Harry Potter: I started checking in from Diagon Alley

Eric's answer sent a collective gasp through the crowd at the Leaky Cauldron.

Is he a freshman at Hogwarts?

Old Tom's eyes widened as he stared at Eric in disbelief.

If it weren't for his youthful face, old Tom would have thought Eric was joking.

They were still shaken by the tangible magic that had just erupted from Eric.

Regardless of what others think, Eric is feeling great right now.

The magic's effects spread throughout his body, and he was experiencing an unprecedented sense of comfort.

A jolt of electricity coursed through his bones and muscles, like a full-body massage from the inside out.

The tingling sensation made Eric feel incredibly energetic.

Having read the original Harry Potter novels, he was no stranger to the concept of magic.

A wizard is born with magic; it's instinct, just like an ordinary person can run and jump.

As long as the wizard lives, magic will never run dry.

Wizards will get tired from using magic excessively, but what they consume is not magic power, but physical strength.

To be precise, for wizards, using magic is like humans running and jumping—it's an instinct.

Magic power increases naturally with a wizard's age. Wizards with high magical power can materialize and release their magic to a certain extent, just like Eric did.

What Old Tom and the patrons in the bar didn't know was that Eric hadn't even used his full strength yet.

If he were to unleash his full power, who knows what would become of the Leaky Cauldron, and Eric doesn't want to destroy it.

[Ding, check-in task has been issued.]

Please check in at Diagon Alley within one hour. Completing the task will earn you a system reward.

Then, a new sign-in task came up.

Eric smiled upon receiving the system's message; he had originally intended to head to Diagon Alley as well.

A moment later, the residual power of the magic burst had dissipated.

Only Eric, who had been standing at the door, and old Tom, who was sitting or lying on the floor, remained in the bar.

The other wizards who witnessed what had just happened dared not stay any longer and all left.

After waiting for a while without any response from Old Tom, Eric simply walked up to him, waved the admission notice in his hand, and smiled, "I need to get into Diagon Alley."

The shock in Old Tom's eyes had not completely faded. He struggled to his feet, not knowing what to say. It wasn't until Eric held out the letter to Old Tom again that he came to his senses, took the letter from Eric, checked it several times, and only returned the admission notice to Eric after a long while.

His eyes were strange; he still couldn't quite believe Eric's identity.

"Please follow me," old Tom said in a hoarse voice after a moment's thought.

He had no choice but to believe it.

The acceptance letter cannot be forged; Old Tom clearly felt the mark of Hogwarts on it.

The Leaky Cauldron is an official partner of the Ministry of Magic and serves as a window for the British magical community to the outside world.

Besides his job as a bar owner, Old Tom is also responsible for receiving young wizards who are encountering magic for the first time, providing them with necessary help and guidance.

This can be considered one of the few instances of humanistic concern in the magical world.

Old Tom led Eric to the bar, pulled out a thick ledger from under the bar, and flipped to the latest page. A quill pen automatically flew out of his breast pocket and hovered over the ledger.

Old Tom looked at Eric, thought for a moment, and asked, "Mr. Clapton, is that right? Where is your guardian?"

“I’m an orphan with no guardian. I came here following the address on the letter,” Eric replied.

Old Tom looked at Eric in surprise, instinctively disbelieving what Eric was saying.

After Eric demonstrated his abilities, he still thought Eric was the heir of some ancient family.

Unexpectedly, Eric said he was an orphan.

What was that magical pressure that almost destroyed the Leaky Cauldron just now?

Looking at the calm expression on Eric's face, old Tom felt a sudden sense of fear for no reason. This child was terrifying.

He had a strange premonition that this child would probably become a legendary figure in the wizarding world, just like Harry Potter who came here two years ago.

He had lived for many years, but in his memory, he had never seen a new student who could materialize magic on their first meeting and almost break the protective spell of the Leaky Cauldron.

Old Tom had seen many people, and he was quite certain that he had only experienced this kind of power from powerful Aurors or some powerful wizards.

Regardless of Old Tom's doubts, in the world of magic, strength reigns supreme.

This is an eternal truth in the world of magic.

Thinking of this, Old Tom's tone unconsciously became much more respectful: "So, may I ask, do you need to apply for a student loan?"

Eric nodded and said, "Of course."

Old Tom smiled, feigning composure. Without him lifting a finger, the quill pen floating in the air beside him automatically wrote in the ledger: [Eric Clapton, enrolled in 1993, applying for student loans.]

Having done all that, old Tom took his wand from the counter, held it in his hand, walked out from behind the bar, and led Eric toward the back door of the bar.

“Any Muggle wizard who applies for a student loan needs to be led by me and responsible for purchasing the items needed for enrollment.”

“I will keep the books and report them to Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic. This debt needs to be paid off within five years after you graduate, and the interest rate will be much lower than Gringotts’s.”

"From the first day you accepted this loan, your name and identity information have been recorded in the Ministry of Magic. You'd better not think about defaulting on the loan or ignoring it."

"Apart from that, if there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me."

Old Tom explained to Eric.

Then, he took out his wand and, just as Eric remembered, opened the path to Diagon Alley by clicking on the corresponding bricks on the trash can.

The brick wall in front of them suddenly split in the middle, revealing an alley that seemed to have no end.

On both sides of the alley, two rows of shops lined up along the way, with a dazzling array of goods even displayed in the middle of the road.

The sun was shining brightly at the end of July, casting a golden glow on the streets. The streets were bustling with people, and every shop was packed with customers.

Old Tom stretched out his arm, bent slightly, his back hunched even lower, and said to Eric, "Mr. Clapton, welcome to Diagon Alley."

Eric took a step forward.

[Ding! Congratulations! You have successfully arrived at the check-in location.]

[Please begin checking in now and do not leave the check-in area midway.]

[Ding! Congratulations, you have successfully checked in.]

[Rewards: Top-tier mental power, and unlocked personal panel.]

Chapter 3 The Monster Book of Monsters

There's also a personal panel?

Eric's mind stirred, and instantly, a transparent panel unfolded before him, displaying detailed information about Eric, including his corresponding level:

Eric Clapton—

Magic: Top level.

Mental strength: Top level.

Mastering the spell—

Spell: None.

Curse: None available.

Poisonous curses/curses: None available.

Skill--

Muggle Research: The Ultimate.

History of Magic: Beginner.

……

System comments:

All skill levels, including spell proficiency, can be roughly divided into five levels—

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Top, Ultimate.

Among them, the intermediate level represents the average level of the vast majority of people.

Taking magic as an example, nowadays, a student graduating from Hogwarts with standard grades would generally have a magic rating between beginner and intermediate.

The above is a rough rating of the host's current skill level based on the actual situation, and is for reference only. Please refer to the actual situation for the final assessment.

Eric quickly scanned the panel, and the first thing he noticed was his magic power and mental strength.

Above the top level, there is an ultimate level.

Eric immediately thought of Voldemort and Dumbledore.

The two of them are at the pinnacle of combat power in the magical world. If we simply compare the quality of their magical power, they are undoubtedly at the top of this world.

Even without system prompts, Eric knew that if magic power was the only factor, he was currently very strong.

But battles between wizards are not just about magic.

Having magic power but not knowing how to cast spells is a waste.

For example, Eric right now doesn't know a single spell.

When faced with a real battle or a situation requiring the use of magic, he could only watch helplessly.

His magic is very strong, but magic cannot be directly materialized for combat. There is a limit to the output of magic; at most, it can only knock Old Tom to the ground, like it did just now.

Spells are the ultimate means of controlling the output of magical power.

Eric currently only possesses magic power, but lacks spells. If he encounters a truly skilled opponent, he probably won't even have the chance to bluff.

The spells are further divided into several smaller categories based on real-world situations, similar to what Eric saw in the original work.

Spells that are commonly used and not intended to harm others, such as disarming spells and unlocking spells, are generally considered magic spells, while evil spells refer to spells that can cause discomfort or minor harm, such as repelling spells and obstacle spells.