Golden Legendary!!
Ethan's eyes widened slightly. A faint golden glow shimmered around the painting in his field of vision.
The paintings were divided into four tiers: White Rare, Blue Precious, Golden Legendary, and Purple Epic.
Using a delicate yet sturdy canvas, mixing the paints, and adding the Opening Charm and Door Key spells.
With each brushstroke, he infused his magic into the painting.
Ethan got his first [Golden Legendary].
It was also the highest-tier card he owned so far.
[Name: Portal]
[Type: Item]
[Tier: Tier 1 · Golden Legendary]
[Description: "The cake is a lie."]
[Effect: ① When placed on another object, it can create a passage through that object. The passage's depth depends on the user's magic. It can be used repeatedly;]
[② The painting has two sides, A and B. Enter through A and exit through B. You can set the entrance and exit anywhere within a radius of 30 meters. Anything entering through A will emerge from B.]
[Note: When setting sides A and B, both must be within sight; only one of the two effects can be active at a time.]
[Evaluation: A genuine portal. Perhaps it will eventually lead to the other side of life.]
"Whoa..."
Ethan studied the description and couldn't help exclaiming in amazement.
He could open doors without limit.
As long as he had enough magic, he could open anything—not just the entrance to Ravenclaw, but even the heavily trapped entrance to Gringotts, which was said to be accessible only to Goblins!
Ethan suddenly realized something.
With this card, he wouldn't need to get past the Three-Headed Dog or take part in some boys-versus-girls obstacle course to get the Philosopher's Stone.
He could just open a door in the floor and hop down through it.
And there was more.
Ethan had a rather exciting idea.
He could open a door on any object.
But could he do it on something other than an "inanimate object"?
He'd have to try it sometime...
For now.
Ethan focused his attention on the newly revealed second effect.
—"Portal."
It could transport objects anywhere within a certain range.
Ethan pondered this for a moment.
Then he suddenly turned to his two friends.
And smiled.
Michael: ???
Ethan: ^▽^
"W-wait, Ethan! You can't do that to people—at least, you shouldn't—ah!"
Michael suddenly stumbled as if a deep hole had appeared in the smooth lawn beneath his feet.
Darkness rushed in, and he plunged downward.
But the next second, light returned, and Michael dropped onto the soft grass from above.
"Wh-what the heck...?"
Michael was so dazed from the fall that he could barely think straight.
He looked up and saw Mandy staring at him from nearby, her mouth hanging open in shock.
What had just happened?!
Mandy was dumbfounded.
It had all happened in the blink of an eye.
Ethan hadn't even taken out his wand, yet two rectangular frames had appeared out of nowhere, one on the ground and one in midair.
Then Michael had fallen into the frame on the ground and dropped out of the one in the air.
It was just... just like short-range Apparition.
But Apparition couldn't transport anyone other than the caster and those traveling with them.
Mandy noticed that the oil painting Ethan had just finished was gone from the easel.
In its place, he held a card glowing with golden light.
Could this be a different kind of magic from wand-based spellcasting?
Mandy's eyes gradually began to shine.
It was incredible.
As a Ravenclaw who loved pursuing knowledge, she now felt that it wasn't just the card in Ethan's hand that was glowing.
Ethan himself was glowing, too!
Casting spells through paintings—she'd never heard of anything like it.
This was undoubtedly the most groundbreaking invention of the century!!
Just then.
Mandy's pupils suddenly shrank, and she cried out, "Look out!"
"Whoosh!"
A gust of wind swept past.
Ethan narrowed his eyes. His black hair fluttered as grass blades and dust whipped across his face from above.
He looked up and saw Harry Potter riding a Flying Broomstick.
He was holding a transparent ball.
"S-sorry, Ethan!" Harry panted, unable to hide the excitement in his voice.
"Malfoy snatched Neville's Remembrall and threw it over here."
Oh, so it was this part of the story.
Ethan understood.
Harry had been discovered as a natural Seeker, setting him on the path to an unbeatable career in Gryffindor Quidditch.
Ethan remembered this happening.
But he hadn't thought it had anything to do with him.
He'd even sat farther away on purpose.
He hadn't expected that fateful ball to come crashing down on him anyway.
Ethan stood up, his hand slipping into his robes to grasp his wand.
He turned and watched Malfoy approach across the lawn with a crowd of Slytherins, their ranks advancing in force.
From the tense look of things, they didn't seem to have come merely to take back the Remembrall.
"..."
Harry's smile faded. He lowered his broom and looked nervously at Malfoy.
Mandy, Ron, and the Gryffindors hurried over and gathered around Ethan.
Even Michael quickly scrambled to his feet, gripped his wand, and joined the front line.
Within moments.
Red stood opposite three blue figures in front, with dark green facing them from the other side, the two groups clearly divided.
It was as if these young wizards would charge at the head of their troops the instant their commanders gave the order.
Ethan toyed with the golden card, his cobalt-blue eyes reflecting Malfoy's pale face.
"Go on, Draco. You'll definitely win," Pansy whispered, nudging Malfoy's arm.
"Vin—" Malfoy faltered, then cleared his throat.
A faint blush rose to his cheeks.
He forced himself to meet those cold, mocking eyes and spoke as firmly as he could.
"Vincent, I challenge you to a formal duel."
"Oh?"
Ethan raised an eyebrow.
Instead of running away, he was coming closer?
Interesting.
"I accept your challenge, Mr. Malfoy," Ethan replied calmly. He turned to his friends.
"My assistant... Harry, would you be my Dueling Assistant?"
Harry had been called by name, and he didn't even know what a "Dueling Assistant" was.
But at that moment, even if Ethan had asked him to walk through fire and climb a mountain of blades, Harry wouldn't have said no.
As if! After everything Ethan had done for him, Harry was more than happy to take on Malfoy!
"Hmph. Then Crabbe can assist me," Malfoy said, surprised that Ethan knew the rules of dueling.
As expected, he wasn't an ordinary Mudblood...
But whatever the case.
His father had already warned him.
Today, he had to defend the Malfoy family's honor in front of everyone.
Otherwise... he might not be allowed to go home for Christmas this year.
How humiliating.
Thinking of that, Malfoy shuddered.
It was fine.
Malfoy looked at Ethan, who stood more than ten meters away.
At this distance, Ethan couldn't use that weird magic of his!
He remembered it clearly: Ethan had shaken his hand, and then his own hand had broken out in a rash!
As long as he kept his distance, there was nothing to fear.
Besides, his father had taught him a few "harmless" Minor Hexes.
They'd be more than enough against someone his own age—even Ethan.
And that wasn't all.
Malfoy quickly glanced behind him.
The moment an opening appeared, his lackeys would help him fire off spells.
Once they knocked Ethan down, who cared whether it broke the rules!
Malfoy had prepared for every eventuality in this duel.
As long as he didn't get knocked down right at the start.
Victory was assured!
He would win!
"We should bow first," Ethan said with a smile. He raised his wand and gave an elegant little bow.
Just then, Harry noticed that Ethan was holding his wand in his left hand.
Huh?
Was Ethan left-handed? Harry didn't remember that...
Malfoy hadn't noticed the little detail.
He pursed his lips irritably, gave a perfunctory nod, and called out himself.
"Three, two, one—Leg-Locker—"
"Bam!"
It all happened in the blink of an eye.
There was a heavy thud.
Malfoy had barely started to say the spell when he went flying!
He landed face-first on the lawn and instinctively struggled, but couldn't push himself up.
A stream of blood trickled from his pale face.
The left side of his face swelled rapidly, puffing up like a bun.
He lay on the ground, crying and whimpering in pain.
Malfoy was down for the count!
Everyone who'd witnessed the whole thing—including his own side—was stunned.
Wh-what had happened?!
It was over already?!
They stared in shock at the spot where Malfoy had just been standing.
A fist hung in midair, seemingly out of nowhere!
It had emerged from a bizarre, square doorframe. On the other side, Ethan's arm disappeared into it up to the elbow.
[Artwork Used: Portal!]
Ethan looked at his fist, now appearing in front of him, and casually gave it a shake. He didn't feel anything like Splinching.
The principle was simple.
He set up a Portal entrance beside himself and put his arm through it.
Then he set the exit beside Malfoy's face.
Anything that went in through the entrance would be replicated exactly at the exit, in both position and motion.
So even without taking a single step, Ethan could throw a punch from where he stood and land a heavy blow on Malfoy's face more than ten meters away.
A deathly silence fell.
Ethan's eyes shifted to Crabbe, the "lucky" Dueling Assistant Malfoy had chosen, who stood frozen in shock.
He smiled kindly.
"You're next."
—Magic was wonderful, wasn't it?
Before you continue