The two of them soon arrived at the entrance to the Slytherin common room. Edward yawned and said, "You head back and rest first—I still need to find Professor Trelawney."
"Professor Trelawney? Who's that?"
"She teaches Divination here at Hogwarts. Now that I've advanced to Astrologer, I've been wondering how to play the role properly. Thought I'd ask her for advice."
Edward, of course, knew that Sybill Trelawney's predictions were mostly made-up nonsense. But that didn't mean she knew nothing at all about divination—being a descendant of the renowned seer Cassandra Trelawney, even if she hadn't inherited the actual ability, she should at least know the basic process and knowledge involved in divination.
———
Half an hour later.
Edward stared speechlessly at the madwoman in front of him, who was downing drink after drink while attempting to teach him how to divine from tea leaves.
He had overestimated this Divination professor. Those bottles of fine liquor he'd brought from the Mysteries World were a complete waste.
"Observe the tea leaves closely, picture what they resemble, then compare it to the astral signs in your mind. Finally, Unfog the Future—and you'll be able to predict your fate."
"Apologies…I forgot to put tea leaves in that cup."
Trelawney blinked blankly for a second before quickly trying to recover, "But of course! Of course! That's because I already foresaw your future. I was showing you that through this method."
She waved her hands dramatically and warned, "Your future is like an unfathomable black hole, filled with horror and peril at every turn! No one can save you—no one! You can only rely on yourself!"
"And what exactly are those dangers supposed to be?"
"Hmm, Dark wizards? The Dark Lord? You know this world is always full of dangers."
Edward sighed.
"All right then. Thank you, Professor Trelawney. I have some other matters to attend to—I'll be going."
"Wait, wait! I still have other divination methods to teach—like the Shadow of Leaves Method, Shattered Glass Method, and the Great Art of Astrology! Just give me two more bottles—no, one bottle of that wine, and I'll teach you everything!"
She chased him out of the classroom, but Edward had already slipped away.
———
Dinner Time.
Edward was tearing pieces of roast chicken to feed Lilith when Cedric came running over excitedly with a tray of food.
"Dude, I heard you're back. That's awesome! How was America?"
Edward blinked in surprise. So to outsiders, the story was that they'd gone on an exchange to Ilvermorny?
He shrugged and replied, "Uh…strong, free, democratic, great—land of the free, gunfire every day…"
"Did you meet that famous Hufflepuff alumnus—Newt Scamander? He's my idol."
"Unfortunately not. That gentleman is devoted to protecting magical creatures—not exactly easy to meet."
"That's a shame. You don't know how rough it's been around here lately. That Professor Umbridge… she's just—"
He stabbed his steak with more force than necessary.
Edward frowned.
"Did she punish you?"
"Not exactly—not yet, at least. But her classes are long, dull, and terrible. If anyone dares voice a differing opinion, she takes points. Some even get sent to scrub toilets after class."
Was it because Dumbledore was still around, so she hadn't gotten as bold as in Order of the Phoenix?
Cedric suddenly leaned in and lowered his voice seriously, "I've got a personal question to ask you."
Edward raised a glass of juice.
"Go ahead."
"You and…"
He glanced over toward the Slytherin table and raised an eyebrow.
"Miss Audrey Hall—are you two…dating?"
Cough, choke, Cough.
Edward coughed hard and stared in disbelief.
"That's what you were being all mysterious and serious about?"
"What's wrong with that?"
"We're not dating."
As someone who'd never been in a relationship in either of his two lives, Edward had long harbored thoughts about Audrey, but had no idea what to do. Afraid of messing things up with some stupid move, he decided it was best to just stay friends and hope something might naturally develop over time.
Cedric looked a little disappointed. He glanced briefly toward the Ravenclaw table, then lowered his head and muttered, "That's…kind of a shame."
A sly smile crept onto Edward's face as he crossed his arms.
"Ohhh~ So the pride of Hufflepuff—Mr. Cedric Diggory—came all the way here to gossip about my love life for an ulterior motive, huh?"
Cedric blinked innocently.
"What ulterior motive?"
"Hmmm…her name's Cho Chang, right? Yep, she is quite pretty. I remember her being a bit of a silly girl last year, but over the summer—what a transformation. Tsk, I definitely need to get to know her."
Smack!
Cedric grabbed his wrist, face full of desperation.
"Okay, okay! I admit it…I just wanted to ask for advice—how do you pursue a girl?"
"You've come to the right guy!"
His mind instantly flashed back to all those romantic advice videos he'd binge-watched in his past life.
Edward began counting off on his fingers: "First step—understand her likes and dislikes. Knowing her interests helps you find common ground, and understanding her turn-offs helps you avoid mistakes. That way, you're in control during conversations."
"Second step—showcase your personal charm. A great girl won't lack admirers, so why should she choose you? You need to stand out, let her notice you."
"Third step—for an Oriental girl, modesty is in her bones. Being too direct might scare or upset her. You can get close by getting to know her friends first. Also, some Oriental culture believes in fate, so you can manufacture a few 'coincidences' to hint at destiny bringing you together."
Cedric's expression shifted from initial skepticism to growing seriousness, and by the end, he was nodding repeatedly.
"Lastly, if you're just looking for a bit of fun, then whatever. But if you're thinking about a longer future with her, you have to consider how to give her a happy, comfortable life. In other words—you've gotta know how to make money."
Cedric blinked at that, puzzled.
"Uh…I'm only fourteen. Isn't it a bit early to be thinking about this?"
"It's not too early. That's called a man's sense of responsibility! Or…wait, don't tell me—you still think of yourself as just a little boy?"
"Of course not!"
He instinctively straightened his back.
"It's just, I've never really thought about money before…Maybe I could follow in my dad's footsteps and work at the Ministry of Magic…or maybe become a Quidditch player? What about you—have you thought about how to make money?"
Edward waved dismissively.
"I don't need to think about that."
"Why not?"
He glanced toward Audrey in the distance and smiled.
"Her family's filthy rich. She's not gonna care about what I bring to the table."
"…"
Cedric was silent for a moment.
Then, without a word, he raised a middle finger.
———
On the way back to the dormitory, the Weasley twins stopped Edward to greet him. As they bombarded him with questions about his time in America, they also eagerly shared some of Hogwarts' latest happenings—including a certain prank they were planning to pull on Umbridge.
But to Edward's surprise, what they considered the funniest thing to happen lately…was Ron's rat, Scabbers, going missing. Ron had been depressed for days, until the twins convinced him that it must've been eaten by Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris. Ron, fueled by righteous grief, actually used one of their prank gadgets in an attempt at revenge.
The result?
A week's worth of toilet scrubbing.
"You guys really know how to treat your little brother, huh?"
One of the twins burst out laughing.
"Hey, at least it was the first time little Ronniekins showed some guts! Did something a real man would do!"
"You mean trying to take revenge…on a cat?"
"Ah, but she's not just a cat. She's a symbol! A symbol of courage, defiance, and manhood! The spark that lit the flame within Ron Weasley—"
Edward quickly cut him off before he could launch into a speech.
"Let's just hope that when Ron grows up, he'll appreciate your noble intentions…and not channel all that newfound manhood against the two of you."
The twins exchanged glances. One of them stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Hm…I think I'll go tell Ron that Snape took his rat to use in an experiment."
"Brilliant!"
The two high-fived enthusiastically.
Edward could only shake his head helplessly. Hugging Lilith in his arms, he left the Great Hall and decided to take a stroll before heading back to rest. But the moment they reached a quiet, empty corridor, Lilith tilted her head up and fixed him with her sapphire-like eyes.
"So…what is the second kind of person?"
"Uh…"
This kid's curiosity is off the charts.
Edward had tried explaining earlier that he was just joking, but Lilith didn't buy it. She still suspected he was hiding something, and those big round eyes stared up at him with mock innocence.
"Miss Lilith doesn't get it at all~"
And if he didn't answer, she'd bring it up again…and again.
———
Night at Hogwarts. The castle glowed with warm lights, its towering spires standing proud beneath the stars. Edward wandered its ancient, enchanted corridors—but instead of feeling the weight of history or the presence of magic, all he felt was the soft wind brushing in from the forest and lake, cool and fragrant, finally easing the tension that had lingered for days.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?"
A warm, gentle voice broke the silence.
Dumbledore walked up beside him—or nearly beside him, since he was quite a bit taller.
"Forgive me for interrupting your moment of peace," the headmaster chuckled. "If it were me, I wouldn't want an old man sneaking up from behind either."
"Not at all. When it comes to admiring beauty…the more, the merrier."
Dumbledore's eyes lit up.
"I like that phrase! It's the kind of thing a philosopher would say!"
"Indeed. I've read a fair bit of Philosophy—some of their writings are quite fascinating."
"Very good. Very good. That's how a proper wizard should be. When I retire one day, I must read those..."
"I promise—you won't be disappointed."
"Hahaha! Of that, I have no doubt."
The laughter faded into thoughtful quiet before Dumbledore continued, "About your wandless magic lessons—everything is arranged."
"Oh? When do we start?"
"In a week."
Edward hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Would it be all right if Audrey joined the lessons too?"
"Of course. She's more than welcome."
———
The Next Morning.
Edward and Audrey returned to their long-missed classes.
Bright and early, before the first bell even rang, Audrey came bounding over, half-excited, half-shocked, clutching several books in her arms.
"Oh my god, oh my god—you won't believe what I found!"
Edward blinked, confused. Even Lilith, with her milk-covered face, looked up curiously.
Audrey waved the books in front of him.
"I was in the library last night, and guess what? I found a whole collection of poetry supposedly written by Emperor Roselle! And a bunch of plays too!"
"Hmm…"
Edward gave a thoughtful hum.
"Did you happen to check who the listed authors were?"
Audrey paused, then glanced down at the covers.
"The Complete Works of Shakespeare, by…William Shakespeare. Selected Poems of Byron, by...George Gordon Byron. Liberty and Love, by...Sándor Petőfi…"
Her pupils trembled.
"So…so all those poems and plays weren't written by Roselle at all. He just…"
She collapsed into her chair, a stunned look on her face.
At that moment, something called the "fan filter" shattered into a million little pieces.
———
[Note]: Here you go: the promised Extra Chapter! Enjoy~ I'll post another one if we reach 760 Powerstones by tomorrow. Go, VOTE!