It wasn't just that Dumbledore didn't come.
There wasn't even the usual surprise of an owl delivering a letter.
Ian felt that his path to the magical world was far more convoluted than it should have been. Other newcomers had welcoming guides like the gentle Professor McGonagall or the friendly giant Hagrid—who, despite his naïveté, was easy to befriend. But why was Ian's guide the most unpopular professor at Hogwarts?
Yes.
Dressed in a sweeping black robe, wit...
The night was as dark as ink.
Soft moonlight filtered through the window, casting a gentle glow over the quiet bedroom. Ian's long eyelashes fluttered as his eyes slowly opened, revealing bright emerald-green irises that shimmered under the light.
From initial confusion to focused clarity, Ian instinctively turned his gaze toward the old-fashioned clock on the wall. As expected, the hands pointed at 12:07.
It had always been this way.
Every time he returned from th...
Ian felt an unavoidable tension as he faced the elegant and noblewoman before him.
Although he possessed the ability to enter the Ethereal Realm, he had only encountered two other individuals in this strange world.
This woman was the third.
This was the world of the dead.
Who knew what kind of identity or past she carried?
"Who are you?"
Ian subtly positioned himself, preparing to bolt at a moment's notice.
The woman arched an elegant brow at h...
Ever since Ian had received a personal invitation from Dumbledore to study magic at Hogwarts, the past half-month had felt particularly long and agonizing.
The anticipation should have been thrilling. Yet, after a chance encounter with a mysterious black-robed figure when he attempted to visit the Leaky Cauldron ahead of time, Ian had abandoned the idea entirely.
That experience had been enough to remind him of the hidden darkness lurking within the wizarding world.
For a...
Ding!
[Congratulations! You have acquired the Extraordinary Trait: "Butcher's Instinct."]
Ian froze, his grip tightening around the struggling chicken in his hands. An Extraordinary Trait? His heart skipped a beat.
Ever since he had arrived in this world, he had been aware of his potential for something more. He had gained insights, skills, and knowledge that far surpassed what a normal person could achieve, but this—this was something else entirely.
He quickly p...
The mist before his eyes faded away in layers, as if space itself was collapsing.
Ian's eyes snapped open.
Lying on the cramped little bed, he shifted uncomfortably. The silvery moonlight streaming in through the window bathed the room in a soft glow.
His gaze landed on the clock hanging on the wall.
The hands pointed at 12:07. The second hand kept ticking, marking the passage of time.
He had experienced such a vivid and surreal dream, yet in reality, only s...
Ian Prince.
That was his name in this life.
To be honest, he had no idea how long he had been in this world.
Unlike those who closed their eyes and found themselves in another world instantly, Ian's transition wasn't so straightforward. In his previous life, he had been a college student who died unexpectedly. However, instead of reincarnating immediately, he experienced a long period of drifting—a time of fragmented memories, where he seemed to be flying endlessly, wit...
Wool's Orphanage.
The corridor was dimly lit, its walls aged by time, yet still standing as a silent witness to the countless children who had passed through its halls.
Albus Dumbledore stood there, his piercing blue eyes scanning his surroundings. A flicker of nostalgia crossed his face—years had passed, yet little had changed.
"Mrs. Elena, I am here for Ian Prince."
Dumbledore followed the orphanage director into her office. His mere presence seemed to dispel t...
London.
The streets of London, already bleak on an ordinary day, seemed even more desolate under the heavy mist. Streetlights cast dim, hazy glows, their beams struggling against the suffocating grayness. On the side of a quieter street, a young boy was packing up his small stall, preparing to head home early.
He wore a black hat and a long black coat, the dark colors drawing attention to his face—high cheekbones, a sharp nose, and lips curved in an almost perpetual smirk. Whe...
As Penelope sighed in contemplation, the atmosphere on the second floor of the shop also grew somewhat strange.
The 100-square-foot area, originally used as storage space, had now been tidied up, clean and organized.
A long rectangular table, nearly twenty feet in length, was placed in the center, with twelve high-backed chairs on either side.
If a Hogwarts professor were present, they would recognize that the people seated here were once 'notable' students from the castl...
All matters seem to follow a principle: the ultimate compromise.
Whether it is a clash of ideologies, a dispute over interests, or even a physical confrontation, as long as it doesn't reach a life-or-death situation, compromise is the only path forward.
This principle applies equally in the magical world.
Faced with the unexpected appearance of a fourth champion, both Madam Maxime and Karkaroff chose to compromise and accept it.
In the end, the two headmasters even...
In the dimly lit room at the back of the hall.
Upon seeing Harry, Ino immediately offered comfort.
He had no other choice, as mentioned before, unlike in the original storyline where the Horcruxes were destroyed within a certain timeline, in this altered version, except for the diary, none of the other Horcruxes were destroyed until after Voldemort's resurrection.
In the Triwizard Tournament, Voldemort used Harry's blood to resurrect himself, breaking Lily's protective ch...
As the fourth piece of parchment appeared, Ino also found his answer.
All the previous details began to connect in his mind.
During the summer break, Voldemort's remaining two Horcruxes were collected; after the school year began, the new gamekeeper was Mad-Eye Moody; even Harry's progress in Occlumency…
All of these events seemed unrelated on the surface, but upon closer inspection, they appeared to be subtly connected.
Ino was now quite certain that last night'...
That day, after the last Herbology class in the afternoon, Ino followed the rest of the Slytherin students as they slowly exited the greenhouse.
Among his current courses, he felt that only Herbology and Potions offered new knowledge. The rest—whether it was Transfiguration, Charms, or even his elective Ancient Runes—seemed like a waste of time. However, regardless of his thoughts, a student's duty was to attend classes and learn. What might seem like boring school life now would o...
After leaving the sanctuary and returning to the dormitory, Ino also drew back the bed curtains.
He glanced at the clock—7:50 AM.
Unknowingly, he had spent almost an hour in the sanctuary's valley. He cast a quick look at Draco, who was still sound asleep, and then quietly left the dormitory.
Breakfast was served in the Hogwarts kitchen between 8:00 and 9:00 AM.
Although he held the authority of a deputy headmaster, Ino had no intention of overusing his power unl...
The next morning.
Under the influence of his powerful biological clock, Ino quietly opened his eyes, then disappeared entirely.
In the valley of the Sanctuary, the air was damp.
With every breath, there was always the scent of soil mixed in the air, likely because the Blue Lantern had just finished watering the plants.
After washing up in the house in the valley, Ino arrived at the path that had once been covered in snow and ice.
It had been a long time sinc...
The night had fallen, and the bright moonlight resembled a layer of soft and mysterious silver sand, gently draping over the earth.
At night, whether it was the Hogwarts castle, Beauxbatons' carriage, or Durmstrang's ship, all had fallen into silence.
Around, there was only the occasional hoot of owls and the whispers of the wind brushing through the leaves nearby; other than that, there was no sound.
...
The night remained deep.
Inside the Hogwarts castle, ...
Someone once said that everything in this world is relative.
Black and white, good and evil, even noise and tranquility—they are always in opposition but exist in a state of harmonious balance.
This is indeed the truth. Even in the noisy Great Hall, there are always a few places where peace prevails.
One such place is the Slytherin table.
When Viktor Krum sat down beside Ino, he was surprised to find that the group of people who had previously been chasing him fo...
Hogwarts, the Great Hall during the evening feast.
Filch was about to have his moment of glory.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the castle's caretaker carefully placed the box he was holding onto the table of the guest of honor. After a slight bow, he quietly left the scene.
"I know many of you are curious—curious about how the three champions will be chosen. But what I want to say is that the entire selection process will be conducted by the most impartial selecto...
In the Slytherin dormitory, Ino was lounging on a chair, casually eating candy while chatting with Hermione.
There wasn't anything particularly important being discussed, but the atmosphere of the conversation was pleasant.
As for the reason behind their chat, according to Hermione, it stemmed from the argument between Ron and Draco in the Great Hall.
However, Ino understood that even without that argument, there would have been some other excuse for them to talk.
...
"You want to bet? I'm all in!"
Looking around, Ron became more confident than ever as he noticed that he had almost become the center of attention in the Great Hall.
"Excellent! Very good! This is the kind of excellence that Scarhead talks about."
Draco subtly praised Ron again, and after a brief pause, he continued:
"Since you're so excellent, becoming Hogwarts' champion should be a piece of cake for you."
With just a few words, Draco had skillfully cornere...
Late September in the Scottish Highlands.
Due to the geographical location, by six o'clock in the evening, the sky had already begun to darken.
However, no matter how dim the sky became, it could never dampen the enthusiasm of the young wizards at Hogwarts.
It wasn't clear whether it was intentional or accidental, but Krum was always positioned in the front row of the crowd, only half a body length away from Karkaroff.
Amidst bursts of surprised cheers, Igor Karkar...
Everything changes; all things are in a constant state of flux.
Just as Draco was inquiring about the other two schools, a commotion arose from the crowd.
"Look at the sky..."
"What is it? A Pegasus?"
"Pegasus? That's a Beauxbatons Abraxan! You dunderhead, like a gnome..."
Amid the murmurs, more and more young wizards raised their heads.
In the distant sky, a black dot was rapidly approaching. Gradually, everyone could see a colossal figure weaving th...
The last weekend of September 1994.
At the top of the Astronomy Tower, it was close to noon when Ino skillfully said goodbye to Hermione.
Despite spending several hours chatting that morning, he didn't feel bored at all. In fact, he felt as if time had flown by.
---
That afternoon.
During lunch, the Great Hall was abuzz with excitement.
With the announcement having been posted, everyone knew that by 6 p.m. that evening, the students and staff of Beaux...
Atop the Astronomy Tower.
The potions that once filled the transfigured tea table had long disappeared, replaced by freshly baked flower cakes and honey water.
In truth, when Hermione had taken out a pile of potions earlier, Ino hadn't intended to accept them at first—after all, he never planned to participate in the Triwizard Tournament.
But seeing the hopeful look in the girl's eyes, he reluctantly took a few rare potions, such as Veritaserum and Skele-Gro.
He ...
Twenty minutes earlier…
After Draco left, Ino was about to use a cleaning spell to clear the dishes on the table when he was distracted by the sound of the drawer near his bed vibrating.
He picked up the two-way mirror, and that led him to his visit to the Astronomy Tower...
---
"Hermione!"
A soft voice broke the silence of the Astronomy Tower.
Hearing the call, Hermione turned around with delight, her face unable to hide the radiant smile that had ...
In the valley of the sanctuary.
Ino watched the food in front of him with interest—a plate of freshly baked flower cakes, freshly toasted bread, crispy biscuits, and a cup of honey water with a hint of olive fragrance.
Although the food looked delicate, it confirmed Blue Lantern's abilities—a small elf that abides by the rules of the magical world.
"I'm sorry, master, there aren't many ingredients available here, so I could only make these things," Blue Lantern said, ...
There was no doubt about it—this valley, filled with vibrant blooms, could always evoke a sense of hidden peace within people's hearts.
...
In the sanctuary, amidst the vast valley.
A small house, as white as marble, stood prominently. Right in front of the house, three lush oak trees, each ten feet tall, were planted.
Beneath the trees, a small stool was placed, and sitting on the stool was a young man who was continuously flipping through books.
"This is...
Sometimes, a change in the atmosphere of a conversation happens in just an instant.
Ino noticed that after he finished speaking, Dumbledore gradually fell into deep thought.
Faced with this contemplation, he didn't intend to break the silence.
…
A long while passed.
Dumbledore stood up once more and walked toward the cabinet where he stored his sweets, the only cabinet in the headmaster's office.
When he opened the cabinet, two objects slowly floate...
Hogwarts, Headmaster's Office.
On the sofa, Ino was still digesting the content he had seen in the Chamber of Secrets earlier.
It was simply too sudden—his name was recorded in the Book of Admittance, right after Dumbledore's.
Considering the ten or so renowned wizards whose names appeared on that list, its significance was already clear.
According to the original story, the headmastership of Hogwarts changed frequently in its final years.
From the ridicul...