Luck?
Does it all come down to chance?
"Tsk tsk, Headmaster Dumbledore, that's not very progressive thinking," Ethan teased.
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows: "???" What an avant-garde statement.
Luck isn't some random force—it's like a deck of cards. Superficially "whatever happens," but actually arranged deliberately in advance. Fortunately, money's power is universal across worlds. In the magical world, you can literally buy "luck" with gold coins—Felix Felicis!
Reading Ethan's transparent thoughts, Dumbledore spoke with gentle discouragement, "The Felix Felicis idea won't work. Setting aside that in 1612 it hadn't been officially invented yet, with effects close to zero, even now it's exceedingly precious. Only a handful of accomplished wizards can successfully brew it."
Oh my, what a coincidence—don't we have a freshly available Potions Master right here at school? Plus, I can bring it back through the silver key.
Ethan smiled with pure, angelic innocence, making Dumbledore's brow twitch with a mounting ominous premonition. Which poor unfortunate soul has provoked Ethan now...?
"Thank you for your guidance, Headmaster Dumbledore. Very enlightening indeed," Ethan said graciously.
"No problem whatsoever. Just don't tell anyone I taught you this," Dumbledore replied dryly. Afraid of becoming an accomplice to whatever chaos is brewing.
Seeing the office clock showing the next day had technically arrived, Ethan stood. "It's late, I won't disturb your rest any longer—"
Dumbledore sighed with visible relief.
"One last thing."
Dumbledore's shoulders slumped: "...Go ahead."
Ethan gazed at the oblivious old headmaster, smiling with gentle warmth. "About tomorrow night's full moon..."
Historically, humanity paid a devastating price to finally defeat the goblins and win that brutal war, establishing humanity's absolute ruling position that continues today. Unfortunately, ancient magic knowledge was tragically lost in the process.
But no matter. Ethan has arrived now. From this point forward, history will be rewritten by his hand. New names will be carved permanently in history's river. Powerful ancient magic will be inherited by true justice! Setting off fireworks for the glorious new world!
Ethan's cobalt-blue eyes showed brilliant, almost fanatical radiance! The opportunity likely comes only once in a lifetime. To ensure obtaining ancient magic and giving those greedy goblins trying to steal his treasures a profound shock, Ethan must prepare absolutely perfectly.
First objective—find a selflessly dedicated Potions Master capable of brewing Felix Felicis. Guess who, Professor Snape?
Meanwhile, in his private quarters—"!" Sleeping Professor Snape jolted violently awake! A profound chill ran down his spine!
Why did I dream of Lily transforming into a giant tentacled creature inviting me to join some glorious evolution? Feels distinctly like something evil is watching me.
"Ha, what's there to worry about?" Snape wiped cold sweat from his forehead, laughing with forced confidence. "The full moon's almost here. Turning werewolves back to human form? Utter impossible nonsense!"
Snape ground his teeth with sinister anticipation, muttering darkly, "I want to see exactly what pathetic tricks that hateful brat tries to pull!"
The next day arrived. Evening descended.
Dark night like ocean waves gradually covered the dim yellow sky. Ethan, Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor Lupin, and Professor Snape stood together in the Forbidden Forest, on high alert.
Ethan took a deep, appreciative breath, inhaling the fresh forest air while looking at the dark forest looming like a devouring maw. He sighed contentedly, "Just like home."
The other three exchanged glances: Your home's in the underworld, right?
Professor Lupin felt somewhat helpless—never imagining he'd become the literal bet between Ethan and Snape. However, seeing Snape's unchanged smug expression, Lupin felt secretly pleased. When Ethan succeeds, wonder what shocked, twisted expression Snape will show. Pity—I won't actually see it. After every full moon night, I become extremely weak. Even if Ethan's miraculous ancient magic timely transforms me back with less energy consumption, I'm still bedridden for at least a week.
How I wish to be completely unaffected by the full moon. Lupin smiled with bitter self-deprecation. Thinking with your toes—that's impossible. Being able to transform back midway is already Ethan's incredible gift.
Just then, darkness descended like a curtain. A golden disc-like massive moon emerged from behind thick clouds.
"Ahhh!" Lupin cried out in genuine agony, arching his body violently. His pupils dilated instantly! The centers contracted to pinpoints as coarse black hair sprouted from his skin with disturbing speed. He made terrible beast-like roars, fingernails elongating and sharpening into wicked claws!
Snape frowned with instinctive disgust. No matter how many times I witness this, the scene of humans uncontrollably sliding toward beasts causes visceral discomfort. Is that Ethan brat scared silly yet?
Thinking this, Snape glanced sideways at Ethan—seeing him staring at transforming Lupin with excited, clinical inquisitiveness, even showing obvious appreciation.
Snape stared: "..." Hogwarts entrance examination standards are far too lax.
"ROAR—!" A deep, resonant howl echoed through the forest with primal fury. Within moments, gentle, humorous Professor Lupin had become a terrifyingly irrational werewolf!
"Incarcerous." Dumbledore murmured calmly, his wand flicking with practiced precision. Magical ropes materialized and bound the werewolf completely immobile, only able to roar with impotent fury.
"Mr. Vincent, please proceed." Dumbledore turned to Ethan, his tone measured—he already knew what Ethan would do. No mistakes would occur—
THUD! Ethan set a disturbing painting directly before the struggling werewolf.
Dumbledore's eyes widened: "???" Wait. The Advanced Patronus requires a painting? Not just casting with a wand??
Dumbledore's expression grew gravely solemn, watching the painting continuously dripping crimson paint with its absurd, nightmarish imagery, instinctively feeling profound dread.
Ethan pressed one hand firmly on the ornate frame, looking radiant and spirited—like a commanding general with his warhorse on the battlefield—pointing at the howling werewolf and commanding with sharp authority:
"Eat! Devour all the werewolf bloodline in his body completely!"
As his words fell like a judge's sentence, the two-headed wolf's mouth on the canvas opened impossibly wide—like a Dementor's void—suddenly inhaling with tremendous force!
Whoosh! Visible streams of pitch-black magic flowed from the werewolf like ribbons of darkness, drilling into the canvas, devoured hungrily by the conjoined wolves!
What—what kind of magic is this?! Snape's eyes widened in genuine shock. He didn't know what this bizarre, unprecedented magic was, but anyone with magical sense could feel it was absolutely pure dark magic!
Using extremely evil dark magic directly in front of the Hogwarts Headmaster! Not even pretending anymore?!
Snape raised his wand defensively, roaring with indignation, "Are you showing us how you blatantly violate school rules, Ethan Vincent?! If you're mocking me, you'll pay a terrible price—"
"Shh!" Snape was abruptly interrupted. He raised his eyebrows in outrage, turning toward Dumbledore—seeing this supposedly wise old headmaster with sparkling, fascinated eyes, staring intently at the transformation, softly saying:
"Look carefully, Severus. There's visible change happening."
Hearing this unexpected statement, Snape's heart sank like a stone. He slowly turned toward the werewolf, then his eyes widened to impossible proportions!
As threads of black energy continuously emerged from werewolf Lupin and were absorbed into the painting, his coarse fur was slowly, visibly shedding! Revealing tender human skin beneath—reddish skin like a newborn infant's. Simultaneously, vicious fangs and deadly claws fell away like dead leaves, replaced by new human teeth and ordinary fingernails. Foul, corrupted blood seeped from every pore, floating toward the painted wolf—as if the curse itself were being devoured alive.
Lupin's wild, furious wolf howls gradually weakened, fading until completely disappearing.
Thump! Like a newborn infant emerging from the womb, a curled, blood-soaked human figure collapsed weakly—unmistakably human.
"Ahh~" The two-headed wolf made a satisfied, glutted sound. Instantly, oppressive darkness swallowed everyone—but vanished in a single blink, restoring normal light. Yet it brought tremendous shock and alarm to both Snape and Dumbledore!
Dumbledore looked down at Lupin, his pupils constricting sharply. My binding spell—gone. Completely erased by an invisible hand without question. The magic just disappeared like that. What was that terrifying power just now?
Dumbledore glanced deeply at Ethan with complex emotions, collecting his scattered thoughts to wave his wand, magically cleaning and healing Lupin with practiced efficiency. Within moments, all blood was cleaned away—revealing a perfectly normal, clean human body!
Not only that...
Dumbledore was speechless for several long seconds before saying hoarsely with barely controlled shock, "Lupin's internal magical reaction signature is like an ordinary wizard's... Though still slightly different, not completely recovered to baseline."
Dumbledore turned toward the frozen Professor Snape, saying each word with devastating precision, "Meaning—I believe for the next several months at minimum, Lupin won't transform on full moon nights at all."
Not just turning a werewolf back to human form, but nearly curing lycanthropy itself. Far exceeding the original bet's parameters.
Snape stood gaping with a comically clown-like expression of utter disbelief. He slowly turned, meeting Ethan's curved cobalt eyes full of obvious mockery and cold satisfaction—making even battle-hardened Snape visibly shiver.
Ethan gazed at the thoroughly dazed Professor Snape, his lips curving with cruel satisfaction, saying with deceptive lightness:
"Professor Snape, why such a grand dramatic gesture?"
As the words fell, Snape seemed to finally react to reality, unable to support himself—his knees trembling uncontrollably, he collapsed, kneeling directly before Ethan in complete defeat!
He'd lost. Lost absolutely, completely, irrevocably.
Snape stared blankly up at Ethan, even beginning to doubt if this was all some elaborate dream or illusion Ethan had shown him. What's real? What's false anymore?
Ethan's voice seemed to come from impossibly far away, echoing: "Please rise, Professor Snape. I cannot accept such a bow from you."
Snape's pupils trembled violently, his face ashen like someone mourning deceased parents. Even Dumbledore felt genuine pity—besides the terrible night Lily died, he'd never seen Severus so completely broken. Ethan truly possesses the ability to easily destroy others.
Several tense seconds later, Snape's eyes slowly refocused. Looking at Ethan as if making some monumental determination, he didn't rise but instead deeply bowed his head lower, his lips moving with hoarse desperation:
"Tomorrow at breakfast, before the entire assembled Great Hall, I'll publicly admit my mistakes and ignorance. I'll offer all my worldly wealth, even my very self—only hoping you'll tell me how this was accomplished!"
Hearing this shocking declaration, Dumbledore realized something profound, frowning with concern, "Severus, you know some domains aren't meant for us to tread into."
Ethan's thinking differs fundamentally from normal people, making his acceptance and mental state very advanced. Ethan commands dark forces as their rightful king. We would only be lost in that darkness, devoured and twisted beyond recognition.
However, Snape completely ignored Dumbledore's warning, still stubbornly staring at Ethan, his pitch-black eyes sparking with tiny, desperate, brilliant light!
He saw genuine possibility in Ethan. If Ethan can cure the bloodline-rooted werewolf curse, could he possibly—could he let me see Lily once more?
Fearing Ethan's immediate refusal, the usually haughty Professor Snape urgently pleaded with raw vulnerability, "I'll pay everything—do whatever you want. Anything."
"Aha, you said it yourself," Ethan replied with obvious satisfaction.
Snape's expression suddenly twitched painfully: "... " Brat doesn't hold back even slightly.
Snape's face twisted with obvious pain, as if already feeling the future torturous path ahead. Dealing with devils is just this plain and simple.
Wind blew through the clearing, rustling the Forbidden Forest's ancient trees. Hogwarts Headmaster Dumbledore, who'd lived over a century, wordlessly watched this unprecedented scene—his professor begging a thirteen-year-old student for apprenticeship.
Dumbledore slowly closed his eyes, unable to watch any longer. Too trendy—so trendy my rheumatism might actually flare up.
Ethan looked down thoughtfully at kneeling Professor Snape—observing that sallow face's deep grooves, the huge hooked nose, and eyes like withered trees suddenly welcoming spring—thinking:
I was planning to bring you to the past to help me fight goblins anyway. Why suddenly kneel so dramatically? This deviates slightly from my expected flow. But reconsidering—maybe Snape values formal ceremony. After demonstrating magic, directly shaking hands to discuss blowing up goblins would be too crude, lacking proper gravitas.
Thinking this through, Ethan nodded decisively, choosing to accommodate Professor Snape's harmless little preference for tradition. So with a smooth wrist flick, his wand transformed into a gleaming silver sword, placing it beside (on) Snape's neck/shoulder with ceremonial precision.
"Ethan, that's really not necessary," Dumbledore spoke with nervous persuasion, watching his professor—Voldemort's critically important spy's exposed neck—wait. With Ethan's power, do I really need to painstakingly plant a spy? Can't we just steamroll Voldemort directly?
Dumbledore fell into unprecedented existential contemplation about his entire strategy.
Meanwhile, Ethan held the ceremonial sword, looking down at Professor Snape's trembling (excited?) expression, solemnly intoning:
"Severus Snape, are you willing to fight for me?"
Join my command. Together we'll create a more beautiful, glorious era. The very era Lily fought for her entire life.