The Plan: The Truth Behind the Nickname

After Scott left the sight of Potter and his two friends, he immediately fished a small piece of ebony from the Moke Skin Pouch at his waist.

He once again drew his wand and cast a Transfiguration spell on the ebony, turning the block of wood into a carving.

Next came the inscription of a simple magical circuit; once the circuit was carved, he waved his wand again, and the wooden carving gradually came to life, transforming into a pitch-black raven.

The raven shook its feathers, hopped on Scott's palm, spread its wings, and flew off to scout the path ahead for him.

Scott held his wand directly in his hand, following far behind the raven.

A basilisk, an extremely dangerous magical creature.

Any creature that makes direct eye contact with a basilisk will die instantly, and even an indirect glance will result in petrification.

And the basilisk left behind in the Chamber of Secrets by Salazar Slytherin had survived for a thousand years.

Scott recalled the information on basilisks, but he could never quite remember the state of the basilisk at this point in time—was it only traveling through the pipes, or could it crawl out of them at any moment?

Perhaps the "original work" itself never described it directly, or perhaps he had simply forgotten. But there was no doubt that the monster had already been awakened.

Scott guessed that the thousand-year-old basilisk likely spent most of its time in a dormant state, only being awakened after the diary, a Horcrux, arrived at Hogwarts.

His reasoning for this was that Potter had never heard any "strange voices" during the previous school year.

Scott walked briskly through the castle.

The raven flew ahead of him at all times; if they encountered other students, the raven would fly back and land on his shoulder, disguising itself as a pet.

Although he remembered that in the "original work," the basilisk only began attacking students in the castle after Halloween.

But Scott felt that if he relied too heavily on the so-called "original" plot, he would very likely get himself killed.

Of course, if he remained cautious, he could basically avoid running into the basilisk at a corner by utilizing his Transfiguration creations and his perception of magic.

Meanwhile, Scott began to think about the plan he had previously formulated regarding the "Chamber of Secrets incident."

Because of the gaps in his memory, the plan he had considered perfect actually had prerequisites.

He had originally planned to take action only after Filch's cat was petrified on Halloween and the message from the "Heir of Slytherin" appeared.

At this point in time, Scott had no good way to respond without wanting to stand out too much.

As of now, there was no sign of the "Chamber of Secrets incident," only that Potter had heard some "strange voices." It was impossible for Scott to jump out and do something under these circumstances, or to tell others without any evidence that a basilisk was lurking in the castle.

Moreover, Scott was unwilling to abandon his original plan.

Then there was only one choice left.

He had to wait for the right moment while ensuring his own safety.

If the upcoming "plot" remained unchanged, he would resolve this annoying trouble in one fell swoop after Halloween.

After thinking it through, Scott arrived at the library smoothly and had the raven perch on a windowsill nearby.

However, just as he found the latest issue of an academic journal and prepared to read, Jacob suddenly found him.

Scott glanced at the librarian, Madam Pince, and whispered, "It seems you have completed my commission?"

"That's right." Jacob also lowered his voice, "I've found out how that nickname you hate came to be."

Scott smiled slightly, "Very good, your efficiency is high. Now..."

As he spoke, he noticed Madam Pince staring at them with an unfriendly look.

This Hogwarts librarian was extremely sensitive to every little movement in the library.

"Let's go outside to talk."

Scott stopped mid-sentence, stood up, put the magazine back on the shelf, and signaled for Jacob to follow him out of the library.

"Let's go for a walk."

Because of the existence of the basilisk, Scott did not want to wander around the castle right now.

He drew his wand and waved it gently, and the raven perched on the nearby windowsill took flight once again.

"Is this your pet?"

Jacob looked curiously at the black bird leading the way ahead.

"You could say that."

Scott smiled without offering further explanation.

After leaving the castle, the two walked all the way to the courtyard.

Seeing that there were no other students nearby, Scott stopped and said to Jacob, "Right here will do, tell me the results of your investigation."

"Alright."

Jacob nodded, but then a strange smile appeared on his face.

"You'll never guess, Scott." He seemed to be struggling to keep from laughing, "The reason for this is completely different from what you thought."

Looking at Jacob's expression, Scott frowned.

"What do you mean?" He suddenly felt that perhaps investigating this matter hadn't been a good idea, so he asked with a hint of annoyance.

Jacob seemed much more lively than usual, and he said in a somewhat exaggerated tone, "Oh! I can only say that everyone's understanding of language is different. The person who gave you the nickname originally intended to praise you, but you interpreted it as an insult."

"A compliment?" Scott raised his eyebrows high, asking in bewilderment, "Complimenting me by calling me a dog?"

Jacob nodded affirmatively and explained, "Honestly, I don't think it's a big deal. Even the four houses of Hogwarts have their own representative animals."

"..."

Scott suddenly felt that this might have been a misunderstanding.

His perception was still branded by his past life, leading him to take it for granted that being called a dog was an insult.

But as it turned out... the other party didn't think that way at all?

Of course, he could tell that this kid Jacob wasn't lying to him. Besides, there was no need to lie about a fact that was so easily debunked.

Seeing that Jacob wanted to continue, he raised his hand to stop him, "Stop, don't tell me who came up with this nickname."

"...Are you sure?" Jacob asked in an uncertain tone, "Maybe you should want to know? That nickname came from a girl who admires you."

"I don't want to know who it is." Scott felt conflicted.

Jacob shrugged his shoulders, "Fine, but please rest assured, I have already made it clear to her that you find this nickname extremely detestable."

"That's good." Scott didn't want to discuss this topic any further.

Jacob asked again, "Then, what about my reward?"

Scott said helplessly, "Although it doesn't feel like a great deal, I won't go back on a trade we've already agreed upon."

"Thank you." Jacob smiled sincerely.

Looking at his expression, Scott felt stifled for once.

However, just as he had said himself, he had no intention of going back on his word.

"Three sessions of Transfiguration tutoring, right? Fine, just let me know when you need them."

After Scott said this, Jacob left, looking satisfied.

Scott no longer had the mood to continue reading in the library, so he chose to return to Ravenclaw Tower.

Seeking recommendation votes.