Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
Ethan stepped off the train and glanced around the bustling platform.
Thanks to the Chamber of Secrets incident this term, there were more than twice the usual number of parents here to pick up their kids.
People stood shoulder to shoulder, arms wide open to hug their children as they dashed toward them.
"Ethan, let's head home."
A soft voice pulled Ethan's thoughts back to the present.
He turned, meeting Luna's gentle, clear blue eyes.
He curved his lips into a smile and nodded. "Yeah, let's go. Mr. Lovegood is waiting for us."
As they crossed the platform, they ran into the red-haired Weasley family.
Ethan greeted them politely. "Hello, Mrs. Weasley."
"Oh! Hello, Ethan!"
Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, her cheeks flushing a bit.
She turned and shot a fierce glare at her mischievous kids.
See? This is what they mean by "someone else's child"!
Ron's mouth twitched a couple of times.
He looked at Ethan's angelic face and couldn't help but grumble inwardly: Ethan's act is way too convincing.
Even Ginny, who knew a little about Ethan's true nature, couldn't help blushing and shyly hiding behind her mother.
Ron said, "If you're free this summer, come over to our place, Ethan—ouch! Scabbers is biting me again!"
Scabbers was the fat rat Ron had kept for ten years.
Ethan glanced at Ron's pained expression and offered enthusiastically, "I can help you fix that problem. Once and for all."
Ron: !!!
Why are you always eyeing my pet?!
He immediately covered his pocket, staring at Ethan in horror. "N-no thanks..."
Sure, he complained about the rat, but Ron even slept with Scabbers right beside him.
Ethan sighed with mock regret. "What a shame. He could've experienced the ultimate bliss. But now, thanks to human selfishness, he's been cruelly denied it."
Ron: ...
Hell is empty, and the "angels" are all here on Earth.
Finally, after Mrs. Weasley had held Ethan's hand and said for the tenth time, "Thank you for being friends with our naughty kids—it's truly their good fortune to have you," the Weasley family reluctantly headed off.
They squeezed into the crowd.
Luna stepped forward, watching their backs disappear, and murmured softly, "A rat that can live for ten years... how extraordinary..."
"Hmm~"
Ethan curved his lips, humming in response through his nose.
He pulled his gaze away and smiled. "Alright, no time to worry about other people's oddities. We've got a busy summer ahead."
For instance, using the silver key to travel back to the past and learn Ancient Magic.
"I wonder how much I'll be able to master... When school starts, I'll ask the Ancient Runes professor for some guidance."
Ethan mused.
He snapped his fingers, sending the Muggle security guard's hat flying and rescuing Mr. Lovegood, who was being questioned.
But Ethan wasn't some reckless little lion.
Before using the silver key to journey into the past, he still needed to make some initial preparations.
"Broomstick rash," "Portal," "Hellhound"...
At Luna's house.
Ethan examined his cards one by one, saying with a hint of distress, "I wonder how useful my paintings will be back in the past..."
"What if, in the golden age of Ancient Magic, everyone's stronger than me?"
I need to draw a new card!
Ethan clenched his fists.
Boys need to protect themselves when they're out and about, too.
With that in mind, he set up his easel.
Facing the blank canvas, he sank into deep thought once more.
What kind of painting should I create...
He already had strong offensive abilities—and besides, he might not be able to beat those powerful ancient wizards anyway.
He needed to come up with a painting that could help him break out of an encirclement...
Suddenly, Ethan's eyes lit up.
"I've got it!"
In his mind, he recalled the shadowy figures of the dead he'd seen inside the pure white Portal formed from the basilisk's body.
Along with the bone-chilling cold that had seeped into his skull and gnawed at his flesh.
On a side note, Ethan, being so kind-hearted, naturally hadn't just buried the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets.
The basilisk had been transformed into a palm-sized white pendant, tucked safely away in Ethan's leather pouch.
Ready to be used at a moment's notice.
Spider's Heart, the fish king's Veil, basilisk pendant...
The animal protection society is furious.jpg
With inspiration in hand, the rest was just the materials.
Ethan pulled out a box of white powder from his leather pouch.
A gentle sniff brought the scent of decaying graves.
Refined bone powder from a white ghoul.
Ninety Galleons per gram.
Ethan clutched the small box tightly, a pained look on his face.
He'd bought it at Borgin and Burkes while bored and wandering through Knockturn Alley.
When he'd heard the price of the stuff, he'd nearly stuffed the shop owner into the little box himself. "The prices are outrageous..."
Ethan couldn't help grumbling.
He carefully unscrewed the lid and placed it on the nearby paint stand.
"A ghoul with spirits—even if it can't scare those powerful ancient wizards, it should at least hold them in place for a couple of seconds."
Ethan thought.
With a wave of his hand, his wand transformed into a paintbrush.
Magic surged forth, turning into pigment.
He mixed in the bone powder and began painting stroke by stroke on the blank canvas.
The sun was setting.
Vibrant fiery clouds were swallowed by the tide of night.
A hint of twilight gradually spread across the sky.
"Dinner's ready, Ethan—!"
Luna called out, bounding up the stairs with a thump-thump-thump.
Ethan had been in the bedroom, which doubled as a study, all afternoon.
Luna knew he was painting, so she hadn't disturbed him.
But as time dragged on, she started worrying that Ethan might exhaust his magic and collapse in the room.
So, using dinner as an excuse, she went upstairs to check on him.
Her steps were quick and light, like a fawn leaping under the moonlight.
However, the closer she got to the bedroom, the slower her pace became.
An invisible chill gradually seeped into the air.
Freezing her blood, stiffening her muscles.
Even her thoughts felt iced over.
Luna exhaled a puff of cold air.
Her foot crunched, shattering a patch of congealed white frost.
It seemed Ethan had created a new painting...
How wonderful...
By the time she stood before the door, Luna's eyelashes were dusted with tiny ice crystals.
She reached out and grasped the doorknob, which had turned into a block of ice.
"Creak."
The door pushed open with effort.
Shards of broken ice and needles tumbled down.
A crystal-clear chill rushed out, tousling Luna's golden hair.
She widened her eyes slightly.
"Wow," she gasped, gazing in mesmerized wonder at the scene before her.
The bedroom had transformed into a world of ice and snow.
Bedding, cabinets, desk...
Everything was draped in a white veil, adorned with beautiful frost patterns.
In the center of the room stood an easel with a painting.
The canvas held nothing but a pale blue hue.
Like the clear winter sky.
No.
It should be said that this was originally a pale blue painting.
If one looked closely, faint, shadowy white figures could still be seen behind that pale blue.
A sparkling, hoary chill continuously emanated from within.
Sweeping through the bedroom.
Freezing everything in its path.
And the figure in front of the painting had become a hoary statue.
Covered in white frost, every strand of his hair turned white.
Luna tried to cast a spell, but found her magic wouldn't respond.
Was this the effect of Ethan's painting?
So powerful! "Eth...an," Luna stammered, calling out.
She extended her hand, took a step, and laboriously approached Ethan before the canvas.
Hearing her voice, Ethan's fingertips twitched slightly.
His eyes shifted, watching Luna inch toward him with determination.
His gaze flickered.
"Portal."
With a whoosh, a pitch-black Portal opened beneath their feet.
The next instant, they tumbled into it, vanishing from sight.
A moment later, downstairs.
"Achoo!"
Ethan sneezed.
Wrapped tightly in a thick blanket, he huddled shivering on the sofa by the fireplace.
"Here."
Mr. Lovegood handed him a steaming cup of Gurdyroot Infusion.
After discovering to their surprise that warming charms had no effect whatsoever, they had to resort to this primitive method of warming up.
"Thank you."
Ethan sniffled, accepted the hot tea, and took a sip.
Though he was trembling, Ethan's eyes were incredibly bright!
What a powerful painting!
It didn't distinguish between friend and foe; it even tried to devour the artist.
It was truly exhilarating!
To ensure the effect, Ethan had meticulously layered freezing charms over and over on the canvas.
He'd been completely immersed in the process.
It wasn't until his hand suddenly froze in place that he realized something was wrong.
Now, it seemed the effect was excellent—even surpassing his expectations!
It should help him escape from those powerful ancient wizards, right?
Just as Ethan was pondering this, a nervous, hesitant voice spoke up.
"Ethan, that... we know that all experiments come with unpredictable results and dangers."
Ethan looked up, meeting Mr. Lovegood's worried gaze.
Was he afraid Ethan would drag Luna into trouble?
Ethan's eyes dimmed slightly.
If Mr. Lovegood was set on not letting him stay anymore, then he'd have to head back to Spinner's End.
He wasn't sure if the house was even still there after two years away.
Just as Ethan's thoughts drifted to crashing at Ron's place, he heard Mr. Lovegood continue.
"We deeply understand that innovation and exploration often come with risks... We deeply understand that."
"But we won't stop our pursuit."
Hearing this, Ethan raised an eyebrow slightly.
Hmm?
He wasn't trying to kick him out and keep Luna from hanging around him...?
Mr. Lovegood said, "We just hope that next time, for your own safety, you can be more careful. Don't get hurt again."
Ethan was stunned, caught off guard.
He saw that in the old father's eyes, there was no reproach at all.
Only concern, and a touch of sadness.
Ethan turned his head again.
He saw the same gentle expression in Luna's eyes from across the sofa.
Their gazes met.
Luna even curved her blue eyes and smiled at him.
Slowly, Ethan's eyes lit up.
Like two brightening ghostly blue torches igniting in the deep night.
Making his face suddenly come alive.
More effective than any hot tea or warming charm.
"Yeah, I'll definitely be careful next time. This won't happen again."
Ethan nodded, promising earnestly.
The solution was simple: just wear the protective white veil while painting.
The Ergani skirt was reliable.
Luna asked curiously, "So, what kind of painting did you create this time, Ethan?"
At that, Ethan's eyes brightened.
With a whoosh, a sealed, chilling card appeared in his hand. [Name: Freezing Aura] [Type: Conceptual Painting · Group Control Card!]