Simultaneously traversing: the pinnacle of all realms

Professor Sprout broke the silence.

"These medicines can only bring out the power that originally belonged to him, allowing him to exert it better, but they cannot make him stronger than 'himself'."

Pointing to the various herbs growing in the greenhouse, she sighed and said, "Like these herbs, our careful care can only make them grow better and stronger, but it cannot help them exceed their limits."

"A mandrake will always be a mandrake; it will never become anything else."

The professor touched the leaves of the mandrake and looked at Xavier.

"Excessively high expectations not only cause us inner turmoil, but also cause us pain. Do you understand?"

Xavier was silent for a moment, then smiled.

"Really? Merlin's beard! It's not magical at all."

He remarked with some wistfulness, "Isn't magic the power of miracles?"

Professor Sprout smiled, his eyes curving into crescents.

"Yes, magic is a miracle."

"Um?"

Xavier paused, then nodded thoughtfully.

Seeing that Professor Sprout was not going to say anything more, Xavier changed the subject.

He asked, "Can I concoct this potion now?"

"Then you should learn potion making first."

"Professor Snape is a very capable professor," Professor Sprout said with a smile.

"These things require precise cooking time and proportions; even a slight difference will ruin them. You're only in first grade, so focus on building a solid foundation first. If you're still interested when you get to higher grades, I can teach you more."

Speaking of which, although Professor Sprout was only responsible for teaching herbalism, she was actually quite skilled at potion making.

"I will," Xavier said earnestly.

-

As Xavier walked out of the greenhouse along the corridor, Professor Sprout's words were still on his mind.

"Upper limit."

The word was like a pebble thrown into a lake, creating ripples in his heart.

The maximum magic power is innate and cannot be increased by external forces.

This means that no matter how hard he tries, there is a ceiling to his total magic power—an innate ceiling.

This sounds a bit disheartening.

But Xavier thought about it again and felt relieved.

"The limit is the limit, but how far am I from the limit?" he asked himself.

A first-year student is still very, very far from the limit of his magic power.

Like a seedling that has just broken through the soil, it has a long way to go before it reaches its full height.

"Fill up what you can first, then worry about the ceiling," Xavier told himself.

Moreover, magic isn't everything.

Knowledge, skills, experience, and willpower—these can all make up for a lack of magic.

Dumbledore's strength lay not only in his profound magical abilities, but also in his understanding of magic, which far surpassed that of ordinary people.

As he thought about it, Xavier unconsciously smiled again.

"Furthermore, with shared spaces available, is there really a limit to my future potential?"

"As for me, I'm afraid I have no limit. The only limit to the future is this world!"

-

On the day the final exam results were announced, the auditorium was filled with a tense yet excited atmosphere.

Xavier received his report card: Charms O, Transfiguration O, Potions E, Herbalism O, Defense Against the Dark Arts O, History of Magic O, Astronomy O, and Flying O.

Although it wasn't first place—the first place went to Hermione Granger, the brown-haired girl who almost got all O's—Xavier was already quite satisfied.

After all, she was a top student handpicked by the creator of this worldview, and this girl's memory was indeed extraordinary.

Ernie wailed beside him, "I only got an E in Charms! Professor Flitwick said I did well!"

"An E is already very good," Justin comforted him. "My Defense Against the Dark Arts is only an A."

"That's because Professor Quirrell didn't teach anything at all," Ernie muttered.

Harry and Ron's results surprised many people.

Despite frequently losing points and violating school rules, their exam results were surprisingly good.

Harry, in particular, surprised many people by getting an O in Defense Against the Dark Arts.

(In the original books, Harry and Ron were not just two useless men around Hermione; their grades were always among the top in their grade.)

-

At the banquet following the Academy Cup awards ceremony.

The Slytherin students were excited because they had the highest house grades.

Even though they maintained the composure of nobles, they were still just children, and the smiles on their faces were impossible to hide.

Then Dumbledore stood up and announced a series of bonus points.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione received a significant number of extra points for "preventing a potential disaster"—Harry received 60 points, Ron 50 points, and Hermione 50 points.

Neville also earned points for his kind and courageous qualities.

Gryffindor's hourglass overtook Slytherin's at the last moment, and the entire Great Hall erupted in deafening cheers from the Gryffindor table.

Dumbledore waved his hand, and the green decorations inside the castle were replaced with the gold and red that represented Gryffindor.

Professor Snape's face was also changed to black.

(Ah, Professor Snape in black! The casting for the Harry Potter TV series is really...)

At the long table in Hufflepuff, the students ate and drank as usual, and the atmosphere was as peaceful as ever.

"The Academy Cup, huh?" Ernie mumbled, taking a bite of his chicken leg. "Anyway, we never really expected it."

The other Hufflepuffs nodded in agreement and continued to enjoy the food at the dinner.

Xavier picked up a piece of roast beef and nodded in agreement along with the others.

He noticed that at the Slytherin table, Draco Malfoy looked ashen-faced as if he had eaten a slug, while his two hulking companions, Ben Crabbe and Goyle, seemed unfazed, probably because they hadn't understood what Dumbledore was saying at all.

Over in Gryffindor, Fred and George were already standing on their chairs, waving their napkins like they were waving a victory flag.

Percy, standing to the side, was seriously tidying up his prefect badge. He didn't scold his two mischievous younger brothers as usual, but he couldn't suppress the smile on his lips.

Harry and his friends were surrounded by the crowd, looking completely bewildered.

Harry doesn't seem to have fully gotten used to being the center of attention—even though he's been surrounded by people countless times over the past year.

Xavier watched from afar, then picked up his juice and took a sip.

-

After the dinner, Xavier returned to the common room and began packing his luggage.

He folded his school robe and put it in the box, arranged his textbooks neatly according to size, and carefully placed the illustrated book of "The Hobbit" on top.

To be honest, Justin and his friends quite liked the story.

Bobo stood in the cage, tilting his head to look at him, occasionally making a cooing sound.

"I'm going home tomorrow," Xavier said to it.

Bobo flapped its wings, as if in response.

Justin came out of the dormitory carrying a suitcase. Seeing Xavier packing, he walked over and sat down.

"I'm going home," Justin said. "This year has gone by so fast."

"Yes." Xavier nodded.

Justin smiled. "Then...see you when school starts?"

See you when school starts.

Justin patted him on the shoulder and dragged his suitcase away.

Ernie rushed out of the dormitory, almost tripping over his own robe, shouting, "I'm going to miss the train!" and ran out without looking back.

Hannah and Susan came out together, each carrying a suitcase.

Hannah's eyes were a little red, but Susan was all smiles.

"Ethan, don't forget to write to us during the summer vacation!" Hannah said.

"I won't forget," Xavier said.

"Does Bobo know the way?" Susan asked. "Don't deliver the letter to someone else's house."

"Bobo is very smart." Xavier glanced at the white owl in the cage, and Bobo proudly puffed out its chest.

The two girls walked away laughing.

The common room gradually quieted down.

Xavier sat for a while longer, watching the embers in the fireplace and listening to the occasional snoring coming from the portrait on the wall.

Then he stood up, dragged his suitcase, carried the birdcage, and walked out of the common room.