HP: The Wizard Who Paints with Magic

The appearance of the ghosts pushed the dinner to a new climax.

Nearly Headless Nick, holding his head that was barely attached to his neck, floated over the students, delighting in the terrified looks of the first-years. The Bloody Baron sat stiffly at the Slytherin table, his mere presence making those around him lose their appetite. The Fat Friar, by contrast, was far more enthusiastic, constantly making the Hufflepuff table burst into laughter.

Ethan watched this scene with a clinical curiosity. If anyone in this world truly knew the truth about death, it would undoubtedly be the ghosts. Unfortunately, the moment they gained that truth, they lost the means to continue exploring it.

"What is the essence of a ghost… Is there a way to imprint them into a painting?" Ethan muttered, staring intently at Nearly Headless Nick as he floated toward the Ravenclaw table.

Nick shivered under his gaze, covering his head like a schoolgirl who had just encountered a pervert. He spun around in mid-air and floated away. Can't mess with him, can't mess with him…

"So timid," Ethan said, regretfully withdrawing his gaze.

At that moment, a voice with a thick accent sounded beside him. "Thank goodness you scared him away."

A brown-skinned girl sitting next to him was looking at him with bright, sparkling eyes. Earlier, she had been turned away, talking to someone else. Seeing Ethan look over, she laughed heartily, two dimples appearing on her cheeks.

"That sight really makes it hard to eat, doesn't it? My name is Padma Patil, of Indian descent, and I have a twin sister in Gryffindor." The girl spoke proactively, her eyes like two round, bright black grapes.

"My name is Ethan Vincent. Nice to meet you," Ethan replied.

"I know you," Padma said. "Your name spread throughout the train. I heard you like to paint. Are you interested in painting us sisters—"

"Cough, cough!" A voice forcefully interrupted. A light-brown-haired boy, Michael Corner, leaned over, his eyes sparkling. "My name is Michael Corner! Nice to meet you, Miss Patil!"

With that, Michael reached past Ethan, extending his hand directly toward Padma.

Padma's smile turned into a polite, fixed one. She nodded, completely ignoring Michael's offered hand.

Ambitious at a young age, Ethan thought, nodding in appreciation at Michael, who was displaying himself like a peacock. In the original story, the Patil sisters were Harry and Ron's dance partners at the Yule Ball and were considered quite beautiful with their distinct, exotic charm.

Unfortunately for Michael, his chat was short-lived. Padma turned her head again and continued chatting with her friends.

"Oh well, at least I made an acquaintance," Michael comforted himself. Then, his eyes rolled over to Ethan, and he grinned slyly. "But I'm sure that as long as I hang out with you, I won't have to worry about not having girls to talk to~"

"Perhaps," Ethan said noncommittally. He was focused on stuffing the last piece of coffee pudding into his mouth, filling the gap in his second stomach. Burp~ Satisfying.

Soon, the food on the long tables disappeared, returning the hall to its tidy state. Dumbledore stood before the brass lectern, and the carved golden owl on it lazily stretched its wings.

"Attention, attention, children. Before you return to your dormitories, I have a few things to announce," he began. "Firstly, the Forbidden Forest is strictly forbidden to all students. I trust you understand the dangers within. Secondly, the caretaker, Mr. Filch, has asked me to remind you not to use magic in the corridors between classes. Lastly, those who do not wish to encounter unexpected and painful deaths, please do not enter the corridor on the right side of the fourth floor."

At these words, low murmurs broke out among the four Houses.

"Strange," Michael frowned, muttering. "If the Forbidden Forest is off-limits because of dangerous animals, then what's on the fourth floor? His vague warning just makes one more curious, as if he's deliberately inviting people to explore. I bet some of the reckless Gryffindors are already planning to sneak up there to find out."

Hmm, that's pretty accurate, Ethan thought, glancing at Michael. Being sorted into Ravenclaw truly wasn't just about the wisdom to charm little girls.

Ethan naturally knew what was in there: the Cerberus Chamber, lovingly contributed by Hagrid and left by Dumbledore for the Savior—a magical version of a reality game show. The prize for clearing it was the Philosopher's Stone, a treasure coveted by Lord Voldemort.

The Philosopher's Stone… If it were ground into a powder, could it be used as a pigment?

"Ethan, you seem to be thinking about something very dangerous," Michael said, his expression suddenly terrified.

Ethan snapped back, smiling at Michael and saying gently, "No, you must have seen wrong."

Michael chuckled awkwardly, rationally deciding not to press further. As expected of a man sorted into Azkaban, it was best not to ask too many questions.

Once the chaotic school song finished, the opening ceremony officially concluded. By this time, the students were swaying, overcome with sleep. Led by their respective House Prefects, they filed out of the Great Hall and headed to their dormitories.

"First-year Ravenclaw students, please follow me," Prefect Robert Hilliard called out. Seeing Ethan, he smiled triumphantly. "I knew you'd come to Ravenclaw."

"Really? I thought I'd go to Hufflepuff," Ethan replied.

"Haha, that's a funny joke," Robert said.

Ethan puffed out his cheeks indignantly. Why! He was such a kind and good wizard, why did no one think he would go to Hufflepuff? His gaze swept coldly towards the Hufflepuff side, wanting to see what was so different between him and them. He scared several of them into huddling together.

"You will find that Hogwarts indeed contains some truly intelligent people. Eagles perch on high cliffs, and our common room is located at the very top of the tower," Robert introduced as he led them upstairs. "Unlike other Houses that hide their dormitory entrances, our entrance is always open to clever people. You can enter by simply answering a question—however, this obstacle has, over a thousand years, blocked all students who are not of Ravenclaw."

A first-year asked, "What if you can't answer?"

Robert smiled. "Oh, then you'll just have to spend the night outside."

Immediately, several first-years' eyes widened in terror.

"Haha, don't worry," he added. "You'll often find that by the time you reach the entrance, many students are already outside thinking. It's a good opportunity to make new friends."

Just walking to the top of the tower took several tens of minutes. They were muscular intellectuals, it seemed.

Along the way, Robert meticulously introduced them to Ravenclaw's history, but soon even his voice was drowned out by the sound of heavy breathing. They were all about to die of exhaustion.

"Wait… wait until I get my broomstick," Michael said intermittently. "I'm definitely going to fly up this cursed tower from the outside!"

"Watch out for broomstick rash," Ethan mumbled, earning a terrified look from Michael.

Finally, just as Ethan's legs began to tremble, they arrived outside the Ravenclaw common room. Seeing the group of older students standing outside, deep in thought, the first-years' hearts sank. They haven't solved the problem yet…

Prefect Robert skillfully stepped forward and knocked on the bronze knocker shaped like an eagle's head. The eagle's beak opened and closed, emitting a low voice:

"Light and shadow are mutually opposing and dependent. If only one existed in the world, would the other still exist?"

(End of Chapter)

***

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