Hogwarts Raven (Harry Potter)

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It wasn't that Professor Flitwick was careless.

Ian strongly suspected it had more to do with his Head of House's aversion to ladders. It was something of an open secret among Ravenclaws that Professor Flitwick harboured a slight fear of heights.

"What brings you here again?"

Upon seeing Ian, Professor Flitwick pinched the bridge of his nose, already bracing for a headache.

"I've improved the Silent Explosion Charm again; this time, there's truly no sound at all. I've separated the medium through which noise travels. It could serve as a brilliant example of how Muggle principles might enrich magical theory," Ian said enthusiastically, attempting to elevate the significance of his spellcraft. 

Unfortunately, he had clearly misunderstood Professor Flitwick's true concern.

"Hmmm~"

The Charms Master inhaled sharply as Ian performed the charm once more. The spell's refinement left him momentarily speechless, his face caught between astonishment and dread.

He had watched Ian progress from producing a feeble pop to now conjuring a completely silent detonation that had just splintered one of his sturdy wooden chairs. At this rate, Professor Flitwick realised he could no longer avoid the issue.

Heaven knew what new calamity this prodigious student would unleash the next time he showed up unannounced. It was no wonder Dumbledore had once grown cautious of Tom Riddle. Flitwick understood that unease now, but he had no intention of playing the same role the old Headmaster once had.

After all, this Ravenclaw wasn't quite like Riddle. Well… at least Ian seemed content lighting fires rather than taking lives. So far, anyway.

"No sensible wizard would ever develop such a spell… What I mean is, try not to give the Aurors any more work than they already have," Flitwick said delicately, with a touch of exasperated wisdom.

Ian caught on at once.

"This charm wouldn't be useful for breaking into Gringotts," He said, puzzled but trying to reassure.

"Precisely, it wouldn't. But how many witches or wizards even consider that these days? Far more likely is someone using it to discreetly blow up a rival without waking the neighbours. That, my dear boy, is a far bigger headache for the Aurors than even the Killing Curse," Professor Flitwick sighed.

At last, he persuaded Ian to shelve his plan to publish a paper on the spell.

"Alright, fair enough. That is possible," Ian admitted after a beat of thought. Not every wizard was as well-meaning as himself, who only used the charm to sneak in a bit of late-night reading in the library after hours.

Naturally.

Now that he had finally tracked down Professor Flitwick, Ian had no intention of leaving so quickly. He wasn't the sort to be discouraged by rejection. Instead, he simply pivoted and continued working in the office with all the persistence of a kneazle on the scent of something shiny.

"Sir, since the Silent Explosion Charm is apparently troublesome, allow me to present the Multi-Disarming Charm. I believe it will be the greatest boon to Aurors this century."

Ian was still determined to produce a paper worthy of notice. He had no desire to follow in the footsteps of Grindelwald or the like. He wanted his own brilliance to shine, and a groundbreaking academic piece was the beacon he aimed to light.

"What's this? Multi-Disarming?"

Just as he had resumed organising his lesson plans, Flitwick glanced up again, mildly intrigued.

"Like this! Expelliarmus!"

Ian raised his wand, which flared with the trademark scarlet of a Disarming Charm. But this was no ordinary cast; his spell split into multiple radiant arcs, like sparks off a firecracker, each one whipping through the air.

"Crackle~"

A collection of objects surrounding them clattered violently as they were struck, disarmed from whatever invisible grip they had. Ian turned, grinning expectantly at his professor amidst the fading red gleams.

"…"

Professor Flitwick swallowed audibly.

"I have a rather unsettling suspicion your charm wasn't originally based on Expelliarmus," He said dryly with a slight edge of alarm creeping into his usually cheerful voice.

Then again, it was hardly surprising, he was Hogwarts' Charms Master and a renowned duelist. His instincts for spellwork ran deep, and what he was witnessing now was clearly something new… and unnervingly powerful.

"Yes, Professor, this is an innovative approach I've taken with another spell, but I think it's most fitting for a paper on the Disarming Charm."

Ian cast a nervous glance at the towering shelves of books. He certainly couldn't admit that this technique was originally meant for the Avada Lightning Chain; who would believe that he simply thought such a spell looked rather spectacular?

"Gulp~"

The sound of Professor Flitwick swallowing grew more noticeable. He swore that if Minerva hadn't told him a few things, he might have been compelled to inform the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, who had already taken care of Quirrell's remains.

"What's the matter, Professor?"

Ian tried to maintain an innocent expression. He noticed the increasingly odd look on Professor Flitwick's face, and he hadn't expected the Ravenclaw Head of House to possess such sharp insight.

He had, after all, already made some subtle modifications to this technique.

"Have you read that book in the Restricted Section?" Professor Flitwick didn't launch into a full inquiry; he merely asked, as if something had occurred to him.

"Uh... I've read many books in the Restricted Section; all of them with the Headmaster's approval," Ian said, somewhat puzzled. He hadn't referenced any specific book for this technique.

"It's that book, Questionable Legends: The Mystery of the Transfer Student," Professor Flitwick said, staring intently at Ian, as if trying to gauge whether Ian was hiding something.

"Ah? Is there such a book? I haven't come across it," Ian replied, still confused. He had never heard of such a book.

"Is it a novel or a biography?"

Ian speculated based on the title. Could it be that the author of this book shared his views on the power of overwhelming force?

"Some say it's a sealed school history, while others claim it's a complete fabrication. I used to lean toward the latter, but now I'm not so sure..." Professor Flitwick's gaze remained piercing.

"A 'fifth-year legend'!" Ian's mind started to whirl. "Wait, what?"

Suddenly, a light bulb went off in Ian's head, recalling what Aurora had once mentioned. He blurted out without thinking, "You're not talking about some old senior who kills when pleased and kills even more when displeased, are you?" Ian had heard about this from Aurora but thought she was joking. He never imagined there would be a biography of such a character in the Restricted Section, one more terrifying than Voldemort.

"You're telling me you haven't read that book!"

Professor Flitwick shot up from his chair.

"Uh, my friend has read it; I only heard about it..." Ian still found it hard to believe and tried to reason, "It must be a made-up story."

"After all, if such a student existed, he'd have been locked away in Azkaban long before graduating. And who would there be left to kill?"

"If such a person truly existed, Grindelwald wouldn't have been the Dark Lord of his generation, and Voldemort wouldn't have been the second." Ian's analysis was reasonable, grounded in logic.

"Shh~"

Professor Flitwick hastily placed a finger over Ian's mouth.

"Don't speak the name of You-Know-Who; he cursed his name himself… I trust Dumbledore must have informed you that he didn't truly die."

He whispered the last part with a sense of caution.

"…"

Ian felt a little perplexed by Professor Flitwick's outdated information.

"Didn't you hear?" Ian tilted his head, confused.

"What did you hear?"

Professor Flitwick looked at Ian, clearly bewildered.

"Alright... let's go back to this 'killer' you mentioned." Ian felt that Dumbledore's reach hadn't extended as far as he had assumed.

Upon hearing this, Professor Flitwick gave him a strange look before seeming to drift into some distant memory, and began to speak again.

(To Be Continued…)