"Well, since you understand this, I won't worry about you anymore. Just remember, don't get lost in fantasies about the future."
After laughing together for a while, Professor McGonagall's face was slightly flushed as she spoke softly to Dylan.
In reality, Professor McGonagall knew that Divination had its uses.
The reason she didn't want Dylan to dive headfirst into studying Divination was that she had seen too many wizards, including many young students, become enchanted by its mysteries, only to be consumed by it.
They would spend their days obsessing over the shapes of tea leaves, staring intently into the swirling mist of crystal balls, hoping to catch glimpses of the future. Their minds were filled with worries and calculations about what had yet to come.
But in the process, without realizing it, they neglected the most precious thing—the present. Caught between hope and fear, they let time slip away.
By the time they hit the harsh reality of life head-on—battered and broken by its cruel lessons—they would finally wake up. But by then, all that remained was a life wasted and an overwhelming sense of regret.
That was what truly worried Professor McGonagall.
Divination was supposed to provide guidance for the present, not lead people astray in illusions and fantasies.
This was why Hogwarts required students to wait until their third year to study Divination—and even then, it was only an elective.
The school didn't even put much effort into promoting the class.
Dylan understood Professor McGonagall's concern for him, which was why he had made that playful prediction.
But in truth, what he had said wasn't entirely baseless.
During his study of Divination, he hadn't just learned the basics. He had also unlocked several achievements related to Divination.
This increased his affinity for the subject—his talent in Divination was growing.
And, most importantly…
He could recall many forgotten or hazy storylines from the past—through Divination!
For example, he had seen a vision in the mist of the crystal ball—Professor McGonagall as the headmistress of Hogwarts.
That was a part of the story he already knew, yet he had glimpsed it through the crystal ball.
When Dylan discovered this, he was thrilled. He kept trying to use the crystal ball to peer into other parts of the story.
And it worked—he learned a lot of details.
For instance, he clearly saw how Fred and George met their fates—visions of their deaths appeared vividly in the crystal ball.
This discovery was exhilarating for Dylan.
But it also led to—
"Hey, Dylan, why are you always carrying that crystal ball?"
In the Gryffindor common room, Harry walked by and saw Dylan holding a crystal ball, continuously rubbing its surface as if deep in thought.
Unable to resist, he walked over. "I've noticed you take that crystal ball with you everywhere lately. Are you actually seeing visions of the future?"
Dylan smacked his lips and chuckled. "I can see a little, so I'm trying to see more."
At this moment, his focus in Divination was solely on glimpsing future events.
He still couldn't use the crystal ball to see the past.
Otherwise, he would've loved to peek into the hidden stories of Dumbledore and Grindelwald.
Of course, even at his current level—where some predictions weren't entirely accurate—it was still exciting.
Because through Divination, he could not only recall forgotten parts of the story but, with a bit of luck, even uncover small details that were never mentioned in the original book.
Unfortunately, Divination was, in a way, a form of magic that allowed one to glimpse fate itself.
Even though Dylan had unlocked many achievements and significantly improved his talent, he was still far from fully mastering the art of Divination.
—It was even harder than Transfiguration.
At least Transfiguration had fixed rules and methods that could be verified in reality.
Divination, on the other hand, was elusive and abstract. You couldn't just keep experimenting until you found the right answer.
If he truly wanted to reach the level of a great Seer, Dylan estimated it would take a very, very long time…
"You can really see the future? That's so cool!" Harry adjusted his glasses. "I want to learn Divination too."
Dylan stood up, still holding his crystal ball. "It's not easy. I've been learning from Professor Trelawney for so long, and I've barely scratched the surface."
"Oh… That's disappointing." A hint of regret flashed across Harry's face.
He hadn't expected Divination to be so difficult—even Dylan struggled with it.
"Well, it's getting late. We should get some rest." Dylan took a step toward his dormitory.
Recently, he had been spending a lot of time staring into his crystal ball, uncovering various storylines.
However, it seemed that his Divination skills had reached a plateau.
For the past couple of days, he hadn't been able to see much in the crystal ball.
He decided to take a break.
He could continue learning from Professor Trelawney, but his progress in unlocking Divination achievements had slowed down.
He suspected that if he wanted to unlock more, he'd have to wait until his third year, when the official Divination class began.
"After all, Divination is just a tool for me. As for prophecies… I already know the entire story. Doesn't that make me the greatest Seer of all?"
As Dylan was about to drift off to sleep, an image suddenly flashed through his mind.
"Hm?"
It was gone in an instant—he hadn't seen it clearly. He frowned.
"What was that? A flash of inspiration before sleep?"
Thinking for a moment, he pulled out his crystal ball again and stared into it intently.
"Dylan, what's wrong?"
Harry and Ron were already getting ready for bed, but when they saw Dylan suddenly take out his crystal ball and fixate on it, they were puzzled.
"Shh!"
Dylan signaled for them to stay quiet, keeping his eyes locked on the swirling mist inside the crystal ball.
The mist churned and twisted until a vision gradually took shape.
"Malfoy?"
Dylan froze.
He saw Malfoy running in terror, pursued by a massive Acromantula, its fangs bared as it lunged after him.
Then, Malfoy's foot slipped—he fell to the ground. The monstrous spider pounced.
But suddenly, a dark figure appeared. Cloaked in black, the mysterious person flicked their wand, sending a powerful burst of light at the Acromantula, killing it instantly.
After saving Malfoy, the cloaked figure vanished as quickly as they had appeared.
"Who is that…?"
Dylan's eyelashes trembled slightly as his eyes flicked over the vision.
"Quirrell?"
At this hour, the only person likely to appear in the Forbidden Forest wearing a cloak would be Voldemort, who is after unicorn blood.
"He actually saved someone? That's surprising."
This time, due to Dylan's interference, Ron and Harry didn't get detention. Instead, Malfoy did.
However, Malfoy didn't come across a slain unicorn. Instead, he was chased by an Acromantula and was ultimately saved by Quirrell—or rather, Voldemort.
Since nothing serious happened, Dylan didn't bother to intervene.
"It's nothing, just checking tomorrow's fortune. It should be good. Now, go to sleep."
This time, Dylan held Coalball tightly in his arms. No matter how much the little creature struggled, he refused to let go.
After a while, Coalball finally stopped flailing and, along with Dylan, fell into a deep sleep.
Until the next day.
Before falling asleep, Dylan once again had a vision of Malfoy.
However, this time, Malfoy wasn't being chased by an Acromantula. Instead, he stumbled upon a slain unicorn.
Quirrell was even seen hunched over the unicorn, drinking its blood.
And then...
Malfoy said something to Quirrell. But suddenly, Quirrell raised his wand and cast a dark spell.
It wasn't Avada Kedavra, that was for sure. Based on the hazy scene in the mist, Dylan deduced that it was the Cruciatus Curse.
Sure enough, in the next second, Malfoy collapsed in agony.
Quirrell didn't seem to have any intention of stopping and prepared to cast another spell.
But just then, Firenze appeared, rescuing Malfoy and taking him out of the Forbidden Forest.
—Firenze did not carry Malfoy on his back.
"Quirrell found the unicorn?"
Dylan, who had been ready to sleep, suddenly became alert.
Unicorns were incredibly valuable.
Their tail hairs could be used to craft wands and serve as potion ingredients.
Their horns, once ground into powder, could be used directly in potions—one of the ingredients for Felix Felicis.
And their blood... could prolong life, though at a terrible price.
However, if Dylan could obtain some unicorn blood, he could research why its magical properties could extend a person's lifespan and what exactly caused the infamous curse.
How severe was the curse?
How long did it last?
These were the things Dylan wanted to find out.
"Dylan, are you studying tomorrow's fortune again?" Harry asked, lifting his head.
"Yes," Dylan nodded.
"And did you find out anything?" Ron asked.
"Of course," Dylan smirked, a faint smile appearing on his lips. "I foresee that I'll have great luck tomorrow!"
"Haha, that's good to hear. But Malfoy's been sulking all day after getting detention. He looks like he was chased by a monster or something!"
Ron raised his voice. "Just from that alone, I'd say your bedtime divination was spot on!"
"I almost want to sneak into the Forbidden Forest just to mock Malfoy!"
The moment Ron finished speaking, Dylan noticed the image in his crystal ball shifting again.
Originally, it was Malfoy who discovered the slain unicorn. Now, it was Ron.
—And just like before, he was chased by an Acromantula and, by sheer misfortune, ran into Quirrell drinking unicorn blood.
This time, however, Ron saw Quirrell's face under the hood and even shouted his name out loud.
In response, Quirrell raised his wand.
Dylan recognized that familiar green light instantly.
Ron was struck.
And in that very moment—he dropped dead.
Clicking his tongue, Dylan turned to look at Ron.
"I'd advise you to drop that idea. If you do it, you'll be in big trouble—I saw your miserable fate in the crystal ball."
"What?!"
Ron's voice went sharp. "You saw me in the crystal ball?"
"Yes. Right after you got the idea of mocking Malfoy—do you want to know how you died?"
"I actually died?!"
Ron immediately shrank back, pulling his blanket over his head.
"Let's just sleep! I'm suddenly really tired!"
Dylan glanced at Ron, then lowered his head to look at the crystal ball again.
The image of Ron lying lifeless with blank, fish-like eyes had completely vanished.
His gaze shifted slightly, landing on Harry and Neville, both of whom were staring vacantly. He nodded thoughtfully and said, "Although this is something the professors should tell you, I'll mention it here."
"Mocking others to make yourself feel superior is meaningless. Just focus on being the best version of yourself, and be mindful of your words—careless talk can lead to disaster."
"That's an insight I recently gained from studying Divination, and I think it's quite true."
Harry nodded, as if half-understanding.
Ron, still hiding under his blanket, mumbled, "I won't mock Malfoy next time... unless he starts it first!"
Dylan chuckled. "That's called self-defense. Nothing wrong with that."
"Alright, time for bed."
With Dylan's word, the others obediently lay down.
Unknowingly, he had already become the unquestioned leader of their little dormitory.
As the night deepened...
Approaching dawn...
Dylan, who had been sound asleep, slowly opened his eyes.
With a slight movement of his fingers, the Coalball he had been holding vanished—returned to his pet space.
He turned to look at Harry and the others.
They all seemed to be asleep.
But to be safe, Dylan still raised his wand.
"Dream Slumber!"
After finishing the spell, Dylan got out of bed.
"Silencio!"
He cast a sound-silencing charm on himself.
Thinking for a moment, he spent 10,000 Galleons to optimize an Invisibility Cloak.
After putting it on, Dylan sharpened his focus.
"Pet Ability Manipulation!"
His figure instantly transformed into a shadow. Without even needing to open the door, he simply lifted his foot and stepped through the doorframe.
After leaving the dormitory, he glanced back at the still-closed door.
He was even more satisfied with Coalball's ability.
Relying on Coalball's phasing ability, Dylan passed through walls effortlessly, making his way to the edge of the Forbidden Forest at the fastest possible speed.
"Could Malfoy have already gone in?"
Dylan scanned his surroundings but didn't see Malfoy anywhere in the outer area.
"Hmm, if I end up fighting Quirrell, it probably wouldn't be ideal for this guy to just stand there watching, would it?"
Dylan hadn't come out this time to save Malfoy.
After all, the Malfoy family were Death Eaters—even though they had hardly done anything truly meaningful for Voldemort.
But still, they were his subordinates. Voldemort probably wouldn't kill Malfoy.
—Probably.
And the real reason Dylan had rushed out this time was twofold.
The first was...
(End of Chapter)