The night was as dark as ink.
Gentle moonlight streamed through the window, spilling into the quiet bedroom. Ian's long eyelashes fluttered open under its caress, his bright, jewel-like green eyes gleaming with clarity.
From a daze to focused awareness, he returned to reality. Subconsciously, he glanced at the bedroom clock—unsurprisingly, the hands of the old-fashioned timepiece pointed to 12:07.
It had been this way for years.
Each time he returned from the hazy dreamscape, the minute hand always landed on the same number.
Seven.
Ian didn't know what secrets lay behind this. He only knew that every week, he experienced something eerily similar.
In the past, the only people he encountered in the hazy dreamscape were Ariana and, occasionally, Pandero. But this time, there had been a mysterious noble witch.
"She wants me to find the mirror she left behind in the real world..."
Ian wasn't sure if the noble witch was good or bad. Perhaps judging a soul by simple notions of good and evil was too superficial. He was more curious about her identity.
A witch living in a grand castle within the dreamscape—
Could she have once been a famous figure in the wizarding world? That kind of grace and elegance wasn't something an ordinary witch could possess.
"Was she a wizard from the last century? Or someone from the Middle Ages?"
His knowledge of the magical world came solely from a few movies with unimpressive special effects and fanfics filled with wild conspiracy theories.
Because of this—
Ian could only piece together a vague understanding of the many secrets hidden in this world. The only mirror he could think of was the Mirror of Erised, which had once concealed the Sorcerer's Stone at the start of the story.
A golden frame.
A mirror that reflected a person's deepest desires.
If the witch's mirror was truly the Mirror of Erised—destined to appear at Hogwarts—then perhaps Ian had a chance to bring it into the dreamscape and hand it over to her.
"I just don't know if I can bring something that large... like I do with candy."
Ian was uncertain. He had never attempted anything like that before.
To be honest—
He was still completely clueless about this magical ability he had possessed since childhood. He hadn't even figured out why candy could be brought in, yet his bed couldn't.
Of course—
Being able to enter the hazy dreamscape in his sleep was certainly a rare talent, just as the mysterious witch had said.
Ian... was special.
But what that truly meant—perhaps only she could tell him. Ian could sense that the witch cared deeply about this.
"Learn magic from her..."
He had to admit—
The idea tempted him. But was her kindness genuine, or was it merely a guise to achieve some ulterior motive? Could it be tied to his so-called "specialness"?
If she was truly the original owner of the Mirror of Erised, then she was an old ghost who had lived for countless years. And an old female ghost's intentions... might be even harder to decipher than those of a living woman.
"She's also a very beautiful ghost."
"I don't need to take this risk. I can learn magic at school. The professors there aren't necessarily weaker than the old witch in my dreams."
Reason overcame desire.
Ian suppressed the temptation stirring in his heart.
It was almost as if he had inherited the wisdom of his ancestors—
The Great Ying Empire had its own long-standing traditions. Besides the belief that opportunities should be seized without hesitation, there was also an old cultural fascination with young boys.
What if the witch truly did like playing with young boys?
Or worse—what if her idea of "playing" wasn't the same as Ian's? He wasn't willing to take that gamble.
"Phew~ Namo Gatling Merlin Bodhisattva... This is not a risk worth taking."
After weighing the pros and cons—
Ian readjusted his pillow, closed his eyes, and slipped into a real dream.
In the years before he had the chance to learn magic properly, the greatest benefit of his wizarding blood was that it allowed him to easily master lucid dreaming.
A night of dreams.
The next morning, Ian awoke feeling refreshed.
Between his gestures—
There seemed to be an extra touch of confidence, an unrestrained lightness—no one knew what kind of sweet dream he had concocted for himself last night.
[Successfully read Roman, language proficiency +1]
[Successfully read Roman, language proficiency +1]
[Successfully read Roman, language proficiency +1]
Before the morning sun had even risen, Ian had already begun his daily studies. He was always diligent in improving his [Language Mastery] skill.
After all—
He had a certain expectation in his heart. He hoped to use the unique traits of this skill to awaken a rare magical ability possessed by only a few in the wizarding world—
The ability to communicate with animals.
He didn't aspire to be a Parselmouth, capable of speaking to snakes, but he did wish to understand the emotions and expressions of animals, much like Newt Scamander.
"Of course, I wouldn't mind being able to hear the voice of all things."
Forgive Ian—
His reading habits were vast, and last night, he had been the king of mountain bandits in his dreams.
[Successfully read Roman, language proficiency +1]
[Successfully read Roman, language proficiency +1]
…
Just as Ian's thoughts began to drift, and he had accumulated around ten points of [Language Mastery] proficiency, hurried footsteps echoed in the corridor outside his room.
A loud crash followed—
Someone had knocked over something in the hallway.
"Ian! Ian! Come on! That... the school teacher is here again!"
Catherine's voice rang out, breathless. Small hands pounded urgently on his door. It seemed like these children were more excited about school than he was.
"Hogwarts sent someone?"
Ian was puzzled.
He walked to the door and opened it—
Immediately, with a rustling commotion, a swarm of children tumbled into the room, chattering in excitement.
"Ian! Ian! Ms. Elena asked for you! Are you going to school?"
"Will you come back? Can you bring us a teacher too?"
"You can use your charm to bewitch the female professors!"
…
The children crowded around him, talking over one another, their words a mixture of curiosity and mischievous remarks. Orphans grew up fast—sometimes too fast.
"Will you come back to teach us?"
Catherine, who knew the truth about Hogwarts, looked up at Ian with hopeful eyes. Her words clearly referred to magic.
"If I get the chance... If I can... then of course."
Ian ruffled the hair of a few children, but he didn't dare make any real promises. Maybe Catherine had a chance to enter Hogwarts, but for most of the others, crossing that threshold would be nearly impossible.
"I'll take you to Ms. Elena!"
Catherine beamed and dashed ahead with Ian following. The rest of the children, though only vaguely aware of the situation, trailed behind in an excited swarm.
"Ian, I don't want to go to that school anymore. Just teach me how to conjure candy instead. The teacher who came today looks like Gargamel, the one you told me about!"
On the way—
Catherine leaned in, whispering with a hint of fear.
Her words made Ian, already curious about which professor had come, suddenly feel an inexplicable sense of dread.
Looks like Gargamel?
Very scary?
Ian had a bad feeling.
By the time they arrived outside the dean's office—
The door was open.
And there—
Sitting opposite the dean, shrouded in an ominous aura, was a figure whose very presence exuded tension and unease.
Something about them—
Reminded Ian of the dark wizard he had once encountered.
"How could it be him!?"
Ian's expression froze in shock.
Where was his grand, fluffy Dumbledore?
Why—
Why had the black bat come instead!?