Night fell.
The stars glittering in the sky were like pieces scattered across a chessboard. As the darkness deepened, Hogwarts Castle and the scenery around it gradually merged into night's embrace.
Every detail was gently smoothed over by the darkness, leaving only peace and tranquility. All things hid away, waiting for a new day to awaken their vitality once more.
"Today, we'll continue learning curses!"
When Ian held his paid evening Small Class, the rumors about him had already evolved into an entirely new version. Apparently, his battle with Grindelwald in the Forbidden Forest had been over Dumbledore.
A story about a hundred-year-old man and a ten-year-old child?
That was so England!
Daphne Greengrass had undoubtedly contributed greatly to this. Ian truly regretted not taking away that shoddily produced trashy storybook from Daphne's hands.
"Little Professor, are you Dumbledore and Grindelwald's child?" This was probably the question that shattered Ian's last mental defense. Such increasingly absurd nonsense and rumors struck him like lightning.
"Damn storybooks! If any of you spread that rumor again, don't blame me for being rude!" Furious, Ian sternly warned the other Young Wizards in the Ravenclaw Common Room.
His initial threat to use aged Dungbombs had not been very effective, but once he emphasized that his Dungbombs really contained aged dung, everyone fell silent.
That was true deterrence.
At the very least, it meant Ian no longer had to endure the increasingly outrageous rumors in the Ravenclaw Common Room. Once he finished tutoring the Young Wizards, he immediately stepped out of the Common Room.
"What is the Little Professor going to do?"
"Is he going to the Forbidden Forest again?"
"Hey! That's none of our business! Do you want the Little Professor to attack you with dung in the middle of the night? A truly smart