Hogwarts: A Historical Game

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related properties. They are owned solely by J.K. Rowling.

Authors Note:

First and foremost I would like to give full credit and thanks to CuriousTooMuch (Av) for the amazing OC which this story will centre around. This story would not be written without her creative input. Additional thanks to her for agreeing to beta this story for consistency, accuracy, creativity and all the other lapses that I am prone to making.

Martin Valier's Statistics

SPECIAL

Strength: 7
Perception: 8
Endurance: 4
Charisma: 3
Intelligence: 7
Agility: 9
Luck: 4

It was bright; so very bright. The light bit the insides of his eye-lids with a vengeance. Although the worst bit about this brightness was that Martin dared not move out of its path.

It was common sense actually. When waking up in an unknown but potentially hostile territory, one did not immediately signal that they were awake. Instead one feigned sleep and assessed the situation. This was, coincidentally, exactly what he was doing at the moment.

The results of his assessment were... unnerving to say the least.

He realized that he was in a bed of some sort. He had to say that it was an incredibly high quality bed, better even than the one he had at home and certainly superior to the straw mattress he had in his quarters at Hampton Court. It was ridiculously soft and the sheets were equally comfortable. Again, this was unsettling. Why would someone put a stranger like him in a bed like this?!

The next thing he noticed were the sounds filtering in from his surroundings. A couple of birds were chirping brightly leading Martin to believe that a window was situated nearby. Someone was moving around… pouring wine? He recognised the chink of glass on glass at any rate.

Two voices could be heard at small intervals and Martin strained his ears to pick up their conversation. After all, it may clue him more into the strange situation.

"I am telling you headmaster that the boy cast a Patronus on a sword! And not just a little wisp of smoke; it was powerful enough to be seen from the castle."

What was a Patronus? Martin tried not to frown. Was it that strange white glow?

A quiet voice interrupted the distressed words. "…I know, Severus. It had to be quite powerful, to kill the dementor like that."

Dementor? That name did not sound familiar to Martin. He assumed that black monstrosity he had fought was called such. At least, it was dead and would not be attacking him again. Finally, some good news.

As the silence pervaded for a couple of moments, another piece of information filed itself in the mercenary's mind. One of the men's names was Severus. An unusual name… Martin mused to himself.

The slightly nasal voice spoke again, this time with confusion and frustration evident in his voice.

"He may have killed the dementor but his presence on our grounds only raises more questions, Albus. Who is he? He is definitely not a Hogwarts Student and there are no records of a missing boy anywhere in Wizarding Britain matching his description. Not only that, the ministry confirmed that no international port-keys have been issued that can justify his appearance in the country, let alone Hogwarts. I don't know why you claimed he was a transfer student-"

"Severus, calm down. I had to say he was a student. The Ministry is curious enough about how he managed to destroy a dementor at his age and it was essential to keep Cornelius out of this matter."

Martin was thoroughly confused by now; even more confused than the men seemed. From what he gathered, the two men were clearly discussing him but he did not understand many terms to get the conversation to make sense. What was Hogwarts? What was a port-key? And he had a gut feeling that whoever this Cornelius guy was… he won't be doing anything to help Martin. His finger twitched as he tried to reach up for his sword, inadvertently alerting them to his return to consciousness.

"Severus, you may leave now. If I remember correctly, you have a batch of Gryffindors and Slytherins waiting for you in the dungeons. It was never a good idea to leave them together for an extended period of time."

Martin had not opened his eyes but he heard the door closing with a resounding snap. So, one of the men had left. That was good. Martin nodded mentally.

A pair of footsteps hurried towards him. Since they didn't seem to pose an immediate threat, Martin discarded the idea of incapacitating the person and then escaping. Instead he yawned and sat up, while rubbing his eyes. He was the perfect picture of someone who had just woken up.

Sitting in a cushioned chair opposite Martin was a very old man, with a very long white beard. His colourful robes left Martin feeling slightly underdressed.

The approaching footsteps however had not come from this man as he had expected. Instead, a concerned looking woman stood right beside him. Her plain black dress and white apron marked her as a servant.

Martin ignored both of his companions, shifting his eyes around purposefully. His immediate surroundings were a white room filled with beds such as the one he was lying in. He could not see any weapons but the door did not have a lock, which was a good sign in Martin's eyes.

As the silence became tense, the servant woman spoke up.

"Are you alright? Are you dizzy or in pain?"

Martin managed to shake his head briefly; he was trying to work out a plan of action but to no avail. He had never been in a situation like this. Were they trying to lull him into a false sense of security and then get information?!

"Well you've been through a lot anyhow. I'll get you some chocolate. Merlin knows you'll need it after an encounter with a dementor!"

What was this chocolate thing? Martin glanced at the man; who was called Albus he assumed, and then back to the woman who was taking something out of a cupboard and placing it in a plate. She returned and handed it to him.

Martin peered down with narrowed eyes. He could make out some strange brown stuff. He took a discreet sniff and frowned. This thing… Chocolate… smelled funny and Martin really didn't want to eat it.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and eat it. Staring at it won't make it any bigger."

Martin looked up at the woman. She had a motherly face but she could easily be trying to poison him. Another sniff could not detect anything other than a strong sweet smell but Martin knew that a strong odour could hide the poison's scent and the sweet flavour, which he was pretty sure the thing would have, could hide the taste of any foreign substance.

"I am sorry but I cannot eat this." Martin replied finally, his voice ringing with finality. "I am afraid I am not really hungry." Martin's shoulders tensed, awaiting the attack that would definitely come now but the woman's smile never faltered.

"Listen, it will help your energy levels remarkably; it is a type of pick-me-up. I give it to lots of the students especially after an encounter like you had." Here she sighed. A soft sound. "You would think that a young man like yourself would jump at the chance for free chocolate!"

Martin's frown widened. Her description had sounded remarkably like... no; it couldn't be... energy levels... young men…?

He had to voice his concern; had to see if his suspicions were correct and if so, what would they gain from making him eat this sort of thing? At least, if his doubts were accurate, it would explain the high quality beds in this room.

Martin cleared his throat, making the woman's eyes fix on his face uncomfortably. "Is this... um... an aphrodisiac?"

Martin noticed that her face flushed slightly as she replied in a low voice. "It was once called that but I can assure you that those claims are totally inaccurate and ludicrous. This is a hospital wing, after all."

"Ah…" The words 'Students' from before suddenly made more sense. This must be a place for tending the wounds for those who were learning the arts of fighting from the paid teachers. Martin relaxed minutely. "That explains a lot; I thought this was a brothel."

The woman's flushed face lost its colour immediately and turned pale with what Martin realized was fury. What had he said?

"In all my days... I tell you, Albus. I have never been so insulted. This is a hospital; a sacred place for the sick and wounded! And to compare it with- with-…" The woman shouted, her eyes shifting from the man on the chair to Martin. The mercenary wondered how long it would be before she begins to turn purple.

Apparently, the old man had been thinking the same for he spoke quickly; interrupting the outburst and signalling for the woman to leave them for a while. "Enough, Poppy. Go."

When 'Poppy' finally left the vicinity; her walk stiff and muttering words under her breath, Martin turned to look at the remaining man whose deep blue eyes were already fixed in place on Martin.

"Young man, I am Professor Albus Dumbledore; the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You are in the Medical Ward of the school, as Madam Pomfrey has just told you. Might I ask your name?"

This was a difficult question to answer for Martin and he raised his eyebrow in silent contemplation.

Did he answer truthfully and give away his identity which could probably lead to his execution. The arrest declaration from the court of Tudors was not something people would ignore and Martin did not have the kind of money he would need to bribe them to let him go…

…Or did he lie and risk them finding out about his deception. This option may have held more appeal for Martin if he wasn't painfully aware of his vulnerable state.

The bearded man simply smiled at him and eventually the truth was decided upon. It was time to find out how much they knew before making the next move.

"Martin Valier." He paused before adding. "I'm a mercenary."

The old man's face showed some strange emotion and the twinkle in his eyes disappeared. "You are a mercenary at your age?"

Martin responded, rather insulted. "I have seen twenty-four years of work, Albus Dumbledore. I can assure you that I am quite capable of that name."

The old man didn't look convinced and Martin wondered what could he have meant by his words? Twenty four was a respectable age, after all. Some may even consider it middle-life. Not to mention that it was offensive to be presumed incapable at fighting by a man who looked to be over a hundred years old!

Martin tensed out of his thoughts as Albus reached into his robe and pulled out... a short and fragile looking stick.

Before he could react, the man waved the stick and a mirror appeared before Martin. Out of thin air! The stick... Martin was horrified as a thought broke his surprise. What if the stick was a magic wand…? What would he do against it?!

However before the thought had progressed ahead, Martin's eyes landed on the mirror. No matter how much deplorable such blatant use of magic was (which was quickly filed under potential blackmail material), it was even more shocking to see his image in the mirror. Or… more accurately his fourteen year old self's image.

Martin blinked and looked again. Slowly he brought a hand to his face and the reflection did likewise. How could this be possible?! A couple of minutes and a lot of shaking his head, hand and arm later, there was no denying it. Martin accepted with a strange numbness that it really was him…

The man with the wand had remained eerily quiet through the whole encounter. As much as Martin wanted to blame him for everything strange, he knew he could not. His sudden youth had happened before he was brought here and would account for the difficulty he had wielding the sword against that loathsome creature.

He had known, at that time that something was strange with him. His instincts had screamed so and now he realized that this was it. Blast it! All of his training would have been for nothing! Martin groaned under his breath. His balance would be completely thrown and his strength drastically reduced... How was he supposed to fight with a body of a mere fourteen year old?!

More important still, what about the magic he had just seen? And this was supposed to be a school for it, at least if he had caught the name correctly… Martin knew he was in a bad situation.

A very bad situation.

A school where people were taught magic implied that there were many other magic users in the building and without a weapon, Martin would not be able to escape. Even if he got his weapon, his muscle-less body was already tired from talking. Did these people mean him any harm? He knew that Madam Pomfrey did!

His thoughts, however, were once again interrupted by Albus Dumbledore's voice. "Mr Valier, might I enquire about where you come from? We were unable to find any records of you..."

He might as well tell the truth again. Looking out the window showed that he was in a castle tower and Martin now knew that said castle was filled with magic users. Basically, he had no chance of escape and therefore should cooperate as much as he could. Perhaps, they would be impressed by his honesty and let him go. Somehow, Martin doubted it.

Of course, there was always the option of jumping out the window again but as long as there was a chance of freedom; of making a deal with these people to not hand him over to the court and of returning to Hyacinth, he would not choose death willingly. Not twice.

"I live at Hampton Court Palace, serving my master…Thomas Cromwell…" Former Master. Martin corrected in his mind. He wondered if now after the charges had been levelled, it was correct for him to say that he lives on court.

He sighed in desolation. How many days had passed since he had gone unconscious? Martin remembered some floating words appearing after he had fought that Dementor creature. Was it all a dream? What had happened after that…?

It was time to demand some answers.

"Can you tell me how many days have passed since I was out of it? Last I remember it was the Year of our Lord 1536." Martin had decided to give the date; calendars did differ depending whether one used the Gregorian or the Julian method. Hopefully that would prevent any confusion. And as long as he was asking about the date, he might venture forward. "Are we still in England? I recall the season being early spring but it appears to be later here... "

Martin scratched the back of his neck; a nervous habit, as he watched Albus Dumbledore carefully. The man's eyebrows were no longer raised, rather they were furrowed and he seemed to be deep in thought.

At long last, he spoke. His voice was much softer this time, Martin noticed. "Mr Valier, may I call you Martin?"

Seeing him nod, the headmaster resumed his speech. "Martin, there is no easy way to say this and I cannot give you the explanations that I know you would desire but these are the facts. You are still in England but the year is 1994. Somehow, you have travelled forward in time. What is strange however is that you seem to have no device which may allow you to do this… and…"

Martin tuned out the man. He had already stopped listening after the sentence 'travelled forward in time' and now was simply analysing the situation. He knew he needed a lot more information to come to an actual decision but his mind raced to evaluate as much as it could already.

Since he had effectively died and been reborn as his younger self in a future time, Martin was quite certain that his arrest warrant no longer applied. That is… unless he told Albus Dumbledore about it, which he definitely wouldn't. Another piece of good news.

But he felt sad as well. Even when he had left France for better prospects, Martin had drawn comfort from the knowledge that Hyacinth was safe and would be provided for. Hundreds of years have passed, though. Hyacinth would be long gone by now. It was that thought which caused a faint glimmer of tears to shine in Martin's eyes. He would never see her again. His long standing hope of reuniting with his sister had been crushed in front of his very eyes.

"I understand that this is a shock for you, Martin; to be alone and in the future. I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news but this must be said. You are a wizard, my dear child. A powerful one if your earlier actions are to be accounted into matter." Martin did not make a single movement; simply stared at a far point on the wall. Not even the word 'Wizard' brought about a change.

The headmaster peered over his glasses with knowing eyes, shining with something akin to pity. "You may be twenty-four in mind but you are still fourteen in body and as such, you must attend Hogwarts to learn how to control your magic before it harms someone."

As Albus finished speaking, Martin gave a taut nod; he did not trust himself to speak at the moment. Not with his emotions threatening to overwhelm him. His sister's face stayed on the forefront of his mind.

Another couple of minutes of innate longing and Martin realized that the old man was waiting for a reply. He fought back the lump in his throat and spoke up, his voice slightly rough. "I-I understand… I need to- um… some time- to…" Martin swallowed softly, feeling his entire balance shifting.

Thankfully, Dumbledore understood the garbled words Martin was trying to force out. He stood up, smiling at the boy. "I will come back once you feel better. Both physically and mentally."

Martin watched the man get up from the chair and walk off to talk to the servant-woman who took care of the hospital… or perhaps, she was a physician, though that seemed highly unlikely. Martin did not think that a woman couldn't do such a job. He just hadn't seen one do it before.

Finally left alone, the slightly bewildered boy laid back on the bed, which was still as soft as he remembered. Relaxing was futile though as his emotions whizzed through his body. He thought about his future, at least as far he could make out. It didn't look bad but then again, Martin had very limited information about this school of magic.

Magic…

Martin had already figured out that he had magic in the forest earlier but to meet someone else with magic was rather bizarre, especially since they were so open about it. In which case, he realized with a jolt, magic was probably not a burnable offence in this time. He had ambivalent feelings about the realization but thankfully, he won't be seen as practising something illegal.

Martin forced his muscles to relax as the old man had advised him to do. He had almost achieved it when a gasp escaped him at the presence of a familiar set of words in the air in front of him.

YOUR CURRENT BASE SKILLS ARE:

Alteration: 7 +-

Athletics: 39 +-

Barter: 12 +-

Enchant: 9 +-

Evocation: 10 +-

Healing: 19 +-

Knowledge: 10 +-

Magical Theory: 4 +-

Mind Arts: 6 +-

Persuasion: 9 +-

Physical Combat: 42 +-

Research: 13 +-

Stealth: 35 +-

YOU HAVE (30) SKILL POINTS

TUTORIAL:

You will gain 16 Skill Points per level, plus your intelligence score multiplied by 2. These are your Base Skills, which will be affected later by your SPECIAL Scores.

Martin, at least, was better prepared this time. He looked around cautiously; glad to find the room completely empty. He didn't know yet if the others could see these hovering words or not and he didn't want to risk it.

Focusing on the screen, he tried to make sense of all the words and numbers. He understood a couple of words but most of them were completely new to hm. What was Alteration? What was Evocation? He assumed that they had something to do with magic but he couldn't tell for sure.

It was only after several minutes of staring at the words that Martin reached out to touch them. A few taps on the plus and minus buttons confirmed that it worked in exactly the same way as before. On clicking on the skills, an explanation for Alteration promptly appeared.

Alteration

Alteration is your level of skill with spells that create an effect by changing the subject matter of the spell. Examples of such a genre would be all Transfiguration spells as well as a small amount of charms and jinxes. The Jelly-Legs-Jinx for instance alters the muscles in the legs, making the victim unable to stand. It is affected by Perception and Endurance.

So I was right… Martin nodded to himself. It was indeed a magic skill. It was a skill that he was currently quite bad at, though. After several tedious counts he worked out that it was one of his lowest, with only Mind Arts and Magical Theory being lower. He felt a fissure of dissatisfaction run through him. The skill could be important to learn but he didn't know up to what extent. After all, he had no idea about all the different spells mentioned in the brief description. Knowing he could do nothing at the moment, he moved on to the next one.

Athletics

Athletics is very important in all sports. Swimming, flying, climbing and running – your effectiveness at all of these is decided by your Athletics Skill. It is essential if you wish to play Quidditch and being able to fly and swim will unlock hidden areas of Hogwarts, which cannot be reached by any other way. It will also affect the amount of stamina you have and the speed at which it regenerates. Linked to Strength and Agility, Athletics is a good all-rounder stat which is recommended for players who wish to explore.

Martin had no immediate wish to raise this. It was already at a comparatively decent level and somehow he doubted that his swimming skill would be of use in him learning magic, which was his prime priority at the moment. He didn't understand what Quidditch was but in context, it seemed like a game. Possibly, one of those hide and seek ones he used to play with Hyacinth.

However, he admitted to himself that flying sounded amazing. Before he moved on to the next skill, he briefly wondered how wizards managed it. Did they turn in to bats... or ravens, perhaps?

Barter

Barter is one of the most essential yet simple stats of the game. It affects the amount of money you can sell items for, and the prices you will pay when shopping. There will be different prices based on the location and type of store you are selling the item in. The player must also exercise caution when buying or selling restricted artefacts. Your Barter Skill will not get you out of jail! The Barter Skill is influenced solely by Charisma.

Ah! So this was the skill which had caused him to put an extra point in charisma; the skill which affected the buying and selling of goods. The only problem Martin could think of was that he did not have anywhere to buy weapons. Would any shopkeeper take a fourteen year old boy seriously enough to sell him a sword? He doubted it. Also the fact that Martin did not have any money reduced the usefulness of this skill significantly in his opinion.

Enchant

Enchant is the category of spells which use pure magic projection. This is done by a magical manifestation leaving the players wand though it is not always visible. Spells which fall under the Evocation category include the Shield and Patronus Charms. The Levitation charm falls under this category also, as do all hexes, charms and spells which require sustained wand contact. The players Enchant Skill is altered by their Intelligence and their Endurance.

Martin remembered the Patronus charm from the two men's earlier conversation. It was the one he had somehow managed to cast when fighting that black monster. After a moment of quiet contemplation, Martin accepted that the skill was probably one of the more important ones. He had to remember to put extra points in it later.

Evocation

Evocation is different from Enchant in one very crucial way. This requires intent. A spell categorized under Evocation will have to have a certain amount of will behind it to be effective. Examples of this would be the Cruciatus Curse, which causes unbearable pain and requires the caster to really want that fate on the victim. Apparition, which requires extreme concentration, is also an example of a spell falling under Evocation. It is also distinct from Alteration, however, as the spells affect the chosen object without changing its material structure. For example, the Sectumsempra curse damages a rival by severely cutting them while not changing the human body into a different substance. Most Defence against the Dark Arts and duelling spells are included under Evocation. It is linked to Perception and Intelligence.

This skill was harder for Martin to understand, probably because he had no knowledge of any of the spells involved. Apparation? Cruciatus? What were these spells? At least, the description of the latter interested Martin but not as much as the apparent use of the one called Sectumsempra. If he could learn that curse, then he would have a significant advantage against an enemy.

He had never worked in an interrogation scenario before and did not wish to change it, so the Cruciatus Curse would have little practical use to him. To his credit, Martin had always focused on quick clean kills; it was one of his few unbreakable rules that he never tortured people.

Healing

Healing is divided into 2 halves. Corresponding to both Intelligence and Strength, Healing controls your medical knowledge as well as your ability to regain health points. With a high healing score, when damage is taken, even wounds will start to heal by themselves.

Martin had never had had much need for healing. As far as he remembered, he had always had a strong constitution and even in times of weakness, he had always relied on his combat skill to avoid taking major damage. His training had always focused on how to cause maximum damage to the human body, not how to put it back together!

At the same time however, wounds that healed by themselves sounded good, Martin mused to himself. He didn't know how much damage his body could take at the present state it was in. Maybe, he will add some points to this skill, after all.

Knowledge

Knowledge, to put it simply is book-smarts. Governed by Intelligence, it affects your memory and how much information you can gain from books and literary sources. It will also determine how quickly you may recall important facts. Your Knowledge Skill will affect your grades in nearly most of the school subjects.

Probably not that important… Martin reasoned with himself as he finished with the description. Knowledge would have been a good skill, given any under circumstances. However, at the moment, Martin had to focus solely on his weaknesses in the fields of defensive magic. And anyways, it wasn't like there were going to be many books to gain information from. Not to mention, recalling important facts was not his automatic reaction in a situation of duress. Drawing his weapon was.

Magical Theory

Magical Theory is your control over your magic. By better understanding of the concept of magic, the player will be able to use less of their magical reserves to produce a more powerful spell. Affected by Perception, Magical Theory is also vital in those subjects which seek to understand magic. These consist of the special branches of Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. Many of Hogwarts secrets can be found with relative ease but they will be useless if you cannot decipher their meaning.

Control over this strange power sounded good to Martin. Magic had the potential to be incredibly dangerous but at the moment, he had no other option but to make himself adept in it. Martin knew that he probably should put some points in this skill but only after he had seen the rest of them.

Mind Arts

The skill of Mind Arts is considered important because of the need to protect one's mind. Insight into another's thoughts can win or lose one the duel. This Skill covers both Occulmency and Legilimency. Both are of equal use, although Occulmency is primarily a defensive measure opposite to the offensive nature of Legilimency. There are very few skilled wizards who practice these skills successfully. Mind Arts are affiliated with Perception.

Wizards could read… minds? Had Albus Dumbledore read his?!

Martin barely stopped himself from panicking as he realised with a sigh of relief that only a few of them could do it. The idea of people being able to see his secrets and find his weaknesses was terrifying. As a mercenary, he had always kept his background a secret; for his family's sake as well as his own. A person's family was often a target of vengeance, at least in his time.

Persuasion

Persuasion is similar to nature to the Barter Skill. Where it differs is that Barter only applies to buying and selling items, Persuasion applies to people. Under Barter, it was mentioned that attempting to trade some goods would land you in jail... Well… as long as you have enough Persuasion, you will be able to make connections with the dealers in Knockturn Alley as well as talk your way out of sticky situations at Hogwarts. Like Barter, its main stat affecting it is Charisma.

True, Martin thought, as he saw the low score that his persuasion skill had hailed. He knew that he had never been good at manipulating anyone for anything large. He was good at remaining unnoticed, which was the opposite of having enough charisma to be able to influence people. And he was a mercenary; it was his duty to follow his employer's views, not to change them.

Physical Combat

Physical Combat covers wand less fighting. Based on the stat of Strength, it is required for situations when a wand is unavailable or unusable. For example, when encountering an unpleasant situation during the holidays when one is underage. If used correctly, it can also be a very effective technique in duelling. Few wizards expect a karate chop or a high kick in the middle of a wand duel. This is not allowed in formal duels, but when you are fighting for your life that point becomes an unnecessary hindrance.

Martin smiled faintly; his physical combat score of forty-two was his highest skill. With good reason too, it was his job and he had always been talented at it. No matter whatever assignment he would have been completing, his physical prowess had always saved him from enemy assailants.

Research

Research is a measure of how fast you are able to learn and master spells. Upon learning a spell, you will be given a score on it out of 100. This value determines your mastery of the spell. Every time that you study the spell, your Research level will be divided by three then added on to the total increase in your mastery of that spell. For example, with the players current Research Skill of 37 there would be an extra 12 points added to the base increase of 5. So your mastery of the spell would increase by 17. The grades are as follows...

If your mastery is less than 70 your spell is classed as pathetic: Grade = T (Troll)

If your mastery is less than 140 your spell is classed as pathetic: Grade = D (Dementor)

If your mastery is less than 340 your spell is classed as adequate: Grade = P (Peeves)

If your mastery is less than 510 your spell is classed as average: Grade = M (Ministry Level)

If your mastery is less than 680 your spell is classed as effective: Grade = A (Acceptable)

If your mastery is less than 850 your spell is classed as strong: Grade = E (Exceptional)

If your mastery is over 920 then your spell is classed as powerful: Grade = O (Outstanding)

Some spells are harder to learn than others. Research is affected by your Intelligence.

This was complicated but comprehendible. Martin compared it mentally to the swords training he had had back in France. One practiced a single stance multiple times and slowly but steadily, one got better at it.

Stealth

Stealth is the final Skill and is of great importance to the daring player. If you need to ambush someone, escape Filch or even trail a suspect then a high Stealth score could be of more value than an invisibility cloak. This is because Stealth is also the art of blending in with ones surroundings, which might be Diagon Alley or a forest hideout. Stealth is solely relevant to Agility.

So wizards could become invisible with magic: problematic but useful to know. Still, there were other ways of detecting people, usually by listening carefully and people normally made the most sound when they thought that they could not be seen. What was Filch though? Some sort of torture device that held you in place…? It certainly sounded unpleasant!

As the description of the skills ended, Martin took a deep breath. It was a relief to find out how the magic would work; having seen people burnt at the stake for sacrificing animals in some sort of ritual. Magic... was a lot less evil than he had always been told...

Shaking his head, Martin once again focused on the still hovering words.

Martin knew that now that he was left with two main options. Firstly he could focus on his strengths and improve his combat, stealth and athletics. Or he could adapt; he could focus on magic based skills and try to become a wizard. Martin chose the second option without a moment's hesitation. It was certainly a risk but it was a risk that he was prepared to take. Like it or not he had magic but he was also vulnerable to it; a weakness which he would soon correct. A weakness that he had to correct in order to survive in his strange new world.

His decision made, the bodyguard assigned his skill points equally between the six main magical skills. This gave Alteration, Evocation, Enchant, Magical Theory, and Mind Arts and Research an extra six points each.

SKILLS

Alteration: 28

Athletics: 51

Barter: 15

Enchant: 29

Evocation: 34

Healing: 33

Knowledge: 27

Magical Theory: 29

Mind Arts: 31

Persuasion: 13

Physical Combat: 56

Research: 36

Stealth: 53

CONFIRM STATISTICS?

YES

NO

Martin huffed out a breath before pressing the 'Yes' option. Almost immediately, the words vanished and Martin was looking up into a large expanse of empty air. From the silence in the hospital room, he knew that no one had seen the strange words.

Almost all of a sudden, Martin realized the extent of his tiredness. The day had been long and full of more information than Martin could process on a sleep-lulled brain. A nap would have to do for now. For the first time since he found himself in this outlandish situation, Martin smiled as he closed his eyes.

Thank you for reading. As always constructive criticism is appreciated, as well as general feedback. Reviews are a major source of motivation. And I hope that you enjoyed reading chapter 2 of Hogwarts: A Historical Game!