It wasn't just Ethan. Snape suspected that the group of so-called relatives was also problematic.
Take Logan, for example. This Gryffindor student usually kept to himself, rarely interacted with other children, and most of the time acted very mature, not like a child at all.
At first, Snape thought Logan was just a bit introverted. But now it seemed the real reason was that he couldn't genuinely relate to actual children.
And then there was that Scáthach... wait... Scáthach?
Snape sat behind his desk, lost in thought.
Dumbledore had seen through Ethan's disguise as a child, but chose not to press for his true identity. He had decided not to pursue the matter further.
Snape disagreed. He believed that letting someone with an unknown background and formidable power remain at Hogwarts was a dangerous risk. That kind of power could cause irreparable damage at any time.
Hogwarts was too important to the wizarding world. If something happened, it could create a generational rift within British wizard society and lead to many wizarding families losing their heirs.
In such a situation, no one would dare neglect the safety of Hogwarts. Even the pompous officials at the Ministry of Magic, who often acted foolishly, valued the school's protection. They just made strange decisions from time to time.
Snape had been focusing on the identities of Ethan and the others. While analyzing the unusual behavior of these so-called children, he suddenly realized there was something he had overlooked.
Scáthach?
Cold sweat began forming on his forehead.
Could it be that Scáthach? That was impossible, right?
In that moment, he understood why Dumbledore had not investigated Ethan's identity further. He remembered clearly that Dumbledore had asked Ethan for his real name, and Ethan had said it was indeed Ethan.
By the same logic, if the others were also using their real names, then the name Scáthach was incredibly shocking.
What made it even more alarming was her performance at school. Her greatest talent was in understanding and mastering Runes. What was a headache for many adult wizards was as easy as breathing for this little girl.
"Snape... are you feeling hot?"
"No."
Ethan raised his eyes slightly from his book. Seeing Snape's expression, he immediately realized that the clever professor must have guessed something.
"Don't overthink it. The truth behind most things is very simple. For example, I'm just here at Hogwarts to learn some interesting knowledge."
Snape swallowed. His face looked slightly vacant, but no one paid attention to that.
"Why are you... interested in this knowledge?"
"Why wouldn't I be? I don't know any of this stuff, and it's pretty interesting, don't you think?"
At first, Snape didn't understand what Ethan meant. Then he realized that modern magical knowledge had developed over hundreds of years and had evolved far from its ancient roots. Even if Ethan possessed astonishing power, he wouldn't necessarily be familiar with current magical systems.
The conversation ended there. Snape sat silently for a while longer, then watched as Ethan put down the book, closed his eyes as if reflecting, then stood up to return the book to its place before picking up another one nearby.
"Finished?"
"Yes."
Snape reflexively wanted to scoff at Ethan's reading habits, doubting how much he could retain. But then he remembered this was not an ordinary student. After Ethan opened a second book on Potions and asked a series of detailed questions, Snape realized Ethan not only remembered the content clearly but also understood it deeply, no less than a wizard with decades of study.
At that moment, Snape suddenly had a realization. Maybe, just maybe, he should ask Ethan about some of the long-standing problems he had never been able to solve?
In the pursuit of mystical knowledge, wizards inevitably encounter obstacles.
Some questions had standard answers, in which case you could just ask someone knowledgeable. Generally, the stronger the wizard, the more answers they could provide.
Other questions had no universal solution and were tied to one's personal magical path. Even if you asked a powerful wizard, they could only offer general guidance, not direct answers.
But that wasn't always true. Someone like the person before him, if he really was who Snape suspected, should be able to give much clearer insights.
Snape saw that Ethan was still reading and wasn't sure whether he should bring it up. Just then, Ethan seemed to sense his hesitation and said, "Ask whatever you want."
Only then did Snape realize that even though Ethan wasn't looking at him, none of his actions escaped his notice.
"There are a few questions I'd like to ask."
"Mmm..."
Snape thought for a moment. Rather than directly raising his longstanding doubts, he first began a discussion on magic, casually sharing his own understanding of a certain spell.
He didn't expect much, but once Ethan responded, Snape was stunned.
Ethan's comprehension of spells was completely different from his own. The difference wasn't in direction, but in perspective.
If a spell were like a maze, then being able to walk from entrance to exit meant you had successfully learned and could use the spell. Exploring the maze's details would be your understanding of it. Snape had walked that maze many times and felt familiar with much of it, though some parts still eluded him.
Ethan, however, was looking down at the entire maze from above. Everything Snape understood was already within Ethan's view, and even the parts he hadn't explored, Ethan could describe clearly.
He could not only point out what Snape had overlooked, but also analyze the spell from another angle, or even from a completely opposite direction.
Naturally, Snape was thrilled and immediately dove into the next topic. They discussed for most of the day. Snape not only gained a great deal, but also resolved many old problems that had troubled him for years. His magical ability advanced significantly in just a few hours.
This progress didn't come from a surge in magical power or casting stronger spells, but rather from a better understanding and application of spells. Now, casting magic was easier, consumed less energy, and he could even perform many spells nonverbally that he had never been able to before.
The most obvious example was his self-created spell, Sectumsempra. Now, Snape could cast it not only without speaking, but even without a wand. He could silently and instantly unleash the spell, something he had never believed he could achieve.
At this level, the power of the dark spell had increased tremendously. It was already fast and deadly, leaving no visible trail when cast. Now, without words or a wand, it was even faster, giving opponents no chance to react.
Anyone who dared stand against Snape now, even just by being in front of him, risked being taken out by that spell before they could blink.
Snape then brought up Potions. As the Potions Master, he had a deep love for the subject and always hoped to reach greater heights.
Ethan hadn't yet spent much time on Potions in this world, but he had related knowledge and was more than capable of offering Snape some useful advice.
In return, Snape also explained a few key elements of this world's Potions knowledge, allowing Ethan to absorb the material more quickly.
Without realizing it, most of the day had passed. Ethan had spent the entire day reading and had unexpectedly gained in-depth Potions knowledge from Snape. It was certainly not a wasted day.
Beyond these gains, he had another reason for staying so long.
"I don't have borrowing privileges for certain sections of the library. I'll need your help."
"That's no problem."
After receiving a full day of instruction, Snape was happy to do him a favor.
"What kind of books do you want me to borrow?"
"Any that you can borrow but students can't. Just bring as many as you can each day."
Snape had no idea how Ethan managed to read so many books, but he wasn't about to ask. When Ethan came to collect them tomorrow, he'd find out for himself.
"Well then, see you tomorrow, Professor Snape."
Ethan said this casually. Without waiting for Snape to respond, he had already closed the door and left the office.
By then, Hogwarts' classes had ended for the day. It was the short break between the afternoon classes and dinner. Students filled the corridors and courtyard.
Everyone was relaxing in their own way. Ethan was about to find a quiet spot to wait before dinner, but Illya caught him red-handed.
"You skipped class all day!"
Ethan shrugged. Compared to other subjects where he could at least learn something, Defense Against the Dark Arts was pointless for him. It only taught basic combat spells, and now he could learn all the advanced ones directly from Snape.
So why waste time listening to Lockhart's self-praise? Instead of that, he would rather experiment with Logan on which magical herbs would pair best with basilisk meat in a stew.
Or help Scáthach finalize the details of that leather outfit.
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)