Hogwarts and the Holy Grail War

Unlike when he slept in the same bed with Alanna in Red Tomb City, Ethan was more nervous at this time. His body under the quilt was extremely tense because he was on guard against some possible situation. He had no sense of rest from relaxation at all.

In a way it was better to just make do with the couch.

Mirabelle heard the heavy breathing behind her, took a deep breath to calm her restless heartbeat, and turned over to move closer to him.

Just get closer and won't take the next step.

Mirabell gently poked Ethan's back: "Little Ethan, are you asleep?"

"No, I just took a shower and I'm very awake. I can't fall asleep for a while." Ethan answered with his eyes open and full of energy.

Mirabell cautiously probed: "Me too... How about we chat for a while?"

Ethan turned over and faced her: "What are you talking about?"

"Anything is fine, just... just chatting, whatever comes to mind."

"……it is good."

So the two chatted in the dark, and after Mirabelle confessed to Ethan, the two people who had let go of their grudges actually became closer than before. They talked about the courses at Hogwarts, the trivialities of life, and then began to share each other's childhood, and finally talked about Ethan's actions in the Red Cemetery these days.

"…So Moody probably thought I was a person with a strong sense of justice because of this incident, and my ability was not bad, so he wanted to trick me into becoming an Auror. He finally got me in by persuading me at St. Mungo's."

Ethan put his hands behind his head and looked at the ceiling with a comfortable look on his face. "Plus, Alanna backstabbed me at the critical moment, so I couldn't refuse anymore, so I agreed. Being an Auror is quite new to me anyway, so it's not bad to give it a try. At worst, I can just say I regret it and quit, or I can retire after two years like Moody. The only disadvantage is the danger... You know, it's almost non-existent for me."

Mirabell lay on her side and stared at Ethan's facial features: "Little Ethan, you should know that Auror is a very respected profession. Because fighting against dark wizards is a very dangerous thing, so they only want the best talents. Many people want to become one but cannot. Why do you feel like a burden when it comes to you?"

"I am not interested in those false names. The most important thing is what I want to do."

"You're taking advantage of me..." Mirabell rested her head on her arm and gently poked Ethan's cheek. "Then when you go to Mr. Moody's place for training during the holidays, you can stay at my house. My house is not far from there, so it's very convenient to go back and forth."

"your home?"

"Ah."

Ethan turned his head and said, "That's not right. Isn't your home in London? Tony told me the other day that his training place was in the Scottish Highlands!"

"That was just a special arrangement made by Moody to take care of Tony. After all, Tony couldn't Apparate at that time. Normally, the training is conducted in the suburbs of London because it is closer to the Ministry of Magic headquarters."

"But I can Apparate, too. There's really no need..." Ethan looked at Mirabelle's insecure eyes and glanced at him timidly, and quickly changed his words:

"Nothing, it's nice to live in your house, that's it."

Finally, sleepiness began to rise, and the voices of the two gradually became quieter, and they fell into a peaceful sleep.

The next morning, Ethan was awakened on time by his biological clock. With a frown on his face, he moved away the limbs that were entangled around him, stood up and looked at Mirabell, who had been squeezed into the same quilt with him without him knowing when, with a look of pain on his face.

I have definitely seen this scene somewhere.

-

Grind, you can grind

Chapter 255: One more year of compulsory education won't make you stupid

Mirabell was also awakened by Ethan's actions. She sat up and stretched, and her loose pajamas formed an arc that was even more amazing than Alanna's.

He is worthy of being a professor. It seems that little girl Alanna is no match for him.

"Good morning, little Ethan. How did you sleep last night?" Mirabell rubbed her eyes lazily, causing indescribable turbulence in the unspeakable connective tissue below the shoulder blade and above the diaphragm.

“…Not bad.” Ethan felt his nose getting hot, his blood was surging, and the atmosphere was about to turn white.

Although he kept reminding himself in his heart that the person he really liked should be Alanna, the pure and lovely girl next door, rather than the big sister in front of him who was curvy and considerate. At least no matter what level of relationship they had now, he couldn't have any unjust thoughts about her.

But the brother didn't listen to him.

"...Sister, I'm leaving first. I really need to go back to the dormitory to pack up. Bye!" Ethan took advantage of the fact that Mirabelle hadn't noticed the terrible situation yet, and quickly got out of bed, hunched over and left the bedroom as if escaping.

Mirabell nodded in confusion, watching the bedroom door being opened and slammed shut by Ethan, and her pretended sleepiness immediately disappeared. She covered her chest absentmindedly, feeling her heart beating strongly inside her chest.

Why is my heart beating so fast?

Ethan ran and knocked open three doors in succession. He didn't stop until he was out of the greenhouse area. He leaned against the wall of the corridor, covered his chest and gasped.

It’s okay that my brother doesn’t listen to me, but why is my heart beating so fast?

After calming down a little, Ethan returned to the dormitory along the familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar scene - during the few days he was away, Hogwarts had been decorated with more and more Christmas atmosphere, from the corridors on each floor to the hall and then to the marble staircases, everywhere he could see was hung with colorful decorations.

As expected, he saw Harry and his group who had been playing cards all night long in the common room.

What he didn't expect was that Percy actually joined in, and looking at his colorfully painted panda face, his chances of winning were very impressive.

But seeing the twins opposite him always giving him malicious smiles, it was possible that Percy was being plotted against.

"Hey, Ethan?" Harry, who had dark circles under his eyes, caught a glimpse of Ethan from the corner of his eye, turned around and raised the cards in his hand to greet him. His face was very clean, without a single graffiti.

"Where did you go last night? Why did you come back only now?"

"I was put in solitary confinement." Ethan slumped down in the armchair next to the fireplace, looking hopeless.

"For a month and a half, I have to take turns working for Professor Snape and Professor Garrick. Last night I went to weed the Chinese cabbage in the greenhouse. It was already midnight when I finished. I was sleepy and tired, so there was no way I could go back. So I just stayed in the greenhouse for the night."

"Confinement." Fred remembered something and shuddered with a lingering fear on his face. "Snape hasn't dealt with the horned toads yet. You'd better be mentally prepared."

"It doesn't matter." Ethan waved his hand nonchalantly. "It's not like I haven't helped the elders to kill chickens and fish at home during the Chinese New Year. I'm very skilled at this kind of work. Killing a horned toad and cleaning its internal organs is no problem for me."

"But the advantage is the quantity." George's face turned pale and blue. "We helped our mother slaughter chickens at home, but Snape asked you to make a big pot of chickens at a time. When you slaughter them to the end, they are pure spiritual pollution. Most people can't stand it."

“…” Ethan stopped talking.

"Ethan, what do you mean by 'New Year'?" Ron asked, touching two cards.

Ethan blinked and thought for a while: "You can think of it as the Chinese New Year, the beginning of the year in the Chinese calendar. On that day, the whole family will get together to eat and chat. No matter how far away, people will rush back. The atmosphere is similar to Christmas."

"Eat?" Ron's eyes lit up. "What's good to eat?"

"That's a lot. I'll make some for you to try later when I have time." Ethan skillfully made a big promise to Ron, then stood up and asked, "Did you guys not mess with my luggage during the few days I was away?"

"No, no." Harry and Ron shook their heads quickly.

"That's good." Ethan picked them up from the armchairs, held them under his armpits and walked up the spiral staircase leading to the dormitory. "Stop playing, wash up and go eat."

After breakfast, Ethan knocked on the door of Professor Figo's office. The old man had just brewed a pot of black tea and waved to him from his chair:

"Come in and sit down."

While having breakfast in the auditorium, Professor Figo began to give him looks non-stop. Plus, there were only a few students in the auditorium to begin with, so Ethan felt embarrassed to pretend he didn't see it, so he just nodded in agreement.

Ethan sat down on the chair, took a sip of the black tea handed to him by Professor Figo, let out a long sigh, and slumped down in the armchair in a very ungraceful manner.

Professor Figo looked at Ethan with amusement: "Three weeks of confinement must be an unforgettable memory for you. Let's see if you dare to cause such a big mess in the future."

"It's six weeks, Professor Figo." Ethan looked blankly, with a melancholy face. "You didn't know because you were not in the principal's office last night. Professor Garrick directly gave me a buy-one-get-one-free deal. Not only Professor Snape's place, I also have to go to the greenhouse to take care of those magical plants."

"Mirabell..." Professor Figo couldn't help but laugh, "It seems that she is really angry this time."

"Yeah, I'm really angry." Ethan stared at Professor Figo resentfully, "And no wonder you didn't tell me why she was so nice to me before. It turns out there's such a deep hidden story behind it."

Professor Figo was stunned when he heard this: "She told you?"

Ethan nodded: "Yeah, what happened last night."

"So...what do you think of her now?" The old man looked at Ethan hesitantly and began to speak well of Mirabelle. "Actually, Mirabelle doesn't mean any harm, but...it takes time for people to get over it. Give her some more time and don't hate her so much..."

"There's nothing more to say." Ethan sighed, looking at Professor Figo with a heavy look in his eyes.

"Ethan..." Professor Figo opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.

"My attitude towards her..." Ethan shrugged lightly, "It's still the same as before. I'm not a petty person. Since she chose to tell me the truth, what reason do I have to ignore her?"

"You kid!" Professor Figo chuckled, and then murmured softly, "That's good, that's good..."

After all, if the relationship between Ethan and Mirabelle became strained, and the two of them never saw each other again, that was something he didn't want to see. Being able to put aside their grudges and reconcile like now was the best situation.

"Isn't it time to talk about the good things you've done in Red Tomb City these days?" Professor Figo remembered why he called Ethan here, put away the unnecessary emotions on his face, and asked seriously:

"There's no one else here now, just the two of us. Can you tell me everything you can hide in St. Mungo's?"

"Of course, I came here just to confess to you." Ethan nodded quickly.

"But can we go to the map chamber first before discussing this matter? It just so happens that these things are related to ancient magic. I also have something to ask Professor Rackham. What do you think..."

Professor Figo nodded: "Okay, let's go now."

On the way to the secret room of the map, the two people, each with their own thoughts, remained silent at the same time.

Percival stood quietly in the portrait. When he saw Ethan and Professor Figo walk in, a smile appeared on his face:

"It seems that you have finished your business?"

"Indeed, it took a while. I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long." Ethan nodded.

"I've said it before, we've been waiting for hundreds of years, and we're totally worth the wait." Percival coughed lightly, "Then let me introduce you, this is Professor Charles Rookwood, Charles?"

Percival's gaze turned to the left - that is, the picture frame on the right side of his perspective. As he spoke, Professor Charles Rookwood, whom Ethan had seen in the Pensieve before, walked into the picture frame.

"Charles Rookwood, it's an honor to serve you."

Charles put his hands on his chest and saluted, looking down at Ethan and Professor Figo, and raised his eyebrows with satisfaction:

"Another young professor like this! It seems that our Hogwarts is really full of talented people!"

"…Professor Rookwood, I am still a student at Hogwarts. The person next to me is the professor at Hogwarts and my mentor, Professor Figo."

Ethan resisted the urge to complain and pretended to be serious as he introduced Professor Figo to Charles.

"Nice to meet you, Professor Figo." Charles nodded slightly and looked at Ethan again:

"After hundreds of years, it looks like someone has finally passed the first test."

"Yes, as requested by Professor Rackham, I also brought the thing floating on the Pensieve." Ethan rolled up his sleeves and showed Charles and Percival the layer of liquid metal that was constantly swimming on his arm:

"This should be the container of ancient magic you mentioned, right? But shouldn't it be a 'container'? Why does it look like this?"

"This is just part of the container. Every time you take on a trial in the future, you will find similar instruments. When you have collected them all, we will reveal their true purpose to you," Percival explained.

"And this is so that you can carry it easily. You must also protect the safety of these magic tools. They will be of great help in the journey we will prepare for you in the future." Charles smiled nostalgically:

"This idea was hers..."

"Charles!" Percival growled, glaring at Charles across the frame.

"Sorry." Charles coughed lightly and didn't dwell on this topic any longer.

"So what function does this magical instrument have in its current form? Or is there anything that requires special attention?"

Ethan let the magic weapon change patterns back and forth on his arm and asked the two professors with some anticipation.

After realizing that this layer of metal has the ability to change shape freely, he thought of using this function to do some tricks.

For example, you can make your own weapon, or turn it into a mask to be Batman. Besides, this thing attached to the wrist can be used as a hidden blade for assassination.

But he didn't know the material properties of the magic weapon, whether it was hard enough and durable enough, and whether it would be damaged by his fancy uses, so he kept delaying this aspect. Now that he had met the maker of the magic weapon, of course he had to ask in detail.

"What do you mean?" Charles asked with a perceptive look, "What do you want to do with the magic weapon?"

"...for self-protection." Ethan blinked. "After all, every way to save your life is a way to save your life, right?"

Charles nodded and smiled, "Is that so? I roughly understand. You can rest assured about this. The material used to make the magic weapon is a special fairy magic silver. In addition, it contains ancient magic as a reinforcement. It can basically be regarded as an indestructible weapon."

"And it won't be detected by any magic." Percival added, "We...thought of all kinds of situations at the time, so we should be considered very thoughtful."

"Then I can rest assured." Ethan shook his wrist, and the magic weapon attached to his arm really turned into a metal blade about one finger wide and five inches long, and popped out from his wrist.

"Good idea," Percival nodded approvingly, "Perhaps your thinking is more flexible than I thought."

"Since you are a talented student and have solved a series of puzzles set by Percival, it seems that I can rest assured and entrust this power to you." Charles smiled.

"But since you are still a student, you should focus on your studies. We can take our time with the subsequent trials."

"I'm afraid we can't take our time at this point. There are others who are secretly eyeing the power you are guarding." Ethan retracted his hidden blade-like weapon and put down his rolled up sleeves.

"It just so happens that I also need to explain to Professor Figo the whole story of what happened in the past two days. I hope the two professors will listen to me. I still need you to make the final decision on this matter."

So Ethan told them everything that happened in Red Grave City, including all the details of the Holy Grail War. After all, the only thing they needed to be wary of was the ancient magic that others knew about, and everyone here knew it inside out, so there was nothing to hide.

Of course, he did not continue to hide the fact that Alanna was involved. After all, he was a little worried that if Alanna continued to use that kind of magic, it would have a bad effect on her body. He reviewed it later and found that the thing Alanna used was closer to lost spells than ancient magic, so it was better to be careful.

Moreover, he really wanted to teach her a few moves for self-defense, and he had been working on compiling teaching materials in this area in the past few days. The Lost Spells gave him some inspiration in this regard: although the power was not as strong as the pure ancient magic, the threshold for use was lower. Basically, as long as your talent was not so bad and the magic power in your body was not too little, you could use it.

However, since it falls into the category of black magic, people's mental health will be damaged sooner or later if they use it for a long time, which can be seen from Marcus's experience.