HP: I beat the otome game at Hogwarts

"System, shouldn't you beep and pop up a notification that the character is available for romance at this point?"

"The age gap between the two is too large, so it is not recommended to pursue this relationship."

Lyra couldn't help but secretly mock the system; clearly, Headmaster Dumbledore wasn't on the system's romanceable list. In fact, Lyra had already discovered that the system didn't encourage her to randomly choose her romance targets. However, if Lyra insisted on choosing someone outside the list, it wasn't impossible.

For example, her ex-boyfriend, Leslie Foley, was the sixth-year Slytherin prefect. He was a handsome boy with excellent grades and a good family background, and being a few years older than Lyra, he was especially good at being considerate and caring towards his girlfriend. Although they eventually broke up, Lyra had spent many happy times with him. But such an outstanding boy wasn't on the system's list. So, the system's selection criteria can be quite strange sometimes.

"Miss White, is there anything you'd like to add?"

Just as Lyra was joking about the system, Harry and Ron had finished their explanations, looking dejected. Seeing Lyra remain silent, Headmaster Dumbledore asked her what was wrong.

Leila looked up and met the blue eyes behind the half-moon lens opposite her.

“No, Principal. I’m sorry, we won’t do it again.” Leila quickly and sincerely apologized.

Seemingly sensing that Leila's words came from the heart, the headmaster nodded and said, not very sternly but seriously enough, "I will write to each of your families to inform them of what happened today. And I will give you a very serious warning that if you behave like this again, you will be expelled."

“Headmaster, these students not only disregarded the law prohibiting underage wizards from using magic, but also damaged the school’s precious Whomping Willow. The impact is extremely bad, and they should be expelled—” Professor Snape was still trying to pull the three toward expulsion.

“They are Gryffindor students, and Professor McGonagall should be in charge,” Dumbledore said calmly. “Let her decide the punishment.”

“I must return to the banquet; I have a few announcements to make. Come, Severus, I recommend you try the jam pudding we have tonight—it’s absolutely delicious.” Headmaster Dumbledore pulled Professor Snape away.

Professor McGonagall, still furious, didn't reprimand the three of them further. She simply told them to have dinner there and then go straight back to their dorms, saying the details of their confinement would be announced later. Then, she waved her hand, conjuring up a large plate of automatically refilling sandwiches and endless refills of chilled pumpkin juice, before hurriedly leaving.

Unbeknownst to Leila, while she and the two boys were sprawled in their chairs, devouring sandwiches, two professors on their way to the auditorium were talking about her.

“When did your Savior Boy become so fragile that even a Gryffindor girl approaching him would attract your special attention?” Snape’s lips curled into a sarcastic smile. “I must say, although Gryffindors are all brainless trolls, Lyra White is one of the smartest trolls.”

“No, Severus, you don’t understand. This child’s name appeared out of nowhere on the new student list,” Dumbledore said softly. “This has never happened before since the school was founded. Keep an eye on Miss White for me, and see if she gets close to Harry again.”

*

Percy held the Evening Prophet in his hand, his brow furrowed, his eyes fixed on today's headline about his family's car illegally flying in the sky.

Suddenly, a pair of hands descended from the sky and snatched the newspaper away.

"Hey, our little brother did something big!"

"Layla didn't even invite us!"

The twins clearly had different ideas from their prefectural leader, and both felt genuinely regretful for not being able to participate in the car adventure.

“Fred! George! This is illegal, it will cause trouble for Dad’s job at the Ministry of Magic—” Percy scolded his brother angrily, while trying to snatch his newspaper back. But the two had already run off into the crowd, whistling.

In the Gryffindor common room, the people who had been talking amongst themselves suddenly rushed toward the entrance—Harry, Ron, and Lyra had returned!

The portrait of the Fat Lady was opened, and three disheveled figures were pulled into the common room by the Gryffindor students—no one cared about their slovenly appearance, they were all cheering and praising.

"That's amazing! Driving a flying car to school, people will talk about it for years!"

"Well done! That's the Gryffindor style!"

The three were warmly welcomed by everyone, and were met with nothing but praise and envy.

Ron was flushed with excitement. Harry could see that he was both embarrassed and couldn't help but feel a little smug. But Harry noticed two people watching them with dark expressions—Percy and Hermione.

Few, if any, people like Percy and Hermione thought the three of them had done anything wrong. Everyone was excited about the wonderful and exciting way the school would start; Gryffindors have always loved adventure.

Harry quickly nudged Ron, and the two of them decided to leave the scene and escape back to their dorm—otherwise, they would definitely be caught and taught a lesson by the two stern-faced guys.

As Lyra, who was at the very back, climbed into the common room, Fred and George grabbed her by the shoulders. The two shouted in her ear, "Why didn't you call us?" Then the twins took the opportunity to ruffle Lyra's hair, which made Lyra angry, so she pounced on him to retaliate, and the three of them burst into laughter.

As Harry and Ron walked towards their dormitory, Harry looked back and saw the three of them laughing and joking intimately. The scene was no different from usual, a familiar and enviable daily occurrence—he wondered when he could also get along so easily and intimately with Lyra.

Harry sighed with a touch of melancholy as he and Ron remarked that their rare time alone together was over.

Ron: "Hey! Dude, am I not human?"

Both boys silently savored the joyful first half of their racing adventure, then felt a pang of shame as they thought about the trouble that was to come. But just then, the dormitory door burst open, and the cheers of their three second-year roommates interrupted their unease.

"That's so cool!" exclaimed three times.

Harry and Ron couldn't help but secretly grin.

Even after the boys were all lying on the big red four-poster bed, they were still discussing it enthusiastically.

“Hey guys, you’re really lucky!” Dean commented first.

"You're going on an adventure alone with the most beautiful girl in Gryffindor!" Seamus couldn't hide his envy. "Do you know how many boys in all of Hogwarts are jealous of you two today?"

“Seriously, Harry, you two better watch out tomorrow. I heard the Slytherin boys are planning to give you a piece of their mind…” Neville suggested worriedly.

Harry and Ron exchanged a glance upon hearing this. The two boys were a little worried, but they couldn't help feeling a bit smug.

After all, there's no better way to start school than this—driving to school in a high-speed car with the prettiest girl in the whole school.