"Hogwarts...the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?" Her voice was tinged with confusion and unease, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the exquisite wax seal on the envelope. The seal shimmered in the sunlight, the lion's mane and the snake's scales so lifelike, as if they might leap off the paper at any moment.
Karen's eyes shone brightly, as if filled with the sunlight of the entire Plymouth Bay. He opened his mouth to explain, but his mother raised her hand to stop him.
“Darling, I know you’re excited.” Emily took a deep breath and carefully folded the letter. “But this is so…unconventional. I mean, a magic school? A letter-delivering owl?” Her gaze fell on the brown-grey owl lying on the ground, and her voice trailed off.
Lily's waterproof bag fell to the ground with a "thud," and the sunscreen inside rolled out. She opened her gray-blue eyes, which were just like her brother's, and her gaze darted back and forth between her mother and brother.
"Mom!" Lily suddenly jumped up. "What if it's true? Karen is so amazing..."
"Lily!" Emily raised her voice, which was unusual for her, then softened. "Go to the docks and call your father back, okay? We need... to discuss this as a family."
Lily pouted, but curiosity quickly overcame her displeasure. She dashed out the door like a gust of wind.