The wind and rain raged outside the castle.
Hearing Snape address the unfamiliar wizard, Ian went from looking back every other step to looking back every single step. Even after Snape shot him several vicious glares, he simply could not help himself.
This was Quirinus Quirrell! The Defence Against the Dark Arts professor Harry Potter and Hermione had had in their first year, a special expendable resource for next year's Defence Against the Dark Arts class! This guy should currently have been the Muggle Studies Professor, taking a long leave to travel abroad!
The butterfly effect?
Ian kept staring like some lovesick fool. He watched as Snape led Quirrell, whose head lacked a tumour on the back but whose personality had nevertheless changed drastically, towards the stairs leading to the eighth floor.
"Did he encounter Voldemort, or didn't he?" He was intensely curious about it, only withdrawing his gaze after Snape and Quirrell disappeared from sight.
"His personality's changed, so he probably already has Voldemort in this life?" Even while eating with William and Michael, Ian kept turning the question over in his mind.
Based on what he knew of the story, accurately judging the matter was clearly difficult. Still, that did not stop him from considering how to test it and verify his hypothesis.
He definitely could not show himself.
Perhaps he needed someone else's help?
Ian looked at William and Michael, who were madly guzzling water because of the Jalapeños.
"My God! Why is everything covered in chili? Have the House-elves gone mad?"
"Chicken legs stewed with chili are pretty tasty, but between chili and an intact ass, I think I can only choose one. Is this Hogwarts' annual Halloween tradition?"
"Halloween has a tradition like that? Fine, I guess I can only endure it."
His two