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After all, that had happened once before. And the memory of it still haunted certain Slytherins.
"I just want what I'm owed," Ian said, entirely unfazed by her reaction. "Dumbledore told me your family agreed to compensate me, but it's been ages, and I've yet to see a single Knut for my mental distress."
Ian had been keeping a close watch on whether the pure-blood families would follow through on their promises. He simply refused to pester Dumbledore about it every few days.
"I, I don't know anything about that…"
Daphne wanted to argue that she was the real victim in this situation, but she bit her tongue. She was still terrified that Ian might report her for what happened on the boat.
This boy, shorter than her only months ago but now steadily growing, was far too dangerous. Not only was he frighteningly skilled, but he also had Snape and Dumbledore in his corner.
If she had known this was how things would turn out, she'd have gladly taken her chances offending the socially oblivious Aurora instead.
The word Mudblood had become a lifelong psychological scar for Daphne Greengrass.
"I, I only have this much," She stammered, trembling as she pulled out her elegant little coin pouch.
For a moment, Ian almost felt like a highwayman.
"I'm not the type to go around bullying girls, you know," He said, though he made no move to refuse the offering. Instead, he weighed the pouch in his hand, already estimating its contents.
Gold Galleons, silver Sickles, and bronze Knuts all had distinct weights and made different sounds when clinking together. An experienced alchemist like Ian could tell the difference instantly.
Not that he cared about money, of course.
"What, is this really all your family gives you for pocket money?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
Daphne hesitated for only a second before blurting out in a panic,
"It's because of Grindelwald's, I mean, Miss Aurora's Slytherin relic sale! I've spent nearly everything on it!"
Not only did she answer Ian's question honestly, but she hurriedly fished through her robes and yanked out a bundle of items as proof, as if terrified that if she didn't, Ian would hex her on the spot.
Ian's eyes widened as he took in the sheer assortment of oddities she had gathered.
Among the mess, he recognized a map, an unfamiliar locket, a quill, and, for some reason, even a single earring.
"..."
Staring at the collection of alchemical artifacts, Ian felt his entire worldview shift.
Up until this moment, he had believed himself to be Hogwarts' greatest innovator. That only he had the true vision to push boundaries.
But clearly,
Aurora had outdone him. Twenty-six times over.
No wonder Daphne was flat broke.
Aurora had quietly taken the marketing techniques he had taught her and turned them into pure gold within Slytherin House.
She wasn't just learning.
She was surpassing the teacher.
Look at Aurora's results!
And then look at his unsold, dust-gathering, self-warming undergarments!
"Crafty! Too crafty!"
Ian's astonishment comes from the heart.
However, Daphne Greengrass and her good friend looked somewhat confused, but that didn't stop Daphne Greengrass from trying to hand everything over to Ian in exchange for his forgiveness.
"I've already said I'm not the kind of person who likes to bully girls." Ian returned the pile of fakes and the money pouch back to Daphne Greengrass.
Looking at the somewhat bewildered little witch, Ian earnestly reminded her, "Remember to write to urge your family to improve their efficiency."
"And your family too."
Ian also looked at the little witch who was being held by Daphne Greengrass. He remembered that this person had also been trembling alongside Daphne Greengrass at that time.
"Okay... okay."
The Slytherin witch, whom Ian was staring, immediately nodded like a chick pecking at rice. Daphne Greengrass's expression relaxed a bit, but it still carried a hint of complexity.
This guy was clearly not bullying girls; he was just bullying the younger ones and then encouraging Dumbledore to bully the older ones. Her family was almost driven mad by Dumbledore's threats!
"Don't spend money recklessly; your families haven't given you much." Ian offered a few more words of advice as he ran into the Great Hall, not to show how caring he was for his classmates but because he hoped to get some of Merlin's relics in a few days. These wealthy, pure-blood families still had the purchasing power.
Aurora was making too much money!
Ian felt it was time for him to earn a little, too!
"Did he really let us go?"
The two Slytherin girls, who had been watching Ian sit down at the Great Hall table and start eating, dared not step in. One of the pure-blood family girls was still feeling anxious inside.
"I don't know... maybe? Gressa Selwyn, can you stop shaking already!"
Daphne Greengrass was pondering whether there were any roundabout hints in Ian's previous words. As a descendant of a pure-blood family, they liked to analyze such things.
"You're shaking too! I almost thought he would just kill us!" Even a pure-blood girl, Gressa Selwyn, who was a grade higher than Ian and Daphne, looked terrified.
"This is the Great Hall; there are so many professors inside; he wouldn't dare... right?" Daphne Greengrass's tone surprisingly carried a hint of uncertainty.
Gressa Selwyn, however, was very certain in her view. "I think the professors would help him bury us and cast Memory Charms on all witnesses!"
"Our parents would only receive news of our violation going to the Forbidden Forest and then being captured and cooked by Centaurs! Don't forget what happened to Foley Carrow!"
"You must remember the Ashwinder night, right? At that time, so many people were in the Great Hall together, and after Foley Carrow went out, he just disappeared!" Gressa Selwyn's voice was quite agitated, her emotions running high, but she still knew to lower her voice when discussing these matters.
To avoid being overheard by Ian in the Great Hall, the two girls had already distanced themselves from it, sitting by the window where the heavy rain poured down, likely to ease their trembling legs. It was no wonder the two girls reacted this way towards Ian; the things they were discussing were the biggest reasons for their fear of him.
Not only because Ian had defeated an excellent upperclassman wizard.
"The school told us that Foley Carrow withdrew due to family matters, but we know, we know that Foley Carrow just vanished at Hogwarts!"
"Their family doesn't even dare to talk about it, nor do they dare to seek justice for their child. I bet this is definitely Dumbledore covering up the crimes of that evil Ravenclaw!"
"He must have killed Foley Carrow! Just because Foley Carrow insulted him a few times in the common room!" Gressa Selwyn seemed very convinced of her theory.
Daphne Greengrass remained silent, but from her increasingly anxious expression, it was not hard to see that she also believed Gressa Selwyn's statement.
Dumbledore could threaten several pure-blood families for a child, even using Gringotts to establish authority. How could she not believe that Dumbledore would cover up a murder for Ian?
"He definitely isn't from the Prince house! He must be another Dumbledore!" Gressa Selwyn spoke with certainty, feeling that only this explanation could make sense of many situations. Exceptionally talented yet with a history of evil deeds, and still not being treated as a potential dark wizard. Was this how Hogwarts normally operated?
The headmaster had seen that guy cast the Killing Curse!
And what happened next?
(To Be Continued…)