The Brush of True Perfection! (Seeking Follow-up Reads!)

Upon hearing this, Penelope was stunned.

A first-year young wizard, taking on a troll?

Was she crazy?!

No matter how impressive Ethan was, at the end of the day, he'd only been at school for a few months.

Charms Class for first-years had only just reached the Levitation Charm!

Creatures with thick hides like that were resistant to most magic.

A talented upperclassman might have a chance of handling one alone.

But a first-year...

If they didn't go weak in the knees and freeze up at the sight of a troll, that would already be a miracle!

Even Ethan's Portal magic probably couldn't transport such a massive creature.

This was nothing but an unreasonable demand—an excuse to keep Ethan out of their group!

"You—"

"Let's wait a bit," Prefect Robert interrupted their argument, offering reassurance. "Once Ethan moves up to second year, we can recruit him into the club then."

Though, it wasn't certain he'd even want to join.

By that time, though, Robert would have long since slipped away to the Ministry of Magic, leaving all this scheming behind.

Robert glanced at Sean, who wore a smug expression, and shook his head inwardly.

Sean, oh Sean. Dealing with a potential rival isn't just about keeping them at arm's length and suppressing them.

Look at the Malfoy family—they knew when to bend and when to stretch.

Half their face swollen from a slap, and they'd still offer the other cheek, saying, "Master's favor."

Now that was true tact.

Sean was still too green.

Penelope pouted, shrugged in defeat, and said, "Fine..."

She turned, her lively eyes scanning the crowd of little figures, searching for that tall, striking silhouette.

She really had high hopes for Ethan.

Good-looking, strong in ability, and his personality... well, a bit Netherworld-ish, but geniuses were always different, right?

If he joined the club early, he could learn insider knowledge and start building his future connections.

Wouldn't that be great?

Too bad he was blocked by jealous people... Huh?

Penelope's gaze suddenly froze. She furrowed her brows, a look of confusion spreading across her face.

That wasn't right. She'd searched for ages, but why couldn't she find Ethan in the crowd?

Where was Ethan?

At that moment.

Ethan wasn't following the flow of students toward the common room.

He changed direction, turning down another corridor.

He was tailing Harry and Ron, who had also slipped away unnoticed.

But unlike the Two Little Ones, who went undetected, everyone around noticed Ethan's departure.

No one bothered to stop him, though.

They just thought to themselves:

Ah, who's about to have a bad time?

Getting on Ethan's bad side was always a beautiful disaster.

Just look at Professor Quirrell, floating in midair with blood dripping from his mouth.

Leaving the crowd behind.

Ethan turned a corner, the noise fading into the distance behind him.

Moonlight streamed through the diamond-paned windows, scattering like countless radiant gems across the ancient, silent castle.

Ethan couldn't help but stop, tilting his head up to gaze for a long moment at that clear, bright silver disk.

He took a deep breath and murmured:

The moonlight tonight is beautiful.

I wonder what Luna is doing right now?

Is she looking up at this silver disk too?

Or perhaps, just as the letter said, he was disguised as a Dementor, going door to door asking for candy?

How adorable...

The atmosphere was tranquil and serene, Ethan's handsome features softened by the moonlight, making him appear even more gentle and imposing.

Like a garden spirit from a dream—pure, beautiful, and spotless.

Around him, the Living Paintings had all fled clean away.

Red pigment seeped from that wand, dripping and pooling on the floor, trailing a bloody path behind him.

Unfortunately, Hermione, being emo, hadn't gotten to enjoy his Halloween surprise.

He had to make up for that regret with this little girl.

He had to spread the love evenly.

So everyone could have a complete childhood.

Today, Ethan was once again giving himself a thumbs-up for his kindness.

Just then.

"Ahhh—!!!"

A piercing scream came from ahead!

Along with it, a sound like something shattering—bang, bang.

Chaotic footsteps rang out, and panicked shouts of "Run! Run!" echoed through the corridor.

The next moment, three figures burst around the corner.

It was Harry, Ron.

And Hermione, sandwiched between them.

Oh, so it wasn't the bathroom showdown?

Ethan raised an eyebrow, but didn't pay it much mind—the outcome wouldn't change.

He lifted his wand, and saw Harry and Ron, sprinting toward him, grow even more terrified the moment their eyes landed on him.

They even instinctively slammed on the brakes, trying to turn and run back.

Hermione: ?

Hermione froze in shock, looking at the two of them in confusion.

The Troll was right behind them—why were they trying to run back?

Harry and Ron's faces were ashen, staring at the smiling Ethan ahead, unsure how to explain to Hermione:

Maybe there was a terrifying Troll behind them.

But ahead of them—that was hell!

Yet, the situation left them no time to think.

"Roar—!"

A furious bellow came from behind.

A massive creature, like a small mountain, nearly four meters tall, came thundering after them.

Its head nearly scraped the ceiling, its skin like granite, making it impossible to imagine what a spell could do to it.

Its two short legs, thick as tree trunks, shook the entire corridor with every step.

In its hand, it clutched a club that dragged along the floor.

Ethan smiled and waved: "Come on over~"

Harry and Ron: "..."

They both stopped in their tracks, their faces turning paper-white.

Hermione shouted in panic and confusion: "What are you doing?! Get over there!"

Maybe it was because of Ethan's calm demeanor.

Even though he was just a first-year too, standing behind him felt safe.

In the end, the three little ones, pulling at each other, scrambled behind Ethan.

They let out a collective sigh of relief.

Then, they saw Ethan raise his wand at the Troll.

The three little ones: ?!!

"Y-you're not actually going to challenge a Troll, are you?!" Ron blurted out in shock, dragging his hands down his face. "Bloody hell, we're doomed!"

"Shh—"

Ethan raised a finger, gently silencing Ron.

Then he turned to Hermione.

"Miss Granger, do you know the spell Avis?"

Hermione froze. Despite the crisis, her study-obsessed instincts still made her answer reflexively:

"It's a charm that summons a flock of chirping birds. The birds can shoot toward the enemy as a form of attack."

"But—you're not thinking of using that against a Troll, are you?! Its hide is as hard as rock; that spell absolutely couldn't deal any damage!"

As she spoke, Hermione paused and bit her lower lip.

There I go, lecturing someone again...

But Ethan didn't mind. He just watched the Troll drawing closer and smiled:

"Miss Granger, have you noticed that even the same spell can produce different effects when cast by an adult wizard versus a young wizard?"

"That's due to soul strength—or what's called the amount of 'magical power.'"

"It's like the size of a water barrel; the human body works the same way."

"So..."

Ethan raised his wand, and a streak of color spilled from it.

A pungent scent, mingling nuts and minerals, wafted out.

Hermione's eyes slowly widened as the wand in her sight began to shift its shape.

—In the end, it transformed into an incredibly beautiful brush.

Its lines were smooth and straight, the wood grain elegant and restrained, yet impossible to look away from.

At the tip, the bristles were pure white, as if freshly plucked from a unicorn's tail, shimmering with a clean light.

The three little ones were stunned, gazing at the brush in fascination.

Then, they suddenly realized—this was the "Perfect Brush" Ethan had been muttering about all along.

"..."

The three fell silent.

Their expressions turned strange.

They looked at Ethan's delighted face, wanting to speak but holding back.

—Admittedly, the brush was gorgeous, clearly the kind used by someone noble and pure.

But that was the complete opposite of Ethan's persona!!

Just how skewed was Ethan's self-perception???

"Ah—this is the brush perfectly suited for me."

Ethan sighed in contentment.

He loosely gripped the smooth, cool handle, feeling it become an extension of his arm.

Magical power poured from his body into it, flowing without a hitch, like water from the same pool.

Man and brush as one, bringing immense satisfaction.

"Now, Miss Granger, here's the key point. Pay attention."

At the word "key point," Hermione instinctively perked up, focusing intently on Ethan.

"I'm going to show you just how much magical power can affect a spell."

"Avis."