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Ian had long recognised Michael's prodigious academic talents.
As someone often dubbed the "little professor" who discreetly tutored first-years, Ian was certain no other Ravenclaw first-year matched Michael's abilities.
William was too inexperienced to see this clearly. He assumed situations like this were common across other dormitories. What he didn't know was that he himself was already regarded as a rare talent.
"You can be sure Ravenclaw is like this, but the other Houses aren't necessarily the same. I've asked around, there are top students in other years from different Houses. Can you believe the top second-year is apparently a Quidditch star who spends all day practicing on the pitch?"
"There've always been talented witches and wizards, loads of them. Honestly, I dread thinking about how I'll be judged when I return home..."
At this point, William was caught in a spiral of self-doubt and anxiety, a textbook case of mental self-consumption, as the Muggles call it.
And "Healer Ian" swiftly diagnosed the ailment, and devised a cure.
"Don't move."
He dashed over to his desk, pulled open a drawer, grabbed a quill, dipped it in ink, and under William's puzzled gaze, approached and firmly pressed his forehead.
"What are you doing?" William watched as Ian wrote arcane runes carefully on his skin.
"I'm casting a calming charm, a ritual to ease your inner turmoil and restore your confidence." Ian finished quickly, then dramatically intoned the spell:
"Ba-ba-li-bo, Ba-bo-li-bo~"
He twirled his wand three times above William's head.
Ian's theatrics instantly lightened William's mood.
"Thanks, Ian."
He was genuinely grateful and even attempted a grateful hug around Ian's waist. But Ian swiftly dodged the embrace. After all, William's odd fondness for undergarments made it difficult for Ian to judge whether his character was truly pure.
"Can this charm make someone luckier?" Michael, having just finished freshening up, stepped out of the washroom and leaned over curiously to ask.
"Of course not." Ian shook his head firmly.
"Then does it boost intelligence?" Michael pressed on, his eyes bright with interest.
Ian shook his head again. "It's merely a confidence charm, a simple enchantment to ease inner anxiety. It is already a blessing if it doesn't dull your wit, how could you expect it to sharpen your mind?"
His answer caught Michael off guard.
"This is really some kind of magic? It looked a bit like runes from the old world to me," Michael said, reaching out to touch the markings on William's forehead, only to have William snatch his hand away quickly and warily.
"Don't you dare mess up the charm Ian cast on me. I feel miles better now, proper confident," William said, clearly buoyed by the power of suggestion.
Ian hadn't actually performed any real enchantment.
"Yes, it's an ancient magical script, overflowing with terrifying and tremendous power," Ian declared, clapping his hands proudly as he returned the quill to its drawer.
"Can I have one too?" Michael, eager for a taste of the magic, pulled out his own quill. Ian hesitated briefly, then generously drew a few cryptic strokes on Michael's forehead as well.
"But didn't you say you're not bothered by exams?" Ian asked, baffled.
"I just don't fuss over revision, because that's time I could spend writing love letters to Rebecca," Michael grinned, utterly sincere.
"Well, you asked for it."
Just as Ian set down the quill,
"What about the ritual part of the charm?"
Michael remembered the entire process better than Ian, the "creator" of the enchantment. With no choice, Ian had to raise his wand once more and perform the ritual.
"Ba-ba-li-bo, Ba-bo-li-bo~"
Though absolutely nothing happened, Michael was overjoyed.
"Brilliant! I already feel more confident!"
Psychological suggestion works wonders on any innocent student. Michael's loud excitement reminded Ian of his own childhood obsession with mystical energy techniques before he crossed into this world.
Back then, Ian genuinely believed he'd unlocked a secret power. He even felt lighter on his feet simply by vaulting fences. In truth, it turned out he'd just been bloated with gas, no one could explain why he felt so nimble, which only proved how powerful the mind could be.
"Aren't you going to mark yourself?" William, inspecting the mysterious markings on his own forehead in the mirror, asked with curiosity. Surely Ian would use such a useful charm too.
"No, no, I'm already far too confident and cheerful. If I marked myself with this charm, I'd become so full of pride I'd float away," Ian joked, quickly declining and tossing the quill aside.
His response raised no suspicion from his roommates. The two admired their marks in the mirror for a while before Ian finally urged them to leave for the exam hall together.
On the way, William and Michael held their heads high, looking every bit like they had truly been "blessed" by a magical ritual. At that moment, they were probably the most confident first-years heading into exams.
This would surely help them perform better than usual, as long as they didn't grow overconfident, they'd at least do somewhat better than normal.
Ian wasn't just blowing smoke.
He was trying to rescue his good friend and faithful academic ally William's state of mind.
And it worked.
William didn't keep muttering facts he'd already memorised, nor did he freeze in panic and forget the answers. Ian reckoned, at the very least, he'd helped William secure a decent grade in one subject.
"I really am a good bloke."
While waiting outside the exam hall, Ian gave himself a thumbs up. Another day, another win, not only had he earned good karma, but also the gratitude of his roommates.
Oh no, perhaps it was a triple victory. He'd also enjoyed the fun of being a cheeky prankster.
"What's up with your two mates? They've both got something scribbled on their foreheads." Aurora arrived at the exam hall, looking puzzled as William and Michael walked in first when the doors opened.
"I don't know either." Ian put on his best innocent expression as he answered.
"What does it say and why is it in chinese?"
He looked so bewildered he deserved an Oscar for Best Actor. Honestly, the moment Aurora mentioned the markings were in Chinese characters, Ian immediately realised this German girl had definitely studied a little of the language.
Sure enough.
Aurora frowned in response.
"The people you keep company with are really odd. If you're going to believe in some gimmick like that, at least write something like 'Victory' or 'Guaranteed Pass,' right?"
"If I'm not mistaken, what's written on their foreheads is… 'No coriander'? I don't think those characters carry any luck or exam blessings in the East, do they?"
Gotta admit, Aurora was a sensible girl in many ways. She questioned her own knowledge rather than assuming Ian and his roommates were simply mad.
"Oh, I see," Ian said, his expression suddenly brightening with understanding.
"You totally knew from the start," Aurora said with a teasing smile, watching the young wizard perform his little act with amused eyes.
"No, I didn't," Ian blinked his wide, innocent eyes.
"I get it now, you're the one who wrote those marks on them." Aurora didn't need legilimency; she just knew her partner-in-mischief far too well. "Do those four runes mean anything positive? If so, would you care to explain what?"
The diligent German witch tilted her head, genuinely curious.
"Hmm?" Ian remained silent for a long moment, prompting Aurora to raise an eyebrow in suspicion.
"You said, 'If it means something good, tell me,' so I'm simply replying to your request," Ian finally explained, making his meaning perfectly clear.
His silence was an answer in itself.
No words = no positive meaning.
"..."
Aurora was stunned for several long moments before shaking herself back to reality.
"To be honest, when it comes to pranks, I think the Weasley twins put you to shame," She said with a half-exasperated, half-amused tone.
"I was just trying to help William gain some confidence. Look how calm and collected he seems now," Ian said, glancing over at William, who indeed looked far steadier than usual as they entered the exam hall alongside Aurora.
Maybe, those four-character 'mantras' really did carry some mysterious power of assurance after all.
…
(To Be Continued…)