DOTM: Chapter 628/629

Chapter 628: Three-Headed Dog

Rin's luck was truly terrible. Watching Harry Potter fight the troll shouldn't have been dangerous, yet somehow, that massive club managed to hit her leg, breaking it.

"Fortunately, it's not a comminuted fracture... but with the magic level here, I don't think I need to worry about that kind of thing."

At Hogwarts, various accidents often happen when students are learning and practicing magic. The curriculum includes some dangerous classes, like flying lessons, and there aren't many safety measures in place. Or rather, the professors themselves might be the safety measures. But no one can stop a bunch of mischievous kids from doing stupid things. Look away for one second, and they'll already be causing trouble.

Even so, no student has ever had a serious problem. Everyone always bounces back quickly, and after a short stay in the infirmary, they return to class like nothing happened.

"You'll recover soon."

"Mm."

Rin still looked gloomy. Anyone who had suffered such bad luck wouldn't be in a good mood. But her good upbringing still led her to thank Ethan politely. After all, he had come to visit.

After a short chat, Ethan left the infirmary.

Hogwarts was huge. The interior of the castle was complex, with all kinds of unusual features. If someone hadn't lived there long, it was easy to get lost.

So far, Ethan had no interest in exploring every inch of the place.

Right now, he just wanted to quietly learn everything he needed. Once he had mastered what he wanted, he could go wherever he pleased.

Scáthach, on the other hand, was the opposite. Even though she was here to study, it didn't stop her heart from chasing freedom, or rather, from doing whatever she wanted.

When Ethan ran into Scáthach, the Queen of the Land of Shadows, who now looked like a little girl with twin pigtails, she was darting around the castle, seemingly trying to explore every corner.

"Aren't you going back to the dormitory?"

"Why should I? I don't need sleep."

Classes were over for the day. Students had free time before curfew. The Great Hall and the library were crowded, and many students were doing whatever they liked.

There were certainly others wandering around like Scáthach, but no one would dare sneak around at night without fear of being caught by Filch, the caretaker.

"So, you just wander around the castle all day?"

"I need something to kill time during these long nights..." Scáthach glanced at Ethan beside her. "Wander around with me today."

Ethan rubbed his chin. That wasn't out of the question. Skipping a trip back to the Slytherin dorms wasn't a big deal. As the new students gradually adapted to life at Hogwarts, the prefects had stopped paying close attention to them. After all, prefects were students too and had their own heavy workload.

Since only older students could become prefects, the spells and knowledge they had to study were much harder and more time-consuming. Unless they were geniuses, they didn't really have time to manage a bunch of first-years.

"Where do you want to go?"

It had been a while since term started. With Scáthach's personality and abilities, she had probably explored most of the school already.

The only place that could still catch her interest was the Forbidden Corridor, the one Dumbledore had explicitly warned them about during the opening ceremony.

"I really want to see what's inside."

Ethan knew what was in there. The corridor led to a hidden chamber guarded by a massive three-headed dog. That chamber held the Philosopher's Stone, the central item in the first Harry Potter book, and the final battleground of that arc.

"You already know what's in there."

Scáthach looked at him. Her tone wasn't questioning—it was a statement.

"Honestly, there's nothing that interesting. Just a big dog."

"A dog?"

He shouldn't have brought it up. The moment he mentioned it, Scáthach's interest shot up. Her pace quickened, and to make sure Ethan wouldn't run away or make excuses to leave, she grabbed the waistband of his trousers.

If Ethan tried to stop or turn back, she would no doubt pull his pants off on the spot.

With no choice, Ethan followed her to the Forbidden Corridor on the fourth floor, where they found the locked door.

"You really want to go in?"

"Why not?"

Scáthach's gaze shifted subtly, as if she had sensed something. But she didn't say anything. After all, she was just a first-year who had only recently been exposed to magic.

Ethan rolled his eyes. He didn't mind playing along. Since they were already here, they might as well take a look.

He casually pulled out his staff. Since they were pretending, he had to commit to the act.

"Alohomora."

Even within this completely unfamiliar magic system, Ethan could perform simple spells like this without a staff, incantation, or gestures. One thought was enough to unlock the door—no lights, no effects. It would look like he was opening an unlocked door by hand.

But now, to play the part of a regular student, he had to take out his staff, aim at the lock, recite the spell, and even emit a small bit of magic.

The door clicked open, and Scáthach immediately stepped in. Ethan followed behind and left the door open on purpose.

"Oh, what a big dog."

The massive three-headed dog's head alone was bigger than Ethan's whole body. Even though the beast was asleep, just its intimidating appearance made it clear how dangerous it could be.

Scáthach slowly circled around it. When she completed her lap and returned to where she started, she noticed someone new standing beside Ethan.

Everyone at Hogwarts would recognize him on sight.

It was none other than Headmaster Albus Dumbledore.

"You like dogs?"

"They're alright."

Scáthach didn't show any sign of guilt. After a few more glances at the beast, she finally looked away.

"Students aren't allowed here."

"That's why I had to come see it."

Dumbledore looked momentarily surprised, clearly not expecting that answer. But then he smiled again.

"So, by specifically forbidding this place, I only made it more appealing?"

"Ahem, that's her curiosity, not mine... I wasn't curious at all."

Dumbledore glanced at Ethan. Of course, he knew who both of them were. As the headmaster of Hogwarts, he remembered details about nearly every student.

This year's first-years were especially interesting. Besides Harry Potter, Dumbledore had been most intrigued by a few students from Muggle families. Aside from Hermione, they had all come from the same neighborhood. After investigating, it was discovered that these children were somewhat related by blood and had only recently moved to England.

It was a rare situation, but not hard to explain.

More importantly, Dumbledore didn't care about background. As long as a student was talented, he liked them. Talented young wizards meant hope for the future of the magical world.

Among them, Ethan Arendelle was clearly one of the most gifted. Dumbledore had already heard his name from multiple professors, including McGonagall and Snape. He had begun to quietly pay attention to the boy.

Dumbledore had no prejudice against Slytherin. Although that house had produced Voldemort, it had also raised many great and just wizards. What he needed to do was guide Ethan down the right path so he wouldn't go astray like Voldemort once did.

It was because of this special attention that he had noticed Ethan entering the Forbidden Corridor. Curious about what the boy was doing, he decided to quietly observe.

What he saw was just two children sneaking in to satisfy their curiosity. Now, hearing their conversation, it became clear this was all because of the little girl's whim.

That was fine. Dumbledore didn't suspect anything deeper, nor did he think they were trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone.

"Now that your curiosity is satisfied, it's time to go. This isn't somewhere you should linger."

Dumbledore motioned for the two to leave. Once they stepped out, he didn't make any grand gesture, but the door automatically closed behind them. They heard the soft sound of the lock clicking into place.

"Go back and rest. If you don't get enough sleep, you won't grow."

Waving his hand, he dismissed them without any mention of punishment. It was as if they had just accidentally wandered into his office during office hours. He simply escorted them out, and that was it.

After they had walked far enough to be sure no one was watching or listening, Scáthach finally spoke again.

"That cowardly, dumb mutt has a hidden trapdoor under its belly. Let's go check it out next time."

She called the three-headed dog cowardly and dumb because it hadn't been asleep the whole time. As the first line of defense guarding the Philosopher's Stone, how could it fail to notice intruders?

The moment Ethan and Scáthach entered, it was already awake. But before it could react, it was so terrified that it didn't dare move. All three of its heads drooped, and it fainted on the spot.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 629: I Don’t Want to Grow Up

Back in the Slytherin dungeons, things went exactly as Ethan expected. No one cared where he had gone during break time.

Many first-years didn't go to bed when they were supposed to, and the prefects rarely interfered. If lack of sleep caused problems in class, the professors would handle it themselves.

Of course, that situation didn't apply to Ethan. He was now a favorite of several professors. Even if he occasionally slacked off, the teachers didn't criticize him. Instead, they expressed concern, asking whether something had happened and if he needed help.

Ethan certainly didn't need help. After reassuring the concerned professors, he returned to his normal routine, and once they saw he was fine, they left him alone.

In the evenings, Scáthach would sometimes show up to drag Ethan along as she wandered through Hogwarts.

Occasionally, Ethan could sense Dumbledore's gaze. But as long as he and Scáthach didn't approach any particularly sensitive areas, the headmaster wouldn't interfere.

This, however, wasn't a good thing for Ethan. Without Dumbledore stepping in to stop them, he had no excuse to escape from Scáthach and go rest. Even though he didn't need sleep, he also didn't want to spend the entire night roaming the castle. He wasn't one of Hogwarts' ghosts.

"You've almost explored every part of Hogwarts. Aren't you bored yet?"

After living there for several months, no matter how mysterious or ever-changing the castle was, Scáthach and Ethan had already figured out the patterns of its moving staircases and explored nearly every corner.

Ethan really didn't see the point in continuing. He knew Hogwarts had many hidden chambers, but he wasn't interested in exploring them.

Scáthach didn't know the story of this world. From her vast experience and sharp intuition, she had already determined that Hogwarts contained many hidden doors and secret passages. Whenever she was bored, she made it her mission to uncover them all.

Ethan, however, had no interest in that.

"Are you bored?"

"Yeah."

"Then how about we find a quiet place and do something fun?"

Scáthach reached out, gently brushed his cheek, then stuck out her tongue and lightly licked her lips.

"..."

Ethan looked at her hand resting against his face and sighed, rubbing his temple. "Did you forget what you look like right now?"

She was currently a little girl. Although cute and beautiful, Ethan couldn't bring himself to do anything inappropriate.

"Huh? So you're not into that?"

Scáthach acted as if she had just realized something, feigning regret dramatically, but her exaggerated expression made it obvious she was just teasing him.

The two of them sat on the rooftop of Hogwarts, letting the cold night wind brush past as they chatted idly. In the distance, they could see Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Rin running toward Hagrid's hut.

"Rin's gotten involved with Harry and the others," Ethan noted.

Hogwarts' medical capabilities were impressive, and Rin's leg had healed quickly. Ethan, however, had been too focused on his studies afterward to pay attention to anyone else's daily life.

Unless someone came to find him, he rarely sought others out. Rin wasn't like those who often updated Ethan on what they were doing, so he truly had no idea what she had been up to lately.

Still, it made sense. She had grown close to Hermione, and since they were both in Gryffindor, it was natural for her to become acquainted with Harry. Hermione, like Harry, had a habit of getting into trouble. After discovering that someone was targeting the Philosopher's Stone, believing it was Snape, she likely couldn't resist getting involved. And once she did, how could she leave her friend behind? So Rin ended up joining the main group.

"It looks like they've found something," Scáthach said, resting her chin in her hand as she watched them from afar. Her sharp eyes clearly saw Hagrid's startled expression when Harry and the others arrived and started talking.

Ethan knew the Philosopher's Stone arc was progressing. Soon, Harry and his friends would try to prevent Snape from stealing the stone, infiltrate the secret chamber, and pass through several magical defenses before finally reaching the room containing the stone.

Only then would Harry discover that the true culprit wasn't Snape, but Professor Quirrell, and the presence of Voldemort hidden behind him.

"Maybe it'll turn into something interesting."

"..."

Ethan didn't believe Voldemort would actually obtain the Philosopher's Stone. Quirrell couldn't get it from the Mirror of Erised, which only revealed the stone to someone who wanted it but not for selfish use.

If Harry hadn't appeared, Quirrell would have either left empty-handed to wait for another chance or been discovered by Dumbledore and the professors, exposing his true identity. Harry's intrusion had only made things worse, giving Voldemort an actual opportunity.

Ethan wasn't sure if that was part of Dumbledore's grand plan. The headmaster had gone to great lengths to train Harry, so maybe this was a stage specifically arranged for him.

They continued watching from the rooftop. Harry and the others didn't stay long in Hagrid's hut. Malfoy had been spying on them and saw Hagrid's illegal dragon. Once discovered, Hagrid panicked, knowing he was in trouble, and hurried them out.

Malfoy, as expected, wasted no time in running to McGonagall to report everything.

Wandering around the school during break hours was against the rules.

So Harry, Ron, Hermione, Rin, and the tattletale Malfoy all received punishment. Each lost fifty house points and had to complete a detention together.

"If Harry hadn't been blessed by Dumbledore's special training and ridiculous luck, he'd just be a walking disaster," Ethan said dryly.

Looking at it another way, the entire Harry Potter story was about Harry repeatedly causing trouble, losing points for Gryffindor, and then, thanks to Dumbledore's creative scoring, winning them back in the end.

Maybe Dumbledore was trying to build Harry's courage, encouraging him to act bravely instead of hesitating in the face of danger, or rather, to make him used to facing Voldemort head-on instead of trembling at the mention of his name.

But this habit of constantly getting into trouble had its drawbacks. From a mischievous boy, Harry would soon grow into a full-fledged, self-righteous teenager.

"Should I try to fix that personality a little?"

The thought came and went quickly. Ethan dismissed it.

He had no connection to Harry. Why should he be responsible for his growth?

"Or maybe Dumbledore's thinking the same thing?" he mused. "After all, Harry's just a weapon to deal with Voldemort. Once Voldemort's gone, Dumbledore probably won't care what happens to him."

That didn't seem impossible.

As he pondered, Scáthach's hand drifted across his arm again, which he ignored until he finally turned to her.

"What are you doing?"

"You don't seem to be growing."

They had already been in the Harry Potter world for more than a year. Children at that age grew quickly, something even ordinary people would notice, let alone a demigod like Scáthach, whose senses were incredibly sharp.

Those who had taken the potion that turned them into children, like her, Logan, and Rin, were now growing normally again. In fact, compared to Rin, Scáthach had noticed that both she and Logan were maturing a bit faster than normal.

Ethan, on the other hand, hadn't changed at all. His height, face, and even hair length were exactly the same. To others, it might have looked like he just kept his hair trimmed neatly, but Scáthach knew better. His hair didn't grow at all.

"Yeah," Ethan sighed. The topic always made him feel gloomy. His body was powerful, but its growth rate was painfully slow. Even though he had absorbed and refined plenty of energy from the Land of Shadows, his appearance hadn't aged a day.

At this rate, he had no idea when he'd return to his original twenty-four-year-old appearance. He no longer even hoped for that much. He would settle for eighteen.

But as time went on with no visible change, his expectations dropped lower and lower. Sixteen would be acceptable. Fourteen would do.

"If nothing changes in two years, what will you do?" Scáthach asked.

"What else? I'll just fix it with magic."

He had thought about that long ago. When the time came, he would either use illusion magic or simply create a physical projection, a shell, for himself. Neither option would be difficult.

"Is Illya arranged like this too?"

(To be continued.)