"Sir, Bloody Baron"
Approaching the Slytherin common room, John lifted the Disillusionment Charm. Despite not being caught sneaking around, he was curious about what the Bloody Baron was doing there. Gazing into the night, the Bloody Baron's eyes were filled with thoughts.
"It's you, the Slytherin who sneaks out."
The Bloody Baron was a terrifying ghost, with hollow eyes, a gaunt face, and silver bloodstains on his robes. Peeves, who feared nothing, trembled at the mere mention of the Baron's name. John could tell the bloodstains symbolized a past event, but he had no intention of reopening old wounds.
It seemed the Bloody Baron knew someone was sneaking out but didn't know who. John nodded, and the Baron looked him up and down, his expression peculiar. After all, it was odd to see a wizard carrying a greatsword on his back.
"What do you do outside?" the Baron asked.
"Training. I think I need to work harder to be worthy of Slytherin."
Flattering words never hurt. John's answer made the Bloody Baron shake his head. "You're diligent, but you seem more like a..."
Gryffindor.
He didn't finish the sentence, but the implication was clear. The Bloody Baron had lived during the time of the four founders. In his quest for Rowena Ravenclaw's daughter, Helena Ravenclaw, he had killed her and then, overcome with grief, ended his own life.
He had met Godric Gryffindor, who was passionate about swordsmanship and battle, commissioning the goblins to forge a silver sword. The goblins' greed for the perfect sword led to a conflict with Gryffindor, but none dared to reclaim the sword from Hogwarts.
John, with his greatsword, resembled a young Godric Gryffindor more than Salazar Slytherin.
By Merlin's beard, perhaps the Sorting Hat had made a mistake, placing Gryffindor's replica in Slytherin.
"I'm here to warn you that the night holds dangers. Be cautious."
Drawing back from his thoughts, the Bloody Baron, who rarely spoke much, had warned John. John thought of Quirrell. According to the Marauder's Map, Quirrell often left Hogwarts. The Bloody Baron, being the most unique of the house ghosts with his ability to turn invisible, might have discovered something.
"I understand, Sir Baron. I'll be careful."
Appreciating the ghost's warning, John hurried back to his room, eager to pull out the Marauder's Map.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good!"
The map revealed Hogwarts, showing the professors like Snape who were patrolling, and Quirrell's name.
Quirrell's name bypassed patrolling professors and Filch, heading out of the Hogwarts castle.
"Where is he going?"
John couldn't fathom why Quirrell would leave the castle in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, the map only displayed the Hogwarts grounds, so it didn't show locations like the Forbidden Forest.
"Could he be going to the Forbidden Forest?"
After some thought, John concluded that if Quirrell hadn't left Hogwarts altogether, he must be heading to the Forbidden Forest. The forest was home to many magical creatures, including werewolves and centaurs, and even housed pure unicorns.
"The Bloody Baron mentioned it was dangerous. Was he referring to Voldemort?"
The thought of Voldemort heightened John's sense of danger. Although the second Dark Lord didn't have the same influence as the first, Voldemort had no limits. He would perform the Killing Curse on a baby without feeling an ounce of shame. If Voldemort had the same nobility as the first Dark Lord, John wouldn't feel so threatened at Hogwarts.
"No, I must strengthen myself further!"
John covered Tom's eyes with the Fat Lady's portrait, unwilling to place his hopes on uncertain prophecies. Who knew if the prophecies were even true? Besides, it wasn't unheard of for people to die at Hogwarts.
...
October 31, Charms class.
The sweet smell of roasted pumpkins filled the hallways. In class, students paired up to listen to Professor Flitwick's instructions on the Levitation Charm. John could clearly see Goyle and Crabbe swallowing hard, while he was paired with Malfoy, his nemesis. This made Malfoy constantly tense, as if he feared John might suddenly stab his wand into his eye.
Professor Flitwick stood on a makeshift height-boosting chair made of stacked books, his high-pitched voice giving pointers to the students.
"Now, don't forget the nice wrist movement we've been practicing!"
"A swish and flick, remember, a swish and flick, and enunciate the spell correctly. Don't forget about the wizard Baruffio..."
As the head of Ravenclaw and the Charms professor, Flitwick was undoubtedly excellent. He would break down a spell into tiny pieces and feed it to the students bit by bit, a truly good teacher. It was rumored that in his younger days, Professor Flitwick had even won the dueling championship, proving his skills.
After Professor Flitwick finished his instructions, the students began practicing.
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
Malfoy's wand was practically poking John's face, yet the feather on the table remained unmoved. John was exasperated.
He patiently and quietly reassured Malfoy, "Malfoy, if you poke my hand again, I'll stick my wand in your ear."
The threat made Malfoy freeze, but his pureblood pride wouldn't let him back down to a Muggle-born. Defiantly, he said, "If you think you're so great, then you do it."
"Sorry, I really can."
John shrugged, elegantly pulled out his wand, and aimed it at the feather on the table. With a swish and a flick, he cast, "Wingardium Leviosa."
Under everyone's watchful eyes, the feather floated into the air. Guided by John's wand, it drifted toward Professor Flitwick, landing gently and precisely in his hand.
"Wonderful!"
Flitwick clapped his hands in excitement, his voice growing even higher. "Look at Mr. Wick's elegant and perfect execution! Ten points to Slytherin!"
From Gryffindor's side, Hermione, who had already practiced and perfected the Levitation Charm, was confident she could perform it successfully. However, paired with Ron, she was frustrated by his wild waving. Just as she was about to cast the spell correctly, John beat her to it.
Seeing John's precise control over the feather made Hermione feel downcast. Her emotions had a perfect outlet: Ron. Under her increasingly frustrated teaching, Ron's mood soured.
After class, the crowded hallway was bustling. Ron complained to Harry, "No wonder nobody can stand her, she's a nightmare."
Hermione heard this, feeling even more hurt. She was only trying to help Ron but ended up being unappreciated. Heartbroken, she didn't wait for John and wanted to find a place to cry.
As she weaved through the crowd, she bumped into Harry. Noticing her tears, and having recently changed his opinion about her, Harry felt Ron's words were harsh.
"I think she heard you," Harry said.
Ron saw Hermione's hurt expression and, though his pride made him stubborn, he mumbled, "So what if she did? She must've noticed no one likes her."
"Ron, you shouldn't have said that," Harry said earnestly.
With his best friend calling him out, Ron reluctantly muttered, "Alright, she does have a friend. John is her friend."