Hogwarts Raven

The sun rises, and the moon sets as time flows by.

Hogsmeade village always seems so peaceful and tranquil.

Outside the village, the trees are lush with foliage, their trunks entwined with vines known as "time." Ian, holding a newly bought axe, is diligently chopping down a not-so-thick tree.

"Ian, do you need my help?"

Madam Puddifoot, the owner of Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop, happens to be returning from outside the village at this moment. She is plump, with a shiny black bun at the back of her head.

Seeing Ian chopping down a tree, the tea shop owner doesn't scold him. Instead, she takes out her wand and smiles at him.

"Miss Puddifoot, I could use your help, thank you." Ian, who had underestimated his physical strength as a ten-year-old, was struggling. Who would have thought that just one tree would take more than half an hour to chop down? It wasn't just because the axe was too small; he simply didn't have the strength and stamina of an adult.

"You're still as sweet-talking as ever."

Madam Puddifoot beams at Ian's compliment. The way she has decorated her tea shop with a girly touch reveals a bit of her personality.

"Do you need me to cut it into smaller pieces for you?"

Madam Puddifoot doesn't chant a spell. She simply waves her wand, and the notch cut by the axe breaks off with a snap. Then, using the Levitation Charm, she suspends it in mid-air.

"If possible, I would like some planks."

Ian watches in envy as the spectacle unfolds. Those wizards who live near Hogwarts and run shops may not be exceptionally talented masters, but they are definitely among the elite in the wizarding world.

"As you wish."

Madam Puddifoot flicks her wand, and the tree begins to split, eventually transforming into neatly cut planks, stacked in front of Ian.

"You truly are a master of magic!" Ian expresses his admiration sincerely.

"Hahaha, I used to be the top of my class." Madam Puddifoot boasts without hesitation.

"I hope I can be as excellent as you." Ian quickly adds a compliment, making Madam Puddifoot laugh heartily. Her laughter is warm and genuine, radiating a sense of joy.

"Hufflepuff will surely welcome you." Madam Puddifoot spoke while revealing the house she once belonged to.

"I also hope to become an outstanding Hufflepuff." Ian knows just what to say, though he has no objections to being sorted into Hufflepuff. Who wouldn't want to live next to the kitchen, able to enjoy hotpot or beef whenever they wanted?

"Do you need me to help you carry these planks back?"

Madam Puddifoot is pleased and becomes even more enthusiastic.

"The distance isn't far; I can carry them back in batches... it's also a form of exercise." Ian doesn't want to trouble her too much. He takes out his wand and casts a spell on some of the planks.

"Wingardium Leviosa!"

Ian successfully casts the Levitation Charm, causing some planks to float. His status panel updates.

[Successfully cast Levitation Charm, Magic Proficiency +3]

With exceptional talent in dark magic, his abilities in other forms of magic are naturally not lacking. After all, dark magic is still a form of magic.

Of course, given the short time he's been learning, a level one Levitation Charm can't help Ian control overly heavy objects.

"That's commendable spell-casting."

Madam Puddifoot watches as Ian carefully controls the floating planks and walks toward the village. She genuinely expresses unexpected admiration for him.

"You will surely become an outstanding wizard in the future."

This is Madam Puddifoot's current opinion. After all, successfully casting the Levitation Charm isn't too difficult, but maintaining it like this certainly has its challenges. Many second-year students can't even do it.

"I hope so too. Thank you for your help."

Ian focuses entirely on controlling the charm. With his other hand, he gestures a goodbye to Madam Puddifoot and carefully starts walking toward the cabin.

The house arranged by Snape is on the edge of the village. The distance isn't far.

Along the way, he receives another update.

[Successfully maintained Levitation Charm, Magic Proficiency +1]

Ian gains another proficiency boost. After four or five trips, he finally brings all the planks back to the cabin.

However, he still lacks a shovel, deodorant, plastic sheets, and most importantly, nails.

...

Hogwarts.

Slytherin House Head's Office.

Snape's expression is grim.

As Hogwarts' Potions professor and a world-renowned Potions Master, he has just ruined a batch of Felix Felicis, a potion that should be simple, just like those foolish Gryffindors!

"It's all Dumbledore's fault!"

Snape hasn't been sleeping well lately, and because of this, he missed the stirring time for today's Felix Felicis, resulting in an otherwise perfect potion now having an irreparable flaw.

He blames this mistake entirely on Dumbledore, for a simple reason: his sleeplessness is due to something Dumbledore said to him a few days ago.

"It's not that he needs you, but that you need him."

Although Snape had angrily dismissed Dumbledore's nonsense at the time, these words have been lingering in his mind for days, impossible to shake off.

"I don't need anyone!"

Snape still firmly believes this. But he also knows that to dispel the nightmares haunting him, he must do something to prove himself.

Looking at the now imperfect Felix Felicis still refining, Snape's expression changes repeatedly. After a long while, he finally seems to make up his mind and puts on his coat.

That seemingly never-washed robe.

"Can't even take care of yourself, yet talk about learning magic…"

Snape seems to be making excuses for his recent neglect. He hurriedly walks out of his office and encounters Argus Filch, who is inspecting some equipment.

Filch is the caretaker of Hogwarts, patrolling at night, a self-proclaimed dean—a perhaps pitiful but definitely not pitiable Squib.

"Good morning, Professor Snape."

Filch is always very enthusiastic when facing professors.

However, Snape doesn't even glance at him. He walks straight past.

Filch's smile becomes slightly awkward, but he dares not make a scene. He mutters to himself, holding his cat, and continues his work after Snape has walked away.

"I hope he hasn't starved to death." 

Snape arrives at Hogsmeade village.

Standing in front of the cabin, he doesn't need a key. Taking out his wand, he easily unlocks the triple-locked door… triple-locked? Snape is puzzled by the caution of the person living inside.

Hogsmeade village's security has always been fine.

Expressionlessly, he steps inside.

The next moment, the Head of Slytherin House at Hogwarts immediately understands why the door was triple-locked. His usually stoic face transforms in shock.

"What are you doing!!?" Snape's voice becomes as sharp as an oboe.

It's not his fault. He sees something unbelievable, something he never expected to find in this cabin— a large pit dug into the floor of the room!

A young wizard is lying on a crooked, seemingly hastily made coffin, struggling to stuff two extremely decayed corpses into it.

In the already dilapidated room, there are three or four other corpses, in various stages of decay, lying quietly there. Damn it! Is this the horrifying scene one expects to see in Hogsmeade village!?

"Mr. Prince!" Snape's face turns livid.

Seeing the young wizard look up in fright, startled by the sudden intrusion, the young wizard even tears off an arm of a corpse, making Snape's face turn even more livid.

"I need a reasonable explanation for not sending you to Azkaban!!"

This is almost a roar.

(End of Chapter)

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