Shadow Monarch in Hogwarts ( Harry Potter & Solo Leveling).

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The Great Common Hall was alive with the steady hum of hundreds of voices. It was a recent innovation at Hogwarts—a single enormous space where students from all four houses could mingle freely. The idea had come from Headmistress McGonagall herself, who felt it might lessen house rivalries, though not everyone was convinced.

The hall was breathtaking. Massive stained-glass windows stretched almost from floor to ceiling, depicting scenes of magical creatures, famous witches and wizards, and the four house founders. Sunlight streamed through them in brilliant shafts of gold and jewel-toned hues, splashing the stone floor with shifting patterns of crimson, emerald, sapphire, and amber.

Floating candles bobbed overhead, their tiny flames flickering gently, casting warm light over the sea of students. The scent of roasted meats, cinnamon pastries, and fresh bread hung thick in the air. House banners rippled high above, and the enormous Hogwarts crest gleamed on the center wall, dominating the space with its lion, badger, eagle, and serpent intertwined.

Long rows of tables were laden with platters of food. There were golden stacks of toast, steaming sausages, bowls of porridge studded with raisins, dishes of eggs, and mountains of sliced fruit. Pitchers of pumpkin juice glided through the air, stopping to refill goblets at the faintest hint of a student's empty glass.

At a table slightly closer to the windows, Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat together. Well—Harry and Ron sat. Hermione was half-standing, her palms planted on the table's edge, leaning forward as she ranted.

Her cheeks were bright pink, and her hair, usually pinned back in neat plaits, was escaping in frizzy tendrils. She had a wild gleam in her eyes, and a faint flush on her neck crept up toward her ears. Crumbs speckled her jumper where she'd been furiously breaking bits off her toast.

Harry watched her warily, one hand still holding his fork in midair, while Ron shot her the kind of look one reserved for particularly unstable magical creatures.

Hermione was speaking so quickly her words tumbled over one another.

> "I mean, honestly, who does Adam think he is? He walks around with that smug little grin, tossing his hair like he's some star from the Prophet's front page. And he's always there, lurking about, acting like he's got secrets only he knows, dropping hints that he's figured out some grand truth nobody else has!"

She snatched up her goblet, sloshed pumpkin juice over the rim, and slammed it back down.

> "And then, the way he talks to me—as though I'm some clueless child who's never picked up a book in her life! Me! He actually said—he actually said— 'Maybe knowledge isn't only in your books that you read.'"

She imitated Adam's voice in a low, mocking tone, scrunching up her face dramatically.

> "As if I don't know that knowledge comes from experience too! I've fought Death Eaters, I've been Petrified, I've brewed Polyjuice Potion at twelve years old— I think I have a pretty good grasp on the concept that books aren't the only way to learn things!"

Her hands were gesturing wildly now, slicing the air.

> "But no, of course not! Because Adam apparently knows everything. And he's always got that look—like he's amused at me. Like he's humoring me when I talk. It's insufferable! And the way he calls me 'Miss Granger,' as if he's my bloody professor—"

Several first-years seated nearby leaned in, wide-eyed, hanging on her every word.

> "And another thing—he acts as though he's so mysterious and profound, but he never actually says anything of substance! He just drops these cryptic little comments, and then he smirks and walks away, leaving me there like an idiot! Oh, he's so—so infuriating!"

Hermione punctuated her rant by driving her butter knife into a slice of toast so hard the toast cracked in half, crumbs flying across Harry's plate.

Ron leaned over toward Harry, lowering his voice to a whisper.

> "Shall we talk to her? Because she looks a bit… er… crazy like that."

Harry blinked and gave the tiniest of nods.

> "Yeah… yeah. Absolutely."

Meanwhile, Hermione barreled on, as though neither of them existed.

> "And he always manages to appear right when I'm busy or flustered, as though he's lurking around corners waiting for the perfect moment to make me look like a fool. I swear he enjoys getting under my skin. Ugh! I'd rather duel a Hungarian Horntail than have another conversation with him!"

At precisely the same moment, Harry and Ron cleared their throats:

> "Ahem…"

Hermione whipped around to face them, curls bouncing, eyes blazing like hot coals.

> "WHAT?!"

Ron flinched, sliding a few inches away along the bench.

> "I think… you're a bit loud…"

Hermione stared, nostrils flaring.

> "Are you telling me to shut up?!"

Ron's ears turned scarlet, and he raised his hands as though to ward off a spell.

> "No! Merlin, no. Just… you're… you're getting people's attention. And I thought… well… you don't usually like that."

Hermione blinked, chest rising and falling rapidly. Her gaze darted around the Great Common Hall. Sure enough, a good half-dozen tables were turned her way, students staring or whispering behind their hands. A few Slytherins wore identical smirks. A Ravenclaw girl gave her a tiny thumbs-up of solidarity.

Hermione pressed her lips into a thin line. She huffed out a sharp breath and turned back to face Harry and Ron, folding her arms.

> "Fine. He's just annoying and stupid."

And she sat down abruptly, scowling into her plate as if daring her scrambled eggs to challenge her opinion.

Harry and Ron exchanged a silent look over her head, their eyes saying the same thing: Let's never mention Adam again.

---

Hermione sat glowering into her plate, arms crossed, still muttering Adam's name under her breath like a curse. For a moment, the table fell into an uneasy silence.

Harry shifted on the bench, running a hand through his perpetually messy hair. He glanced at Hermione, then at Ron, his green eyes thoughtful and troubled.

He cleared his throat again, softer this time.

> "Guys… I've been thinking."

Hermione flicked her eyes up, still tense but willing to listen. Ron was in the middle of spearing a sausage but froze, fork poised.

> "I always think that he's near," Harry said, his voice low.

Ron frowned, brow furrowing.

> "Who? … You mean—"

Hermione cut across him sharply.

> "Shut it, Ron. Let him finish."

Harry gave them both a weak, almost apologetic smile. He glanced over his shoulder, as though to check no one else was listening, then leaned closer.

Hermione's lips parted as if she wanted to speak, but Harry pressed on, voice growing more intense.

> "I have this feeling… that each day, it's getting closer. Like it's… coming for us. And if we keep pretending it's not happening— if we wait for someone else to deal with it— then we're going to get caught completely off guard."

He exhaled, pushing his plate slightly away as though he'd lost his appetite.

> "I think… we should do something about it."

The words hung between them, heavy as the enchanted ceiling above.

Hermione lowered her arms slowly, her frown deepening, the fire in her eyes shifting from rage at Adam to fear and determination. Ron blinked several times, chewing his lip as though trying to process the shift from breakfast gossip to the darker undercurrents of their lives.

For a long moment, none of them spoke. They simply sat there, shoulders drawn closer together, each one feeling the same unspoken truth: that the world outside the castle walls was closing in faster than anyone wanted to admit.

Harry stared at them both, and finally, Hermione met his gaze. Ron did too. The three of them locked eyes over the plates and goblets, a silent agreement forming in the flickering candlelight.

Whatever was coming, they would face it together.

---

– Adam's Awakening

Somewhere far from the laughter and chatter of the Great Common Hall, hidden beneath the echo of footsteps and away from any student's gaze, Adam stood alone in the shadows of a forgotten corridor. Cold stones pressed against his back, and the flickering torchlight cast long shapes that danced across the ancient walls.

He exhaled slowly.

For hours, something had been stirring in his mind. A whisper in the back of his skull. A calling. And now, it was here.

With a steady breath, he whispered into the void, "I accept."

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then—

A sharp chime echoed not in his ears, but inside his head, like a divine bell tolling from the heavens. The very air around him seemed to grow still, as if the world itself were pausing to witness what came next.

A screen appeared before him—transparent, hovering midair, glowing softly with an ethereal blue light. Runes lined its borders, shifting and ancient, unreadable yet somehow familiar. And at the center, bold text emerged, letter by letter.

---

[ Welcome, Adam. ]

[ I am the System — the Judgement of God, as promised to you. ]

---

His breath caught.

Something about those words—Judgement of God—resonated deep in his soul, like a truth he had always known was waiting for him. He could feel it. This system, whatever it was… it knew him.

Not just his name.

Not just his thoughts.

But his sins, his regrets, his anger. His potential.

> It knows me.

Like it's been watching me my entire life.

The screen shifted again, unfolding like a scroll, revealing more information in glowing letters:

---

[ This system is a divine hybrid of Shadow Sovereignty and Arcane Mastery — tailored for your body, soul, and purpose. ]

[ You have been chosen to walk the path of two disciplines: ]

– The Monarch of the Unseen.

– The Arcanist of Forbidden Will.

[ Every action you take will be judged. Every step you walk will be tested. You will grow, or you will fall. ]

---

Another line appeared in blood-red text:

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⚠ WARNING: SYSTEM TUTORIAL INITIATED ⚠

[ Please read carefully. This is not a game. This is your fate. ]

---

Adam leaned forward, eyes narrowed, his chest tightening.

---

DAILY QUESTS (24 hours):

– Randomized tasks assigned each dawn.

– Categories: Physical | Mental | Observation | Intelligence | Magic

– Completion rewards: Stats, Skills, & [ Unknown ] Gifts

– Failure consequence: [Punishment Varies by Severity]

SPECIAL QUESTS (48 hours):

– Triggered by actions, choices, or conditions

– Rare and unpredictable

– Higher rewards. Greater danger.

TRIAL QUESTS: [ LOCKED ]

– Purpose: Unknown

– Conditions: Unknown

– Warnings: Extreme consequence upon failure

---

[ Current Level: 1 ]

[ Experience: 0 / 100 ]

[ Title: None ]

[ Mana Core: Inert ]

[ Shadow Authority: Sealed ]

---

Adam's heart thumped.

He wasn't frightened.

He was alive.

There was a fire building in his chest — not fear, but awakening.

And then the final message of the tutorial blinked into existence:

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[ Your first Daily Quest has been assigned. ]

[ Quest: Embers of Awakening ]

Objective:

– Complete a physical, mental, and magical test within 24 hours

→ Run 3 km within the castle walls (Physical)

→ Memorize and perfectly recite 2 advanced incantations from your year (Mental)

→ Successfully perform Lumos Maxima and sustain it for 10 full seconds (Magic)

Rewards (upon success):

– +2 to Physical Attribute

– +1 to Intelligence

– +1 to Magic

– [ Random Item Chest: Tier F ]

Failure Penalty:

– Fatigue status effect for 48 hours

– -10% experience gain for next 24 hours

– Pain Simulation: [Moderate Level]

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The screen flashed once more:

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[ Countdown to Quest Deadline: 24:00:00 ]

Let the Judgment Begin.

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Adam stood there, the glowing text reflected in his eyes.

No fear.

No hesitation.

He clenched his fist slowly, something ancient stirring inside of him.

> So… this is how it begins.

A system shaped by shadow and sorcery… and by divine judgment.

Good.

Let it watch. Let it test me. I'll surpass everything it throws at me. I'll become more than what they think I am.

The screen faded slowly, its final glow lingering in the air like the embers of a dying star.

Adam turned away from the wall and stepped back into the darkness—quiet, steady, and aware that nothing in his life would ever be the same again.

---

[ End of Chapter].

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If you want to read more about my works or just to support me then here is my patreon:

"https://www.patreon.com/c/Doflamingo4