That night.
In the forbidden area of the fourth-floor corridor.
Ethan skillfully lifted the Disillusionment Charm, as if he were returning to his own home.
From behind the door, several low growls could be heard.
That was the original Cerberus, Fluffy.
However, Ethan didn't plan to go inside.
He was here tonight to set up the mural, but that didn't mean he had to go through the trapdoor.
"The Portal."
Ethan gently stroked the ground, and a pitch-black door immediately opened from the floor.
Returning to the original purpose of The Portal painting, it could open a door anywhere, penetrating the object itself.
The dark shadow in the middle spun, then revealed the scene below—a room with a live troll.
The second-to-last obstacle Quirrell had set up to protect the Philosopher's Stone.
Ethan's eyes lit up slightly, and he curled his lips, smiling:
"Guessed right."
The space beneath the fourth floor was exactly the passage where the Philosopher's Stone was kept!
This wasn't hard to figure out.
In the original story, Harry and his friends fell through the trapdoor.
Therefore, this challenge route must actually exist in the castle.
He could use the portal to arrive directly, jumping in from above.
Honestly, if they really wanted to protect the Philosopher's Stone, why didn't they create an uncrackable protective magic?
Did Dumbledore have to go through all the challenges every time he went to check on it?
"Harry, oh Harry, you've really been set up perfectly clear."
Ethan shook his head.
After the troll, there was Snape's potion puzzle, and then the Mirror of Erised, which held the Philosopher's Stone.
But because Professor Snape used flames on both sides as a barrier, Ethan couldn't paint above it.
So he could only set up the mural beforehand.
Professor Snape, anyway, in the movie version, your meticulously arranged potion puzzle test didn't even appear.
So let's just skip it again.
Hehe~
Just as Ethan was about to jump into the portal, an old and gentle voice sounded from behind him:
"Good evening, Mr. Vincent."
Ethan's heart gave a sudden leap.
Not because he was caught, but because he hadn't detected the other party's approach at all.
With Level Two of the Knowledge skill, even with the Disillusionment Charm, Ethan could detect someone approaching from behind.
Just as a person walking would inevitably kick up imperceptible dust, magic would also undergo tiny changes.
Thoughts floated.
Ethan stood up and turned his head.
Looking at the white-haired old man in front of him, he smiled:
"Good evening, Professor Dumbledore."
Everything seemed so harmonious and proper.
It would be even better if it wasn't during the midnight curfew and in the forbidden area of the fourth-floor corridor.
Behind his half-moon spectacles, Dumbledore watched Ethan.
From those cobalt-blue eyes, one could only see a brilliant galaxy, with no useful memories to be found.
In a way, he was indeed quite pure.
Purely wanting to torment others with art.
Aside from that, Ethan was truly a gifted and talented child.
Even Dumbledore himself hadn't expected that Ethan could actually win first place in the challenge.
—Although the cost was Hogwarts' reputation being harmed.
Letters from the Ministry of Magic flew in like snowflakes, demanding he explain a "special talent cultivation program" that didn't exist at all.
Making him lose a lot of hair from being so busy during this time.
Composing himself, Dumbledore asked kindly, "May I watch you from the side?"
"No problem."
Ethan agreed immediately.
Old Dumbledore must have been moved by his art, so he specially came to appreciate it.
It wasn't in vain that he had given Dumbledore a smaller, weakened version of "Erised's Call" for Christmas.
Ethan led Dumbledore, jumping into the opened portal, directly knocking out the troll.
Then, under Dumbledore's curious gaze, he took out scaffolding, bottles of mineral pigments, a palette and brush holder, an automatic tape measure, and a plumb bob from his leather bag—was he going to start construction?
Dumbledore was a little stunned.
"Green malachite powder, blue lapis lazuli powder, red cinnabar—and dragon's blood glue for binding, moonlight stone powder for a fluorescent effect."
Ethan looked up, saying with a pained expression:
"Do you know how much these expensive art supplies cost me? A full 986 Galleons!"
"Every hundred grams of mineral pigment costs several Galleons. A box of dragon's blood glue dares to ask for one hundred and fifty Galleons!"
Ethan couldn't help but wring his hands.
First-tier oil paintings could use his own magic as pigment, so the cost wasn't much.
But second-tier murals had to use mineral pigments rich in magic.
And those precious minerals were all quite expensive.
Money-burning, it was simply too money-burning!
His small treasury suddenly emptied a lot!
This was even after he sold off the "worthless trinkets" that the old goblin routinely threw at him.
The higher the level, the more money the paintings burned.
Ethan felt a sense of urgency.
The prize money from participating in the competition was completely insufficient to support his future advancements.
Besides the old goblin's inheritance, and making the various families supporting him explode with Galleons.
He also needed to consider other ways to earn money.
Now that his reputation was growing, perhaps he could consider taking commissions from this mysterious magic world to earn money...
Alas~ money and strength, I really want to raise them to the highest level in one go!
Dumbledore smiled, "Are you going to paint at Hogwarts? Hmm, perhaps I should fund it to encourage young wizards to develop their hobbies."
"Really?"
Ethan's eyes lit up, and he immediately felt a greater surge of motivation.
"Then you just watch, what I am about to complete is an unparalleled masterpiece that will surely go down in history with Hogwarts."
Besides money, what Ethan truly yearned for was the incredibly precious and unparalleled Philosopher's Stone.
If he could get it, it would surely be of great benefit to his painting...
Ethan secretly licked his molars.
Later.
Ethan skillfully set up the scaffolding, mixed the pigments, turned his wand into a brush, and began working on the wall with bold strokes.
Dumbledore watched Ethan's movements intently, a hint of admiration involuntarily showing in his eyes.
Incredibly focused, highly concentrated.
When painting, Ethan seemed to enter another world.
Completely immersed in the pigments and brushes, continuously filling the blank canvas.
"Everyone knows Ethan is a genius, but they don't know the fervent and persistent pursuit behind the genius."
When Dumbledore saw Ethan take out the exquisite ancient city model, he couldn't help but exclaim in wonder.
When Ethan set up swinging blades on the single-plank bridge, Dumbledore's smile faded.
When Ethan placed giant rolling stones on a narrow path, Dumbledore's brows furrowed.
When Ethan stuffed live armors on both sides and the front of the single-plank bridge, behind wall corners, and at the front and back of the one-way path, Dumbledore hesitated to speak.
When he saw Ethan take out the card from which dragon roars faintly emanated—Dumbledore raised his hand and pressed Ethan's shoulder: "It's not that serious."
Ethan turned his head, curved his eyes, and smiled:
"It's fine, he won't die."
"This is a very powerful and irritable female dragon; Quirrell can't kill her."
Dumbledore: "..."
No, I'm worried about Quirrell.
Watching Ethan release the giant dragon from the top of the ancient city, listening to its earth-shattering furious roar, Dumbledore felt his eyelids twitch wildly.
Would Quirrell, whom he had protected for a semester, be killed at the last moment?
Never before had Dumbledore felt such pity for an enemy's fate.
And this pity reached its peak when he saw two things floating out of thin air after the dragon, at the final obstacle.
Dumbledore could only identify one as a bezoar.
The other one...
He could only pray for Ethan's humanity.
Now, Dumbledore felt that Ethan had held back in the challenge, not showcasing his full talent.
Ethan clapped his hands, proudly saying: "Norwegian Ridgeback dragon teeth are poisonous, and a bezoar is a universal antidote. This small piece costs 13 Galleons."
"I'm really kind; I even gave Quirrell healing items."
Praising himself, Dumbledore: "..."
Perhaps after Quirrell (Lord Voldemort) goes through the Ancient City of Saen, Ethan Vincent will quickly ascend to the top of the "Most Wanted to Eliminate" ranking.
Harry Potter would be relegated to second place.
A pale blue line of text appeared before Ethan's eyes:
[Congratulations!
Successfully completed the second-tier mural painting!
Name: Ancient City of Saen
Based on various judgment points, the grade of this painting is—
Second Tier, Purple Epic!]
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