The words had barely left his mouth.
The room was suddenly filled with sharp, collective inhales.
The students stared at Sean and Ethan in shock, while quite a few older students looked on with regret.
Gasp—!
This was the Round Table Council, the top club everyone dreamed of joining—a club whose membership alone proved your status!
It was said that
every member went on to become an influential figure in the Ministry of Magic.
The club made no secret of the fact that it was a clique.
It was the strongest network of connections a student could hope to have.
Even students from other houses, especially Slytherin, made a point of cultivating ties with its members.
But limited by their knowledge and experience,
the Round Table Council had never deigned to admit younger students.
Cho Chang, who'd joined as a second-year this year, had already been an exception.
No one had expected Sean, one of the club's two vice presidents, to personally invite Ethan, who'd only been at school for two months, to join!
But then again,
when you thought about everything Ethan had done since the start of term,
maybe it wasn't so impossible after all?
After all, in the two months since term had begun, Ethan had achieved more than most students did in seven years.
"Galloping Gorgon!"
Michael's eyes nearly popped out of his head, as if he were the one who'd received the invitation.
He tugged desperately at Ethan's sleeve, speaking with undisguised envy:
"You've got priority when it comes to choosing a partner for the next seven years! Guh! I'm so jealous!"
"..."
That was all he cared about, apparently.
Ethan swatted Michael's paw away.
Then he met the gaze of the older student standing before him.
In Sean's eyes, Ethan saw contempt, resentment, and smugness.
Clearly, Sean thought that offering him a place in the club was an act of charity.
He was probably thinking, "What a creepy jerk. Disgusting!"
But...
Ethan hadn't said he wanted to join.
Ethan: "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to join Ravenclaw's top club—"
"Mm-hmm."
Sean's lips curled with pride. He folded his arms and looked down at the foolish little first-year.
Good grief~
The last thing he wanted was to let a first-year brat into their noble organization.
Fine. He'd just leave him on the sidelines after he joined.
Toss him a few scraps every now and then to keep him happy.
And even that was more than all those fools could dream of.
Sean failed to notice the sympathetic look on Prefect Robert's face.
Ethan: "—but I refuse."
Sean: "Hmph. Then I suppose I'll graciously let you join. And remember, don't act like an idiot and ask about every little thing—refuse?"
It was as if he'd never heard the word "refuse" in his life.
His whole face twisted with shock and disbelief, his eyes bulging like brass bells.
"Wait."
Ethan took half a step back, his brows drawing together.
"Are you about to say, 'You're the first person who's ever refused me. I'll remember you'? This isn't a teen drama."
Sean: "..."
The words caught in his throat, nearly choking him.
Damn it.
Listening to this kid's nonsense was worse than taking a punch.
Meanwhile, watching Sean's face turn purple as he stood there speechless,
Prefect Robert tilted his chin up, narrowed his eyes, and let out a satisfied "Ah."
That felt good.
Finally, someone else knew exactly what it was like.
There was nothing more satisfying than watching Ethan torment someone else.
And it wasn't just Sean.
The moment Ethan spoke, the whole common room fell silent once again.
More shocking than being invited to join a top club was being invited and then ruthlessly turning it down!
Michael's jaw nearly hit the floor.
He stared at Ethan in astonishment, unable to believe what he'd just heard!
He'd turned down priority in choosing a partner for the next seven years?!
Had the kid found someone on the side, and that was why he had nothing to worry about?!
Even Professor Flitwick hadn't expected this outcome.
He staggered, nearly tumbling off the table.
After a long moment,
Sean finally came to his senses.
Suddenly, his cheeks felt like they were on fire!
"How dare you—how could you—do you even know what the Round Table Council represents?!"
Sean roared, red-faced with embarrassment and fury.
He suddenly leaned down toward Ethan and lowered his voice.
"There are professors here, so I can't say much. But you ignorant Mr. Vincent, do you even know what you just refused?"
"We're all future Ministry officials. You haven't just refused an invitation—you've thrown away your chance at a future in the Ministry!"
His meaning was clear.
He was threatening to make things difficult for Ethan.
He hadn't even joined the Ministry yet, but he'd already mastered the bureaucrat's playbook.
Ethan narrowed his eyes and twitched his nose, giving Sean a scrutinizing look.
He thought he caught the stench of tyranny...
"You made two mistakes just now."
With everyone watching, Ethan spoke slowly.
As if he hadn't heard the threat, he calmly raised a hand and held up one finger.
"First, why do you assume my goal is to join the Ministry of Magic?"
Sean paused, then instinctively replied, "Every Ravenclaw's goal is the Ministry—"
"Bullshit," Michael muttered. "My goal is to enjoy life and have my pick of beautiful women—ow!"
Ethan used a Levitation Charm to fling the kid to the side, stopping him an inch from the fireplace.
"The first mistake you made was being too full of yourself."
"You assume everyone has the same goal as you—or that your goal is the grandest and most worthy one."
"My goal has never been some paltry Ministry of Magic—my goal is the world."
The final word fell, and everyone stared in stunned silence.
—"The world"!
It was an ordinary enough word.
But coming from Ethan, it landed with the force of a bronze bell striking the ground!
It made everyone shudder!
Professor Flitwick was so excited his eyes nearly filled with tears. He bounced up and down, murmuring, "Wonderful, wonderful!"
For a moment, it was as if he'd glimpsed the glory of the Four Founders' age, centuries ago.
Was Ravenclaw's eagle finally about to take flight?!
"You—you can't even get into the Ministry! How can you talk so big?!" Sean stammered in fury and shock, unable to stop himself from taking half a step back.
To his surprise, Ethan nodded without hesitation.
"That's right. I probably can't get into the Ministry. Because—"
"I probably wouldn't pass the background check."
Sean: "..."
The students: "..."
What a straightforward reason!
Sean wanted to argue, but couldn't find anything to say.
Given the unhinged things Ethan did, he'd dared to take on a professor in his first year. Who knew what he'd do in his second—blow up the school?
...No, surely he wouldn't go that far?
Regardless, with a record like that, even without Sean's interference, Ethan would probably fail the Ministry's screening anyway!
At that moment, Sean felt as if he'd thrown a punch into a cotton ball.
He was unbearably frustrated.
"But," Ethan added with a reassuring smile, "Azkaban is part of the Ministry of Magic. If you're so eager to work with me, I could always make an effort."
"Who—who wants to work with you? Wait, you said you were going to make an effort to get into where?"
Make an effort to get into Azkaban?
Was Ethan Vincent out of his mind?!
Before you continue