After returning to the Slytherin common room with the Philosopher's Stone, Liam wasn't in any hurry to study it.
Treasures of that caliber inevitably attracted attention.
If the owner discovered it was missing, an investigation would certainly follow.
For now, the safest course was patience.
He planned to properly examine the Philosopher's Stone during the Christmas holidays, after leaving Hogwarts.
Besides, even if he wanted to study it immediately, it would be difficult.
The advanced texts on magical construct creation referenced countless ancient alchemical theories that he hadn't fully mastered yet.
Most of the technical terminology still required additional research.
Even so, carrying a legendary artifact in his pocket made resisting temptation surprisingly difficult.
Fortunately, Liam possessed excellent self-control.
After a brief internal struggle, he redirected his attention toward the forbidden magic text he had borrowed from the Restricted Section.
Compared to the Philosopher's Stone, forbidden magic interested him far more.
The stone was ultimately a tool.
Powerful, certainly.
But still a tool.
Forbidden magic, on the other hand, represented genuine personal power.
That was something worth pursuing.
...
The following morning, Liam had barely entered the Slytherin common room when Cassandra called out to him.
She was sitting on a sofa in her usual commanding manner, one leg crossed elegantly over the other.
Several younger Slytherin girls stood nearby like loyal attendants.
"Liam."
"Hm?"
"Today we have Flying with Gryffindor."
She smiled.
"Can you actually fly a broom?"
Liam considered the question.
"More or less."
The answer sounded casual.
The truth was that he had never invested much effort into broomstick training.
From Liam's perspective, broomsticks were fundamentally flawed.
Damage the broom and you fell.
A Confundus Charm could send a rider plummeting from the sky.
The weaknesses were obvious.
Because of that, Liam had developed anti-gravity magic instead.
By offsetting his own weight and using magical propulsion for movement, he could achieve far greater mobility than any broomstick offered.
Naturally, that made traditional flying somewhat uninteresting.
"You don't sound very confident."
Cassandra narrowed her eyes.
"Then let's race today."
Her expression brightened immediately.
"I want to beat you at something."
Recently, the two of them had dueled almost every day after classes.
Unfortunately for Cassandra, she had yet to win a single match.
Flying was different.
Flying was one of her strengths.
As a child, she had loved watching witches and wizards soar through the sky.
She had practiced extensively at home.
This time she felt confident.
Liam sighed.
"That's troublesome."
"What?"
"I borrowed a restricted text yesterday."
He held up the book.
"Madam Pince wants it returned today."
Cassandra looked disappointed.
"So you'll be reading during Flying?"
"Probably."
"Won't Madam Hooch deduct points?"
"Why?"
"Because you'll be ignoring the lesson."
Liam thought about it.
"I already know everything she's going to teach."
"Most professors don't care what you do if you've already mastered the material."
Cassandra considered that.
Then nodded.
"Fair enough."
At least Liam wasn't being disrespectful.
A moment later, another familiar voice spoke.
"Good morning, Liam."
Draco Malfoy emerged from the boys' dormitory, accompanied by Crabbe and Goyle.
Unlike their first meeting, Draco's tone now contained genuine respect.
"Good morning."
Liam nodded politely.
Since arriving at Hogwarts, Draco had gradually changed.
Once he realized Liam was willing to explain things patiently and didn't hold grudges over their awkward first meeting at Ollivanders, his attitude had improved significantly.
The more time Draco spent around him, the more respect he developed.
Watching Liam leave, Draco's gaze remained fixed on him.
Cassandra noticed immediately.
"Well?"
She smirked.
"Now you understand how impressive Liam is?"
Draco coughed awkwardly.
"Yes."
He looked embarrassed.
"I was rude at Ollivanders."
His eyes shifted toward Cassandra.
"And to you as well."
"Sorry."
The apology sounded sincere enough.
Though part of Draco's caution stemmed from something else entirely.
Fear.
Not of Cassandra herself.
Of her family.
After the incident at Ollivanders, Lucius Malfoy had taken the time to explain exactly who Cassandra was.
The Cassandra family was among the oldest pure-blood families in Britain.
Their history stretched back centuries.
One legendary ancestor had even been recorded as a close confidante of Merlin himself.
Compared to that legacy, the Malfoys appeared considerably younger.
More importantly, Voldemort had never attempted to subjugate the family.
Lucius privately suspected that Voldemort hadn't ignored them because of disinterest.
He suspected Voldemort had been cautious.
Perhaps even wary.
After learning those details, Draco had received a lengthy lecture regarding proper behavior.
As a result, he was far more respectful now.
"Good."
Cassandra nodded approvingly.
"You're finally learning."
...
Later that morning, Gryffindor and Slytherin gathered together on the training grounds for their first Flying lesson.
Rows of old school broomsticks lay neatly on the grass.
Students lined up beside them.
The atmosphere was lively.
Many children chatted excitedly while waiting for Madam Hooch to arrive.
On the Slytherin side, Cassandra sat at the center of a small gathering of girls, enthusiastically discussing broom racing and aerial maneuvers.
Meanwhile, Liam sat alone.
A forbidden magic book rested in his hands.
He appeared completely uninterested in everything happening around him.
Across the field, Hermione stood near the end of the Gryffindor line.
Just like always, nobody spoke to her.
No one invited her into their conversations.
No one asked her opinion.
Yet unlike previous days, Hermione wasn't particularly upset.
Because there was someone on the opposite side of the field who also stood apart from everyone else.
Liam.
While everyone else socialized, he calmly read his book.
The sight made Hermione smile slightly.
She remembered something he had told her recently.
People often envy those who stand out.
Looking around at the students chatting excitedly, then at Cassandra surrounded by admirers, Hermione suddenly felt that none of it mattered very much.
What mattered was learning.
Knowledge.
Improving herself.
In that regard, she felt strangely closer to Liam than to anyone else at Hogwarts.
Unfortunately, she hadn't brought a book today.
So instead, she simply watched him reading from across the field.
....
Join my P*atreon for 100 premium chapters ahead of the public release.
Link: pa*treon.com/MysticVerse (Remove the *)
Free members also get 2 advanced chapters for free.