Thanks to Malfoy for the Fusion!

"I heard you've been making friends everywhere, Mr. Malfoy."

In the dead silence, Ethan said flatly.

He raised a smile and stretched out his sinful hand toward Malfoy, who was trembling like a leaf.

"How about we make friends, too?"

"Ah... ah..."

[Remember the domain name—Taiwan Novel Network, ᴛᴡᴋᴀɴ.ᴄᴏᴍ, super reliable]

Malfoy's eyes grew wider and wider, as if they might pop out of their sockets.

He stared at that hand, as if seeing the gates of hell opening wide for him, and the painful memories came flooding back into his mind.

Under the shocked gazes of the others.

The once-arrogant Malfoy suddenly let out a bloodcurdling scream, turned around, and fled, scrambling and rolling away!

Goyle and Crabbe: ???

Dude, what the hell?! You're bailing first?!

Their boss had run off; the two bodyguards blinked, then had no choice but to turn and chase after him.

"Rustle!"

Hearing the commotion, the doors of the surrounding compartments opened one after another, curious heads poking out to look.

Though no one knew what had happened, the golden-haired boy's pathetic figure was deeply etched into their memories.

"I-I'm telling Professor Snape! You're as good as expelled!!!"

A completely unthreatening shout came from the end of the corridor.

In their line of sight, Malfoy stumbled and fell flat on his ass as he passed through the connection between two carriages.

He was nearly crushed by his two lackeys.

A total spectacle of humiliation.

"What a shame."

Ethan withdrew his hand regretfully and said:

"I really wanted to be friends with him. Why did he run away?"

Ethan turned around, facing everyone with his handsome, innocent smile.

"Am I that scary?"

"..."

He wasn't scary to look at.

But his personality was way too human!!

Harry and Ron stood frozen in place, one word echoing in their minds:

Awesome.

Just by showing up, he'd scared Malfoy into screaming for his daddy like a human-shaped Killing Curse.

Ron started fantasizing again.

Fantasizing about himself making a heroic entrance, beating the bullying little Malfoy to his knees, dragging him home...

Harry, meanwhile, was tangled in thought:

Was Ethan a good guy or a bad guy?

If he was evil, he'd punished the bully Malfoy.

If he was good... well, he hadn't spared his own side either.

Just look at Neville's pale face—his toad was almost strangled to death.

In short, neither side got off easy.

[Ding!]

[Your artistry has left a deep impression. Soul Fusion Degree increased!]

[27% → 28%!]

Oh ho, another increase!

Ethan's eyes lit up at the subtitles floating before him, and he curled his lips in delight.

Sure enough, he'd have to "make friends" with Mr. Malfoy more often.

As the Soul Fusion Degree rose, a warm current of magic surged within Ethan.

Like an electric current, a crackling numbness ran through his nerves.

Ethan suddenly raised his hand, pointed his wand at the mess on the floor, and murmured:

"Reparo."

As his words fell, a hazy white light flickered from the tip of Ethan's wand.

The rumpled carpet smoothed out, and the glass shattered on the floor by the "Toad Bomb" spun and flew back to its original place.

Ron's button, which had come loose from the earlier shoving, sewed itself back on with a swoosh.

The toad croaked once and hopped back into Neville's pocket.

As if touched by an invisible healing hand, everything returned to how it had been.

Finally, Ethan pointed his wand at Harry—at his glasses.

Under Harry's horrified gaze, his broken glasses snapped back together, magically repaired.

"Wow..." Harry froze for two seconds before quickly saying, "Th-thank you, Ethan."

"It's nothing. I should've thought of it sooner."

Ethan smiled.

Just then, a young man in blue-trimmed robes approached, his face full of admiration.

"I'm Robert Hilliard, a Prefect from Ravenclaw."

"I was about to scold you for causing trouble on the train. But your spellcasting was quite impressive—few first-years I've seen over the years can match your skill."

"You're Ethan Vincent, right? I've read the reports about you. Ravenclaw welcomes outstanding students like you."

Robert smiled at Ethan.

In the corridor, students who had poked their heads out stared at Ethan in awe.

Some even whistled playfully.

What had been an ordinary journey had turned entirely into Ethan's personal show.

Watching this, Hermione bit her lower lip in frustration.

Is this the gap in talent...?

She had practiced "Reparo" at home too, but at best, she could only fix small objects.

Like glasses, teacups, and such.

Ridiculously, she had even been smug about it, thinking she'd done well!

Hermione wanted to ask Ethan for advice.

But on second thought, rather than asking this Netherworld guy, she'd rather wait and ask a Living World teacher at school first.

"...You'd better be careful." Hermione lifted her chin, frowning. "That Malfoy kid said he'd tell a professor and get you expelled from Hogwarts."

Ethan: "And I say I'm the Emperor of China."

Hermione: "..."

She shot Ethan a glare.

Like a headmistress scolding a disobedient student, she left him with, "I warned you."

Then, with a sharp turn of her head, her bushy ponytail slapped Ron across the face as she stomped away.

Ron clutched his stinging cheek, eyes wide, and said incredulously:

"Who does she think she is? Acting all high and mighty! Hah, she can't even match one of Ethan's spells."

"Mm."

Harry replied distractedly, looking at Ethan with equal worry.

"Ethan, I think... she has a point."

"That Malfoy said he'd tattle. It sounds like there's a professor who's close to his family. I'm worried... you might get punished."

The thought of being expelled from Hogwarts and sent back to his aunt and uncle's house made it hard for Harry to breathe.

Ethan must feel the same.

"Close to his family, huh..."

Ethan murmured, the image of Snape's sallow, hook-nosed face surfacing in his mind.

Hmm... He was curious to see whether Malfoy's connection with Snape was stronger.

Or if the keyword "Lily" mattered more to Snape.

Ethan curled his lips.

Suddenly, he turned to Harry and said, with an unreadable expression:

"You have very nice green eyes."

Harry: ???

Staring straight into Ethan's cobalt-blue eyes, Harry felt an inexplicable chill run down his spine.

He couldn't help but step back, pressing his back tightly against the compartment door.

Ethan: "If any professor ever gives you trouble, just stare them down hard with those eyes."

"Trust me, it'll work."

Before Harry could figure out what Ethan meant, the train's announcement crackled to life:

[Attention, students. We will be arriving at Hogwarts in five minutes. Please leave your luggage on the train; it will be taken up to the school for you.]

Without them noticing, the scenery outside the window had already grown dark.

"Alright, don't worry about me. It's fine."

Ethan smiled, waving his wand to pull out his luggage.

"Hurry up and change."

Seeing Ethan's relaxed, carefree attitude, as if the threat of expulsion didn't bother him at all, Harry and Ron could only exchange a glance, bury their worries, and quickly put on their school robes.

They hoped Ethan would be okay.

But even if he wasn't expelled, no matter how skilled Ethan was, he couldn't escape punishment from the professors, could he?