Juggler

"Hogwarts gives every student room to grow and make mistakes, but that room is not without boundaries. What you said to Mr. Potter tonight came very close to, or even crossed, that line. I do not wish to see it happen again."

Skofot met his gaze, and invisible sparks seemed to crackle between them.

He knew that tonight's probing ended here.

The old bee had not pursued the source of his power or exposed more of his secrets, but that did not mean he was safe.

This was more like... a temporary suspension, the beginning of even stricter surveillance.

He gave a slight nod. The nervous smile on his face finally vanished completely, leaving behind only cold calm.

"I understand, Headmaster." His tone was obedient, but there was no warmth in his eyes.

Dumbledore nodded. "Very good. Now return to your common room. It is late."

Skofot said nothing more. He turned and walked toward the door, his steps steady and without the slightest hesitation.

The instant he opened the door and left, he seemed to hear an extremely soft murmur behind him, nearly fading into the air.

"The path one chooses often defines a person more than the power they possess..."

The door closed softly.

Dumbledore stood alone in the empty classroom, staring at the mirror that was about to be removed, silent for a long while.

The boy named Skofot Leoqi was like a black stone cast into the lake of fate. The ripples he stirred were quietly changing the course of many things.

[Emotion Points +120] (From Dumbledore's profound scrutiny, warning, and inner assessment)

[Emotion Points: 1700/100]

In the days that followed, Skofot Leoqi became an increasingly unsettling sight at Hogwarts.

Skipping class became routine for him. He appeared frequently in every corner of the castle, and his behavior grew ever stranger and harder to predict.

Sometimes he would appear in the courtyard or an empty corridor and, without warning, begin performing a series of breathtakingly difficult acrobatic movements.

His body seemed boneless, able to twist into all kinds of impossible angles, or execute a succession of flips and balancing tricks so fast they left afterimages.

These were not movements an ordinary young wizard could perform. They even surpassed most professional acrobats.

He remained expressionless while doing them. Only his eyes shone with terrifying brightness, as if he were completing some sacred ritual—or merely venting excess energy.

The watching students gradually shifted from surprise and curiosity to a faint, growing fear.

No one applauded. There were only whispers and instinctive retreating footsteps.

His inhumanly precise control, along with the almost indifferent air of concentration surrounding him during his performances, sent chills down their spines.

Even more horrifying was that whenever a bird happened to land in the courtyard or a beetle crawled across a windowsill, Skofot would immediately stop moving and lock his eyes onto the tiny creature.

He was not looking at it. It was more as though he was... assessing it.

His Adam's apple would bob unconsciously in a clear swallowing motion, while his eyes revealed a pure, primal hunger for "food."

That look frightened several first-year Hufflepuff girls into tears on the spot.

And in the Great Hall, his eating habits became another focus of attention.

He began openly refusing the vegetables carefully prepared by the house-elves, even using his fork to shove them aside in disgust.

In contrast, he displayed extraordinary enthusiasm for meat, especially steaks still streaked with blood and only half-cooked.

He no longer used a knife and fork to cut his food carefully. Sometimes, he even grabbed large slabs of meat directly with his hands and devoured them ravenously. The faint sounds of him chewing raw meat and the occasional trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth left nearby students with no appetite, their faces pale.

"Has he... gone mad?" During one Potions lesson, Lavender Brown watched Skofot quietly swallow at the sight of dead moth larvae laid out as ingredients on the desk in front of him. Pale-faced, she whispered to Parvati.

Parvati clutched her sleeve tightly and shook her head, her eyes filled with fear.

At the Slytherin table, Malfoy was even more on edge.

Now, whenever he saw Skofot, he took a detour. He did not even dare make eye contact.

Though Crabbe and Goyle were slow-witted, they instinctively sensed danger as well. Whenever Skofot approached, they would unconsciously tense up.

"I must say, Mr. Leoqi's recent behavior... is deeply concerning."

At a staff meeting, Professor McGonagall brought it up with a tightly furrowed brow. "His absence record has become astonishingly high, and his... behavior in public is causing panic among the students."

Snape listened expressionlessly, his fingertips lightly tapping against the table.

He understood the little monster's danger better than anyone. Those acrobatics and cravings for raw food were merely the tip of the iceberg.

He spoke in a gloomy voice. "Perhaps we should consider more... compulsory measures. Before he causes more serious... consequences."

Professor Flitwick, meanwhile, looked deeply troubled.

"His mental state is clearly very unstable. Should we contact St. Mungo's? Or at least have Madam Pomfrey give him a thorough examination?"

Quirrell stammered his agreement, his eyes darting away. He did not dare look at Snape, nor did he dare discuss the matter any further.

Even Hagrid, usually so thick-skinned, felt an inexplicable chill after noticing the specimen-like look Skofot gave Norbert—the Norwegian Ridgeback he was trying to raise in secret—on one occasion. He hurriedly shut the box tightly.

Hermione Granger tried to find an explanation in books. She consulted Common Magical Ailments and Rare Mental Magical Disorders, but found nothing.

Skofot's behavior matched none of the descriptions of known illnesses, leaving her frustrated and even more confused.

Harry and Ron simply and bluntly classified Skofot as "a dangerous person to avoid," and firmly carried out the strategy of "run whenever you see him."

Skofot was indifferent to every reaction around him. He immersed himself in the novel experiences and chaotic impulses brought by the [Juggler] card.

The feeling of controlling his body at its limits while performing acrobatics fascinated him, while his craving for raw meat and the satisfaction of devouring it were simple and direct.

Other people's fear, disgust, and gossip all became steadily increasing numbers on the system panel in his eyes.

[Emotion Points +10] (From Lavender Brown's fear)

[Emotion Points +15] (From Parvati Patil's shock)

[Emotion Points +20] (From Draco Malfoy's continuing fear)

[Emotion Points +25] (From Minerva McGonagall's concern and vigilance)

[Emotion Points: 1770/100]

He was like a warped stone thrown into a tranquil lake, enjoying the ever-spreading ripples of chaos he caused.

As for what storms those ripples would eventually raise, he seemed not to care.

He merely followed his instincts, performing a frenzied solo dance upon the vast stage that was Hogwarts—one no one could understand, and no one applauded.