Chapter 123
The two of them couldn't stop yawning as they sipped tea with Ethan in Hagrid's hut, having arrived late for their scheduled Charms practice.
Ethan looked at the dark circles under Ron's eyes and wondered, *What's wrong with Ron? How come he looks worse than Harry, who gets up early for Quidditch practice?*
Hermione had noticed Ron's state too. "What's wrong? Did you stay up late last night? You look exhausted."
"Really? It's nothing. Just thinking about something from last night." Ron rubbed his eyes, clearly evasive.
"By the way, how's Ginny been lately? It seems like we haven't seen her at school at all since the train." Ethan had been preoccupied discussing technical issues with the twins last night and had forgotten to ask about Ginny.
"Ginny's fine. I see her in the common room often. It's just that she blushes easily when she runs into you," Hermione teased Ethan.
"Hey, it's not like that at all." Harry, embarrassed, adjusted his glasses and flatly denied it.
He elbowed his friend. "Ron, back me up here. I'm not exaggerating, right?"
"Ginny's your biggest fan. I wouldn't be surprised if she and little Colin Creevey teamed up to start a fan club for you." Instead of backing him up, Ron sided with Hermione.
"I'm going to practice." Harry's face turned red as he rushed out the door.
"I think he'll be pretty happy about that," Ron told Ethan and Hermione after Harry had left.
"Hm?"
Hagrid carried in a dressed wild rabbit. "Why's Harry out there practicing on his own? You'll all have to try some in a bit. My rabbit stew's delicious!"
A massive "DANGER" sign seemed to descend slowly over their heads.
"I knew it. You lot are dying to taste my cooking. Go on, get practicing. The meat should be almost ready by the time you get back." Hagrid mistook the look the three exchanged for impatience.
He put on a flowery apron, hummed a cheerful little tune, set the pot on the stove, and began preparing the stew.
Soon enough, it was noon. Hagrid was determined to make the others taste the rabbit dish he had prepared. Before they could even think of slipping away, they found him already waiting outside his hut.
There was no way out of it. The four of them could only trudge into the hut with long faces, looking thoroughly defeated.
"This is delicious. How did you make it?" Ethan was surprised to find it genuinely tasty.
"Family secret recipe. My dad used to make it for me all the time." Hagrid beamed as he watched the four of them dig in.
Having eaten their fill, the group said goodbye to Hagrid and returned to the castle to attend to their own business.
In the blink of an eye, Friday had arrived. By Friday morning, Ethan had finally finished transcribing the book.
*Phew. Finally done. That was exhausting.* He closed the book and tied the cord, watching the giant snake poke its head out of the water, swim in a few circles, and sink back into the depths.
When he went to the library that evening, Ethan handed the book to Madam Pince.
"Yes, the cord is intact, and the cover is undamaged." Madam Pince, a woman who cherished her books, examined the volume.
"Would you like to open it and check the contents? I have some leftover blood." Guessing what she wanted, he pulled a vial of the remaining blood from his bag.
Madam Pince opened her mouth, hesitated, then took the vial and dripped a single drop onto the cover.
Once the snake had vanished into the lake, Madam Pince opened the book and checked the pages one by one to ensure none were missing.
"Yes, good." Madam Pince tied the cord back and nodded at him, indicating that everything was in order and he could leave.
Ethan nodded. He watched her carry the book to a secluded spot in the Restricted Section, then turned his attention to finishing that night's homework.
After leaving the library, Ethan mulled over the best time to sneak out at night with the book and let the blood-red lake soak the cover.
He finally made a decision. *I'll wait until next semester. I'm probably the only one who's checked this book out recently. If it goes missing now, I'll be the prime suspect.*
That night, after stashing his things in the dormitory, he returned to the Room of Requirement to refine the projection technique he was starting to grasp.
A week earlier, his charm could only cast flat, still images, like a projector without a screen.
However, after a week of research squeezed in between copying sessions, he'd essentially replicated the holographic projections from his past life.
Holding a photo of Ron vomiting slugs, taken by Colin and supplied by the twins, Ethan cast the charm he'd named Jones's Projection Technique.
Ethan tapped the photo. Blue light spilled from his wand, casting the image into the air.
*It's like I was actually there. Not bad at all.* Ethan watched the scene play out before his eyes, feeling reasonably satisfied.
*We still need to sort out the sound effects for the cards. Once I teach this charm to Fred and the others, I'll be done.* He tapped his wand again, and the projection vanished.
It was nearly eleven o'clock. He sprayed himself with a deodorizing mist and cast the Disillusionment Charm. Hovering a foot off the ground, he pulled open the wooden door and drifted out of the Room of Requirement.
Ethan moved slowly, barely faster than a normal walking pace. He worried that flying too fast would create a rush of wind and alert Filch.
"Meow!" The cat's cry made Ethan's heart lurch.
He stopped dead and shot up from about a foot off the ground to roughly seven feet in the air. His head was now mere inches from the corridor ceiling.
He held his breath and gathered his trailing robes so they wouldn't sway and give him away.
"Mrs. Norris, hurry. Find the student out of bed!" Filch's eager voice reached Ethan, accompanied by heavy footsteps.
"Meow!" Mrs. Norris yowled again, scurrying frantically beneath him.
About ten seconds later, Filch hurried past below, carrying a lantern, a delighted smile plastered across his face.
After about a minute, seeing that Filch hadn't doubled back, Ethan relaxed. *I wonder who's unlucky enough to be caught by Filch. But I didn't see anyone. Maybe he chased them the wrong way.*
To avoid hitting his head, he dipped slightly lower and continued his slow flight toward the dungeons.
Suddenly, he stopped again and ascended once more.
"That little brat got away!" Filch cursed, heading back with the scrawny cat at his side, straight toward Ethan.
Just then, another set of footsteps echoed from the entrance of the corridor.
"Hmm?" Filch froze, straining his ears to make sure he'd heard correctly.
"Go, Mrs. Norris. Get that arrogant brat!" He pointed, and the skinny cat shot out like an arrow.
"Stop! You foul beast! You'll tear my clothes to shreds!"
"Professor Lockhart?! I'm sorry. I thought it was a student out of bed," Filch stammered.
"Even if it is a student, you can't let your pet run around scratching people's clothes! Look at my violet robes. The back hem is torn!"
"I'm sorry, truly sorry. I've chased after this student twice and still haven't caught him. I apologize, Professor Lockhart."
"Forget it. Just be more careful from now on!" Lockhart had a furious expression that Ethan had never seen before.
This bestselling author always smiled at students and professors alike.
Realizing his outburst clashed with the image he usually cultivated, Lockhart quickly returned to his typical enthusiastic tone.
"Mr. Filch, did you say there's a student out of bed that you haven't caught? Do you require my assistance? I am, after all, the wizard who once banished the Banshee of the Wailing Widow..."
Simply listing that long string of achievements took nearly a minute.
Filch's tone instantly shifted from apologetic to delighted.
"Thank you, Professor Lockhart. That student must still be in the castle. Let's split up, cover the main corridors, and search thoroughly. I'm certain we will catch this little brat who broke the rules."
Ethan felt numb. He stayed where he was, watching the two of them pass beneath him. Only then did he slowly make his way toward the dungeons.
"Don't run! You little brat!"
"Professor Lockhart, do you see him?"
Shouts reached him occasionally. But by the time the sounds faded completely, he hadn't heard either of them say they'd caught the student out of bed.
*Could it be the twins? Surely not. Aren't they getting up early tomorrow morning to spy on Slytherin Quidditch practice? They didn't even go to the Room of Requirement tonight. Would they really be wandering the castle at this hour?*
Back in the dormitory, Ethan lay on his bed. He thought about it for a moment before sinking into a deep sleep.
When he woke the next day, Draco was already gone.
Since making the Quidditch team, Draco had been pushing himself to the limit, eager to prove his worth. Even the Potions review he'd sworn to focus on last year had taken a backseat.
However, after the brawl during the first training session of the year, both Gryffindor and Slytherin reined in their practice times, staggering them to avoid further conflict.
This week was Slytherin's turn for morning practice, so Draco rose early to get in some extra training time.
Ethan climbed out of bed. As he made his way to the Great Hall, he noticed that the hourglasses for the four houses hadn't moved much.
After breakfast, he lingered in the common room, a rare occurrence for him.
It seemed like they hadn't caught anyone.
The little snakes hadn't said a word about last night. Ethan shook his head, left the dormitory, and knocked on Snape's office door.
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1. Harry Potter: Satan? Nah, Just My Family Crest = CHAPTER 278
2.Marvel: Cosmic Forger of Infinity = CHAPTER 194
3.Harry Potter: Beyond Good and Evil in the Wizarding World = CHAPTER 280
4.Harry Potter: Reborn as Draco Black = CHAPTER 121
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