A Certain Magical Hogwarts

Overall, the magical world has some aspects that are shockingly outdated, while others are exceptionally convenient.

Take washing dishes, for example. Dishwashers are expensive and not always effective, but a simple Cleaning Charm can resolve such mundane chores effortlessly.

However, the one thing William couldn't stand was that wizards didn't use electricity. Forget about advanced appliances, wizards didn't even use basic electric lights.

At Hogwarts, rows of candles and oil lamps were the norm.

The ambiance was there, sure, but…

Wouldn't your eyes get tired after prolonged exposure to minimal light?

Thankfully, the village had Muggles, so "borrowing" electricity… ahem, tapping into the local power grid… was relatively easy!

Not that William knew how to do it himself; he was more likely to electrocute himself if he messed with high-voltage lines.

Luckily, Nicolas Flamel could help. His household had trained various types of house-elves, including a few who were skilled electricians.

The old man had a progressive mindset and loved Muggle conveniences. Without such hobbies, his long life would have been insufferably dull.

At his sprawling estate, he had even set up a few wind turbines for self-sufficient power generation.

Using magic to drive the turbines? Pure genius!

Clean, efficient, and convenient. William was incredibly envious and planned to set up a generator at his own home someday. For now, he had to rely on the national grid.

Magic and technology, as it turned out, were never inherently at odds. Combining the two only made life more comfortable.

Most wizards failed to recognize this, while Nicolas Flamel, who had lived over six centuries, had a clearer perspective.

The entire design of William's new house was handled by Nicolas's house-elves.

Though they had a penchant for grandeur, once suggesting they build a glass pyramid in front of William's little house, claiming it was inspired by the Louvre.

"Do I look like I need a Louvre here?!" William had protested.

Despite their tendency to go overboard with grandiose ideas, William was quite satisfied with the overall design and layout.

The basement was reserved for crafting magical items and brewing potions. The first floor was a living area, the second floor housed the bedrooms, and the third floor was a study crammed with books for William's daily learning.

The house also included a bathroom, wine cellar, food storage room, wardrobe, kitchen, and dining area.

Of course, there was a large fireplace already connected to the Floo Network.

The renovations had cost William quite a few Galleons. Fortunately, money wasn't a concern for him anymore, or this project might have been unaffordable.

The expansive balcony on the second floor overlooked the garden and sloping grasslands that stretched down to the river.

It was simply perfect.

As William gave Hermione and Annie a tour, the two girls started arguing again.

This time, it was over whose room was decorated better.

William paid them no mind. Downstairs, his new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles video game on the console was waiting for him to beat it.

Nintendo had poured so much money into developing that game; how could he not indulge?

It was undeniably delightful.

…

Chirp, chirp!

The morning brought the cheerful sounds of birds outside the window.

The alchemical cooling device kept the room at an ideal temperature.

This was William's latest invention, a magical item that functioned like air conditioning but without electricity or pollution.

Its core was a stone inscribed with ancient runes that channeled the Freezing Charm.

Of course, crafting it was far more complicated than describing it; it had taken William over two weeks to complete.

The device was now stocked in shops across Diagon Alley, priced at a modest 600 Galleons.

William's alchemical items were becoming quite popular in the wizarding market.

After all, his craft, honed through time loops and Nicolas Flamel's mentorship, had reached an impressive level.

When a wizard of his caliber wanted to make money, it was almost laughably easy.

A cool breeze parted the curtains, and sunlight streamed into the room.

Perhaps it was because he had stayed up late the previous night, but William didn't wake until well past nine.

The three of them had crammed onto the couch to watch horror films until one in the morning.

Hermione and Annie had eventually dozed off on the sofa, and William had carried them to their respective rooms.

As William prepared to roll over and catch a bit more sleep, an impatient voice broke the silence, followed by a wet tongue licking his cheek.

The sensation might have seemed romantic, but the rough texture of the tongue told William it was undoubtedly… Boba Tea.

Speaking of Boba Tea, the cat had terrible habits at school!

At night, it would sneak out to "hang out" with Mrs. Norris, and William often heard complaints from portraits about the cat disturbing their rest.

But during the summer at home, Boba Tea's schedule was impeccable.

It would go to bed at 9:00 p.m. and wake up at 6:20 a.m. sharp every day, completing its routine, bathroom, kneading, walking, before heading off to eat.

Now, clearly past breakfast time, the disgruntled feline had come to find its tardy servant.

Boba Tea wouldn't touch regular cat food, considering it the equivalent of humans surviving solely on flavorless meal replacement bars.

No matter how rich in nutrients they were, the taste wasn't something to write home about. 

Instead, William prepared fresh, lightly seasoned meals like poached fish or chicken breast.

Of course, Boba Tea had an entire cabinet stocked with pet snacks, with gourmet cat treats being its absolute favorite.

No wonder the cat was so chubby.

After freshening up, William prepared breakfast for Boba Tea before starting on a meal for Hermione and Annie.

The absence of a house-elf was keenly felt at that moment, and William decided to ask Nicolas for one.

Nicolas's household had the most house-elves outside of Hogwarts, with each specializing in a particular skill like, cooking, hairdressing, mechanics, plumbing, welding, even excavator operation.

The kitchen's mantlepiece held three shelves of cookbooks, including Magical Beasts in the Pot, The Magic of Roasting Gluten, and Conjure a Feast.

William, who had never used magic to cook before, decided to give it a try.

Soon, Hermione groggily wandered downstairs, still wearing pink pajamas, her hair a chaotic mess.

This wasn't an unusual sight for William. She had spent part of last summer at his house, where his mother, Liana, had doted on Hermione while finding Annie too naughty.

Hermione's parents, both busy professionals, were more than happy to let their daughter stay with Liana, a university professor who had summers off.

This time, Hermione's stay was ostensibly for "study sessions", though last night had been anything but studious.

Hermione scooped up Boba Tea, preventing it from eating further, and curled up on the sofa like a cat herself, watching William prepare breakfast with magic.

Boba Tea was deeply aggrieved, having only taken one bite.

Hermione stared at William in a daze.

She had seen her mother cook before, often standing by to watch without being able to help. Now, she found herself in the same situation.

It baffled her how this boy, her peer, could know so much.

Top grades, exceptional magical prowess, and now cooking?

Hermione had never imagined she'd be living in such close proximity to a boy, far from anyone else.

In a way, it felt wonderful, being somewhere distant, where no one knew them.

Wait… Was this cohabitation/living together?

Well, probably not—after all, Annie was here too.

And then there was the fat Boba Tea.

Hermione absentmindedly adjusted the cat's position, lost in thought.

After a moment, she snapped out of it and said eagerly, "How about I cook tomorrow?"

"Can you?" William asked.

"Not really," Hermione admitted, blushing, "I've only practiced a little with my mom."

"You're welcome to try. Here, you can use magic freely."

In wizarding households, the Ministry couldn't detect underage magic, it was up to parents to supervise. With so many wizards in the area, the Ministry couldn't monitor magic usage here at all.

That was one of the reasons William had moved to this location: no more Ministry warning letters.

William carefully plated six fried eggs onto three plates and turned to Hermione,"Go wash up. This morning, we're practicing Transfiguration according to the schedule.

"And wake Annie up while you're at it."

Hermione nodded enthusiastically but hesitated, "What if Annie doesn't get up?"

"Just add two thick blankets on top of her and turn off the cooling device. Once the bed gets too hot, she'll get up."

Hermione looked at William newfound respect.

With a flick of his wand, William levitated the plates to the dining table.

His happy co-living life was just beginning!

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