Early the next morning, Sean got dressed and headed straight for the boys' dormitory.
Without any explanation, he yanked Charlie's blanket away.
"Get up."
Charlie jolted awake in confusion while the other three nearby groaned miserably.
"What's going on…?"
"Boss, it's barely morning…"
Sean ignored their complaints completely.
"Get dressed. We're leaving."
A few minutes later, the four exhausted boys followed Sean out of the castle and toward the Forbidden Forest.
Charlie rubbed his eyes sleepily.
"Boss, where exactly are we going?"
"Diagon Alley."
Sean didn't even turn around as he answered.
The moment those words left his mouth, all four froze.
Charlie looked at the forest ahead with disbelief.
"…Through the Forbidden Forest?"
Sean finally stopped walking and glanced back at him helplessly.
"Charlie, do you seriously think we're supposed to stroll to Hogwarts' main gate, buy train tickets, squat beside the guards, and casually leave school during term?"
Charlie opened his mouth.
Then immediately shut it again.
Only now did he remember that students technically weren't allowed to leave Hogwarts whenever they pleased.
"…Right."
He laughed awkwardly and hurried after Sean.
The others exchanged nervous looks before following as well.
Soon afterward, several enormous winged creatures burst into the sky above the Forbidden Forest.
Sean rode atop Hurricane confidently while Charlie and the others struggled behind him on separate Thestrals.
The morning wind roared around them.
"BOSS!"
Steven's terrified scream nearly echoed across the forest.
"WHY DIDN'T I KNOW THESE THINGS EXIST?!"
Another boy looked equally horrified.
"I've never even heard of creatures like this!"
Charlie held onto the Thestral's neck for dear life while shouting against the wind.
Sean sighed impatiently.
"Thestrals can only be seen by people who've witnessed death directly."
Then he glanced back at them.
"You lot died dozens of times during the first trial, remember? Naturally you can see them now."
The four immediately fell silent.
Steven still looked pale.
"…Should we really be escaping school like this?"
"Shut up, Steven."
Sean rolled his eyes.
"You're a Slytherin, not somebody's nagging grandmother."
An hour later, the group finally arrived in Diagon Alley.
The moment they stepped out of the Floo Network, Steven immediately started complaining again.
"I thought we were flying all the way here! Who knew we'd just use Floo Powder halfway through?"
Sean ignored him entirely.
His attention had already shifted elsewhere.
The entrance to Gringotts was packed.
A massive crowd of witches and wizards stood outside the bank waving bags of Galleons while shouting excitedly. Even from a distance, the place looked chaotic.
Charlie stared blankly.
"Since when was Gringotts this busy?"
Sean narrowed his eyes slightly before gesturing.
"Come with me."
Instead of approaching the front entrance, Sean led the group around several narrow alleys before finally arriving at a hidden back entrance behind the bank.
The goblin guarding the door immediately bowed deeply the moment he saw Sean.
"Master Sean."
Sean nodded calmly and walked inside.
The four boys behind him froze completely.
Once the door shut behind them, Charlie finally couldn't hold it in anymore.
"…Sean."
His voice sounded genuinely shaken.
"Who the hell are you?"
"Pointless question."
Sean didn't slow down.
"You'll wait here."
After saying that, he pushed open the office door and walked directly inside.
Hart immediately stood up from behind the desk.
"You've finally arrived, Master Sean."
Sean casually sat down in Hart's chair as though it belonged to him.
Through the side window, he could clearly see the massive crowd outside Gringotts growing larger by the minute.
"What's happening out there?"
Hart's eyes practically gleamed with excitement.
"They all heard Gringotts launched a brand-new business. Everyone wants to see it first."
Sean nodded calmly.
He had expected this reaction.
"Are the clothes prepared?"
"Of course."
Hart bowed slightly.
"Everything is ready. The Daily Prophet reporters should already be waiting in Hogsmeade."
"Good."
Sean stood up immediately.
"Inform everyone downstairs. We're heading to Hogsmeade for the opening ceremony."
After giving the order, Sean entered the private room connected to the office.
Inside, several potion bottles already sat waiting for him.
Without hesitation, Sean uncorked the Age Advancement Potion he had brewed the previous night and drank it in one gulp.
The effect was immediate.
A strange itching sensation spread throughout his entire body.
Sean watched calmly as his height rapidly increased. His limbs stretched visibly while his features matured in seconds.
In less than a minute, the boy standing before the mirror had transformed completely.
He now stood nearly six feet tall with a straight elegant figure and platinum-blond hair that fell neatly around his face.
Combined with his already refined features, the result was absurdly handsome.
Sean stared at himself in the mirror for several moments before grinning smugly.
"So this is what I looked like at twenty-one."
He struck several dramatic poses toward the mirror before finally putting on the expensive black suit Hart had prepared for him.
The clothes fit perfectly.
The moment Sean finished dressing, his entire temperament changed again. He no longer resembled a Hogwarts student.
Now he looked like a young aristocrat from an ancient wizarding family.
When Sean stepped back outside, even Hart froze momentarily.
"Master Sean…"
Hart looked genuinely stunned.
"You will absolutely drive witches insane."
Sean smiled lightly.
"You've got good taste in clothing, Hart."
Then he adjusted his sleeves elegantly.
"Let's go."
At that moment, several goblins escorted Charlie and the others into the room.
The four boys immediately looked toward Sean.
Then they all froze.
Charlie frowned in confusion.
"…Where did Sean go?"
Meanwhile, the only girl among them—a fourth-year Slytherin named Amy—was completely staring.
The moment she saw Sean, her face immediately turned bright red.
She couldn't even look away.
Charlie had to physically nudge her before she finally snapped out of it.
Sean nearly laughed seeing their reactions.
Since none of them recognized him, he simply decided to keep the joke going.
"My younger brother's busy," he said casually. "So I came instead."
He smiled politely.
"My name's Sean too."
In the wizarding world, shared names weren't uncommon. Most families simply added nicknames or titles to distinguish people.
Because of that, Charlie and the others didn't suspect anything immediately.
At that moment, Hart stepped forward respectfully and pushed open an enormous ancient door hidden behind the office.
The moment the door opened, bright sunlight poured in.
On the other side…
…was Hogsmeade.
Charlie's eyes widened instantly.
"A hidden passage?!"
Everyone followed Hart through the doorway.
The moment they stepped outside, all four immediately froze again.
A magnificent building stood directly ahead.
The architecture was unlike anything else in Hogsmeade. Marble pillars lined the entrance while silver decorations shimmered beneath enchanted lights. The style looked luxurious, elegant, and completely modern compared to the surrounding wizard shops.
Above the entrance hung an enormous sign.
GRINGOTTS COSMETIC MAGIC HOSPITAL
The instant Sean and the others appeared, countless camera flashes exploded at once.
Click! Click! Click!
The magnesium lights nearly blinded them.
A huge crowd of Daily Prophet reporters surged forward immediately.
Hart stepped ahead proudly and raised both hands.
"Ladies and gentlemen!"
His voice echoed throughout the street.
"Allow me to introduce the true general manager of Gringotts—Sean Sebastian!"
The crowd instantly erupted.
"He will usher in a brand-new era of magical commerce!"
"He will build the greatest business empire Gringotts has ever seen!"
The reporters completely lost control.
"Mr. Sebastian!"
"When did you join Gringotts?!"
"Which pureblood family are you from?"
"What exactly does a cosmetic magic hospital do?"
"Is this some kind of healing clinic?"
"Are the rumors true about magical face reconstruction?!"
Questions flew from every direction.
Sean calmly raised one hand.
The entire crowd gradually quieted.
A faint smile appeared on his face as he looked toward the reporters.
"Everyone."
His voice was smooth and confident.
"No matter how much I explain…"
He spread his arms lightly toward the building behind him.
"…it would never compare to seeing it with your own eyes."
Sean smiled faintly beneath the endless flashing cameras.
"Once today's opening ceremony is over, I'll answer every question you have."
.....
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