"The second week after the start of term, I lost control again."
"In front of everyone, I transformed into a beast during Potions class, and amid the chaos caused by the mass potion failure, I seriously injured three classmates with my kicks."
"I thought I was definitely going to be expelled."
"But unexpectedly…"
"Headmistress Derwent protected me once more. She personally visited the homes of the injured students to apologize and allowed me to stay at Hogwarts."
"But what's the point?"
"I still can't control when I turn into a beast. What's already happened is bound to happen again."
"Maybe… dying like this would be better. At least I'd be buried as a human."
"…"
"Perhaps noticing my despair, Headmistress Derwent asked me after treating me again, 'Have you heard of the Fountain of Fair Fortune?'"
"Fountain of Fair Fortune? Of course I've heard of it. I used to read The Tales of Beedle the Bard as a child."
"The Headmistress smiled gently, as if comforting a child, and said, 'Don't give up. As long as you can find the Fountain of Fair Fortune, you'll definitely have a chance at a new life.'"
So that's why…
Dawn finally understood why these diary pages had been hidden inside a fairy tale book.
He looked at the few remaining notes but didn't rush to read further. Instead, he packed everything away and opened the door of the Room of Requirement.
It was time for the last Flying lesson of the week.
Still…
Could the Fountain of Fair Fortune really exist?
As he walked down the stairs, Dawn's mind remained occupied with this question.
The story of the Fountain of Fair Fortune tells of a magical spring on top of a high mountain. Once a year, only one unfortunate soul may reach it and bathe in its waters to receive everlasting luck.
One year, three witches and a Muggle knight—each with their own troubles—accidentally journeyed together to find the spring.
After overcoming three trials and reaching the spring, they discovered that they no longer needed its magic.
Reading the story, it certainly felt like a made-up moral tale.
Like many fairy tales, it warned against relying on shortcuts and instead praised courage, teamwork, and personal growth as the sources of true fortune.
However…
With the existence of the Deathly Hallows proven true, Dawn found it hard not to wonder—could the Fountain of Fair Fortune actually exist somewhere in the world?
He was thinking about it seriously.
Before he realized it, Dawn had already stepped outside the castle.
A light drizzle still fell from the sky.
But the outdoor Flying lesson hadn't been cancelled.
Humans had always yearned to fly, and even wizards with magical powers were no exception.
"Hurry up, kids! Stop crowding around Harry! Today we're learning how to fly in the rain! Trust me, it'll be useful one day!"
Professor Hooch, with her short grey hair, clapped her hands to get the students into position.
From amidst the crowd, Harry Potter let out a sigh of relief.
Ever since being exceptionally accepted onto the Quidditch team, he was constantly pestered with questions during Flying lessons.
Harry wasn't fond of being surrounded like that.
The pressure from being called the "Boy Who Lived" was already enough—now he also had the label of "Flying Prodigy."
The only comfort was that Malfoy wasn't here today, so at least his ears were spared from those exaggerated taunts.
Yes, he knew that guy too well.
After the students lined up, Professor Hooch finished demonstrating the technique and then allowed them to practice on their own, though they were still restricted to ten meters in height.
Harry flew a lap and then landed at a lower height to wipe the raindrops off his glasses.
And that's when he saw a boy on the ground while everyone else was flying.
He recognized him… well, if listening in from a cupboard counted as "knowing" someone.
"Was his name Dawn… Richter?"
Harry scratched his head.
He'd only heard Hermione mention the name once or twice, so he wasn't too sure.
Even so, he still remembered Dawn as someone impressive.
To be able to speak calmly and eloquently in front of Dumbledore—Harry couldn't imagine himself doing the same.
Curious about what the boy was doing on the ground, Harry lowered his broom to go say hello.
But as he got closer, he realized—
The boy seemed to be staring at someone in a daze.
Dawn hadn't noticed Harry approaching from behind. His entire attention was focused on a blond boy struggling to keep his balance on his broom.
Aemon Carter.
That was his dorm mate.
To be honest, Dawn had never paid much attention to the boy. His strongest memory was from the train ride to Hogwarts when they had a confrontation.
Dawn had fiercely argued with him, even pinned him to the wall of the compartment.
But after arriving at Hogwarts and becoming fellow Ravenclaws, they had no further interaction.
Dawn's gaze followed Aemon's flying figure intently, so much so that he didn't even notice when the wind blew open the edge of his robe.
Too similar.
It was far too similar.
Dawn reached into his leather wallet and pulled out the photograph that had been tucked into the fairy tale book.
He cast a water-repelling charm on it and held it up to his eyes.
He looked at the delicate features of the blonde girl in the photo, then looked back up at Aemon's rain-drenched face.
Finally, he understood the strange sense of familiarity he had been feeling. Aemon looked exactly like the girl in the photo—they could've been carved from the same mold.
So…
Could this girl, the one cursed by blood in the diary, actually be Aemon's ancestor?
Dawn narrowed his crimson eyes.
How could this be just a coincidence?
A girl from a 200-year-old diary he found in the Room of Requirement just happened to be related to his dorm mate?
Alright, statistically it wasn't impossible.
But this improbable occurrence left Dawn with a strange sense of absurdity.
What if it wasn't just coincidence?
He couldn't help but wonder.
He knew he was being overly suspicious and perhaps overthinking things. But for some reason… something he couldn't explain… made him care far too much.
"Who's there?!"
Suddenly.
Feeling the presence of someone behind him, Dawn spun around.
His blood-colored eyes, soaked in a dangerous aura, made the boy trying to greet him freeze in midair.
Harry Potter?
Seeing who it was, Dawn frowned.
He had no interest in dealing with this walking magnet for trouble, and before Harry could even say a word, he turned away with a cold expression and walked off.
Harry stood still in a daze.
Time passed.
"Hey! Harry, what are you doing just standing there?"
Up in the air, Hermione had noticed something strange and flew over. Through the rain, she spotted the figure walking away and frowned.
"Dawn? You wanted to talk to him?"
"No! I mean… not really," Harry replied distractedly.
He reached up and touched the scar on his forehead.
He didn't know why, but when Dawn looked at him just now, his scar suddenly throbbed with pain.
"I see. That's good then," Hermione said, giving him a glance before pulling his sleeve and flying back into the sky with him.
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