History of Magic was, as always, dreadfully dull.
Professor Binns was the kind of teacher who only cared about lecturing, paying no attention to what the students were doing.
Sean glanced at the book in his hands, one he'd acquired from the Firwood Club. It contained advanced theories on Transfiguration, which were proving helpful as he worked toward mastering the third stage of the subject.
But that wasn't all. During this time, Sean had been studying in the Room of Requirement, consulting the diary daily about magical topics—Transfiguration, Potions, and more. When asking questions, he gave the diary no feedback, whether its answers were correct, incorrect, useful, or useless. Sean kept his thoughts to himself, revealing nothing to the diary.
The diary, for its part, was smart enough to avoid any tricks.
Magic wasn't just a theoretical subject; it required practice. If the diary tried anything sneaky, it would inevitably cause problems during practical application. Unless it was certain Sean wouldn't notice its manipulations—and that any resulting errors would harm him directly—it would be foolish to try anything.
Such actions would only bring trouble upon itself.
As for Sean, he meticulously verified every piece of knowledge about magic he got from the diary. Only after confirming their accuracy would he dive deeper into studying them. If he encountered something he couldn't verify, he'd consult the relevant professor, ensuring he had a definitive answer before proceeding.
Thanks to his recent pestering of professors, Sean had earned a reputation among them as a diligent, inquisitive student who thought deeply about magic. They privately remarked that it was no surprise he'd published a paper in The Golden Crucible as a first-year—his approach to learning and thinking about magic set him apart from his peers.
"Professor, could you tell us about the Chamber of Secrets?"
Professor Binns looked up at Hermione, clearly surprised. Blinking, he spoke in his usual dry, wheezing voice. "You are…"
"Hermione Granger, Professor!"
"Miss Granger, my class is History of Magic. I deal in facts, not myths and legends." With that, Binns prepared to resume his lecture, which no one cared to listen to.
But Hermione pressed on. "I'd like to ask, Professor—don't legends often have some basis in fact? Surely the legend of the Chamber of Secrets has some factual foundation, doesn't it?"
Sean glanced at Hermione, then at Harry and Ron, who were watching Binns with eager anticipation. He knew the trio was starting to investigate the Chamber's secrets. Ever since Mrs. Norris was petrified, rumors had spread through Hogwarts that Harry was Slytherin's heir.
The rumors had spread quickly and oddly abruptly. When Sean first heard them, he suspected someone was stirring trouble, likely from within Slytherin. He couldn't pinpoint their motive—perhaps they just wanted to antagonize Harry.
Binns returned to Hermione's question.
He spoke about Hogwarts' origins and the legend of the Chamber of Secrets, captivating the students for the first time as they listened intently to his lecture.
Sean, already familiar with much of what Binns said, didn't pay close attention. Instead, he continued studying his book. After all, the diary that could open the Chamber of Secrets was in his possession.
When the bell rang, Binns turned and floated through the blackboard, vanishing from sight.
One by one, the students filed out of the classroom.
Sean and Blaise walked side by side, passing Harry, who had just run into Colin.
"Harry, hi!"
"Hi, Colin," Harry replied, glancing at him. He clearly wasn't keen on lingering.
But Colin had no intention of letting Harry slip away. Trailing close behind, nearly pushing Hermione aside, he rapid-fired questions at Harry. "Harry, Harry, a boy in our year's been saying you're Slytherin's heir. Are you? Really?"
"I'm not, Colin!"
"Then why were you right there at the scene? Were you really just there by chance?"
"I've got things to do, Colin. Sorry, bye."
"Let me take your picture! Please, look at me, Harry, look at me!"
Harry didn't turn back. Noticing the camera flash behind him, he suppressed his irritation, grabbed Ron and Hermione, and hurried forward with his head down.
In his haste, Harry accidentally bumped into Sean.
"Sorry, I…" Seeing it was Sean, Harry let out a relieved breath and managed a small smile. "Oh, it's you, Sean. Sorry, I bumped into you again."
"No worries. How've you been? Though you don't seem to be doing too great."
Harry scratched his head, sighing helplessly. "Ever since I found Mrs. Norris attacked, there've been all these rumors. Honestly, it's giving me a headache."
Sean placed a hand on Harry's shoulder and said quietly, "Harry, defeating You-Know-Who as a baby means you'll always be under scrutiny. People will inevitably misunderstand or slander you. That's just how it is.
What you need to do is ignore them. Focus on getting stronger and carrying yourself with confidence. If you did something, own it. If you didn't, deny it outright. If anyone slanders you, hit back hard—make them understand there's a price for smearing someone's name."
Listening to Sean, Harry took a deep breath, nodding slowly as if something clicked. Gratefully, he said, "Sean, thank you. I always feel like I learn something when we talk. Maybe I really should think about what you said."
"It's just my advice. We're the same age, so I'm not necessarily right. Take it as a reference, but don't accept it blindly. We're different people with different personalities and experiences, after all."
"I understand. Thanks, Sean!"