Some students at Hogwarts looked at Sean through the lens of their parents' opinions.
Most of them kept their thoughts to themselves.
But not everyone was so subtle.
The older student standing in front of Sean—Keith Brent—had no problem saying it directly to his face.
"Are you planning to report me to Filch?" Sean asked calmly. "That would cost Slytherin points."
Keith obviously had no intention of making Slytherin lose points.
Instead, he spoke in a warning tone.
"Don't let me catch you doing it again."
"What's going on here?"
Chris suddenly appeared in the common room.
Keith glanced at her and said nothing more before leaving.
Sean was about to head back to his dormitory when Chris stopped him.
"Sean, some people at Hogwarts aren't very friendly toward you," she said. "Keith Brent is one of them. His father and grandfather both work at the Ministry of Magic, so they're prejudiced against you."
"So his family works at the Ministry," Sean said calmly. "I figured as much. It doesn't matter. I don't care what they say."
"You applied to Professor Dumbledore for final exams in six subjects, didn't you?" Chris asked curiously. "If you pass, you won't have to attend those classes anymore?"
"Yes."
"Well then," she said with a smile, "I wish you luck."
"Thanks. I'm going back to rest."
After returning to his room, Sean took out a brand-new notebook and placed Snape's old textbook in front of him.
He pointed his wand at a quill.
"Quick-Quotes Quill."
This was a spell Sean had learned from an old magic book in the junk shop.
The quill immediately began copying the contents of Snape's textbook into Sean's blank notebook.
It was slightly different from a true Quick-Quotes Quill.
That magical quill could write automatically based on the user's thoughts.
Sean's spell could only copy existing text.
All Sean had to do was turn the page whenever the quill finished copying one.
About half an hour later, the quill finished the entire book.
Sean carefully stored both the notebook and the textbook.
After washing up, he lay down on the soft bed.
Within minutes, he was fast asleep.
After all, he hadn't stopped moving all day.
Even his mind felt exhausted.
The next morning, the first class of the day was Defense Against the Dark Arts.
The most cursed subject at Hogwarts.
Ever since Voldemort graduated, no professor had been able to hold the position for more than a year.
After leaving Hogwarts, Voldemort had once asked Dumbledore for the job of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
Dumbledore refused.
So Voldemort cursed the position.
From that moment on, no one could hold the job longer than a single year.
The professor teaching Sean's class this year was a sloppy middle-aged man named Borisav Jovic.
Rumor had it that he had once been a Death Eater.
After Voldemort's fall, he had defected to the Ministry of Magic and provided them with the names of many Death Eaters.
"A Death Eater teaching at Hogwarts?" a dark-skinned boy named Lee Jordan asked in disbelief.
"My father said the Ministry assigned him," said Ferrell.
Sean thought to himself that this wasn't even the strangest case.
There was another former Death Eater—Igor Karkaroff—who had done exactly the same thing.
He had betrayed his fellow Death Eaters to the Ministry in exchange for freedom.
Not only that, he had even become the headmaster of Durmstrang Institute.
Of course, when Voldemort eventually returned, Karkaroff was hunted down and killed by the Death Eaters.
"I am your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor," Jovic announced. "Borisav Jovic."
His teeth were slightly black.
When he smiled, the expression looked painfully unnatural, as though someone were whipping him.
"The importance of Defense Against the Dark Arts should already be clear to all of you," he continued.
"If you wish to fight dark magic and dark creatures, this subject is essential."
Jovic walked down from the podium.
He stopped beside Sean's seat in the third row and looked down at him.
"Not everyone can survive an Unforgivable Curse like the Boy Who Lived."
There were two Boys Who Lived—Harry and Sean.
Harry had survived Voldemort's wand and was naturally more famous.
But Jovic was clearly referring to Sean.
"Today," Jovic continued, "we will learn a simple spell."
"Petrificus charm."
"This spell stiffens the enemy's body and prevents movement."
"However, the duration of the effect varies. The stronger the caster's magic and the more stable the magical framework, the longer the paralysis lasts."
"Now, I will demonstrate."
"Does anyone volunteer to assist me?"
The Weasley twins whispered to each other.
"Cooperate with a Death Eater? Are we trying to die early?" Fred muttered.
Even the brave Gryffindors kept their hands down.
The Slytherins lowered their heads and pretended to read their textbooks.
Seeing no volunteers, Jovic turned to Sean.
"Sean, come demonstrate with me."
Of course it's me, Sean cursed inwardly.
He had already felt during the lecture that this professor might target him.
Apparently, his instincts were correct.
Reluctantly, Sean walked up to the podium.
The students below watched him with expressions that looked almost like a farewell ceremony.
The Weasley twins even appeared strangely solemn.
George scribbled something on a piece of paper.
If you survive, we'll pay you back the money.
Jovic and Sean stood about three meters apart on the platform.
Sean drew his wand from his robe and looked straight at the professor.
"In a moment, I will attack you with Petrificus charm," Jovic said. "Don't worry. The spell causes no harm. It only restricts movement."
Sean nodded.
"I'll try to relax, Professor."
"Very well."
"Begin."
"Petrificus charm."
"Petrificus charm."
What happened next stunned everyone.
Sean had cast the spell too.
And it seemed—
he had cast it faster.
When Sean stepped onto the platform, he had already activated his Magic vision.
As Jovic cast the spell, Sean saw that the professor's magical framework formed relatively slowly.
Jovic was relaxed.
After all, this was only a classroom demonstration.
He had slowed both his movements and his incantation.
What he hadn't expected was that a first-year student attending Defense Against the Dark Arts for the very first time could also cast Petrificus charm.
The spell was mentioned in the first-year Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook.
Sean had memorized its magical framework long ago.
It consisted of three interconnected magical structures—more complex than the Levitation Charm.
During the month after buying his wand from Ollivander, Sean had practiced first-year spells repeatedly.
Although Levitation remained his most practiced spell, he could now successfully cast most first-year spells on his first attempt.
Professor Jovic's eyes widened like eggs.
He stood frozen in place.
Completely immobilized.
He had been hit by Sean's Petrificus charm.
Sean turned toward the stunned class.
"Students," he said calmly, like an experienced professor, "this is Petrificus charm."
"Did everyone see it clearly?"
The classroom fell silent.
Then suddenly—
Fred and George jumped to their feet.
"Sean! Sean! Sean!"
They cheered loudly.
After all, Sean had just paralyzed the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
Which meant—
this class was officially over.