The Boundless Journey

Quickly after getting a room, Max rushed upstairs. His room was on the second floor of the Leaky Cauldron, at the very end of the corridor.

Reaching the room was a challenging task. The hallway was dimly lit, with flickering lights that made it feel like something straight out of a horror movie. The complete silence and absence of people only added to the eerie atmosphere. Gathering all his courage, Max marched toward his room.

"Why are you so scared, Max?" Echo asked, tilting his head slightly.

"I'm terrible with scary places. I can't stand them. The first movie I ever watched was The Shining, and it turned out to be the worst experience of my life. I've been stuck with this trauma ever since."

Max dashed to his room, quickly unlocked the door, and slammed it shut behind him.

"Dude, calm down. Nothing is going to happen to you. And don't break the door—we don't even have money to spare right now," Echo said after being rushed into the unfamiliar room.

"I can't help it. Whenever I'm in a place like that, I get really scared. It always feels like someone is watching me."

Max took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. The room was simple—a bed pushed against the side wall with bedsheets that looked like they hadn't been washed in a while. A small study table sat in the corner, and a single weak light hung from the ceiling.

Without hesitation, Max walked to the bed and collapsed onto it. The dirty sheets didn't bother him; he had dealt with worse. Life had been tough in his previous world. Even though he lived in an orphanage, it was a small one with a tight budget, so comfort was never a given.

Echo hopped onto Max's chest, refusing to sleep on the grimy sheets.

"Today was a hectic day. I died, got reincarnated by a goddess, was sent to a different world, made a friend, and figured out what world this is. Honestly, it might have been the best day of my life so far," Max said, a big smile spreading across his face.

"I know, right? But this is just the beginning of your new life. We're going to have adventures like this every day. Not all of them will be fun, but we'll be together forever... And don't forget your goal—we need to return to your beloved, don't we?" Echo said with a soft smile.

Hearing this, Max's heart filled with determination. His true goal—the reason he wanted to get stronger—was to reunite with his one true love. He could still picture her smiling face as he reminisced about the short time they had spent together.

"I'm going to work my hardest to meet her again," he declared loudly.

The exhaustion of the day finally caught up with them, and both Max and Echo drifted into sleep.

---

Sunlight streamed through the window, hitting Max square in the face, pulling him from his sleep.

"Ughhh…" he groaned softly, shifting his body. The movement woke Echo up as well.

Max slowly opened his eyes, his memories from the previous day coming back—dying, receiving the artifact, meeting Harry Potter, and the crazy bus ride.

"Man, that was the best sleep I've had in a long time," Max said, stretching his arms.

"So, what's the plan now?" Echo asked.

"Well, based on the books and movies I remember from my past life, Harry should be exploring Diagon Alley today. In the next few days, his two best friends should show up. So, I think we should meet up with him and explore Diagon Alley too. If we're going to Hogwarts, we'll need supplies."

"You're forgetting something—we don't have any money," Echo reminded him.

Max's face fell. "Oh… right. I can't just keep relying on Harry. He was generous enough to give me some money to stay here. Maybe we can get a loan or something from Gringotts Wizarding Bank?"

"I mean… getting a loan might not be a great idea. We don't even have any identity proof. If they ask for records, we don't exist in this world. It's better to ask Harry for help. I know it feels wrong, but what other option do we have?" Echo said firmly.

Max hesitated. "I don't know… He helped us without even knowing who we were. I don't want to take advantage of his kindness."

"I get it, but we don't really have a choice. If we want to move forward in this world, we need to be where everything is happening. To get into Hogwarts, we need supplies—a wand, spellbooks, and other essentials. Right now, you're incredibly weak. You don't even know a single spell. If you want to protect yourself and others, you have to get stronger. I know this isn't the ideal situation, but it's the safest option for us," Echo explained.

"Wow… You really went through all of my memories about Harry Potter, huh? I'm impressed," Max said.

"Alright, no time to waste. Let's go to the canteen downstairs and look for Harry."

Grabbing the key and locking the door behind them, Max and Echo quickly left in search of food. They still had a few coins left after paying for the room, so they could afford a meal or two. Choosing the lowest-tier room meant they could stretch their stay and still afford to eat.

"I'm starving. We didn't eat anything yesterday—all we did was travel around on buses."

The canteen was sparsely filled, with a few customers sitting at different tables. But one particular table stood out—a boy wearing glasses sat alone, eating quietly. Max instantly recognized him.

Without hesitation, he rushed over.

"Hey, Harry!"

Harry turned to see who had called his name. When he saw Max, his expression softened, and he put down his food to greet him.

"Hey, Max! How was your stay?"

"It was awesome! I haven't slept that well in a long time. If you hadn't helped me, I'd probably be sleeping on the streets right now. Seriously, thank you, Harry."

"You don't have to thank me, Max. We're friends, and friends help each other when they're in trouble. Anyway, I was thinking of heading to Diagon Alley after breakfast to buy my school supplies. Want to come with me?"

"Of course! I'd love to!" Max's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Max, calm down. We were already planning to ask him. No need to act so surprised," Echo said dryly.

"I can't help it! It's my first time going somewhere with a friend!" Max beamed.

Harry smiled softly at Max's enthusiasm before returning to his meal. Meanwhile, Max went to get his breakfast, eager for the adventure ahead.