John found himself deep in thought upon entering the Room of Requirement once more. The idea of creating a secret chamber crossed his mind. He reflected on the founders of Hogwarts, each having their own secret room. If he were to establish the Qunxing Club, wouldn't it require a special place of its own? Given his proficiency in alchemy, enhancing the room with advanced runes to create a secret chamber seemed well within his capabilities.
As of now, the Stars Club had only two official members, excluding those not currently at the school: Fu Rong and Heinrich. John had already identified three potential candidates for membership: Percy from Gryffindor, Malfoy from Slytherin, and Neville Longbottom. Percy, a seeker of glory and academic excellence with twelve certificates to his name, was seen as a key to John's future interactions with the Ministry of Magic. Malfoy, despite his less-than-stellar reputation, was a pureblood from one of the 28 Sacred Families, offering valuable connections and leverage against Voldemort in the future. Neville, destined to be one of the few able to wield the Sword of Gryffindor alongside Dumbledore, also had a high potential for greatness.
John also considered Daphne and Hermione, though he doubted Hermione would leave Harry's side, given her loyalty and the influence of Dumbledore on the trio. Cedric Diggory was another possibility, admired among the Hufflepuffs for his strength and popularity, though John had yet to establish a strong connection with him.
After deliberating on the potential members, John decided to focus on constructing the secret chamber before extending any invitations. He left the Room of Requirement, determined to gather the necessary materials for the chamber, aiming for a standard befitting the Stars Club's ambitions.
John sought Hagrid's assistance in acquiring mostly wooden materials, to which Hagrid heartily agreed, though he seemed eager for John to leave, casting a curious glance at Fang as he departed. John found Hagrid's behavior odd, especially considering his usual companionship with Fang.
In the days that followed, John's whereabouts often remained a mystery, even to Malfoy. Meanwhile, Professor Lupin's exceptional teaching skills greatly improved the Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, filling the gap left by previous years.
As Halloween approached, the castle buzzed with excitement, seemingly unaffected by the threat of Sirius Black at large. The dementors outside, however, were drawn to the joy emanating from Hogwarts, becoming increasingly agitated.
In the Gryffindor common room, a dispute erupted when Hermione's cat, Crookshanks, attacked Ron's rat, Scabbers, leading to a heated argument between Ron and Hermione. Harry found himself caught in the middle, unsure of what to say.
The Quidditch pitch remained a hub of activity, with Oliver Wood cautioning Harry about Cedric Diggory's prowess. Harry, however, was preoccupied with his friends' quarrel.
The next day, Lavender Brown was distraught over the death of her rabbit, which coincidentally occurred on October 10th, the date John had ominously predicted in a Divination class. This revelation left the students bewildered, pondering the accuracy of John's prediction and its implications. A shiver of horror ran down everyone's spines as they contemplated the implications of John's successful prophecies. John had entered a prophetic state twice during Divination class: once when he spoke of the full moon and another time on October 10th. With one prophecy already proven true, the question loomed—would the other also come to pass?
"Those who are ignorant of the truth will suffer broken lower legs, and those who defy the taboo will be engulfed by the black tide," Ernie recited the prophecy with a grave expression. "I believe this could be about Harry Potter."
Hannah Abbott, puzzled, inquired, "Why Harry Potter?"
Ernie explained as if it were obvious, "Haven't you noticed? Whenever something bad happens, Harry always seems to be involved. It's as if he's a magnet for disaster."
Even Seamus nodded in agreement, which only served to distress Harry further. The notion of being a 'disaster magnet' was unsettling.
Hermione's face fell. She might have dismissed Professor Trelawney's predictions as mere coincidences, but coming from a friend, the prophecy seemed all too credible. Attempting to offer some comfort to Lavender Brown, she said, "These are just coincidences, right? I mean, you've always been worried about your rabbit being caught by a fox, haven't you?"
The mention of the rabbit made Lavender want to burst into tears. Shaking her head, she replied, "No, I'm just scared it will die."
Hermione, perplexed, asked, "Is the rabbit very old?"
"No, it's a baby bunny," Lavender responded.
Hermione was at a loss for words. The fear for a baby bunny's life seemed to inadvertently confirm the ominous nature of John's prophecy. Even Harry began to wonder if the prophecy was about him, especially after his own foreboding encounter with a black dog.
While Gryffindor House was engulfed in anxiety, Slytherin House seemed to revel in the situation. The allure of Hogsmeade was undeniable, especially for young wizards from magical families. This was the third time Malfoy had regaled John with the romantic tale of his parents in Hogsmeade, much to John's chagrin.
As class ended, Professor Snape announced that permission slips for the Hogsmeade trip needed to be submitted before Halloween. Daphne approached John, her earlier anger forgotten, and asked with genuine curiosity, "John, are you planning to go to Hogsmeade?"
"I should be," John replied.
Noticing a younger girl beside Daphne, John inquired, "And who might this be?"
Daphne introduced her with pride, "This is my sister, Astoria, a first-year in Slytherin who just enrolled this year."
Astoria, in her Slytherin uniform, bore a striking resemblance to her sister Daphne, with blond hair and a more demure demeanor. She looked at John with curiosity and said, "You're John Wick, aren't you? My sister talks about you a lot."
Daphne, caught off guard and blushing, quickly silenced Astoria before she could say more and hurried her away, fearing further revelations.
John shook his head, amused by the encounter. He knew he needed to accelerate the construction of the secret room.
Malfoy approached, curiosity evident in his expression. "Who was that girl just now?" he asked.
John, seeing Malfoy's interest, replied nonchalantly, "Daphne's sister. And by the way, give me back my badge."
Malfoy, clutching the badge to his chest with a hint of regret, lamented, "I only took a quick look. Had I known, I wouldn't have risked losing my badge over it."
John gave him a dismissive look. "I'm just making sure you don't lose it in Hogsmeade. Let me keep it safe for now."
"Okay," Malfoy agreed, though still skeptical. John took the badge, planning to enhance it with a new feature to access the Star Society, effectively upgrading the system.
Heinrich arrived, signaling the next phase of their adventure. With an unsightly scab marring his otherwise pale and handsome face, Heinrich looked a sight. "You fought the twins again?" John inquired, his gaze fixed on the blemish. Raising his hand, he brushed it lightly over the scab. The ugly mark gradually shrank and eventually vanished altogether. A fleeting sensation of coldness passed over Heinrich's face, replaced quickly by a look of surprise. His voice, grim and resolute, carried a promise of retribution. "Sooner or later, I will make them suffer a thousandfold for what they've done."
John raised his eyebrows at the intensity of Heinrich's hatred. It was clear that the twins had made a formidable enemy, and they would be wise to seek divine protection. The depth of Heinrich's animosity suggested that this feud was far from over, and the consequences could be dire for those involved.
_________
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