Chapter 294: The Fraud
Evening arrived.
Ron held his broken wand, yet he didn't feel his usual frustration. He had finally realized where he differed from Fred and George—where he even surpassed them. He had friends. Real, special friends that anyone would be envious of.
Outside the castle, occasional shouts drifted from the Quidditch pitch. The Gryffindor team was training hard, with Wood's voice rising above the rest.
Sean walked through the sunset, stepping over the elongated shadows of the beech trees. As always, a book hovered before his eyes. Sometimes it was a text on weather magic, other times Dreamland Tales or complex magical theory.
When a thought struck him, he would give his wand a subtle flick. The grass outside the Forbidden Forest would ripple like crashing ocean waves, physically pushing him toward Hagrid's hut.
[Alert: You have practiced Material Transfiguration at the standard of an Adept within the Master Realm. Master-level Proficiency +10]
The sudden leap in progress satisfied him. He fed a biscuit to Snowy, and a moment later, a snarling, three-headed dog appeared within the trees of the forest. Sean couldn't reach the heads of a Cerberus normally, so the beast lowered its three heads to be petted.
The Cerberus—or rather, Snowy—had grown accustomed to these bizarre physical changes. She actually seemed to find it quite novel, occasionally chasing after the smaller forest animals for sport.
Around Sean's neck hung the precious Soul Hallow; Snowy's neck, meanwhile, was figuratively draped in biscuits. Once one transformation ended, she could immediately proceed to the next without a cooling-off period. There was no price to pay—as long as Sean was there to act as her anchor, ensuring she never lost herself in the beast's instincts.
In the distance, Hagrid's hut emitted a warm, amber glow. Hanging hams cast swaying shadows against the walls.
Hagrid hadn't worried about Sean's safety in the forest for quite some time. He wasn't blind; he'd seen Firenze and the rest of the centaur herd quietly watching over the boy from the shadows. Besides, the boisterous half-giant had only recently realized exactly how powerful the young wizard had become. He'd initially thought the ground rippling was an earthquake, only to realize it was just Sean's "practice."
"Like mother, like son. It's only natural the lad's a genius," Hagrid grunted to himself over the crackle of his hearth, feeling a sense of vicarious pride.
The evening sky had faded into a thin line of violet and gold, and the tops of the firs and beeches were becoming blurred silhouettes. Hagrid looked out to see a three-headed dog and a small fire dragon approaching his door. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
"Norbert? Is that Norbert come back?! Poor girl, why're yeh still so tiny? And how'd Fluffy get out? This is a disaster!" Hagrid scrambled out of his hut.
"Good evening, Hagrid," Sean said. He patted Snowy's head, and the massive dog shivered and shrank back into a snowy owl, settling on his shoulder. The dragon "vanished" as well—at least to Hagrid's eyes. In reality, it was Tila, having consumed a specialized biscuit, who had shrunk and scurried up Sean's leg into his pocket.
Acting as a joint anchor for both Snowy and Tila was a strain; Sean felt his mental energy flagging. He suspected this was the upper limit for someone with only [Entry] level Soul Transfiguration.
"Se—Sean, what in Merlin's name was that?" Hagrid stammered, his beard trembling.
"Specialized Fairy Tale Biscuits," Sean replied.
"The ones limited to two per customer?!" Hagrid gasped. He'd been clutching his invitation, waiting desperately for the shop to reopen so he could get his hands on some.
A thought occurred to Sean. Strictly speaking, why couldn't Hagrid be linked to the Soul Hallow as well? He immediately decided to test the theory.
"I'll pay for 'em, I will! Don't yeh dare say no... but could yeh... help me take some photos?"
Hagrid patted his stomach, his beard twitching with satisfaction. He pointed toward a wall covered in magical photos of himself as a dragon from their last session. He was desperate to show them to Harry and the others to give them the shock of their lives.
However, Hagrid seemed to have forgotten the collateral damage he caused as a dragon. To prevent him from demolishing the hut, Sean flicked his wand, and several dancing stools nudged the dazed half-giant out into the open air.
Seconds later, a massive fire dragon stood at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
Not far away, Dumbledore stroked his long white beard, his eyes full of warmth. Since this particular young wizard had enrolled, the castle had become more interesting by the day—interesting enough that even certain people who preferred to lurk in the dungeons had been spending more time outdoors.
"Hagrid, can you hear me?" Sean called out.
The great dragon stared at Sean, confused, before extending a massive tongue to lick him. To avoid being accidentally swallowed by "Dragon-Hagrid," Sean waved his wand, and the earth rose up like a wave to carry him out of reach.
"Can you sit down?" Sean tried next.
The dragon, not entirely understanding why but feeling the intent, sat down heavily. Its front claws dangled in front of it; it didn't look like a terrifying dragon so much as a giant version of Fang.
Sean understood now. The soul was a unique entity. Even if Hagrid had consumed multiple biscuits, it didn't add any extra burden to their communication link.
Did this mean if Sean found magical creatures with immense innate power, they could also consume multiple biscuits to amplify their effects? His mind whirred with the possibilities.
It was the second day of the term. After breakfast, the Ravenclaws prepared for their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class of the year.
Since the "Itching Ivy" incident, Lockhart's more fanatical Ravenclaw followers had cooled down significantly. They were currently eating breakfast with an air of refined, subdued excitement.
"What have we got this afternoon?" Harry asked at the end of the table.
"Defense Against the Dark Arts," Hermione said instantly.
"Wait a bit," Ron said, snatching her timetable. "Why have you outlined all of Lockhart's lessons in little hearts?"
Hermione snatched the paper back, her face turning a violent shade of red.
"Obsessing too much over another person is the quickest way to lose yourself," Justin said mildly from beside her.
Hermione's face was so red it looked as though it might start dripping. She quickly grabbed her eraser and scrubbed the marks off the parchment.
Sean sat down quietly, opening his copy of Voyages with Vampires. Even if Lockhart was a fraud, Sean found he could still glean a fair amount of useful information from the books.
Up at the High Table, Lockhart was eating with practiced elegance. He turned to Professor McGonagall and offered what he clearly thought was a dazzling smile.
"Professor McGonagall, I hear there's a most remarkable boy in the second year. Let me think... the name was Sean Green?"
Minerva McGonagall's composed expression shifted instantly. Her voice took on a dangerously sharp edge. "Gilderoy, I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that. You were saying?"
"Ah—look at my memory. It's nothing, Professor, nothing at all," Lockhart said, quickly changing the subject.
Minerva gave him a long, piercing look before turning her gaze toward Dumbledore. She knew it. Letting a charlatan into Hogwarts was an utterly disastrous decision.
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