klisemfg Chapter 115, Section 114: He will kill us! An unexpected consequence!
Chapter 115, Section 114: He will kill us! An unexpected consequence!
Chapter 115, Section 114: He will kill us! An unexpected consequence!
The weather during the rainy season is always unpredictable.
Although Ian spent half a day in the dreamlike illusion, and time in the human world didn't advance much, it was already pouring rain outside when he returned to the Ravenclaw common room.
Thunder and lightning lashed the sky, weaving a web of light and shadow. Each flash of lightning ripped through the night like the gaping maw of an angry beast roaring furiously. Huge raindrops, like angry pebbles, pounded against the ancient windows of Hogwarts, making a resounding pattering sound.
The rain is like a curtain.
Streams of water seemed to gather on the glass, slowly sliding down the ancient panes, leaving winding trails that outlined a series of flowing paintings. They blurred the world outside the window, making the scenery hazy and distant—the flames burning in the fireplace seemed to join in this symphony of the night.
"I hope it keeps raining tomorrow so I don't have to go to my flight lesson." Ian was wide awake after returning home. Like a student praying for a power outage before evening study, he leaned against the window, where a chill was seeping in, and stared at the scene outside where lightning flashed between the wind and rain.
"Midon~ Midon~"
This wasn't a noise coming from outside the window, but rather the sound of Ian constantly fiddling with several dark stones in his hands. After Rowena Ravenclaw had given him a stone from near the volcano, he stuffed his robe pockets bulging out of worry about damage when replicating the Resurrection Stone.
Since these are all things that can be found everywhere near the volcano, even if you bring back several more truckloads, it won't affect the local ecosystem. The fact that Ian didn't immediately fill his money pouch with expansion charms already shows that he has some confidence in his alchemy. After all, he only needs a few more days to advance this subject to level five.
To be honest, alchemy, as an extremely complex discipline encompassing many fields, progresses much, much slower than most forms of magic. Ian's current rate of improvement is already quite rapid, largely thanks to the Hufflepuff's Golden House, which allowed him to study there.
"By anchoring to a specific target, one can cleverly use an incomplete Patronus Charm—what the Ravenclaw ancestors meant was that before my magic attempts to condense a projection of the Mystic Realm, I can first condense a soul within the Mystic Realm, so that I don't have to cast the full Patronus Charm and bear the burden of the entire Mystic Realm."
Ian stood by the window, lost in thought. He took out a stone from the hazy illusion and pulled out his wand, which had returned to his body, to try to change its shape.
Poké Ball?
It's not like we're going to a dream world to catch Pokémon.
Guanyin's golden headband?
He didn't want to catch a monkey to be his guardian spirit.
"I remember that Pandro still owes Professor Morgan the soul of a dragon—" Ian turned the stone into the shape of a golden hoop, which didn't look like it could be fitted onto the giant's horn at all.
"Dragons are pretty cool, but for the Patronus Charm, the larger the Patronus, the more limited its practicality. I remember Grindelwald was quite dismissive of dragon Patronus."
"Our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher's disdain is clearly not without reason." Ian stared at the black stone floating in mid-air, using his wand to manipulate the stone in front of him, causing it to change shape again.
The stone returned to its original state.
This clearly means Ian hasn't figured out how to use them yet.
"I wonder if choosing someone to be a guardian deity is a feasible solution? If so,..."
The best option, of course, is to pray that Morgan would step in and support me.
"Moreover, since my guardian deity is a region of the illusion itself, the soul that my mutated guardian deity spell can anchor is obviously not limited to just one."
"Flowers and grasses, orioles and swallows, in the moment when I was overwhelmed, I saw many creatures in the hazy illusion. This is obviously the special feature of my guardian spell."
D，
"If I anchor multiple souls at the same time, I suppose I can also allow multiple souls to enter the human world in the form of guardian deities? Ha, isn't this a way of exploiting loopholes that is comparable to the original effect of the Resurrection Stone?"
"The Grim Reaper that Ravenclaw's ancestors spoke of must be furious with me." Ian took out the original Resurrection Stone ring again, which no longer had Tom's fragmented soul attached to it.
Whether it was Ravenclaw's doing or an effect of their journey through the ethereal realm where magic was forbidden, the evil curse Tom had cast on the ring was now completely gone. Of course, even so, Ian still dared not wear the ring on his hand.
Based on Ravenclaw's repeated reminders, using the Deathly Hallows would force one to sign a contract with Death, and Death, as the embodiment of some kind of rule, doesn't sound like a benevolent god.
"Who knows if he's petty and will retaliate against me if he finds out I've exploited loopholes in the rules of two worlds." Ian's rare caution was very evident at this moment.
This is probably largely thanks to some movies he watched in his previous life.
Ordinary everyday objects and scenes can instantly become deadly weapons; the stairs at Hogwarts might suddenly malfunction and collapse; simple magic might inexplicably trigger a nuclear explosion on the spot.
These are all things that are currently surfacing in Ian's mind, things that Death might be up to.
Better safe than sorry. He didn't want to encounter all sorts of accidents while traveling, with a bunch of fatal incidents happening one after another like dominoes.
"Judging from the tone of the Ravenclaw ancestors, there is also war between the gods in the world of the dead. As long as I don't do anything stupid, the Grim Reaper will definitely not have time to bother with me."
"I've found a solution to the Guardian Charm. The real challenge lies in finding the alchemical formula on the Resurrection Stone that can anchor a specific soul." Ian fiddled with the Resurrection Stone ring in his hand again and began to reshape the Illusionary Black Stone he had brought back, referring to the Resurrection Stone on it.
All I saw was...
With a wave of his wand, an invisible force, like a pair of giant hands, caused the seemingly indestructible stones in front of him to reveal an unprecedented fragility under the touch of magic.
Stones the size of a little finger were "plucked" off, and then, under the influence of magic, their shapes were corrected, becoming individuals that looked almost exactly like the Resurrection Stone.
Faint lines gradually appeared on the surface of the stone. These lines seemed to be given life, slowly moving and intertwining, and finally settling into an ancient and mysterious pattern—the very symbol of the Resurrection Stone.
"Clang~"
With a slight pang of regret, Ian used his other hand to toss several Galleons like marbles. As they flew through the air, they transformed into a flowing form according to Ian's will, eventually enveloping the modified stones and solidifying into "Resurrection Stone" rings.
of course.
These are all just pretty rings, crafts without any magical power added. Ian's idea was that if he couldn't successfully extract the alchemy formula he needed, he would try to replicate all the details on the Resurrection Stone one-to-one, creating a batch of completely counterfeit "Resurrection Stone Rings".
This might also allow him to obtain the "anchor" he desires?
"Anyway, this kind of knock-off is definitely no longer the Grim Reaper's thing. I just don't know if the creation I made still has the power and attributes that the Resurrection Stone should have."
Ian, of course, knew that this was a far-fetched plan.
Just like Nuwa creating humans, Nuwa could mold clay into human beings with her own son, while if someone else used a whip to whip the clay, at most they could only produce a bunch of strange clay sculptures.
Similarly, the alchemical inscriptions on the Resurrection Stone may only be imbued with power by the Grim Reaper.
If that's the case, even if Ian deciphers the secrets, he probably won't be able to use them for his own purposes.
"Lady Ravenclaw has given me a big problem—no matter what, I have to try every possible method, not just for the Patronus Charm, but also for my alchemy." Ian watched as the completed rings fell into his hand. The seven rings, identical to the Resurrection Stone rings, also had a mysterious luster.
She felt that besides seeking Morgan's permission, Ariana could also be anchored to her own destiny. After all, Ariana died young, and if the poor girl was willing to return to the human world, it would be a good deed for Ian, making up for Ariana's unfortunate passing and letting her see this bustling world again.
"If Ariana is the Patronus, she's actually quite strong, perhaps even stronger than Morgan in some ways. Summoning Ariana is almost equivalent to summoning Dumbledore, who has magic." Ian felt that with Ariana's help, he would definitely be able to get Dumbledore to use Hephaestus to pave the way for him to boil water for washing his feet.
What a wonderful experience that must be!
"To actually try to bully an old man, Aurora was right, I was too wicked!" Ian seemed to be discovering this obvious thing for the first time.
He put the seven counterfeit Resurrection Stone rings, along with the genuine ring, into his purse, then took out Slytherin's locket to study its alchemical structure and craftsmanship. After all, it was an artifact created by Salazar Slytherin to work with the Resurrection Stone, and it must contain some knowledge about "anchoring."
"This is the kind of structure and alchemy that humans can understand!" Ian carefully lifted the surface of the locket.
Sure enough, the gold-plating brush hidden among the textures was discovered below.
They used ancient alchemical techniques, but Ian majored in ancient alchemy, and he wanted to try to figure out if he could research what he needed on his own.
If possible.
Why bother with the resurrection stone that's just a bunch of random scribbles?
"Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock~"
Time passed second by second.
In the warm lounge, Ian even took out a fragment of Morgan Witch's dress and studied it, referring to the knowledge on it. He was working on his research late into the night at the table in front of the fireplace.
outside the window.
The frigid temperature has dropped below zero.
The torrential rain continues.
Lightning flashed like sharp silver swords, slicing through the dark clouds time and again, occasionally illuminating the world as if it were daytime. In those brief moments of light, the outline of the Forbidden Forest appeared and disappeared in the rain and mist, like a sleeping behemoth crouching slightly, or as if countless hidden eyes were spying on the tranquility of Hogwarts.
At this time when most people are fast asleep.
Every time lightning rips through the night sky, illuminating Hogwarts, it also illuminates certain unknown corners deep within the Forbidden Forest, revealing secrets hidden by ancient trees.
"They've disappeared, just like last time. I've lost contact with two Horcruxes again."
The sound of rain was mixed with a low rumble.
A dark spirit, attached to the living, roared angrily in the torrential rain. It gazed venomously at the distant castle, its deep, hateful voice echoing through the forbidden forest washed by the storm.
"Dumbledore! Are you trying to force me?!"
Holy blood.
It flows into its mouth.
"Then so be it! Let's start the war!"
The dying soul seemed to have made some kind of decision.
The sun rises in the east.
Just as Ian had hoped, the torrential rain continued all night and into the morning of the next day, forcing countless young wizards who longed to fly to be taught the theory of indoor flight lessons.
As everyone began to wake up, Ian saw many dejected young wizards, their interest in controlling their flying broomsticks almost equivalent to the Muggle students' eagerness for physical education class. Of course, perhaps for the older Muggle students, the young wizards' interest should be compared to computer class.
The rain wasn't just pattering against the eaves and windows; it was also pattering against the hearts of the little wizards who longed to spin and twirl in the sky. Ian was probably the only exception who was overjoyed by it.
"Oh my god! This damn weather! It's really not giving us any face!" Of course, on the surface, Ian still very tactfully blended in with the complaining group of young wizards.
To this day, no one has discovered that it was he who taught the Bronze Eagle Head those complex questions, all thanks to Ian's exceptional acting skills, which allowed him to remain hidden among the masses.
The burden of hunting down that "evil instigator" was even entrusted to their little professor by the young wizards, which shows just how successfully Ian integrated into the community.
This may eventually become an unsolved mystery, an indelible stain on Ian's personal abilities during his student life. He even planned to bring it up in his autobiography to regret it, to expose the fact that there was a freak hidden in the school that he couldn't find even with his abilities.
"Why doesn't Mrs. Hodge teach us how to fly in a downpour? I think that would be much more practical knowledge," a young Ravenclaw wizard said, warming himself by the fireplace early in the morning.
Although everyone sealed the doors and windows at night and stuffed the twins' wicked "portable heaters" into the blankets, those little gadgets could only provide a little bit of heat.
It couldn't solve the problem of the little wizards having cold hands and feet after waking up.
"I think they're afraid we'll get struck by lightning, that would be a death sentence." William was different from the others; when he walked out of the dormitory, his face even had a rosy glow.
Even in a blizzard, this guy probably wouldn't feel cold at night, since William is the only one in the whole school who would use Ian's unsold heated pants as an electric blanket.
His rosy complexion was because he had put a blanket over his head while he was sleeping; it was comfortable and warm.
In his words, it can also prevent drooling from leaking out at night.
"All we need to do is fly faster than lightning, right?" The Chocolate Frog Boy was munching on a Chocolate Frog. He had already contributed dozens of Chocolate Frog sets to Ian.
God knows how many more boxes this guy can pull out of his dorm room.
"You're such an idiot." Michael swallowed hard, his tone slightly critical. "How could we wizards possibly fly faster than lightning? Haven't you ever been asked about the speed of lightning by the door knocker? Even the fastest flying broomstick in the world can't reach that speed!"
"If you ask me, if we're flying in the wild during a downpour, we should stick a lightning rod—a Muggle invention—on our heads," Mack confidently offered his flying advice.
Ian, who was still pondering the Resurrection Stone, couldn't help but turn around and glance at this true Death God of Hogwarts. Surprisingly, several children from pure-blood families nodded thoughtfully!
"I don't think lightning rods are used like that." Fortunately, a young wizard from a Muggle family stood up to refute this, which made Ian turn his gaze away from Michael.
He was tidying up the books he had found on the common room bookshelf last night. Not many of them were useful, and he didn't even quite understand the alchemical inscription on the Slytherin locket.
Unlike the sharing-oriented Hufflepuffs and the teaching-savvy Ravenclaws, Ian only saw profound and flashy techniques in Slytherin's creations.
"Huh? Aren't lightning rods for avoiding lightning?" Michael clearly didn't know much about the Muggle world, which was actually a common problem for most people from wizarding families.
This could be considered an effect of the wizarding world's isolationist policies. If the bronze door knocker hadn't started asking some physics and mathematics questions, they might not even know that lightning travels at hundreds of thousands of meters per second.
"Of course, my dad is an architect. He only installs lightning rods on the roofs of tall buildings." The Muggle-born child demonstrated his authoritative background.
Then.
He then offered his suggestion, "So, following my father's method, we should attach a lightning rod to our flying brooms."
"Look, the spot on the back of this butt is perfect for installing a lightning rod." This first-year wizard even drew a diagram for the other wizards in front of everyone.
His drawing skills were quite good, no wonder he was a descendant of engineers. However, the things he explained were quite different. Before Ian could even step forward, Cho Chang curiously approached and asked with some doubt.
"Why can't you avoid riding flying brooms in torrential rain? We wizards can apparite; there's absolutely no need for us to travel on flying brooms in that kind of weather!"
Her doubts are quite valid.
However, the young wizards unanimously shook their heads in disapproval.
"You don't understand, this is faith."
The group continued to discuss with great enthusiasm how to modify the flying broom, their enthusiasm completely incomprehensible to Cho Chang, and equally difficult for the other little witches to understand.
"I invented a lightning-absorbing ball that can be thrown away when lightning strikes." Even senior male wizards joined the discussion.
This person was the Ravenclaw Quidditch captain, who was already in the sixth year of school. When he pulled out a bunch of black balls, it immediately drew gasps and exclamations of admiration from the other young wizards.
The young man, who was almost an adult, was overjoyed. He said it was all thanks to the alchemy professor's help, but his grin couldn't hide his inner pride.
"These childish kids!"
Ian, Cho Chang, and several other young wizards went to the Great Hall for breakfast together.
"Do you think it would sell if a lightning rod could be invented that could charge a broom and make it accelerate explosively?" Ian's sudden, imaginative idea left Qiu Zhang speechless.
"I think you should ask those people from earlier?" The little witch from Ravenclaw noticed that the boy next to her seemed to keep reaching out to grab the little girl's swaying braid.
She really couldn't bear to stay.
Perhaps the group discussing flying broomsticks is more mature?
"Daphne!"
Ian spotted an old acquaintance in front of the auditorium and immediately abandoned his good friend Cho Chang to run over. Daphne Greengrass, who had her back to them, trembled at the mere sound of Ian's voice.
I want to run away.
But Ian stopped him right in the act.
"I've already praised you to my classmates three times today! Don't come looking for trouble again!" Daphne Greengrass said in the toughest voice, but with the most submissive tone.
"When have I ever not been the one being harassed by your people? Have you ever seen a little wizard who walks on thin ice more than me?" Ian felt that the Slytherin witch in front of him must have a prejudice against him.
Daphne Greengrass was speechless for a moment. "My family has already taught me a lesson, and I've given you my advice. Isn't that enough to satisfy you?"
She grabbed her friend who was trying to escape, as if afraid that Ian would use the "disappearance spell" on her. That spell Ian cast had completely terrified her and many other survivors.
"I just want the compensation I deserve. Dumbledore said your family has agreed, but it's been so many days and I still haven't seen any solace for my emotional trauma!" Ian had been thinking about the compensation from the pure-blood families, but he didn't want to keep urging Dumbledore every few days.
"I—I don't know—"
Daphne Greengrass wanted to say that she was the one who was hurt, but she didn't have the courage. She was still worried that Ian would tell on her what happened on the boat.
This guy is not only powerful, but he also has Snape and Dumbledore backing him up. If she had known it would be like this, she would rather offend Aurora, who has autism, than offend this guy.
The three characters are "mud seed".
It seems to have become a lifelong psychological shadow for Daphne Greengrass.
"This is all I have."
Looking at the little wizard who was even shorter than her and had only recently started growing rapidly, Daphne Greengrass tremblingly pulled out her exquisite purse.
She made Ian feel like a robber.
"I'm not the kind of guy who likes to bully girls—"—Is this all the pocket money your family gives you?" Ian didn't open the purse, but he could tell just by weighing it in his hand.
Galleon, Silver Sikor, and Bronze Nat not only differ in weight, but also in the sound they make when they collide. Well, I can understand this entirely because Ian is an excellent alchemist.
I'm not a money-grubber.
"Miss Grindelwald is selling relics from the Slytherin ancestors; I bought quite a few." Daphne
Greengrass not only answered Ian's questions honestly, but she also quickly pulled out a whole bunch of things to prove herself, as if she was afraid that Ian would think she was lying and send her to the stake.
All I saw was...
Daphne Greengrass was holding a bunch of random things: a map that Ian recognized, a locket that Ian didn't recognize, a quill pen... and even an earring.
Looking at a pile of alchemical creations.
Ian couldn't help but widen his eyes.
He thought he was the only one at Hogwarts who could apply what he learned to other situations, but he didn't expect Aurora to be able to apply what she learned to other situations as well—"Twenty-six? No wonder Daphne Greengrass's purse was empty!"
Aurora is a genius at putting what she learns to practical use. After learning a marketing technique from Ian, she has secretly come up with all sorts of amazing tricks at Slytherin House!
This German girl is really learning! No kidding! She's surpassed her teacher! Look at Aurora's results! And look at her own unsold hot pants!
"Cunning! So cunning!"
Ian's amazement was genuine.
Daphne Greengrass and her best friend were clearly confused, but that didn't stop Daphne Greengrass from trying to give everything to Ian in exchange for his forgiveness.
"I already told you I'm not the kind of person who likes to bully girls." Ian stuffed a bunch of counterfeit goods and money bags back into Daphne Greengrass's hands.
Seeing the somewhat bewildered little witch, Ian earnestly advised, "Remember to write to your family and urge them to improve their efficiency."
"And your home too."
Ian also looked at the little witch who was being held back by Daphne Greengrass. He remembered when he was with Daphne...
This person was also trembling with fear along with Greengrass.
"Okay—okay."
The Slytherin witch, who was being stared at by Ian, immediately nodded like a chick pecking at rice. Daphne Greengrass's expression was somewhat relieved, but still carried a complicated look.
This guy in front of me isn't someone who doesn't bully girls; he clearly bullies the younger ones and then uses Dumbledore's influence to bully the older ones. Her family is almost driven crazy by Dumbledore's threats!
"Don't waste money. Your families didn't give you much money anyway." Ian offered a few words of advice as he ran into the auditorium. It wasn't to show how much he cared about his classmates; he just hoped that if he managed to get some of Merlin's belongings in a few days, these rich pure-blood family scions would still have the purchasing power.
Aurora made way too much money!
Ian felt it was time for him to earn some money too!
"Did he really let us go?"
The two Slytherin girls watched as Ian sat down at the table in the Great Hall and began to eat. Neither of them dared to step inside, and the other pure-blood girl was somewhat apprehensive.
"I don't know either—maybe? Gesha Selwyn, could you please stop shaking!"
1
Daphne Greengrass was trying to figure out if there were any veiled hints in Ian's earlier remarks.
As descendants of pure-blooded families, they enjoy pondering these kinds of things.
"Weren't you trembling too?! I almost thought he was going to kill us right then and there!" Gesha Selwyn, a pureblood girl who was even a year older than Ian and Daphne, looked terrified.
"This is outside the auditorium, and there are so many professors inside. He wouldn't dare—wouldn't he?" Daphne...
Greengrass's tone even carried a hint of uncertainty.
Gesha Selwyn, however, was quite certain: "I think the professors will bury us for him and cast a forgetting spell on all the witnesses!"
"Our parents will only hear that we broke the rules and went into the Forbidden Forest, then were captured and cooked by the centaurs! Don't forget what happened to Averson Carroll!"
"You must still remember the night of the Fire Serpent, right? There were so many of us in the auditorium all together back then."
"After Averison Caro went out, he was the only one who disappeared!" Gesha Selwyn's voice was very excited.
She was very emotional, but she still knew to keep her voice down when she said these things.
To avoid being overheard by Ian in the auditorium, the two girls had already moved away from the auditorium and, hungry, sat down on the windowsill outside where the rain was pouring down.
This was likely to alleviate the trembling in their legs. It's no wonder the two girls reacted this way to Ian.
The very thing they were discussing was the biggest reason for their fear of Ian.
It wasn't just because Ian defeated a senior, excellent wizard.
"The school told us that Avarison Carroll dropped out due to family matters, but we know, we know that Avarison Carroll simply vanished from Hogwarts!"
"His family doesn't even dare to talk about it, nor do they dare to seek justice for their children. I bet Dumbledore covered up that evil Ravenclaw's crimes!"
"He must have killed Averson Caro! Just because Averson Caro cursed at him a few times in the lounge!" Gessa Selwyn seemed very convinced of her deduction.
Daphne Greengrass remained silent, but her increasingly uneasy expression made it clear that she also believed in Gesha Selwyn's claim.
Dumbledore was willing to threaten several pure-blood families for the sake of a child, and even use Gringotts to establish his authority.
How could she not believe that Dumbledore would cover up Ian's murder?
"He's definitely not from the Prince family! He must be another Dumbledore!" Gesar Selwyn declared with certainty, feeling that only this explanation could make sense of many things. Exceptionally talented, yet burdened with numerous misdeeds, and not yet considered a potential dark wizard—is this a normal progression at Hogwarts?
The principal at the time saw that guy cast the Killing Curse!
The results of it?
The next day, that guy was still jumping around at school! What is this if not blatant cover-up! The death of Averson Caro, and the Gringotts heist.
There are already rumors of panic spreading among Slytherin members.
"He should indeed be a descendant of the Prince family. Don't tell anyone else. I overheard Snape swearing, and he might also have Dumbledore family blood." This was the part that Daphne Greengrass found most painful. If Ian had just laid it all out to her like this on the boat, she wouldn't have made sarcastic remarks.
She was so eager to curry favor with him that she couldn't even keep up!
And then there's Grindelwald—those two were absolutely ridiculous. Neither of them warned her, they just watched her play the clown, and then after she was done playing the clown, she had to lie on a hard bed in the school infirmary for several days!
"My damn mouth!"
Daphne Greengrass had lost count of how many times she'd regretted it and wanted to slap herself. Her current psychological trauma was so severe that she worried every time she saw another Muggle-born wizard, fearing she'd run into another Ian Prince. Heaven knows how many times she had to praise Ian each day to ease her anxiety about being targeted by the Headmaster!
"What!? No wonder! No wonder! Don't worry, Daphne, this news is too shocking. I won't tell anyone. I'm so glad we survived!" Gesha Selwyn was clearly not expected that the "truth" was even more frightening than she had guessed. She stood up and paced back and forth in the corridor, looking somewhat flustered.
"No way! I have to get my dad to give him more money! Otherwise, his daughter definitely won't graduate! It's all that idiot Flint's fault for making us watch him wet his pants!" It's no wonder she's a rich young lady from a pure-blood family; at only ten years old, she already knows the principle that money can avert disaster.
Only Ian wasn't here.
Otherwise, I would definitely be giving Miss Gessa Selwyn a huge thumbs up.
This guy is really savvy.
"I think he might start selling the other founders' belongings around the school after a while, if we can become his loyal customers—we must have some value to him." Daphne Greengrass, who had been trying to figure out Ian's thoughts, was perhaps a little more precocious.
How could she not know that Slytherin couldn't possibly have that many relics?
It's just a roundabout way to save myself.
Breakfast is very important to Ian.
This is how the day begins.
The nutritional balance is also the most crucial factor that determines the age at which a person grows taller.
Because he couldn't bear to see his younger siblings go hungry when he was in the orphanage, he was smaller and thinner than his peers when he enrolled in school. Now, of course, he wants to seize the opportunity of free meals to grow taller quickly.
Although Hogwarts' cooking methods are not particularly diverse, the portions and variety are still very generous, with the table laden with all sorts of food.
"I've been hungry for more than twelve hours!"
Ian is making a lot of dry rice.
They had no idea that the two Slytherin witches were discussing how much "protection money" they should pay.
He was enjoying his meal.
A mountain of fried bacon sits on a silver plate, golden and crispy, each slice sizzling with oil and releasing an enticing savory aroma. Next to it are plates of fried eggs, the egg whites as white as mutton fat jade, the yolks a bright orange-yellow, their soft and tender texture irresistible.
There were also trays of freshly baked bread, including whole wheat, white bread, croissants, and many other varieties.
"Give me another croissant."
Ian snatched the croissant from his roommate.
This is truly delicious. Each layer is glistening with butter. When you take a bite, the flaky pastry falls like snowflakes, accompanied by a rich milky aroma.
Will you attend flight lessons?
William looked at his empty hands and was somewhat amazed by Ian's speed.
"Indoor flight lessons? Forget it, that's even more painful than History of Magic. I'm planning to go to the Forbidden Forest to gather some materials." Ian had already located Dumbledore's position on the Marauder's Map.
Neither he nor Snape were there.
Only Grindelwald had the chance to occupy the principal's office and sleep in the comfortable bed for another night.
"I really envy you for getting Mrs. Hodge's permission to skip class." The Chocolate Frog boy munched on a large piece of bacon with a hint of envy, his mouth still covered with leftover butter from the bread.
"If your flying skills could be as impressive and exciting as Ian's, I think Mrs. Hodge would allow you to skip flying lessons."
While eating, William didn't forget to give Ian a good compliment.
"Um... I don't think Mrs. Hooch allowed me to skip class. I was just managing my time effectively." Even with Ian's thick skin, he was still a little embarrassed by William's flattery.
"That's what it means to have your own opinions! You get it? And you have courage!"
William always manages to find new angles to showcase his eloquence. He's not suited for Hogwarts; he should be thrown into an ancient palace as a thousand-year-old emperor.
Ian was somewhat helpless.
Michael's expression was even more helpless than Ian's. "My only regret now is answering roll call for you a few times. Now Mrs. Hooch calls me Mr. Prince, and sometimes when she calls my name, I don't even dare to answer."
She's already deducted points from Mr. Jordan several times; I must think I'm a bad student.
This was clearly a situation Ian hadn't anticipated. He had always assumed that the professors would remember every young wizard, which might be related to the fact that Ian hadn't actually taken many flying lessons.
"There's a book called 'The Love Guru' in the Muggle world, it teaches you how to date. I can bring you a copy next semester." Ian just wanted to make up for the stigmatization Michael suffered because of him.
Unexpectedly.
Michael jumped up immediately.
"From today onwards, Mr. Jordan is already in a state of death when his flight lessons begin."
"My friend, Mr. Jordan will only be resurrected after his flight lesson ends." Michael's reaction not only startled everyone around him, but also nearly made Ian spit out the milk he was drinking.
"You are a true hero, Michael."
Ian quickly stood up and pressed Michael back into his seat.
He made a deal with his roommate.
Naturally, one gains the right to skip class without feeling guilty.
The two young wizards, both enjoying a win-win situation, happily continued their breakfast, while the newspaper delivered by the owl...
Then came a piece of news that surprised Ian.
It's news from the Daily Prophet.
"My God! Is this real?"
Looking at the newspaper that William handed to him.
Ian's expression was priceless.
of course.
Whether it was Aurora at the Slytherin table or Professor Lockhart, who had just left the Headmaster's office and entered the Great Hall, elegantly taking a sip of warm milk from his teacher's seat, their reactions were even more dramatic than Ian's. Professor Lockhart actually spat out the milk he had just drunk.
"Cough cough cough!!!" Swallowing water violently, three people in the Great Hall of Hogwarts lost control of their expressions, with Professor Lockhart's expression being the most out of control.
All I saw was...
The Daily Prophet prominently displayed the words in large, bold font.
[Breaking News! Exclusive Report! From Austria, Grindelwald gives his first interview from prison, discussing his past with Dumbledore!]
Perhaps the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor wasn't lying after all.
Even great prophets sometimes cannot foresee certain unexpected events.