Chapter 630: Magic Stone
Ethan had only recently noticed Illya's situation.
Perhaps due to preconceived notions, he hadn't realized it was strange that Illya's body wasn't changing. Originally, because of her constitution, Illya wouldn't grow further. But after the rule distortion caused a physical transformation, her body had become that of a normal person.
As a normal human, her body definitely shouldn't have remained in the form of a ten-year-old. It should have continued to grow. That was how it should be under normal circumstances.
However, in reality, Illya's body had barely grown.
The word "barely" was used because Illya's body had changed slightly, unlike Ethan, for whom time seemed to have completely stopped.
But the change was minimal. Even though Illya's body could grow like a normal person's, the rate of growth was extremely slow.
"Her situation... we'll see."
Ethan hadn't yet decided whether Illya should create a "surface" image of normal growth, like himself, or simply maintain her current appearance.
After all, in real life, it wasn't unheard of for someone to stop developing early.
"I thought you weren't into that kind of thing, but now I'm starting to doubt it again."
"..."
Ethan was speechless. Why did she always think in that direction?
While the two of them were talking, Professor McGonagall had already arranged Harry and the others' punishment. Filch, the caretaker, led the children away for their detention.
"In the past, we used to tie up the thumbs of disobedient students and lock them in the dungeon. Their screams were truly delightful... It's a shame we can't do that anymore. You lot are very lucky."
Filch's words left Harry and the others not knowing how to respond. Should they be thankful they escaped such a terrifying punishment, or disgusted and scared by this man?
Fortunately, they didn't have to ponder the question for long, because Filch soon handed them over to Hagrid.
"Your punishment is to patrol the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid... He could use some help anyway."
After saying this, Filch left. Hagrid then prepared a few tools, like a lantern, and gestured for the students to follow him.
Watching this scene, Ethan suddenly remembered that this should be Harry's first face-to-face encounter with Voldemort.
Of course, he had no interest in Voldemort or Harry Potter. He suddenly recalled that during this time, Voldemort had been attacking unicorns in the Forbidden Forest, drinking their blood to sustain his life. Ethan's focus was on the unicorns.
Back in the Cabin in the Woods world, he had collected samples of many creatures, including unicorns, with the goal of recreating them in the future and populating his island with various life forms.
What was the difference between the unicorns from the Cabin in the Woods world and those from the Harry Potter world?
There shouldn't be much difference in appearance. They were all basically white horses with a horn on their heads.
However, their magical properties should be quite different.
Leaving aside the unicorns from the Cabin in the Woods world, the ones from the Harry Potter world were unique. Their blood was viscous, silver like mercury, and possessed strong magical power that could extend a person's life. Drinking unicorn blood could keep someone alive even when on the brink of death.
However, those who relied on unicorn blood would also be cursed, living a life worse than death.
As for whether that curse could actually affect him, Ethan didn't really care. What mattered was that this was a good opportunity to collect a sample.
"Let's go, to the Forbidden Forest."
Ethan gently placed his hand on ScĂĄthach's shoulder and activated teleportation without asking for her opinion.
There was an anti-Apparition ward around Hogwarts, but for Ethan, who came from another world and used a different magical system, the ward had no effect. It wouldn't even trigger an alert. Even while inside Hogwarts, Ethan could move freely wherever he wanted.
The reason he hadn't used this before was simply because he hadn't needed to.
The two of them left the Hogwarts rooftop and arrived in the Forbidden Forest, following Hagrid and the others from a distance. Ethan didn't need to search hard for unicorn samples. By following Hagrid, he would soon encounter a pool of unicorn blood.
He only needed a small sample. But after Ethan finished collecting it and stood up, he realized ScĂĄthach had vanished.
"Crazy girl!"
He guessed that she had gone off to watch the excitement, as Malfoy's screams could be heard in the distance. It seemed Harry had already encountered Voldemort.
Turning around, Ethan decisively left the Forbidden Forest.
He had already said he wouldn't get involved, and he meant it. Did ScĂĄthach think she could lure him into the plot with something like this? Too naive.
As Ethan walked out of the Forbidden Forest, he heard footsteps behind him. Then, a small hand slapped him hard on the lower back.
"You really just walked away. Aren't you worried about letting a little girl like me run around alone in such a spooky forest full of monsters?"
"..."
Ethan looked at her with a "are you serious" expression. Spooky forest full of monsters? All those monsters combined couldn't even pose a threat to her.
Even adding Voldemort into the mix wouldn't make a difference. Just one stab would take care of it. Why would Ethan worry about the safety of such a powerful demigod?
"Did you see Voldemort?"
"Voldemort? You mean that weirdo in the black robe?"
"He's a pretty famous villain in this world."
As for being some kind of Demon King, in Ethan and ScĂĄthach's eyes, he didn't qualify. He was just an evil person with extreme beliefs and behavior.
"That's it?"
ScĂĄthach pouted. She had thought the main villain would be a lot stronger. She was disappointed by how weak he actually was.
"Are you really just here to learn magic?"
"What else would I be here for?"
"To challenge strong opponents?"
ScĂĄthach believed that Ethan's strength came from constantly challenging powerful enemies and breaking through his limits through battle and effort.
Especially since he could travel freely across countless universes, he never had to worry about not having opponents.
Part of the reason she kept following Ethan was because she thought that, with him, she'd always be able to find powerful foes to fight.
Unexpectedly, in her first real trip to another world (Arthur's world didn't count), there was nothing worth fighting at all.
"I have absolutely no interest in challenging strong opponents."
Ethan didn't grow stronger by fighting. He preferred to stay in safe places, quietly training and making potions to improve his strength. He rarely visited dangerous worlds. Even if he did, he would thoroughly prepare in advance.
Although his actions might seem bolder as his strength grew, his underlying habits hadn't changed. He would never touch a world filled with powerful gods or strange rules he couldn't understand or deal with.
In this respect, he and ScĂĄthach had completely different worldviews.
"If I were my younger self, I would've thought it was a sick joke that someone like you had so much power."
"Younger self?" Ethan glanced at her. She looked calm, and it didn't seem like his approach bothered her. "So your thoughts have changed now?"
"No!" ScĂĄthach gave a big smile. "I just think everyone has their own way of living. There's no need to force others to follow mine."
ScĂĄthach wasn't a naive girl. The long years had given her clarity, and growing older had shifted her perspectiveâthough she'd never admit it.
Moreover, in her mind, the strong had the right to act as they pleased. Ethan was strong enough, so he could do whatever he wanted.
If Ethan couldn't beat her, she'd probably treat him very differently. Not strong enough but still want to slack off? No improvement? If she cared, she'd beat you up. If she didn't, it meant she didn't care enough to bother.
"Something should happen next, right?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Not going to check it out?"
"What's there to check? Just focus on your own business. How's your Rune magic research going?"
ScĂĄthach tilted her head, her two pigtails bouncing with each step.
"I've restored most of the Rune magic and restored most of my magical power."
"Restored" meant that the spells could now be used normally even without their original magical source. ScĂĄthach's goal was to be able to use magic in any world, even in places without magic, or where the rules fundamentally rejected it.
"I'm still working on absorbing the magic from the Land of Shadows. The only thing bothering me is that the effects of the potion I took are fading fast as my power increases, and I'll be back to my original appearance soon."
"That's fine. Girls mature earlier than boys anyway. Worst case, just use illusion to cover it up."
As he said this, Ethan's tone carried a hint of envy.
He had to use illusion to fake growing up, while ScĂĄthach had the opposite problem.
"I really wish we could switch."
Just as they were about to return to the castle, Ethan suddenly stopped.
"Come to think of it, should I go take a look at the Philosopher's Stone? That thing holds magical power. Maybe it'll help with my current situation."
Ethan rubbed his chin, falling deep into thought. When it came to the issue he cared about most, all his previous talk about "staying out of trouble" and "avoiding the plot" was completely forgotten.
(To be continued.)
Chapter 631: Tail
Compared to his usual impulsive nature, Ethan hesitated slightly this time, contemplating for a while before deciding to go and take a look.
He wasn't worried about missing any of the key plot developments involving the Philosopher's Stone during this brief hesitation, because although the main storyline of the first Harry Potter book seemed simple and fast-paced, the movie actually covered the period from before Harry's enrollment all the way through his entire first year at Hogwarts.
Especially when they finally entered the chamber and discovered that Quirrell was the one coveting the Philosopher's Stone, Harry had already completed his first-year final exams.
So he had enough time to slowly consider how he wanted to approach this.
By now, Ethan was no longer debating whether or not to get involved, but rather how to get involved.
At first, he instinctively considered whether he should join Harry's group and go with them to retrieve the Philosopher's Stone.
But he quickly abandoned that idea. It had been almost a year since they enrolled, and he had never really spoken with Harry. They had no relationship at all, so Harry wouldn't view him as a trustworthy companion and invite him to take part in something so important.
Another issue was that he was currently a Slytherin student, and Harry and Ron were very hostile toward Slytherin. Aside from Slytherin's general bad reputation, Malfoy also played a major role in that.
"It's better to just quietly follow behind."
Ethan didn't notify anyone. Illya had no interest in this kind of thing, and ScĂĄthach would show up when needed, even if she wasn't called.
The only thing that surprised him was that he had a little tail following him.
"Draco Malfoy?"
Ethan couldn't figure out why this kid was tailing him. Was it because he'd been sneaking out of the dorm too often at night and drew Malfoy's attention?
After circling Hogwarts a few times, Ethan didn't bother to turn around or shake off the follower. He simply let him tag along. It wasn't as if Malfoy could do anything to affect him.
He had only been walking around the castle for just over ten minutes when he ran into ScĂĄthach, who had been waiting for him.
"Harry and the others are already approaching the fourth floor. If we go now, we can follow right behind them." ScĂĄthach glanced behind Ethan. The quiet corridor seemed perfectly normal, but she was certain there was a little tail hiding around the corner in the distance. "You're being watched."
"Don't worry about him. Maybe he's just curious since I'm always out of the dorm at night."
They kept their voices low, and even in such a quiet environment, someone that far away wouldn't be able to hear, so there was no concern about Malfoy eavesdropping.
Ethan and ScĂĄthach quickly arrived at the restricted area on the fourth floor. Harry and the others had already gone in, so they didn't need to cast any unlocking spell.
Gently pushing open the door, the massive three-headed dog inside, which had been snarling furiously at the trapdoor in the floor, suddenly froze, then raised its head and looked toward the door⊠Just a second later, the monstrous creature that had been baring its fangs and drooling all over the place immediately shut its mouths, widened its eyes, and squatted obediently in the corner like a well-trained puppy.
Ethan was sure he wasn't hallucinating, so he suspected this wasn't the same ferocious beast from a moment ago.
"Good doggy!"
Seeing the massive three-headed dog sitting obediently at the far end of the room, ScĂĄthach even walked over and reached out to pet one of its heads. Even though she currently looked like a little girl, short and small with stubby arms, she didn't have to worry about reaching the creature's head. The dog obediently lowered its head toward her.
"Stay here and don't cause any trouble."
She casually pulled out a few pieces of roasted meat from her storage. ScĂĄthach hadn't chosen the newest multifunctional support tool from the Artemis, but instead carried a separate storage item with her personal belongings and food. She tossed the meat into each of the dog's three mouths, then jumped straight into the trapdoor without waiting for Ethan.
Ethan glanced at the obedient three-headed dog, threw over a few snacks of his own, then followed after her without another glance.
The trapdoor wasn't close to the ground, but once they jumped down, they were caught mid-air by Devil's Snare. This vine-like plant acted like a soft cushion that gently caught those falling from above.
But that didn't mean it was placed there just for cushioning. The Devil's Snare was meant as a defensive mechanism. The more someone struggled after being caught, the tighter the vines would constrict. If you continued to struggle, you'd be strangled to death.
Without knowledge of the plant's nature, it would be easy to lose your life. But Ethan and ScĂĄthach were both excellent students who had learned all this in class. Without needing to speak, both relaxed their bodies and were quickly released by the Devil's Snare, landing safely on the ground below.
Even if the plant hadn't released them, it wouldn't have mattered. Devil's Snare was just a plant, and there were plenty of ways to deal with it.
For example, one of those methods came in handy just then.
As they were tidying up their clothes, which had been disheveled by the Devil's Snare, Malfoy's scream suddenly rang out from above.
From the sound of it, it was obvious the kid didn't realize what had caught him. If he couldn't remember what the Devil's Snare was and didn't know how to deal with it, he'd be strangled to death in no time.
"Weird. How did he get past the three-headed dog?"
Ethan didn't think Malfoy could handle Fluffy, which was why he'd let him tail behind. He didn't expect Malfoy to follow them all the way here.
"Should I save him?"
Ethan looked up at the large mass of black vines above. With a casual wave of his hand, a brilliant light shot upward. The Devil's Snare, afraid of light, instantly released Malfoy. The pure-blood young master fell to the floor in front of Ethan.
"Ow!"
Perhaps wizards had sturdier bodies than average. Even after falling from such a height, Malfoy only cried out a couple of times before getting up, rubbing himself, and seeming perfectly fine.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine."
Draco Malfoy moved around and realized he wasn't seriously hurt, then thanked Ethan and ScĂĄthach standing before him.
"How did you get past Fluffy?"
"Fluffy?"
"The three-headed dog."
"Oh, that thing? I thought it was a statue."
"..."
Ethan understood now. It turned out that he and ScĂĄthach had scared the dog into submission. When ScĂĄthach said, "Be good," the creature had really listened. While they hadn't gone far, the dog had obediently stayed put. Even when Malfoy came through, it had pretended not to see him.
Of course, Malfoy would never tell Ethan that he'd been startled at first by the massive creature, but after seeing it didn't move, he just ignored it. Once the noise from below stopped, he had jumped downâonly to fall into the Devil's Snare. If Ethan and ScĂĄthach hadn't still been there, he, an important supporting character, might have exited the stage early.
"So what are you doing here?"
After confirming Malfoy was fine, Ethan and ScĂĄthach continued walking down the dark passage. Malfoy glanced up, found no way to go back, and could only grit his teeth and follow along.
"Just wandering around."
"You don't come back to the dorm at night, and you're wandering around places like this?"
"Something like that."
They hadn't walked far when they came to a more open area. In this room, dozens of winged keys were flying around, and several were jammed into a wooden door not far away.
"I'm guessing none of these keys actually open that door."
"Obviously."
The correct key had already been taken by Harry's group. When they grabbed it, the other flying keys had swarmed them. In the end, they managed to unlock the door and slip through just in time.
More importantly, once they closed the door, they had locked it from the inside to stop the keys from following. Unless someone opened it from the other side, it would be impossible to get through normally.
"So we have to find another way?" Malfoy was quick-witted and quickly grasped the situation. "Assuming there is another way..."
"It's not that complicated. It's just locked."
Ethan focused his mind, sent his magic into the wooden door, and flicked his finger. Malfoy heard the lock click open.
"Done."
They stepped through the wooden door and continued forward into the darkness. Malfoy still didn't know what Ethan was doing, but he already understood that Ethan definitely wasn't just out for a walk.
Especially after hearing a flurry of noises ahead, mixed with Harry's voice.
"Harry Potter? What's he doing here?"
As if afraid of being spotted, Malfoy instinctively lowered his voice and crept behind Ethan, tiptoeing forward.
In contrast, Ethan didn't even bother to hide his presence. He walked forward casually. Soon, they saw Ron and Harry playing wizard chess.
The plot differed slightly from his memory. This time, the Gryffindor troublemaker team had an extra member: Rin.
(To be continued.)
Special thanks to random_debuff for sponsoring this extra chapter đđđ
Chapter 632: Have a Pleasant Journey...
Adding one more person, Rin, didn't affect the plot much. To pass this level, they needed to step onto the chessboard and choose a 'character' to play. Whether there were three people or four, there were more than enough roles to choose from.
This chess trial fully showcased Ron's impressive ability. He helped Hermione and Harry pick suitable roles to ensure their survival. It wasn't until the final decisive move that Harry realized Ron's strategy. Clearly, their chess skills were not on the same level.
Now, with Rin joining, it still didn't interfere with Ron's command. He calmly handled every situation and gradually gained the upper hand.
"Are we just going to stay here and watch?"
Ethan didn't step forward to interrupt the game. Instead, he stopped a bit farther back and quietly observed Ron's performance.
"What would we go up for? To foolishly stand on the board, play a chess piece, and be bossed around by Ron?"
Malfoy had intended to ask a similar question. But after hearing Ethan's words, he immediately swallowed it.
He had no desire to be ordered around like a pawn by that poor Weasley boy. And he suspected that if he did become a chess piece, Ron would definitely send him to his death.
The events that followed didn't differ much from the original plot. After Ron made all his 'moves,' he initiated the final attack.
But the price of this final move was that the knight he was playing would be taken by the opposing queen, giving Harry the opportunity for checkmate.
This way, they could win the game, but what would happen to Ron, who was about to be taken⊠At least from Ron's perspective, he would be eliminated. Even under such circumstances, he was still willing to make that choice...
"Should I say ignorance is bliss... or that he's too young to fear death?"
"Is there a difference?"
Ignoring the sarcasm in ScĂĄthach's tone, Ethan didn't know what Ron was truly thinking. But he was right here. Letting a magical object injure a classmate in front of him would be laughable.
Even if he didn't have much of a relationship with Ron, would a godlike figure not be able to handle a chess piece? Letting a kid get hurt right before his eyesâwas it incompetence or cold indifference?
Either way, it would give Rin and ScĂĄthach something to mock him over. He didn't intend to give them the chance.
As Ron completed his final move and waited for the opposing queen to strike, Ethan simply raised his hand and pointed toward the distant queen piece. A powerful burst of magic struck it, reducing the giant queen to dust.
This sudden change stunned the Gryffindors on the chessboard. Harry, Hermione, and Rin all turned to stare in disbelief at the dark corner behind them.
As students of Hogwarts with decent academic performance, they could easily judge from the direction of the dust where the spell had come from.
"Could it be the professors?"
In Harry's mind, such a powerful spell had to come from one of the school's professors. It couldn't possibly be a student. Even older students wouldn't be able to cast something that strong.
When Ethan walked out of the shadows, Harry's first reaction was, "Was Snape hiding there the whole time? But why would he save Ron?"
Snape, as the Head of Slytherin and one of the key suspects Harry had been watching, was the villain Harry believed was trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone. He had no reason to save the people trying to stop him.
As for why Ethan was with Snape, Harry didn't think too deeply about it. After all, they were both Slytherins. That house was full of troublemakers.
When Malfoy followed Ethan out, Harry was even more convinced of his theory.
But after waiting for a while, he didn't see Snape. Aside from Ethan, Malfoy, and another unfamiliar girl, no one else appeared.
"Ethan?"
"Yeah."
Putting Rin aside, Hermione didn't hold as much prejudice toward Slytherin students as Harry did. But she still found it hard to believe that the one who had cast that spell was a classmate who had only been studying magic for a year, just like her.
"How did you get here?"
"Why can't we be here? Are you the only ones allowed to wander around during a break?"
Malfoy instinctively fired back. His reaction was so natural, he finished speaking before he even realized it.
"So are you going to report us again and end up with detention like last time?"
Malfoy fell silent. Reporting them the last time had been one of the most embarrassing moments of his life, and it had dragged him into punishment as well. He wasn't going to make the same mistake again.
"How much longer do you all plan to stand here talking? The chess piece was destroyed. I don't know if that'll alert the professors. If it does, none of us will need to report anything to get detention."
These were magical chess pieces. Ethan wasn't sure whether destroying one of them would trigger some kind of alert to the one who created it. If it did, then the professors might soon discover that someone had broken through the area protecting the Philosopher's Stone.
Harry was stunned. What did Ethan mean?
"Harry!"
Ron had already jumped down from the knight piece. The queen had been shattered, and the game was effectively ruined. They couldn't continue from this point, and how to proceed was now a problem.
Destroying the queen didn't mean they could walk through. All the chess pieces their side had captured during the game had now returned to their original positions and were blocking the way againâonly the spot where the queen had been was now clear.
"What do we do now?"
Harry looked toward the other side, then turned to Ethan and the others. He suddenly suspected that Ethan had done this on purpose to block their progress.
He didn't know what to do. But surprisingly, Hermione and Rin seemed to know Ethan well. Rin even directly asked Ethan if he had a way forward.
Because Ethan had kept a low profile all year, Harry didn't know much about him. All he knew was that Ethan had excellent grades and was favored by that annoying Snapeâso naturally, Harry had a poor impression of him, even though Ethan had never interacted with him.
"Do you have a way for us to get through?"
"Yes."
Ethan answered plainly, giving no chance for Harry or Ron to question him. With a light wave of his hand, all the large chess pieces blocking the path were swept aside by an invisible force, crashing into the walls with heavy thuds.
"You can go through now."
"..."
If Malfoy, Hermione, and the others hadn't fully understood how Ethan had destroyed the queen earlier, now they had a very clear idea of his power.
Harry and Ron stood dumbfounded, mouths agape, staring at the chess pieces that had been flung aside like junk.
"Let's go."
Ignoring the stunned children, Ethan recalled that Quirrell should be just ahead. That man was probably still standing in front of the Mirror of Erised, lost in confusion, trying to figure out how to get the Philosopher's Stone.
When Ethan and the group arrived, Quirrell was indeed staring blankly at the mirror.
As he came to his senses, he realized he was being watched by a group of children.
Harry was completely shocked. The person in front of him wasn't Snape, but Professor Quirrellâthe stammering, timid teacher.
Because things weren't going the way he'd expected, Harry tried to talk to Quirrell to make sense of it. He brought up how, during the Quidditch match, it was actually Quirrell, not Snape, who had tried to kill him. Snape had been trying to save him.
Ron and Hermione immediately covered their faces. At the time, they had all thought it was Snape casting the curse that made Harry's broom go out of control. Hermione had even run over and set Snape's robes on fire.
Even though it ended up saving Harry, it had been a misunderstanding. The fire caused a commotion that knocked Quirrell over, giving Harry a chance to escape danger.
But in the end, it wasn't Snape who tried to kill Harry. He had actually helped. Hurting an ally was embarrassing, and Hermione felt very guilty.
By now, the truth was clear. Although ScĂĄthach didn't fully understand the whole story, it didn't stop her from enjoying the scene with interest.
Malfoy, on the other hand, was completely lost. He had no idea what was going on.
It wasn't until Quirrell demanded that Harry retrieve the Philosopher's Stone from the mirror that Ethan reached out and stopped the frightened boy. Harry was still under twelve and hadn't yet entered the rebellious stage where he'd ignore advice. It wasn't strange that he'd be scared when facing a professor.
Ethan had no intention of paying any attention to Quirrell. That guy didn't scare him in the slightest. Even if the Voldemort behind him appeared, it wouldn't matter.
"You're just a thief trying to steal school property. We have no reason to listen to you."
Those words snapped Harry out of it. He stopped and stared hard at Professor Quirrell.
Because of Ethan's interference, Voldemort, who was already fed up with Quirrell's incompetence, finally lost his patience. He declared that he would personally speak to Harry and the others. He believed that he could easily manipulate the children into helping him retrieve the Philosopher's Stone... Huh? What is that kid holding?
Just as Quirrell was unwrapping his turban and Voldemort began to observe the group through the mirror, he was shocked to see the boy named Ethan holding a stone, examining it casually.
"The Philosopher's Stone? When?!"
(To be continued.)
Special thanks to random_debuff for sponsoring this extra chapter đđđ
Chapter 633: Trying to Stay Low-Key
Ever since arriving here, Ethan had been studying the Mirror of Erised in front of him. This object was quite interesting to him.
Due to the reshaping of his divine body, Ethan's strength had decreased compared to before, but his knowledge of magic, especially his understanding of various rules, had significantly improved.
Compared to that, the magic used in the Mirror of Erised couldn't possibly confuse him. He easily retrieved the Philosopher's Stone. The mirror employed illusion, phantoms, mental attacks (reading), and some rule-based magic. After solving these puzzles one by one, the actual location of the Philosopher's Stone was no different from it being placed directly in front of him.
Because of the special nature of the "location" where the Mirror of Erised stored the Philosopher's Stone, the distance between them was meaningless. After figuring everything out, Ethan simply took it out, even though he was far away from the mirror and wasn't even truly looking into it.
In short, Ethan's retrieval of the Philosopher's Stone from the mirror was a very profound magical operation, but only ScĂĄthach could see part of what was happening. The rest were completely baffled, including Voldemort, who had no idea how Ethan had done it.
In everyone else's eyes, Ethan had just gotten lucky. Even Voldemort thought so. He didn't take Ethan seriously at all.
Just a brat. What ability could he possibly have?
"Hand over the Philosopher's Stone!"
Quirrell, reminded by his master, realized that the Philosopher's Stone he had been unable to find was right in front of him. Seeing hope within reach, he could no longer suppress his urgency. His usually meek expression twisted horribly as he roared and lunged toward Ethan.
Seeing Quirrell charging at him, Ethan didn't even look directly at him. Instead, he gently pushed Harry, who was standing beside him. Harry stumbled forward and instinctively reached out to grab something... and ended up grabbing the charging Professor Quirrell.
What happened next was no surprise. Because Harry carried the protective magic left by his mother, Quirrell was immediately attacked the moment he touched Harry.
This protective magic was originally intended to harm Voldemort, but since Voldemort was currently possessing Quirrell, there was no difference. Quirrell was severely burned the moment he made contact with Harry.
When Harry discovered that his touch could injure this villain, he very rudely pressed his hand directly onto Quirrell's face. Under everyone's gaze, Quirrell petrified and crumbled into dust.
Ron and Hermione, who didn't know the truth, thought Harry had used some special ability or cast a powerful spell to turn a terrifying villain into dust. It was simply too cool.
The two crowded around him, constantly examining him and asking question after question that Harry couldn't answer.
"It's not over yet."
Ethan's reminder came at just the right time. Even though he hadn't lifted his head this whole time, when the Gryffindor trio looked up at him, they happened to see Malfoy next to him wearing a terrified expression and staring behind them.
Without needing to think, they realized something was happening behind them. And in that direction, all that was left was Quirrell's remains.
As they turned back, a cloud of black smoke rose from the ashes and slowly condensed into a blurry humanoid form. The twisted face glared at Harry with a hatred so intense it made the three children tremble.
After forming into a humanoid shape, the smoke let out a roar and lunged at Harry. The terrified Harry didn't even dodge, and it looked like he was about to take the hit head-on.
At that moment, Harry felt someone yank him hard. He suddenly fell backward and hit the ground.
Although he was dizzy and sore from the fall, he had coincidentally avoided the terrifying smoke.
The human face formed by the smoke glared one last time at Harry, who lay on the ground. Thinking Harry had simply been lucky to fall at the right moment, it fled without hesitation. Without a physical body, Voldemort was at a severe disadvantage and needed to find a new host or hiding place as soon as possible.
Ethan, who had been fiddling with the Philosopher's Stone, had simply crooked his finger. Harry's fall had been his doing.
"This way... it shouldn't have affected the plot, right?"
He had tried to stay as low-key as possible. Not facing off against Voldemort directly was already cutting him some slack. After all, the villain still had many appearances to come. Voldemort had created many Horcruxes, and he could revive without all of them being destroyed. It was too troublesome to eliminate him completely, and Ethan couldn't be bothered.
Now that he couldn't resolve the issue instantly and would only draw unwanted attention, it was better to leave Voldemort to clash with Harry, the chosen one. Ethan could continue studying the Stone.
"How long are you going to look at that thing? Are you planning to live forever?"
Voldemort had already fled, and Ron and Hermione had helped Harry back to his feet. After checking that everyone was unharmed, the group walked back together.
Harry glanced at the Philosopher's Stone in Ethan's hand. He now understood that Voldemort wanted it and that it seemed to be incredibly important.
He wanted to say something, but he wasn't familiar with Ethan, a Slytherin who hung out with Malfoy (Ethan: ?). If he spoke up, the other party probably wouldn't be willing to hand it over, right?
Harry and Ron exchanged looks. They were thinking the same thing and felt awkward about what to do.
Only Hermione was direct. She had interacted with Ethan and didn't hold as strong a bias against Slytherin as in the original plotâmostly because Malfoy hadn't seriously insulted her yet. He hadn't called her a Mudblood (a highly offensive slur for wizards from Muggle families).
Given Ethan's presence, Malfoy likely wouldn't dare to use that word again, unless he wanted to be beaten into a pulp. According to the pure-blood faction's standards, Ethan's background would also be labeled as Mudblood.
"I'm just studying how magical this thing is. As for living forever..."
Ethan smiled. The most appealing aspect of the Philosopher's Stone didn't matter much to him. He was more interested in the amount of energy it contained.
After observing it for so long, he had a rough understanding of its properties.
Simply put, the stone contained a large amount of magic and carried some mysterious rules.
That was all.
To Ethan, it wasn't particularly useful. He didn't need its core function, and as for the magic power he desired... the amount stored in this thing clearly didn't meet his needs.
"Then you're after gold?"
"If you want it, just say so."
Hermione spoke seriously. She didn't want the Philosopher's Stone for herself, but this item was extremely important. Now that it had been recovered, it needed to be handed over to Professor Dumbledore for safekeeping.
"Oh."
"Oh?!" Hermione couldn't tell if that was agreement or rejection. "I think we should give it to Dumbledore right away."
"Yes, Hermione's right," Ron added, clearly reminding Ethan not to try keeping the Philosopher's Stone for himself.
Ethan smiled. The reason he hadn't answered wasn't because he was hesitating. He had been using the time to extract some of the magic from the Philosopher's Stone.
The energy it held wasn't enough to help his body develop, but he remembered he needed to collect all kinds of energy to make his spiritual universe more complete.
He was in such a rush to extract it here because he had sensed Dumbledore's presence. The old man was already nearby, hiding in the shadows. It seemed he wanted to use this opportunity to observe the children?
Dumbledore couldn't have guessed that beings like Ethan and ScĂĄthach had blended into the group. His presence had already been exposed long ago.
Right now, he was quite satisfied with Harry's growth. Hermione was also an outstanding and righteous student, and Ron had demonstrated great potential. These two would make good companions for Harry.
He had already formed clear evaluations of the three. Even Rin, who often stayed with Hermione, had been judged.
It was Ethan and ScĂĄthach who left him uncertain. That was why he hadn't shown himself, choosing instead to observe if Ethan could resist the temptation of a treasure like the Philosopher's Stone.
Based on Ethan's earlier behavior, this top Slytherin student seemed to be developing in the exact direction he feared most. He didn't seem willing to give up the Philosopher's Stone.
But in the next moment, something unexpected happened. Ethan casually tossed the Philosopher's Stone to Hermione, as if throwing away a rock he picked up off the ground.
"If you care about it so much, then take it."
His expression didn't seem forced. Dumbledore didn't believe a boy this young could act that well either.
Hermione fumbled to catch the Philosopher's Stone, and only after holding it securely in her hands did she breathe a sigh of relief.
"This is the Philosopher's Stone. And you just threw it like that?"
"It's just a stone."
Ethan shook his head, wondering if he should go back to sleep before Dumbledore showed up.
Unfortunately, Dumbledore didn't give him the chance. The old man finally revealed himself and appeared before the children.
(To be continued.)
Special thanks to Sire for sponsoring this extra chapter đđđ
Chapter 634: How to Spend the Summer Vacation
"That's right, it's just a stone."
After Dumbledore appeared, he didn't immediately speak to Harry or take the Philosopher's Stone from Hermione. Instead, he happily agreed with Ethan's words and praised Ethan for saving Harry earlier.
"The spell you cast just now was very accurate and timely. I noticed you didn't use an incantation or a staff."
Silent and wandless casting were advanced techniques that many adult wizards still couldn't perform. Even minor spells couldn't be cast without a staff or chant by ordinary wizards.
Ethan was still so young and had only studied magic at Hogwarts for one year...
The others didn't fully understand what Dumbledore meant, but Harry was the first to react.
"It was you who pulled me back just now?"
"No need to thank me. We're all classmates at Hogwarts."
"That's right, you are all Hogwarts students, classmates, partners, and should help one another."
Dumbledore appreciated this kind of camaraderie and laughed so hard his beard trembled.
Only then did he take the Philosopher's Stone from Hermione. As Headmaster of Hogwarts and the most powerful wizard in the current magical world, the Philosopher's Stone was absolutely safe in his hands.
When Hermione handed the Philosopher's Stone to Dumbledore, Harry and Ron both let out a sigh of relief, as if they had just completed an important task. Their faces even showed a sense of pride.
They were proud that they had thwarted Voldemort's plot to steal the Philosopher's Stone.
After receiving the Philosopher's Stone, Dumbledore praised them, even offering detailed feedback on how they handled each of the earlier defensive traps.
Listening to this, Ethan felt more and more like everything that had happened today had been part of Dumbledore's plan. He was clearly grooming Harry.
"And Ethan Arendelle! You made the right decision at the right time, helping your classmate Harry Potter escape the enemy's grasp."
If the setting hadn't been inappropriate, Ethan would have thought Dumbledore was about to follow that up with a, "Fifty points to Slytherin!"
But if that had really happened, Slytherin might have firmly surpassed Gryffindor, even though Gryffindor had been receiving a ridiculous number of points from Dumbledore.
As it turned out, Ethan still underestimated Dumbledore's shamelessness.
At the House Cup ceremony shortly afterâwhich tallied the performances of all four houses throughout the year and awarded the cup to the highest scorerâEthan's contribution did give Slytherin a score higher than in the original timeline. But Dumbledore shamelessly gave even more points to the Gryffindor trio. Even Rin, who had only tagged along for the fun and watched the entire thing from the sidelines, was awarded points and she didn't even know why.
As a result, Gryffindor unsurprisingly overtook Slytherin and won the House Cup. News of Harry foiling Professor Quirrell's plan and protecting the Philosopher's Stone quickly spread throughout the school.
As for Ethan's timely intervention to save Harry and the fact that the Philosopher's Stone had been in Ethan's hands the entire time, not a word of that was mentioned.
"Tsk~"
Ethan had long expected this. After all, there could only be one 'protagonist', and it had to be Harry Potter. No one else could outshine him. Everyone else existed only to support him or help him shine.
Even Malfoy, who had inexplicably become one of Harry's helpers during the event, looked particularly bitter. At this point, he didn't even care about his one-sided 'conflict' with Ethan. It was as if the two of them were now united comrades.
"That's not fair. If you hadn't helped, that guy would've been in big trouble, and the Philosopher's Stone would've been... you know who's."
"Being in the spotlight... isn't necessarily a good thing."
Harry was a walking target. Dumbledore might not yet understand why Voldemort was so fixated on him, but Harry's existence gave Voldemort a clear goal, making it easier to bait and trap him.
After all, this wasn't a children's book where logic could be discarded for the sake of the story.
In the real world, most things happened with purpose. If that weren't the case, Ethan couldn't understand why Dumbledore would arrange things the way he had. Surely Harry wasn't born with some strange protagonist aura that influenced those around him? At least Ethan hadn't sensed any powerful law-based forces acting on him.
"Why isn't it a good thing?"
Completely ignoring the strange looks from those around him, Malfoy leaned in and asked directly.
Ethan glanced at the curious Malfoy beside him, unsure how to respond. Draco hadn't truly sided with Voldemort yetâin fact, he didn't even know his family were Death Eaters. Judging from his future actions, Draco wasn't completely irredeemable. His conflict with Harry was more like childish squabbling.
Later on, he even became friends with Harry and took a very different path from his father, eventually rejecting the pure-blood ideology.
But just because Draco could be saved didn't mean he was a trustworthy insider now. If Ethan told him the truth, these kids would probably spread it across the entire magical world. Whether his guess was right or wrong, the idea that Dumbledore was using Harry as bait to attract Voldemort would become a certainty.
"You'll understand in time."
"Tsk."
Malfoy, thinking Ethan was brushing him off, returned to his usual demeanor. He sullenly distanced himself and 'returned' to his own circle of friends, continuing to complain about Harry Potter, that lucky brat, and Dumbledore's blatant bias against Slytherin.
Due to Dumbledore's immense prestige, even these proud pure-blood kids didn't dare to speak ill of him openly. Claiming he was biased against Slytherin was about the most they could say.
Listening to these kids chatter, the first school year at Hogwarts came to a quiet end.
Next, all students would return to their dorms to pack up, then take the train to leave Hogwarts, disbanding at the station and returning home for the summer.
Hogwarts did have other breaks during the year. For example, students could leave or stay at school over Christmas. But during summer vacation, no students were allowed to remain at school.
If he had the option, Ethan would've definitely chosen to stay behind and make full use of the time. If possible, he even wanted to copy all the books from the library into his Book of Inheritance.
The magic book Merlin had given him back then was still the only item Ethan used regularly. But its main function was no longer for casting spells, it had truly become a 'book'.
He still hadn't fully digested all the magical knowledge Merlin had passed on. Over the years, he had recorded all kinds of information whenever he had the chance. If this knowledge were printed into actual books, it would be enough to fill a library.
Even so, Ethan wasn't satisfied. He wanted to copy and record everything usefulâor even useless. After all, the Hogwarts library was filled with obscure and mysterious knowledge, and that was one of the main reasons he had come here to study.
"What a pity."
Now all he could do was pack up and prepare to take the train back for summer break. The real headache was figuring out how to spend that vacation.
The companions who had come here with Ethan gathered together once again.
Even though they were all in the same school, due to the house system and differing class schedules, combined with each person's personality and preferences, the group had hardly assembled together throughout the year.
Sometimes they were all in the same space, like the Great Hall, but each sat with their respective houses. Sometimes they bumped into each other in the common areas, but always with other classmates around.
Even when they met privately, it was usually only two or three of them at a time, never the full group.
Especially Logan, who had practically disappeared this year. Even the Gryffindor students rarely knew what he was up to.
"How was your year?"
"Not bad!"
Logan had gotten used to replacing his cigarette cravings with snacks. On top of that, he excelled in Herbology because he had been searching for magical plants that could replace tobacco. When that failed, he started cultivating new varieties himself. While the results didn't meet expectations, Professor Sprout had taken a special interest in him.
Logan was probably the most average in terms of performance. The othersâLeah, ScĂĄthach, Illya, even Rinâwere all top students in their respective houses. Ethan had even become Snape's favorite student, receiving extra one-on-one instruction. The tutoring wasn't limited to Potions either, allowing Ethan to get through parts of the second- and third-year curriculum in advance.
As for more advanced knowledge, it wasn't that Ethan couldn't learn it. It was that Snape refused to teach him any further. He told Ethan very seriously that he needed to properly digest what he'd already learned. Rushing to master advanced magic wasn't wise.
Given that, Ethan didn't push too hard to 'squeeze' more out of Snape⊠In fact, because of Snape's care for him, Ethan had made a decision: Snape must not die.
But that wasn't urgent yet. For now, Ethan's real headache was still...
"How should I spend this summer?"
"Find another world to pass the time?"
(To be continued.)
Special thanks to Sire for sponsoring this extra chapter đđđ
Chapter 635: The First Reincarnation of the First Reincarnator
For Ethan, binding his personal timeline to that of Harry Potter's world and then spending a few months in another world during the summer vacation was not difficult.
What truly gave him a headache was deciding what kind of world a kid who looked about ten years old could go to in order to pass the time.
Although this problem could technically be "concealed"âeither by using illusions or forming an energy body to disguise himselfâit still left Ethan feeling unhappy.
"What's wrong with you? You've had a sour face ever since we got on the train."
The people in the compartment were basically "his own," with only Hermione as an outsider. However, Hermione herself didn't realize that. She was simply sitting with her good friend, Rin.
Besides her friendship with Rin, another reason Hermione was here was that everyone else present was a Muggle-born wizard. This year had seen a record number of Muggle-borns, and only now did Hermione realize that this group was actually connected.
Given their backgrounds, it wasn't all that strange. She was just a little curious why Ethan was sitting there looking so grumpy. Did he dislike her?
"I'm trying to figure out how to spend this summer vacation."
"So you don't like holidays either. It would be great if we could just keep studying at school without any breaks."
"..."
Ethan shook his head in silence. He didn't like breaks either, but the reason he studied hard was to become stronger. That was very different from Hermione, who simply enjoyed constantly absorbing knowledge. She was the only top student in the whole school who had been disappointed when Dumbledore canceled all exams.
"You can still study during the holidays, but unfortunately, a lot of things are hard to figure out through self-study alone."
"Then just relax properly. Clear your mind. That way, when the new school year begins, it will be easier to absorb new information."
"Really?"
"Of course not. I was just talking nonsense."
Hermione rolled her eyes. She had thought this top Slytherin student might have some secret study method. She was genuinely curious, because there weren't many students at Hogwarts who could rival her in academics. Harry Potter, the school's most talked-about student, was completely outmatched by her in most subjects, but Ethan was another story.
Most of the time, Ethan didn't stand out at all, but Hermione could tell that wasn't because his abilities were lacking. Rather, it was because he didn't want to be noticed. Only when the professors called on him would he reveal just a sliver of his actual skill.
Whether it was Charms, Potions, or Herbology, whether theory or practice, he handled even the most boring subjects like History of Magic with ease, as if nothing could trouble him.
In a way, Hermione had already seen Ethan as her biggest academic rival. Ethan, however, had no such awareness and was still lost in thought.
"I'm definitely not going to stay here. Instead of wasting a few boring months, I might as well take a trip to the Marvel world."
But then he thought, since he had gotten involved in the Philosopher's Stone incident and caught Dumbledore's attention, was it possible that Dumbledore would have someone secretly monitoring him over the summer?
"Seems likely."
In that case, if he wanted to visit another world, he would need to make arrangements in advance, perhaps using overseas travel as a cover story.
Ethan continued mulling it over all the way until the train arrived at the station, still undecided. After waving goodbye to Hermione, he got into the car that Selene had arranged to pick them up.
"Came alone?"
Sitting in the passenger seat, Ethan glanced behind him. No one else had come with Selene.
"Evelyn, Jonathan, and O'Connell went to Wales. Judging by their travel route, they're probably heading to Scotland and Northern Ireland next."
Selene started the car and drove them away from the station, giving Ethan an update on Evelyn and the others.
His nominal guardians had been traveling all over since arriving. It seemed like they were determined to tour the entire UK, maybe even all the way to Ireland.
"As long as they're having fun."
They had agreed early on that Evelyn and the others were just there to serve as guardians to help Ethan and the group blend in with normal society. After that, they were free to enjoy themselves however they liked. No one expected them to stick around playing guardian all the time.
"Did you go out and have fun?"
Selene, now in loose-fitting clothing and appearing slightly older, looked nothing like the vampire noble from Underworld. With her relaxed appearance, she was completely indistinguishable from any local middle-aged woman.
"I did a bit of traveling while you were at school. I just got back recently."
"Must've been lonely, right?"
"It's fine. I'm used to this kind of life."
Having lived for centuries, vampires like Selene were used to emotional distance. She didn't form close bonds with many of her kind and mostly kept to herself, filling her time with work or travel.
She had long adapted to solitude. A year of living alone was nothing compared to the life she had already led.
Plus, she could travel around the world freely, which was a bonus.
As for fighting? Veterans like Logan and Selene had long stopped romanticizing combat. Even ScĂĄthach, despite her thirst for battle when encountering a worthy opponent, wasn't some warmonger who needed daily bloodshed to feel alive. In fact, she preferred peace.
And with Ethan constantly stirring things up, there was never any need to go looking for action. Even just drifting through space could bring surprises.
Let alone the occasional cross-world excursion that was bound to cause a stir.
So there was nothing to worry about in terms of boredom. Selene was more concerned about how she might have to start acting more like a real guardian now that a bunch of kids was living under one roof.
"Will there be surveillance this time?"
Since getting in the car, Ethan had been talking freely about internal matters, which told Selene there was no one watching or eavesdropping on them at the moment.
"Most likely, yes. I was planning to travel to another world, but now it looks like I can't be away for too long."
At best, he might be able to make brief trips to other worlds to take care of small matters. Spending the whole summer break away was basically impossible.
After returning to their house in this world, Ethan officially entered "vacation mode."
During the day, he acted like an ordinary child: eating, playing, and occasionally reading books to appear diligent.
At night, he would leave this world and return to the Artemis or other worlds to handle minor issues.
For example, he would check on Artoria and Shirou in Arthur's world. He also made a trip to the Type-Moon world to give Kazama Ryu the "tool" he had crafted during his spare time.
He would also arrange Ryu's first mission.
"I can't stay long here, so you need to make a decision."
To make sure that Shirou and the others in this world weren't affected, Ethan was controlling the flow of time for each of his visits.
In the Type-Moon world, only a day had passed since Shirou was brought back, so as far as Ryu was concerned, it had all just happened yesterday.
Ryu didn't know how much time had passed for Ethan. All he needed to know was that his first reincarnation mission was ready.
"In this first world, you'll have enough time to grow your strength slowly. I have no specific requirements. Just surviving and growing stronger is enough."
When Ethan last saw Ryu, he had advised him to carefully choose a world suitable for growth. Although not much time had passed, it should have been enough for Ryu to come up with a plan.
Perhaps it was a bit rushed, but this was also a test. He should have understood that.
"I've decided. The first world I'll go to is Yu Yu Hakusho."
"Oh?"
Ethan hadn't expected Ryu to pick that one.
"Why choose this world?"
"Because it has a low starting point, and the path to strength is relatively clear."
Ryu's answer made Ethan nod. The starting point in Yu Yu Hakusho was indeed very low. The protagonist, Yusuke Urameshi, was originally just a regular high school studentârough around the edges, but good at fighting.
He gradually grew stronger from an ordinary human. Although it was later revealed that Yusuke was a descendant of Raizen, one of the most powerful demons in the Demon World, his early growth came purely from effort and training.
"Are you planning to become Genkai's disciple?"
"I'll try my best."
Becoming Genkai's disciple would mean becoming Yusuke's rival. But even if he failed, as long as he learned how to use spirit energy, that would be enough. What mattered most was having a solid method for growing stronger.
Once he mastered spirit energy, he could break away from being a powerless ordinary person.
"Good luck."
Ethan nodded and, without waiting for Ryu to respond, activated a teleportation spell and sent the transmigrator to the world of Yu Yu Hakusho.
Just like how Madeline treated her own reincarnators, Ethan hadn't prepared anything for Ryu either. This was also part of the test.
"Yu Yu Hakusho, huh? Let's see if this kid can do something interesting."
(To be continued.)
Special thanks to Sire for sponsoring this extra chapter đđđ
Chapter 636: A Fulfilling Summer Vacation
Due to his own quirky tastes, Ethan didn't deliberately adjust the time flow to bring Ryu back instantly.
He even intentionally slowed down the flow of time so that he could periodically check on Ryu's situation. How was Ryu living in that world? Was he successfully improving his strength? How was he interfering with the plot? What kind of changes was he causing?
Essentially, Ethan treated Ryu's reincarnation experience like a long-running serialized TV drama.
After arranging his first "reincarnator," Ethan met up with CĂș Chulainn, who had finally managed to corner him, and passed along a message from Shirou.
"Take good care of the house." (Simplified message.)
"Huh?"
Then Ethan left, leaving CĂș Chulainn completely confused and at a loss for what had just happened.
Instead of returning directly after leaving the Nasuverse, Ethan entered a very ordinary world, bought some supplies, and spent half a day busying himself aboard the Artemis before returning to the Harry Potter world.
"I brought you all something."
At breakfast the next morning, Ethan casually placed a few items on the table.
"Phones?"
Everyone recognized them. Although smartphones didn't exist in the era Tohsaka Rin and Illya came from, after spending time on the Artemis and seeing more advanced equipment, these full-screen smartphones no longer seemed unfamiliar.
"Why'd you bring these for us?"
They were currently living in 1990s Britain. It wasn't as if they could use smartphones for much entertainment, right? At best, they were glorified game consoles that drained battery power.
"I made some basic modifications. Now these devices have a nano-structure and special batteries, so they're resistant to damage and don't need charging."
Of course, that wasn't the main point.
"They can connect to the internet."
"Oh? That's not bad."
Logan was the most bored. He was purely passing time. With his childlike appearance, he couldn't really do anythingânot even go back to visit Atlanna.
Although he wasn't addicted to phones, he had lived through the digital era of the "future" and knew how to use one to kill time.
"Is it connected to Tony's network?"
"No. It's from a normal world with no magic at all."
That was a world Ethan had carefully selected. It was very similar to the one he had lived in during his past life, though it was missing some elements, somewhat like the parallel worlds described in web novels.
The reason Ethan picked that kind of world was due to his personal quirky taste: the phones came preloaded with a specific mobile game, and he was waiting to see how the others would react.
"What's this? Fate⊠Grand⊠Order?"
Illya was smart. After being exposed to more advanced technology, she quickly learned how to use a touchscreen and got the hang of the phone.
Rin wasn't as good. She was still stuck on the basic interface, trying to figure out what all the small icons meant.
"It's a game. Very suitable for passing time."
"Oh? Is it fun?" Hearing that it was a game, Rin didn't think too much. But the character on the icon⊠"Isn't that Artoria?"
Everyone rolled their eyes, but each had a different reaction.
Illya's look said, "You just noticed?"
Logan glanced at Ethan with a look that said, "Here you go again."
Ethan smiled as if to say, "Isn't this fun?"
He answered Rin's question. "Hard to say if it's fun or not. The game hasn't officially launched yet. You'll have to wait another two days."
To make sure the "network connection" functioned smoothly, without fluctuation or anomalies, Ethan had specifically enhanced the space-time connection and stabilized the flow between the two worlds. So when he said "two days," it truly meant two days, not "two days passed in the blink of an eye."
"Is there an introduction to the game?"
"Yes."
Ethan casually gave them a website address. Illya quickly typed it in, accessed the page, and was stunned.
Rin was still struggling to figure out how to get to the site. After fiddling for a while and getting nowhere, Selene helped her. Once Rin finally opened the website, she was also stunned.
"What is this? Holy Grail? Saving humanity? Master? Servant?"
Even if those familiar terms weren't enough, the promotional images showed plenty of familiar faces.
"Artoria and Emiya?"
For Logan, Selene, and the others, the game wasn't particularly interesting. Selene glanced at it a few times and then lost interest. Logan didn't even bother opening his phone, just peeked at Rin's screen for a moment and continued eating. His own phone sat untouched.
Illya and Rin, on the other hand, were very invested. They stared at their screens intently, clearly intrigued by the game.
"Looks kind of interesting."
ScĂĄthach was also intrigued, especially when she saw Medea, CĂș Chulainn, Sasaki KojirĆ, and others. According to the intro, these Heroic Spirits also appeared in the game.
Even though she didn't fully understand what was going on, she decided to give it a try. She had been bored lately. Although teasing Ethan was fun, doing it every day got old. Taking a break now and then would make teasing him even more entertaining next time. Overdoing it would only have the opposite effect.
Of course, if Ethan was willing to feed her, that would be another story. She believed she could have a very fulfilling summer vacation. However, she was now sure that Ethan had no interest in girls who looked too young. The way he looked at her had clearly changed.
The meal ended quietly. The next two days passed peacefully as well, until the game officially launched. Illya, Rin, and ScĂĄthach jumped into it immediately. Leah was also pulled in, even though she would have preferred to spend that time studying with her teacher.
Selene, who was utterly bored, also joined in. Only Logan remained disinterested. Pouting while chewing on some unidentifiable plant leaves, he didn't touch the game. He used his phone to listen to music instead, although he was a bit disappointed at the limited selection.
With a game to play, and because of its unique storyline and mechanicsâespecially the presence of familiar Heroic Spirits and Servantsâthe "otherworld players" led by Illya and Rin took the game seriously and began thinking deeply about its content, gradually realizing a few things.
Was this game describing a parallel world similar to their own?
When Rin asked that question, Ethan simply replied, "You already know the answer, don't you?"
Ethan had specifically brought this game back for them to think and understand things.
Just like how Tony Stark had seen comics of himself in the Transformers world and begun to reflect on things, Rin and Illya were both smart. They could figure it out.
As for ScĂĄthach, someone who had lived for who knows how many years, there was little that could surprise her. She had her own understanding of what the game implied. She was just playing for fun.
Perhaps because the game was so good at killing time, Ethan did almost nothing during this holiday. He ate, played games, read books, slept, and used the rest of his time to teach Leah.
As his only official student, Leah received his full attention. Taking advantage of this relatively quiet period, Ethan devoted himself to teaching her.
Basic courses had already been covered aboard the Artemis. Now, he was teaching her more advanced content, including practical combat.
With the Mirror Dimension and illusion concealment, they didn't need to worry about anyone monitoring them.
Leah's rapid improvement indirectly pushed Rin and Illya. While Illya could ask Ethan for guidance directly, Rin didn't know how to approach it. So she shamelessly tagged along during Illya's lessons, pretending to be an "auditor" who just happened to be there.
It wasn't until ScĂĄthach got bored one day and casually gave Rin some tips that Rin finally realized she had another mentor at hand. She had nearly forgotten that ScĂĄthach was a powerful demigod who had trained CĂș Chulainn, a warrior skilled in both magic and martial arts.
Having such a resource nearby and not using it would be a waste.
Once everyone got serious, teaching was no longer limited to one-on-one. Ethan, ScĂĄthach, and even Logan all took turns instructing, while Illya, Rin, and Leah sat in on lessons. Occasionally, the students sparred with one another or even dueled with the teachers.
"Hmph! You hit me that hard just because I pulled Emiya and you couldn't pull the Berserker you kept bragging about! Did you forget he's not even in the game yet!"
After a daily sparring session, Rin rubbed her stomach and glared at Illya. Her clothes had a large tear, and there was a bloodstain on her pale belly. She could still feel the impact from Illya's magic attack, and it wasn't a pleasant memory.
She was used to it by now. With Ethan watching, even if they "died" during practice, he could resurrect them. Over time, Rin gradually realized just how powerful Ethan really was.
"When I get the chance, I'll personally go find the game developer and make them add Berserker to the gacha pool. I swear I'll pull him!"
(To be continued.)
Chapter 637: Basaka is the Best!
Illya's idea was quite creative. Ethan hadn't expected her to want to add herself to the gacha pool.
At that moment, Ethan suddenly had a thought. If he were to find a world and insert himself into the game as a Servant, would a parallel world containing "another him" be created?
"That sounds interesting. Maybe I should find a world and give it a try."
However, he didn't have the time to deal with that issue for now. They still needed to prepare for the upcoming school year.
The letter from Hogwarts had arrived, listing all the books and supplies required for the new term. These had to be prepared by the students or their parents. Next, they would head to Diagon Alley for shopping and then wait for school to begin.
"Harry Potter's second year, huh..."
Ethan had entered the world of the Harry Potter movies, which consisted of eight films. Except for the last two, which covered the same school year, the first six each represented one academic year.
The second movie covered the events of Harry's second year at Hogwarts. The story still revolved around the school but included a few scenes in other locations.
For example, at the beginning, Harry was locked in his room by his uncle. Ron and his brothers then came to rescue him and brought him to their home. After that, they all went to Diagon Alley. During that trip, Harry mispronounced the name of the destination while using Floo Powder and ended up in Knockturn Alley.
Overall, Harry's situation remained largely unchanged. His aunt and uncle continued to mistreat him, pushing him further from normal society and deeper into the wizarding world. To Harry, Hogwarts was gradually becoming his real home.
If one considered Dumbledore to be more calculating and removed the elements of contrast and drama deliberately written into the original, it wouldn't be hard to see Harry's experiences as something entirely orchestrated and intended by Dumbledore.
Touching his chin, Ethan had once considered stepping in to "do a good deed" by saving Harry from that terrible family, earning the gratitude of the wizarding world's savior and chosen one.
It wasn't even a difficult task. Dealing with the Dursleys would be simple. Ethan didn't need to use any special powers. He could use the laws and procedures of the ordinary world to strip their guardianship rights.
He wondered what kind of expression Dumbledore would show if he actually did that.
"I wonder if I'm overthinking things, but more and more, I feel like Dumbledore is more sinister than Voldemort."
Following the classic theory, "If bad people have to be cunning, then good people must be even more cunning," then Dumbledore couldn't afford not to be a little sinister.
"Can you wait until I finish changing before we talk about this?"
Selene looked at Ethan with exasperation. He was sitting there, resting his chin in his hand and staring straight at her. Seeing that he had no intention of leaving, Selene simply continued changing clothes on her own.
She didn't mind Ethan being there. In fact, she was somewhat pleased. That intense gaze once again proved that this man had thoughts about her.
Over the years, Ethan had had countless opportunities. Selene had gone from feeling slightly conflicted to mentally preparing herself, and now, she was gradually getting a little impatient.
But recently, Ethan's gaze had stopped being reserved. Now, it was completely open. Under normal circumstances, they might have already engaged in countless "fights."
Now, Selene was just frustrated. Ethan's current appearance made her hesitate.
Just as Ethan had no interest in little girls, Selene had no interest in little boys.
Diana felt the same. That was why, when Ethan tried to mess with her, she retaliated immediately.
"Also, aren't you going back to rest? We're going to Diagon Alley tomorrow."
"Does it matter whether I rest or not?"
Selene pouted. Ethan didn't need sleep for rest. With his current divine body, even if he didn't sleep at all, it wouldn't affect his health in the slightest.
If someone accompanied him, that would be another matter entirely.
Just as Ethan was thinking about whether to make a move on Selene todayâafter all, she didn't seem opposed, and when they came to the Harry Potter world this time, Evelyn and the others had gone traveling. Only Selene had stayed behind alone, deliberately not going anywhere, and she was changing clothes so slowly...
Just as Ethan was about to act, there was a thunderous knock on Selene's door. Selene, who had quickly slipped on a vest, opened the door to find Illya standing there in a bathrobe, hugging Shiro (who now maintained the form of a bear cub due to his special diet), casting a suspicious look back and forth between Selene and Ethan.
"What are you doing?"
"Chatting."
"Dressed like that?"
Ethan was wearing a simple T-shirt and loose shorts, while Selene only had on a white vest.
"Because I was about to go to sleep."
"Oh!" Illya immediately smiled, then looked at Ethan. "Don't disturb Selene's rest."
Before Ethan could say anything, she pulled him away, clearly signaling that she had something to say and leaving him with no room to refuse.
After dragging Ethan back to her room, Illya finally let go.
"What is it?"
"Top-up!"
"Huh?"
Illya casually held up her phone, clearly displaying the interface of the game they had all been playing recently.
"How do I top up? I want to do gacha pulls."
"...That's it?"
Ethan sighed. He could tell that Illya had more on her mind, but as for recharging the game...
"I haven't set that up yet. This time I only bought things and forgot to deal with the in-game currency. Next time I go back, I'll leave a Luna sub-program in that world so you can recharge easily."
Once the sub-program was in place, they could generate "real" accounts for online purchases.
"For now, just be a good F2P player. You might find it more fun that way."
"Okay!"
Illya didn't dwell on it and casually tossed her phone aside. After placing Shiro in his little bed nearby, she climbed into bed herself and tucked in.
"Anything else?"
"I won't have my eyes gouged out and my heart ripped out, right?"
"..."
Ethan didn't react immediately. After a few seconds, he realized what Illya was talking about. He sat down at her bedside, looking at Illya, who was staring at him with wide eyes.
"Of course not... You watched the anime?"
"Yeah, Rin and I watched it together."
After playing the game, she began collecting related information. She now had a clearer understanding of her world and had naturally watched other connected works.
Everything else was manageable, but what happened to "her" in one of the adaptations... Even as a third-party viewer, she couldn't help but shiver.
"So... Heracles was originally going to be summoned as my Servant, huh."
"That's right."
"He's not as strong as Berserker!"
"Well, I am cheating."
"Hehehe, that's good."
Illya smiled and curled up under the covers.
"When we go back, kill Gilgamesh for me..."
"Even though the Gilgamesh in your world hasn't done those things, that guy can probably 'see' why. So if you want to, just kill him."
"Basaka is the best!"
Illya fell asleep with a smile. Ethan, meanwhile, noticed that his clothes were tightly clutched in Illya's hand. Judging by the situation, he wouldn't be going anywhere tonight and could only obediently serve as a bedside ornament.
As a result, the next morning, Rin gave him a long look filled with suspicion, like she was staring at a beast. What was even more frustrating was that she tightened her pajamas even more deliberately, making a vein pop on Ethan's forehead.
"Alright, alright, just kidding."
Rin smiled and patted Ethan on the shoulder.
"Actually, I know what's going on."
"You know?"
"Well, I watched that show with her... If it were me, I'd also want someone I trust by my side to feel at ease."
Compared to Illya, Rin's ending in that timeline was pretty good. After all, it was her route, and the conclusion was quite satisfying. She went to England with her boyfriend, Shirou, entered the Clock Tower for advanced study, and became the disciple of a powerful magus. There might have even been someone tagging along freeloading.
However, both Rin and Illya understood that "story" could no longer happen. From the moment Ethan appeared, everything had changed. Perhaps timelines like that still existed, but they had nothing to do with "them."
Illya had clearly changed. Rin couldn't reunite with Shirou either.
The Shirou she now knew was following Artoria in Arthur's Kingdom of Britain, helping to quell rebellions and restore order (though that did sound a bit weird). In that world, Sakura was also with him. Rin and Shirou no longer had the kind of frequent contact needed to build a deeper bond.
To the current Rin, Shirou was just a passerby. What she cared more about now was what she could learn next. It wasn't just the magic from Hogwarts, but also the treasure trove that was Ethan, waiting for her to uncover.
(To be continued.)
Special thanks to Sire for sponsoring this extra chapter đđđ
Chapter 638: Hermione and the Snake
One year at Hogwarts wasn't nearly as effective as two months of training under Ethan. Though Ethan's evaluation of that was, "Your starting point was too low, so your progress just looks impressive."
Those words were a bit hurtful, but they were also undeniably true.
Rin could only console herself with, "Ethan is a god, not a human, so in his eyes, my original magic level was just too low!"
Moreover, both Illya and Leah were geniuses, possibly even more talented than herself. Studying alongside equally outstanding individuals provided excellent motivation and pushed her to tap into her full potential. Her rapid progress during this period was largely due to the motivation she got from the other two, which drove her to train and study even harder.
Not only had she made major strides in magicâRin had already stepped outside the TYPE-MOON magic system, and what she had learned and mastered could now truly be called magicâbut her close-combat abilities had improved significantly as well. Combined with superior reinforcement magic, aside from her height and short limbs putting her at a slight disadvantage in physical fights, her current strength could easily overpower the version of herself from a year ago.
Incidentally, when ScĂĄthach was bored, she taught Rin some basic weapon techniques, mainly spear skills. Ethan had commented on this with, "It's good to learn. You'll need it eventually."
"..."
For some reason, after hearing that, Rin suddenly didn't want to learn spear techniques anymore. But she only kept that thought to herself. How could she be picky when such a powerful and competent teacher was personally instructing her? Rin wasn't that foolish.
After simply packing their things, just like the same time last year, Ethan and the others headed to Diagon Alley to purchase the books and supplies for the new school term. Then, they boarded the Hogwarts Express and returned to school.
It wasn't much different from the previous year, except that Hermione had arranged to meet Rin outside the station. So after the summer break, Hermione rejoined their little group, though in the eyes of some of their peers, their group looked more like a small clique (a bunch of mudbloods).
"Uh, didn't your parents come?"
Hermione looked around and only saw a group of children. Aside from them, there was just one middle-aged woman standing in the distance chatting with Ethan. That must be... Ethan's mother?
"They're off traveling. We've been staying at Aunt Arendelle's place recently."
"Aunt Arendelle?" Hermione glanced in Ethan's direction and nodded to herself. As expected, that must be Ethan's mother.
Still, the fact that all these adults just left their children to go on vacation... these parents were really... hard to describe.
Meanwhile, Rin was quietly observing Hermione's parents. They were an ordinary couple, no different from the countless pedestrians around them.
What made them special was their daughter being a witch, and the fact that they had high-paying jobsâdentists.
The Grangers had a stable income, so they could easily cover Hermione's magical expenses. Ordinary people could go to Gringotts to exchange British pounds for Galleons used in the wizarding world.
While Rin was observing them, Hermione's parents were also looking curiously at this group of children.
They knew that their daughter would one day live in a completely different world. Even though she would always be their child, her future and that of these children would be tied to that hidden world. They might not interact with her much moving forward.
Still, that didn't stop their curiosity. They watched for a while and concluded that these kids didn't look all that different from ordinary children.
"It's about time."
Ethan had walked over without her realizing. Hermione turned and found that Aunt Arendelle was gone.
"Huh? You're going in by yourselves?"
"Yeah."
"I wanted to say hi to Auntie."
Hermione didn't know that Selene disliked interacting with others in her current form. Unless necessary, she didn't even want to be seen. Even though Hermione's intentions were polite, Selene would still avoid contact whenever possible.
If not for the fact that Ethan and the others still looked like children and might draw trouble when moving around alone, Selene wouldn't have even accompanied them to Diagon Alley. After all, worrying about their safety was pointless. It would be more appropriate to worry about those who dared to offend them.
So, she confidently left the group behind and returned home. Unfortunately, she hadn't had a chance to be alone with Ethan these past few days, so she hadn't managed to "get anything done."
Fortunately, she probably didn't have to worry about Ethan's appearance much longer. Maybe next time, he would be a bit older? Would that make it easier to accept?
Selene didn't know that Ethan's divine body had barely grown. He estimated that he could still pass as his current age for another school year. By the third year, when the other students began visibly changing, his unchanged appearance would definitely stand out.
Even now, if you looked closely, you'd notice that Ethan hadn't changed at all.
"I kept feeling something was off before, and now I know what it is."
Hermione, sitting across from him, had been glancing over for a while. She finally realized what felt strange.
"Ethan, you haven't grown at all."
Compared to Logan and ScĂĄthach beside him, who had both clearly grown taller, Ethan looked exactly the same. The difference was very obvious.
Logan could be set aside, as his accelerated development or healing factor might have affected the potion's effects. ScĂĄthach, on the other hand, was a demigoddess. She had been absorbing vast energy in the Land of Shadows and converting it into magic. As her inner magic increased and strengthened, the potion's suppression gradually faded, so she developed faster than expected.
But in Europe and America, kids who grow up fast aren't rare. It's not unusual for a thirteen-year-old to look like an adult, so no one paid much attention to Logan or ScĂĄthach.
Ethan not growing at all when he should have was much more suspicious. He believed that if he stayed this way another year, the Hogwarts professors would start worrying about his health and subject him to various examinations. At that point, his true identity as a non-human might be exposed.
"Maybe I'm just a late bloomer."
"Are you not eating properly? Lacking nutrition?"
"I eat just fine."
The food at Hogwarts was rich and covered all the nutrients needed for kids' growth. There were many options available at every meal.
However, because the food was laid out buffet-style, students would serve themselves. Some picky eaters ignored nutrition and only chose the dishes they liked.
Just then, Ethan felt a very faint fluctuation in the air outside the train carriage. He glanced out the window casually but saw nothing.
"Looks like it's on the other side."
Even though he didn't see anything, he knew who was causing the disturbanceâHarry and Ron, flying in the Weasley family's enchanted car.
Those two unfortunates had failed to get through Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, missed the Hogwarts Express, and had to rely on a flying car to get to school.
The root cause of this was Dobby, the house-elf from the Malfoy family. Although Dobby had a kind heart and good morals, he despised his master, Lucius Malfoy.
After learning of Lucius's plans, Dobby tried to help Harry. First, he went to the Dursleys to warn Harry not to return to Hogwarts and even provoked the Dursleys into locking Harry in his room. Harry was only able to escape with help from Ron and his brothers.
Then Dobby used magic to seal the platform entrance, preventing Harry from boarding the train. He believed that as long as Harry didn't return to Hogwarts, he would be safe.
Later, this elf would cause all sorts of problems. Though he had good intentions, he often made things worse. He was lucky Ethan wasn't involved with Harry. Otherwise, based on Ethan's personality, Dobby would've definitely gotten a hard lesson.
Regardless of his intentions, Dobby's actions were just too frustrating. Anyone in Harry's shoes would be driven mad. From a bystander's perspective, though, it was just something funny to watch.
"What are you looking at?"
"Nothing. I thought I heard something."
Logan and ScĂĄthach also sensed the situation with Harry and Ron but didn't show any reaction. They just continued eating snacks and chatting. ScĂĄthach even sliced fruit and fed it to Ethan piece by piece.
She fed him a bit too quickly. Even though Ethan tried to chew as fast as he could, his cheeks still puffed out like a hamster's in no time.
Ethan wasn't paying attention to his own state. He was busy recalling this year's major events: the reopening of the legendary Chamber of Secrets, created by Salazar Slytherin. The chamber contained a massive serpent capable of petrifying or killing people. After it was reopened, the beast roamed the school, causing several casualties, though fortunately (or unfortunately), no one died. They were just petrified.
Among those victims was Hermione, who was sitting right in front of him.
"Hermione."
After finally swallowing the fruit in his mouth, Ethan suddenly asked a question that left Hermione flustered.
"Do you like eating snake meat?"
(To be continued.)