Hogwarts: Starting as a Card Maker from a Failed Art Student

Chapter 108: Who exactly is the villain?

Chapter 109 Who exactly is the villain? (Fourth update complete)

"Hmm... what's wrong?"

Ron rolled over and asked groggily.

Harry swallowed hard, his voice hoarse. "I dreamt... I dreamt about that night, Voldemort..."

Upon hearing this unspeakable name, Ron instantly sobered up.

"You...you dreamed about it?"

Ron sat up and asked nervously in a low voice.

Harry nodded heavily.

He then hissed and pressed his hand against the throbbing scar.

Since arriving at Hogwarts, his scars hadn't hurt this much in a long time.

The last time was at the opening ceremony, when I made eye contact with Professor Snape.

On Christmas Day, the Mirror of Erised did indeed show him his deceased family members, and almost made him addicted to it.

But with the portrait Ethan had given him first, Harry quickly came to his senses, only feeling a stinging pain in his face.

-

This is definitely not a good thing!

That's what Harry thought at the time.

He carefully turned the magic mirror around so that it faced the wall to reflect on its mistakes, lest it inadvertently lure the next person who might wander in.

After doing all that, Harry went back to his dormitory to sleep and drifted off to sleep.

I just don't know why.

The next day, when Headmaster Dumbledore came to see him, he seemed hesitant to speak.

The Forbidden Forest trip didn't leave Harry with any bad memories—

Although that crazed mother dragon was indeed quite frightening.

However, afterward, when he and Ron discussed it, they both felt that it couldn't have been more exciting!

That's awesome!

The Weasley twins are genuinely jealous.

Even Hagrid sent him a letter to tell them that the injured unicorn had been healed!

Everything about Hogwarts is so wonderful.

Under Ethan's aura of Khorne, who would care about a mere savior?

Harry ate and drank well every day, learned amazing magic, and grew taller, and his cheeks were no longer sunken.

But now.

The sudden nightmare and excruciating pain jolted Harry awake.

Gringotts theft, Halloween trolls, Nicolas Flamel, Cerberus, dragon eggs...

Ethan also mentioned that Dumbledore wasn't at school today.

A flash of inspiration struck.

All the clues were connected.

Harry's face turned deathly pale.

"W-what's wrong, buddy?" Ron stammered, his heart pounding.

Harry whirled around, his voice urgent, "Don't you find it strange? Why would Hagrid want a dragon egg, and then a stranger just happens to have one in his pocket?"

"How many people would carry around dragon eggs all day long? That's against wizarding laws!"

Ron's eyes widened, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he said dryly, "So-so—"

"So! Hagrid has very likely already leaked the information about using Fulve Cerberus!!"

"Hiss—"

Ron gasped.

"You mean—" Harry said confidently, "That's right! Tonight, Snape is going to steal the Philosopher's Stone while Headmaster Dumbledore is away!"

"And Ethan is very likely there too! He might be being threatened by Snape!"

"Ethan is in danger!!"

Ron: "Huh—huh?"

Who is being threatened by whom?

Who is in danger?

Ron suddenly fell silent.

My heart suddenly went back to my stomach.

Meeting Harry's eager gaze, he thrashed back onto the bed, rolled over, and muttered:

"I thought something was wrong, so I went to sleep."

Ethan is in danger; he hasn't eaten chicken legs for a month.

Harry immediately panicked.

He rolled out of bed, gave his good brother a hard elbow, and whispered:

"You don't understand! Not only Snape, but Voldemort may very well be behind Snape!"

"My dream just now foreshadowed this!"

"We..." Harry said through gritted teeth, "We have to go save Ethan!"

A moment later.

Three pairs of feet appeared in front of the portrait of the fat lady.

It has no body.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione, whom they bumped into as soon as they left their dorm, all huddled together under the Invisibility Cloak.

"If Filch suddenly appeared, he would definitely think Hogwarts was haunted."

"Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

The three stumbled and fell as they ran to the fourth-floor restricted area, where they cautiously entered the three-headed dog's room.

To my astonishment, I saw a harp standing there.

The gentle playing put Lu Wei into a deep sleep.

Harry: "See! I told you! Snape must have already broken in!"

"Ethan has helped us so much; we have to save him now!"

Dumbledore isn't here, the professor certainly won't believe them, and there's no time to lose.

Although I don't know what use a first-year wizard like myself can be.

But Ron and Hermione nodded firmly.

After overcoming numerous challenges with courage and wisdom.

Ron is defeated in the giant wizard chess game, while Hermione goes back to find the professor and Dumbledore.

Finally, Harry stood alone in front of the painted door.

The scar started to ache terribly.

Harry could sense that Voldemort was behind that door.

The eerie, dark murals of an ancient city on one entire wall pressed down on him like a mountain, making it hard for Harry to breathe.

There is great danger ahead.

"call--"

Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Then, she suddenly opened her beautiful and sparkling emerald green eyes and pushed the painted door without hesitation!

Unexpectedly.

The door opened smoothly.

Harry even fell forward and knelt down because of the excessive force.

It was as if someone had opened it from the inside beforehand, making things convenient for him.

It was as if the door had never intended to stop him at all. Harry's breath hitched, and for a moment he felt a sense of weightlessness.

The lights poured out, and he squinted, held his breath, and looked ahead with tension and vigilance.

What came into view was not a scene of Snape threatening Ethan, or Snape torturing Ethan.

Instead, it's Ethan, the one who beats a humanoid creature to its knees.

With a warm smile on his face, he was squatting on the ground showing his painting to the "humanoid creature".

Harry: "...?"

Harry stared wide-eyed, mouth agape, dumbfounded at the scene.

What happened?

What exactly is going on?

What is that human-shaped charred corpse? Did Ethan finally kill someone?

"Ah! Harry, you've finally come!"

Ethan looked up and stared in surprise at Harry, who looked completely bewildered.

He stood up abruptly and took two steps in three strides to Harry.

A perpetual smile played on his lips, and his cobalt blue eyes, like those of a predatory eagle, stared intently at him.

He slowly opened his mouth:

"I need the Philosopher's Stone, Harry."

He held the magic wand firmly in his hand.

"what?"

Harry stared blankly at Ethan, who was standing right next to him.

Instinctively, I stepped back, reaching behind me to touch a cold wall.

The door we came through is gone.

"I'm very pleased that you grasped the hint I gave you—the hint that Dumbledore wasn't there!"

"This shows that you and I are on the same wavelength—well, maybe the faint light in your head also played a part."

Ethan spread his arms and spun around in place, his joy evident.

Just like a performer who has painstakingly and perfectly completed a grand performance.

A hint of madness, usually hidden beneath that icy, composed exterior, has surfaced.

Ethan: "I didn't want to trouble you, but I can't afford it myself."

"And what I saw in the Mirror of Erised wasn't the Philosopher's Stone at all, but—"

Ethan turned around and raised his arms.

"It's a scene where I (through art) reign supreme over the world."

"The Philosopher's Stone can help me take another step towards this goal."

???

Harry: (○)

Even Voldemort and Quirrell, who were lying on the ground, were dumbfounded.

There wasn't even a sob left; they listened in complete silence.

In deathly silence.

Ethan raised his wand and tapped Harry's forehead affectionately, on his lightning bolt-shaped scar.

Tilting his head, he smiled and said:

"So—go and get me the Philosopher's Stone, my dear friend, Mr. Harry Potter."