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As Ian considered the seven years of suffering that he and his classmates might face, he truly wished for the option of self-sacrifice to be the answer.
Of course, this was not a decision he could make.
"I'm heading to the library; what about you?" Ian had just returned from the bathroom in the dormitory and found his two sleepy roommates already collapsed into their beds.
In these days of nightmares, clearly, too much sleep wasn't ideal. However, for the first time, Ian's slap technique seemed to have lost its effectiveness on them.
"Maybe I used it too much today; the power's not enough." Ian quickly tidied his bed, took a detour to the Room of Requirement to check on his treasures, and then made his way to the library, which had always been his go-to sanctuary during lunchtime. Today, however, the library felt even emptier than usual.
As expected, the events of the Defense Against the Dark Arts class had spread like wildfire. Yet for those young wizards who hadn't experienced it firsthand, some even thought the new professor was rather impressive, though Ian wasn't sure if this admiration was genuine or simply a byproduct of Lockhart's fame.
Amid the hushed whispers in the library, Madam Pince predictably asserted her authority. Under the threat of her ever-present feather duster, the library quickly returned to silence.
"A nameless good Samaritan saved this group of little wizards who failed to keep count in their hearts."
Ian merely glanced at Madam Pince's "enforcement," then lowered his head to immerse himself in the study of alchemy, which was his second favorite subject after Charms and Transfiguration.
Alchemy was actually one of Hogwarts' elective courses, but sadly for Ian, he needed to achieve excellent grades in Charms, Ancient Magic, and Transfiguration during his Fifth Year O.W.L.s to qualify for the elective class.
There was a somewhat transparent professor who had seemingly worked at Hogwarts for many years, much like the mysterious Ancient Magic professor, Bathsheda Babbling, whom Ian hadn't seen since the start of the year. This had made his plans to showcase his alchemical talents and gain Professor's guidance increasingly difficult.
The O.W.L.s exam results were certainly no trouble for Ian; his only obstacle was his age. Perhaps he might only get a chance to sneak into the alchemy class using a Polyjuice Potion brewed from a senior's hair.
"I might be able to skip Potions and sneak into Alchemy." Ian had developed quite an interest in biological alchemy after his conversation with the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor that morning.
He spent the entire afternoon in the Restricted Section, poring over relevant literature and materials— up until now, he had only had a superficial understanding, most of which came from fragmented pieces of information in books like Origins of Bloodlines.
"Surprisingly, it also has a certain connection to biological Transfiguration." Ian spent the entire afternoon in the library, and during his Flying class that afternoon, he discovered that his two roommates had chosen to skip the class. Since there was no need for textbooks, Ian didn't bother returning to the dormitory.
He saved over ten minutes to continue reading, only to find that his two roommates were still asleep in the dormitory. This was likely a result of their encounter with the Dementor in Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Skipping class was quite a rare achievement for Ravenclaw's little wizards.
After all, in Ian's view, there was little difference between attending or skipping Flying class, which never went beyond basic low-altitude hovering.
It was like how earning a broomstick license wouldn't affect one's ability to mount up and take off with ease.
It wasn't until the evening feast that Ian noticed his two roommates looking even paler than before.
Neither had much of an appetite.
Though they had the rare luxury of not competing with their dormmates for food, Ian himself barely touched the roast chicken on his plate.
Because he had noticed something peculiar— over at the Slytherin table, the Germanic girl kept casting furtive glances his way.
The way she absently toyed with her utensils, never taking a bite, made it clear she was preoccupied with the delicacies he had mentioned earlier.
Ian wasn't one to make empty promises.
After sneaking a glance at the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, who was leisurely enjoying his meal at the staff table, Ian waited until the feast had ended and the professors had departed before approaching Aurora.
He had originally intended to bring William and Michael along, but after their dismal showing at dinner, they clearly lacked the energy for a long trek to the Hogwarts kitchens.
"Let's just go back to bed… Maybe we'll find everything we need in our dreams."
Ian couldn't fathom why William and Michael spoke with such haunted expressions.
Everyone knew they would be plagued by nightmares.
Yet they still wanted to sleep?
Sometimes Ian truly felt out of place in his slightly unhinged dormitory.
Luckily, at least one of his friends was relatively normal.
"Your grandfather is at Hogwarts."
In the corridor outside the Great Hall, the moment Ian met Aurora, he revealed the true identity of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
He had anticipated a look of shock or surprise on Aurora's face.
Instead—
"I figured that out ages ago. Grandfather said you'd probably come to 'complain' about him and told me to remember whatever you said." Aurora's expression was oddly unreadable.
Perhaps she had hesitated before choosing the word 'complain'?
"..."
Ian silently erased the carefully prepared speech from his mind.
"How could I possibly badmouth my own professor? He's truly remarkable at misjudging people, that's all. I'd only ever be grateful that he taught me the Patronus Charm."
His voice rose slightly as he unfolded a map to confirm their location.
"Right."
Aurora nodded in response.
"You said his heart is as murky as a cauldron bottom."
She even paraphrased.
"!!!!"
Ian's eyes widened in horror.
"Don't snitch on me!"
The moment the words left his mouth, he realized he had walked straight into the Germanic girl's trap.
"Alright."
Aurora nodded once more, as if carefully studying his mannerisms.
Then, mimicking his exact tone, she added, "But you have to teach me the Patronus Charm."
Her clipped phrasing.
This was an uncanny resemblance to his own tactics.
It all gave Ian an unsettling sense of déjà vu.
"You're devious! A wicked schemer!"
Muttering under his breath, Ian— of course— did not refuse.
He glanced towards the eighth-floor corridor.
"I haven't completely mastered it yet, but teaching you shouldn't be too difficult."
"Since we just finished eating, a bit of magic practice will help with digestion. Though I don't entirely agree with your grandfather's teaching style, if you can manage the Patronus Charm tonight, I'll show you the magical creature I discovered earlier."
With that, Ian set off at a brisk pace.
Noticing Aurora following close behind, he threw her a warning over his shoulder.
"It's a rogue Dementor. You can't tell our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor… Dementors are especially dangerous for you. Just look at my two roommates if you need proof. That's why you must learn the Patronus Charm first."
Aurora nodded as she kept pace with him.
"Isn't it dangerous for you too?"
Her voice was laced with curiosity.
"I feel like it's like a little Kneazle— clever and obedient… Perhaps because I used to ride the wind with a wand in hand!"
Ian led Aurora to the Room of Requirement.
After ensuring no one was around, he silently envisioned the room for hiding things and led Aurora inside.
The door slowly closed behind them and then vanished from sight.
From the Owlery in the distant West Tower, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Gilderoy Grindelwald, appeared to have taken a deliberate detour.
(To Be Continued…)