The little wizards, still eager for more, began to trickle out one by one, though a few lingered behind to practice their spells.
Of course, there were also quite a number who had taken to self-studying Muggle subjects to outwit the bronze eagle. Whether they were upperclassmen or first-years, all had experienced the frustration of being stumped by the eagle's cunning questions.
The clever little witches had recently stopped chatting with Ian, having noticed a pattern: every time they had a pleasant conversation with him, they'd inevitably face a particularly tricky question from the bronze eagle.
"It must be in love with you," Cho Chang had remarked to Ian on more than one occasion. Ian had even tried reasoning with the bronze eagle, but it remained stubbornly displeased whenever others took up his time.
Was it love?
Of course not.
"You see, I've even learned to be selfish; this is the wisdom you've already given me, but I want even more wisdom," The bronze eagle had declared bluntly to Ian.
It did seem far cleverer than before, almost unnervingly so. Ian couldn't help but feel like he was providing training material for some sort of enchanted, sentient artifact.
Of course, the bronze eagle vehemently denied Ian's interpretation, insisting it was on the verge of attaining true life.
"Let me out, you daft bird!"
Once everyone had retired for the night, Ian skillfully slipped out of the common room. The heavy rain showed no signs of letting up, but his destination wasn't the Forbidden Forest, it was the Room of Requirement. Whatever the reason for Quirrell's early return, it wouldn't hurt to brew a few extra vials of his unlimited power potion.
"Snape's asleep, Quirrell's in the kitchens, good, good, good, time for a zero-cost operation!" Ian confirmed the locations of the castle's more dangerous inhabitants as he moved through the quiet, deserted corridors.
He didn't particularly enjoy taking Snape's precious ingredients without payment, but the Potions master had mocked his attempts to pay last time.
To avoid further ridicule from his "good uncle," Ian had resolved to save his galleons and take a few extra materials to muddy the waters.
It was a necessary precaution to ensure Snape wouldn't grow too suspicious. After all, it was rumored that he and the Weasley twins weren't the only ones pilfering from Snape's stores; many seventh-years were habitual offenders.
"I'm just taking a bit more than the others," Ian muttered to himself as he stashed his Marauder's Map away. He even took the time to ask a few portraits about Godric Gryffindor's whereabouts.
"He was chased by a dog; I've no idea where he's run off to," One portrait eagerly shared, vividly recounting the afternoon's excitement to Ian.
"Truly a founder, his agility is remarkable; he managed to run all over Hogwarts without getting bitten," Ian remarked with interest, though he was also puzzled. If his hellhound had chased Gryffindor's portrait to the treasure room, it should have returned to lead him there.
Had Godric Gryffindor's portrait found a way to outwit the hellhound he'd drawn?
That must be the case.
Realizing this, Ian felt a twinge of frustration.
"I'll need to lure him out again, and next time, I'll draw a few transformed titans to chase him. I don't believe a mere portrait can handle Titans," Ian resolved.
Lady Ravenclaw had clearly underestimated him.
He wouldn't rely on multiple hellhounds again.
If it weren't for his limited skill in magical painting, which prevented him from conjuring more formidable creatures, Ian would have drawn something like a Cthulhu-esque monstrosity to hunt down Gryffindor's portrait.
"This is what happens when you don't work hard! When something comes up, you'll lack the means to cope!" Ian scolded himself inwardly as he hurried toward Snape's office.
No wonder this place was a hotspot for thieves.
As soon as Ian stepped inside, he spotted a shadowy figure already engaged in some zero-cost shopping.
"Obliviate!"
Having pushed open the door to the dimly lit office, Ian startled the intruder, who spun around and immediately cast a spell.
Quick and decisive.
Without a hint of hesitation.
"..."
Ian quickly crouched to dodge the spell, his wand flaring brightly and momentarily blinding the intruder who had been poised to cast another charm.
The little wizard already in the room instinctively raised a hand to shield their eyes. The sudden burst of light from Ian's 'Lumos' effectively disrupted their spell-casting.
"Aurora, attacking friends isn't exactly the right behavior," Ian said, not immediately retaliating. His decent night vision allowed him to clearly see the sneaky little thief.
"Ah? Ian! Why... why is it you?"
When Ian dimmed the brightness of his wand, Aurora recognized the figure at the door and immediately flustered.
Her pale face turned as red as a Weasley's hair.
With a hint of fear.
"I'm sorry, Ian, I thought it was Professor Snape," She stammered. It was hard to imagine that a little wizard with such a panicked tone had just been about to cast a Memory Charm on a professor.
She even seemed to think it was a reasonable explanation for her actions... This made Ian's eyelids twitch, and for a moment, he wasn't sure whether to question his "good uncle" or not.
"The Slytherins have clearly led you astray," Ian sighed.
"Ah?" Aurora looked astonished as she lowered her wand.
"Isn't that what you taught me? You said I could find anything in Snape's office, and you even said there was 'everything' in Snape's office..."
The little girl's honest response made Ian feel a twinge of embarrassment.
"I was just introducing Professor Snape's magical office," He began to argue.
"You were promoting it," Aurora countered, clearly not as easy to fool as Ian had hoped.
"What are you holding?"
Ian stepped forward to change the subject, eyeing the small bag Aurora had opened and was showing him. It was much smaller than the empty sack he was carrying.
"Wow, Ian, that was quite a thrilling situation just now," Aurora said, her face filled with guilt. She was clearly still remorseful for almost attacking him.
"You might as well cast a Memory Charm on me while I'm not paying attention; if I can't dodge it, then it's just my bad luck," She suggested as if it were a perfectly fair idea.
"Let's settle the accounts first; I like to collect interest," Ian replied, not too bothered by Aurora's sneak attack. He'd practiced not only magic but also dodging spells in the Room of Requirement.
"Sri Lankan vulture bile, Berkshire grass, half-ear grass buds, Icelandic yuris stalactite, ferret heart tendons, and salamander serum..."
Ian adjusted his wand to a dim glow and leaned closer to Aurora's bag, identifying the ingredients. "Who are you planning to brew Veritaserum for?"
This was definitely a move second only to his own experiments with love potions.
"My grandfather," Aurora replied matter-of-factly, blinking as she closed her small bag. Her lowered voice and straightforward answer illustrated just who the true bold one at Hogwarts was.
"??????"
Ian's expression was a sight to behold.
He'd thought 'he' was the most daring of all.
He hadn't expected there to be a master among the first-years!
(To Be Continued…)
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