Even though he said that, everyone had witnessed and heard the bizarre scene unfold. It was hard to brush it off as just an "unreliable" prophecy.
Hermione pursed her lips and suddenly declared loudly, "We absolutely cannot sit idly by!"
She whipped her head around, her eyes filled with gratitude and admiration as she looked at Ethan. "We should be grateful to Ethan! He's the one who warned us about the danger!"
"We can't let Ethan's efforts go to waste. We need to take action and change the future!"
Ethan smiled modestly. "Haha, you're welcome."
Harry and Ron exchanged glances, then looked around at the classroom, which resembled the aftermath of a tornado. The professor lay unconscious on the floor.
They fell silent.
This familiar scene...
Ethan had wrecked the first class of the school year again!!!
Ron's face went blank as he muttered in despair, "It's over. This semester is doomed to be anything but peaceful."
The chaos in Divination class quickly drew a crowd of professors.
Just as Ethan was casually about to slip away, a hand like an iron clamp gripped his shoulder tightly.
He turned his head and met Professor Snape's furious glare.
"Attacking a Dementor on the train, causing destruction in a class—and one that's not even an elective you're enrolled in!"
Professor Snape snarled coldly, his eyes locked on Ethan. "I warn you, you'd better not let me catch you doing anything... like having ties to the fugitive Sirius, for example."
"Otherwise, you're done for. I swear it."
With that, Professor Snape shoved Ethan aside and strode off, his dark robes billowing behind him.
Holding a grudge.jpg
Ethan blinked, watching Professor Snape's retreating figure. He wondered to himself: I'm so upright—how did he figure out I'm hiding Sirius?
Harry leaned in, fuming. "He's just venting on you! What do you have to do with the fugitive Sirius anyway?!"
At that, Ethan turned his head. He gave Harry a mysterious smile, raised a finger, and whispered, "That's a secret surprise to be revealed later~"
Harry: ???
Ha, haha. Ethan sure knows how to joke... right? QAQ
Divination class ended abruptly.
Since Harry and his friends didn't have another class right away, they decided to head to the library to search for clues about the prophecy.
Meanwhile, Ethan planned to go to the Potions classroom early.
Hermione fretted, "Professor Snape is definitely going to make things hard for you!"
Tears welled up in her eyes, as if she wished she could take the blame for him herself.
Ethan's lips curved into a slight smile as he replied calmly, "It's fine. Even if I get scolded, I can still pick up on what I'm missing and learn things I don't know yet."
Hermione covered her mouth and said reverently, "Oh~ Ethan!"
Harry and Ron watched from the sidelines, their faces twisting in discomfort as goosebumps prickled their skin.
~Girls!
After saying goodbye to the trio, Ethan turned around. He casually handed his Divination textbook to a passing student. "It's yours."
He wouldn't be attending that class anymore.
??
The student stared blankly at Ethan's departing figure, then opened the textbook. He was scared out of his wits by the blood-red eyes inside.
"Ahhh—!!"
Ethan heard the scream behind him and curved his lips into a smile.
You're welcome. Now you get to see it too.
"By the way, what did that prophecy really mean?" Ethan mused as he walked.
"Sirius couldn't possibly harm Harry, so who is the 'evil soul' referring to?"
"Haha, it couldn't possibly be me, could it?"
Ethan chuckled, shaking his head.
Before he opened his Eye, Professor Trelawney had called him evil. After opening it, she still called him evil. Didn't that make opening his Eye pointless?
"Maybe it refers to Lord Voldemort? Or Pettigrew...? Hmm, they shouldn't be that powerful, right?"
If, right under his nose, Pettigrew could still escape and grow stronger with Lord Voldemort's lingering soul, then he might as well go sit at Professor Snape's table.
"I can't figure it out. Never mind, I won't think about it anymore."
Ethan shook his head. Still, he jotted down the prophecy. Maybe it could give him a hint in the future.
"The most important thing now is to find time to open the Black family mansion."
"Ancient Magic must be mine."
A determined glint flashed deep in Ethan's cobalt-blue eyes.
Humming a tune, he took the envelope a blushing girl handed him in the corridor and walked briskly to the Potions classroom.
In Potions class, the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students were too scared to breathe. They huddled together like quails, trembling and stunned as they watched the "duel" unfolding in the classroom.
Professor Snape: "What are the main ingredients of the Shrinking Solution, Mr. Vincent?"
They wouldn't learn the Shrinking Solution for several more classes. But of course, this couldn't stump Ethan.
Ethan: "Chopped daisy roots, peeled Shrivelfig, sliced caterpillars, rat spleen, a dash of leech juice, cowbane, and wormwood."
Professor Snape: "How lucky... Which ingredient must be picked at the full moon to be used in Polyjuice Potion?"
Justin from Hufflepuff muttered in confusion, "What's Polyjuice Potion?"
Ethan: "Fluxweed."
Professor Snape's temple twitched twice. "Which key plant is needed to make a Calming Draught?"
Mandy pushed up her glasses. "That's an O.W.L.s exam question... I heard a senior mention it."
Ethan: "Hellebore."
Professor Snape slammed his hands on Ethan's desk, his eyes blazing with fury. Suddenly, he grinned maliciously. "Since you're so omniscient... perhaps I should consult you."
"How do you restore a werewolf to human form on the night of the full moon?"
Upon hearing this, Ethan raised his eyebrows slightly. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
Seeing that he didn't answer immediately, Professor Snape smirked triumphantly.
This question, in itself, had no answer. Because in the current wizarding world, there was no way to restore a werewolf to human form.
The Wolfsbane Potion he had improved could, at most, only help them maintain their sanity as much as possible during the transformation.
"Well, well~" Professor Snape straightened up, mocking in an oily voice. "I think this question will make our self-proclaimed omniscient Mr. Vincent realize... how ignorant he truly is in this world."
Michael clenched his fist indignantly, cursing in his heart: Shameless old bat! Go on with your nonsense! This is clearly just making things difficult for Ethan!!
Just as Professor Snape was in a good mood and turning to walk toward the podium, a clear voice rang out in the silent classroom.
"An advanced Patronus Charm constructed with the Kenaz rune from Ancient Runes can restore a werewolf to human form on the night of the full moon."
Everyone: ?!!
Professor Snape whipped his head around. He stared blankly at the black-haired youth who had stood up.
Ethan tilted his head and praised, "You actually knew I could restore a werewolf to human form... Your intuition is truly sharp, Professor Snape."
Dead silence—absolute dead silence!!!
In the classroom, everyone stared blankly at Ethan.
What they saw wasn't an unlucky student being picked on, but a warrior—even a madman!
It was well known that no one in the wizarding world could turn a werewolf back into a human.
Ethan must have been fed up with Professor Snape's deliberate difficulties, so he made up an answer to fire back!
He was harshly mocking him in return!!
Michael muttered in shock, "Merlin's cat ears, am I witnessing history?"
The first hero in Hogwarts history to dare speak to Professor Snape like this!!
Apparently, Professor Snape thought so too.
"You, you—!"
The triumph vanished from his face. He was trembling with anger, his sallow complexion turning red and purple—a truly spectacular sight.
"Never has a student... dared to speak to me like that...!"
Professor Snape suddenly raised his hand, pointing directly at Ethan. He roared, "Twenty points from Ravenclaw! For your severe insubordination to a teacher!!!"
The roar made the students' eardrums buzz.
The Loudest Lecture by Professor Snape Ever.
In the classroom, everyone was so scared they froze solid. They didn't dare breathe. The timid ones were already on the verge of tears.
Ethan blinked. Looking at the furious Professor Snape, he asked in his usual tone of confusion, "Hmm? Didn't you ask me that question? I just gave you the answer, didn't I?"
Professor Snape chuckled coldly. "Hmph, even a three-year-old knows that once a werewolf transforms, it's impossible to restore them to human form."
"Another ten points from Ravenclaw. For your dishonesty."
"Now, sit down! Don't delay the rest of the class."
Ethan understood. So, Professor Snape didn't believe his answer at all. He had only asked the question to make things difficult for him... I thought you genuinely wanted to discuss academics with me.
Ethan ignored Professor Snape's command. He stood in place, slowly speaking.
Beside him, Michael wore a long face, tugging at his sleeve and quietly begging him to sit down quickly.
Ethan pulled his hand away, ignoring him.
If he was questioned about his knowledge and didn't retort, then he wouldn't be worthy of being a Ravenclaw student.
He met Professor Snape's furious eyes without flinching. He said, word by word, "Next full moon, I will prove it to you."
"If I lied, you can deduct a hundred points from Ravenclaw."
"And if it turns out I didn't lie, and you misunderstood me..."
A cold flame lit up in Ethan's usually dark, cobalt-blue eyes.
"I hope you will sincerely apologize to me in front of the whole school and add back the points you deducted from me."
In the dead silence, Professor Snape frowned.
Why was this hateful brat so sure? Could he really turn a werewolf back into a human on the night of the full moon?
Hmph, how could that be? He was just boasting.
"Alright," Professor Snape laughed in anger. He pulled up the corners of his mouth and slowly said, "If you can truly do something that no one in the entire wizarding world has ever been able to do..."
"Let alone apologize to you."
"I'll give you all my property—even my life!"
Upon hearing this, Ethan's eyes lit up! He immediately nodded. "Deal."
You said it.
Professor Snape: ...
Why did he suddenly have a bad feeling? It was as if he had inadvertently made a deal with the devil.
Ethan obediently sat down, and the stern aura around him instantly vanished.
He mused happily to himself: The full moon in September is probably at the end of the month. By then, he would have already opened the Black family mansion and learned new Ancient Magic.
Perhaps he could have an even greater breakthrough and give his enthusiastic and generous Professor Snape a small academic shock.