The Secret of Hufflepuff

The applause in Hogwarts' Great Hall had yet to subside when Dumbledore finished the introduction. The new Alchemy professor's name sparked whispers among the students.

At the Hufflepuff table, a blonde girl spoke first. "Susan, your surname is Bones. Is he your relative?"

Susan Bones looked up and nodded with a slightly nervous smile. "Yes, Lin An Alvin Bones is my cousin."

"Then you must know him well, right?" a classmate beside her pressed.

"Not really." Susan thought for a moment. "But when I was little, he treated me very well—he bought me sweets and toys. But whenever magic training came up, he became very strict."

Several students exchanged glances, their faces full of curiosity.

Susan continued, "I remember when I was four, he had me drink a strange potion. My magic suddenly erupted, and everything in the room flew into the air. Only later did I learn that it was a 'Magic Riot Room' he had designed specifically for me."

"A Magic Riot Room?" one student asked in surprise.

"Yes." Susan nodded. "My cousin said every wizard has a Magic Core inside them. If magic could be continuously depleted and restored during childhood, their control would become much stronger in the future. He wanted me to master my magic from an early age instead of being ruled by my emotions."

The Hufflepuff students listened, utterly absorbed. That method of training seemed almost cruel to ordinary people—but it was also why Susan's control over magic was astonishingly precise.

"Later, he left Britain to travel," Susan said softly. "He only sent letters and gifts at Christmas and on my birthday."

She paused, a smile curling across her lips. "When I was eight, he sent me a magic book he had written himself, along with a wand."

"A wand?" her classmates cried out.

"That book was an Alchemy Creation," Susan said quietly. "It carried a Memory Charm. Whenever I learned a spell, I would enter my cousin's memories, watch him practice it, and feel the details of how magic flowed."

At that, astonished exclamations broke out all around her.

Susan smiled proudly. "It doesn't affect your will. It only shares experience. Aunt Amelia supervised me for two hours of practice every day without interruption."

Those three years of training were precisely why Susan had been able to cast basic spells steadily before she even enrolled.

It was not until the day she boarded the train that she discovered in surprise—hardly any of her peers understood magic at all.

His golden robes shimmered beneath the candlelight, his expression calm.

"Students," his voice was low and steady, "some of you may have heard my name, while others may never have seen me. I am Lin An Alvin Bones, and I will be responsible for Alchemy."

The Great Hall immediately fell silent.

"Alchemy is an elective course, in principle limited to students in their third year or above."

"My course will not appear in the O.W.L. or N.E.W.T. examinations—but what I teach will be an art capable of changing Fate."

He smiled faintly. "Now, let me give a small demonstration."

His gaze swept across the crowd before finally stopping at the Ravenclaw table.

"Young lady wearing the eagle-shaped badge, please come here."

The girl who had been called froze for a moment, then rose and walked out from the crowd.

"I—I'm Penelope Clearwater."

"A beautiful name." Lin An gave a slight nod. "May I borrow your badge?"

The girl handed over the blue-and-silver brooch.

Lin An brought his hands together and chanted softly. An ancient, complex incantation flowed through the air, and pale green light flashed in his palms.

Several minutes later, he returned the badge.

"Please put it on."

Penelope did as he said.

The next second, her body became as light as a feather, and her feet left the ground.

Gasps rang through the Great Hall.

The girl floated in midair, then spun gracefully through the air, looking every bit like a ghost flying free. She flew faster and faster, her skirts sweeping past the candle flames as her laughter rang clear.

The students all rose to their feet, their eyes filled with shock and envy.

Even the teachers' table broke into quiet discussion.

Dumbledore stared at the badge, rare surprise flashing in his eyes.

—Wandless casting, forged on the spot, a short incantation granting the property of flight.

Even he could not use Alchemy to complete temporary enchantment of such complexity.

The only one who might possess such ability was perhaps Nicolas Flamel.

Five minutes later, the badge's glow gradually faded, and Penelope landed steadily on the ground.

With a light wave of Lin An's hand, a cushioning spell took effect, and the girl returned to her seat without a scratch.

The Great Hall erupted into applause once more.

The students burst into excited discussion:

"This is real Alchemy!"

"It's even cooler than Quidditch!"

"If only we could learn that kind of spell—"

Yet Lin An remained calm, showing no hint of pride.

He lowered his head slightly, his tone even. "The essence of Alchemy is not miracles, but order.

Every miracle is built upon laws that can be repeated."

As his words fell, the entire hall went silent.

Dumbledore revealed a meaningful smile.

Professor McGonagall turned her head and said softly, "He is more dangerous than the students imagine."

Snape did not respond. He merely watched the new professor coldly.

Lin An turned and returned to his seat.

A fleeting thought crossed his mind—

"Odin bestowed the eternal enchantment of Mjolnir with only a few words, yet I still need several minutes just to make a badge float for five minutes."

"The road ahead is long."

His gaze fell upon the night beyond the windows.

Moonlight refracted through the glass onto his fingers, cold and sharp.

The demonstration was over.

The applause faded, yet an indescribable tremor still lingered in the air.