Sean: Hehe, I've Got This in the Bag

Ethan: (´･ω･`)?

Ethan blinked those big eyes of his.

Under the moonlight, his cobalt-blue eyes resembled the Black Lake endlessly lapping against the cliffs before them.

They shimmered innocently.

It made Sean so furious he nearly died, wheezing like an old ox that gave out after thirty seconds of plowing.

He glared darkly at Ethan, just about to say something when Professor McGonagall, who had arrived after hearing the commotion, interrupted him.

Professor McGonagall swept a stern gaze over Sean and Ethan.

Her eyes lingered briefly on the latter, and she gave a slight nod, carrying a hint of encouragement.

Then she clapped her hands to draw everyone's attention and said, "All right, contestants who signed up for the Secret Realm Tracking Challenge, the school preliminaries are about to begin."

The students who had been murmuring quietly immediately fell silent. They all turned to Professor McGonagall and listened with rapt attention.

Among the crowd, Ethan also spotted Cedric Diggory, dressed in Hufflepuff's yellow-and-black team uniform.

Cedric was easy to pick out, since Hufflepuff had sent only him.

The current Cedric had yet to attain the maturity he would display years later in the Triwizard Tournament.

He was still a spirited young man.

His face was filled with anticipation and confidence for the future.

Ethan calmly withdrew his gaze.

Right now, the selection trial was what mattered.

He could hardly wait to give them a little shock.

Meanwhile, Sean shot Ethan an angry sidelong glance and thought, ...Forget it. Why am I getting worked up over this brat?

It's beneath me.

There's no way he'll pass the preliminaries. I don't even need to think about it.

And I've spent a full three years preparing for this challenge.

Three whole years!

Sean pressed his lips together, a determined gleam rising in his eyes.

That brat and I aren't even on the same level.

He's only good at talking now. Once I take first place and return victorious, I'll be able to laugh at him all I want!

I'm the top student in the whole school!

With that thought, Sean slowly let out a breath and felt much better.

—This time, I'm definitely going to win!

On the protruding rocky platform, Professor McGonagall continued, "There are twenty-five students participating in this selection, divided into groups of five."

"Each of you must enter the Giant Purple Toads' nest and retrieve the item you consider most valuable."

Professor McGonagall raised a hand and pointed toward the cliff on the other side.

On the rocks jutting out of the lake, several shadowy figures could vaguely be seen crouching.

"The assessment will test how you cross the toads' perimeter outside the cave, and how you find the correct path to the treasure site within the labyrinthine tunnels—"

"In other words, the Toad King's location."

Professor McGonagall's tone grew grave as she said sternly, "I must remind you all that although the content of this selection has been personally tested by us professors, and professors will monitor the entire process—"

"The Toad King remains an extremely dangerous creature."

"If the Toad King feels threatened, the entire colony will enter a frenzy and attack everything around them indiscriminately until they calm down on their own."

"So, for your own safety, I urge you all to proceed with caution and not provoke the Toad King."

As soon as she finished speaking, Everyone unconsciously stiffened, gripping their wands tightly with tense expressions.

Seeing the students' serious attitudes, Professor McGonagall nodded in satisfaction.

Then a name suddenly popped into her mind. Her movements froze, and she hurriedly turned to look—

Ethan Vincent!

Had that young wizard, whose train of thought was always so different from everyone else's, truly taken her warning to heart?

Professor McGonagall quickly located the slender figure among the crowd.

Even though the food at Hogwarts was excellent, the child had not grown any stronger or rounder.

It was as if all the nutrients he absorbed had been poured into those dazzling, magnificent paintings.

At that moment, having heard her warning, Ethan nodded thoughtfully, clutching a square card in his hand as he stood alone to one side, looking exceptionally well-behaved.

"Don't worry, Minerva," Professor Flitwick said softly beside her. "Ethan just wants to give it a try. In this kind of practical test that examines overall ability, even if Ethan wants to do something, he won't be able to pull it off."

"Everyone standing here is among Hogwarts' finest students."

"Besides, professors like Snape will be watching over the cave nest the entire time. Nothing will go wrong."

Professor Flitwick looked utterly certain.

"All right..."

Professor McGonagall remained somewhat doubtful.

Perhaps it was a cat's intuition, but she instinctively felt that Ethan seemed to be plotting something, and a faint unease lingered in her heart.

A quiet child was surely up to no good.

Yet rationally, she also felt that Flitwick was right.

With so many professors supervising the entire process, although she and Professor Snape did not get along, she had to admit that he was very capable.

Mm, nothing would happen.

With that thought, Professor McGonagall felt slightly reassured.

She took out the lottery drum she had prepared long ago.

She had each student come forward to draw a lot, then divided them into teams according to the letters on the balls.

Then, Professor McGonagall waved her wand.

The balls in everyone's hands transformed with a swish into butterflies, which fluttered away beneath the moonlight.

"I hereby announce the Hogwarts internal preliminaries for the 1991–1992 Secret Realm Tracking Challenge—"

"Officially begin!"

"Bang!"

With a sound like a firecracker going off, the atmosphere instantly changed.

By sheer coincidence, Ethan, Senior Sean, and Senior Penelope were assigned to the same team.

"Tch, looks like we're a four-person team."

Senior Sean curled his lips disdainfully.

He turned to look at his other two teammates and said bluntly:

"I've been first in my year for six consecutive years, with twelve 'O's in the O.W.L. Ordinary Wizarding Level examinations."

"I think we should use the Disillusionment Charm, combined with the Hypnosis Spell and herbs that mask our scent, to get past the warning line outside the cave without alerting the toads as much as possible. What do you think?"

The other two teammates were both from Slytherin.

They exchanged a glance and nodded. The sidelong looks they gave Ethan were filled with coldness and malice.

That was only natural.

Aside from the Malfoy family, who had surrendered at the speed of light, most of Slytherin had come to resent Ethan because of his previous speech.

After all, his words had been far too sharp.

Like a pointed knife, they had cut through the peace they had whitewashed, exposing the bloody truth beneath.

Senior Penelope, however, frowned and gently wrapped an arm around Ethan's shoulders as she said in a low voice:

"Sean, Ethan is part of our team too."

"Oh, is he?"

Senior Sean raised his brows, revealing a disdainful smile.

He lifted his hand and smoothly recited an incantation.

A faint layer of white light, like a thin veil, enveloped everyone except Ethan and Penelope.

Their figures immediately turned transparent.

Senior Sean said, "Since Ethan is so extraordinarily gifted, he can naturally cast the Disillusionment Charm himself, right? Our Ravenclaw genius first-year, Mr. Vincent?"

Though only a vague, translucent silhouette could be seen, the mockery in his tone was unmistakable.

Penelope sighed. "Don't be so childish, Sean. You're not a kid anymore."

Sean's old face reddened at the remark.

But since no one else could see him, he became even more shameless.

He crossed his arms and said, "Anyway, if Ethan wants to keep up with us, he has to cast the Disillusionment Charm himself."

"..."

Ethan silently watched the smug Sean.

True, his Disillusionment Charm was rather loose, and he had yet to master such an advanced spell.

But Ethan's paintings made up for that.