"Let's just say it's important, alright?" Michael said, looking at Sean with disbelief. "Sean, promise , one Ravenclaw obsessed with counting windows is enough…"
Sean's eyes lit up thoughtfully. "Terry, quick question…"
"Yes! Yes! He's mastered Scarpin's Revelio Charm to the point of casting it silently, so now he spends all day studying the different materials in the castle's windows. Can you believe it? Even the rain sotis isn't made of the sa stuff!" Michael said, exasperated.
"So rain is different!" Terry shot back.
"Alright, alright," Michael said, humoring him.
Sean's lips twitched into a slight smile. It looked like he'd figured sothing out.
---
In the Great Hall, December hadn't arrived yet, but Hogwarts was already battered by fierce winds and sleet. The roaring fires and thick castle walls always made the young witches and wizards feel safe and cozy.
As Sean discussed Scarpin's Revelio Charm with Terry, he realized this quirky Ravenclaw was actually shy and humble. Terry studied odd questions but wasn't just talk. The castle's windows genuinely had different materials, and Terry even declared, "Sean, don't laugh, but I'm telling you—the castle is alive!"
He glanced cautiously at Sean, expecting the usual stifled laughs or puzzled looks from other wizards.
"I believe you," Sean nodded.
"I'm not kidding… wait, you believe ?!" Terry let out a soft gasp.
"Why wouldn't I?" Sean's sincerity was clear as day.
"Oh—you believe ! rlin's beard! Then you must've noticed how the tables in the Great Hall shift in a pattern, not staying in the sa order all the ti. Other rooms and areas change too, like their size and shape…" Terry rambled on excitedly.
Sean nodded thoughtfully. He'd noticed subtle changes in the Potions classroom down in the dungeons. If the castle was conscious—say, like when it locked Umbridge out of the Headmaster's office—then it changing all the ti wasn't so far-fetched.
Terry burst with rare enthusiasm, talking nonstop while Sean listened intently.
After a bit, Terry's face flushed with embarrassnt. Why was he going on about himself? Taking advantage of the last few minutes, he carefully shared his tips for mastering Scarpin's Revelio Charm.
Sean learned a lot from Terry's incantations and wand movents, even managing an [Apprentice]-level practice before leaving the Great Hall.
Nearby, Justin couldn't help but watch. On one side, Sean was listening to a Ravenclaw talk about the castle, which made Justin edge closer—yep, he was curious about Hogwarts too. On the other side, Harry and Ron were showing off their spellwork to Seamus Finnigan.
Harry demonstrated a Levitation Charm strong enough to float fruit and a newly learned Aguanti Charm that produced a small stream of water. Ron was a bit behind, but Professor Flitwick had recently praised him and given him a point, so he was brimming with confidence.
"So, how far are you with your charms? No idea? Man, that's rough," Ron teased. Despite only knowing an [Apprentice]-level Levitation Charm and an [Introductory]-level Lumos, he felt like he had sothing over the other young wizards.
He never thought spells could be so straightforward or that he'd actually track his progress. He'd always assud it was vague—professors taught vaguely, they took confusing exams, and sohow scraped by with a passing grade.
When Seamus Finnigan asked curiously what he ant by "progress," Ron put on a mysterious air, spouting all sorts of odd details.
Young wizards this age loved to show off. Though nothing about Hagrid's cabin slipped out, Sean could feel the eager stares around him growing warr.
As he left the Great Hall, Seamus Finnigan approached, face red. He was clearly nervous but seed egged on by soone. Stamring, he said, "Great Sean, can you make smarter? I don't need much—just enough so my wand doesn't explode!"
Sean sighed at the ridiculous request. It felt like he was surrounded by the Weasley trio all over again. To the explosion-prone Finnigan, he said gently, "Everyone's got sothing they're good at, Finnigan. Maybe you just haven't found the right way to use it yet."
---
Soon after, inside Hagrid's cabin, Sean's desk held a glass cabinet he'd conjured with Transfiguration to store the dozens of materials Professor Trelawney had given him.
[You practiced Scarpin's Revelio Charm at Apprentice level, Proficiency 1]
[You practiced Scarpin's Revelio Charm at Apprentice level, Proficiency 1]
[You practiced Scarpin's Revelio Charm at Apprentice level, Proficiency 1]
With relentless practice, Sean quickly mastered the charm. Leaving the cabin, he waved his wand, turning a piece of parchnt into an owl that flew toward Professor Trelawney's office. She might not get it, but the owl would linger for days. Sean used Transfiguration because Trelawney encouraged him to communicate with her through "whimsical" transformations.
---
Unlike the Great Hall's warm fires and sturdy walls, the winter dungeons only had cauldrons for heat. Severus Snape stood in the chilly air, a frozen shadow in black. His fingertips rested on a piece of parchnt on the wooden table, its edges curling slightly from the cauldron's heat.
He was the first and only one to know its secrets.
His gaze pierced the flickering flas but didn't focus on anything solid, lost instead in so cold, distant mory.
After a long silence, the cauldron bubbled and popped, like a fleeting thought rising and vanishing. Snape remained still, as if November's chill had settled in his dark eyes.
Next to the parchnt was a list, one na followed by: [Guardian: None].
A nagging voice still echoed in his ears. He told himself it was just irritation at that fool's idiocy. His fingers brushed over a place tied to distant, unfamiliar London, as a soft knock sounded at the dungeon door.
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