Of course, Dumbledore and Snape understood that Ethan was referring to his apparent age, which was still too young to meet the official requirements for the Triwizard Tournament.
However, Harry Potter hadn't met the requirements either, and Voldemort's group had clearly considered the unbreakable rule that "the Goblet of Fire's decision is final" when they forced Harry into the competition.
Since the Death Eaters could exploit this loophole, why couldn't Dumbledore?
This was no longer a normal competition. According to the Death Eaters' plan, Harry would practically be guaranteed to win. This was essentially a performance, and one orchestrated by the enemy.
As mortal enemies, the correct approach was to avoid following their script and, in the process, create trouble for them.
"So, you just need me to make sure Harry doesn't get hurt, right?"
"Yes."
Dumbledore primarily asked Ethan to represent Hogwarts for safety reasons.
First, whoever became the Hogwarts champion would inevitably be pulled into this conspiracy. Even with prior warnings, their safety couldn't be guaranteed. Accidents could still happen.
Second, Harry was Voldemort's main target. Given the situation, Harry was almost certain to face Voldemort directly.
This meant Harry would be in the most dangerous environment, and in such a situation, he could very well lose his life.
During the Order of the Phoenix meeting, Sirius had strongly opposed putting Harry in such danger.
Lately, Sirius had been trying to convince Harry to move out and live with him. Aside from being Harry's godfather, he also wanted to protect Harry up close and give Voldemort no opportunity.
He already felt his protection hadn't been thorough enough. How could he just stand by and send Harry straight to face Voldemort?
"As long as I'm alive, no one is going to force Harry to participate in that damn Triwizard Tournament. It's just a trap set by the Death Eaters, and Harry wasn't even eligible to compete!"
Having been thrown into Azkaban for over a decade without cause, Sirius naturally held a grudge against the Ministry of Magic. Because of Harry, he managed to suppress his dissatisfaction. Even though the Ministry never publicly cleared his name or restored his reputation, he didn't pursue it or care. It was all for Harry.
But if the Ministry dared put Harry in danger now, Sirius wouldn't mind becoming a real criminal, just to show those Ministry fools what it meant to truly go mad.
Dumbledore wasn't sure whether the Ministry feared Sirius, but he was certainly dealing with a headache now.
After thinking it through, the safest option was still to have Ethan protect Harry up close.
But how close would be considered safe?
Ethan was a student at Hogwarts. He couldn't participate as a judge or anything similar.
Besides, the Triwizard Tournament didn't really have judges in the usual sense. The criteria for victory were clearly defined, and only the champions were allowed into the competition areas.
So the answer was obvious. Only by competing as a champion could Ethan get close enough to protect Harry.
"Alright. I don't have anything else going on anyway."
The biggest challenge for Ethan in all of this was... how to restrain himself and not kill Voldemort...
Hmm... he couldn't even beat him up too badly. If he accidentally injured him too seriously again, or scared him into retreating so that he didn't dare show up, wouldn't all these arrangements be for nothing?
"Worst case, I'll just hide in the shadows and take Harry away the moment Voldemort gets resurrected."
Seeing Ethan nod in agreement, Dumbledore finally breathed a sigh of relief.
As his interactions with Ethan increased, and he came to understand him more, Dumbledore finally understood why the three-headed dog and the phoenix were so well-behaved around him.
There was a subtle, indescribable pressure emanating from this person. But Ethan concealed it very well, and most people couldn't detect it.
Or rather, because people are more used to observing and judging others with their eyes rather than purely relying on instinct, they didn't immediately notice it.
Dumbledore gave a wry smile. Wasn't he the same? If Ethan hadn't chosen to conceal it and had instead shown it openly, he might still be struggling to figure out who or what Ethan really was.
"I'm very grateful for your help."
Ethan looked at Dumbledore beside him. The old professor was still smiling and standing politely nearby, showing no intention of leaving.
Snape understood why, but he didn't want to speak up. He was afraid that if he said something at the wrong time, he'd get dragged into trouble.
"Is there something else?"
"Yes. Mr. Sirius Black, Harry's godfather, hopes to meet you in person."
"Sirius? He wants to see me..."
Ethan immediately understood. Dumbledore had probably made repeated guarantees about finding a qualified 'bodyguard' for Harry, but Sirius didn't know him. Even with Lupin vouching for him, it wouldn't reduce his suspicions.
This was normal. If it were Ethan, he wouldn't easily trust someone he had never met either. Especially when Sirius had once suffered greatly from trusting the wrong person.
"He wants to test my strength, I presume."
"That's right."
"That's fine. It's human nature. I understand."
Ethan nodded, showing that he understood, but Dumbledore still didn't leave or take Ethan to meet Sirius right away. Instead, he began to request in a soft voice.
"Sirius was falsely imprisoned in Azkaban for more than a decade. His temper is... a bit volatile, and he might say some inappropriate things..."
"You're hoping I won't take it to heart? And that I'll go easy on him during the spar, not hurt him?"
Sirius was a well-known figure in the wizarding world. Even the Ministry's Aurors didn't dare say they could take him lightly. Yet in Ethan's words, he sounded like a child who could be easily beaten up.
Dumbledore knew it was true, but it still felt a bit strange. Yet he had to nod and admit that Ethan was right. Otherwise, if Ethan lost his temper, who knew what would happen to Sirius?
"I promise I won't hurt him. Let's go now."
Sirius had specifically come to Hogwarts to meet Ethan. There was no need to arrange a meeting off-campus.
At this stage, going off-campus would only create more complications. Who knew whose attention they might attract?
In this period where Death Eaters could be hiding anywhere, Hogwarts was one of the few relatively safe places.
Even though some students came from pure-blood wizarding families or even Death Eater households, these children weren't beyond saving. In Dumbledore's view, they were still the future of the magical world. They weren't enemies. They had just absorbed the wrong ideas from a young age and only needed correction.
Following behind Dumbledore, the three of them perfectly avoided areas where students usually gathered. After walking through several quiet corridors, they soon arrived at a secluded classroom.
Ethan saw Professor McGonagall already waiting. After nodding at Ethan, she didn't follow them inside. She stood by the door to prevent students or unaware professors from walking in by mistake.
Upon entering the classroom, the old room was filled with dust. Thick cobwebs hung in the corners. It was obvious that this place hadn't been used in a long time. Besides a few piles of junk in the corners, there was nothing else. Even the basic cleaning spells had been long abandoned.
"There are quite a few places like this in Hogwarts..."
"The school is large, but with only so many students and teachers, many areas remain unused."
Dumbledore genuinely hoped the entire school could be fully utilized. That would mean there were enough students, indirectly proving the magical world was thriving.
Ethan withdrew his gaze from the surroundings and turned his attention to the man standing before him.
From the moment they entered, the man's eyes hadn't left Ethan. There was a hint of doubt in his expression, as if he couldn't understand why Dumbledore valued this person so highly.
If his friend Lupin hadn't repeatedly vouched for him, he might have thought Dumbledore was just humoring him.
The door closed, and Dumbledore and Snape quietly stepped back a few paces, giving the two people in the center room to move freely.
Besides the two facing off, only Professor Lupin was also present. He was about to say something to his friend but was stopped by Sirius.
"No need to say anything. I'll find out soon enough."
Lupin reluctantly stepped back to Dumbledore's side. Deep down, he was actually looking forward to seeing Ethan in action again. It would have been even better if the person opposite him wasn't his old friend.
"Sirius Orion Black."
"Ethan."
Sirius pulled out his wand and bowed slightly to Ethan in greeting.
"This isn't personal. I just want to ensure Harry's safety."
"I understand," Ethan nodded, returning the bow, then casually put his wand away. "You'll know the answer very soon."
Sirius was still wondering what Ethan meant by that gesture when Lupin suddenly reminded him.
"Be careful. He doesn't need a wand to cast spells."
Lupin's reminder brought Sirius back to his senses. That lingering uncertainty from earlier vanished instantly. No wizard capable of wandless magic could be considered weak.
At the same time, he felt a flash of annoyance at being underestimated. In the wizarding world, it was widely accepted that wandless magic was less efficient, slower, and weaker than using a wand. The gesture made it seem like Ethan didn't take him seriously at all.
Just as Sirius was about to show Ethan what he was capable of, he suddenly heard Ethan say, "I heard you're an Animagus? You must be pretty used to the feeling of turning into an animal by now."
Sirius didn't understand what Ethan meant by that. But before he could react, he suddenly found his entire body out of control. From his mouth came a sound that was both strange and familiar.
"Meeeh~"
(To be continued.)
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