Harry Potter and the Cataclysm

As soon as Carnie arrived home, he flopped onto his bed with a sigh. More than ten years had passed, and by now, he had completely given up on the fantasy of swords and magic. There was no doubt about it anymore—none at all.

He was living in early 1990s London, England, a time without the internet or mobile phones. It was unbearably dull, but at least his family's financial situation was fairly decent. His father, Carter Stran, was a pharmaceutical wholesaler, while his mother, Lena, worked at a bank.

With the end-of-term exams approaching, Carnie felt the pressure mounting. He hadn't slept well the night before and needed to catch up on rest. He spent the afternoon idly lounging in bed, drifting in and out of sleep, and before he knew it, it was already dinnertime.

"Sweetheart! Come down for dinner!"

"Coming!" Carnie left his room and saw his mother already seated at the dining table. "Dad's not home yet?" he asked.

Lena was a slender woman with short blonde hair and striking amber eyes. Thanks to meticulous skincare, she looked far younger than a woman with an almost eleven-year-old son. Years of working at the bank had given her a refined elegance that set her apart from ordinary housewives.

"Dear, he'll be home late tonight. Now, come here and let me see if you've grown taller again!"

"You just checked yesterday. I doubt I've grown that fast."

At ten years old, Carnie had inherited his father's brown hair and his mother's amber eyes. Thanks to a good diet, he was already half a head taller than most kids his age.

"Oh, your birthday is coming up in a month. Have you thought about what you want as a gift? And with exams just around the corner, have you decided on which secondary school you want to attend?"

"Just give me a little sibling or something."

Dinner passed in a relaxed and leisurely manner, filled with casual conversation.

Time flew by unnoticed, and soon enough, summer vacation arrived.

Carnie woke up early and began his morning workout routine. His body was his greatest asset—having a good physique would be useful in the future. While his appearance was fairly average and he had some freckles on his face, it wasn't a big deal. With his mother's genes, he was confident he wouldn't grow up ugly.

Just as he lay down to rest, he suddenly heard a knocking sound at the window. It came in a peculiar rhythm—three long knocks followed by two short ones. That immediately caught his attention.

"What the hell…? Ghosts, demons, whatever you are, leave me alone!" Carnie muttered as he turned his gaze toward the window.

What he saw made his hair stand on end.

A large black bird was perched outside, staring at him with lifeless, beady eyes. It was tapping on the glass like a woodpecker, its sharp beak rapping against the fragile windowpane.

On closer inspection, it was an owl. He had heard that owls were considered omens of misfortune. The eerie sight sent a chill down his spine.

"What's wrong with this bird?" he muttered, picking up a sock and tossing it at the window, hoping to scare it away.

But the owl didn't even flinch. It continued knocking, still following the same three-long-two-short rhythm.

Carnie felt uneasy. He got up and walked toward the window, waving his hands in an attempt to shoo it away. That was when he noticed that the owl had something tied to its leg—a letter.

A letter delivered by an owl? This felt strangely familiar…

Opening the window, the owl flapped its wings and swooped inside, landing directly on his desk. It balanced on one foot while the other, which carried the letter, was raised slightly and shook as if to say, Well? What are you waiting for? Take it already.

At least, that's what Carnie imagined.

He took the letter and immediately noticed the texture—it was made of parchment. The writing on it was in emerald-green ink.

To: Mr. Carnie Stran

Third Floor, 37 Condor Road

Layton District, London

There was no postage stamp on the envelope. Turning it over, he saw a wax seal stamped with a crest. At the center was a large, bold letter "H," surrounded by a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake.

Carnie's face remained calm, but inside, his mind was spiraling into pure madness.

HAHAHAHAHA!

Heaven never shuts all doors! His dream of becoming the strongest soldier had ended before it even began.

Because now, the greatest wizard of all time—Carnie Stran—was about to be born!

Judging by the timing, he would likely be starting school alongside the main character. It might not be the safest situation, but so what?

He was going to train in both magic and combat!

He would punch Grindelwald and kick Voldemort into the ground!