Chapter 170: Dragon Knowledge, Lockhart's New Book?
By the time Ethan had exhausted every possible test, it was well past lunchtime. Dumbledore tapped his wand, and the chairs instantly transformed back into dead branches.
"Come along now. Say goodbye to Hagrid. I must return to the castle. You have mastered the basics of phoenix Transfiguration. However, if you wish to pursue dragon Transfiguration, you will need to conduct that research on your own. I have some data, but I've never attempted it myself."
"All right." Fawkes settled onto Ethan's left shoulder. The trio made their way toward Hagrid's hut.
The chimney puffed out blue smoke rhythmically. As they approached, Hagrid's booming laughter rang out from inside.
"Someone's coming. Is that Ethan and Dumbledore?" Harry called out as Dumbledore raised his hand to knock.
"It's us," Dumbledore called.
Ethan peered inside. Hagrid stood by the fireplace, ladling huge chunks of meat into a bowl. He set it on the table. "Just in time. Me secret recipe stew is ready."
"Let Ethan join you. I have matters to attend to." Dumbledore smiled and retrieved Fawkes.
"That's a shame." Hagrid looked disappointed.
"Next time, I promise."
The three of them watched Dumbledore walk away. Once he was out of sight, Harry and Hagrid relaxed.
Harry took a bite of his stew and bread. "Was Dumbledore teaching you something? We kept hearing noises."
"Just some Transfiguration practice." Ethan quickly changed the subject. "This tastes just as good as the rabbit stew!"
Hagrid chuckled. "Go on, have some more!" He ladled another generous helping into the bowl.
Noticing that Ethan didn't want to discuss it further, Harry kept his thoughts to himself. *What kind of Transfiguration requires the Forbidden Forest and Dumbledore's personal attention?*
Harry's fork clinked against the bottom of his empty bowl. He looked down at the clean dish. "I want another piece too! And more vegetables."
"Sure, sure. Plenty left. You boys will eat your fill."
Harry took his refilled bowl, glanced at Ethan, and started shoveling food like he was in a competition.
*Random competitive drive.* Ethan had no idea where that came from and kept eating at his own pace.
"Done." Harry belched, set down his bowl, and rubbed his stuffed stomach.
Ethan had finished ages ago. He'd just been watching Harry work through his last bowl.
"Do you want to head back to the castle with me?"
"Go on ahead. I need to let my food settle. I ate too much." Harry sat back down.
"Alright. I've got things to do. See you!"
Ethan, comfortably full, strolled back to the castle and made his way to the library. Dumbledore had mentioned information on dragons, but Ethan wasn't sure if the Headmaster was available. He'd ask tonight or tomorrow. For now, the library would have to do.
Walking slowly to let his meal settle, he thought, *And if it is a three-headed dragon, I need to think carefully. If the other two heads match my Patronus, what would their internal structures be?*
In the library, Ethan finished his homework and found several books on dragons. They contained plenty of interesting details, but no anatomical diagrams.
On Monday, Ethan received the anatomical diagram of a Common Welsh Green from Dumbledore's old research.
"This is from my old research. I discovered new uses for dragon blood along the way and published the twelve uses."
"Is that the achievement listed on your Chocolate Frog card?"
"Yes." Dumbledore still sounded proud. Not because it was his most important work, but mostly because it was the achievement featured on the Chocolate Frog cards he was so fond of.
Ethan teased, "Do you want me to ask the publisher to make you a special 'Twelve Uses of Dragon's Blood' card?"
The old man glared. "Out, out with you!"
Ethan was pushed out the door.
After reviewing the data, Ethan was not entirely satisfied. The information was detailed, but he did not want to transform into a Common Welsh Green. He wanted a Swedish Short-Snout. Even if he settled on the Common Welsh Green, he wanted to see a real one first.
Based on the school's weather records and what several professors told him, he concluded that the storm's timing varied each year, but it never arrived before mid-May. *That means there will be at least two weeks after Easter to prepare. Plenty of time.*
That night, he wrote a letter to Cyril explaining his plan to visit the dragon reserve to study the organs and structures of both species. He then asked Edward to deliver it.
Cyril's reply arrived early the next morning: "No problem."
Ethan placed the letter on his desk and picked up an anatomy book on reptiles to continue reading. He was not yet ready for dragon Transfiguration, but Dumbledore had been right. Practicing with similar reptiles would help him master the movement patterns.
A week flew by in a blur of studying.
Just as expected, after Friday's Potions class, Snape informed Ethan that Saturday's lesson was canceled due to the Quidditch match. However, despite citing the game as his reason, Snape did not appear at the pitch.
"Strange. Did he go to St. Mungo's again?" Ethan scanned the stands with his binoculars but found no sign of him. "Nice weather today. Warm sun, gentle breeze."
Since Snape wasn't there, Ethan saw no reason to leave yet. His roommate was the Seeker, and since he had already said hello, leaving immediately would seem cold. On the other hand, he had no intention of actually watching the match.
He tucked the binoculars away and yawned, planning to nap through the noise and cheer for Draco when it ended.
"Oh! We won!" Cheers erupted around him the moment his eyes closed. He sat up just in time to see Draco circling the pitch on his broom, Snitch held high.
"Malfoy! Malfoy!" The Slytherins waved green flags and shouted. Ethan waved along with them.
The cheers gradually died down after both sides landed. Around him, the Slytherins buzzed with excitement:
"Two wins in a row. Hufflepuff doesn't stand a chance!"
"Clean win. The House Cup is ours!"
"That new broom is fast. The Ravenclaw Seeker spotted the Snitch first, but he couldn't outrun Malfoy."
"Mark my words, we're going to dominate Quidditch for the next few years, too."
"Unless someone gets a Firebolt next year, that's exactly what will happen."
Ethan kept his thoughts to himself and slipped away early.
On the lawn by the Black Lake, he found a sunny spot. He transfigured some spare clothing into a blanket and pillow, then settled in for a nap.
He woke some time later, feeling chilled. "Huh?" He opened his eyes groggily to find himself staring at a row of gleaming teeth.
"Mr. Jones, you're awake!"
Ethan shook his head to clear the grogginess and propped himself up. "Can I help you, Professor Lockhart?" He glanced up at the shadow Lockhart cast over him. *No wonder I'm cold. He's blocking my sun.*
"Nothing important. I just saw you by the lake and wondered if you were going to the Duelling Club tonight?"
Miraculously, Lockhart's Duelling Club was still running. Attendance had been steadily dropping, so it couldn't last much longer. Ethan hadn't returned since the second session, the very one where he had obtained Nancy's blood. His roommates and Hermione told him that no professor had helped since Flitwick. Lockhart had been running the show on his own. After two chaotic sessions, everyone had seen through the facade and realized his true level of skill. Without other professors to prop him up, attendance had dwindled.
According to Draco, only a handful of students still showed up. A few older girls still swooned over him, while some younger students attended to practice their Charms. It wasn't Lockhart they were there for, however. They simply wanted to learn from the older students they usually couldn't approach.
"If he didn't award Slytherin points occasionally, I would have quit ages ago," Draco had complained. He fought hard because he didn't want to share the Cup with Gryffindor again. However, the club was effectively finished. The last Gryffindor girl dropped out last week. After this week, no one else would bother showing up. Draco sounded relieved.
Recalling Draco's words, Ethan declined. "Sorry, Professor. I have plans tonight."
"Reconsider? I need a teaching assistant. You would be perfect," Lockhart said, sounding rushed. Since he lacked actual professors, he resorted to using his admirers as assistants. However, the last one had quit this week, so he was scouting for replacements.
Ethan remained silent. His refusal spoke for itself.
Noting the silence, Lockhart switched tactics. "My Year as a Hogwarts Professor. That will be my next book. If you act as my teaching assistant, I will include your name in the credits."
The Dueling Club was integral to the book he had planned. He had already envisioned spectacular stories for the club, set to unfold over the coming months. If the club disbanded now, he would be forced to fabricate the entire narrative. While invention was his specialty, doing so with hundreds of students as witnesses was risky. Being caught in a lie would be disastrous for his reputation.
"No, Professor. I truly have other plans." Ethan stood his ground. He transfigured the blanket and pillow back to their original forms, stuffed them into his bag, said a polite goodbye, and walked away without a backward glance, ignoring Lockhart's shouts behind him.
As he made his way back, disdain filled Ethan's thoughts. *New book? My Year as a Hogwarts Professor? More like My Year as a Prisoner in Azkaban! I have no clue how much of the old wizard's memory has recovered. Simply surviving until the end of the year would be a miracle.*
After a refreshing two-hour nap, he felt revitalized. He pulled out the structural diagram of the Common Welsh Green to study. While he had no desire to perform the Common Welsh Green Transfiguration, it served as a backup plan, so he memorized every detail.
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