The atmosphere in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom was extremely tense.
Some students had already fainted from fright. Others instinctively rushed toward Dumbledore for safety when they saw him appear. However, a good number of students bolted straight for the doors, seizing the chance to flee this daytime nightmare.
It couldn't be helped.
They might not have heard Aurora whisper the giant serpent's name, but its oppressive aura was all too real. The fact that they were able to move despite such paralyzing fear was proof of their courage.
Once Jörmungandr's gaze fell upon humans, its colossal golden vertical pupils felt as though they could freeze one's very soul.
Of course, Ian was not affected in the slightest. Ian sensed the situation clearly, but his mood was weighed down as if shrouded by dark clouds. The looming shadow of debt collectors clung to him like a nightmare.
He still worried inwardly whether his wand would misfire again.
At his side, Aurora had already revealed the serpent's identity. Yet, when faced with a myth-level creature, Dumbledore's expression stiffened only slightly.
His reaction, however, was surprisingly calm.
Behind his half-moon glasses, his eyes showed little more than mild surprise. But that did not mean the old headmaster stood idle. With a flick of his ancient wand, he commanded, "All students, leave this classroom immediately!"
Dumbledore's words carried an unquestionable authority.
The next instant, a gentle silver radiance swept through the room. One by one, the students vanished as though erased by an eraser. Of course, Dumbledore had not killed them.
He had transported them safely away.
Hogwarts had restrictions on spatial magic, but those restrictions only bound ordinary wizards. Even though the old headmaster was not officially recognized as a "Legendary-ranked" wizard, he could bypass those restrictions with ease by virtue of his headmaster's authority.
Once the students were safe,
"Ian" Dumbledore finally spoke again. His voice was steady as he addressed the young wizard, though his eyes never left the towering, motionless serpent.
"Can you control it?"
Dumbledore had already deduced that the trouble originated with the boy.
Ian closed his eyes, focusing on the flow of magic within him and the faint thread of connection that tied him to the serpent. To his astonishment, he could truly sense Jörmungandr's thoughts: an ancient, chaotic consciousness brimming with primal hunger. More than that, Ian discovered he had a powerful hold over it.
"Yes." Ian nodded. "It can communicate. It can even speak the human language."
Ian gave a brief explanation about Jörmungandr's nature.
The world serpent rolled its massive eyes in response.
"I see."
Dumbledore met Jörmungandr's gaze directly, suppressing the pressure of the serpent's higher existence. His voice remained steady as he addressed the ancient being.
"Then, venerable one, why have you appeared here?"
Though the old Headmaster maintained his gentlemanly courtesy, the grip on his wand betrayed his readiness for battle at a moment's notice.
He did not doubt Aurora's judgment. Those of the Grindelwald line always seemed to know things that others did not.
As for Jörmungandr, it clearly understood Dumbledore's words. After all, the old man's voice was far louder than the young wizard's. If it could hear the boy, it could certainly hear Dumbledore as well.
However, the legendary creature seemed disinclined to bother with Dumbledore. It ignored his polite inquiry entirely and slowly turned its colossal head toward its summoner instead.
"Eat the old man?"
The serpent glanced again at Dumbledore. The moment those words were spoken, Dumbledore's expression became complicated.
Ian was dumbfounded, too.
Then, Jörmungandr spoke again.
"The magic power you gave me isn't enough. I need more."
The giant serpent opened its mouth, revealing rows of gleaming white fangs. Instead of a hiss, a deep, thunderous voice emerged.
It has to be said that the World Serpent truly lived up to its name, it was ruthless, blunt, and to the point. Its very presence demanded that it consume something. Its tone dripped with contempt for Dumbledore.
Well, it wasn't hard to understand. For a mythological life form, even legendary wizards were insignificant. The only thing Jörmungandr cared about now was who exactly had summoned it to fight.
Its serpentine eyes flicked back and forth between Aurora and Dumbledore.
A flicker of puzzlement passed across its massive face.
Then impatience, as if it were considering whether it should simply swallow them both. The thought alone made Ian's heart leap; his keen intuition had picked up on the intent clearly.
"No, no, everything's fine! It was an accident! We don't need to eat anyone right now!"
Ian swallowed hard. To prevent disaster, he tried to sever his link to the serpent.
Immediately, Jörmungandr's confused expression deepened, and its body began to fade. Its black scales dissolved into wisps of smoke until finally, all of it was drawn back into Ian's wand.
The young wizard shivered, but there was nothing he could do to stop it. This was clearly different from a normal "Serpensortia" summon. With ordinary snakes, once the flow of magic was cut off, they would vanish completely. This was something else entirely.
"Good... good. At least nothing worse happened."
Ian lifted his head and surveyed the ruined classroom. With the serpent gone, the gaping hole in the ceiling stood out all the more. Still, that wasn't a big problem; Hogwarts Castle was accustomed to patchwork repairs. Surely his "good brother," Hogwarts, wouldn't hold it against him.
Ian let out a long breath as he wiped away the nonexistent sweat from his forehead, and silently apologized to the castle. Then, he turned back toward the other two figures in the room.
That was when Ian realized that both Aurora, in Lockhart's guise, and Dumbledore were staring directly at him.
"I really don't know what happened!"
Ian raised his hands in surrender, his face and tone radiating genuine grievance. "I was using the standard 'Serpensortia' spell!"
But, like in the story of the boy who cried wolf, suspicion arose quickly. Aurora had only recently witnessed Ian's tricks. Now, her gaze was sharp with doubt.
She strongly suspected that Ian had used some kind of high-level summoning ritual. Otherwise, how could he have possibly called forth a mythical being like Jörmungandr?
This thought brought back memories of things she had seen while watching Ian. That was why she had been able to recognize Jörmungandr, even in its reduced size.
"You're not right. Something's very wrong with you."
Aurora's tone was firm, her judgment resolute.
"..."
Ian was momentarily at a loss for words.
At that moment, Dumbledore nodded, signaling his trust in the boy.
"Perhaps Ian truly doesn't know what happened," he said calmly. "It's possible he's unaware, too."
Then, he turned his gaze back to Aurora.
"As a professor, you need to calm the frightened students."
Clearly, Dumbledore knew that Aurora had been filling in for Lockhart. After all, she was his apprentice, not Grindelwald's. Without his permission, she would never have been allowed to teach in the first place.
Dumbledore had agreed to Grindelwald's request precisely because he knew his apprentice's true ability, allowing Aurora to briefly play the role of Lockhart.
"All right, Headmaster."
Aurora nodded. She didn't ask anything else; she just watched as Dumbledore stepped forward, placed a hand on Ian's shoulder, and disappeared from the classroom with him.
After a moment of thoughtful silence, Aurora began to repair the wrecked classroom. Then she went off to find the frightened students who had fled. Without using a Memory Charm, she came up with a rather clumsy set of lies:
"You were only under the influence of a Confundus Charm.
"Yes, it was Ian's fault. He was misbehaving and secretly using magic."
"I'll see to it that he's punished."
To Ian, Aurora's lies would have seemed flimsy at best. But to the second-year students, they worked perfectly well. After all, the one speaking was none other than the "brilliant" Professor Lockhart, or so everyone believed.
…
(To Be Continued…)
You can read ahead up to 110 chapters on my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395