Prologue


Magic, a term used to describe any and all supernatural phenomena that humans couldn't find answers to just yet, was a difficult nut to crack.

Hundreds upon thousands of brilliant minds had tried to track down the essence of it, the fabled root, but none ever succeeded.

That was until Accelerator was fit into the equation.

"The fuck is this?" said the esper that was fated to develop several mental issues. Literally and figuratively. As he would have had his brain matter obliterated in a year's time if he hadn't stumbled upon this site.

The white-haired teen was standing in front of something that shouldn't be possible.

Something akin to a portal was absorbing all the light that entered the space it occupied in front of his bed. And it expelled energies that Accelerator couldn't calculate nor alter every few minutes.

He should have been set off by the impossible structure. Logic and self-preservation instincts were making pretty good arguments inside his mind. However, something strange was happening.

Accelerator was feeling curiosity for the first time in a very long time.

In the bleak and boring life he had lived since his unmatched computing powers had manifested, nothing had been nearly as interesting as this phenomena.

Not even when he beat a supercomputer in a race to image the first supermassive black hole.

So he unwisely decided to not report to anyone his finding, and spend the next three weeks scribbling all the walls of his small apartment with what would appear to be gibberish to the naked aye.

Centuries of research were made in days.

It was one sunny Saturday when a very sleep-deprived Accelerator would start cackling with such a vigor that it could be heard from blocks away.

"Eu-fucking-reka."

Then, as if on cue, the gate inside its event horizon expanded and swallowed the esper along with his entire room.

Anti-Skill was going to have a field day with the report of the city's only hopeful level 6 esper's disappearance but that would be a story for another time.


An Esper Among Wizards


In another plane of reality, inside a huge rambling castle, a tongue of flame shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it — the whole room's audience gasped.

Dumbledore caught the piece of parchment and held it at arm's length, so that he could read it by the light of the flames, which had turned back to blue-white.

"The champion for Durmstrang," he read, in a strong, clear voice, "will be Viktor Krum."

"Bravo, Viktor!" boomed Karkaroff, so loudly that everyone could hear him, even over all the applause. "Knew you had it in you!" The clapping and chatting died down.

Now everyone's attention was focused again on the goblet, which, seconds later, turned red once more. A second piece of parchment shot out of it, propelled by the flames. "The champion for Beauxbatons," said Dumbledore, "is Fleur Delacour!"

Then the Goblet of Fire turned red once more; sparks showered out of it; the tongue of flame shot high into the air, and from its tip Dumbledore pulled the third piece of parchment. "The Hogwarts champion," he called, "is Cedric Diggory!"

"Excellent!" Dumbledore called happily as at last the tumult died down. "Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real —"

But Dumbledore suddenly stopped speaking, and it was apparent to everybody what had distracted him.

The fire in the goblet had just turned red again. Sparks were flying out of it. A long flame shot suddenly into the air, and borne upon it was another piece of parchment.

Automatically, it seemed, Dumbledore reached out a long hand and seized the parchment. He held it out and stared at the name written upon it. There was a long pause, during which Dumbledore stared at the slip in his hands, and everyone in the room stared at Dumbledore. And then Dumbledore cleared his throat and read out—

"Harry Potter."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Silence reigned. Not a single sound could be heard in Hogwart's great hall. Not even the sizzling fire that was dying inside the Goblet of Fire.

"Wut." said the new occupant of Ravenclaw's table.

Instantly, everyone's eyes zeroed in on the albino.

It was going to be a long day.