"Let's just say it's important, alright?" Michael said, looking at Sean with disbelief. "Sean, promise me, one Ravenclaw obsessed with counting windows is enough…"
Sean's eyes lit up thoughtfully. "Terry, quick question…"
"Yes! Yes! He's mastered Scarpin's Revelio Charm to the point of casting it silently, so now he spends all day studying the different materials in the castle's windows. Can you believe it? Even the rain sometimes isn't made of the same stuff!" Michael said, exasperated.
"Some rain is different!" Terry shot back.
"Alright, alright," Michael said, humoring him.
Sean's lips twitched into a slight smile. It looked like he'd figured something out.
---
In the Great Hall, December hadn't arrived yet, but Hogwarts was already battered by fierce winds and sleet. The roaring fires and thick castle walls always made the young witches and wizards feel safe and cozy.
As Sean discussed Scarpin's Revelio Charm with Terry, he realized this quirky Ravenclaw was actually shy and humble. Terry studied odd questions but wasn't just talk. The castle's windows genuinely had different materials, and Terry even declared, "Sean, don't laugh, but I'm telling you—the castle is alive!"
He glanced cautiously at Sean, expecting the usual stifled laughs or puzzled looks from other wizards.
"I believe you," Sean nodded.
"I'm not kidding… wait, you believe me?!" Terry let out a soft gasp.
"Why wouldn't I?" Sean's sincerity was clear as day.
"Oh—you believe me! Merlin's beard! Then you must've noticed how the tables in the Great Hall shift in a pattern, not staying in the same order all the time. Other rooms and areas change too, like their size and shape…" Terry rambled on excitedly.
Sean nodded thoughtfully. He'd noticed subtle changes in the Potions classroom down in the dungeons. If the castle was conscious—say, like when it locked Umbridge out of the Headmaster's office—then it changing all the time wasn't so far-fetched.
Terry burst with rare enthusiasm, talking nonstop while Sean listened intently.
After a bit, Terry's face flushed with embarrassment. Why was he going on about himself? Taking advantage of the last few minutes, he carefully shared his tips for mastering Scarpin's Revelio Charm.
Sean learned a lot from Terry's incantations and wand movements, even managing an [Apprentice]-level practice before leaving the Great Hall.
Nearby, Justin couldn't help but watch. On one side, Sean was listening to a Ravenclaw talk about the castle, which made Justin edge closer—yep, he was curious about Hogwarts too. On the other side, Harry and Ron were showing off their spellwork to Sean Finnigan.
Harry demonstrated a Levitation Charm strong enough to float fruit and a newly learned Aguamenti Charm that produced a small stream of water. Ron was a bit behind, but Professor Flitwick had recently praised him and given him a point, so he was brimming with confidence.
"So, how far are you with your charms? No idea? Man, that's rough," Ron teased. Despite only knowing an [Apprentice]-level Levitation Charm and an [Introductory]-level Lumos, he felt like he had something over the other young wizards.
He never thought spells could be so straightforward or that he'd actually track his progress. He'd always assumed it was vague—professors taught vaguely, they took confusing exams, and somehow scraped by with a passing grade.
When Sean Finnigan asked curiously what he meant by "progress," Ron put on a mysterious air, spouting all sorts of odd details.
Young wizards this age loved to show off. Though nothing about Hagrid's cabin slipped out, Sean could feel the eager stares around him growing warmer.
As he left the Great Hall, Sean Finnigan approached, face red. He was clearly nervous but seemed egged on by someone. Stammering, he said, "Great Sean, can you make me smarter? I don't need much—just enough so my wand doesn't explode!"
Sean sighed at the ridiculous request. It felt like he was surrounded by the Weasley trio all over again. To the explosion-prone Finnigan, he said gently, "Everyone's got something they're good at, Finnigan. Maybe you just haven't found the right way to use it yet."
---
Soon after, inside Hagrid's cabin, Sean's desk held a glass cabinet he'd conjured with Transfiguration to store the dozens of materials Professor Trelawney had given him.
[You practiced Scarpin's Revelio Charm at Apprentice level, Proficiency +1]
[You practiced Scarpin's Revelio Charm at Apprentice level, Proficiency +1]
[You practiced Scarpin's Revelio Charm at Apprentice level, Proficiency +1]
With relentless practice, Sean quickly mastered the charm. Leaving the cabin, he waved his wand, turning a piece of parchment into an owl that flew toward Professor Trelawney's office. She might not get it, but the owl would linger for days. Sean used Transfiguration because Trelawney encouraged him to communicate with her through "whimsical" transformations.
---
Unlike the Great Hall's warm fires and sturdy walls, the winter dungeons only had cauldrons for heat. Severus Snape stood in the chilly air, a frozen shadow in black. His fingertips rested on a piece of parchment on the wooden table, its edges curling slightly from the cauldron's heat.
He was the first and only one to know its secrets.
His gaze pierced the flickering flames but didn't focus on anything solid, lost instead in some cold, distant memory.
After a long silence, the cauldron bubbled and popped, like a fleeting thought rising and vanishing. Snape remained still, as if November's chill had settled in his dark eyes.
Next to the parchment was a list, one name followed by: [Guardian: None].
A nagging voice still echoed in his ears. He told himself it was just irritation at that fool's idiocy. His fingers brushed over a place tied to distant, unfamiliar London, as a soft knock sounded at the dungeon door.