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"You..."
Cassandra glared at Ethan, her face full of shame and indignation. The urge to punch him was growing stronger by the second.
No wonder she always saw Ethan hanging around older Ravenclaw girls and even Hermione. So, he was that kind of person!
How had she not noticed it before?
"Also, the inventor of this magic is your Head of House," Ethan said casually.
Although, truth be told, their Head of House hadn't exactly come out unscathed from it either.
"I don't care who invented it—it shouldn't be used on me!" Cassandra shouted, her face flushed red with anger.
"Next time, I'll definitely ask for permission," Ethan teased.
The so-called duel had ended, and Ethan was now free from having to head to the Forbidden Forest. That gave him time to focus on something more important—the notebook Professor Quirrell had given him.
He had only skimmed through it earlier that morning, but now he had the opportunity to study it more thoroughly and search for functional spells.
After requesting a practice room, Ethan led Cassandra into one.
"This is where you usually practice spells?" she asked, cautiously scanning the space.
"That's right."
"Can I come here too?"
"It costs money!" Ethan replied bluntly.
Practicing basic charms like Levitation, Lumos, or Severing Charms in the dorm was manageable, but if Cassandra tried something like Weather Charms there, she'd probably blow the whole room apart.
Now that she had seen this dedicated practice space, of course she wanted access. It also explained why Ethan was improving so quickly. If she stayed limited to her dorm, the gap between them would only widen.
It was worth paying for—even if she had to use her own pocket money. And if that ran out, she could always ask for more from home. The Voray family would eventually be hers, so a little early appropriation wouldn't hurt.
"This place belongs to the school," Ethan clarified. "You can use it whenever, as long as you don't publicize it."
"Got it!" Cassandra nodded. She had no intention of spreading the word. If too many people came, it wouldn't be as convenient.
As Cassandra began practicing Weather Charms nearby, Ethan returned to Quirrell's notebook in the Living Area.
Among the recorded spells were ten Dark Arts. The two that interested Ethan the most were the Fear Charm and the Siphoning Charm.
The Fear Charm, as the name suggested, could evoke a person's deepest and most terrifying memories. It could be used as a prank, but with strategic application, its potential was significant.
The Siphoning Charm forcibly extracted the opponent's magic power, either to replenish one's own or to drain the enemy. It wasn't some grand technique like the Northern Darkness Divine Art, but in prolonged battles, it could offer a substantial edge.
The only downside? Both spells required live targets to practice—especially the Siphoning Charm, which needed a target with actual magic power.
Apart from Cassandra, the only living beings nearby were his Swooping Evil and Foe Eater. Using either would be inappropriate.
He thought back to Scabbers—Ron's pet rat.
He decided that tomorrow he would go to Ron and ask to borrow Scabbers again.
Last time, he had already wiped Ron's memory using the venom from his Swooping Evil. He might need to use Scabbers repeatedly in the future. Hopefully, the rat wouldn't develop a resistance to the venom.
Putting the notebook away, Ethan requested tools from the Room of Requirement for spell practice—specifically for live targets.
A blue glow flashed.
Three giants appeared near the target dummies. Their iron-blue skin, vacant eyes, and massive steel mallets made it clear they weren't truly alive. Still, they moved, which was enough.
He didn't know whether these were experimental magical creations stored in the Room, or if the Room created them on the spot according to his needs.
"Pack of Wolves Lusting for Blood!"
As a dark gleam burst from Ethan's wand, the shadows around him writhed—something was struggling to break free from within.
Suddenly, a black wolf, over three meters tall with glowing red eyes, leapt out from the shadows.
Then another.
And another.
After three had emerged, the shadows returned to calm.
The wolves flew upward and charged the giants. In an instant, six towering beings clashed in midair.
The wolves lunged for the giants' throats. Their claws tore at the giants' torsos and backs.
The giants retaliated. Their massive mallets slammed into the wolves' waists while their other hands tried to wrench the wolves off by their necks.
But neither side had the upper hand. The wolves could pierce the giants' defenses, but they couldn't tear them apart.
The giants' skin was tougher than that of regular giants, and their blood was green and corrosive. It sizzled upon hitting the floor, though it didn't harm the wolves much.
Meanwhile, the giants couldn't destroy the wolves either. These wolves were magical constructs. Physical attacks could make them temporarily vanish, but they would simply reform, consuming only Ethan's magic power.
If they turned illusory, the giants' attacks would pass right through.
"Ethan, what is this spell?" Cassandra asked, shocked.
She had been practicing Weather Charms on the side but froze when the wolves appeared. If just one of them had been directed at her, she would've been dead on the spot.
Had Ethan been holding back this whole time?
"Pack of Wolves. A Dark Art I created myself. Impressive, huh?"
Well, the system gave it to him—but if it was his now, there was no harm in saying so.
"Can… can you teach me?"
"It costs money—or a spell in exchange."
Cassandra hesitated. She was born into a pure-blood family and understood the value of magical knowledge.
Original spells, alchemical methods, potion recipes—these were the foundations of a family's legacy.
The Ollivander family, for example, had survived for a thousand years because of their exclusive wand-making craft.
"Teaching you is no problem. Does your family have any fire-based protection spells? Something like Gubraithian Fire or Fiendfyre?"
These were powerful and rare spells, and with Ethan's natural affinity for fire, he could master them efficiently.
Fire-based protection spells were Grindelwald's signature. Gubraithian Fire was used by Dumbledore to light a never-extinguishing torch as a gift to the giants. Fiendfyre could even obliterate Inferi in an instant.
Given the long-standing heritage of the Voray family, they might possess such spells.
"I'll write to my father and try to get them for you," Cassandra said, though her confidence was lacking. She hadn't even heard of these spells before—they must be extremely rare.
Who was the real pure-blood wizard here? She couldn't help but wonder. Ethan clearly knew more than she did.
"Alright."
"The prerequisite for learning the Wolf Pack spell is Serpensortia. It's essentially a modified version."
Ethan raised his wand, and with a flick, a giant serpent over fifty feet long, black and thick as a barrel, appeared before them.
Though he had received the spell directly from the system, Ethan fully understood its structure and learning path.
"I know that spell!" Cassandra exclaimed.
"Serpensortia!"
A much smaller black snake appeared at her feet. It was tiny in comparison to Ethan's, but it counted.
"Barely passable," Ethan said with a nod. "Now I'll teach you the next step."
You didn't have to master Serpensortia, just unlock it—like leveling up a skill.
Chapter 57: Alchemy and Ancient Runes
December arrived before they knew it.
It was Saturday, just past eight in the morning.
"Ethan, wake up! It's snowing!"
Terry's excited shout echoed through the dorm as he flung the window open.
A cold gust of wind and flurries of snow blasted through, jolting Ethan awake.
"It's just snow. Why the fuss?" Ethan yawned as he sat up, looking at his roommate in exasperation.
It was the middle of winter. On a day without classes, nothing beat a warm bed.
"But it's our first snow at Hogwarts! Look down—people are already having snowball fights."
Terry looked genuinely thrilled. Honestly, Ethan thought he might've been better suited for Gryffindor.
What kind of Ravenclaw prioritized snowball fights over study?
"He's right! You can't waste a day like this," Jean chimed in. "There might be upperclassmen waiting for you to build a snowman!"
For that reason alone, Ethan didn't argue. After getting dressed, he headed out with the others.
After breakfast, they made their way to the Hogwarts grounds. The open space was buzzing with activity.
Snow lions, badgers, and snakes adorned the area—but no eagle in sight. Clearly, sculpting an eagle without magical help was a tall order.
"Ethan, let's build a snowman!"
From near the Black Lake, Cho Chang called out. She stood with three other upperclass girls—Penelope, her roommate Enid Hansen, and her best friend Marietta Edgecombe.
Ethan recognized Marietta. She was the one who betrayed Harry—but under immense pressure from Umbridge and the Ministry. He could understand.
"We won't interrupt you. Michael, snowball fight?" Terry grinned, dragging Michael toward the chaotic battle between the houses.
"Have fun!" Ethan waved.
As he approached the girls, Enid patted Penelope's behind playfully and left with Marietta.
Roommates understood each other, after all.
Though, in Enid's opinion, Ethan's involvement with too many girls was a red flag. Still, if Penelope liked him, who was she to interfere?
Together, Ethan, Penelope, and Cho built snowmen and sculpted ice from the Black Lake.
Eventually, their hands turned red from the cold. The Warming Charm helped, but not much when directly touching ice.
Crack!
A loud sound echoed from the lake's surface. A massive crack split the center, and students scattered in panic.
From beneath the ice, a huge tentacle broke through—then a second, then a third—until the entire giant squid emerged.
Maybe it just wanted to bask in the winter sun?
"Prefect! There's a fight over there!" a Ravenclaw student ran up, breathless, to report to Penelope.
"Who's fighting?"
"All four houses! It's a complete mess!"
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