Of course, he respected Professor Flitwick as a powerful wizard, he simply didn't feel the need to compare him to Professor Morgan or Lady Ravenclaw.
"It seems you have some connections I don't know about. Well, that's not a big deal." Professor Flitwick glanced at Ian with a hint of curiosity, as the young wizard appeared to be holding something back.
"You don't have to feel uncomfortable. I think I understand why it's hard for you to say," Professor Flitwick said, clearly recalling Ian's extraordinary skill in Fiendfyre. His misunderstanding of Ian didn't end there. "Actually, I'm just curious. Well, you don't have to tell me, but if you do, I promise I won't share it with anyone else."
"Is your Patronus... a raven?" Professor Flitwick's eyes gleamed with an intensity that betrayed his usual curiosity as a Ravenclaw, perhaps even a touch of Gryffindor's gossipy nature.
"Why would you think that?" Ian was slightly taken aback.
"Ha ha ha ha, just a guess, just a guess." Professor Flitwick laughed lightly, though his flickering eyes betrayed an unspoken curiosity.
"..."
The observant Ian fell silent again. He understood. Professor Flitwick clearly suspected that he might have some Ravenclaw blood in him, possibly linked to his particular focus on the raven crest.
Or maybe it was the Sorting Hat's evaluation of him? Whatever the case, Ian felt a bit resigned. The world's misunderstandings of him seemed to be growing daily, almost pushing him toward becoming the "six-surnamed one."
"My Patronus isn't a raven, but... my Animagus form is likely to be a raven." Ian glanced thoughtfully at the memoir of the transfer student from a century ago. The reason for his unease and worry lay in that very thought.
"Has Minerva started guiding you in practicing Animagus?" Professor Flitwick swallowed, clearly surprised by Ian's progress.
"Yes." Ian nodded, not lying.
"Such astonishing progress... You might become the earliest wizard to master Animagus. However, it's not advisable to settle on an Animagus form in your mind just yet."
"Although my own skill in Transfiguration isn't as good as Minerva's, I am quite clear about this, as I've also tried to learn this form of Transfiguration myself."
Professor Flitwick spoke earnestly, offering his advice.
"Okay." The young wizard nodded.
"Actually, I'd prefer my Animagus form to be something else, really." Ian sighed deeply, speaking softly under his breath.
Professor Flitwick probably didn't hear him clearly. He glanced at the time on the wall.
"It's getting late. I've talked too much today. I brought up the transfer student to remind you not to use that kind of unconventional research for your papers anymore."
"That would cause unnecessary trouble, really. As your Head of House, I'm begging you, please stay away from those dangerous studies. If you're willing, I can suggest some safer research paths."
Professor Flitwick was genuinely concerned that Ian might come to him in the future with more dangerous and frightening magical innovations.
His concern wasn't unfounded, after all, Ian's Shadow Storm and other advanced magics had yet to be revealed. If they had been, Professor Flitwick would be even more anxious than he was now.
"Alright, Sir." Ian felt a bit regretful but appreciated Professor Flitwick's guidance. He would still be able to write his charm paper.
"Let's focus on something you're good at, like the Lumos Charm. It actually has many practical applications across various fields." Professor Flitwick picked up a blank piece of parchment and began to write quickly.
A moment later, he handed a draft with research directions written on it to Ian.
"Take it easy, don't scare me again. My little heart can't handle too much excitement..." Professor Flitwick patted his chest, as if still feeling the lingering effects of his earlier fright.
"The research direction of the Light of the Mind is quite promising."
He even proactively suggested a topic he considered safe for Ian to explore. Little did he know, Fate, as it often does, had a strange way of unfolding.
"Okay, I'm quite interested in this direction." The young wizard glanced at the ideas on the parchment with interest. At that moment, he didn't realize that the three Unforgivable Curses would soon be overshadowed by something far more dangerous.
...
Exiting Professor Flitwick's office, Ian glanced back at the door with a complex expression.
To be honest, even now, his thoughts were still a bit muddled, mainly because of that transfer student's memoir, which, to his surprise, contained references to a "system father" that shouldn't have appeared at all.
It was jarring, not just from over a century ago, but even now, it felt completely out of place. The fact that Professor Flitwick didn't seem to understand the significance of that title made it all the more unsettling.
What wizard in Animagus form, what sarcastic style, Ian really hoped that was just some predecessor from a crossover he had never met.
"I'm not afraid of the crossover predecessors; I just worry that it's not the past! But the future!" Ian couldn't help but dwell on the information mentioned in the transfer student's memoir.
The raven encountered by that transfer student had been badly injured, and the torn pages at the end of the memoir suggested that the injury might have been far more sinister. As perhaps the only wizard who truly understood what "system father" meant, how could Ian not feel a chill down his spine, uneasy and restless?
"Headmaster Dumbledore might know more about this..." Ian muttered as he pushed his food around at dinner, his appetite completely gone. He felt gloomy throughout the meal.
"What's wrong with you?" Aurora noticed his unusual demeanor.
"You're a seer, right?" Ian looked at his good friend with his heterochromatic eyes.
Seeing Aurora nod with a puzzled expression, he continued, eagerly extending his hand and signaling her to grab it tightly.
"Help me see how many enemies I have?" Ian hoped that perhaps she could help him preemptively avoid some risks.
However, just as he was mentally counting,
"I already told you that day, I can't see your future anymore." Aurora squeezed Ian's hand, trying to channel her magical power for a moment. In the end, she reluctantly gave up.
"It seems I need to work harder to be kind and not do anything annoying..." Ian sighed, pushing the chunks of beef around on his plate.
Upon hearing his words, Aurora suddenly looked astonished.
"So you knew you were bad before?"
It was as if she were discovering Ian all over again.
"..."
Somewhat speechless, Ian tossed his utensils aside. Seeing Aurora pull out a lollipop once again, he was even more exasperated and snatched it from her hand, popping it into his mouth.
"I need to find Dumbledore and figure this out." Feeling a slight lift in his mood from the small burst of sugar, Ian hurriedly left the Great Hall under Aurora's thoughtful gaze.
Unfortunately, Ian not only didn't find Dumbledore's presence on the Marauder's Map, but he also couldn't locate him in the Headmaster's office. He searched every corner and hidden nook where someone might be.
Still, there was no sign of him.
Feeling a bit uneasy in his stomach, Ian walked towards the bathroom, instinctively calling out,
"Dumbledore, are you here?"
He lifted the toilet lid.
Of course, Dumbledore was not inside.
However, he was met with a startled Myrtle, who had been right in front of him.
Their eyes met.
After a moment,
"I've moved to another bathroom! You still won't leave me alone! Ahhh! Help!!" Myrtle screamed at the top of her lungs, causing the young wizard to flee in panic.
"This is the boys' bathroom!" Ian confirmed he hadn't made a mistake as he bolted outside. He felt as though he'd been cursed by Voldemort himself; everything he did that day seemed inexplicably frustrating.
"Do you eat curses? Come gnaw on me a bit?" Back in the Room of Requirement, Ian grabbed his black Phoenix from atop the Dementor.
"Squawk!" The black Phoenix struggled to escape.
"Hey, you really look like a cross between a Phoenix and a raven. Could it be... no, it must be that you're a hybrid species!" Ian tugged at the black Phoenix's feathers, attempting to pull one out for study, but as soon as a feather fell, it ignited in a swirl of black and purple flames.
This flame not only failed to burn him but also couldn't even ignite a piece of wood.
"This thing must have some special magic."
After a moment of thought, Ian brought the burning feather close to the Dementor, and sure enough, the Dementor screeched in terror and dove into its cage.
"Is it a soul attack? No... it must be more than that. Ian didn't want to lose his only Dementor, but he knew there were other soul-bearing creatures in the Forbidden Forest he could catch.
Without hesitation, he immediately entered the Forbidden Forest through the secret passage.
"Centaurs have no sense of pain! Especially the ones that have done bad things!" The young wizard had upgraded his Nimbus to an eight-pointed star, skittering through the Forbidden Forest like a crab in search of troublemaking Centaurs.
However, his luck seemed to be terribly poor that day; after two hours, he hadn't found a single one that would threaten or curse him.
"I'll come back tomorrow!"
If it weren't for tonight being the time to enter the Twilight Zone, Ian would have stayed up all night like those ranked lower in the House. Feeling a bit dejected, he was about to pack up and head back to the castle.
"Beep~"
The watch on his wrist emitted a faint sound. It was a reminder of midnight. Before Ian could raise his hand to check the time, he suddenly noticed that everything around him had become eerily quiet, as though time itself was being gently pressed down by an invisible membrane.
Everything froze in that moment of eternity.
"The moon... has turned red..." Ian looked up in confusion, and just as the blood moon reflected in his eyes, he found everything around him seemed to be drifting away.
Blurry.
Spinning.
That familiar sensation returned.
For the first time, Ian stepped fully conscious into that realm, an endless expanse of black sand stretched out before him, like an infinite abyss swallowing all color and life.
Looking up at the sky, there were no stars or daylight, only a deep black curtain, as if the darkest depths of the universe had been condensed into this place.
An oppressive and heavy atmosphere rushed towards him. The blood moon he had seen before still hung above, its crimson and eerie glow casting an ominous hue over this desolate desert.
Looking utterly sinister.
(End of this chapter)
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