Once a person had a clear goal, even enormous obstacles could eventually be solved through creativity and determination.
And Ethan's chosen method for safely farming sin points was simple.
Bully first and second-year students relentlessly for two straight weeks.
Friday morning, immediately after Potions class ended, Professor McGonagall blocked the dungeon doorway like divine punishment descending upon Earth.
"You are going to explain this to me, Mr. Norton."
Her expression suggested she was approximately one inconvenience away from spontaneous combustion.
"According to Mr. Macmillan, his hair only turned bright green after eating sweets you provided him."
"Maybe the sweets expired," Ethan argued innocently. "Or perhaps my father enchanted them. Last month I heard him joking about dyeing my hair green too."
"Oh really?" Professor McGonagall said dangerously. "Then the hairpin that transformed into a screaming mouse in Miss Abbott's hair was also your father's doing?"
"That one was probably my mother."
"Detention. One full week."
Professor McGonagall delivered the sentence with absolute authority.
"I taught both your parents," she continued sternly. "And I assure you neither of them would play such idiotic pranks on innocent classmates."
Then her eyes narrowed sharply.
"You do not want them summoned here two weeks before Christmas, do you?"
Ethan immediately became obedient.
"Over one hundred students have reported you in the past two weeks," McGonagall continued. "Several first-years are convinced you're secretly the Dark Lord reborn. You should feel ashamed."
Honestly, those accusations were deeply exaggerated.
All Ethan had actually done was secretly drain a tiny amount of joyful emotion while telling frightening stories in a dramatic voice.
If Voldemort had been responsible instead, those students would have lost significantly more than emotional stability.
"Classmates are supposed to support one another," McGonagall lectured firmly. "Not become targets for ridiculous magical pranks."
Then she sighed heavily.
"You have exceptional talent in both Transfiguration and Charms, Ethan. If you're truly bored, Professor Flitwick and I would gladly teach you advanced material instead."
Her expression softened slightly.
"Magic is not a toy. One small mistake can have extremely serious consequences."
Professor McGonagall spent nearly thirty minutes educating Ethan about friendship, responsibility, maturity, emotional intelligence, and proper social behaviour.
Only after Ethan repeatedly apologised and swore he would never repeat such behaviour again did she finally release him.
To be fair, Ethan admitted he might have gone slightly too far recently.
But putting aside the fact that he failed to reach two thousand sin points despite tremendous effort…
Weren't Hogwarts students also partly responsible?
"You're unbelievably unreasonable," the Count remarked later inside the Room of Requirement.
Ethan stretched comfortably across the bed in the corner.
"I'm eleven years and four months old," he replied calmly. "Being childish is developmentally appropriate."
After two weeks of dedicated work, his progress had finally reached the edge of success.
[Current Sin Value: 1999]
Just one point remained.
One final prank victim.
How difficult could that possibly be?
Ethan's eyes slowly shifted toward the Count.
"…No," the bird said immediately.
"AAAAAAAH!"
Several seconds later, the Count once again experienced the unique joy of spontaneous feather loss.
[Ding! Sin Value +1]
Perfect.
Originally, Ethan intended to continue farming sin points from the Count indefinitely. Unfortunately, the bird had gradually developed resistance.
Repeated suffering no longer produced the same emotional impact.
A few days earlier, Ethan had literally transformed the Count into a teacup during a romantic moment with Hedwig and still gained no sin points whatsoever.
This strongly suggested the system rewards depended partly on emotional acceptance from the target.
Apparently emotional numbness reduced profitability.
[Current Sin Value (2000/2000) has reached required threshold.]
[Evil Branch Quest unlocked.]
[Note: You inherently evil little Dementor hybrid. I should install Genshin Impact directly into your system.]
"…."
Ethan stared silently at the notification.
At this rate, he would never smile brightly again.
Not that Dementors produced sunshine anyway.
That was more of a sunflower responsibility.
[Evil Branch Quest (1/7)]
Prevent Harry Potter from obtaining the Philosopher's Stone.
[Reward: 1000 Sin Points]
[Reward: Mourning Frost (Weapon)]
[Note: Future evil quests will change according to your choices. Carefully consider your position.]
Ethan blinked thoughtfully.
"So all I need is the Philosopher's Stone first?"
That actually sounded surprisingly manageable.
Behind him, the Count suddenly erupted into another furious scream.
"WHEN ARE YOU FIXING MY FEATHERS?!"
The bird flapped wildly around the room.
"I must have been a plague mosquito in my previous life to deserve becoming your pet!"
Fortunately, Ethan could now cast the reversal charm for Vanishing Spells successfully.
Unfortunately, he slightly overdid it.
Not only did the Count's missing feathers return…
But all the feathers Ethan had previously vanished over the past several weeks suddenly returned at once too.
The owl instantly became three times fluffier.
"You absolute little bastard—!"
November arrived quickly afterward.
And with November came the brutal cold of the Scottish Highlands.
Autumn's "slightly chilly weather" transformed almost overnight into frozen stone paths coated with frost and ice.
Watching Filch scrape ice from the castle courtyard every morning without magic genuinely made Ethan suspect Dumbledore simply enjoyed psychological warfare.
As a Squib, Filch had to clear the frost manually.
This transformed him into something resembling an unstable explosive device.
Any student approaching within five metres outdoors risked immediate detention.
Naturally, Fred and George dedicated themselves fully to worsening his suffering by secretly splashing water across the courtyard every night to create thicker ice.
Ethan participated enthusiastically.
"You should really eat something, Harry."
On a bright Saturday morning, Ethan watched Harry stare at breakfast with the expression of someone moments away from taking life-altering examinations.
"I'm not hungry," Harry muttered weakly.
Today marked Harry's very first Quidditch match.
Unfortunately, Snape had confiscated Quidditch Through the Ages earlier that week after catching Harry carrying it around constantly.
Even worse, Harry had seen something terrifying.
Snape's leg was badly injured.
And Harry was absolutely convinced the wound came from the three-headed dog guarding the trapdoor.
"I honestly think he's suspicious too," Ethan agreed thoughtfully while eating toast.
Snape definitely looked like someone trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone.
Then again, Voldemort remained suspicious too.
Quirrell simply hid his intentions too effectively.
At this point, Ethan genuinely began questioning reality itself.
Seriously.
Who exactly was the main character here?
....
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