Platform 9¾
Ethan stepped off the scarlet train, scanning the crowded platform with careful eyes. Due to this semester's Chamber incident, the number of parents collecting their children had more than doubled from the usual crowd.
People pressed against people in the bustling space, opening their arms wide to welcome children who rushed toward them with joyful relief.
"Ethan, let's go home." A gentle call brought Ethan back from his observations.
He turned to meet Luna's warm, clear blue eyes that sparkled like a summer sky. Curving his lips in a soft smile, he nodded with genuine warmth: "Mm, let's go. Mr Lovegood is waiting for us."
As they crossed the platform, they happened to encounter the distinctive red-haired Weasley family clustered together near the barrier.
Ethan spoke with perfect politeness: "Hello, Mrs Weasley."
"Oh! Hello there, Ethan!" Mrs Weasley called out enthusiastically, her cheeks slightly flushed with pleasure at being acknowledged.
She immediately turned and glared fiercely at her household of troublemakers with meaningful intensity. Look! This is what "other people's children" are supposed to be like!
Ron's mouth twitched twice in response. Looking at Ethan's perfectly angelic face, he couldn't help but complain internally: Ethan's human disguise is still far too convincing for everyone's good.
Even Ginny, who understood something of Ethan's true nature from their previous encounters, couldn't help but blush prettily and shyly hide behind her mother's protective bulk.
"Come visit our house during the holidays if you're free, Ethan..." Ron began hopefully, then yelped in pain. "Ow! Scabbers is biting me again!"
Scabbers was the fat, ageing rat Ron had kept as a pet for nearly ten years.
Ethan watched Ron's pained expression with helpful concern and offered generously: "I could help you solve this problem permanently. Once and for all."
Ron's eyes widened in alarm: "!!" Why are you always targeting my innocent pet?!
He immediately covered his pocket protectively, staring at Ethan in genuine terror: "No... no need for that kind of help..."
Though he complained verbally about the creature's behaviour, Ron still slept with Scabbers curled up beside him every night.
Ethan sighed with apparent regret: "Such a pity. The poor thing could have gained supreme happiness and peace. Now, due to human selfishness, it's cruelly deprived of that blessed release."
Ron stared at him in disbelief: "..." Hell is empty because all the 'angels' are walking among us.
Finally, after Mrs Weasley held Ethan's hand warmly and repeated for the tenth time, "Thank you for being willing to be friends with our troublemakers. Having you in their lives is truly their greatest blessing." The Weasley family reluctantly departed into the crowd.
Luna stepped forward, watching their retreating figures with thoughtful observation. She spoke softly: "A rat that's managed to live ten full years... truly incredible longevity for such a creature..."
"Hmm~" Ethan curved his lips, humming with mysterious amusement through his nose.
Looking away from the dispersing crowd, he smiled with anticipation: "Alright. No time to worry about others' unusual pet choices. We'll be quite busy this summer vacation."
For instance, using that silver key to travel back through time itself. Learning authentic ancient magic from its original practitioners.
"I wonder exactly how much I'll be able to learn... After school starts again, I'll need to consult with our Ancient Runes professor about advanced applications."
Ethan snapped his fingers with casual magic, making a confused Muggle security guard's hat fly off his head. This created enough distraction to rescue the interrogated Mr Lovegood from bureaucratic questioning.
However, Ethan wasn't some reckless Gryffindor lion charging blindly into danger. Before using that precious silver key to journey into the past, he needed to make several important preliminary preparations.
"Scabies Curse, Portal, Cerberus summoning..." Ethan murmured thoughtfully.
At Luna's House
Ethan examined his collection of magical cards one by one, speaking with genuine concern: "I don't know how much practical use my current paintings will have in ancient time periods..."
"What if everyone during that legendary golden age of magic turns out to be significantly more powerful than I am now?"
I need to create an entirely new defensive card!
Ethan clenched his fists with determination. Young wizards venturing out alone must always protect themselves properly.
With this sobering thought in mind, Ethan carefully set up his portable easel in the bedroom Luna's family had graciously provided.
Facing the blank white canvas, he fell into deep contemplation once again. What kind of magical painting should I create for maximum protection?
I already possess powerful offensive techniques, though I probably still can't defeat those legendary ancient wizards in direct combat anyway.
Must think of a painting that can help me escape from coordinated group attacks...
Suddenly, Ethan's cobalt eyes lit up with inspiration. "I've got it!"
In his mind appeared vivid memories of those shadowy spirits he'd witnessed within that pure white door formed by the basilisk's transformed body. And that bone-chilling cold that had penetrated his skull and gnawed at his very bones.
Incidentally, Ethan's kind heart had naturally prevented him from simply burying the noble basilisk somewhere in the ruined Chamber. The ancient serpent had willingly transformed into a palm-sized white pendant that now rested safely in Ethan's leather pouch, ready for use whenever needed.
Spider Heart, Fish King's Veil, Basilisk Pendant... The Animal Protection Association would be absolutely outraged if they knew.
With clear inspiration came the immediate need for appropriate painting materials. Ethan pulled out a small, expensive-looking box of white powder from his well-stocked leather pouch.
Sniffing lightly at the contents, he caught a distinct whiff of graveyard decay and ancient death.
White Ghoul refined bone powder. Ninety Galleons per gram.
Ethan gripped the precious container, his handsome features showing a pained expression at the memory. He'd purchased this rare material while browsing Knockturn Alley out of curiosity, from the infamous Borgin and Burkes shop.
When the shopkeeper had casually announced that outrageous price, Ethan had nearly stuffed the man into the very box he was trying to sell.
"These prices are absolutely ridiculous..." Ethan couldn't help but complain under his breath.
Carefully unscrewing the ornate lid, he placed the opened container on his nearby paint rack with reverent handling.
"Ghouls infused with restless spirits... even if this can't truly terrify those powerful ancient wizards, it should at least control or distract them for a few crucial seconds."
With a practised wave of his hand, Ethan's wand smoothly transformed into an artist's brush. Magic surged forth from his core, becoming liquid paint that shimmered with otherworldly energy.
The magical paint mixed seamlessly with the expensive bone powder as he began working stroke by careful stroke on the blank canvas.
The sun gradually set outside the windows. Intense fire-coloured clouds were slowly swallowed by night's advancing tide as the horizon darkened with approaching evening.
"Dinner's ready, Ethan!" Luna called out cheerfully, running up the creaking stairs with enthusiastic thumping footsteps.
Ethan had been completely absorbed in his work within the bedroom-turned-study all afternoon. Luna understood he was creating another painting, so she had thoughtfully avoided disturbing his artistic process.
However, as time continued passing, Luna began worrying that Ethan might collapse from severe magical exhaustion. So she decided to use dinner as a perfectly reasonable excuse to check on his wellbeing.
Her steps were naturally swift and light, like a young deer bounding gracefully through moonlit meadows.
However, the closer Luna got to the bedroom door, the more her pace began slowing involuntarily. An invisible chill was gradually permeating the air throughout the upper floor.
The supernatural cold seemed to freeze blood vessels and stiffen muscles. Even her thoughts felt sluggish and frozen.
Huff... Luna exhaled a visible puff of crystalline cold air.
Crack. Her foot stepped down and accidentally shattered a patch of crystallised frost that had formed on the wooden floor.
It seems Ethan has successfully created another new magical painting... How wonderful...
When she finally reached the bedroom door, Luna discovered that her eyelashes had formed tiny, delicate ice crystals. She reached out with numbed fingers, grasping the door handle that had somehow become a solid block of ice.
"Creak." The door was pushed open with considerable difficulty.
Ice shards and hanging icicles fell down from the doorframe like a miniature avalanche. A wave of crystalline chill rushed out immediately, blowing Luna's pale golden hair back from her face.
She widened her dreamy eyes with fascination. "Wow," she breathed, staring in pure wonder at the magical scene before her.
The entire bedroom had been transformed into a perfect winter wonderland. Bedding, wooden cabinets, the study desk... absolutely everything was covered in gossamer white gauze and frozen in layers of beautiful, intricate frost patterns.
In the room's centre stood a single painting on its easel. The canvas displayed nothing but pale blue colour, like winter's clear, transparent sky captured in pigment.
No, it should be said this was indeed a living artwork of pale blue energy. Looking closely, you could see faint white shadows moving behind that ethereal blue surface.
Glittering white-flowered cold air continuously poured from the painting in visible streams, sweeping through the bedroom and methodically freezing everything it touched.
The figure standing before the magical canvas had become a white-flowered statue covered completely in frost. Every hair on his head had turned crystalline white with accumulated ice.
Luna attempted to cast warming spells but discovered with concern that her magic simply wouldn't respond to her commands.
Is this one of the effects of Ethan's new painting? So incredibly powerful.
"E...than..." Luna spoke with visible difficulty, her breath forming ice crystals.
Reaching out with stiff fingers, taking careful steps, she struggled valiantly to approach Ethan's frozen form before the dangerous canvas.
Hearing her worried voice, Ethan's fingertips moved slightly. His eyeballs shifted, looking at Luna, who was approaching him step by determined step despite the supernatural cold.
His gaze quickly assessed the situation.
Portal.
Suddenly, a pitch-black doorway opened directly beneath both of them. The next moment, they fell through together and disappeared from the frozen room entirely.
A moment later, downstairs...
"Achoo!" Ethan sneezed violently.
Wrapped tightly in several thick woollen blankets, he shivered uncontrollably while curled up next to the crackling fireplace sofa.
"Here you go." Mr Lovegood handed him a steaming cup of freshly brewed Gurdyroot tea with paternal concern.
After discovering with amazement that conventional Warming Charms had absolutely no effect whatsoever on their magically induced hypothermia, they could only resort to this primitive heating method.
"Thank you very much." Ethan sniffled gratefully, accepting the hot beverage and taking a careful sip of the bitter but warming liquid.
Though still shivering from head to toe, Ethan's cobalt eyes were incredibly bright with triumph!
What an amazingly powerful painting! Completely indiscriminate in its effects... it even wanted to devour its own creator. How wonderfully exciting!
To ensure maximum effectiveness, Ethan had painstakingly traced intricate Freezing Charms with delicate lines over and over across the entire canvas surface. He had become completely immersed in the creative process.
Only when his hands had suddenly frozen solid and couldn't move at all did he realise something had gone terribly wrong.
Now it seemed the magical effect was very good, actually exceeding even Ethan's ambitious expectations! This should definitely enable him to escape from those powerful ancient wizards, shouldn't it?
As Ethan pondered future applications, a nervous, hesitant voice interrupted his thoughts:
"Ethan, that... we understand all magical experiments come with uncontrollable results and inherent dangers."
Ethan looked up curiously, meeting Mr Lovegood's genuinely worried gaze.
Is he afraid I'll accidentally implicate Luna in something dangerous?
Ethan's eyes darkened slightly with concern. If Mr Lovegood was determined not to let him stay in their home anymore, he would have to return to that old house at Spinner's End.
I wonder if that place is even still standing after two years of abandonment.
Just as Ethan's thoughts had wandered to the possibility of staying at Ron's crowded house instead, he heard Mr Lovegood continue with surprising warmth:
"We understand that innovation and magical exploration often come with significant danger... we know this reality very well from personal experience."
"But we won't stop you from exploring and learning, either."
Hearing this unexpected support, Ethan raised his eyebrows with genuine surprise.
Hmm? He's not kicking me out or forbidding Luna from spending time with me?
Mr Lovegood continued with fatherly gentleness: "We only hope that next time, for your own safety and wellbeing, you can exercise more caution during your experiments."
"Please don't let yourself get seriously hurt again."
Ethan stared in amazement. He could see that this caring old father's eyes held no reproach or anger whatsoever. Only genuine worry and a trace of sadness at seeing him suffer.
Ethan slowly turned his head. Across the cosy sofa, he saw Luna's equally gentle expression of concern and affection.
Meeting his questioning gaze, Luna curved her blue eyes and smiled at him with unconditional acceptance.
Gradually, Ethan's eyes brightened considerably. Like two increasingly brilliant blue torches lighting up in deep night, the warmth made his face come alive again.
More effective than any hot tea or conventional Warming Charm.
"Mm, I'll definitely be much more careful next time. This kind of dangerous situation absolutely won't happen again," Ethan nodded, promising with complete seriousness.
The solution was actually quite simple: just wear his protective veil while painting. The goddess's skirt had proven completely trustworthy.
Luna asked with bright curiosity: "So what kind of magical painting did you create this time, Ethan?"
Hearing this question, Ethan's eyes immediately lit up with pride.
Whoosh! A sealed, cold-emanating card appeared in his outstretched hand with a flourish.
[Name: Frigid Aura]
[Type: Concept Painting - Group Control Card!]