Hogwarts Raven (Harry Potter)

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Before Ian could ask aloud, Aurora stood up, dusted off her robes, and, almost as if she'd read his thoughts, offered an answer to the unspoken question.

"No one sings praises for the kindly old man, not even if he spends a lifetime doing good. But let a feared and infamous villain do one good deed, and the world falls over itself with admiration."

"People praise you because they know you want to be praised." The German girl looked him squarely in the eye, her tone both playful and sharp. "Grandfather didn't title the book 'The Weakness of Human Nature' to offend you; he was mocking the masses while helping Dumbledore build your myth."

With that, Aurora tucked the heavy pouch of galleons, retrieved from earlier, into Ian's robes and plucked up the homework he'd sneakily pilfered from her.

She said nothing of his little theft. Instead, she wiped her mouth, very deliberately, with the hem of Ian's robe and then turned to stroll toward the Great Hall's grand doors.

Clang Clang!

Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix, had been waiting just outside the hall. In a blink of flame and feathers, both phoenix and girl vanished together, leaving behind a small eruption of gasps and whispers among the young witches and wizards still lingering over their puddings.

"That was Professor Dumbledore's phoenix!"

"And it can Apparate with Aurora!"

"Blimey! I heard she's Dumbledore's apprentice now, so it's true? But she's from that terrifying dark wizard's family!"

"My dad's a Muggle, but my mum swears I've got Seer's blood. I swear I just foresaw how big this is going to get!"

"Oi, wake up. It's Uncle John next door who's got the Seer blood, not us. Mum says we got cursed with bad eyesight instead."

...

A ruckus spread across the Great Hall.

Clearly, some of Ian's secrets had slipped out, and so had a few of Aurora's. How many invisible hands were behind these whispers was anyone's guess.

"Creating momentum…" Ian murmured, glancing about with a sigh.

Just as he turned to leave, he noticed a younger Slytherin quietly creeping up behind him.

"Little professor, the way you cleaned your plate, brilliant, that was," The boy mumbled awkwardly, but still gave Ian a thumbs-up.

"…"

Without a word, Ian reached into the boy's robes and pulled out a copy of 'The Weakness of Human Nature: The Prince's Secret'. The sight of it made his teeth ache.

"You believe this rubbish? Are you completely daft?" Ian barked, glaring at the younger boy, who flinched under the weight of the scolding.

As the lad's face fell, Ian sighed and added in a softer tone, "Look, that book's just Lockhart's latest gimmick to lighten your coin purse. But I've got something real. Give me a few days, and I'll have a proper book, one that's actually useful."

"Now, be a good lad and return that one, quick as you can." Ian shoved the book back into the stunned boy's hands before he could reply.

"Mine'll be titled 'The True Secrets of the Prince'. Don't forget to support the original. We don't stand for cheap knock-offs here," Ian called over his shoulder, leaving the boy blinking in disbelief.

Could it really be done like that? Publishing a book about yourself?

Even for a Ravenclaw, this young wizard found his worldview rather thoroughly shaken by Ian's conduct. He was left feeling as though his mind had short-circuited, like his brain had been confounded. But when Ian's way of thinking was carefully considered, it was actually rather reasonable.

After all, the die had been cast. If Grindelwald could profit from such ventures, why shouldn't Ian?

...

The peaceful stretch of the holidays was slowly drawing to a close.

Ian's academic life continued unabated.

Naturally, 

Refining potions and brewing a handful of trump cards had become an indispensable part of his daily routine.

[Potions Mastery (Level 5) 82/1600]

Thanks to the steady advancement of his magical skill from relentless potion-making, Ian had successfully pushed his Potions Mastery to Level 5.

With this leap came the awakening of a rare magical trait, something Ian had half-suspected might occur. This trait was unique to potioneers, much like the peculiar talents seen in advanced practitioners of magical alchemy.

It was called "Extreme Fusion".

This ability allowed Ian to harmonize conflicting ingredients to a degree unmatched by any other potion brewer, no matter their natural talent or learned technique.

It wouldn't be fair to say it could make the impossible possible, but Extreme Fusion did grant Ian the power to stabilise what would otherwise be a one-in-a-million chance during a difficult brew.

Even Professor Snape had never reached such consistency. Nor, likely, had any famed potioneer of the past. Traits like this, miraculous, extraordinary, couldn't be gained through sheer effort or brilliance alone.

"This might be some kind of... magical authority." Ian often thought back to the shadowy figure he had glimpsed in a moment of profound clarity. He had an inkling that this mysterious presence was tied to such legendary traits.

Or, at the very least, something akin to them.

It remained speculation. He had no proof, nothing in the Hogwarts Library hinted at anything useful, and neither Grindelwald nor Dumbledore had ever spoken of such matters in helpful terms.

After all, 

Though Ian's overall magical power was still far from rivaling theirs, on the path toward legend, he was now walking further than either of his two mentors had dared.

"Perhaps my more powerful mentor will have the answers." Ian's gaze turned skyward, eagerly anticipating nightfall. He knew that Professor Morgan, mysterious, elusive, and indisputably legendary, would surely be able to shed light on these matters.

Professor Morgan had walked the path of legends herself; her understanding would far surpass that of even Grindelwald or Dumbledore.

"It's tonight."

Ian could hardly contain his anticipation.

He was also curious to see Professor Morgan's reaction to the Mirror of Erised, newly obtained. But as there were still several hours until nightfall, the young wizards resumed their studies and potions work as usual.

Level 5 was by no means the pinnacle of potioneering, and Ian had no intention of stopping. He still had a sizeable stock of ingredients to push his progress further.

And beyond mere progression, Ian's brewing was about preparation. The boons gained from the time loops had left him with enough foresight and magical tools to steadily expand his collection of hidden aces.

"When I crossed paths with Voldemort, it was only because I'd prepared thoroughly that I made it out intact. If I hadn't, I might've ended up at the mercy of that deranged old ghost of a student."

Ian was well aware that Professor Dumbledore had likely planned to step in had the duel gone awry, but this didn't stop Ian from using that encounter to forge more tools and craft more contingencies.

As the old wizarding saying goes: 'The road is long and filled with thorns, but only the wise tread it carefully.' Or 'A clever wizard keeps his wand holstered until the time is right.' And most crucially, 'The tallest tree is always the first struck by lightning.' These were the guiding principles for any wizard wishing to walk the righteous path, a path meant to be carved anew by will and wisdom alike.

On that point, Ian agreed wholeheartedly.

Unfortunately, he was not someone inclined toward humility or playing the fool to catch the lion.

(To Be Continued…)