Defence Against the Dark Arts, under Professor Lockhart, had ceased to be a practical class. Each session, he would either read from his own published works or, more often, orchestrate dramatic reenactments of his "famous" adventures. The word "famous," of course, was entirely his own inflated assessment.
For these theatrical displays, Lockhart consistently sought out Harry Potter. It was clear the man was a master of self-promotion, a natural at the kind of popularity-seeking Sean had only seen on the internet in his previous life. Lockhart had a particular talent for riding on the coattails of others' fame.
However, perhaps influenced by Sean's recent advice, Harry had begun to refuse Lockhart's invitations. This forced Lockhart to grudgingly fall back on a male fan from Gryffindor. Unfortunately for Lockhart, this fan had a tendency to dramatically overact, often stealing the limelight, much to the professor's quiet frustration.
Then, one day, to Lockhart's utter surprise and delight, Harry Potter, the Savior himself, approached him and actually volunteered to reenact a scene from Lockhart's classic "Wanderings with Werewolves." Lockhart preened, inwardly convinced that his sheer charm had finally conquered the Boy Who Lived.
It must be my personal charisma! Lockhart thought, basking in the glow of Harry's apparent adoration.
Watching Harry enthusiastically participate in Lockhart's clown show, Blaise stifled a laugh, nudging Sean's thigh. "Sean, why did the Savior suddenly lose his mind? Why is he actively cooperating with that fraud Lockhart? Has the great Savior finally become a fan?"
"More likely," Sean murmured, his eyes fixed on his book, "Harry and his friends want something from Lockhart. Otherwise, they wouldn't actively be cooperating with him."
"You're always defending the Savior," Blaise accused, pouting.
"I'm merely stating facts. You, on the other hand, always hold an unnecessary prejudice against Harry and the Gryffindors."
"Well, I simply don't like Gryffindors," Blaise concluded, dismissing the topic with a shrug.
Sean chuckled, shaking his head. He changed the subject. "How are things with your girlfriend, lately? You haven't been going to the library much."
Blaise awkwardly scratched his head. "The library isn't really my scene, to be honest. At first, it was novel, being with her there, but she's quite serious about her studies. She doesn't talk much in the library, and she doesn't like being disturbed. So, I haven't been going with her recently. But we're still together, and it hasn't affected our relationship. I think it's working out quite well, actually. We have our own lives."
Sean looked at Blaise, a small, genuine smile forming on his face. This relationship felt different. Blaise seemed to be settling down, just a little. That's good, Sean thought. Otherwise, if he kept switching girlfriends, Hogwarts might run out of female students.
He returned to his reading. Lately, the workload from the Potions Club had intensified, and Sean had been particularly inspired. He was already outlining his second research paper. Once the theoretical groundwork was complete, he planned to begin the practical experiments, summarize his findings, and have the paper ready before the end of the semester.
At the Sprucewood Club, Professor McGonagall had clearly set her sights on Sean. Having already published in The Golden Cauldron, she now harbored a not-so-secret desire for him to publish a paper in Animagus, Britain's premier Transfiguration journal.
Professor McGonagall was known for her strict impartiality, but when it came to her professional rivalry with Snape, she was fiercely competitive. Even if Sean was a Slytherin, his talent in Transfiguration made him a valuable asset in her quiet war against the Head of Slytherin.
However, Transfiguration was fundamentally different from Potions. To write a publishable paper in Transfiguration, Sean would need to advance his skill to the third stage. Only then would he possess the macroscopic and microscopic understanding necessary to truly grasp the essence of Transfiguration, rather than merely performing spells by rote.
The Defence Against the Dark Arts class, which mostly consisted of Lockhart's self-aggrandizing performances, finally ended. Sean and Blaise left the classroom together. As they exited, Sean saw Harry and his two friends huddled around Lockhart, asking for something. He overheard fragments of their conversation—they wanted Lockhart to grant them permission to enter the Restricted Section of the library.
Hearing this, Sean realized he hadn't thought of that. A permission slip from a professor would simplify things. However, even if he gained access, there weren't any specific books he desperately needed from the Restricted Section at the moment. He was already struggling to keep up with the reading lists provided by Snape and McGonagall. Combined with his other plans, the forbidden allure of the Restricted Section wasn't enough to tempt him to spend his limited time there.
After class, Sean didn't return to his room to rest. He said goodbye to Blaise, who immediately headed off to meet his girlfriend. Sean, however, made his way to the Room of Requirement. He pictured "The Room That Only Sean Bulstrode Can Enter When He Is Alone" in his mind.
This room had two crucial conditions for entry: it could only be accessed by someone named Sean Bulstrode, and that person had to be completely alone. While it was possible, if unlikely, that another wizard shared his name, it was nearly impossible for such a person to know about the Room of Requirement, let alone this specific iteration of it. It was, therefore, a fortress of solitude.
He pushed open the large, oak door that materialized before him. Inside, he found a cozy, but not overly large, study. The diary rested on a small, elegant desk in the center of the room.
Sean walked over, took a seat, and pulled out his current Transfiguration book and a notebook. He opened the diary and wrote: "Let's continue with Transfiguration from last time."
"Alright."
A moment later, lines of elegant script began to form on the page: "The third stage of Transfiguration requires a deep microscopic and macroscopic understanding of matter. You must comprehend..."
Sean began diligently taking notes, cross-referencing the diary's information with his own textbooks and Gavin's notes. The Room of Requirement fell silent, save for the rhythmic scratching of Sean's quill on parchment.
[Chapter Complete]
***
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