Professor's Tacit Approval

Obviously.

Snape wanted to use "recreating" that bizarre scenario Ian had described to prove that Ian's story was nothing but a pack of lies.

However.

Ian was not nervous because of it.

Though it was inferior to Grindelwald's annotations in Secrets of the Darkest Art in terms of explanation and instruction, the spell Snape had recorded was clearly not particularly difficult either.

"Does it require hostility...?"

Ian read very carefully.

He did not grasp the entire spell all at once.

Perhaps because the spell was not dark enough?

Having gained some understanding of his own talent for Dark Magic, Ian thought so.

Just then.

"Heh, putting on an act..."

Snape was simply waiting for Ian to admit defeat.

While Ian was reading.

He drew his wand.

With a wave of his hand.

The planks piled in the corner began assembling themselves into coffins. The scattered corpses were drawn by an invisible force and, wrapped in oilcloth, floated into the coffins on their own.

"Rustle~"

The coffins were buried in the dirt one by one.

The earth piled inside the house also began filling the ground back in.

Very soon.

The entire living room returned to its original state.

What Ian had spent an entire afternoon struggling with was completed by magic in just a few minutes. The corpses did not even need to be forced into the same coffin anymore.

Actually, if the corpses had not burst out of their coffins when Ian summoned them, he would not have needed to make new coffins to compensate the dead.

All that could be said was that he had a conscience.

Just not very much of one.

It could not be helped.

Nailing coffins together was exhausting. Ian had only considered burying several corpses together to save time. They had new homes in the end, hadn't they?

"Mr. Prince, I do not have time to wait for you to keep stalling."

Having cleaned up the mess.

Snape once again reminded Ian, who was standing in the corner, with a dark expression.

"Professor."

Ian finally looked up from his focused study.

"If you wish to confess and receive leniency, it is not too late."

Snape snorted coldly.

"Professor, this spell is Dark Magic, isn't it?"

Ian spoke as though he were somewhat troubled.

"Of course."

Snape glanced sideways at Ian.

"Won't I get into trouble if I learn it?" Ian asked again.

An impatient expression appeared on Snape's face.

"You were not worried about causing trouble when you learned the Inferi Control Charm?" Snape sneered, staring at Ian as though he had seen through his tricks.

"Do not give me some ridiculous excuse for why you cannot learn it. Did you not find a note, try it out of curiosity, and learn the Inferi Control Charm?"

"This is not even standard Dark Magic. Based on your absurdly inflated boasting, I would think such a minor spell would not be difficult for a magical genius like you."

Snape placed particular emphasis on the words "magical genius."

The sarcasm was unmistakable.

"I am not making excuses, Professor. You misunderstood." Ian blinked and looked at the additional Level 1 skill on his Skill Panel.

"I merely thought..."

Ian took out his wand and pointed it at the remaining pile of planks nearby.

"Sectumsempra!"

Ian merely whispered it. As his words fell, a faint, almost imperceptible disturbance seemed to ripple through the air. Invisible blades swept through with the incantation like ghosts, as though an unseen sword were swinging madly, cutting everything in its path into pieces.

A harsh tearing sound rang out.

Fragments flew everywhere.

Wood chips and dust filled the entire living room, drifting down like rain.

"It is not that difficult to learn."

Ian was covered in scattered debris. He put away his wand, lightly brushed off his clothes, and looked at Snape with a slightly embarrassed smile.

"Perhaps you should bring out a more difficult spell, Professor. Then I might not be able to learn it. You would also get your wish of seeing me embarrassed and distressed."

Full of anticipation.

His words were entirely as though he were thinking of the other person.

He received no response.

At the other end of the room, the sneer on Snape's face had completely frozen.

The atmosphere in the air became somewhat strange as well.

"Professor?"

Ian stubbornly continued.

"Really, just a little harder. A little harder, and I truly will not be able to learn it." His thirst for knowledge was so pure that even words against his true feelings sounded utterly sincere.

"..."

Snape's head was covered in wood chips. Because of his greasy hair, the debris clung especially firmly. Yet he clearly had no mind to worry about his hair right now.

"What is wrong with you!?"

Snape's face twitched violently.

"As you can see, you nearly stumped me."

Ian put on a frightened expression.

Just like his earlier absurd and bizarre explanation.

Snape did not take the bait either.

At this moment.

The professor who could mock someone for half an hour without repeating himself opened his mouth, yet for a long while, he could not utter even a single word.

It could not be helped.

Who could have imagined it?

A Young Wizard whom he had only recently brought out of an Orphanage.

Whose wand had only been purchased a few days ago, had actually slapped him in the face and proven what true "self-taught" magical talent looked like.

Was this even human?

What the hell was this?

Twenty minutes from start to finish?

Even Voldemort would have to hand you a wand!

Snape looked somewhat dazed.

"Professor, Professor, have you not decided yet? I suggest you do not give me any more Dark Magic. Why not test me with Fire God Opens the Way instead?" Ian chattered on.

"Shut up!"

Snape just wanted to calm down properly.

Good grief!

Fire God Opens the Way?

Could you possibly be any bolder!

"Alright..."

Ian shrank his neck.

Snape took quite some time to come to his senses from his dreamlike bewilderment. He examined the boy before him and had no choice but to reassess Ian's explanation.

Perhaps.

There really had been a Dark Wizard who dropped a little note?

"Where is the note you found?"

Snape still refused to admit that his judgment had been wrong.

"It is gone. Last night was truly chaotic. A bunch of corpses crawled out, and I do not know where the note flew off to." Ian immediately put on a regretful expression.

"You are not to mention yesterday's... or today's events to anyone!" Snape's expression was full of complicated emotions, and he did not continue questioning Ian about the note's whereabouts.

Beyond shock and disbelief, there was also a hint of concern in the way he looked at Ian. Displaying extraordinary magical talent at such a sensitive time was not a good thing.

Voldemort was about to return.

Grindelwald's Acolytes and descendants were also active near Hogwarts.

At this thought.

Snape suddenly seemed to realize something.

Perhaps.

The note this little brat had found had been dropped by one of Grindelwald's Acolytes? If it had been a note originally intended to teach Little Grindelwald, then it would make sense!

The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

Without realizing it.

Snape no longer seemed to doubt Ian's explanation.

It could not be helped.

After all, he had personally witnessed just how unbelievable this kid's talent was.

"School starts soon. Remember this: you are not to use the spell you just learned on any student at school! Even if someone you dislike provokes you!"

Snape was already beginning to regret why he had brought out Sectumsempra.

Who could have imagined it!

This guy had actually learned it!

"Alright, alright. Of course I understand. I have always been kind to others."

Ian hurriedly nodded and made his promise.

He took Snape's words firmly to heart.

After all.

Snape had only said he was not allowed to use Sectumsempra on people he disliked, but Snape had not said he was forbidden from using the Inferi Control Charm he learned yesterday on the ancestral graves of classmates he disliked.

Hmm.

This had to be the professor's tacit approval!