HP: A Magical Journey

by Little Merger

Follow Quinn West, who finds himself in the world of Harry Potter, but are things as they seem, is the world he has landed in the same as the one he once read about. Will Quinn able to find his way in this new world? Will he ever be able to feel like he belongs here? What opportunity would the magic of this world provide him? Will it lead him to the light or drown him in the dark?

2. 33 - 64

HP: A Magical Journey #Chapter 33 - Ministry Ball, Fudge, And Greengrass - Read HP: A Magical Journey Chapter 33 - Ministry Ball, Fudge, And Greengrass Online - All Page - NOVEL NEXT

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-*-*-*-*-*-

The Christmas break was here, and like most of the students, Quinn was back at home. He only had a day to rest before his grandfather give him some news.

He was having dinner with George when the older of the two spoke, "Tomorrow, there is a Yuletide ball at the Ministry, and you will be attending the ball with me."

Quinn didn't respond immediately and took a moment to think about this piece of information. He hadn't been to a formal public gathering like this, and if he attended this one, it would be his first one.

"Is my attendance necessary?" probed Quinn as he would prefer not to go to these kinds of events.

George glanced at his grandson and replied, "Yes, you are coming with me tomorrow. You are not allowed to skip this one."

Quinn nodded and asked, "Is it because I have not been to these kinds of events?"

"Yes, you have shown no interest in these types of gathering, so I have not forced you to come with me, but now is high time for people to know that I have another grandchild. Few know that I have another grandchild. It will be beneficial for you to familiarize yourself with people at that ball and at the same time for others to know that there is another person in the West family."

Quinn silently nodded and thought, 'Oh boy, here comes my public debut.'

Quinn thought that he would be busy at the ball, but he was mistaken; Ms. Rosey had him occupied from the moment he woke up. She took him to have a haircut in the morning, and then Quinn spent hours in a clothing store getting fitted for formal robes, and because they were needed later during the evening, and was forced to try on different colors, styles, and fits.

Ms. Rosey even had him dance practice before the ball just to check if he remembered everything; he wanted to argue who he was going to dance with but didn't after seeing the look on Ms. Rosey's face.

And, just when Quinn was about to sit down for a relaxing read, George pulled in him to quiz him about the significant people coming at the ball.

By the time Quinn was free, it was time to get ready for the ball. He put on his newly stitched bespoke robes and waited for his grandfather in the living hall.

When George entered the hall, Quinn asked while sitting on a sofa, "How are we going to the location? Floo, Apparation, or Portkey?"

George replied with a smile on his face, "We are taking a carriage. It is already ready at the front door." He gestured with his chin, "Come on."

Quinn got up from his seat and said, "Oh, is it a flying one; because I haven't gotten on one for a while." Quinn had been on Thestral pulled carriages at Hogwarts, but they didn't fly for safety reasons; students could be rather stupid and reckless.

"Yes, it is a flying carriage. I ordered it for a change," said George as Quinn fell into step with him as they walked to the front door, where Elliot waited to bid them farewell.

Elliot smiled towards Quinn and said, "Young master, don't be pressured. You just have to be your usual charming self, and everything would be alright." He then frowned and whispered, "Don't tell Ms. Rosey about any of this; she will not agree with me at all, and then I would have to sit as she reprimands me."

Quinn chuckled and nodded in reply.

Elliot opened the door, and the grandfather-grandson stepped out as Elliot followed them. In front of the manor stood a carriage with winged horses attached to it.

Quinn moved close to the winged horses and noted, "Judging by the chestnut color, they are of the Aethonan breed."

The winged horse was a magical species of horse, distinct for possessing wings that enabled them to fly. Winged horses were found worldwide, with many different breeds existing, including the Abraxan, Aethonan, Granian, and Thestral. Law required owners of winged horses to cast Disillusionment charms on them regularly.

Aethonan breed of winged horses was popular in Great Britain and Ireland as they were bred in the country and even had winged horse racing leagues similar to the equestrian sport of horse racing.

Quinn looked at the driver who opened the door for them and thought, 'This guy must be pretty good at Disillusionment charms; maybe I should ask for some tips.'

Inside of the carriage was much bigger and quite luxuriously furnished. Quinn sat opposite George, and the driver opened up a window from the front and pointed his wand towards the half glass globe, and a white fire appeared inside the glass globe.

Quinn looked at the white fire and thought about the candle chandelier in his A.I.D office and all other rooms he frequented, 'All the sources of light are flames... maybe I should design a light artifact that uses lighting charms. Now, what would go into creating something like that?'

Elliot peered inside the carriage and wished, "I wish you a safe journey, and I hope you will enjoy the ball."

Quinn smiled and said, "Thank you, Uncle Elliot."

Elliot stepped back and nodded towards the driver, and Quinn heard the crack of a whip. Quinn looked outside the window to see the carriage moving, and after a dozen seconds, the carriage took off the ground into the air. Little by little, the land became distant with other trees and fields around the West Manor.

After taking in the view for a few minutes, Quinn asked, "Is the ball at the ministry?"

In response, George shook his head, "No, they have booked another building for the ball. It is the same building as every year, and to think they would learn to switch things up once in a while."

Usually, Lia would accompany George on these kinds of events; but this year, she was busy with another country's Yuletide ball, maintaining the business relationship in different countries.

- (Scene Break) -

The carriage landed in front of a common-looking building. The driver drove the horse-pulled carriage into an underground floor of the building, functioning as a parking station.

When Quinn and George exited the carriage, a ministry employee was waiting there to receive them. The ministry employee was a young man who stepped forward and greeted George,

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"Good evening, Mr. West. I am Malcolm MacDonald from the Department of International Magical Cooperation. I will be guiding you to the ball this evening."

George nodded and silently followed Malcolm MacDonald, the ministry employee. Quinn walked with his grandfather; he also noticed that Malcolm MacDonald was sneaking peeks towards him.

'Well, it is my first time here. I guess Malcolm MacDonald didn't know about me,' thought Quinn and also made eye contact with Malcolm once, and because of habit, Quinn extended his magic towards Malcolm's mind and felt no shields around his mind, but held back from reading his mind.

After walking for a couple of minutes, they reached the hall. Quinn took in the hall room with its silverish and golden decor, shining every corner of the large room, velvet curtains framing the sides of the hall, and tens of circular tables set up in the hall with a large empty area in the middle for dancing.

In the hall, multiple people dressed in robes and dresses mingling together, talking and laughing with each other.

Malcolm MacDonald turned to face George and said, "I hope you enjoy the evening, Mr. West." and gave Quinn a light nod before leaving the pair.

Quinn followed him with his eyes and saw that he was making a beeline towards a crowd of people, most probably alerting the Minister that George West had arrived.

Quinn looked up at George, asking with his eyes about what he should do. George smiled and replied, "You have to follow me for a while, and after introducing yourself to some significant people, you can relax and do whatever you want for the rest of the evening."

Quinn smiled and nodded, "Alright, let's go and meet some people." He chuckled and added, "How should I play this, maybe a shy kid or maybe a charmer, hmm... should I go the spoiled route?"

George hugged him by the shoulder and warned with a small smile, "Don't cause mischief, and just be yourself."

Quinn grinned and looked around, "Who should we talk to first?"

George shook his head and stated, "We don't need to approach. Just wait, and people will come to us. Let's just grab a spot and let the others come to us." Quinn nodded, impressed by his grandfather's demeanor. George truly believed that people would flock around him.

'He does have the qualifications to back up his confidence,' thought Quinn as he followed George and looked at the back of his grandfather with admiration. If it was social skills and values as a person, Quinn would be fine if he became half as good as George.

George had just picked up a drink for himself, and his previous statement came true as the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Oswald Fudge, walked towards them with a big smile on his face, behind a small group followed. Quinn noticed a woman who looked like a toad, but decided to ignore as long she didn't talk to him.

"Mr. West, you made it. I wasn't sure you would be showing up. I am immensely delighted to see that you are here," the minister said in his most flattering voice.

It made Quinn smile a little when he heard Fudge addressing his grandfather with mister. Quinn clearly recalled that Fudge didn't do that with Albus Dumbledore or even Lucius Malfoy. It just showed how much influence George West held in Britain.

"I had no plans this time of the year, so I decided to accept your invitation, Cornelius," said George with a stoic expression. He swept his eyes to the people behind Fudge, and that made them stand straighter. Even the toad woman didn't say a single word.

George put a hand on Quinn's shoulder and introduced, "Let me introduce you to my grandson Quinn."

All the people at once noticed that there was a kid beside George West. They didn't notice the kid before, and the common thought struck all, 'George West's grandson?!'

Quinn smiled and put out his hand for a handshake, "Happy Yuletide, Minister."

Cornelius Fudge grabbed Quinn's hand while feeling stunned. 'George West had a grandson? Why didn't I know about this?' He also had the urge to grill Malcolm McDonald about why didn't he feel the need to tell about George West's grandson.

"Oh ho, Quinn West, is it? How old are you, Quinn?" smile Fudge.

Quinn let go of Fudge's hand and replied, "I am twelve years old."

'Twelve? Then...', Fudge thought as he asked, "Where are you going to school, Quinn?" He knew that Lia West had studied at Beauxbaton, so he wanted to know where this grandchild studied.

"I study at Hogwarts and am in my second year," Quinn offered politely.

'Oh! this one goes to Hogwarts, excellent!' thought Fudge as he thought about West family money staying in Britain. "I see; how are you liking it?"

"It has been learning about magic. The castle is also quite fascinating," replied Quinn.

George decided to brag about Quinn, "Quinn is at the top of his class. He scored above a hundred percent in Transfiguration, Charms, Herbology, Defense Against Dark Arts, and Astronomy."

Fudge clapped and smiled, "Excellent! Excellent! It is important to be a good student."

With that, Quinn spent some time standing by his grandfather while George chatted with the minister. After that, George allowed Quinn to leave his side and do whatever he wanted.

"Just come see me once in a while so that I know you are still in the hall," warned George before letting him go. Quinn had met the minister, so it wouldn't be long before he would be known throughout the ball and later to more people.

Quinn nodded and decided to see if there was something for him to drink here. He walked to the bar and got a glass of a pineapple orange punch to drink. Quinn walked across the hall and looked at people to see if he recognized someone, and as he was sipping from his glass, he heard a startled voice, "You!"

Quinn turned back with the glass still at his lips and saw a familiar blonde dressed in a lavender dress standing in front of him as she stared at him with a stunned look on her face.

Quinn removed the glass as he smiled towards the girl and said, "Looking good, Greengrass."

The stunned-looking blonde was his junior Daphne Greengrass. Quinn slowly walked towards her and took her gloved hand, bent over it and placed a kiss on her knuckles, and wished, "Happy Yuletide."

Daphne was still stunned seeing Quinn here at the ministry as she knew little about Quinn, so it came as a surprise to her to see him here at the ball. Then she felt a heat rush through her cheeks when he complimented her and kissed her hand.

It was when Quinn stepped back that she snapped out of her state and pulled her emotional occlumency skills to get control of her emotions and erase the blush off her cheeks.

"You were invited to the ball?" Daphne immediately asked.

Quinn nodded and answered, "Yes, well, my grandfather was invited, and I am here with him."

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Daphne hummed as she wondered who Quinn's grandfather was.

"Would you like something to drink?" politely asked Quinn. When Daphne nodded, Quinn walked back to the bar to get her a drink and refill his own.

"So, who did you come with?" Quinn asked as he handed Daphne a glass of strawberry punch.

"With my parents."

Daphne's parents were Jacob and Sophie Greengrass. Jacob Greengrass was the head of the Grey political faction, and his wife Sophie Greengrass was no slouch either; she was the one who organized all the Grey faction gathering at her home to keep the Grey faction close with the help of these gatherings. The Grey faction members and families frequented Sophie's events to exchange information and strengthen their connections to remain strong and a tight bunch within Wizengamot. Her contributions to the faction made her one of the core members of the Grey faction.

"So, what does your grandfather do?" a nonchalant question came from Daphne as she sipped her punch.

Quinn glanced at her, 'Look at her, discreetly trying to fish for information, so sneaky,' it made Quinn smile inwardly. He gave the question thought for a split second and answered, "My grandfather owns the Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop in Hogsmeade. Proudly supplying quills and parchment to Hogwarts since I don't know when."

It was technically a legitimate answer, and Quinn wasn't lying; he was just omitting most of the things his grandfather did for a living.

"Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop...?" Daphne asked, not sure what to make of what Quinn had told her, 'Is a Quill and Parchment Shop enough to be invited to a ministry ball?'

"Yes, Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop, you must have ordered some stationary through mail order," said Quinn while enjoying the confusion that Daphne was feeling.

"Y-Yes, I have." said the girl. She wanted to ask how warranted an invitation to the ministry ball but held back as it would come out as rude.

'This is so much fun.' Quinn was going to have some more, but their conversation was interrupted when a lady appeared and spoke, "Daphne, dear."

A lady dressed in dark forest green walked to the pair and called for Daphne, and the girl turned to address the lady, "Yes, mum?"

Sophie Greengrass had the same blonde hair as her daughter, but unlike her daughter, who had blue eyes, she had hazel irises. She had her blonde locks styled in a single braid falling over her shoulder and had simple-yet-elegant jewelry adorning her neck and ears, and looked overall a graceful and stunning woman.

Quinn's mischievous thoughts all vanished as he single-mindedly stared at the lady in front of him. Quinn couldn't take his eyes off of her and simply looked at her without blinking.

'Beautiful,' was the only word he could think of to describe her. He could do better, but right now, Quinn wasn't thinking normally.

"Daphne, would you introduce your friend to me," Sophie Greengrass asked her daughter; she knew how her daughter was when it came to friends, so it came as a surprise when she saw her daughter talk to a person Sophie didn't recognize, much less a boy.

Daphne nodded and introduced, "This is Quinn West; he studies at Hogwarts, second-year, Ravenclaw."

Sophie's pupils widened a fraction as he heard the surname West. She carefully looked at the now introduced Quinn West and saw the black hair and stone-grey eyes.

'He is from the West family, alright; the features match. I didn't know that he had another child in his family,' thought Sophie as she watched Quinn.

Quinn, who was stunned because of Sophie Greengrass, came back to his senses and stepped closer to her and took her hand to kiss her knuckles. Quinn looked up and asked, "Ma'am, are you by chance a Veela?" Words of flattery flowed out Quinn's mouth as he held Sophie's hand.

Sophie was surprised for a second before a chuckle escaped her lips as he smiled at the little guy in front of her while the other Greengrass looked scandalized at her schoolmate's words.

"No, little child, I am not a Veela," said a smiling Sophie Greengrass.

Quinn shook his head and said, "Please, call me Quinn."

Daphne cleared her throat and frowned towards Quinn, "Would you let go of my mother's hand, already."

Quinn looked at his own hands and saw that he was still holding Sophie's hands and let go of her hand, "My apologies." He felt a heat of embarrassment rush to his cheeks but shook it off without any delay and asked, "May I know your name, my lady?"

"My name is Sophie Greengrass from the house of Greengrass," she replied with a beautiful smile on her face and offered a question of her own, "By any chance, are you related to George West."

Quinn straightened up at that question and nodded with a modest smile on his face, "Yes, Mrs. Greengrass, I am Quinn West, grandson of George West. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Quinn, I must ask; I have never seen you before. Usually, it is your grandfather, or sometimes your sister, but it is the first time I have seen you."

"Indeed, it is my first time at one of these events. I must say just meeting you have made coming to this ball worth it," Quinn didn't know why, but he was laying it on thick.

Sophie once again chuckled at the flattering words before turning to Daphne, "I have interrupted enough; I will leave you two alone." She needed to tell her husband about George West's other grandchild and how apparently he was friends with their daughter.

She nodded towards Quinn, who waved her goodbye and sighed with a smile on his face. He turned to Daphne and said, "Now, where were we?"

Daphne just glared at Quinn and walked away, and Quinn followed after her while saying, "Hey, what did I do? Greengrass? Greengrass?!"

-*-*-*-*-*-

Quinn West - MC - Dressed Up - Smitten at first sight.

George West - Grandfather - Manners Maketh Man.

Cornelius Fudge - Minister - Master boot licker.

Daphne Greengrass - Greengrass Family - Currently Cross with Quinn.

Sophie Greengrass - Greengrass Family - Perfect example of Beauty and Brains.

-*-*-*-*-*-

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-*-*-*-*-*-

It took a while before Quinn could make Daphne talk to him again. Quinn felt embarrassed because of his reaction towards Daphne's mother, Sophie Greengrass, and apologized to Daphne for them.

'But, she is absolutely gorgeous,' he thought but didn't say it out loud in the fear that the only person he could talk to at the ball would not speak to him again.

"So, Daphne, tell me about Slytherin common room; I want to know the difference between all four houses' common room; if you tell me, I will tell you about the Ravenclaw common room, " asked Quinn, hoping to break the ice and keep the conversation going.

Daphne took a moment to compose her words before saying, "Our common room is a dungeon-like room with greenish lamps and chairs. The dungeon extends partway under the lake, giving the light in the room a green tinge."

Quinn stopped her and asked with wide eyes, "You are saying that the Slytherin common room had windows that show an underwater scene?" It fascinated for him to hear about such architectural design in Slytherin's common room.

Daphne lightly nodded and added, "The water near the windows is never murky, allowing a lot of light to pass through, and because of the lake, the color of the light is a really bewitching green. The common room has lots of low-backed black and dark green button-tufted, leather sofas; and dark wood cupboards. It is decorated with tapestries featuring the adventures of famous Medieval Slytherins. It has quite a grand atmosphere, albeit quite a cold one."

"Have you seen the giant squid from the common room windows?" he asked, genuinely excited about the scenery. Daphne looked at him, her eyes shining, "Yes, I have seen the tentacles of the giant squid, often they would pass by the windows, and the sound of swishing water created is quite relaxing, especially at night."

She looked at Quinn and asked, "Your turn." Quinn smiled and revealed, "Hmm... Ravenclaw common room has an exclusive library that is furnished by Professor Flitwick; he makes sure that they are relevant to the current topics in the class and quite a few interesting reads outside of the classroom material."

"That sounds like a significant advantage to the Ravenclaw students," said Daphne, showing a glimpse of her competitive side.

Quinn shrugged and countered, "Professor Snape gives private Potion and Defense Against Dark Arts lessons to Slytherin students; that is also a significant advantage. I have heard that a lot of Slytherin students perform well in exam practicals."

"How did you know that? We aren't allowed to reveal that to anyone outside the house," Daphne asked with suspicion evident in her turquoise-blue eyes.

Quinn scoffed, "Not all Slytherin are secretive. Some of your housemates can be quite braggy when they think no one is listening." When Daphne quirked her brow, Quinn winked mischievously.

Quinn looked at Daphne and said, "My grandfather said to show up to see him once in a while. How about we go see him? You seemed interested in meeting him."

Daphne nodded, thinking about when her mother asked Quinn if he was related to George West.

"Excellent, let's see... where is he?" Quinn looked around the hall, spotted a small group, and saw his grandfather standing tall among the people. "There is he, let's go."

- (Scene Break) -

George West was mingling with other people at the ball, listening to their offers of so-called once-in-a-lifetime business opportunities with one ear and zoning out their actually third-rate business plans with another ear.

"Grandfather," he heard the familiar voice of his grandson and turned back to see Quinn walking towards him. It greatly surprised George to see Quinn walking with a girl.

"Grandfather, let me introduce," Quinn gestured towards the girl with him and continued, "Daphne Greengrass, a... friend of mine from Hogwarts."

Quinn turned to Daphne and repeated, "This is my grandfather, George West."

'A Greengrass, huh,' thought George as he smiled towards the girl and said, "Happy Yuletide, little lady." After greeting her, he asked, "Are you related to Jacob Greengrass?"

Daphne Greengrass nodded while courtesying, "Yes, I am Jacob Greengrass's daughter."

Speaking of the devil, Jacob Greengrass appeared with Sophie Greengrass just as Daphne finished introduced herself.

"A happy Yuletide to you, Mr. West." said the man as he strolled to the group with a smile on his face. Jacob Greengrass was a tall man with black hair and blue eyes; he had traditional aristocratic features with an angular face and a strong jawline.

Quinn observed the man named Jacob Greengrass and noticed, 'His legs are aligned with his shoulders... five inches apart, weight is distributed equally, and his whole body is projected as a straight line. Standard body language for confidence.'

Jacob had a glass in one hand, and his other arm was looped with his wife's arm. Quinn moved his eyes to look at the Greengrass couple as a whole and saw comfortable chemistry between the two, none of the pair overshadowing each other.

'Yeah, this guy is set.' thought Quinn as he concluded studying Jacob Greengrass.

George greeted the man with a firm handshake, "Jacob." Jacob freed his arm from his wife's and shook it back. George looked at Sophie and smiled while kissing her knuckles, "Sophie."

He looked at the pair greeted them together, "A Prosperous Yuletide to you as well."

"Did you meet my eldest daughter?" said Jacob while glancing at Daphne with a warm smile.

George nodded in response, "Yes, my grandson introduced me to her." He patted Quinn's shoulder.

Quinn stepped forward and shook hands with Jacob Greengrass, "Happy Yuletide, Mr. Greengrass. My name is Quinn West." He turned to Sophie Greengrass and smiled, "We meet again, Mrs. Greengrass."

"So, I hear you study at Hogwarts. How are you finding studying?" said Jacob as he observed Quinn.

"Yes, sir. I am a second-year student, Ravenclaw. As for studying, it is quite exciting to learn magic every day. The teachers are talented and helpful... well, most of them are." When Quinn said that, Daphne almost snorted, thinking about the droning Binns and stuttering Quirrell.

"Good, good, Sophie was a Ravenclaw when she was studying at Hogwarts, and I was a Slytherin," said Jacob as he looked at his wife.

Quinn nodded, and a stray thought passed his mind, 'Beauty and Brains...' he thought about Sophie and then mentally shook his head, 'Focus, Quinn!' Though he did brightly smile towards Sophie when he heard she was a Ravenclaw.

Jacob glanced at Daphne before asking, "How did you get to meet my daughter?"

Quinn smiled while recalling the train ride to Hogwarts, "I met her during the train ride to Hogwarts. She and Tracey Davis came to my compartment looking for a space to sit." His interactions that day made him chuckle, "It was quite the fun train ride."

- (Scene Break) -

After talking for a while, Quinn and Daphne decided to leave the adults and talk amongst themselves, but just a minute after leaving the adults, they heard,

"Greengrass, fancy meeting you here."

Both of them turned back to see a slender boy with sleek platinum-blond hair that were slicked back tightly. He had cold-grey eyes, a pale complexion, and rather sharp and pointed features.

When Quinn saw the boy, a smile appeared on his face while Daphne sighed in exasperation.

"Mr. Malfoy, indeed, it is quite a fancy meeting you here," said Quinn as he grinned at Draco. Looking at the smiling Quinn made Daphne calm down and made Draco frown.

"You!" Draco immediately recognized Quinn and was shocked to see him here. "What are you doing here?"

Quinn looked around the hall before answering, "You know, attending the ball, enjoying some delicacies, what people do at balls..."

"I mean, what are you doing at the ministry ball!" Draco's eyes narrowed, "Who would invite someone like you!"

Quinn shrugged, "It is the ministry ball, so I guess the ministry... why where did you get your invitation. Mr. Malfoy, you might not like to hear this but, if you got your invitation from somewhere else, it might not be valid. It could get you into trouble." By the end, Quinn had a look of fake worry on his face. He thoroughly enjoyed Draco's red face.

"Greengrass, why would you like to hang with someone like him. He has no respect for his betters," asked Draco, not answering Quinn's retort.

"Better him than you," was all she said in response. Hearing that, Quinn voiced his discontent, "Hey... that makes it sound as I am on the same level as him. Not cool, and I bought you a drink."

Daphne said nothing in response, and Quinn crossed his arms in mock-anger.

Seeing the two ignore him, Draco stomped in rage and stormed off.

Quinn looked back towards Draco, not hearing him, but didn't see him in front of them. "Where did he go? I didn't get to wish him a happy Yuletide."

"He left when you were being dramatic," Daphne replied. Quinn quirked his brow, "Dramatic? You hurt me, Greengrass. I am not dramatic; I just have a colorful personality."

"Right..."

"There is he, father." Quinn turned to see Draco dragging Lucius Malfoy with him.

'Draco, what are you doing, man. You are really hurting my impression of you.' was Quinn's thoughts before Draco and Lucius Malfoy arrived near him.

"So, you are the one who is insulting him," sneered Lucius as he looked down at Quinn. Quinn looked confused, "You seem to be misinformed; I said nothing of sorts to your son."

"He lies; he made fun of me at the Hogwarts Express and just before," screamed Draco as he pointed at Quinn.

Lucius looked at Quinn and noticed that the child was just smiling, not looking nervous at all. So, he decided to inform the ignorant child who he was dealing with.

"Child, what is your name, and where are your parents? Call them so I can have a talk with them and teach them how to raise a child," sneered Lucius.

Quinn nodded and replied, "Okay, wait a moment. I will bring my parents." Then Quinn ran off to follow Lucius' orders.

Draco sneered and announced, "He will finally get what was coming for him."

After a minute, Quinn back and called out to Lucius, "I brought him."

Lucius smirked as he thought about ripping into some chump, but when he turned back, Lucius froze. The person he saw shocked him out of his mind.

"What is this I hear, Lucius. You are taking part in children's squabble," said George West as he stared at Lucius with a seemingly bored expression.

Lucius stared wordlessly at one of the people he feared. If Lucius Malfoy considered Jacob Greengrass his rival, then George West was another level than him. George West was a sleeping threat to his political and financial authority in Britain.

When he was young, his father, Abraxas Malfoy, had told him that when it came to money, West family outclassed every other family in Britain, including the Blacks, when they were at their highest point. He had told Lucius that, unlike the other British families, the West family business spanned across continents; If they deployed all their resources, they could take over magical Britain's economy.

After that, Lucius Malfoy had firsthand seen George West's viciousness in business. George West had left the country before the war got worse. When it ended, there were opportunities to make money, and Lucius wanted to use this chance to recover the wealth he had lost in the war. But by the time he was done with his trials at the ministry, George West had nonchalantly returned to Britain and took advantage of the aftermath of the war before Lucius could even start. Even Jacob Greengrass had difficulty competing for resources, even though Greengrass was the first to start.

"Mr. West, I heard you were at the ball. But, why are you following this child?" asked Lucius, praying that it won't be what he was thinking; Alas, it was the thing he was fearing.

"This is my grandson, Quinn West. You asked for him to get his parents, so I came, now what is it you wanted to talk about," said George.

Lucius looked down towards Quinn and saw the striking similarities between him and George West; both had black hair and stone-grey eyes.

"I didn't know you were his grandfather," said Lucius, not knowing what to say next.

"Now you know, so what is it you want to talk about," asked George.

Lucius cursed his luck that bought him face to face against this man, "It is nothing, I just wanted to solve this children's fight peacefully. You know how children can take things too far."

"I see, then I proclaim this squabble over," said George and turned to Quinn. "Quinn, behave and get along with others," but he didn't sound serious at all.

"Come now, Lucius, accompany me for a drink. Let's talk business. I have been doing some stuff you would absolutely love to hear about," said George with a smile that didn't fit well with Lucius at all.

Quinn watched as the two adults walked away, and Lucius was not looking enthusiastic at all. He turned to face Draco and said, "Ah, Mr. Malfoy, I missed the chance, but I wish you a happy Yuletide."

Malfoy looked awkward, standing in front of Quinn and Daphne, not knowing what to do. He had called his father to take care of Quinn, but somehow his father had been taken away by another man with his father not being able to refuse.

Listening to Quinn wish him a happy Yuletide was all the 'humiliation' he could take for the day and stomped away.

Daphne turned to Quinn and asked, "Do you dislike Malfoy?"

Quinn shook his head, answering, "Not at all. It takes a lot more than that to make me dislike someone. Maybe a couple more years of this on a regular basis would be enough for me to develop a dislike for him. I don't even consider him an annoyance at this point." Quinn cared little for Draco's attitude and found it not worth his time to care for his silly, spoiled behavior.

He turned to Daphne and asked, "Do you want to dance?"

Daphne stood still and blinked a couple of times, "Why?"

"I have been learning to dance for so many years; it would be a waste not to make use of it," said Quinn while shrugging.

The blonde stared at Quinn for a while before nodding. Quinn smiled and extended his hand to Daphne, who took it and let Quinn lead her onto the floor.

On the floor, both Quinn and Daphne straightened their backs and stepped closer to each other. Quinn took Daphne's raised right hand in his raised left hand, and Quinn placed his right on her shoulder blade while she put her left on his shoulder. Daphne shifted a smidge to her left such that she would be on Quinn's right, so their legs move between each other and knees don't hit.

When they were set, Quinn took the lead, and both began dancing, with Quinn pleasantly smiling as he made conversation, "Any plans for the vacations?"

"Spend some time with my sister; she felt down when I left for Hogwarts and was quite excited when I returned home for the break," said Daphne, a soft look in her usually sharp eyes.

She looked at Quinn, expecting him to answer his own question.

"Hmm... I will probably remain at home for the break, doing nothing interesting. Oh, yeah, I am going to learn how to make clothes."

Daphne tipped her head to the side, "You mean sewing?"

Quinn nodded enthusiastically, "Kind of; I found a book list on tailoring charms and how to make all kinds of clothes from different fabrics like cotton, wool, even leather. I skimmed through it, and the books also show how to weave various charms into threads or clothes," he remembered how Madam Malkin's shop had prepared his clothes in such a short time. Even the robes he was wearing today were made within hours.

"I am most excited to work on the leather of different animals and beasts. Oh, goody!" Quinn finished with a twinkle in his eyes.

"You are weird," was all Daphne said in reply. She also complimented him, "You are a good dancer."

Quinn smiled, "Only because you are making leading so easy." Complimenting her in an offhand way.

- (Scene Break) -

"Look dear, Daphne is dancing," said Sophie Greengrass, getting the attention of her husband.

Jacob Greengrass turned his head to see his eldest daughter dancing on the floor, "With the West boy," he looked closer and added, "And, she is talking with him."

Sophie rested a hand on her cheek and commented, "They look cute, maybe, I should ask the person with the camera to snap some photos."

Jacob hummed, not liking the idea at all. His eyes narrowing as he watched the West boy chuckle, and even though his daughter wasn't, he could tell that she was enjoying herself.

Jacob glanced towards George West, who was talking with a clearly uncomfortable-looking Lucius Malfoy. He turned back to look at the dancing pair.

Sophie Greengrass looped her arm around her husband's arm and asked, "Would you like to dance?"

Jacob looked at his wife, smiling, "Of course, my lady. I would love to have this dance with you." He took her hand and guided her to the floor.

-*-*-*-*-*-

Quinn West - MC - Want to make himself a whip, "Heeyah!"

Daphne Greengrass - Dance Partner - Currently enjoying dancing.

Draco Malfoy - Red-faced and angry. - Sulking in a corner.

Lucius Malfoy - Clearly uncomfortable - Not enjoying the ball.

-*-*-*-*-*-

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-*-*-*-*-*-

The break ended, and the Hogwarts student population returned to the castle via the Hogwarts Express. A snowy Hogwarts castle greeted them, with its entirety covered in ice and snow because of the January snowfall. Even in the cold, the castle looked majestic and full of life.

Quinn passed by the common room when he noticed Michael Corner and Anthony Goldstein sitting in front of a foxglove herb sitting in a jar. Anthony had the glass jar in his hand, his other hand on the lid, unscrewing it.

Quinn frowned and immediately whipped out his fake-wand and shot a light Pinching hex on Anthony's hand that was unscrewing the lid.

"Ouch," squealed Anthony as he rubbed the back of his hand on his robes. Both of them turned to the offender and watched Quinn walk towards them.

"What was that for?" asked Anthony as he frowned at Quinn.

Quinn pointed at the foxglove jar, "That herb is poisonous. You would definitely have gone to the Hospital Wing if you had picked it with bare hands. It can lead to death, and if Professor Snape found out, he would make your life miserable in the potions lesson," He waved his fake wand, and the glass jar floated from Anthony's hands back to the table.

"Just a piece of advice, when handling potion ingredients or tending to herbs in herbology, always," Quinn repeated, "... always, wear gloves. It is much safer and is an excellent work habit."

Quinn sat down near them, took out a pair of leather gloves from his robes, and put them on. Micheal's brow twitched; he looked towards Quinn's face and asked, "You keep gloves in your robes?"

Quinn nodded, picking up the glass jar, looking at the foxglove, "I have all sorts of things in my robes; gloves is just one of those things." He looked at Anthony and questioned, "What are you brewing with a foxglove?"

Micheal took out the first-year potions book from his bookbag and showed it to Quinn.

"We are preparing for the Pompion Potion that Professor Snape is going to teach in our next potions class."

Quinn glanced at the chapter for the Pompion Potion and smiled as he recalled its effects. "Ah, the potion that turns the drinker's head into a pumpkin. This was a good one," chuckled Quinn. Last year, he had used the potion on himself to scare many unsuspecting Ravenclaw's as they entered the common room on Halloween. It scared the crap out of them to see a pumpkin head charge towards them.

Anthony nodded but frowned in criticism, "Why didn't they teach us this before Halloween? It would have been perfect for Halloween."

"They teach it after Halloween because the staff doesn't want hordes of students with pumpkin heads on Halloween, though it would be quite fun to orchestrate such a scene," said Quinn, flipping through the pages of the book. He had learned to brew this potion when he was eight with Elliot at the West Manor.

"Why do they even this type of potion," asked Micheal, not seeing the practical use of the spell.

"Turning a person's head into a pumpkin sure isn't practical, but the reason it is taught because it is one of the simpler transfiguration potions. Pompion Potion is the best way to introduce this line of potions to students," explained Quinn as he returned the book to Micheal.

If Pompion Potion was on the simple end of the transfiguration potion difficulty scale, then Polyjuice Potion was on the hard end of the Transfiguration potions.

"Hmm... okay, keep this in mind," Quinn waved his wand, and a transfigured replica of foxglove appeared on the table. He took out a knife from his robes and removed the cover from the blade.

"You would want to slice the foxglove at a diagonal angle, like this." Quinn showed the type of cut on the transfigured foxglove. "This way, you would get maximum surface area on the slices. It is an important part of the recipe for Pompion Potion."

They did not specify the instruction to slice foxglove in the recipe from the Hogwarts book. Quinn had researched foxglove and its properties, the Pompion Potion, and why was foxglove used in the potion. From all these things, Quinn was able to discover the ideal cut for the foxglove.

"Something as simple as a specific way to cut a single ingredient can change how the potion would end up at the end. Always research the ingredients before you brew," advised Quinn as he cleaned his knife before sheathing it back into the covers and storing his things back into his robes.

"Remember it or note it down before I vanish it," said Quinn to the two first years. The two scrambled, fishing out their parchments to write everything Quinn had told them.

Quinn vanished the transfigured foxglove and said while getting up, "Always remember to wear gloves while handling herbs and potion ingredients. Now, see you guys later."

Anthony and Micheal looked at each other before taking out their gloves from their bookbags, wearing them so that they could get a hand on the real foxglove.

- (Scene Break) -

After curfew, Quinn searched the corridors of the fifth-floor, looking for the first vault. He had scoured the fourth and fifth floor with the bare eye but had found nothing out of the ordinary, but after returning from the Christmas break, he had switched his means of investigating by using various detection magics.

Wisps of magic emanated from Quinn towards all walls, floors, and the ceiling. Quinn was walking around, checking his surroundings for illusions, hollow walls, trap doors, heat signatures, out-of-place charms planted into the walls, or any parameter that Quinn could think about and find in books on detection magic.

Quinn walked with his eyes on Recon, checking and making sure that he wasn't seen. When he reached the left-most corridor on the fifth floor, various detection spells returned positive feedback from a specific square piece of wall.

"What do we have here?" said Quinn as he stepped back from the wall, shooting another wave of detection spells on the wall and once again getting positive feedback.

"Great, this is great," said Quinn, walking to the wall and putting his hand on it, funneling magic into the wall, trying distinct patterns and arrangements to get some kind of reaction.

After trying various methods, the wall gave no reaction whatsoever. It didn't budge, shift, morph, or outright disappear.

"This is the wall. It has to be," said Quinn, summoning Recon and shifting it to his current position. He placed his finger on the wall's position on Recon, marking it so that Quinn could easily find his way to this area of the fifth floor.

"I need to find a way to unlock this wall," muttered Quinn, staring at the unassuming wall. It had no distinct features than the surrounding walls, but Quinn could feel the variety of charms placed into the bricks making up the wall.

After observing the wall for another half an hour, Quinn moved away from the wall. He was thoroughly determined to do some research work to find what the charmed wall was hiding.

- (Scene Break) -

"Test #1: Projecting magic in the pattern of {mannaz} alphabet. Alphabet meaning: Man," announced Quinn as a charmed pen that did the same work as a dictation pen, wrote notes for Quinn.

With his hand on the wall, Quinn sent his magic into the wall. Tracing the pre-decided pattern. A pattern appeared on the wall in the shape of the {mannaz} alphabet.

The wall glowed once, but the glow died down, and the wall showed no sign of change.

Quinn cracked his knuckles and announced to his dicta-pen.

"Test #2: Projecting magic in the pattern of {mannaz} alphabet. Alphabet meaning: Man. Applied in a triangle configuration."

This time three {mannaz} alphabets glowed on the wall, and when they fully formed, three faint lines of magic joined them to each other. The wall glowed up and died down, but Quinn saw no difference in the wall.

"Test #3: Projecting magic in the pattern of {mannaz} alphabet. Alphabet meaning: Man. Applied in a pentagon configuration."

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"Test #83: Projecting magic in the pattern of {gyfu} alphabet. Alphabet meaning: Gift. Applied in an off-side double star configuration."

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"Test #346: Projecting magic in the pattern of {feoh}, {eoel}, and {entrok} alphabets. Alphabet meanings: Castle, estate, entrance. Applied in a linear configuration."

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"Test #421: Projecting magic in the pattern of {isa}, and {logr} alphabets. Alphabet meanings: Ice and sea. Applied in an overlapping configuration."

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"Test #613: Projecting magic in the pattern of {feir}, {agni}, {wirl}, and {oen} alphabets. Alphabet meanings: Fire, fire, wall, and open. Applied in a diamond configuration."

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After two months of running tests on the bloody piece of wall that refused to budge, Quinn finally got a hit.

"Test # 713: Projecting magic in the pattern of {isa}, {isaz}, {Yr}, and {is} alphabets. Alphabet meanings: Ice, Ice, Death, and Ice. Applied in a dual-branch (Y) configuration."

Quinn's one hand was on the wall while he was holding his notes in his other hand. Quinn wasn't expecting the wall to open and read the next configuration from his one thousand pattern list.

But, his eyes widen when the patterns he was funneling magic in glowed, glowed brighter than ever in his two-month-long trials. Quinn stepped back a step, looking with wide eyes as he saw the bricks vibrate and came to a sudden stop.

Line-by-line, the bricks moved aside, leaving a square entrance in the wall he had spent hours in front of.

"Merlin, Morgana, Solomon, Circe...! The stupid wall opened up. Take that you unresponsive, dumb, freaking mad piece of brick," shouted Quinn as he collected his notes, storing them into his bookbag. Quinn vanished the barstool he was sitting on and gleefully yet carefully entered the entrance in the wall.

Quinn stepped into the opening and felt that he passed through a membrane. The moment he stepped past the membrane, a freezing cold suddenly appeared, lowering the surrounding temperature drastically.

"W-Woah, Friar w-wasn't j-oki-ng when he said a v-vault so co-o-o-ld that even d-death might die," said Quinn as his teeth rattled because of the cold.

The charms in his clothes did absolutely nothing to shield Quinn from the biting cold as he walked deeper into the new corridor. Within a few steps, there was a thin layer of ice on the walls, and Quinn's breath became visible.

Quinn could barely get by; he had to ramp the heat around him with magic so that he could function normally in the freezing cold. Even then, he still felt cold because he couldn't turn the heat up anymore in fear of burning his clothes.

Slowly, the ice got thicker, and the surrounding turned icy-blue because of the thick casings of ice everywhere.

After a short walk, Quinn finally reached a pure icy-blue corner of the corridor. The height and width of the corridor increased to open into an enormous gate. A gate made of pure ice, and in front of the gate was lazily spinning snowflake-shaped icicle. The snowflake was huge, big enough to cover the enormous gate.

Quinn climbed down the stairs that lead to the larger end of the corridor, but the moment Quinn climbed down the last step, the cold, which he thought was already freezing, turned into a cold so frigid, so bone-biting that Quinn's body immediately began showing signs of hypothermia.

Quinn looked down to see his fingers slowly turning blue, freezing over. Ice began covering his hair, quickly freezing them. Quinn's heartbeat began to slow down, and his eyesight started to turn dim. And, these were the things that Quinn could feel. There were a lot more symptoms that Quinn wasn't even aware of.

Quinn's survival instincts started to go crazy as his entire being screamed at him to leave this place. It took all of Quinn's focus and the entirety of his magic capabilities to push himself back up the stairs and escape the freezing cold.

The moment the cold reduced, Quinn collapsed on the floor. The surrounding temperature felt like heaven compared to the frigid hell down the steps.

Quinn's body started to glow a bright red as his magic began to show itself in this time of need. Quinn's magic began operating on its own, working to keep him alive. Raising the temperature of his body, preventing him from going into shock. His magic was responding to his will and wish to live, a special brand of accidental magic. All Quinn could do was to make sure he was awake and not unconscious, giving his magic a fair chance to fight for survival.

And, that was what he did, staring at the ceiling with wide eyes as his pale body laid on the floor, waiting and wishing for his magic to make it so that he could live past this disaster.

The red light formed a cacoon around Quinn, completely covering him in its light.

- (Scene Break) -

Quinn didn't know how much time had passed, but the red cacoon of light subsided, and he was finally in a condition to eventually able to stand up. His legs felt like lead and jelly at the same time. Quinn slowly dragged his weak and dead pale body out of the Icy corridor to the fifth-floor corridor. He was so out of it that he didn't even notice the wall close behind him.

Currently, Quinn only had one objective, and that was to haul himself to the Hospital Wing. Slowly but surely, Quinn made his way from the fifth floor to the first floor where the Hospital Wing was located. Quinn had to be extra careful at the grand staircase, so the journey was excruciatingly long. Quinn almost fainted several times along the way.

Quinn entered the Hospital Wing and plopped himself on one of the beds. The room was dim, with scare lighting from the few candles and moonlight. The time was already past midnight, and the room was dead silent. He dazedly looked around the room to see if there was anyone here but couldn't find a patient or the Matron.

Quinn wasn't even sure how to call for the Matron, Madam Poppy Pomfrey. He had been to the Hospital Wing, but he never interacted with the medi-witch who ran this whole operation. He didn't have the magic or mental faculties to heal himself from this, so she was his only choice.

Quinn wheezed in pain and fatigue; it was getting difficult for him to stay awake. The moment he had stood up in the Icy corridor, his magic was back in his control, no longer working on its own. So, Quinn had consciously maintained his body temperature throughout his journey and barely had any magic left in him; the accidental magic had taken a lot out of him, leaving him peanuts to work with.

Eventually, Quinn ran out of magic and sank into unconsciousness. With the last drop of magic exhausted, Quinn fell unconscious, saying goodbye to the conscious world.

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- (Scene Break) -

.

Quinn groggily woke up to see the Hospital Wing ceiling he had fallen unconscious to last night. Unlike last night, Quinn felt warm and cozy and not the freezing and frigid cold of last night.

Quinn could see the daylight coming from the windows, illuminating the room. He had slept through the night. He could feel a bed cover on his body, which meant that Madame Pomfrey had found him and had at least started his treatment.

He tried to get up but felt a body-wide pain erupt from every corner.

"Aaaaaaah!" he yelled in pain as he collapsed back on the bed. The pain came from his bones, skin, organs, head, and everywhere Quinn could imagine.

"Oh, Morgana! You are awake, Mr. West," said a voice, moving closer to him.

Quinn slowly turned his neck, not wanting the pain to assault him again, to see Madame Pomfrey, dressed in her usual medi-witch uniform, standing by his bedside, casting charms all over his body. Various spell lights made contact with his body, telling Madame Pomfrey the current status of his health.

"Should I set my affairs in order, Madam Pomfrey..." said Quinn in a crackling, barely audible voice. He tried to crack a joke, but his voice turned it into a morbid statement.

"Mr. West, what in the world happened last night! I found you with severe ice burns, frostbite, damaged organs, brittle bones, and, and..." she couldn't complete her list thinking about the severity of Quinn's condition.

"I found you after I woke up this morning, and imagine my shock to see you battered, pale, lying on one of my beds, completely unconscious," she said as she applied balms and creams on his body, causing Quinn to hiss in pain. He clutched his fist to endure the pain, and even that bought him more pain.

Quinn looked at Madame Pomfrey and asked, "Dear Matron, can you give me something for pain... I can't even move my finger without harsh p-pain. I will p-pray to you every day if you just f-fix me up with s-s-something." His voice was still raspy and barely a whisper. The jokes were just Quinn's way to distract himself from the pain.

Poppy Pomfrey frowned, "Mr. West, if you can still joke around, then maybe you don't need to something for pain." She ignored his repeated hisses due to pain and continued to apply ointments on his body.

Quinn wanted to cry and couldn't do anything but stare at the ceiling, thinking about last night.

'I got too excited about opening the vault and rushed in blindly,' thought Quinn. He knew the warnings from Friar's words and riddles but neglected them because of foolish emotions. Quinn felt that Fiddle's riddle was easy, and it was for a reason. The cold in the vault was too much for Quinn's body or magic to handle; it was pure luck that Quinn was able to push himself up the stairs to exit the killing cold.

'A vault so cold that even death might die,' repeated Quinn in his mind, thinking how true that statement had turned out to be.

"What led to this, Mr. West," asked Pomfrey, her voice showing that she didn't want any nonsense. Quinn's condition was gravely serious when she found him this morning.

"I fell into a size-F cauldron full of freezing potion," was the answer Quinn gave. Quinn just made up an answer that would lead Quinn to his current condition.

"You fell into a cauldron of the freezing potion?" asked Pomfrey, incredulously.

Quinn nodded weakly.

"Why were you brewing a freezing potion in March?!"

Quinn sighed, and even that hurt a little bit, causing him to cough, which in turn a little more. "I am Ravenclaw... I saw the recipe, had the urge to brew it... so I did... Madam Pomfrey, it might surprise you to h-hear that we can be quite stupid."

Madam Pomfrey stared at Quinn and interrogated, "Mr. West, a cauldron full of freezing potion won't cause this level of harm. Your injuries are much too severe."

Quinn called on his confidence and scoffed, "It will if I am the one brewing the potion. Matron, heal me back to normal, and I will brew you top-grade potions. Murtlap Essence, Calming Draught, Sleeping Draught, Poison Antidotes, Blood-Replenishing Potion, Pepper-up Potion, Cure For Boils, or any healing-grade potions you like for an entire school year." By the time Quinn was done speaking, his throat was burning with agony.

Madam Pomfrey sighed in annoyance, thinking about the stupidity of the students. She had gotten numb at the student's bumbling action that bought them to her doors.

She sighed once more and informed, "Wait here, I will inform Professor Flitwick. He asked me to inform him when you wake up."

Quinn gave a light nod and waited for his head of the house to come and tear him a new one. The half-goblin had clearly inherited the fierce traits from his lineage, and Quinn didn't want to face that in his current condition.

Quinn just hoped that Flitwick would go easy on him.

"MR. QUINN WEST!" Quinn heard the bellowing voice from his Charms Professor.

'Of course not,' sighed Quinn as he got ready to face the music.

-*-*-*-*-*-

Quinn West - MC - Almost turned into a White Walker.

Icy Corridor - Cursed Vault - A vault so cold that even death might die.

Poppy Pomfrey - Matron/Medi-witch - Children are inherently stupid.

-*-*-*-*-*-

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-*-*-*-*-*-

The stone-grey eyed boy sat on a Hospital Wing bed, with his feet stretched straight and his back leaning against the headboard. He was reading a book on cold-related injuries and maladies.

Quinn had borrowed the book from Madam Pomfrey. She had given it to him because Quinn was bored and was disturbing her by trying to talk to her.

Just in front of Quinn's torso laid a bed table with multitudes of notes and papers on cold-related dangers that Quinn had read in the medical book he was given. If he was going to enter the vault, he needed to know the dangers. Reading upon the medical viewpoint was an excellent place to start as any.

"Hmm... I have to worry about hypothermia, frostnip, chilblains, immersion foot, and frostbite." Extreme climatic conditions didn't suit the human body. The low temperature could do severe damage to the human body.

"Oh, there are more... psychiatric and psychosocial disorders, snow blindness, dehydration,... and constipation?" Quinn heaved a heavy sigh as he picked up another sheet of paper and found the most worrying thing he had discovered while researching.

"Prolonged stay in the extreme frigid cold can cause the magical activity in the body to become sluggish and hindered because of the effect cold can have on the body."

Quinn's primary asset was magic, and if the extreme coldness in the Icy corridor could hinder his magical capabilities, then Quinn was in big problem.

"I need a way to keep my body warm in there, or else I am screwed," murmured Quinn. If he could keep his body from being affected by the cold, he could keep his magical prowess in there to work on getting to the gate and open it.

Picking another paper, Quinn read the core problem he needed to deal with while in the Icy corridor.

"Blood," whispered Quinn.

Blood was the problem and solution to his survival in the vault. Blood was everywhere in the body; it was deep inside the bones, and it was present just under the skin. To keep his body at a proper temperature, Quinn needed to keep his blood warm so that it could flow throughout his body and keep it warm.

When body temperature fell on exposure to cold, several protective mechanisms were recruited to generate additional heat. For example, the muscles produce additional heat through shivering. Peripheral vasoconstriction diverted blood flow to organs, such as the heart and brain. However, as less warm blood reaches the skin, body parts such as the fingers, toes, ears, and nose cool more rapidly. If body temperature fell much below a certain point, these protective mechanisms would stop working, and the body couldn't rewarm itself.

As tissue began to freeze, ice crystals were formed within the cells. Rubbing the frozen tissue would promote cell damage from these crystals, leading to more damage Quinn didn't want.

Additionally, as intracellular fluids freeze, extracellular fluid enters the cell, and there is an increase in the levels of extracellular salts due to water transfer. This caused damage even after exiting the frigid region as when the ice melts, there would be an influx of salts into the tissue, further damaging the cell membranes.

Blood got its heat mainly from the energy given off by cellular metabolism, and the cold in the Icy corridor would slow all down the cellular metabolism throughout his body. The moment that happened, hypothermia would set in, and most of his organs, especially the heart and brain, would become sluggish and eventually stop working.

'Blood magic. I need to research upon blood magic,' thought Quinn. Blood magic was classified under Dark Arts, which meant that they did not teach it in Hogwarts. 'All of these problems could be subverted if I can keep an even flow of warm blood throughout my body.'

'I have some books on Blood magic from the travel collection, two that I bought after that, three medi-healing books,' Quinn thought. Quinn tapped his chin and continued, 'There might be some in the restricted section in the library.'

"I might have to search the Room Of Requirement for books on Blood magic," muttered Quinn as he charmed all the pages with dangerous material so that no one could read them.

"Woa-ho! You have no hair." a voice bought Quinn out of his thoughts. He looked up to see Eddie and Marcus looking at him with big grins on their faces.

"You have no eyebrows," said Marcus, moving closer to his bedside.

Quinn grinned and tapped his fingers on his bald head, "Yeah... all of it was damaged beyond repair. Madam Pomfrey had to vanish all of it. It will grow back to their normal length in a day or two."

Eddie lightly squinted his eyes and commented, "Your skin is peeling, looks mad creepy."

Quinn nodded as he stroked his face, "Yup, that too was damaged, so she had to grow a new layer. The old one is going to come out slowly."

"What else got damaged?" asked Marcus as he sat down.

"A lot of my muscles, outer part of my bones, skin, my vocal cords, ears, and some of my organs," Quinn listed things off.

"Wicked! Here you go," said Eddie, "This is the homework for this week." He handed Quinn a parchment roll with all homework topics listed on it.

Quinn noticed Marcus staring at the bed table with a slight frown on his face.

"What's up, mate. Why the frown," asked Quinn.

"How did you get all this stuff? You are the only person I have seen using muggle quill and parchment," asked Marcus, pointing at the paper on Quinn's bed table.

Quinn smirked, "I asked one of the house-elves to bring them to me." Quinn looked proud and continued, "It took praising them regularly, but now they sometimes respond if I call them. I asked them to bring my stuff here."

Eddie sighed and asked, "How did you even see them. I haven't seen a single one in all my time here."

Quinn shrugged but didn't reply. Quinn didn't want to reveal that he regularly visited them at the kitchens and sometimes found house-elves while he was scouting through Recon and greeted them.

Quinn didn't dare the West family house-elf, Polly, because he didn't want his grandfather to know about his current state. Calling Polly would be doing just that. Quinn was sure she would pop here at Hogwarts, take a single look at him, and then pop back to the Manor to inform his grandfather.

"How long are you going to stay here," asked Eddie as he popped a grape from Quinn's bedside stand.

"Three to four more days, and I will be fully healed, back to my usual charming and remarkable self," replied Quinn as he put all his research material so that Marcus and Eddie won't pick them up for a read.

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- (Scene Break) -

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"You are bald!" Quinn sighed as he looked up again to see the two familiar girls standing in front of his bed.

"And, you have no brows! Oh, Merlin, you look mad hilarious!" said the bubbly brunette as she moved closer to him.

Quinn smiled and greeted the two Slytherin girls, "Davis and Greengrass, what caused you two to come here in the Hospital Wing?"

Tracey put her hand on Quinn's bald head while speaking, "We wanted to see how you were doing." She gave his bald top a good rub, giggling all the time she did it.

Quinn shook his head and said, "Thank you for coming. I appreciate it." He looked at Daphne and said, "Greengrass, I haven't seen you since the ball. How are you doing?"

She nodded in return, but Tracey grinned as she danced her way back to Daphne's side, "Oh, yes! The ministry ball where you two danced. A real pity that there weren't any photos."

Daphne rolled her eyes and simultaneously thought, 'Believe me, mother tried to have the photographer click some, but thankfully father prevented her.'

A silly smile appeared on Quinn's face as he recalled Sophie Greengrass from the ball, but then he felt Daphne's glare and cleared his throat and put on a mischievous expression, wiggling his hairless brows, "Oh, fates! To think it would embarrass the great Daphne Greengrass to be seen with someone like me."

He turned to Tracey and asked, "Aren't I pitiful." Giving his best pitiful expression.

Tracey nodded rapidly, siding with Quinn. She turned to Daphne, giving her the same look.

The blonde Slytherin looked at her best friend and at Quinn, showing the same expression. She looked at them as if asking if their expressions were supposed to do something.

Quinn and Tracey deflated and looked at each other.

"Her defenses are quite impregnable," said Tracey.

"We would have to develop a better attack strategy," replied Quinn

Then both of them shook hands like they were lifelong comrades on a journey towards truth.

"Okay, stop this foolishness," said Daphne as she tapped on her wristwatch. "We need to go if we want to reach the class on time."

Quinn nodded to Tracey, who waved him goodbye. He turned to Daphne, who was looking at him.

The blonde opened her mouth and addressed him for this first time, "Get well soon West."

Quinn smiled and replied, "Thank you, Greengrass. I will."

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- (Scene Break) -

.

Ten days after the incident in the Icy corridor, Quinn was released from the Hospital Wing.

He looked at Madam Pomfrey as he held her hands, "Matron, you came to me in time of need. Like a sole orb of brightness in a dark world. Like the relief in the world of anguish, you were there for me. You were there for me. I promise I won't ever forget you and visit you every week. You will wait for me, right?" Quinn's voice was gentle and his eyes warm.

Pomfrey withdrew one of her hands from Quinn's and slapped him on the head that now had black hair.

"Why do you have to be so talkative when you aren't reading?" she said with a sigh. "And, please don't come back here. I fear with you here, I won't be able to concentrate with your continuous talking."

Quinn rubbed his head and replied, "No, I already promised that I will visit you, so look forward to my visits. And, I promised you potions, so I have to take care of that." He put on an expression of seriousness and pride, his eyes looking far away, "I am a man of my word."

She sighed and shooed him away, not wanting to argue with her patient for ten days.

Quinn went to the Ravenclaw common room, answered the eagle's riddle on his first try, and entered the room. There, many students congratulated him on his recovery.

Quinn thanked them with a huge grin on his face but had to cut short the conversation because he was running a little late and had to make his way to his class.

He picked his bookbag from his dorm, packed it for his needs, and ran to the Charms classroom for his lesson with Professor Flitwick.

Quinn was two minutes late when he reached the classroom but opened the door without fear. Flitwick and students from Ravenclaw and Gryffindor all turned to look at him.

"May I come in, Professor," asked Quinn with a smile on his face.

Flitwick jumped on his stack of books and chuckled, "Yes, Mr. West. Come in, come in. Take a seat. You look like you have fully recovered."

Quinn nodded and replied as he took a seat, "Yes, sir. I am back to normal. Madam Pomfrey did an outstanding job."

Flitwick nodded and proceeded with his lecture, "Now, where was I? Yes! We were talking about the Slowing charm. Does anyone know what is the use of the Slowing charm?"

Quinn's hand raised immediately at the speed of light.

Flitwick pointed at Quinn, "Yes, Mr. West."

"The Slowing Charm is a charm that could be used to slow the velocity of an object, and if performed with enough mastery, the spell can even cause the target to completely stop," answered Quinn.

"Three points to Ravenclaw. Now, who would tell me the incantation for the Slowing charm."

Quinn's arm shot up once again, showing that he wanted to answer the question. When Flitwick gestured to Quinn, he explained, "The incantation for Slowing charm is Arresto Momentum."

"Excellent, take another five points. Next, who would tell me the wand movement for the Slowing charm."

Once again, Quinn's arm shot up, prompting Flitwick to ask him.

"The wand movement is in the shape of the alphabet {M} with sharp corners, and all the lines are slanting," replied Quinn with no breaks in his voice.

"Excellent, seven points to Ravenclaw," announced Flitwick, sounding extremely happy.

Everybody looked at Quinn, wanting to know what was happening. Usually, Quinn would only answer when the teachers asked him to or wait till no one answered.

Quinn looked at the class and grinned, "I missed the classes. Wait for a day or two; it will pass." He winked and returned to raise his hand for another question.

He kept the behavior for the entire day and answered every question in every class. He was sure that he annoyed a lot of people for the day.

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

Quinn opened the door to his A.I.D. office and entered it after whole ten days. There was some dust, but with a wave of his hand, the office became clean instantly.

"Now, that is more like it," he smiled and then turned to the door in the glass partition that led to the workshop, but before entering, he checked the safety measures he installed every day before exiting the workshop.

He first checked if the charms on the doors had been triggered. The result came out negative as the charms were still intact. Then Quinn crouched down to see if someone had ripped the strip of paper he pasted between the door and the frame, but the strip was still intact.

Satisfied with his finding, Quinn opened the door, ripping the strip and triggering the charms, and entered his workshop. Once again, the room was cleaned the instant Quinn stepped into the shop.

He walked around the shop, his hand gliding on the tables set up along the shop's walls. He smiled at the various tools hanging off the walls, cabinets, and cupboards holding notes and files on the work he had done here.

Quinn looked up at the ceiling, and with a blink of his eyes, the everlasting candles lit up, illuminating the shop in yellow light. He placed his hands on the center island, looking around the shop.

Quinn took out the cloth on which he built Recon and placed it on the table. He unfolded it and unshrunk it on the center island. He put his hand on the cloth, funneled just a tiny bit of magic into the cloth, and said, "Sun is up, time to wake up."

Quinn's face scrunched up as he saw broken words and lines appeared on the cloth. The cold below the stairs in the Icy corridor had damaged the map.

"Oh, buddy. The cold did a number on you, didn't it," said Quinn as he checked on the damage within the rune clusters in the layers of the map.

After a while, Quinn stood up straight and spread his hand. The next second, various cabinets and cupboards opened up, and numerous vials and tools flew out and set themselves on the table.

Quinn put on his gloves and spoke, "Let's fix you up."

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

The same night, Quinn walked to the fifth-floor corridor with Recon floating in front of him. He was going to the entrance of the Icy corridor. Quinn wanted to see the Icy vault once more before starting his research on Blood magic.

Upon reaching the wall, he funneled magic into the wall, and just like before, the bricks appeared from below the paint and started to shake before giving way to create a square opening.

Quinn took a breath and stepped inside, immediately twitching upon coming in contact with the cold. As he walked inside, the walls starting freezing over, and icy-blue ice covered the walls.

Finally, Quinn reached the corridor's opening, where the corridor opened up to the extreme cold zone with the vault gate visible just below the short steps. He didn't climb down the steps, not wanting to experience the killing cold.

Slowly Quinn's expression turned furious, and he growled in rage as he shot the vilest and damaging magic he knew on the snowflake icicle in front of the vault gate.

The rage-fueled magic was the strongest Quinn had ever produced.

"F*king vault! You almost killed me, you frozen piece of shit!" yelled the boy who had almost died here before. Quinn kept shooting magic blindly, not even stopping to check if it was working. Gradually, a mist filled the corridor, decreasing the visibility, but Quinn kept shooting spells with accompanying slurs.

He only stopped when Quinn felt exhausted from his magic expenditure. Quinn was quite angry at the incident that almost killed him, and even though it was his fault for being careless. But Quinn needed something to blame, and he chose the Icy vault to take out his anger.

Slowly, the mist lifted, and the gate and snowflake icicle stood unscathed. Not a single scratch could be seen on any surface of ice around the vault.

None of Quinn's magic was able to damage the ice.

"If I can't break you open, then I would learn how to open you." Quinn pointed at the snowflake icicle and the gate and decreed, "Just you wait, I will get to the thing that you are hiding and make it mine."

Then he left without looking back at the vault.

-*-*-*-*-*-

Quinn West - MC - No hair and a whole lot of emotion.

Madam Pomfrey - Matron/Medi-witch - Worries that Quinn would come back every week, and she is right in her worries.

-*-*-*-*-*-

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The link is in the synopsis!

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The link is also in the synopsis.

-*-*-*-*-*-

In a small room with a sizeable wooden table, a single chair, and a single shelf bookcase hanging from the wall as decor, sat the sole resident of the room going through numerous books and tomes.

The walls of the room were colored a dark red, giving it a unique look. If another person saw the room's color, it would slightly disturb them as it resembled the color of blood. The resident didn't seem to mind it as he was the one who gave the room its blood-red color.

The single shelf bookcase on the wall was completely empty as its contents were on the table; books and texts spread open haphazardly, overlapping each other, sitting side by side in a manner that made it difficult to track down a book. But, the resident of the room could see the order in the chaos as he was the one who set them in the seemingly random manner.

The room was the Room Of Requirement, transformed into a room with knowledge on Blood magic, and the room gave a single table, chair, and small shelf with books related to Blood magic. Every book from the room was branded with a sigil in the shape of a stylish script reading {RoR}, showing the books' ownership belonged to the Room Of Requirements.

The one who called for the room's services and its sole resident was our very own Quinn West, who wanted to learn more about Blood magic. Blood magic was categorized as Dark magic in Britain and many other countries by their respective Ministries and, as such, banned from use.

Quinn, of course, ignored all that. He was cautious and took all safety measures before practicing Blood magic that affected blood, a person's lifeline.

"Blood magic, also known as Blood Sorcery or Hemomancy or Haemomancy or Hematokinesis. The magic of blood manipulation, a dangerous form of magic, this mystical theurgy is used to cast spells, enchantments, and even curses through blood itself, the very bodily fluid which is the potent force as the essence of life that keeps most living beings alive."

"Well, currently, I don't want to perform curses and spells with my blood as the medium," said Quinn as he rolled up the sleeve of his left hand.

"I just need to maintain a certain temperature...," murmured Quinn, trailing at the end as he saw the veins and arteries in his forearm glow a shallow red before the red glow subsided, leaving his forearm warmer than the rest of his body.

Quinn exhaled, feeling the warmth from the small amount of warm blood traveling up his arm, mixing with the rest of his blood, and within seconds his body temperature was back to normal, with no extra warmth remaining.

Quinn opened his eyes and stared straight ahead, "I need to maintain this for the entire time I am around the Icy vault."

Quinn put an arm on his heart, licking his lip in nervousness as when the time came, instead of his arms, he needed his heart to be the source of the Blood magic. His heart would pump the enchanted blood throughout his body, maintaining the temperature of his body, protecting him from the cruel nature of the death-cold.

Quinn waved his hand, and the table moved away from him, setting itself against the wall. He stood up from his barstool, removed his robes, unfastened his necktie, and unbuttoned his shirt, leaving him with only a cotton vest.

Quinn took a deep breath and opened and closed his hands before channeling his magic into his blood, targeting the blood in his forearms. The magic reacted, and his veins and arteries glowed in a shallow red.

Quinn closed his eyes and took in deep breaths, carefully controlling the magic. Blood was an integral part of a human's body, and any mistake would cause extensive damage to Quinn's body. He didn't want to go to the Hospital Wing and explain what he was doing with Blood magic, and he couldn't even lie about the cause as the damage would be too obvious.

"Slowly... slowly... slowly. Baby steps," repeated Quinn as he increased the target area of blood enchantment, extending the magic from the tips of his fingers up his forearm.

By the end of the day, both his arms' veins and arteries were illuminated in a shallow red glow.

"Heh," Quinn smiled in fascination as he slowly moved his arms, raising them to his eye level, turning them to observe the visible network of surface veins and deep-seated arteries.

"Time to check if I can cast magic with Blood enchantments activated," said Quinn as he stretched his arm forward, palm facing up.

With a crack and buzz, whitish-blue currents of lightning appeared throughout his forearm, crawling around his arm like snakes made from lightning.

"Hmm~," voiced Quinn, satisfied with the result. If he touched someone, then they would be met with a jolt of electricity akin to a supercharged stun gun coursing through their body.

With another breath, Quinn canceled the magic. The glow of the enchanted blood subsided, leaving a sweaty Quinn with his vest sticking to him.

"Ugh," grunted Quinn as he pulled the vest off his torso and immediately casted magic to clean his body and insta-dry his clothes.

"Much better," sighed Quinn.

This wouldn't happen in the Icy vault, but here in the Room Of Requirement, where the temperature wasn't below freezing point, Quinn was sweating like crazy and was on his way to be dehydrated.

"Maybe I should practice in the Icy corridor," considered Quinn as he put his clothes back on, ready to head out for the day. He gathered the books he had bought from his own collection and put the Room Of Requirement's book back on the shelf.

Quinn had found out early that the books marked with the sigil of {RoR} couldn't be taken and had to be left behind. The books could be copied with a Replication charm (Geminio), but the originals stayed in the room.

Quinn was working on a project on the side, trying to create a device that would help him copy the books in the Room Of Requirements as the replicas made from the Replication charm broke down and degraded quickly, usually within a month.

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

Quinn sat in his office chair, doing the last bit of his homework. It was an ordinary day with no business, and he hadn't entertained a single student, but all that changed when he heard the door chime and looked up to find a student with Gryffindor-styled robes entering the A.I.D office.

Quinn smiled and greeted the student, "Welcome back, Ms. Dunn."

Elora Dunn, a fourth-year student from Gryffindor, nervously smiled as she stepped into the office and silently sat down on the chair set up for the clients.

"Have you decided if you want to hire my services," asked Quinn with a slight smile on his face.

This wasn't Elora's first time in the A.I.D office; she consulted with Quinn once before, but because of the nature of the solution Quinn offered her and her own personality, she decided she wanted some time to think before making her decision.

She looked at her lap and twiddled her thumbs before giving a short nod.

"I see," said Quinn and asked, "Have you brought your trunk with you?"

She once again nodded and replied in her tiny voice, "It is outside."

"Please bring it in. I would enchant it in front of you," directed Quinn as he got up from his chair.

She nodded and got up from her own chair to bring her trunk inside the office.

As she exited the office, Quinn thought back to her request. It was a simple case of someone mishandling her trunk when she was not around. Elora would find her belongings flung around her dorm room at least thrice a week.

She had no clue who was doing it, and her roommates refused to the deed. It was a classic case of bullying, and Elora wanted it to stop, so she came to Quinn for help.

The solution Quinn gave her was a simple one.

"I will enchant your trunk so that if any other than you touches it, then their skin color would change to a color of your choice. The jinx I would place on the trunk would not allow the perpetrator to remove the color from their skin until I want it to disappear. This way, we would be immediately to identify them."

"But-but..." mumbled Elora; she wasn't sure if she wanted to take the approach.

Elora Dunn was the type of person who didn't like confrontation and just wanted the harassment to end. She didn't want to confront her unknown bully.

"Ms. Dunn, we know nothing about your bully, so the only way to catch them is to get some proof. So, we have to catch them in the act, but that doesn't seem to be possible as they clearly act when you are out, so the other option is to mark them for later identification," explained Quinn.

He had also given her an option that did avoid confrontation.

"I can charm your trunk to shock anyone who isn't you. That would inflict enough pain and trauma to keep them away from your stuff. If that is acceptable," offered Quinn.

But, she shut that idea down immediately.

So, here they were, on her second visit, Elora deciding to go with the plan to mark her bully.

"Okay, I will charm your trunk so that it would change the skin color of anyone other than you, and when you spot them, you can report them to your head of the house," answered Quinn.

"But what about if they deny doing it," asked Elora.

Quinn chuckled and replied, "Just as I said, the jinx I am placing is very hard to remove, and I assure you it would stay on their skin."

Elora nodded in return, "Okay."

"Great, now please place your hands on the trunk," asked Quinn, and Elora complied.

Quinn took out his fake wand and made up some bogus wand movement. Elora's trunk glowed in white light before the white glow died down.

"You can remove your hands," smiled Quinn.

Elora looked at the trunk with suspicion, so Quinn asked, "Do you want to see the effects."

Elora nodded hesitantly, and Quinn put his hands on the trunk, and instantly his skin turned the color of mustard. The jinx stained every bit of his skin in a mustard color.

Quinn looked at Elora with a mustard-colored face and asked, "It will be something like this. Quite easy to spot, right?!"

Elora nodded with a stunned expression.

Quinn chuckled and removed the mustard color from his skin. He pointed at the trunk and asked, "Please place your hand on the trunk. I have to recast the charm."

After recasting the charm, Quinn said goodbye to her as she exited the office.

"I hope your bully would leave you alone, Ms. Dunn..." he paused before adding, "I hope you would help me out when I come to claim my I.O.U."

Elora looked back towards Quinn to see him with his hands behind his back and a slight smile on his face. She nodded and exited with Quinn smiling as she departed, closing the door behind her.

It took two days before Quinn saw the results of his nifty jinx on Elora's trunk.

Quinn was talking with his friends in the Great Hall, but his eyes caught the sight of Gryffindor girl running into the hall. It made Quinn grin when he saw the mustard color on the girl's skin.

'Teresa Grant, sixth year,' thought Quinn as he recalled the name of the mustard-colored girl.

Quinn watched as Teresa Grant ran to Elora with tears streaming down her face. She yelled at Elora, and Elora shrunk back because of the yelling. Thankfully, McGonagall came running to the scene and interrogated Teresa for her loud yelling.

Elora, in the panic of confrontation, looked towards the Ravenclaw table. Her eyes met Quinn's. Quinn nodded towards her, and she nodded back, showing determination.

'Go get 'em, girl,' thought Quinn as he observed the conversation. Elora told McGonagall her side of the story and how she charmed it so that she could know who was messing with her trunk.

McGonagall turned to Teresa and asked her if she was the one who was mishandling Elora's cousin. Teresa buckled under the pressing glare from McGonagall and confessed.

When McGonagall asked Elora to undo her charm, the mustard color drained from Teresa's skin with a twitch of Quinn's finger.

'Task completed,' thought Quinn before returning to chatting with his friends.

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

Quinn stood in the Icy corridor, facing the Icy vault. He was standing just up the steps, stretching his body before walking into the vault region.

"Let's do this," said Quinn as his breath became visible in the cold.

With a deep breath, Quinn began using Blood magic. Under his clothes, all of Quinn's veins and arteries in Quinn's chest become visible with a red glow. The left side of Quinn's chest glowed exceptionally red because Quinn's heart glowed up.

"Haa~. Haa~," breathed Quinn as he felt his body warm up in the cold.

"It's working," spoke Quinn, smiling.

With another deep breath, Quinn descended the steps to the Icy vault. The moment he stepped down the last stair step, a cold that could kill instantly descended on Quinn.

Quinn groaned as he still could feel the harshness of the cold.

"Ugh!" groaned Quinn as he stood still on the spot. Quinn felt something and looked down at his hand, seeing his fingers turning blue.

"Dammit!" yelled Quinn as he ascended the steps back to safety.

He immediately put his hands on his chest, wanting the heat from his chest to warm his fingers. Quinn stomped on the floor because of the first failure.

"I have to increase the area," was the observation that Quinn came up with just seconds in the Icy vault region.

Currently, Quinn was only heating up the blood in the heart region. He hoped his heart would pump the warm blood to all parts of his body, but he was wrong.

"The heat is leached off too quickly," growled Quinn as he noticed that the warming the blood in his heart and sending it to the rest of his body wasn't enough.

"Okay, Quinn, you can do this," Quinn spoke to himself, psyching himself up.

Quinn hadn't tried to use Blood magic on the majority of his body at the same time. He deemed his entire body to be an area too large for his current mastery. But seeing that the limited use wasn't working, Quinn decided to proceed with it.

"No risk it, no biscuit," quoted Quinn before clapping his hands loudly and jumped up and down to psych himself.

He clenched his hands into fists before channeling magic throughout his body.

Under his clothes, the red glow of Blood magic gradually increased from his chest to his entire torso. His fingertips glowed as the red glow traveled up his arms. And from the soles of his feet, the magic climbed up towards his hips.

Quinn craned his neck as the red glow crept up to his jaw, passing through his neck. The capillaries around his eyes also glowed up, and even the eyes' whites were glowing a very faint red. The only part of his body that Quinn left were the regions that were too close to his brain, not wanting to risk any accident to his brain.

"Yeeeesss. I did it. I am the best!" celebrated Quinn as he felt Blood magic activated throughout his body. He stayed still for a while to stabilize the magic before once again descending into the frozen vault region.

Quinn walked into the deadly chill and immediately felt it. It was cold, freezing, but now it was barely tolerable. He still felt chilly, more chilly than he had ever felt, excluding the first time he stepped here.

"W-working like this would be a-absolutely miserable," complained Quinn as he closed in on the snowflake icicle, his teeth rattling because of the cold.

Quinn couldn't increase the temperature of his blood because any more than this and his blood would start boiling, and no one wanted that.

The snowflake icicle was a sight to behold. It was beautiful to look at if you could ignore the biting chill. The way it slowly rotated gave it a unique feel of vitality in the frozen area of icy blue.

Quinn raised his gloved hand and touched the icicle, but the second the leather glove came in contact with the icicle, it started to freeze, causing Quinn to snatch his hand back.

"Shit," thought Quinn as he brushed the sudden ice deposit on his glove.

"Of course, if the area around the gate is so deadly, then this thing attached to it wouldn't be a walk in the park," grumbled Quinn as he raised his now ice-free gloved hand to cast magic on the snowflake to check its composition.

A minute in the vault area, Quinn was immersed in studying the flake. Three minutes, he felt that the cold had increased. Five minutes in, and Quinn was getting slightly irritated. As seven minutes came to pass, he was shaking in his clothes, feeling really cold.

When the ninth minutes passed, Quinn turned away from the snowflake and rushed back up the stairs, running away from the cold.

He gasped for air the second he felt the cold decrease. The red glow of Blood magic subsided as Quinn's focus limit reached.

"L-Less than t-t-ten minutes is the limit-t," stuttered Quinn as he heavily breathed.

Just under ten minutes was Quinn's time limit for continuously maintaining Blood magic throughout his body. Quinn had plenty of magic to spare - No, he had loads of magic to spare.

The problem was Quinn's concentration. He could only concentrate for ten minutes while working on the icicle, and that too with deteriorating results. It was quite the effort on Quinn's part to keep most of his body's blood warm and make sure that blood stayed warm.

Quinn sat down on the floor but immediately stood up because the cold stone stung his bottoms.

"Ouch!" said Quinn as he rubbed his behind.

He began pacing the corridor, thinking about what to do next. After thinking about it sometime, he concluded.

"I can't raise the temperature of my body through Blood magic, though I can work on my mastery to keep the current temperature," noted Quinn. He could keep the Blood magic from deteriorating with this pace.

"But, this isn't enough. I need more..." thought Quinn. Quinn's time in the vault region was excessively uncomfortable. He needed to make it more comfortable so that he could work without constantly feeling like a popsicle.

"I need to increase the surrounding temperature," reasoned Quinn, but it was easier said than done. He did not know how to increase the temperature in the frozen hell. His grasp on fire magic wasn't on the level that would work against that level of cold. Any heat he could produce would be snuffed out in an instant.

Quinn closed his eyes and sighed. He opened them to look at the vault, "I have to work with what I have." Quinn would slowly work on increasing his efficiency. But right now, he had to work with what he had.

"Things I do for magic."

Quinn cracked his knuckles as the glow from Blood magic crept on his body.

-*-*-*-*-*-

Quinn West - MC - Exploring the frozen hell - "I run hot."

Elora Dunn - Client - Gryffindor - Hates confrontation - Free from her bully. - Owes a favor.

-*-*-*-*-*-

If you have any ideas regarding the magic you want to see in this fiction or want to offer some ideas regarding the progression. Move onto the DISCORD Server and blast those ideas.

The link is in the synopsis!

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If you want to read ahead, you can check out my Patreón @

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The link is also in the synopsis.

-*-*-*-*-*-

The Icy vault was as cold as ever, with its icy-blue walls, frosted floors, threatening to kill anyone who dared venture into its freezing, killing, hellish depths.

In that freezing environment stood a lone figure, a hand raised to the snowflake icicle. The figure was clad in thick winter clothing, but the exposed parts of skin showed glowing red lines streaking across the skin.

The figure looked at the part of the snowflake icicle in front of his raised hand, and suddenly an invisible wave shot towards the icicle, and in one fell swoop, detached a chunk of ice from the icicle, creating the noise of ice being crushed.

The figure moved quickly and waved his other hand over the separated piece of ice. The chunk of ice rapidly moved away, gliding away from the place it fell. The figure watched as the moving chunk of ice began fading while slipping on the floor. He turned his head towards the snowflake icicle and saw that the snowflake icicle that a few moments ago was missing a piece was now whole as ever.

The figure sighed before walking away from the snowflake icicle towards the steps that separated the frosted hell from a less freezing one.

The figure removed his hood and goggles as soon as he crossed the steps and revealed the face of Quinn West, the guy who had been practically living in the Icy hell for the past two months, suffering in the freezing cold, trying to get rid of the snowflake icicle.

"Well, for the hundredth time, that snowflake sure does regenerate fast," sighed Quinn, breathing out a white plume because of the cold.

During Quinn's rage-induced attack with the intent to exterminate the snowflake icicle, he misunderstood that the snowflake icicle was too tough for him to destroy. But it turned out that the snowflake could be damaged, obliterated even, but it regenerated almost instantly. Quinn had not seen this during his attack, and that had cost him a week because Quinn didn't attack the snowflake for the first week, but when he did for some experiment, he saw the instant regeneration.

He sat down behind a workstation he had set in the Icy corridor and looked at the Ivy vault region, thinking about the last two months. Every day of the last two months, Quinn had spent time on this vault, reading on ice, water, and Blood magic.

.

.

.

The vault was an extraordinary system of magical mechanisms. It impressed Quinn because it was a mystery to Quinn. He knew about what the Icy vault mechanism did, but he still had little idea about how it worked.

"The air is too dry; almost all the moisture is locked into the snowflake." Quinn had noticed this while observing the vault region; it had opened doors for Quinn in terms of progress.

The mechanism in the vault commanded all the natural moisture in the vault. If any moisture, water, or ice was present in the vault region, it would come under the mechanism's control, aiding the recovery of the snowflake in case it was damaged.

Quinn had once thrown a bottle of boiling water into the vault region, saw it turn into steam because of the cold, and instantly the steam rushed to the snowflake, adding to its body. Since that day, Quinn didn't dare any water to the vault as it would just help the mechanism guarding the vault.

Damaging the snowflake using offensive magic to gain entry to the gate behind the snowflake icicle was out of the way, so Quinn needed another way to reach the gate. After searching for an answer, Quinn finally found a way that might help.

"To disable the regeneration of the icicle, I need to find a way to first break down the ice while keeping away from the mechanism's control. To do that, I need to break down the ice... gently, so that when the ice detaches itself from the main structure, I would have some form of control over the detached ice."

To method to break down the ice gently was Transfiguration and Transmutation. The concepts of these two magics would help Quinn break down the ice while maintaining control over the detached ice.

But finding an idea wasn't the same as knowing how to execute the solution, and that was where Quinn had a major setback. Even though Quinn knew about Transfiguration and Transmutation ideas, he failed to apply them to the snowflake icicle.

"The dense structure and frighteningly low internal temperature of the ice makes it extremely difficult to alter the state of matter. It makes it difficult for me to detach the ice from the snowflake."

When Quinn detached the ice from the snowflake, the mechanism would wrestle Quinn for control, and in an instant, the snowflake icicle would be whole again.

Quinn had spent a little over three weeks banging his head against the snowflake, thinking that if Quinn improved his mastery, then he would be able to get rid of the snowflake. But by the end of three weeks, Quinn had become better at changing the ice into water, he could change three-quarters of the snowflake into the water, but nothing really changed as it would turn back into ice.

Things changed for the better when Quinn stopped being stupid.

Quinn sat in the Great Hall for lunch, clutching his head in his hands and groaning.

"Ugh... haa~... hmm... burrr... this sucks so bad," groaned Quinn.

He was lamenting about making no actual progress. Even though he had gotten better at performing Transmutation on ice, the mechanism would wrest control away from him.

"You look sad today."

Quinn turned his head to see Penelope Clearwater staring down at him.

"I'm sad every day; I just don't have the energy to hide it today," quipped Quinn.

Penelope quirked her brow and sat down beside him.

"Come on now, don't be like that. Tell me what's wrong with you."

Quinn stared at Penelope for a moment before starting, "I am having problems with something that I can't solve. No matter what I try, it doesn't work," he put his head on the table and groaned, "It is driving me crazy."

"How about I take a look at it; maybe I would be able to help you out," said the kind fifth-year Ravenclaw Prefect with a cordial smile on her face.

Quinn stared at her with his eyes narrowing and shook his head, "Yeah... I don't think that is going to help."

Penelope widened her eyes and said with a sarcastic smile, "Oh my, you are not sad... you are moody!" She snorted and continued, "I must say this is a new color on you. You are always smiling, so I thought it was your resting expression."

Quinn sighed and apologized, "Sorry about that. The last few weeks have been tough. I was not trying to be a git."

"Don't worry. I didn't take any offense," Penelope assured and then gave some advice, "And, if you don't think I can help, you can go to one of the Professors. I am sure they would be able to help."

Quinn perked up hearing that. He looked at Penelope and said, "Professors... I can ask the professors, can't I?"

He grinned and slapped the table, "Of course, I can do that!"

Quinn hadn't gone to a Professor for help since he had come to Hogwarts, so somewhere in his head Quinn had excluded asking them for help. Plus, the nature of the vault was secretive, and he didn't want to lead any of the faculty members to the vault as it would lead to him being banned from accessing the Icy vault because of the danger.

'But, if I can just ask them for advice without revealing anything about the vault, then I can get some insight. Yeah, that would work,' thought Quinn.

"Professors! They are masters of their craft! Of course, they would be able to help me!" said Quinn as he got up from his spot.

He turned to Penelope and said, "Clearwater, expect a crate of butterbeer from me. You have done me great help."

Penelope watched as Quinn ran out of the Great Hall. She shook her head, "Sometimes, smart ones can be dumb, so dumb."

Later that evening, Quinn stood in front of Minerva McGonagall's office on the first floor. With a look at his clothes, he straightened them out with magic.

He looked at the lion's head protruding out of the door of the office and asked, "I am here to see Professor McGonagall."

The lion's head stared at him before the door opened, and Quinn entered the office. McGonagall's office is a small study; it had a large fireplace, windows overlooking the Training Grounds, and the Quidditch pitch.

Back in her day, McGonagall had been the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. In her last game, she had suffered a concussion and some broken bones because of a Slytherin player's illegal move, and from that day forward, she had nursed an obsession to see the Slytherin house crushed at the Quidditch field. Despite her looks and attitude, Minerva McGonagall was a Quidditch fanatic; that's why she always spent every game besides the commentator. This was also the reason behind her pushing for Harry Potter to join the Quidditch team in his first year.

She looked up from her desk and was surprised to see the person who entered her office.

"Mr. West, what a surprise. What can I help you with?" she asked, gesturing to Quinn to sit down.

"Good evening, Professor. I would like to ask you for some help," Quinn said as he walked to the offered chair and sat down.

McGonagall was once more surprised. Quinn West was the brightest student of his year, and based on his performance in homework assignments and tests, he was more knowledgeable than most of his direct seniors. Unlike most of his peers, Quinn never came to Professors for any help, be it studies-related or anything else.

"I see, and I assume coming to me instead of Professor Flitwick is because you want some help with Transfiguration," asked McGonagall.

Quinn nodded, "Yes, I have a few questions about Transfiguration and... about Transmutation," Quinn took a pause before he mentioned Transmutation. Hogwarts didn't teach Transmutation, and even though Transmutation and Transfiguration concepts crossed each other and despite that, Hogwarts students still didn't know about Transmutation.

"Transmutation," said McGonagall, leaning forward, not expecting to hear it from Quinn. "You are familiar with Transmutation, Mr. West?"

Quinn nodded and took out his fake wand, conjuring a log of wood with a proper wand movement, making sure that McGonagall believed he was using a real wand. With another wave, the piece of wood changed into a miniature eagle.

"My grandfather bought me a book while he was traveling," said Quinn, not telling her anything else. He didn't want to face any questions on it, so he continued, "Today, I want to get some help with Ice magic."

"Ice?" she asked. McGonagall thought of something and asked, "Mr. Quinn, didn't you fell into a cauldron of freezing potion?"

Quinn made a sour look, "Yes, Professor. I was on bed rest for around ten days."

The Professor folded her hands and said, "Do tell, what do you want to know about ice?"

Quinn waved his wand and conjured a chunk of ice, and immediately levitated it so that it didn't McGonagall's desk.

"Now, when I turn the ice into water," with another wave, the ice chunk slowly turned into water. A little stream of water emerged from the ice chunk that traveled left and formed an increasing blob of water. Quinn made it slow for demonstrative purposes.

"The ice I am working is charmed such that anything detached from it would immediately turn back to ice and join the main structure." He waved his wand, and all the water rushed to the ice chunk and turned back into ice.

Quinn didn't want to reveal the Icy vault and the mechanism placed inside it, so he just made up a charmed ice scenario.

He looked at McGonagall and asked, "This is what I am trying to accomplish." The ice again turned into water, but this time the entirety of ice turned into water. And, with another swing of the wand, the water turned into a metal pipe.

"I want to Transfigure the water into something else so that it won't go back to the ice," explained Quinn.

"How do I do that?"

McGonagall stared at the floating metal pipe, staying silent for a while before asking, "Have you tried to take out small pieces of ice and individually transfiguring them till you go through the entire ice block?"

"I have tried that, but the internal temperature of the ice is surprisingly low," he waved his hand in frustration, "Targeting small chunks is met with extra resistance."

Quinn didn't tell her that targeting small chunks prompted the mechanism to decrease the temperature of the ice more, making Quinn's job harder than it already was.

"I see," said McGonagall, putting down her quill that she had been holding till now. The problem that Quinn had put in front of her had now intrigued her.

"The conversion of water into ice is faster than the time you need to change the ice into water and in turn into another substance."

Quinn nodded in reply. This was his current problem.

"How about changing ice into vapor and then transfiguring the vapor into another material?" she offered.

Quinn shook his head, "No, I can't even change ice into water fast enough, forget about changing ice into water and then water into vapor."

"Mr. West, I am not talking about changing ice into water into vapor. I am talking about changing ice directly into vapor," said McGonagall as she looked at Quinn.

Quinn stared at the deputy headmistress of Hogwarts without blinking. He stood up from his chair and started pacing around the office.

"So, you are saying that I should skip the liquid state altogether," asked Quinn.

"Yes, and do you know the reason behind this suggestion," said McGonagall, trying to make Quinn think about the answer.

Quinn stopped pacing and answered, "Gas is harder to control than liquid because the water is much loosely packed. The loosely packing arrangement makes it harder to spread magic and get every particle under control."

"And...?" asked McGonagall.

"I would have the initial control over the vapor because I am changing ice into vapor. That would give me a slight edge over the charm placed on the ice. My chances to Transfigure the vapor into another substance would rise because of the increased time needed for the charm to work."

McGonagall smiled, "Exactly, and now you have the answer."

"But, how do I go from Solid to gas without going through the liquid phase," asked Quinn. It was the same problem as before; Quinn had the idea but lacked the execution.

McGonagall took out her wand and waved it to form a massive chunk of ice, much larger than Quinn had conjured.

"Usually, to turn ice into water vapor, you would give the ice heat so that it would melt into water and the water would evaporate into vapor."

Quinn watched as the ice floating above McGonagall's desk melted into water, and then the water started to boil, slowly turning into vapor. McGonagall was masterfully controlling the water vapor so that it would not leak around the room.

"But, you don't need to supply ice with heat to change its state. You can supply any kind of energy that can break the bonds between the particles. Magic can break the bonds holding the bonds that hold the ice together."

The vapor turned into water, then into ice. The next moment, the ice poofed directly into water vapor. [1]

Quinn stared at the floating vapor, thinking about the implications of this knowledge. Cogs turned in his brain, speculating the plausibility of this method. It worked here on ordinary ice, but the snowflake icicle was anything but ordinary; that was some super ice.

"Thank you, Professor... I will try using this approach," said Quinn as he turned his eyes away from the cloud of vapor and looked at McGonagall.

McGonagall saw Quinn wasn't paying attention to her and was lost in thought, so she decided to tell him to leave and don't disturb him, "Alright, you can leave, Mr. West. Have a good day."

"... You too, Professor," said Quinn, blankly, as he walked out of the office.

He came to himself, looked around, and found himself standing in front of the fifth-floor corridor wall that held the entrance to the Icy corridor.

"How in the world did I get here," said Quinn as he looked around.

"Well, whatever."

Quinn placed his hand on the wall and channeled his magic into the wall, causing it to open.

He walked inside to the Icy corridor, and when he reached the end to the opening of the Icy vault. Quinn slipped on the layers of thick snow clothing and charged his blood with Blood magic before stepping into the vault region.

"Aww, this sucks as much as ever," said Quinn as he strolled to the snowflake icicle, feeling the cold.

Quinn raised both of his hands to the snowflake and closed his eyes. He concentrated and focused his magic, channeling it to the snowflake, reaching every branch, and when it was enough, Quinn commanded his magic to break the bonds between the particles.

His magic started work and filling the snowflake with energy, and just when Quinn felt that the ice was about to turn into water, Quinn pushed more magic into the ice.

He opened his eyes and watch as the snowflake icicle vibrated violently before half of the icicle mass sizzled and turned into water vapor, and then saw it turned back into ice. But this time, it was a tad bit slower.

Quinn raised his hands and yelled, "Hoho! It worked... it really worked!" Quinn jumped up and down in front of the now whole snowflake.

The result might not have been much different, but Quinn saw and felt the difference. It took more magic than his usual approach, but Quinn saw a lag in regeneration, and he also felt that if he worked hard, he could fight the mechanism for control.

.

.

.

Two months had passed since entering the Icy vault had passed, and Quinn had made significant progress. Quinn could now convert all the ice into vapor; he was now working towards Transfiguring the vapor into metal, in this case, magnesium.

It was like a fight for control between the mechanism and Quinn, both sides trying to wrest control of the vapor; Quinn trying to Transfigure it while the vault mechanism was working to regenerate the snowflake icicle.

Quinn retrieved a bottle from under the workstation and took a sip from it, but nothing came out as everything inside was frozen. He sighed and began heating the iced water inside.

"Yup," said Quinn, with popping the 'P' sound, "this place sucks."

-*-*-*-*-*-

Quinn West - MC - "You stupid! Hahaha," says a particular author.

Penelope Clearwater - Ravenclaw Prefect - Received a twelve-case of butterbeer at her dorm step. - Worries how Quinn got it above the girl's dormitory stairs.

Minerva McGonagall - Transfiguration master - Lifelong Hogwarts Quidditch Obsession.

-*-*-*-*-*-

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The link is also in the synopsis.

-*-*-*-*-*-

Around the same time Quinn started to dive into the Icy vault, he was visited by a student at the A.I.D office.

He was working in the workspace when he heard the over-the-door chime ring, followed by a voice, "Is anyone here?"

"Yeah, please wait. Take a seat. I will be there in a moment," said Quinn as he removed his work gloves and leather apron. He waved his hand over his workstation, making sure that everything was packed and arranged for him when he returned.

Quinn's clothes straightened them up as he walked towards the office door. When he entered the office, Quinn saw Padma Patil, a first-year Ravenclaw, sitting in the client chair.

"Welcome to the A.I.D office. How may I help you?" Quinn greeted her with a smile.

Quinn sat down on his chair and asked, "Now that the standard greeting is out of the way. What can I do for you, Ms. Patil? This is your first time here at my office."

Quinn already knew the British girl with Indian heritage because they were in the same house, and Quinn was just a year older than her. He had frequent communication with most of the Ravenclaw first-year students.

This year, Quinn had gained most of his business from the students from his own age and then from the new first years. Most older students still didn't treat Quinn's venture as a serious service because of Quinn's age.

Why would they go to a second-year who was still new to Hogwarts? This line of thought and the belief that they knew more than Quinn was why Quinn's A.I.D wasn't popular among the older students. And, Quinn had no intention to lord his actual knowledge and skills to the upperclassmen just so he could gain more business.

Padma Patil looked at Quinn and straightforwardly said, "The final exams are coming in a few months, so I would like to have your first-year notes."

"My notes?" asked Quinn. His expression was one of a mix of surprise and intrigue.

"Yes, your notes. I have heard that you scored more than a hundred percent on all subjects other than Potions and History of Magic. With your reputation, I think your notes would be a lot of help to me," answered the studious of the Patil twins.

Quinn smiled and inquired, "And, where did you learn this reputation of mine?"

"Professor Sprout told us during her Herbology lessons," answered Padma.

Quinn nodded, though it slightly surprised him she didn't hear it from Professor Flitwick.

"Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Potions, Herbology, Astronomy, and History of Magic," listed Quinn. "Seven first-year subjects, and you want notes on all these subjects."

Padma nodded.

"I can arrange that. You will have my notes of all seven first-year subjects in your hands in a week's worth of time," replied Quinn.

"And, how much will these notes cost me?" asked the Ravenclaw Patil. She had researched Quinn's service before coming to him. She knew he charged money for the help he provided, plus the card stated the terms themselves.

Quinn did some quick math in his head and answered, "Five (5) sickles a subject, that makes thirty-five (35) sickles... so, two (2) galleons and one (1) sickle."

Padma nodded and left after saying goodbye.

Quinn didn't move from his office chair for a long while, thinking about the job he had just taken.

'A great business opportunity has come to my doorstep. It would be a crime not to exploit this, wouldn't it?' thought Quinn.

"I can sell my notes to the entire first and second-year student population," spoke Quinn.

Quinn knew of his reputation for being the smartest of his class, and his notes would be a huge commodity for students preparing for their end-of-year examinations.

"I have to thank Padma. There are still months before the exams, and even Ravenclaws haven't started going into the preparation mode. I still have a lot of time to advertise this," said Quinn. If Padma Patil didn't come here, Quinn wouldn't have thought of this idea this year.

'But, then there is that problem,' sighed Quinn. While it sounded as easy as taking out his first-year notes and compiling them so anybody could read them, but the reality of it was rather different.

His notes weren't just from Hogwarts but from a boatload of different communities. They had a lot of viewpoints and information that wasn't taught in Hogwarts.

"I need to separate the Hogwarts material," said Quinn, rubbing his forehead, "That would take some time."

End-of-year exam notes had to be short and concise. Quinn's actual notes were short and concise but on a different level; they weren't suitable for end-of-year examinations. Quinn's notes had information and knowledge from a boatload of various communities that would not help students in Hogwarts examinations.

"Plus, if these notes become popular, then they would most probably make their way to at least one of the teachers," sighed Quinn.

Quinn needed to be very careful that something out of Hogwarts course books and Hogwarts library didn't make itself into his notes because teachers might see it, and they might notice the oddities.

"Keep the cards close to the chest... all about that long-term game," murmured Quinn.

He stood up from his desk and exhaled, "This is going to be a busy week."

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

Quinn stood in front of forty-nine stacked sheets of parchment paper, arranged neatly in the order of seven-by-seven. A fountain pen laid on every sheet of parchment paper.

He was standing in his workshop, and usually, there would be a center island table standing in the place of the stacks of paper, but that island table had been shrunk down and set on the side.

Quinn sat down in front of the stacks of parchments, took in deep breaths, and closed his eyes. Quinn appeared in his mindscape and stood in front of seven books. Seven books, set in a single shelf bookcase, in a room with nothing else inside.

These seven books were the essence of Quinn's knowledge of seven Hogwarts subjects with information from Hogwarts course books and Hogwarts library. He had sorted these seven books from his knowledge bank of Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Potions, Herbology, Astronomy, and History of Magic.

He had carefully crafted these seven memory books and made sure that there was no extra knowledge from foreign communities.

The seven memory books radiated with light, and when Quinn opened his eyes, all forty-nine of the fountain pens suddenly stood up straight and started to write on sheets of parchments.

Quinn used every ounce of his Occlumency mastery of the efficiency aspect to control forty-nine different objects to perform complex tasks. Simultaneous multitasking was one of the Occlumency skills Quinn was working on, and this was a great way to practice that skill.

He allotted seven stacks of parchments to every subject, and the pens wrote notes on the parchments. The fountain pens wrote paragraphs, drew complex diagrams, and referenced every point for extra information and validation if required.

Little by little, Quinn got in the grove, and the pens began moving faster and faster. As the process became faster and faster, the sheets of parchments also changed quicker and quicker.

Quinn's eyes were now only showing white as the forty-nine pens wrote, wrote, and wrote.

After an unidentified amount of time, all the pens stopped and set themselves down on the few remaining sheets of parchments.

Quinn's eyes still showed white for at least a minute before the irises came back down to the front of the eyes, and Quinn started to badly cough as he leaned down to his side with one hand supported his body and the other hand on his chest.

"Th- *cough* *cough* this needs more work. Definitely needs more work," coughed Quinn. He laid down on the floor and breathed heavily as his chest raised up and down.

He turned his head to the side and saw multiple stacks of parchments, more than the initial forty-nine stacks. There were hundreds of thin stacks of parchments lining the wide floor of Quinn's workshop.

"But, it was worth it," he sighed, watching the sweet result of his work.

He turned his head to look up at the ceiling and sighed, "Now, I have to do this once more for the second-year course." Quinn groaned as he got up from the floor and groaned because of the slight headache.

He looked at the stacks and then at one of the tables on the side of the workshop, and thin post-it-sized slips flew to the hundreds of stacks. The thin post-it slips stuck to the stacks, and after all the parchment stacks were marked, with a snap of Quinn's finger, all the slips changed colors to one of the seven rainbow colors, each representing one of the subjects.

The marked stacks flew up in the air and arranged themselves into seven neat stacks for seven subjects.

Quinn yawned as he walked out of the workshop, "I need a quick nap."

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

Three days before the deadline he gave to Padma Patil, Quinn entered the Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop in Hogsmeade. The shop was owned by the West family, and as the name suggested, it was a stationery store.

Quinn walked inside and approached the counter. He looked around and saw no one behind the counter. Looking down, he saw a bell, so he rang it and waited.

"I will be right there," heard Quinn from a back room.

Quinn turned away from the counter and looked at the store. It was a simple store that sold rolls of parchments, quills, inks, notebooks, binding material, and all other kinds of charmed stationery material.

Quinn noticed things in the store that screamed business strategy to him.

'The Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop catered to Hogwarts students, but with no Hogsmeade weekend nearby, they reduced the section dedicated to Hogwarts to a small corner,' thought Quinn.

He looked around the store and saw the current ambiance of the store was catered to another audience. 'This seems more like a printing business rather than a stationery store.'

The majority of the store's adverts showed the different types of printing parchments, leather bindings, ink packages, charms the store offered that animated letters and drawings in books.

Seeing the store being run dynamically to the demand made him smile.

"Sorry for the wait. How may I help you?" heard Quinn, and when he turned, he saw a middle-aged man walking behind the counter, looking at some letters in his hands.

When the person looked up and saw Quinn, he frowned.

"You... are you a Hogwarts student?" asked the person. Quinn's looks showed that he was definitely over eleven, so the shop employee was skeptical about seeing Quinn. But, Quinn wasn't wearing a Hogwarts uniform, so the shop employee wasn't sure.

Quinn smiled and walked towards the counter and said,

"Yes, I am a Hogwarts student. My name is Quinn West. I was told that you would be expecting me."

The shop owner's jaw dropped as he exclaimed, "West?!"

"Yes, you heard it correctly," replied Quinn, taking out multiple matchbox-sized stacks of parchment.

"But, I thought you would be owling the documents you needed to be printed. I never thought you would be coming here personally. There isn't a Hogsmeade weekend anywhere near... scratch that... today is a weekday. How are you here?!" spoke the employee, still feeling a little shock.

"Let's not sweat the small stuff," said Quinn as he took out his fake wand and unshrunk the multiple stacks of parchment on the countertop and continued,

"Now, take note as what I am about to say is important. There are seven color strips, one of those strips mark every stack. This means that the stacks marked by the red strips go together," Quinn looked up and asked, "Are you with me?"

The shop employee nodded, so Quinn continued,

"Good, every strip is marked with a number, which denotes the order they go in while binding the pages. Every page also has a page number just in case the order gets messed up," Quinn continued to explain all the details of the print and binding he wanted.

He stared at the shop employee and asked, "Would you be able to remember all of this?"

The shop employee nodded.

"Good, nevertheless, here you go," Quinn retrieved a couple of sheets of paper and handed it to the employee.

"Everything I said is on the sheets, and there is even more like the design of the cover and the in-between cover pages." He tapped on the pages and insisted, "I want things done exactly according to these documents."

The shop employee looked through the instructions and asked, "And, how many copies do you want?"

"For now, I want twenty copies of each final package, but please keep the print with you. I will need more in the future," answered Quinn.

Quinn also looked up and asked, "How much will all this cost?"

"I can't take money from you," said the employee, his tone incredulous.

Quinn shook his head and answered, "No, this is my personal endeavor. I will pay for this myself."

When Quinn had contacted his family to ask for the services of the Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop, his grandfather had outright told him he would have to pay from his own trust vault, and Quinn had no problem with it.

Quinn's trust vault had a lot of money, compared to the capital Quinn used for buying beast parts, herbs, books, and other stuff. This bill would be relatively small, and he would most probably break even if a few sets sold.

'Profit was never really the motive,' though Quinn.

"I will send you the bill after the delivery," answered the shop employee. Quinn's family owned the business, and it wouldn't be a problem if Quinn never paid.

"I will be needing these in three days. Would that time be enough," asked Quinn.

The shop employee nodded and responded, "You will have these in two days." He looked at Quinn and asked, "Would you come here to collect?"

Quinn shook his head, "No, shrunk the notebooks and owl them to Hogwarts."

"Understood."

Quinn nodded, "Excellent. Now, I would have to leave. I have to return to the castle."

The shop employee stepped from behind the counter and said, "I will escort you."

Quinn waved his hand and said, "It's okay. I can find my way. By the way, I didn't get your name."

"Oh, my name is Gary," answered the now-named shop employee.

"Good evening, Gary. Let's hope this goes well and we can work more," said Quinn as he bid farewell to Gary.

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

As Gary promised, Quinn got his delivery on the day he had to give the notes to Padma Patil.

During breakfast, the owl raid brought the Scrivenshaft's package dropped on the table in front of Quinn.

Quinn saw the Scrivenshaft's logo on the package, and a wide grin surfaced on his face. He picked the parcel and placed it in his bookbag.

He hummed a tune while eating his breakfast.

Marcus, who was looking at Quinn, asked, "What got you in a good mood?"

"Today will be a momentous day, Belby. A momentous day," said Quinn. Quinn looked at Marcus, but he was already back eating his food, not paying attention to him.

"You just missed the footnote, you glutton," deadpanned Quinn.

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

Quinn sat in his office reading a book on Blood magic when he heard the door chime ring. He closed the book and looked up to see Padma Patil enter the office.

"Good evening, Ms. Patil. Your notes are ready," greeted Quinn. He opened a drawer in his desk and took out seven bound stacks of parchments.

The cover of each stack had a different color, the seven books covered all seven colors of the rainbow. The design on the cover was quite mentalistic. Mentioned in the center of the cover page were the subject names and the year. On the bottom right corner, there was a small box with A.I.D written inside it.

The cover page was made from a slightly thicker parchment than the pages inside, but it was still parchment, so the notes had a paperback feel instead of a hardback.

Quinn had the notes made from parchment instead of paper so that all would readily accept them.

He pushed the seven notebooks towards Padma and let her take a look.

The looks of notes surprised her. She wasn't expecting them to look so aesthetically pleasing.

"These are your notes?" she asked as she opened the Charms notebook.

"Yes, these are my notes, an amalgamation of my knowledge. These notes contain everything I consider important, written in easy words and figures. You will find everything from the course books and the books I have read from the library," said Quinn, not lying at all. He was just omitting that he knew a lot more than this.

"Why do they look like this," asked Padma, not looking at Quinn at all. The notebooks intrigued her too much.

"Oh that," Quinn smiled and said, "I have decided to sell these notes, so I made them look good. This design will attract a lot more attention."

He leaned forward and spoke, "Now, Ms. Patil, I have a proposition that I would like to offer you."

Padma looked up from the notes and asked, "What proposition?"

"I would give you a discount of ten (10) sickles, or two of these seven notebooks if you advertise these notes to your friends. Study in the common room. Keep the notes out on the tables; so they remain in view, and everyone can see them. You know that kind of stuff," answered Quinn.

Padma thought for a second before nodding, "I can do that." She put twenty-five (25) sickles on the table.

Quinn counted the money before asking, "Can you sign your name, the subjects you purchased, and the money you gave me on here?" He pulled out a paper from his desk with a table on it. "Write your name here, tick the subjects you purchased and write the amount in sickles... Excellent."

Quinn shook hands with Padma and said, "Pleasure doing business with you."

When Padma left, Quinn looked at the sole name written on the table and talked, "Let's start phase-2."

-*-*-*-*-*-

Quinn West - MC - Has a plan in mind... *Mwuhahahahaha!*

Padma Patil - Ravenclaw - Talks less - Wants to get a head start on exam prep.

Gary - Shop Employee - "How did he get out of Hogwarts..."

-*-*-*-*-*-

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The link is also in the synopsis.

-*-*-*-*-*-

Katie Bell and her friends were walking in the corridors, walking back to their common room after classes, when they were stopped by a voice,

"Bell!"

The Gryffindor Chaser looked back to see Quinn West wave his hand as he weaved through a crowd of students.

"Yeah, what is it?" asked Katie when the Ravenclaw walked near her.

She saw Quinn put his hand into his bookbag and take out a stack of notebooks. She could see the thin colorful spines of the notebooks with the violet notebook on the top.

"What are these?" she asked as Quinn handed them to her. Katie read the topmost violet notebook, "Charms, year two?"

"Yup," said Quinn, popping the 'P' at the end.

"These are my examination notes for all seven subjects for our year," smiled Quinn.

Katie frowned and uttered, "But, the exams aren't for another couple of months..."

Quinn nodded, replying to the Quidditch athlete, "True, but I am giving these to you because I am going to sell these notes from now on."

He tapped the corner of the notebook, directing the attention of Katie and her friends to the words A.I.D written in the box.

"You can buy them at the A.I.D office for five (5) sickles a subject. No need to buy the entire set."

He looked at Katie's two friends and raised his hand to show an A.I.D card. He shifted his thumb to reveal that he had two cards in his hands, showcasing sleight of hand.

"These are for you ladies," said Quinn as he gave the cards to them. "If you want to buy my notes. You can come to this room. As I said, you don't have to buy the complete set, and you can pool money among a group to buy the entire set and share the notebooks."

He turned back to Katie and spoke, "This set is free. But, I want you to do something for me."

When Katie nodded, Quinn continued, "Spread the word that I am selling these notebooks among the Gryffindor house. I have notes for all subjects of the first and second year. Tell them the cost and say that the price is negotiable."

He placed his hand on top of the notebooks, and when he removed it, there was another black and gold A.I.D card sitting on the top of the notebook.

"They can come to visit at the A.I.D office. I will discuss prices with them there," finished Quinn.

Katie looked at the card sitting on top of the notebook, "How many of these do you carry?"

Quinn waved his empty hand and shook it for another card to suddenly appear in his hand. He held the card with his other hand and revealed a whole deck of contacting cards in his hand, spreading them like a deck of playing cards.

"A lot of them," smirked Quinn, enjoying the look on their faces at the show of simple sleight-of-hand 'magic.'

"Do this for me, will you? Remember, first and second-year subjects only, and the prices are negotiable," said Quinn as he walked backward and waved them goodbye before disappearing among the students.

'Gryffindor seed planted,' thought Quinn.

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

Megan Jones stood near the Hogwarts kitchen with a dozen sheets of paper in her hands.

"Ms. Jones, as per our agreement, I want you to take these flyers and stick them on the Hufflepuff notice board, entrances of both the girls' and boys' dormitories, and all the places you think these flyers would stick out," said Quinn

Megan Jones was Quinn's very first client. She had come with a simple task of fixing a gift from her mother, Quinn had fixed it without even blinking, and now he was cashing the favor.

A simple task for a small favor that she owed.

She nodded, showing her understanding.

"You just have to place these flyers on the surface, tap them with your wand while saying stick. I have charmed them to stick when you do that. No mess, no fuss," explained Quinn.

"Okay, I will do it," replied Megan.

He waved her goodbye as she ran towards the Hufflepuff common room.

Quinn didn't give anyone in Hufflepuff a free set because he didn't know any first-year and second-year students on a personal level. So he decided to use flyers for marketing the exam notes.

He charmed the flyers with animation charms that really made them stand out and were catchy to look at.

'Heck, they even glow in the dark,' thought Quinn.

He waited for Megan to return to give him a confirmation, and after ten minutes, she returned.

"I did it. I pasted all the flyers on the walls." Her face was a little red as she came running from the Hufflepuff common room.

"Excellent. Thank you, Ms. Jones," replied Quinn, smiling, hoping the flyers would garner some traction in Hufflepuff.

As he was about to leave, Megan suddenly asked, "Will I be able to get your notes later when I start preparing for the exams?"

The exams were still a couple months away, and other than the majority of Ravenclaw students and some studious students in other houses, no one else had started studying. So, Megan didn't want to buy them now and wondered if they would be available later.

Quinn grinned in reply, "You can come to the office on the day of the exams, and you would still get the notes. So, drop by when you are in need."

He waved her goodbye and walked away thinking,

'Hufflepuff is a go.'

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis sat under the shade of a tree, doing homework in peace. They were sitting on a checkered sheet, with all their things laying comfortably on the cloth.

Tracy was thinking about an answer in her homework when a butterfly caught her attention. The butterfly was no ordinary one, and Tracey tugged on Daphne's clothes, getting her attention.

"What?" asked the blonde in annoyance.

Tracey pointed at the butterfly and exclaimed, "Look! The butterfly changes color with every flap of its wing."

Daphne frowned but followed Tracey's finger and saw a butterfly flapping its way towards the trunk of the tree they were sitting under. She noticed how with every flap, the butterfly's wings would change color.

"You are right," murmured Daphne as she and Tracey turned their heads toward the trunk, following the butterfly as it moved upwards and eventually went behind the trunk of the tree.

The girls waited for the butterfly to reemerge, but it never came back.

"Aww, I should've followed it," whined Tracey. Daphne just shook her, but she too wanted to see the color-changing butterfly.

When they turned back to the front, both noticed something completely unexpected.

"Eep!" shrieked Daphne, shocked at the sudden scare she just felt. While Tracy didn't squeal, she too was shocked and had a hand on her chest, breathing deeply.

The thing that scared them was actually a person. A person both were quite familiar with.

Sitting in front of them was Quinn, sitting there like he had always been with them. He was reading Tracey's homework parchments.

He looked up at Tracey and pointed at the parchment. "Wormwood doesn't have a taproot but a fibrous root. We add wormwood to the Draught of the Living Death because it eliminates the side-effect. You missed it here."

Both of them looked on as Quinn pointed at things in Tracey's homework with a smile.

"... so, we learn that by drying the leaves of the Nettle plant, we can get the desired effect and use it in the potion for a cure for boils. Neat, right?"

He passed the parchment to Tracey, who took it from Quinn and then threw a fresh roll of parchment in his face. Daphne followed and threw her own roll at Quinn.

"Prat!" thundered Tracey, glaring at Quinn. A new look on her usual smiling face.

"Oh, come on. It was an innocent joke. I didn't jump out to scare you and silently sat here helping you out," said Quinn, busting out his best innocent look.

The two girls just gave a deadpanned look to Quinn.

"How did you get here? I didn't see you walking," asked Daphne.

Quinn smiled widely, took out his fake wand, and casted a spell. The girls saw Quinn's other hand disappeared from sight.

"A Disillusionment charm to make myself invisible coupled with that butterfly to distract your attention was enough for me to sneak up on you," answered Quinn, conjuring two of the color-changing butterflies that fluttered around the two girls.

He skipped the details that it wasn't a simple Disillusionment charm but advanced light magic to make himself invisible and erasing the surrounding sound.

"Magic with simple misdirection. Quite simple really," said Quinn.

"So, what brings you here?" asked Tracey, as she wrote everything Quinn had said about her homework. She might have been angry, but she was listening. While Daphne admired the butterfly that landed on her finger.

"Oh, I come bearing gifts for you two," said Quinn as he took out two sets of exam notes and handed one to each of them.

"I present to you my notes for all first-year subjects. They have everything you will need to pass your end-of-year examinations. Explained every topic in easy words with diagrams for explanations. Tips and tricks for practical usage. These notes have everything and will help you greatly for your end-of-year exams," explained Quinn, putting on his best salesman smile.

The two Slytherin girls undid the binding on the notebook set, picked the first notebook from the stack, and started reading.

Quinn patiently waited while the girls read the material in the notes. He looked at the grass on the ground and had a sudden urge to pull on it but abstained from doing it.

After a while, Tracey spoke, "These are amazing. They have so much in so fewer words." She looked at Quinn and asked, "You wrote these?"

Quinn smirked, "Of course, I did. And, I am going to sell these." He tapped on the A.I.D symbol on the cover of the notes.

"For that reason, I am going to need a little help." Quinn took out another set of flyers that he had given to Megan Jones and placed them on the picnic blanket.

"In return for these notes, all I am asking from you two is a little promotion in the Slytherin house. You can post these flyers in the common room, and a little word of mouth would also be helpful."

"I thought these were gifts," asked Daphne.

Quinn chuckled and responded, "You can treat my request as a return gift from you two."

Tracey picked up a flyer and said, "Of course, we will help. These notes are going to be a great help."

"Thank you," smiled Quinn. He also handed them a few A.I.D cards for distribution and explained everything about selling first and second-year subjects and how the prices were negotiable.

'With this, Slytherin is locked in too.'

Quinn was going to do the promotion in Ravenclaw on his own, and he was absolutely sure that Ravenclaw students would be his first customers and most extensive buyers.

'As long I am top, Ravenclaw students will buy whatever I sell.'

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

It took a couple of days before the orders started pouring in, and as Quinn had expected, the first batch of orders were all from Ravenclaw students.

The first one to visit his office was Terry Boot, first-year Ravenclaw.

"I want to buy a complete set," asked the boy.

"Are you sure? It will cost you two (2) galleons and one (1) sickle. It is a sizeable amount. Can you afford it?" asked Quinn, retrieving a set of notes from below his desk.

Terry took out one galleon and the remaining amount in sickles and set them on the table. He looked pained as he did it.

Quinn faintly smiled and placed one finger on the galleon and one sickle and slid them towards himself.

"I am willing to give you a fifty percent discount if you just owe me a favor in the future. You just have to do some work for me in the future. How about it?" asked Quinn.

Terry, with no hesitation, said, "I will do it!" He picked up the remaining sickles from the table and placed them back into his pocket.

"Good," smiled Quinn. He took out the buyer's sheet and asked, "Sign your name here, tick under the subjects you took, which means tick under all of them, and finally, write the amount you paid; in your case, it is seventeen (17), sickles."

Terry picked up the quill that Quinn offered and excitedly wrote on the buyer's sheet.

Quinn pushed the note set towards Terry and smiled, "Thank you for doing business with me. I hope you will like the notes and come back next year."

After Terry, the damn broke, and all of Ravenclaw's first-year and second-year students came running to the A.I.D office for the exam notes set.

All of them asked for a fifty percent discount, and Quinn gladly gave them the deduction in return for a favor.

'Damn, all of them bought full sets,' thought Quinn, smiling at the buyer's table.

After the Ravenclaw wave came, two people, who Quinn had forgotten about, visited the A.I.D. office for the exam notes.

Quinn was working in the workshop when he heard the door chime and walked to the office with a small glass vial in his hand. He was drying it with a cloth because he didn't want magical residue on the vial from using a drying spell.

"Welcome to A.I.D. How may I help you today," greeted Quinn as he walked into the office with the vial and drying cloth in his hand.

He had his eyes on the vial, and when he looked up, Quinn found two Gryffindor looking at him. Not any two Gryffindor, but Ivy Potter and Hermione Granger.

Quinn was surprised but didn't show a change in expression and calmly wrapped the vial in the drying cloth and set it down on the ledge in the wall behind his desk.

Sitting down on his chair, Quinn gestured both of them to sit down and spoke, "Please take a seat. Make yourselves comfortable."

After the Gryffindor brunette and redhead sat down, Quinn asked, "Now, how may I help you two?"

After the Troll incident, Ivy and Hermione had gotten close. Now hung out together all the time and rarely could be seen away from each other.

So, it wasn't a surprise that they came together.

'But, damn, I forgot about these two because of the Icy vault,' thought Quinn as he waited for them to speak.

Hermione took the lead and questioned, "We are here because we were told that you are selling exam notes for first-year subjects."

Quinn put on his sales smile and answered, "You have heard correctly. I am selling exam notes for all first-year and second-year students." He took out a flyer and asked, "Have you seen these?"

Quinn had given Katie the flyers to make her job a little easier. He also wanted to increase his footprint in the Gryffindor common room. When the time for the exams arrives, those flyers would still be there, and they will attract the eyes of panicking students.

Hermione glanced at the flyer and nodded, "Yes, we have seen them."

"Good, then you are familiar with the deal. I sell the notes for five (5) sickles a subject," explained Quinn.

This was a great opportunity if he could have the Potter princess and the future smartest witch of her age owe him a debt.

'Let's not rush things,' thought Quinn. He didn't outright say anything about the negotiability of the prices.

And it seemed that the Ravenclaw students had dipped their toes in the Hogwarts rumor mill, and Ivy Potter had heard something.

"What about the fifty percent discount that you have been handing out?" asked the redhead Potter.

Quinn internally smiled, but on the outside, he shrugged and responded, "I give a fifty percent discount if you are willing to owe me a favor. In the future, you will have to do something for me to get this discount. As simple as that."

Then he waited, waited for them to either reject the offer or accept it.

The answer came immediately.

"No, thank you. We will pay in full," replied Ivy. She was the child of the Potter family. She knew better than to owe someone a favor for something so minor.

Quinn shrugged. He felt a little disappointed, but there was nothing he could do about it.

"So, are you going to buy the entire set, or do you want individual subjects."

"We want two entire sets," answered Hermione.

Both girls took out two (2) galleons and one (1) sickle each and placed them on the table.

Quinn took out two sets and slid them towards the girls.

Picking up the coins off the table, Quinn said. "Please, sign your names here, tick the subjects and write the amount you gave." Giving them the buyer's sheet.

He picked them coins and placed them in his pockets.

After the two completed the form, Quinn said, "Thank you for doing business with me. If you have any problems that you need to get solved or want to gain any information, just come here, and I will help you out." Placing two A.I.D cards in front of them.

Hermione picked up the card and asked, "Any information, you say?" She looked at Quinn and asked, "Then tell me you are utilizing this room, but do you have permission for using it?"

Quinn smiled and answered, "Two galleons, and I will give you the answer. Five more galleons, and I will give you the proof."

Hermione narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing Quinn for a while before shaking her head, "You are asking too much money for that information."

Quinn smiled while shrugging, "The information is always available. Come whenever you think the price is acceptable."

Ivy, who had been silent for a while, looked up and asked, "Do you know who Nicolas Flamel is?"

"Ivy!" hissed Hermione, not wanting to reveal that they had been looking for Nicolas Flamel, or they had been to the third-floor corridor. If news leaked, they would be in deep trouble.

Unknown to Hermione, Quinn had just heard all her fears through Legilimency. He had activated the moment Hermione had asked him the question.

He turned his eyes towards Ivy, but here he could only sense emotions and no thoughts or memories.

'She has decent shields,' thought Quinn. If Quinn wanted to hear her thoughts, he would have to spend some time poking around her shields, finding a crack, and gain access, or he could force through the shields, but Ivy might feel a little pain, and that might tip her off.

Right now, he had business to do.

"Of course, I know about Nicolas Flamel," answered Quinn, watching as both Ivy and Hermione snap their heads towards Quinn.

"You do?" inquired Ivy.

Quinn nodded and showed her seven fingers, "For the price of seven (7) galleons, the information would be yours."

He leaned back in his chair, giving them time to think as he peered into Hermione's mind, getting a feel of her thoughts.

'She is worried but wants to know about Nicolas Flamel. Hmm... oh my, the time she spent in the library looking for Flamel.'

Quinn turned his eyes towards Ivy and could sense that she wanted to proceed with Quinn's offer.

After some whispering, Hermione sighed, and Ivy turned to Quinn and asked, "I will pay, so tell me about Nicolas Flamel."

Quinn stood up from his chair and said, "Excuse me for a couple of minutes. I would return with the information."

He walked into the workshop, and the moment he was out of their sight, a wide grin appeared on his face.

'I got in,' thought Quinn. If Quinn could provide them with the information, then it would create a positive impression and return if they have problems in the future.

Quinn took out a sheet of paper and summoned a fountain pen. Quinn manipulated the fountain pen through magic to write every piece of information he could recall about Nicolas Flamel.

He wrote about his personal history, schooling, achievement of being the only known creator of Philosopher's stone and a grandmaster in Alchemy, and his connection with Albus Dumbledore. He mentioned everything that would point to them that a Philosopher's stone was behind the door on the third-floor corridor.

He took the sheet of paper and slipped it into an A-4 size document envelope.

"Here you go; information on one Nicolas Flamel," said Quinn as he put the envelope in front of the two girls.

Ivy tried to pick up the envelope, but the envelope didn't budge from the table.

"What is this?" demanded Ivy, a frown marring her face.

Quinn took out a galleon from his pocket and said, "Pay up, and you will be able to pick it up."

Ivy huffed while she retrieved five galleons from her pocket and looked at Hermione, "Do you have two? I will return them to you later."

The girls pooled the money and gave it to Quinn, and Quinn tapped his fake wand on the envelope, releasing it from the table.

Ivy swiped the envelope and hurriedly read the papers inside it. Hermione joined her, and both read the contents, their eyes widening as they realized what Fluffy the Cerberus was guarding.

The two girls looked at each other, communicating with each other, and nodded. They stood up and looked at Quinn.

"Thank you for this," said Ivy, Hermione nodding in affirmation.

Quinn stood up from his chair and said, "I am glad that you liked my services. Please do come back if you have other problems."

He followed them to the door, and when they were out, Quinn spoke to them, "Ms. Potter and Ms. Granger, the restricted part of the third-floor corridor, is dangerous. The headmaster wasn't joking when he warned about a painful death."

Both the girls turned back with wide eyes and saw Quinn with a mysterious smile on his face.

"Wha-!" exclaimed Ivy, but the door was shut closed before she could finish.

The two girls stood in shock as they looked at the closed door, not knowing what to feel about the unexpected warming from the person who had given them valuable information that they were looking for months.

On the other side of the door, Quinn was grinning widely.

'Mysterious vibe established! Oh~ that felt good. Yeah, that was perfect,' thought Quinn, feeling great about his performance.

-*-*-*-*-*-

[

A/N [1: Aaah~ Man, this chapter was long, really long.

A/N [2: I contemplated if I should add the last part. But, in the end, it went like most of my decisions; I was like... meh, and thought if I have it then it would go in.

]

-*-*-*-*-*-

Quinn West - MC - Going through a magician phase.

Ivy Potter - Potter princess - Got what she asked for.

Hermione Granger - Smartest Gryffindor - A little miffed because of the time spent searching for Nicolas Flamel.

-*-*-*-*-*-

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The link is in the synopsis!

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The link is also in the synopsis.

-*-*-*-*-*-

The time was last week of May, and the Icy corridor was still as miserable as ever, at least for Quinn.

He had thick winter clothing, safety goggles, plus Quinn had eaten foods that heated the body for dinner. Blood magic was keeping him alive in the killing cold.

He had gotten better at using Blood magic and could now remain in the Icy vault for thirty (30) minutes, and out of that time, he was perfectly comfortable for twenty (20) minutes.

Quinn stood in front of the snowflake icicle, using magic that he had been using for the past months. He had used it so many times that at this point, he could absentmindedly perform Ice Transmutation and Transfiguration on the snowflake icicle.

Hands raised, channeling magic, Quinn changed the ice into vapor and tried to change the water vapor into magnesium but failed time and time again. Over time, he had gotten loads better at the Transmutation part of the process and could change the entire snowflake into vapor.

The problem was Transfiguring the water vapor into magnesium; Quinn was just missing a single step; the moment the water vapor was in the state of flux, but at that moment, the mechanism would wrest away the control from him and change the water vapor back into ice.

Today was no different as Quinn failed time and time again, and Quinn's time was ending as his magic reserves were depleting and his bedtime was approaching.

With his mind completely empty, Quinn began the process. The ice turned to water vapor and covert the water vapor into magnesium. He expected his magic to be disrupted, but the disruption never came, and the magic completed its execution.

"Eh? Huh? What?" The focus slowly returned to Quinn's eyes, and he turned away from the snowflake icicle's original position. There he saw a massive, oddly formed lump of pure silvery magnesium.

The light returned fully to Quinn's eyes as he turned back to his front and saw the icy-blue gate unobstructed by the snowflake icicle barrier.

"I did it?" asked Quinn, not believing that he had defeated the snowflake icicle.

He looked back and forth from the lump of magnesium and gate and yelled, "I did it!"

He walked to the lump of magnesium and pointed at it, "Haha! Suck it, you giant piece of Transfigured ice. I defeated you; nothing can stop me! I am never going to die!"

After his narcissistic celebration, Quinn calmed down to an ordinary excitement level and bombarded the ice gate with tones of detection and diagnostic charms that he learned and researched for this very moment.

It took a couple of minutes before Quinn wasn't sure that touching or opening the gate would freeze him or cause him mortal harm.

"Cool, let's do it," said Quinn and was about to open the icy gate but suddenly leaned back and stepped away from the frozen gate.

He waved his hand, and the lump of magnesium metal moved away from the direction of the vault gate. He also stepped to the side and used magic to push open the vault's icy gate.

The second the gate opened halfway, a ton of ice spikes shot from the inside and stabbed everything in their way, which in the case were the floor and walls.

"Aeeii~. Nice," smiled Quinn as he nodded in admiration of the hidden trap.

He carefully tip-toed in front of the fully open gate and peered inside to see if there was anything else.

Inside he saw a faint blue light in the center of the room, but it wasn't visible from the spot Quinn was standing, so Quinn shot multiple bright light orbs into the vault to light it up.

Quinn didn't move and just stared at the now lit up the vault, looking if there were more traps or something, but saw nothing more than a surprisingly small room with a high ceiling.

He carefully stepped into the room, his magic primed to react with at a moment's notice. His eyes were on the walls, observing the room to see if there were any deadly traps, but after a couple of minutes, Quinn found no traps in the vault.

"Good," sighed Quinn. He noticed the vault room wasn't cold; it wasn't even at the level of the beginning of the icy corridor.

While exhaling, Quinn released the Blood magic, keeping him alive in the freezing climate. He also removed a couple of layers of clothing and finally paid attention to the source of blue light in the center of the room.

It was floating in mid-air, eleven (11) feet above the floor, glowing in a cold yet soft blue light. When Quinn looked closely, he saw signs of a liquified semi-fluid contracting and expanding every second. [A/N: Like Aether from the MCU, but in blue.]

"Now, what is this?..." said Quinn as he shot another wave of detection, diagnostic, and indicative charms and spell to see if there were any clues that he could find and got a ton of responses and feedbacks.

From the feedback of the spells, Quinn found responses that runes and charms laid into the walls, floor, and ceiling of the room. And while Quinn still had no idea about the origin of the blue semi-fluid in mid-air, he perfectly recognized the runes and the property of the charms spelled into the vault.

He sat down on the floor and began fitting in all the runes and charms into places so that he could piece together a bigger picture and find out how the mechanism outside worked and what was the blue semi-liquid.

Quinn forgot he needed to sleep and go back to his common room, and for the first time in a very long time, he pulled an all-nighter going through every inch of magical structure, and finally, just before sunrise, not that Quinn knew about it, the bigger picture clicked in.

His head snapped towards the semi-liquid, eyes widened like saucers, and his jaw, hanging like a buffoon. Quinn hurriedly got to his feet, but his feet were asleep, so he fell down to his knees. He crawled towards the blue semi-liquid and finally stuttered the identity of the unknown material,

"A-Absolute Zero... It is Absolute Zero. I can't believe it." Quinn's voice raised as he exclaimed, "I. Friggin. Can. Not. Believe. It!"

Absolute Zero was an Alchemic material, a magical material that had a temperature of zero (0) Kelvin, - 273.15 Celsius, or -459.7 Fahrenheit.

Or in simple words, a temperature of Absolute Zero, the lowest temperature possible on the thermodynamic temperature scale.

And most importantly, it was a Paradoxical material because reaching absolute zero was impossible. You could reach temperatures close to absolute zero, but getting absolute zero was impossible because that would signify there was no existence of any type of energy present, and that was impossible.

And yet, Absolute Zero material existed.

It wasn't as catchy as the Philosopher's stone and didn't grant eternal life, turned anything into gold, or produced Panacea that could cure any disease in the world. But Absolute Zero was an Alchemic achievement that would provide an alchemist with eternal glory and cement their position in the annals of time.

Different materials would demonstrate astonishing properties if provided the cold energy from Absolute Zero. It was theorized that gold, the best conductor of magic if cooled down to absolute zero, would become the perfect magic conductor. It would allow a flow of magic unprecedented by anything possible.

Currently, there weren't any known existences of Absolute Zero material in the entire magical world.

"A magical marvel made possible with Alchemy," murmured Quinn as he stared at the blue semi-liquid floating in the air.

Quinn was just a novice Alchemist and couldn't even imagine the process of creation of Absolute Zero, but he understood what it signified. He could appreciate the wondrous existence in front of him.

He turned his eyes to the outside, finally understanding the mechanism that created the icy hell outside. The ice outside resulted from leaking some of the cold from the Absolute Zero to construct a defensive mechanism.

The freezing hell that could kill people instantly was just a small leakage from the Absolute Zero. And the primary purpose of leaking cold energy to the outside was to keep the Absolute Zero stable, and the defensive mechanism was just an added benefit.

Quinn looked at the Absolute Zero for a while before putting on the layers of clothes. He needed to exit the vault and go back to his common room.

He gave the Absolute Zero a final look before sighing. Quinn understood the reason behind the runes and charms in the vault. They were keeping Absolute Zero contained in this vault because Absolute Zero was extremely dangerous.

If Quinn released it from the bindings, the result would be far worse than the icy region outside. If kept uncontained Absolute Zero would turn entire Hogwarts into a freezing hell far worse than the defensive mechanism keeping it in check.

The temperatures would drop so low that even Quinn, with his Blood magic, would die instantly. The defensive mechanism would seem like a paradise compared to the unchecked power of Absolute Zero. It would be the sure death of every living being in the vicinity. Quinn wasn't even sure that the ghosts would survive; their souls might die in the intense cold.

Heck, it could possibly cool down the earth's core before collapsing because of the intense heat.

While Quinn understood the runes and charms, he couldn't replicate them to make a portable version for himself, and leaving Absolute Zero here was his own choice.

'So cold that even death might die...,' thought Quinn, feeling a little fear at the possible ramification, but his eyes showed a determination shine,

'One day... I will reach this level... one day,' thought Quinn. Planning to thoroughly research the Absolute Zero to gain another level of insight into Alchemy.

Just before leaving, Quinn undid the Transfiguration on the water vapor, and the moment the magic lifted, the gas instantly rushed to the gate and froze into the snowflake icicle.

He once again focused on the snowflake icicle and turned it into water vapor, Transfigured it into magnesium, and this time it went without a hitch.

"Phew... glad that wasn't a fluke," chuckled Quinn, not wanting to imagine how pissed he would be if he unlocked the Icy vault at a fluke.

Lifting the magic one last time, Quinn reset the defensive mechanism and finally walked away with a hop in his step, even though he was tired from pulling an all-nighter.

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

Next week was the end-of-year examinations, and that kept Quinn a little busy, but when Quinn looked at the buyer's sheet table, a smile parted his face.

In the last two to three weeks, Quinn had a boatload of business. Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, and a part of Slytherin house students came in like a flood to buy Quinn's notes. The sudden realization that the examinations were near and the accompanying panic was a major boost to Quinn's business.

The students came flooding in for copies of exam notes, and Quinn sold them like hotcakes. He even had to send for a reprint order so that he could keep up with the demand.

Quinn was sure that in a year or two, he could fill up a tub with sickles.

'Laying down in a tub of money. Oh yeah, that would be cool, alright,' had thought Quinn when he checked the total gains from the sales.

Almost all of the students had jumped on the fifty percent discount and agreed to owe Quinn a favor. There were a few people who paid in full and didn't take the deduction.

Like students from wealthy families didn't bother with the discount and bought the set in full. A few didn't want to owe Quinn a favor, so they either pooled money to buy an entire set or bought selected subjects.

Quinn remembered chuckling when Crabbe and Goyle came into the A.I.D office and bought three sets for themselves and Draco. He had read their minds, and it made a glorious memory for Quinn.

The result was that in a few weeks, Quinn had amassed more influence than he had been able to in the past several months.

And, as Quinn predicted, a few professors had visited him at the A.I.D office. It was the last week of April when a trio comprising Lily Potter, Filius Flitwick, and Minerva McGonagall came knocking.

Quinn was sitting behind his office desk doing some work when the door chime rang, and instinctively Quinn spoke.

"Welcome to A.I.D. How may I help..." but when he raised his, Quinn saw the three professors and trailed off at the end.

"Professors, what an unexpected surprise," said Quinn, standing up from his chair, "What brings you three here?"

The three visitors didn't reply for a moment, taking in the ambiance of the A.I.D office. In the past few months, Quinn had actively changed the decor and feel of the office. The glass wall no longer looked ugly and was now the best feature of the room.

There were a lot of random paintings hanging from the walls that Quinn liked to look at. A few plants, giving the room some green color, and some trinkets that Quinn placed because they looked cool.

The office now looked a lot more put together and homogenous. The decor and vibe fit together and completed the look.

Flitwick was the first one to speak up, "It is the first time I have come to this classroom, but you have changed it quite a bit, Mr. West."

Quinn smiled in reply, "Had to make some changes, professor."

McGonagall, who was touching the glass partition wall and noticed, "This is transmutation. Now that I recall, you do know about transmutation, don't you, Mr. West?" McGonagall remembered the conversation she had with Quinn a month ago.

"You are correct, professor. I transmuted many panes of glass to create a big glass wall," answered Quinn as he put down an additional stool in front of his desk, increasing the number to three.

He didn't want the professors to enter his workshop because there was a lot of stuff in there that, even though it won't get Quinn in trouble, would reveal that Quinn was exceedingly advanced for his age.

"Please take a seat," gestured Quinn as he went to his chair. He wanted to control the direction of the conversation.

"So, what brings you here, professors? I hope I am not in trouble," asked Quinn as the three professors sat down.

"Oh, nothing like that, Mr. West. We came here to discuss the exam notes that you have been selling," responded Lily Potter.

Quinn slightly tilted his head and asked, "I see... what about them?"

"We wanted to check and make sure that there aren't any mistakes in the notes. The entirety of the Ravenclaw first and second-year populous is using your notes, and we wanted to just check the accuracy of the notes," said Flitwick, chiming in.

Quinn lightly shrugged, "I have no problems with that," said Quinn, taking out a set of both year's notes and pushing them towards the professors.

"Actually, if you guys give the notes your approval, I could add that straight to the cover for advertisement," said Quinn, thinking about treating this as quality certification from a higher authority.

Flitwick and Lily chuckled while McGonagall put on her glasses, pulling out the Transfiguration notes. Flitwick pulled out the charms notes while Lily targeted the potion notes.

Quinn sat back and didn't disturb the professors. He eventually returned to his work. The room fell silent as the three professors continued to read the notes while Quinn continued to do his homework.

When Flitwick was done with Charms, he picked up Defense Against Dark Arts, while Lily and McGonagall picked up Herbology and History of Magic, respectively.

When Lily was done, she left Astronomy to the other two teachers and observed Quinn.

Ivy told her all about the A.I.D service that was being run by a student, and when Lily asked for a name, she was surprised to hear the name Quinn West.

And, when she asked around, it surprised her that Quinn had Flitwicks permission to permanently occupy an empty classroom for personal use.

When Flitwick revealed that all Ravenclaw first and second-years were using Quinn's notes, McGonagall had decided to assess the accuracy of the notes, and thus they were here.

"Mr. West, what other services do you provide here?" asked Lily.

Quinn looked up from his work and answered, "I work to fulfill any request that is asked of me. Bring me broken stuff, and I will fix it. Have a problem with homework, and I will help you with it."

He looked at McGonagall, who looked up from the notes and assured her, "I don't do it for them, and neither do I let them copy from mine. I just tell them where to look for it."

He returned to Lily and continued, "You need information about a topic, and I will research it for you. I also charm objects on request. My most popular requests for charm work are date items that guys ask me for Hogsmeade weekends," smiled Quinn.

Quinn took out three cards from his desk and passed one to each of the professors.

"Please do think of me when you have a problem that needs to be solved," said Quinn as he gave them the A.I.D cards.

Lily looked at the card and then asked, "Can I have a first-year set? I would like to buy one for my son."

Quinn smiled, "Of course, professor. That would be two galleons and one sickle," said Quinn, retrieving a fresh set for her. He didn't offer her a discount as he didn't want to raise suspicion.

Lily smiled and pulled out the asked amount, and gave it to Quinn.

"Please fill your name, subjects, and amount paid in sickles in this table," said Quinn, giving the buyer's list to Lily.

Lily looked at the sheet of paper and was surprised to see so many names on the sheet. She followed the example of the person above her and filled all the slots.

Finally, McGonagall closed the final notebook and declared, "There weren't any mistakes in your notes, Mr. West. These notebooks have been well thought of; they will be of great help. I will recommend these to students."

Quinn's face lit up, and he grinned, "Thank you, professor."

She nodded, but then she looked at the glass wall and asked, "Mr. West, what is on the other side of the glass wall?"

Quinn looked at the glass wall and casually answered, "Oh, I practice my magic on the other side."

McGonagall nodded, looking away from the glass wall, and focused her attention on the office itself.

After talking for a few minutes, the three teachers left the office, and Quinn leaned into his chair, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Never thought I would give the professors my card," spoke Quinn.

He paused before smiling, "Business is doing wonders... grandfather would be proud."

-*-*-*-*-*-

[

A/N:

Absolute Zero might not seem something great but wait. I have plans for it... kind of, at least it will appear in the next volume. I am researching ways that cold can be beneficial, so it might take time to get some use out of it.

If you have some uses for cold, then do tell me. I will try to spin something out of it.

]

-*-*-*-*-*-

Quinn West - MC - Absolute Zero! Absolute Zero!

Filius Flitwick - Charms Professor - Likes the charm of the cards.

Minerva McGonagall - Transfiguration Professor - Intrigued by the glass wall in Quinn's office.

Lily Potter - First staff client - Impressed by the A.I.D consultation service.

-*-*-*-*-*-

If you have any ideas regarding the magic you want to see in this fiction or want to offer some ideas regarding the progression. Move onto the DISCORD Server and blast those ideas.

The link is in the synopsis!

Report chapter Comments

If you want to read ahead, you can check out my Patreón @

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The link is also in the synopsis.

-*-*-*-*-*-

The end-of-year exams were over, and Quinn was finally free from sitting for tests and giving last-minute lectures the entirety of Ravenclaw's second-year population.

The downside of being the top scorer on exams and being nice to most of his housemates was that people came to him just before exams for help, so Quinn held up court in the Ravenclaw common room and took doubts and questions before every exam.

Now, he sat in his workshop with a small stack of paper plus a manilla folder sitting in front of him.

The title on the manilla folder read,

「Chapter: Vault One (Temp.)」

Quinn categorized this chapter under 「Project: Vaults」.

He had opened this project for the cursed vaults present in Hogwarts. If things went according to plan and he didn't face any unforeseen problems, this project would have five chapters correlating to the five cursed vaults present in Hogwarts.

Quinn waved a hand over the manilla folder, and the writing disappeared.

Picking up his fountain pen, he changed the title on the manilla folder.

「Chapter: Icy Vault」

The once named Vault One was now turned to Icy Vault.

"Let's start," spoke Quinn, picking up a sheet from the stack and started transcribing all of his experience from his first interaction with Friar to this very day.

The document had everything from how to find the wall on the fifth-floor corridor. What charms and spells were used to detect the wall, and what were the exact responses wanted from the detection spells. Quinn wrote in detail about the methodology he used and referenced every technique he used to find the entrance to the Icy corridor.

Next, Quinn wrote about how to open the entrance to the Icy corridor. He gave a detailed description of how to channel magic into the wall in a particular sequence so that wall would give way to the Icy corridor. He explained how his method reacted and triggered the charms in the wall.

The next part of the document detailed everything about the Icy corridor. How the temperature increased as you walked deeper inside, recording the decreasing temperature at regular distances till the end of the corridor where an invisible barrier existed that separated the corridor from the Icy vault region.

The vault region was extensive as Quinn had to write about the temperature, the defensive mechanism, and the magic he has used. The Blood magic was an essential part of the document report as it was the magic that kept a person alive in there, and without it or a suitable alternative, death was guaranteed.

The subtopic in the report mentioned how Quinn used Blood magic and every traditional spell that allowed a person who used a magical focus to replicate his results. Quinn was sure that if he published the Blood magic part of the document, he would gain fame in the magical community for using dark magic and the fascinating theory behind the Blood magic application.

The document continued by explaining the defense mechanism of the vault and went through every part of the rune, charm, transfiguration, and transmutation work that the mechanism employed to create the effects that the operation showed.

There were pages upon pages on how every rune corresponded to the mechanism's function, how the charms operated to keep the system online, and working from the source energy provided by the Absolute Zero material locked in the vault.

With the defensive mechanism came the method to open it and enter the vault. The section was filled with observations on ice and water properties and how to perform transmutation and transfiguration on the snowflake icicle. Quinn theoretically explained the sublimation process of ice into water vapor and why he transfigured the gas into magnesium.

Every tweak required to make the magic work and wrest the control from the defensive mechanism was mentioned; Quinn spun a perfect blend of theoretical and experimental observation to produce a result that worked a hundred percent of the time.

Finally, Quinn mentioned the center of it all, the Absolute Zero in the vault. Quinn didn't dive into details because first, he knew little about Absolute Zero and its alchemic properties, and second, Quinn was going to create another separate record for Absolute Zero.

The presence of Absolute Zero near Quinn was a fortuitous encounter, and Quinn was going to research extensively. The observations and experimental records would be of extraordinary value in the magical research and alchemic community.

There weren't any known instances of Absolute Zero in the current time, so any records from Absolute Zero would be groundbreaking.

It took Quinn a week to complete the document under the Icy vault chapter, and when he finished, Quinn had penned seventy-eight pages worth of material.

The last page of the report was Quinn's personal remarks about the entire experience.

.

[

The exploration of the first cursed vault, which I have named the Icy vault, was a long and arduous process. The experience challenged me time after time to find new methods to solve the numerous problems I faced.

I spent months of my life working on the Icy vault, but despite the difficulties I faced and the time I devoted to it, I am glad that I could experience it and would do it again if given a choice.

I haven't even started to explore the mysteries of Absolute Zero, and yet I have learned so much.

It started me on a new field of magic, Blood magic. I will continue to learn more about this branch of magic. I thoroughly researched the elemental magic of ice and water to aid me in my progress. In the process, I learned so much that I can say that water and ice magic are my strongest suit.

While working on the defensive mechanism, I gained another level of insight into transmutation and transfiguration. The resistance from the defensive mechanism forced me to optimize my magic usage. Now, my efficiency and skill in both these fields are on a different level.

I would laugh at past me if he said that he was good at transfiguration and transmutation.

Looking at the future, I figure that the remaining four vaults would also help me gain valuable experience and lead me to grow as a magic-user. I look forward to the future in the hope that it would be eventful.

Signing off,

Quinn West.

]

.

After editing, proofreading, and cleaning up the document, Quinn admired his work before charming every single page of the Icy vault document so that no one else could read it and then sealed all the pages inside the manilla folder.

He walked to the file cabinet in the workshop and dropped the folder inside, finally ending the Icy vault exploration.

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

Late at night, Quinn walked with Recon floating in front of him. The corridors of Hogwarts were silent and dark, most of the portraits were sleeping, and Quinn was making sure that no one saw him, so he was alone and unseen.

He took a turn and finally found the one he was looking for. Quinn smiled and decided to dramatic. He ramped up his magic and started to freeze his surroundings. Thin sheets of ice emerged as the surrounding temperature dropped.

The floating ghost was looking at the night sky, felt something. He turned to see Quinn standing at a distance from him, with ice surrounding the floors and walls.

"Follow me, Friar, you gave me a quest, and I have completed it. Come with me to witness a first in the thousand-year history of Hogwarts," said Quinn to the Hufflepuff ghost who gave him the quest to open the cursed vaults.

Friar's ghostly eyes widened as he heard Quinn and saw the ice. He knew the signs.

"You... you opened it?" asked Friar as he floated towards Quinn.

The two walked in silence as they made their way towards the fifth-floor corridor. Friar eyed Quinn suspiciously. He didn't believe that Quinn had opened the vault. He wasn't even sure that Quinn had opened the entrance.

It was too soon. People had tried and failed time and time again.

Living and dead reached the fifth floor. To the place that both knew was the entrance of the Icy corridor.

Quinn placed his hand on the wall and smiled towards Friar. Friar's eyes widened as he saw the bricks shake and the wall give space to reveal the Icy corridor.

Friar followed Quinn, still stunned to see the progress Quinn had made in less than a year. He had seen others take several years just to open this wall.

"You know, this vault gave me a lot of problems. I almost died the first time I entered, and it was pure luck that I survived. My magic really came in clutch," said Quinn as he put on his usual cold clothing.

Friar looked at Quinn and warned, "Are you sure that you opened the wall? It won't do any good from bragging. Don't enter there if you aren't ready. I have seen better men die by descending those steps."

Quinn smirked as he repeated, "Better men? You must not have chosen them carefully. Let me show you how it is done."

Friar stared as he saw glowing veins appeared on Quinn's face.

"What is that magic," questioned Friar, moving closer to Quinn, but stopped when he got closer to the steps.

"This? This is the answer," said Quinn as he descended the steps, entering the vault region.

Friar watched, scared that Quinn would die, but his eyes widened as he saw Quinn turn around and raise his arms.

"This is how it is done. I don't brag, Friar. Everything I saw I can do, I can deliver," laughed Quinn.

Quinn turned on the spot and thrusted his hands towards the snowflake icicle.

Friar looked away from Quinn and towards the vault gate. He saw the snowflake icicle shake. With every passing second, the trembles become more pronounced.

'Did he really accomplish it?' though Friar, his faith in Quinn increasing.

Friar's gasped when he saw the snowflake turn into water vapor, but it wasn't the end, he watched as the gas collected itself, and in mid-air, it turned into a lump of metal. The lump of metal fell to the floor with a thud.

Quinn waved his hand, and the gate opened. Like usual, spears of ice came shooting out.

"Be careful!" yelled Friar, trying to warn Quinn.

Quinn stood with his hands behind his back and watched the spears close on him, and the second they came near him, the spears turned into water, and the water parted. Not a single drop touched Quinn.

Quinn turned to face Friar and smirked, "Well, do you believe me now?"

Friar nodded as he stared at the blue light he could see in the vault. He pointed at it and asked, "What is that?"

Quinn looked inside the vault and answered, "That is Absolute Zero."

Friar looked at Quinn, confused, "What is that?"

Quinn shook his head and spoke, "Don't worry about it. Just know that it is freezing. Much colder than where I am standing. It is the reason behind all the cold in the vault."

Both stared at the blue light.

The dead because it was something that the ghost had wanted to see in a long time, but it took centuries, and now Friar had finally seen it.

The living because it reminded him of the time he spent here and the future of new findings.

After a while, the pair left the Icy corridor and went back to the fifth floor.

Friar looked at Quinn and spoke, "I believe congratulations are in order."

"Thank you," replied Quinn.

"Now, let me tell you about the next vault," said Friar, but Quinn shook his head and said,

"No."

Friar frowned and asked, "What do you mean, no?"

Quinn sighed and answered, "I spent a lot of time this year on this vault and would like a break. If you tell me the clue to the next one, I will end up thinking about it. So, for now, hold that clue. When I return next year, we will continue." Quinn didn't want to take on another vault clue and then spend his summer break contemplating on it.

Friar watched Quinn before speaking, "Alright. I respect your decision. I will give you the vault clue next year when you return."

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

After talking to Friar, Quinn spent a week going to sleep early and didn't break curfew. He just relaxed and read some books for light reading.

And, in that week, one day, Quinn went to the Great Hall for breakfast. His eyes fell upon the High table, and he noticed Quirrell wasn't at breakfast.

Alarm bells rang in Quinn's mind as Quirrell had been punctual at eating breakfast in the Great Hall. Quinn looked at the Gryffindor table and saw that Ron, Hermione, and Ivy were sitting close to each other and were talking in hushed voices. Harry Potter was missing from the group.

Quinn's brows raised, and he thought, 'Oh, damn. Harry did in Quirrell, didn't he? I missed it, huh.' Quinn leaned onto the table and rested his upper body on it, arms crossed.

'Well, whatever, nothing to do with me,' thought Quinn. He lost interest in the Philosopher's stone after his failed attempt to get a look at it. He realized that even if he was present at Quirrell versus Harry, he wouldn't have been able to swipe the stone.

In the books, Dumbledore had gotten there just when Harry had cremated Quirrell into ashes, and Quinn didn't want to take the risk of being there at that moment. He wasn't confident in hiding from Dumbledore. So, Quinn had given up on getting the Philosopher's stone.

'But, I would have loved to meet Nicolas Flamel,' thought Quinn. He was very jealous of Lia when she told him that Flamels gave an annual lecture at Beauxbatons, and she had gotten to talk to the alchemist and his wife during her school days.

Quinn gave a last look to the Gryffindor table and thought, 'Maybe I should go visit the hospital wing.'

Eddie looked at Quinn and asked, "What is up with you? You have been weirdly loose and relaxed for the past few days. It is creeping me out."

Quinn turned his face towards his roommate and raised his hand. His hand went behind Eddie's ear, and when he brought it back, he had a chocolate ball in his hand.

"Carmichael, you worked hard for the exams. You deserve sweets for breakfast. Go on, have this chocolate," said Quinn.

Eddie took the chocolate from Quinn and exclaimed in awe, "How do you that?! Making things appear from nowhere. Did you learn some advanced conjuration spell?"

Quinn lazily smiled and said a single word, "Magic."

"Hey, I want a chocolate too," said Marcus from across the table.

Quinn smiled and spoke, "Check your right pant pocket."

Marcus put his hand in his pant pocket, and his eyes widened as he pulled out a chocolate ball, "Now, how did you do that?!"

"Like I told you, magic," was all Quinn said because a magician never revealed his secrets.

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

Quinn's mood had improved considerably, and he danced his way into the hospital wing. In his hand was a small crate with numerous vials of various potions.

"Madam Pomfrey, I have come to visit~," said Quinn, looking for the matron.

The medi-witch poked her head from one of the curtains and sighed, "What is it, Mr. West? I am busy."

Quinn grinned as he walked towards the matron, "Madam Pomfrey, you always say that. We don't talk anymore. It is like you are avoiding me..."

Quinn's voice trailed at the end as he saw that Madam Pomfrey wasn't alone. On the bed laid one Harry Potter, and on his bedside sat Professor Lily Potter and her husband, James Potter. On the other side of the bed, Ivy Potter stared at him.

"Uuuu..." uttered Quinn. He looked at Lily and greeted, "Good afternoon, professor."

"Good afternoon, Mr. West," greeted the older redhead.

Quinn felt a gaze on him and looked at the source to find Ivy Potter staring at him. Quinn tilted his head and did a barely noticeable shrug as if telling her, 'I told you so.'

He looked at Pomfrey and said, "I bought some potions and was thinking we could have some afternoon tea, but it seems you are busy, so let's do that later." He lifted the crate slightly and asked, "Where should I put these?"

"Put them beside my table," said the matron.

Quinn nodded, and with a last cursory glance at the Potter family, he left.

After Quinn left, Lily looked at Pomfrey and asked, "How do you know Mr. West?"

Pomfrey sighed as she checked on Harry, "He was in an accident and had to stay here for a while. From then on, he comes by every week pestering me on Healing magic." She once again sighed and said, "That child talks a little too much for my taste."

She still remembered how Quinn talk to her while admitted here. When she said that his loud voice, while she worked, was disturbing other patients, he started to use magic to deliver his sound directly to her ears.

She, on multiple occasions, had to face weird looks from other patients and questions about why she was talking to herself. She had to take away Quinn's wand to stop his talking.

"What about those potions?" this time, the inquiry came from Ivy Potter. She was extremely curious about the person who knew about the restricted area.

"That child brews potions for the hospital wing every time he comes for a visit. It is his way to thank me for answering his questions," replied the matron.

"Potions? You are saying that he is brewing medical potions? He doesn't look much older than Harry or Ivy," asked James Potter.

"Mr. West is great at brewing potions. His potions stand up to standards, so there are no problems with the quality of the potions," revealed the matron.

Quinn, who knew nothing about the conversation, walked to the A.I.D office while humming a happy tune.

-*-*-*-*-*-

[

A/N [1: We have reached 1 MILLION views. Hell yeah! This week, we averaged around 25th position on the power stone ranking (fanfiction category).

A/N [2: I got an excellent response in the last chapter. I will be sure to feature the use of Absolute Zero, or more specifically cold. Theories and uses derived from Absolute Zero.

]

-*-*-*-*-*-

Quinn West - MC - Relaxed, Chill, Happy.

Friar - Hufflepuff ghost - Excited for the coming year.

Poppy Pomfrey - Matron - Likes Quinn even though he is noisy.

Ivy Potter - Potter Princess - Slightly suspicious of Quinn.

-*-*-*-*-*-

If you have any ideas regarding the magic you want to see in this fiction or want to offer some ideas regarding the progression. Move onto the DISCORD Server and blast those ideas.

The link is in the synopsis!

Report chapter Comments

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The link is also in the synopsis.

-*-*-*-*-*-

The end-of-year feast was always a hearty process. All the students were in the Great Hall, filling the hall with bustling activity.

The Great Hall was decked out in Slytherin colors of green and silver to celebrate Slytherin's winning the House Cup for the seventh year in a row. A huge banner showing the Slytherin serpent covered the wall behind the High Table.

Quinn looked at the emerald green covering the hall and thought,

'I could change it to Ravenclaw colors... no one will ever know, no one.'

The current score on the House point scoreboard was Slytherin in the lead with 482 points, the runner-up Ravenclaw with 476 points, in the third-place was Hufflepuff with 342 points, and in the last place was Gryffindor with 322 points.

Quinn had scored lots of points for Ravenclaw this year, so the difference between the first and second place was just a measly six points.

'Not like I care,' thought Quinn. He looked at the Slytherin colors and banners and thought, 'The Slytherin dynasty is about to end. They did well, six years in the running. Now, the Gryffindor era would start with the golden boy in the lead.'

"Ah, the illusion created by the system," said Quinn, stretching his arms in his seat.

"Man, we were so close. We could've beaten Slytherin this year," said Eddie, clapping Quinn on his back.

"Don't worry about winning, Carmichael. Just be a podium guy. You know, be in the top three, and you would be fine," spoke Quinn, speaking words of wisdom.

"Then you would be fine if you didn't score at the top in the exams?" spoke Eddie.

Quinn made a face and delivered, "What nonsense you are talking about? It makes sense no sense if I don't come out on top." He patted Eddie's head and continued, "You guys are like goldfish to me. Ravenclaws are smart goldfish, Slytherins are sneaky goldfish, but some are foolish, Hufflepuffs are normal goldfish, and Gryffindors are dumb goldfish. I can't lose to you guys."

"That was rude, like really rude," deadpanned Eddie.

"Take no offense. Here have this chocolate; it will make you feel better," said Quinn, opening his hand as a plume of smoke puffed to reveal a chocolate-covered hazelnut.

Eddie took the chocolate and smiled, "Thank you, dude."

Quinn watched as Eddie ate the chocolate, 'Should I experiment with this? No... right?'

Suddenly the hall became silent, and heads turned towards the Great Hall's gate.

Quinn followed everyone and saw Harry Potter standing there with a wide grin on his face. Harry confidently walked to the Gryffindor table with confidence and strutting stride.

'Yeah, this Harry Potter is a different one,' thought Quinn. He had observed Harry the entire school year, at least kept a wandering eye on him, and this one was confident, more outgoing, and didn't shy away from attention.

The Great Hall once again bustled with activity after the sudden dip to silence. They were talking about the rumor that was circulating in the Hogwarts rumor mill.

The story circulating was the golden quartet; Harry Potter, Ivy Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ronald Weasley stopped Quirinus Quirrell from stealing what was inside the restricted section of the third floor.

Students talked about wild stories about their adventure and bravery, all courtesy of the Weasley twins. They spun ridiculous stories; students being students believed everything they spewed in the rumor mill.

"Do you really think Ivy Potter killed a troll?" asked Marcus from across the table.

"She fought a troll during Halloween, so maybe she really did," said Eddie, giving into the rumor.

Quinn shook his head to himself. He had talked to his contacts in Gryffindor and found that Ivy Potter had taken the troll using the same method as during Halloween; bonking it over the head and knocking it out.

It surprised Quinn that troll wasn't knocked out by Quirrell, another event that changed from the canon timeline.

Dumbledore arrived moments later, and the babble died away.

"With another year gone!" spoke Dumbledore cheerfully. "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully, your heads are all a little fuller than they were... you have the entire summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts..."

He looked at the student body through his half-moon glasses and continued, "Now, as I understand it, the House Cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus..."

Dumbledore listed off the points of each house, and a storm of cheering and stamping broke out from the Slytherin table.

"This year, the competition was extremely close; Ravenclaw house was just six points behind the reigning cup holder, Slytherin. A lot of community service made it possible for this close competition," announced Dumbledore.

The entire Ravenclaw table cheered for Quinn, and he raised his hand to acknowledge the cheers.

"And, I made a lot of money," laughed Quinn, but the claps and cheers drowned his voice.

"However, recent events must be taken into account," continued Dumbledore.

The room went very still. The Slytherins' smiles faded a little.

"Ahem," said Dumbledore. "I have a few last-minute points to dish out. Let me see. Yes..." he cleared his throat and announced, "First to Mr. Ronald Weasley. For the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor house forty (40) points."

Gryffindor cheers nearly raised the bewitched ceiling; the stars overhead seemed to quiver. Percy could be heard telling the other prefects, "My brother, you know! My youngest brother! Got past McGonagall's giant chess set!"

"Second to Ms. Ivy Potter, for showing bravery in the face of danger, to the defeater of trolls, I award Gryffindor House forty (40) points," said Dumbledore, looking at Ivy Potter.

The redhead looked proud and embarrassed at the same time.

"Third, I award another forty (40) points to Ms. Hermione Granger for the use of cool logic in the face of fire. I award Gryffindor House forty (40) points."

Hermione buried her face in her arms, and Gryffindor students were beside themselves. They were a hundred and twenty (120) points up.

"Third, to Mr. Harry Potter..." said Dumbledore. The room went deadly quiet. "... for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house another forty (40) points."

The din was deafening. Those who could add up while yelling themselves hoarse knew that Gryffindor now had four hundred and eighty-two (82) points, the same as Slytherin. They had tied for the House cup... if only Dumbledore had given Harry just one more point.

Dumbledore raised his hand. The room gradually fell silent.

"There are all kinds of courage," said Dumbledore, smiling. "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to enemies and, more importantly, to friends. I, therefore, award ten (10) points to Mr. Neville Longbottom."

Someone standing outside the Great Hall might well have thought some sort of explosion had taken place, so loud was the noise that erupted from the Gryffindor table. Harry, Ron, Ivy, and Hermione stood up to yell and cheer as Neville, white with shock, disappeared under a pile of people hugging him. He had never won so much as a point for Gryffindor before. In fact, he was usually the prime target of Snape's point deductions.

"Which means," Dumbledore called over the storm of applause, for even Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were celebrating the downfall of Slytherin, "We need a little change of decoration."

In an instant, the green hangings became scarlet, and the silver became gold; the Slytherin serpent vanished, and a towering Gryffindor lion took its place. Snape was shaking Professor McGonagall's hand with a forced smile.

Quinn, on the other hand, was laughing so hard that his sides hurt.

"The system is broken," he cackled.

He looked over to the Slytherin table and saw the tragic and shocked faces at the sudden change of events. He felt joy seeing the Slytherin defeated by the system that they had exploited for six straight years.

Snape had helped Slytherin with house points by offering them plenty of house points and cutting house points from the competition. Now, Dumbledore had injected Gryffindor with a hundred and seventy points, giving them the House cup.

The broken system that kept Hogwarts students in check being exploited bought laughter to Quinn.

His eyes caught the eyes of Daphne, and that made him stop laughing and start whistling cluelessly. The Slytherin blonde glared at the whistling fool with a scoff.

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

The day the students boarded the Hogwarts Express for returning home, all students except fifth and seventh-year students got their exam results.

Quinn looked at the sheet of parchment and casually looked over it.

All Os showed on the report card with asterisks on every subject except Potions and History of Magic, showing that he scored over a hundred percent on the tests.

He created a dozen copies of his report card with the Doubling charm and packed the original with his luggage. With report card day in Ravenclaw, he knew his year mates would want to see his results, so to avoid the whole interrogatory session, he made the copies to hand out.

As he predicted, the moment he came down from his dorm room, second years surrounded him.

"Okay! Aye, wait - wait! You hooligans! Here, take these, and leave me alone," he handed the copies to the mindless second years.

"Oh, come on! How do you score more than a hundred percent?!" asked one of them.

Quinn lifted his hands and showed it to them, "These hands have magic in them. Whatever they write turns to pure intellectual gold."

Marietta Edgecombe raised her hand and asked, "Quinn, I have a job for you."

Quinn tilted his head, "Now?"

She nodded and took out a sickle, "Let me kick you, and I will give you this sickle."

Quinn joined his hands in front of him and politely bowed, "I would like to inform you we at A.I.D reserve our right to accept requests and would like to politely refuse this task."

Edgecombe snorted and crossed her arms in amusements.

Second-year at Hogwarts was over, and Quinn was returning home.

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

Quinn got off the red train and looked around the platform. He saw the reporters scattered around. They were waiting for the Potters to come down from the train. Students needed to board the Hogwarts Express without exceptions to exit and enter Hogwarts.

He didn't take a few steps, and a reporter stopped him.

'Why is he stopping me?' thought Quinn, puzzled at the situation.

"Hey little buddy, can you tell me something about Harry Potter?" asked the reporter.

'Ah, of course,' realized Quinn.

Not wanting to entertain the reporter, Quinn pointed to his left and yelled, "Look, Ivy Potter just came out of the train!"

When the reporter looked to the side, Quinn slipped by and letting the horde of deboarding students act as his camouflage.

Quinn looked for the one who was picking him up and immediately found the person. It was Uncle Elliot, the West family butler. He still looked perfect, with not a single thing out of place. Clothes perfectly ironed, shoes polished, hair combed perfectly, and his patent kind expression on his face.

"Uncle Elliot!" Quinn yelled, beaming as he hurried towards the older gentleman.

Elliot looked towards the voice and smiled as he saw Quinn hurrying towards him, "Young master."

"It has been too long, Uncle," said Quinn, hugging Elliot. Elliot hugged Quinn back before saying,

"Young master, let's leave from here. The platform is getting a bit too crowded."

Quinn nodded, and the two walked to the apparition point.

"How was school, young master?" asked Elliot.

"It was quite eventful. I learned a lot, and a lot of interesting stuff happened this year," answered Quinn.

"Oh, tell me all about it," asked Elliot, interested in Quinn's experience.

"You won't believe me if I told you," Quinn chuckled as he looked up towards Elliot.

"Try me," responded Elliot.

Quinn smiled and asked, "What do you know about the Philosopher's stone?"

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

When Rowena Ravenclaw's daughter, Helena, stole her mother's diadem, she hid it in an Albanian forest. The Bloody Baron came to the forest to retrieve her but ended up killing her on impulse when she refused and then himself in repentance.

The diadem remained hidden for several centuries until Tom Marvolo Riddle discovered Helena was the Grey Lady, the House Ghost of Ravenclaw, and managed to get the information about its resting place from her. He recovered it, murdered a peasant, and turned it into one of his Horcruxes.

Following his downfall in 1981, Tom Riddle, now known as Lord Voldemort, fled to the forests in Albania in his weakened state.

In 1991 he encountered Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry's Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Quirrell, who was looking for him so that he could at the very least try to capture him, or at best learn from him. However, Quirrell overestimated himself, and Voldemort completely overpowered the man, thus leaving Albania.

And, now following his failed attempt to steal the Philosopher's Stone, Voldemort had returned to Albania, weaker than ever. Voldemort lost his physical form and magical powers, but he remained alive in ghostly form. The Horcruxes he had created kept his spirit bound to the physical world.

His one remaining power was possession. Voldemort gained physical form by inhabiting animals, mainly snakes. Though he disliked doing so because the bodies of such animals were ill-equipped to perform magic and because his possession significantly reduced their lifespans, none of his hosts survived for too long.

After his downfall against the infant Harry Potter, Voldemort had lived like this for a decade, possessing animals, corroding their bodies with his unfitting soul, and at the same time fighting the animalistic instincts from his host bodies.

In 1981, he was angry when he had lost his physical body, raged at the thought of being bested by Euphemia Potter and her use of ancient magic, and it angered him greatly when he found his demise had been publicized by the hands of a one-year-old babe.

The great Dark Lord Voldemort had lost to a one-year-old child. There was no greater slight on his honor and reputation.

Grindelwald had lost to Albus Dumbledore, but an infant had bested him? It made Voldemort's blood boil thinking about it.

Quirinus Quirrell had made a voyage to Albania, where his foolish and gullible mind was vulnerable to Voldemort. He latched onto Quirrell's body and came back to England with him. It was a ray of hope for the first time in a decade.

He ordered Quirrell to steal the Philosopher's stone from a Vault 713 in Gringotts Wizarding Bank so he could make the Elixir of Life, creating a body for himself. Voldemort discovered the stone had been removed earlier that same day, and through Quirrell's connections at Hogwarts, learned it was hidden at the school.

It turned out that even a human's body wasn't resilient enough to host two souls and needed external help. Thus, Voldemort ordered Quirrell to prey on unicorns in the Forbidden Forest and drink their blood so he could gain strength from the unicorn's healing abilities and keep Quirrell alive.

After an entire school year of trying to get to the stone, Voldemort ordered Quirrell to send a fake letter to Albus Dumbledore, asking him to go to the Ministry of Magic. Voldemort moved forward with his goal, moving through the security barriers to the Mirror of Erised. Quirrell saw himself presenting the stone to his master but could not figure out how to get it.

Then Harry Potter arrived, and when Quirrell attacked Harry, Euphemia Potter's ancient magic struck again. It burned Quirrell's body, and Voldemort barely fled from the harm. Now here he was for a second time, without a human body, back to inhabiting animal bodies.

This time around, Voldemort's emotions weren't of anger but of despair. His first and only hope in ten years had gone down the drain. Now, he didn't know when would the next chance come along.

He slithered in his current snake body, moving to the familiar area of the Albanian forest. The place that he had spent a lot of time in his body less exile.

When he entered the area, Voldemort hissed with all his might, trying to message someone in Parseltongue. It took a minute before Voldemort picked up vibrations from his inner snake ears. He turned his snake body and saw an enormous, green snake, roughly twelve feet long and as thick as a man's thigh.

"Oh, Nagini," hissed Voldemort, moving closer to the green snake.

He liked Nagini; she was rather cunning and deceptive and understood how humans behaved. Possessing a powerful bond with Voldemort, Nagini alone did not fear his wrathful moments, as he never punished her for failures nor took it out on her when misfortune struck him.

He was as close to her as he could be to any living being. Voldemort didn't fear her betraying him, she was loyal to him with all her life, and that point provided him with comfort.

The only comfort in the hellish life he was living.

-*-*-*-*-*-

Quinn West - MC - System stinks! And he likes that.

Elliot Dalton - Sebas-... Butler - Gentleman, through and through.

Voldemort - Dark Lord - Spectre - Snake body - At a low point.

Nagini - A female Maledictus - Curse has run its course...

-*-*-*-*-*-

If you have any ideas regarding the magic you want to see in this fiction or want to offer some ideas regarding the progression. Move onto the DISCORD Server and blast those ideas.

The link is in the synopsis.

Report chapter Comments

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The link is also in the synopsis..

-*-*-*-*-*-

A few days into the summer break between two school years, Quinn laid in the bed in his room. The room had changed little in the years Quinn had occupied it. The only changes were the larger study table and pictures on the wall, accumulated over the years, capturing precious memories in their frames.

Not all of them moved like the magical photographs did and remained still like non-magical photography. There was something in still photos that Quinn liked, and some shots were stripped off their magic, leaving the exact moment they were clicked.

The room's occupant had his eyes closed, laying on his back, away from the real world, and inside his mindscape.

The same mindscape that once had been a white space and was turned into a vast green grass field with clouds above, gracing the blue sky with their pearly white contrast.

On the grassy field stood a manor, a building that acted as a gateway to the place in the mind where the memories resided, bringing them into the mindscape for better access. Inside the manor, memories manifested in the form of books.

Thousands of books sat on hundreds of shelves, each book representing a memory, memories from all over Quinn's life. Be it something as trivial as what he ate at dinner over a month ago to vital things like the proper method for channeling Blood magic without harming the body.

Outside the mind-replica of the West manor stood Quinn, gazing at the building that he had built years ago and had since spent hours upon hours changing the sorting scheme of the memory books, creating and developing methods of crafting new memory books.

Sorting memories so that they would be easier to find and access and, at the same time, the configuration scheme of the books would make it difficult for a legilimens to see his memories.

Quinn turned away from the West manor replica and looked in the opposite direction, suddenly the scenery shifted, and Quinn stood in a much larger building. A building that outclassed the West manor in every size aspect; it covered more ground and stood much taller than the West manor.

A complete replica of Hogwarts castle stood in Quinn's mindscape, exuding the grandeur like the actual one in the real world. He had modified the grassy terrain of the mindscape to suit the castle's surroundings. Rocky canyons, lakes, and trees were now part of the fabricated ecosystem in Quinn's mindscape.

It had taken Quinn two years to complete this replica in his mindscape. Hundreds of nights and days of exploration of the castle, several miles/kilometers of foot mileage, tons of memorization, and hours of immersion in memories of the castle to construct a stronger image of the building and its interior.

Quinn took a step forward, and the scenery once again changed. He stood inside the castle; In the Great Hall, looking at the charmed ceiling, which now showed a clear sky. The same as Quinn's simple fabrication of the sky.

With each step Quinn took, he was in a different room in a distinct part of the castle. There were quite a few differences between the real and replica of Hogwarts.

The portraits in the actual version weren't present here, and the walls were now covered with empty frames. Quinn's variant didn't have a Room of Requirements as he didn't have the time to create a working version of Room of Requirements, so he left it out for now.

Professor's offices and housing were omitted from Quinn's version. Gryffindor, Slytherin, and Hufflepuff common rooms and dorms were just copies of Ravenclaw common room. Even Ravenclaw girl's dorms were a replica of the boy's dorms because he had never been there. Despite all these differences, the Hogwarts replica was a stable structure with no breaks or fissures.

After Quinn was satisfied with the final audit of the castle, he turned away, and he was outside the castle replica.

"Okay, let's do this."

Quinn closed his eyes, and at the West manor replica, the gateway for his memory to appear in the mindscape closed.

"Connection closed," whispered Quinn.

He took a deep breath and focused on the Hogwarts castle.

The castle started to rumble as termors filled the building, and the surrounding areas shook with quakes. A new connection to the memories opened up, and the Hogwarts castle became a gateway for memories to gather in Quinn's mindscape.

The whole process took a few moments and consisted of lots of groaning and grunts from Quinn.

"Phew... well, that wasn't any easy than the last time," sighed Quinn.

"New connection established."

He raised his hand and swung it down towards the castle. Quinn turned away from the Hogwarts replica and looked at the sky. Within seconds, thousands and thousands of books fluttered across the sky and entered the castle through windows and gates.

"Memories injected into the replica, complete," noted Quinn.

With Hogwarts standing in his mindscape, he now had a larger space to work with. He could also experiment with new sorting techniques that could use the expanded space, rooms, and floors. The architecture and floor plans of Hogwarts were also much more complex than the more simplistic West manor.

Quinn took a step away from the castle to instantaneously arrive at the West manor in his mindscape.

He looked at the manor with nostalgia and entered the building to find it empty without any memory books; all left in the buildings were vacant bookshelves.

Quinn touched one of the walls in the building and said, "Don't worry, buddy, I still have plenty of use for you."

He had no intention of destroying the West manor replica in his mindscape. He had other plans for it,

"I am going to store all my happiest memories in here," smiled Quinn, feeling sentimental about the first structure in his mind.

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

"Uncle Elliot," said Quinn, calling out Elliot, who was drinking his tea in the living hall.

Elliot looked up from the book he was reading and asked, "What is it, young master?"

Quinn sat on the sofa in front of Elliot and cleared his throat, "I have something I want you to do."

Elliot put down his cup of tea and closed his book, "Yes, what do you want me to do?"

Quinn put on a slight smile and asked, "I want you to arrange a meeting for me with grandfather."

"... Young master, what do you mean by arranging a meeting? You can go and see your grandfather anytime you desire. He won't turn you away." Quinn's request greatly confused Elliot; he wasn't sure what Quinn was asking for from him.

Quinn shook his head in response, "I don't want to meet my grandfather for a personal reason." He took a short breath and continued, "I want to meet George West for a business proposition. So, my meeting is not for a personal motive, but a professional reason."

Elliot's brows raised as he leaned forward, "A business proposition?"

"Yes, I want to sell grandfather something and thought if I arranged a meeting via you, it would seem more professional," grinned Quinn.

"But, doesn't all this sound a bit silly?" asked Elliot, observing Quinn, interested in the direction of the conversation.

Quinn nodded, but at the same nodded, "Yes, but as grandfather says, you never get a second chance to make a first impression, and ..."

"... while many make a good first impression, only a few will make a good lasting impression," finished Elliot, smiling as he remembered the words often spoken by George.

Quinn nodded and spoke, "If I do this, it will create an impression on grandfather, and it will help me out when I go and put my proposal out in front of him."

Elliot stayed silent for a moment before saying, "Alright, I will do it. I will set up a meeting with your grandfather."

Quinn smiled, but Elliot continued,

"But, if I am going to do this, I would have to know that what you are planning is worth it."

Quinn paused listening to that and blinked in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

Elliot crossed his leg over the other and rested his hands on his lap.

"If we are taking this seriously, then by setting this meeting, I am vouching that you are a legit opportunity and not some waste of time. If I am going to use my name for this meeting, then I have to be sure that you are not wasting your grandfather's time."

Quinn pursed his lips and asked, "Alright, what do you want from me?"

"Opportunity is a haughty lady who wastes no time with those who are unprepared," quoted Elliot, before continuing, "Before the meeting, we are going to clear out the kinks from your proposal."

Quinn nodded. He could certainly use some help on this matter.

"But before that, I have to hear your plan. I have to see what you are building on and if it is useful enough," said Elliot.

Quinn nodded and revealed his idea,

"So, you know about..."

Elliot listened as Quinn spoke about his plan, and as Quinn talked more and more about his idea, Elliot became increasingly interested.

"... Young master, if you can deliver what you are saying, then this would be big," said Elliot, his eyes shining with eagerness, "enormous, a game-changer."

Quinn smiled and spoke while nodding, "Oh, believe me, I can deliver."

Elliot nodded, leaned forward, and looked Quinn in the eye, "Alright then, let's make sure that this goes perfectly."

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

George West sat in his study, doing work when he heard a knock on his door.

"Come in," he said, knowing who it was from the knocks.

Elliot entered the study and closed the door behind him. He sat on the chairs in front of the desk and waited for George to speak to him.

George asked, not looking up from his papers, "What is it, Elliot?"

"I have a person who I want you to meet," started Elliot.

He and Quinn had been working on his presentation for quite a few days, and Elliot thought that Quinn was ready, so here he was setting up a meeting for Quinn.

"Hmm? You want me to meet someone? Who?" asked George.

"A person with a product that I think is great. He contacted me hoping to get a meeting with you," answered Elliot.

"That is rare, a reference from you, that is," said George as he continued to work.

"Well, I have a certain standard to maintain, and this one passed the criteria I set up," responded Elliot, with a smile on his face.

"Alright, look up a spot on my calendar and set up a meeting in one of the free spots. Within the usual timings," said George.

Elliot nodded and stood up, "It will be done."

As Elliot walked to the door, George asked, "What is the name of the person?"

Elliot looked back with a grin and answered, "Oh, it is Quinn West."

George stopped his pen and looked up with his eyes wide, "What did you say?"

Elliot's grin was so broad that it split his face, "I said the name is Quinn West, and I was thinking that we would set up the meeting here. It will be easy to meet for both parties."

George stared at Elliot and uttered, "... What?"

Elliot sat back down, enjoying the look on George's face.

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

Lia and George sat in one of the rooms in the West manor. The room was turned into a conference room. The room had two chairs behind a table for Lia and George to sit. In front of the table was an empty place for the presenter to stand and present.

Lia looked at her grandfather and spoke, "Grandfather, please tell me more about the person we are meeting. You know I don't like going to meetings without knowing what I am here for."

She sighed irritably and continued, "I don't like to be unprepared."

Lia wasn't feeling positive about this meeting. Her grandfather has called her while she wasn't in the country on brief notice and didn't give her an option to refuse. And, he didn't tell her anything about the meeting.

"Be patient. Elliot is the one who recommended this person," said George, not revealing who the meeting was with.

Lia sighed and just looked at the empty display stand in front of the room.

The door opened, and the grandfather-granddaughter pair watched as Elliot stood with the door wide open.

"He is here," said Elliot with a smile on his face.

Lia rolled her eyes and said, "Finally."

Elliot turned his face to outside the room and called out, "You may enter."

Lia's eyes widened as she saw her little brother enter the room, dressed in formal wear. He had a big envelope in his hand and was dragging a small trunk on wheels behind me.

"Quinn?!" exclaimed Lia, not sure what to make of this. While George sat in his chair, not a single expression on his face.

Quinn sat the envelope on the display stand and set the trunk a little behind the display stand. He brushed his clothes and confidently walked towards the table.

"Good morning. My name is Quinn West," greeted Quinn with a smile on his face, his hand extended for a handshake with George.

George shook Quinn's hand and said, "George West."

George grinned when it came to Lia, "Nice to see you, Lia." Taking her hand and kissing her knuckles.

He stepped back and moved towards the stand. Taking out his fake wand, Quinn used magic. A thin white cardboard sheet floated out and set them on the display stand. With another swing, the cardboard sheet expanded to its full sizes, fitting the size of the display stand.

Quinn turned around to his family members and spoke,

"My name is Quinn West, and I believe what I am about to show you will change the way we communicate with each other," he paused before smiling, "I am here to present what I perceive as the future of communication in the magical world. Something that will change be conceived as a great change in the world."

Quinn waved his fake wand, and a picture letter envelope appeared on the cardboard.

"When we communicate with people who aren't close to us, we write and send them letters," said Quinn as the picture of the letter envelope shrunk and two stick figures appeared on the white. The letter went from one stick figure to the other, depicting that the mail was sent.

"Now, how do we send that letter to another person. We use owls or eagles as the carrier of our message," as he said that the cardboard went blank before an owl appeared on it clutching a letter in its claws, flapping its wings as if flying somewhere.

"Owls and other carrier birds have been in the magical society for centuries. We have been using these trained birds to deliver messages of trivial gossip to important documents for as long as we can remember."

Quinn stared at George and Lia and asked, "But, is this the best we can do? We have the power of magic at our fingertips, and messenger bird is the best we can manage? No, I think we can do much better."

Quinn waved his wand, and the Ministry of Magic's symbol appeared on the white cardboard.

"British ministry of magic stopped using owls for in-house memos because of all the mess that the owls made and the commotions that our trusted mail birds caused."

Small paper airplanes appeared on the white as they flew around the ministry symbol.

"Now, they charm their documents so that they would fold themselves into paper airplanes and fly to their destination."

Quinn made a 'meh' expression and commented, "A somewhat interesting solution, but it has a major shortcoming. What happens if some jerk is having a bad day and decides to mess up someone else's day. He or she would yank a random airplane out of the air and tear it to pieces."

The picture on the cardboard depicted an angry-looking man shredding the paper plane into pieces.

Quinn cleared his throat and spoke, "We got a little off-topic. Let's return to owls," he walked around the room with his hands behind his back.

"What are some shortcomings of owl communication," Quinn uncurled his pinky finger from his fist, "They take time to deliver the letter as it takes time to fly to places, and the time increases with the distances, owls make a mess as every bird does. It takes time and money to raise mail owls. Owl mail is not totally secure as they can get in trouble with other birds and can get distracted," with every point, Quinn uncurled another finger.

He stopped in the center of the room and spoke, "And anyone can capture owls to see the message inside; there is very little security when using owls." Quinn stared at George and said, "Our very own ministry has the authority to monitor owl messages... the big brother is always watching."

He slowly walked towards the table behind which Lia and George were sitting and declared, "What if I can solve every single of these problems. What if I can provide you a solution that would change the way people send letters to each other."

A smile slowly emerged on Quinn's face as he spoke, "Today, here and now, I have a product that will allow a person to send a message to another person." Quinn snapped his fingers. "Instantly... eradicating the need of any wait time for getting a letter. With excellent security that no one wouldn't allow people to snipe the owls and read our messages. A product that would cover all the shortcoming of owl mails."

George and Lia watched Quinn as he spoke about his product. While George still had no expression on his face, Lia's eyes showed curiosity about this product.

Quinn turned away from the table and walked to the trunk, and rolled it towards the table.

Quinn spoke while crouched down to open the trunk, "I am going to show you something that will convince you that I can break the long-running usage of owls to deliver messages."

He took out two wooden objects; they were the size of a shirt box. Each wooden box had a slot on one of the short sides. On the top of the side of the wooden boxes, there was a rectangular copper plate in the size of A-4 size sheet embedded in the wood.

He took out two sheets of paper and set one sheet in front of Lia, and while handing a pen to her, Quinn said, "Would you write something on this paper. Anything would do; you can ever draw on the paper if you like."

Lia took the pen from Quinn. She uncapped it, and in the middle of the page, she wrote her name in fancy handwriting.

"Good, know would you place it upside down on the copper plate and tap your wand on the paper," instructed Quinn with a smile. As he said that, Quinn put the other sheet in the other box's slot in front of George.

Lia followed the instruction and put the sheet down upside down on the copper plate. She took out her wand and tapped the page.

George and Lia watched as the copper plate under Lia's page glowed blue before turning green. On George's side, a blue light came from the paper slot before turning green.

Quinn smiled and looked at George, "Mr. West, would you take out the page from the slot."

George took out the paper from the slot, and his eyes widened as he saw Lia's name in the same handwriting on the page he just pulled out.

When Lia looked at the page in George's hand, she gasped to see her handwriting on another sheet.

"I give you instantaneous mail," said Quinn with a smile on his face.

Quinn had invented the magical equivalent of the fax machine.

-*-*-*-*-*-

[

A/N [1] - The fax machines became popular in the late 1980s. Quinn developed a magical version when the fax machines in the prime of the muggle fax machine.

A/N [2] - I will explain the working of the magical fax machine in the next chapter.

]

-*-*-*-*-*-

Quinn West - MC - Invented the fax machine.

Elliot Dalton - Sales Pitch Guru - Actually has a really high position in the West business.

George West - Big Boss - Proud of Quinn's presentation skills.

Lia West - Small Boss - In awe of the artifact in front of her.

-*-*-*-*-*-

If you have any ideas regarding the magic you want to see in this fiction or want to offer some ideas regarding the progression. Move onto the DISCORD Server and blast those ideas.

The link is in the synopsis!

Report chapter Comments

If you want to read ahead, you can check out my Patreón @

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The link is also in the synopsis.

-*-*-*-*-*-

Back to the time when Quinn was still in Hogwarts, and he had some time at hand. He stood in his workshop flipping through a small notepad, looking for ideas. The tiny notepad in his hand was where Quinn noted down the random project ideas that came to him.

"Let's see... typewriter, hmm, not today."

.

.

.

"A charmed pair of hands for a piano duet? Maybe when I am bored out my mind."

.

.

.

"Thermal vision eye drops... oh, this sounds interesting. Ah, but I don't have the ingredients."

.

.

.

"Artificial magical eye... Na, this will need a lot of research."

.

.

.

After bouncing off some ideas, Quinn finally found something that interested him and was doable for the time constraints.

"Fax machine," spoke Quinn, rubbing his thumb over the page.

"Fax machine... meaning a scanner and printer. Two or more nodes connected to each other," Quinn began mumbling as he sat down on the barstool in his workshop.

After contemplating for a few minutes, Quinn stood up and clapped his hands, "Okay, let's go with this."

He closed his notepad and took out a sheet of paper for drafting the rough idea.

"First, let's decide how to connect two device nodes to each other," said Quinn as he uncapped his fountain pen and started to write.

"I would have to make use of the Protean charm to synchronize the two devices, but what should be the part to be synchronized."

Quinn got up and moved towards a drawer full of scrap metals. He took out two spare pieces of copper from his scrap pile and transmuted them into identical square chips.

With his chin resting on his palm, Quinn charmed the square chips with the Protean charm.

"Here we go," said Quinn as he touched one of the copper chips, and it turned to show a picture of an eagle. He glanced at the other copper chip and saw the same eagle picture on it.

Protean charm was the charm that Hermione Granger used to link fake coins to communicate with the members of Dumbledore's Army. A change in one fake Galleon, in her case, a master coin, would be magically reflected in the others so that when Harry Potter transfigured his charmed coin to show a new date for a D.A. meeting, all the other coins would also exhibit the same changes.

"I will need to formulate a customized version of Protean charm," noted Quinn as he thought of things to accomplish.

Quinn needed to create a charm that would be scalable, which meant that he needed to figure out a way to add new devices to the existing networks of fax devices.

"I also need to figure out how to direct and isolate signals to particular devices."

Another challenge was that, unlike in Dumbledore's Army coins, Quinn didn't need a master device that signaled all other coins. Quinn needed to create a method to send signals to intended devices so that not everyone would get a message for just one device.

"Well, that wouldn't be much of a problem. At least, I hope it wouldn't be a problem," murmured Quinn.

Arithmancy models were needed to develop a customized version of a spell. He needed to define how the magic would be molded to create the intended effect.

Then there were things like if he wanted to use runes in the artifact or if he wanted to stick to charms. Then there were things like how he was going to use Protean charm for scanning and printing.

In the Dumbledore's Army coins, the changes happened when the master coin was transfigured, but Quinn needed the device to detect the ink on paper and work from there.

There were many things that Quinn needed to consider for making the entire system work.

"Let's start from the top up," said Quinn and started to draft the schematics for the plan.

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

George looked at the two pages in front of him, and other than the slight difference in ink, the contents on the pages were precisely identical.

He looked up from the pages and asked, "How does it work?"

Quinn pulled a stool and sat in front of the table. He pointed his fake wand at the magical fax machine, and all heard a click from both the boxes.

The copper insides of the devices levitated out their wooden frame and floated for all to see.

"I won't go into details, but the device is a clever usage of Protean charm, transfiguration, some light spells, and few other things needed to sum up all of it," Quinn said as he took a blank page and drew a letter envelope on it.

Quinn waved his fake wand, and the lower part of the paper tray slot came out, revealing the upper wall of the paper slot.

"You can't see it, but the upper wall of the slot where you insert the paper has thousands of pores thinner than human hair, and just above the upper wall of the paper slot, there is a hollow space filled with ink."

He placed the paper on the top of the scanner of the other fax prototype and said, "Now, watch."

There was a blue glow below the paper before it turned green. When the light turned green, George and Lia watched as the exposed upper wall of the second fax prototype transfigured to make a protrusion in the shape of the drawn envelope.

"You see the shape of the envelope? The next part is when the pores in the copper would open up to eject a tiny amount of ink, every pore in this envelope-shaped outdent would eject some ink to print the envelope onto a new sheet. Right now, I froze the ink inside, so you can't see the ink come out," explained Quinn.

He had taken the impression of the printer part of the magical apparatus from the inkjet printer technology and imitated the way they printed images onto paper.

"Whatever text or image is scanned on the first machine, the second would copy it out on a new page. And, you noted the speed; it completed the process within seconds," spoke Quinn as he reattached the removed part of the paper slot and lowered the copper insides into the wooden case.

George tapped his finger on the table before asking, "The idea is interesting, but this won't work in the real world. This is too limited."

Quinn smiled and pointed at the magical fax replica, "This right here is just a proof of concepts. I have schematics and models for a practical version ready to be constructed. I just need the materials, and I can deliver in a week tops."

The practical version would be much like a traditional photocopier with different paper sizes, protocols that would not allow printing if there were was no paper.

Lia chimed in and asked, "How many of these can you connect to each other? And, do you have a way to specify who the copy goes to?"

Quinn smirked and responded, "There is no limit to how many of these I can connect to each other. Even if we create as many as magicals on this planet, there will be no problem in connectivity."

Magic didn't have connectivity issues like electric and phone lines. There would be no busy lines or slow connections. The only limit was how fast Quinn's magical printer could print the pages. Everything else was instantaneous as magic didn't have the processing limitations of a computer.

"And, yes. I have a way to decide how to send the message to a specific person. I am thinking of using a combination of three letters and five digits. That would give us a total of over a billion (1,757,600,000) combinations to assign, meaning we can create a billion of these machines. The sender would dial in the code assigned to the receiver to send the message to the correct person."

George hummed before asking, "How long will it take someone to copy the product?"

Quinn shrugged and replied, "It depends. If it is someone smart, they can figure it out within a couple of months. If I put in some effort, then I can extend that by a couple of months. If I really put my mind to it, it would take someone much better than me closer to a year's worth of time."

George stayed silent for a moment before saying, "That is an excellent margin. We can work with that. How much time would it take to train some people to build these?"

Quinn shrugged, "Once again, it would depend on the person's skills. I can build these myself till you can train some people. I will build a manual for that."

George nodded, and Lia suggested, "How about we first test these out in our offices and shops. Get their opinions and see if it works well in a real workplace environment."

Quinn was okay with that and actually supported it. Getting the product tested before rolling it out to the public was standard procedure, and it would help the product development. In the end, the product would improve before the initial release.

George and Lia started to discuss how to proceed from here on, and Quinn just smiled.

'They didn't notice,' he thought before revealing the greatest feature of the product, one that was much bigger than a simple scanner and copier.

"Grandfather, Lia, you are missing something out," said Quinn.

Both of them looked at Quinn, and Lia asked, "What are you talking about?"

"You asked me how a sender will send the message to a particular person," spoke Quinn.

Lia nodded, "You said that every piece would be assigned a code. But, what about that?"

A smile bloomed on Quinn's face, "And, we will be the one to assign those codes to the devices and add those pieces to the network..."

George's eyes widened as he continued for Quinn, "... A network that would be maintained by us, but that means..." He understood what Quinn was talking about.

Quinn chuckled and said while looking at George, "It doesn't matter if some copies our design and launch a product of their own. We control the network that connects all the devices. Without the network and connections, they are nothing but scanners and copiers with no communication capabilities. And, anyone could use a Geminio charm if they want a temporary copy."

"...Even if someone copies our product, they would be too late as we already have an established network, and if they want to sell their version, they would have to come to us for the connection," Lia spoke with a thoughtful look on her face.

"I have designed a runic artifact that would work as connection hubs for the entire network. In easier words, it works like the ward stone used to anchor the wards and protective charms to a building or area. These will also solve the distance problem with faraway countries."

Ward stones were an application of runic magic to cast powerful wards and protective spells to an area. The ward stones provided the protective wards and spells the magic to keep working and were a versatile piece of magic.

Hogwarts had a ward stone that held numerous wards like anti-apparition wards to protect the castle.

Quinn stood on from his stool and bowed, "And, with this, I finish my sales presentation."

George and Lia stared at him with a shocked expression. Quinn had just given them something that would establish them as a monopoly in this business. A monopoly share or complete market domination in an industry with extremely high potential.

Quinn turned towards the door from where Elliot was watching and walked towards him with one hand raised high. Elliot raised his hand in response, and the two shared a loud high five.

"That's how you do it," said Quinn with uumph in his voice and a grin in his voice.

After that, he turned back and asked, "Oh yeah, how much are you going to pay me for this?"

George stared at Quinn and asked, "How much do you want?"

"Double the amount in my student trust vault," responded Quinn, staring into George's eyes.

"Deal," finished George, not taking any time to consider the offer.

"Nice," said Quinn, giving his grandfather a thumbs-up.

.

- (Omake: Extra "I don't know ...") -

.

Quinn and Lia came out from a screening of Raiders of the Lost Ark and asked, "So, how did you like it? It was good, right?"

His eyes twinkled as he looked up at Lia, expecting a glowing remark from Lia.

Lia hummed in response before speaking, "It was nice, but Indiana Jones didn't play a part in the movie."

Quinn frowned but then chuckled, "Oh, Lia. You must misunderstand things. The person with the fedora and the whip is Indiana Jones. Oh, Lia, what would you do without me." His eyes shined, and he suggested, "On that point, let's get me a fedora. I want to see how they are made so that I can make my own."

Lia sighed and said, "I know who Indiana Jones is, but if he weren't in the movie, the Nazis would have still found the Ark, taken it to the island, opened it up, and all died... just like they did. Indiana Jones didn't need to be in the movie."

Quinn's jaw dropped as he stared at Lia in shock.

He raised his index finger and uttered, "Uh...," but had no point to make.

Lia gently placed a finger under Quinn's chin and slowly closed his mouth for him, "Sorry about that, kiddo."

Quinn just stared at Lia, his mind going blank for the shock he just received.

.

.

.

Lia had boggled Quinn's mind, so to un-boggle it, he did what was required; he spent hours to completely immerse himself in the film's memory. The film Raider's of the Lost Ark was one of the few memories on which Quinn had accomplished complete immersion. He could recall every scene of the movie in his head.

But it wasn't enough; Quinn went a step further and went to a couple more screenings that showed extra footage to find any clue. He attended every screening that promised to show unshown footage. Quinn talked to fellow enthusiasts about the film, and sometimes in frustration, he would tell them what Lia had said to him, destroying their moods in the process.

The question plagued Quinn's thoughts as, over time, one of his room's walls was covered with plot points, sketches of scenes straight out of memory, questions that needed to be solved, discussion with people he met during the screening, and gatherings he visited.

A bright red yarn connected everything on the walls, making it seem like an investigation board of a crime in the police station.

And finally, one day, he found something. A ray of hope that illuminated his world arrived. A scene that didn't make it to the last cut and gave the proof that Indiana Jones had some influence on the final result.

"Hahahahahahaha!" laughed Quinn, maniacally. He immediately set afoot and sent a message to Lia through the magical fax machine, which they were currently calling the West-mail.

[

Dear sister,

I wholeheartedly believe you are wrong, and it relates to a scene that isn't in the movie. I know for a fact that nazis had the incorrect length staff because they only had one side of the headpiece.

I saw this scene in an extended cut of the movie.

Not only that, but the second side of the headpiece contains more info than just the 'correct' staff length. Also written on the backside are instructions not to look into the Ark...this is how Indy knows to 'KEEP YOUR EYES SHUT' when the Ark is opened.

So, in theory, I am correct, and you are wrong.

Take that!

Love,

Quinn.

]

Quinn smirked when he sent the message, glad that he had shown that the masterpiece film couldn't be wrong.

Her reply came later that evening in a brief message.

[

Quinn,

Huh, what are you talking about?

Lia.

]

Quinn stared at the message in his hand. It made him realize he might be the only one getting worked up on this topic.

He looked at the wall with red yarn and loads of paper on the wall and then looked at his hands.

"What have I become..."

-*-*-*-*-*-

Quinn West - MC - Would go down in history as the inventor of West-mail or W-mail - Also had a brief spell of madness.

Lia West - Business Women - Ruined the official cut of Raiders of the Last Ark.

FictionOnlyReader - Author - Tried something because he couldn't find a way to end the chapter.

-*-*-*-*-*-

If you have any ideas regarding the magic you want to see in this fiction or want to offer some ideas regarding the progression. Move onto the DISCORD Server and blast those ideas.

The link is in the synopsis!

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The link is also in the synopsis..

-*-*-*-*-*-

The designated room for Quinn's magic in the West manor was a spacious hall with ample space and had sturdy walls, ceiling, and floor just in case magic hit the walls. The sturdy walls would prevent damage to anything outside the hall, protecting the structure of the entire manor.

In that hall, with no decor or furniture, Quinn sat in the dead center. He sat in the lotus position, his back straight and eyes closed. The room was dead silent, with not a single sound that could disturb the peace.

In the middle of summer, Britain was always hot. While it was because of the heat, the main factor that really made the summers uncomfortable was the humidity content in the air which made the entire experience uncomfortable.

And, even in that humid climate, Quinn dispersed more and more conjured water into the air of the room. Slowly increasing the moisture content in the room to where the water droplets dripped from the walls, but Quinn didn't stop and kept on pumping more water in the form of thin mist.

He even made it so that the water won't condense and start dripping in excess, and the air would retain more and more liquid.

At some point, Quinn felt that if he increased the humidity content of the room, it would get difficult to breathe, so he stopped dispersing more water into the air.

He stopped and instantly changed gears. Instead of dispersing water, Quinn was releasing cold energy and escalating the chill as the cold built up in the room.

The room's temperature dropped as water in the room condensed, and the humidity in the air formed a hazy white mist. The floor around Quinn froze and started to spread outwards, slowly creeping towards the walls.

As the temperature dropped below the point where warming spells were proving to be inefficient, Quinn turned to Blood magic to warm up his blood, and it came easy as breathing because he had experience using it daily for months.

And the current level of cold was nothing compared to the Icy vault that was colder than any natural spot on the planet. Currently, Quinn wasn't even trying to push his Blood magic and kept it on the down-low to be comfortable in the current temperature.

'I need more water.'

With that thought, Quinn, once again dispersing more water into the air, but unlike the previous dispersion, which was gradual and gentle, Quinn pushed his magic to create waves and waves of dispersed water.

He also kept rolling out the cold energy, and because of it, the dispersed water instantly turned into mist, and the visibility in the room dropped because of the white fog everywhere.

With each passing minute, the walls, floors, and ceiling of the hall started to show deposits of ice sheets, getting thicker with time and renewed water supply in the form of mist.

Slowly, the hall looked a lot like the Icy vault, albeit not as cold. The walls were a frozen icy-blue, and the scene looked from the time of the ice age.

Quinn stood up from his spot, looked around, and sighed a white plume.

"I need to be much quicker than this."

Quinn's third year at Hogwarts was going to be a dangerous one. Tom Riddle, a.k.a. Voldemort's first Horcrux, was going to wreak havoc in Hogwarts by releasing the Slytherin's monster from the Chamber of Secrets.

"I need to be much faster than if I want to escape from the Basilisk," murmured Quinn.

The Basilisk was a giant serpent, grander than any known snake species. It was known to be the King of Serpents, a snake species that could be the apex predator in most ecosystems and food chains.

The Basilisk wasn't a naturally growing creature and needed a magical person's assistance to give birth to. Herpo the Foul was the first one to breed a Basilisk. He accomplished this by hatching a chicken egg beneath a toad which resulted in the creature known as a Basilisk.

But just putting an egg under a toad wasn't enough. Extremely harsh conditions were needed to breed the King of Serpents. Everything from the toad's type, age, gender, and various other specifications, to the hen who laid the chicken egg used, were harshly stringy.

The egg and toad needed to be perfect and compatible with each other, and the magical breeding the Basilisk required to maintain constant care for a Basilisk to be perceived.

It was nature's way to limit a magical beast like Basilisk to spread its population on Earth. In exchange for the transcendent abilities, natural law took from the Basilisk the capabilities to breed on its own and needed assistance from another species to come into this world.

Looking a Basilisk directly in the eye causes instant death, but an indirect look will merely render the victim Petrified. Because of these deadly capabilities, it was categorized as an XXXXX creature, meaning it was a known wizard-killer that couldn't be domesticated because of its immense powers.

Quinn didn't want to confront a beast that could kill him with a look, and he didn't want to be petrified for most of the school year just because he wanted to meet one.

"I am staying the hell away from the damn monster," was the decision Quinn made when he thought about the upcoming school year.

He had given thought to the feasibility of taking the dairy turned into Horcrux from Ginny Weasley and throw it away into the Room of Lost Things and forget all about the Basilisk incident.

The plan was totally doable if Quinn moved quickly and took the diary from Ginny around the start of the year, but this plan wasn't full proof as Ginny Weasley had the Horcrux diary for around a month before she came to Hogwarts.

He didn't know how much influence the Horcrux had on Ginny Weasley. Heck, he wasn't even sure if what the books depicted were the full capabilities of the Horcrux diary.

Then there was the whole issue of destroying the Horcrux. Room of Requirements had surprisingly less information on Horcrux. Quinn knew how to create a Horcrux. He even knew that Fiendfyre could destroy the Horcrux, but there was nothing more than that on Horcrux destruction.

Basilisk's venom wasn't listed in the text he had written, and that was a surprise. This told Quinn that Basilisk venom was a new and accidental discovery.

But, Quinn didn't have Basilisk's venom as the serpent was still sleeping in the Chamber of Secrets, and he didn't have expertise over the use of Fiendfyre that destroyed a Horcrux. Quinn hadn't even attempted to practice casting the cursed flames; he didn't want to fire Fiendfyre and kill himself in the process.

And, for that, he was practicing the Ice magic.

The Basilisk might be a magical beast, and the King of Serpents, in the end, was a snake. It was a widely known fact that snakes didn't like cold weather, and a Basilisk wasn't any different.

He was trying to produce instant ice and drop the temperature of an area in a short period. Snakes were sensitive to cold, and Quinn hoped that if he dropped the surrounding temperature when he walked around the castle, the Basilisk would stay away.

"If it did get close, then I would just have to terrorize it away with the cry of a rooster," said Quinn, planning to transfigure tons of roosters to kill the shit out of the Basilisk.

But, Quinn wanted to avoid that because if by chance the Basilisk escaped death by fleeing through the pipes, then young Tom Riddle would know his identity, and it would directly put him in harm's way.

So, as the saying went, 'Prevention is better than the cure.'

Quinn wanted to keep the Basilisk away from him rather than confronting it and taking a chance to kill it.

He wasn't even sure if the Basilisk would show on Recon, so to make sure that it stayed away, Quinn had to make sure that giant snake stayed the hell away from him.

Quinn exhaled in the room, which was now sealed by the ice layers, covering every inch of the room.

"Something like this would work," said Quinn. He combed a hand through his hair and sighed, "I have to get better at this."

"Oh boy, this is going to take a lot of magic to sustain, doesn't it," Quinn smiled as he thought about the expenditure of magic. It was not every day he could use magic that took copious amounts of magic, big even for Quinn's reserves.

While Quinn was smiling at the prospect of using magic-heavy ice magic, the door of the training hall busted open with a loud blast.

"Whaoooo!" Quinn was so shocked that he let out a long startled yelp. He jumped back and looked at the busted door.

"Young master! Are you alright!"

Quinn recognized Elliot's voice and immediately adjusted Blood magic so that it wasn't visible on his face or any exposed part of his skin.

"Yeah! I am alright," exclaimed Quinn, with his hand on his heart, feeling the erratic pulse.

Elliot looked inside the frozen solid room, his eyes wide because of the scene. It was not every day that you witnessed something like this in the smack middle of summer.

"What was that, Uncle Elliot? Why did you do that?!" said Quinn, pointing at the broken door covered in ice.

Elliot looked at Quinn, his hands went his waist as he frowned, "Young master when I came here, I saw that the door had layers of ice on it. I tried to call out for you, but you didn't respond."

He steered his hands at the broken door and continued, "When I tried to open the door, it won't budge, so I had no choice to break it open. I was worried that something might have gone wrong."

Quinn scrunched his nose as he looked at the ice-sealed room and could understand the problem.

"Oops," said the fool, showing the silly expression.

Elliot just stared at Quinn, standing in the frozen room, not knowing what to think.

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

And while learning cold magic to prepare for life preservation at Hogwarts was fun, Quinn needed something else to do, and in his curiosity, he took up warding as the theme for the summer break.

The backyards and gardens were meticulously maintained by the combined effort of Elliot and the house-elf, Polly. Those two worked together to grow the grass fields and gardens in the West Manor. The area around the mansion increased the beauty of the building, giving it a regal look.

They would be devastated if something disturbed the lush greens and blossoming herbs, perennials, and other flora.

"Fire-repellent wards, let's try these," said Quinn, goofily smiling while standing on the beautiful grass. A fire that could ruin the effort put into making the grass look luscious.

Quinn raised his hand, and a red layer of magic originated from it, forming a dome of warding magic. The red layer glowed a little brighter before disappearing.

Warding magic was a branch of magic that could be performed employing either charms or runes or both. A type of barrier magic that 'rejected' phenomenon within the bounds of the barriers. Protective enchantments that exerted control inside the area under the barriers of magic.

For example, in the Room of Lost Things, an anti-summoning ward covered the entire room that rejected summoning spells in the room. Hogwarts was covered with anti-apparition that didn't allow apparition for humans.

He looked above the space of fire-resistance barrier, and a light wisp of fire manifested in the air.

"Let's hope this works," said Quinn as he dropped the fire. The wisp of fire fell down, and the moment it touched the now invisible barrier, a patch of it shown red.

Quinn smiled as the wisp of fire exhausted itself before it hit the ground.

"Excellent."

He upped the ante and dropped multiple wisps of fire, and every single one of them snuffed out by the magic of the ward.

The wisps of fire increased in number until the entirety of the barrier was facing a barrage and did a great job at snuffing every single wisp.

Quinn showed an impressed expression and decided to take it to the next level. He stepped back, and gone were the wisps of fire. Quinn raised his hand and came out jets of flames came out of them colliding with the barrier, and the moment the jets passed the barrier, it snuffed the fire out of existence.

He continued to raise the amount and temperature of the fire. While Quinn was happy to see the ward stand up to the flames, he frowned when the heat and quantity of flames exceeded the current spell's capabilities.

One thing Quinn hated was the inefficient use of magic. It was one of his best pet peeves. If a magic was supposed to go from one to ten, then Quinn hated when it was used to go to eleven. It was inefficient for a spell to exceeds its limits.

In theory, you could push magic into a base-level fire spell like the Incendio spell to produce extremely hot flames, but you could also use a high-level fire spell to achieve the same result with much less magic.

Quinn clicked his tongue and stopped the jets of fire, thus ceasing the testing of the maximum capabilities of the fire-repellent ward.

"Any more than this, and I would enter danger category."

While Quinn was ballsy enough to use fire magic in the backyard, he wasn't ballsy enough to risk testing the ward he had casted for the first time and damaging the pasture.

With a casual wave, the ward broke down. Quinn turned back to walk to a book on warding.

"Water-repellent, Lightning-repellent, Explosion-repellent,... hmm, room sterilization wards, that will come in handy."

Quinn turned the pages in the book, looking at warding charms he could try, and found an interesting one.

"Oh, this might be fun," said Quinn, packing his stuff and heading towards the mansion.

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

Elliot sat in the living room, sitting down for his afternoon tea. As usual, he had the most traditional tea setup. An afternoon treat of tea, sandwiches, scones, and cake. A lot of choices to choose from served on special platters.

Elliot looked left and right before taking out a pair of glasses from his pocket, the type that hung from the chain.

He put them on, setting them on the bridge of his nose. Peering through them at a newspaper, holding a newspaper with a pen, doing the daily crossword.

Opposite to Elliot sat Quinn under an invisibility ward. Looking at Elliot with wide eyes, more specifically, he was looking at Elliot's glasses.

'Merlin's beard, he had glasses. I didn't know that,' thought Quinn. 'Man, that is a lot of sugar in your tea. And, you said that honey is better.'

Invisibility ward was a simple warding spell that captured an image of everything inside the barrier. And, when you entered the warded area, it would hide you by displaying a static image of what it captured.

Quinn casted an Invisibility ward on the part of the sofa Quinn was going to sit on and let the ward take a still of everything under the barrier. And, when he sat down under the ward, he was not visible to any on the outside.

That whole day, Quinn sat in different parts of the house, observing people in the manor.

He found that Ms. Rosey liked to read romantic novels in her free time. It was the greatest shock of the day as he never expected the always serious Ms. Rosey to find entertainment in cheesy romance novels.

Polly, the house-elf, liked to spend her break time in the different parts of the house, experimenting with various elf magics in cooking, cleaning, gardening, laundry, and other household activities. Quinn had seen some awful results of the experiment, and he felt a little closer to her as Quinn, too had, his share of failed experiments.

Unfortunately, all fun things came to an end when Quinn sat in the home bar on the manor, waiting for his grandfather to come here to relax like he did every other evening.

Like clockwork, George came to the home bar and walked to the cellar for his choice drink of the evening. Quinn silently waited for his grandfather to come back, and when he did, everything went black for Quinn.

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

When Quinn came back up, he was still sitting in the seat he had taken before everything went black.

"Mmmm," groaned Quinn, sitting up in the chair.

"What the hell happened," asked Quinn to no one.

"I stunned you," came the reply he wasn't looking for.

Quinn looked to the side to see his grandfather with a glass of whisky in his hand. Quinn sat right up, feeling embarrassed and mortified.

"Sorry," he eked out, looking at his grandfather, his expression both awkward and meek.

"What were you doing under that ward," came a question from George.

Quinn pursed his lips before answering, "Trying it out. I have been doing it all day. Looking at others while under the ward."

George sighed, "You are lucky that I only stunned you. I could have done much worse."

"I am sorry."

"It is alright. Just be more careful while using magic and keep the mischief to the minimum. Now, you may leave. I want to enjoy my drink in peace," said George, taking a sip of his whiskey.

Quinn was quite happy to oblige, standing up with a slight wince and walking towards the door, but before he exited, Quinn asked,

"What gave me away?"

George looked at his grandson and saw a look of strange curiosity. He recognized the look on Quinn's face, seeing the expression quite a few times on his grandson's face.

It was the expression that showed Quinn's cold curiosity towards topics that interested Quinn. In times like these, Quinn was surprisingly single-minded. Purely wanting to know the answers to his question.

"The lighting was different. I brightened the flames of the candles in the room when I entered. I am guessing, but your ward didn't account for that," answered George, watching as the wheels turned in his grandson's mind.

"Thank you, and once again, I apologize."

After saying that, Quinn left the room, leaving George alone. Once again, reminding George that Quinn loved magic.

.

.

- (End of Volume Three: Year Two.) -

.

.

-*-*-*-*-*-

Quinn West - MC - Trying to emulate a Disney Princess.

Elliot Dalton - Butler - Likes sugar and has secret reading glasses.

Ms. Rosey - Caretaker/Maid - Sucker for sickly romance novels (Would love Shoujo manga if she ever got a hand on one.)

Polly - West family house-elf - Leveling up.

George West - Is very cool - Gives really awesome vibes.

-*-*-*-*-*-

If you have any ideas regarding the magic you want to see in this fiction or want to offer some ideas regarding the progression. Move onto the DISCORD Server and blast those ideas.

The link is in the synopsis!

Report chapter Comments

If you want to read ahead, you can check out my Patreón @

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The link is also in the synopsis.

-*-*-*-*-*-

In the last two years, Hogwarts had firmly become the nucleus of his operation.

The Room of Requirement provided him with precious knowledge and a covert place to practice all kinds of magic, some that were not looked upon highly. While his A.I.D workshop was a place that he had built on his own, it was a room where everything was according to his preference. Then there was his suitcase, his expanded suitcase that housed his library, the library that contained books from all around the world, and Quinn's obsession with magic kept the library ever-expanding.

So, while Quinn was sad a little to leave the West manor and his family, he was happy to return to Hogwarts. At Hogwarts, Quinn could do whatever he wanted, and with some care, no one would ever know what he was doing.

The Hogwarts Express reached the Hogsmeade station, and Quinn deboarded the train. Like always, Quinn stepped onto the damp platform of the station.

"It's like it rains here on every first of September," he muttered, looking at the small shallow puddles littered across the platform.

Quinn watched the numerous students moving to the carriages that went to Hogwarts. He followed the crowd, and just like everyone, he got in a carriage.

Suddenly, it began raining, and a roof sprung from the back of the carriage, covering the previously open carriage.

"Yup, it rains every single year," said Quinn, looking at the groups of students hurrying to find a carriage. He turned his attention to the beings pulling the carriages.

"Thestrals."

The Thestrals were a breed of winged horses with skeletal-like bodies, faces with reptilian features, and wide, leathery wings that resembled bats.

"Omens of misfortune," whispered Quinn, watching the sinister and spooky appearance of the magical beasts.

He wasn't sure why he could see the Thestrals. Maybe it was because he had seen the Original Quinn die, or maybe, it was because he was in this body, which meant that he had died in his original world.

"Not that I could remember any of it," whispered Quinn, his tone hiding the bitterness he was feeling.

But, the reality was that he could see the Thestrals, and they reminded him how he got here.

"Original Quinn," he recalled how he addressed the previous host of the body and the identity which he had taken over.

He had long gotten used to the identity of Quinn West. He was Quinn West and responded to the name. He truly felt that he was Quinn West, and had stopped thinking about his previous life identity, ceased the efforts to figure who he was before, and had accepted that both the past him and the original Quinn had died.

But, time like these when he came across beings like Thestrals bought those thoughts to the surface, and his own self tried to pull himself in a spiral of doubt, guilt, and confusion. Every thought that disturbed him during the first couple of years in this world would try to drag him into a pit of negativity.

"Ah, damn it. Why am I like this," Quinn murmured in slight self-loathing, leaning forward till his elbows touched his thighs and covered his eyes with his hands. Exhaling heavily, trying to get himself out of this mood. He didn't want to feel like this and hated when it happened.

"Hey, I found a carriage with space. Come on, let's just get on this one."

Quinn immediately sat up straight and inhaled deeply to make sure that nothing seemed out of the sort.

Looking to the side, Quinn saw a red-haired girl board the carriage, followed by another girl, who was hurrying like the first one did to get out of the rain.

Quinn put on a slight smile and watched the two girls breathing in relief that they had escaped the rain and had successfully found shelter against the downpour. He immediately recognized the two girls, had met them last year.

One of them finally looked at him, and her eyes widened in recognition.

"Ms. Potter," greeted Quinn. The redhead Ivy Potter looked stunned and surprised to see Quinn sitting in the carriage they had chosen.

The brunette also looked at Quinn, and her eyes showed recognition.

Quinn turned to her and greeted her the same, "Ms. Granger."

The carriage started moving, and silence settled inside the carriage. None of the three people spoke a single word to each other.

Ivy stared at Quinn with a sharp look in her eyes. She had suspected Quinn since the last year. First, he gave them the information about Nicolas Flamel, which didn't arouse her suspicion; Quinn aroused her suspicion when he warned her about the stone's chambers like he already knew why she was looking for the information on Nicolas Flamel.

Then they met by accident in the Hospital wing when she was visiting her brother with her family. He had given her a look that said he already knew about what had happened. It made her wonder how he knew Harry got injured in the stone's chambers when that information wasn't public until a few days later.

To Ivy, Quinn West was a person who acted like he knew everything about everything.

Hermione Granger also glanced at Quinn West, but not one of suspicion like Ivy. Her glances were of curiosity and wonder. She had heard of Quinn from almost all her professors about how Quinn was intelligent and was a model student.

On multiple occasions, Professor Flitwick had given her a copy of Quinn's assignments while returning her graded versions of her assignments. His assignments were always shorter than her, and he didn't quote phrases from books or at least from the ones she had read. Quinn's assignments always had points that seemed obvious but were insightful in nature.

Then there were his exam notes, which she had bought because almost all Ravenclaw students talked about them, and she had been exposed to Quinn's charms assignments throughout the year, so she bought a set. The notes were helpful for her exam preparation, so she was extremely curious about the person known as Quinn West.

Quinn broke the silence in the carriage by addressing Hermione, "Ah, Ms. Granger, before I forget, I missed the chance to congratulate you for scoring the highest last year. You must have worked hard. So, congratulations."

Hermione blinked a few times before replying, "...Thank you. Same to you as well." She felt surprised that Quinn congratulated her. She wasn't expecting a congratulation, and not from Quinn, who she barely knew, at least personally.

Quinn turned to Ivy and said, "You too, Ms. Potter. I heard you scored high as well." He was being polite despite the not-so-positive looks from Ivy.

"... Yes, I did," was all the green-eyed redhead said, still blatantly staring at Quinn. And, the blatant staring made Quinn feel a tad bit uncomfortable, but he didn't show it and moved on to the next person.

Ivy stared at the boy sitting in front of her. He had changed little from last year. He had grown a little taller, but other than that, Quinn West hadn't physically changed. The same neatly cut black hair and the stone-grey eyes that shone brightly.

"Last year... did you go inside the restricted part of the third-floor corridor?" Ivy asked directly, with no warning or poking around. The words coming out of her couldn't be more direct.

"Ivy!" exclaimed Hermione. She didn't mind the question, but she was a little shocked at the direct confrontation. But, she did glance at Quinn after her initial shock, wanting to know the answer to the question.

"And, why do you ask that question, Ms. Potter?" replied Quinn, answering the question with a question. He wanted to know her intentions.

"You said that the restricted area was dangerous," said Ivy, but when Quinn was about to speak, she interrupted with her index finger up. "I clearly remember that you said that the headmaster wasn't joking when he said he warned about a painful death. So, don't give the excuse that you were following Professor Dumbledore's words. You said it like you were supporting him with your own experience."

Quinn rested his hands in his lap and contemplated before answering. "I heard it from someone who may or may not have stumbled into the restricted area and may and may not have opened the door to may or may not see an enormous beast, and that person may or may not have talked about it. Of course, I don't know who it was as I just happened upon a conversation and couldn't find the identity of the speaker."

Ivy and Hermione gawked at Quinn with wide eyes. They couldn't believe the words that came out of Quinn's mouth. It was so full of bullshit that they didn't think that it was possible to give such an answer.

"What in the flippin-" exclaimed Ivy, mightily frowning, her eyes reflecting her expression, but Hermione cut her off and asked, "So, you are saying that you personally didn't go to the restricted area and just heard about it from someone."

Quinn shamelessly nodded with a wide grin on his face. He refused to acknowledge that he ever went exploring the stone's chamber and had fun while denying it.

"I am a rule-abiding student, Ms. Granger. I take rules seriously," he looked deeply at her and said, "You understand me, right?"

Hermione nodded deeply, for a moment forgetting Quinn's answer and wholeheartedly agreeing with the importance of rules. Ivy stared at Hermione with an incredulous expression before shaking her head and turning to Quinn, her brows snapped together.

"Do you really believe that anyone would accept such a ridiculous answer?!"

Quinn shrugged with the corners of his mouth turned up, "What can I say... guess, I was lucky to hear such an important piece of information. I figured even if it wasn't true, it was still wise to spread the news that the restricted corridor was dangerous."

Ivy glanced up at the roof before looking at Quinn, her eyes bored into him. "Then how did you know about Nicolas Flamel?"

Quinn's eyes sparkled as he replied to the question, "Oh, that? My sister studied at Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, and Nicolas Flamel gives a lecture there every year. I know all about Nicolas Flamel from her."

He peered at both the girls and smiled mysteriously, "Philosopher's stone is an extraordinary creation, isn't it? The dream of eternal life right at your fingertips, the ability to turn any material into gold or anything material you desire, and the power to cure any disease in existence. Nicolas Flamel warrants more credit than he is credited."

Ivy and Hermione were now hundred percent sure that Quinn had been inside the restricted area, and he knew what it hid. They couldn't get him to accept anything, but they couldn't be more sure that Quinn West had broken all the traps set by various professors with nobody knowing.

Quinn decided to change the subject and inquired, "Tell me, Ms. Granger, what do your parents do for a living?"

Hermione was a little surprised by the sudden question but answered it nevertheless, "My parents are dentists."

Ivy looked at Quinn and was about to explain what dentists were. She had a lot of exposure to the Weasley family and knew that purebloods could be grossly clueless about muggle culture. But, she didn't get to explain as Quinn spoke,

"I haven't been to a dentist in my entire life. We don't have healers that specialize in dentistry." Quinn's time at home between school years was filled with healer visits for annual checkups and safety screenings. George West lost his wife to disease. He didn't want to lose anymore, so he was extremely strict with healthcare.

"Do they own a practice?" asked Quinn, keeping up the conversation.

"Yes, both my parent co-own a practice."

Quinn nodded, already knowing answers to the question he was asking, but it was better than awkward silence, not that he minded the awkward silences. Quinn had thick enough skin to ignore such things.

Ivy sat in her spot, stunned that Quinn knew about muggle professions. She doubted the little information she had about Quinn West and asked,

"You are a pureblood, right?"

Quinn studied Ivy before answering, "Yes, why do you ask?"

"Nothing was just wondering." Ivy didn't want to say that she didn't expect a pureblood to know about muggle society. Even with her limited interactions with Quinn, Ivy knew he would jump on it and accuse her of stereotyping.

"Is Professor Potter returning to Hogwarts this year?" asked Quinn, wondering if Lily Potter would be teaching muggle studies again this year.

"She is... Why?" asked Ivy.

"Oh, right!" Hermione clapped her hands and asked, "You are in your third year; you get to choose electives. Have you taken muggle studies as an elective?"

Quinn shook his head. He would never attend muggle studies classes at Hogwarts. An opinion that he had told the professor of muggle studies to her face. "Oh no, I have selected Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, and Study of Ancient Runes for my electives."

The decision of adding Care of Magical Creatures to his electives alongside Arithmancy and Study of Ancient Runes was a long one. Quinn knew how to handle beast ingredients if given to him dead, but he didn't know what to do with live ones. Quinn wasn't sure if he wanted to learn about live ones. But after contemplating, he decided to take the class on Care of Magical Creatures.

"That makes ten subjects. You will be getting ten O.W.L. in your fifth year," counted Hermione, getting excited at the prospect of taking tests.

"Well... I may take O.W.L exams in Divination and Muggle studies if I feel like it. You don't have to take the classes to apply for O.W.Ls," said Quinn. Of course, these were just Hogwarts subjects. Quinn was determined to test for all kinds of O.W.L and N.E.W.T equivalent examinations in various countries for various branches of magic. He wanted to fulfill his vanity by getting all sorts of certifications from all over the world.

The carriage stopped, signaling that they had arrived at the castle. Quinn got down from the carriage and helped the two girls get down, offering them his hand. Hermione shyly took his hand and thanked him. Quinn thought Ivy would refuse his hand, but she took it.

"Well, ladies, if you have any problems. You know where to find me. See you around," said Quinn before taking his leave.

Ivy watched as Quinn left. Her eyes caught the glimmer of a golden ring Quinn was wearing on his left-hand middle finger.

It shone faintly in the dark.

She found herself staring at the ring but was brought out of her stare by Hermione.

She turned to Hermione before looking at Quinn's back and once again to Hermione and asked, "Hermione, did you notice the ring on West's hand?"

Hermione immediately nodded and answered, "It was a charming ring, wasn't it? It glimmered beautifully."

"... Yeah, it did," said Ivy, trailing off.

"Come on, we need to find the boys. They might have gone ahead of us," said Hermione.

Ivy tossed her current chain of thought to the back of her head and replied, "Yeah, we need to find them. I want to ask where they were on the train. They made us go look for them all over the train."

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

Quinn strutted to the Great Hall. Taking in the hall and its bewitched ceiling, hanging chandeliers, long tables, High table, students talking to each other, greeting other after a long summer break.

"Oh yeah, this is nice," said Quinn, smiling all the way to a spot on the Ravenclaw table. He adjusted his butt on the wooden bench and nodded, "Yup, this still sucks." But there was a smile on Quinn's face as he said it.

"Quinn!"

Quinn smiled and turned to watch Eddie jogging towards him. His arm raised, waving his hand.

"Carmichael, my main man. It had been a while, buddy," said Quinn, hugging Eddie.

Eddie sat down beside Quinn and talked about their breaks. Eddie's family had gone to Spain for a family vacation.

A few minutes later, Marcus joined the duo and sat across them, completing the usual trio's seating arrangement.

"Good evening," greeted Marcus.

Quinn sized up Marcus and said, "Man, you grew in the break, didn't you." Among Marcus, Eddie, and Quinn, Quinn had been the tallest, but now Marcus had grown to become the tallest of the group.

"Yeah, kinda grew a little this break. Had to buy a lot of new clothes," replied Marcus, looking around. "When will the sorting start? I am getting hungry."

Quinn took out a cauldron cake from his robes and threw it across the table, "Got you covered."

Marcus's eyes glittered with delight as he tore the wrapper off the sweet and took a huge bite. The in-house glutton spoke with cake in his mouth, "Thwank Fyu."

Eddie and Quinn laughed. They had gotten used to the lack of table manners from their friend.

Eddie's eyes caught something, and he looked down at the table. He saw a gold ring on Quinn's hand and commented, "Since when did you start wearing that ring."

Marcus also looked at Quinn's hand and remarked, "Oh, that looks cool."

Quinn looked at the ring on his left hand. The gold of the ring, reflecting in his eyes. He faintly smiled and said, "Yeah, it is a new thing."

The ring shone as Quinn closed his hand into a fist.

-*-*-*-*-*-

Quinn West - MC - Third-year student.

Ivy Potter - Potter Princess - Not a fan of Quinn.

Hermione Granger - Top of her class - Knows Quinn in an academic capacity.

-*-*-*-*-*-

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-*-*-*-*-*-

After his first day at Hogwarts, the owner of A.I.D services walked to the office with a suitcase in hand. He hummed a tune as he inserted the key into the key slot, turning it to unlock the door. The lock clicked to release the bolt that secured the door to the frame.

But the door wasn't unlocked, as there were a couple more things Quinn needed to do to unlock the door. He placed his hand on the door and funneled magic into the door. Before leaving last year, Quinn had fused the wood of the door to the wood of the frame by using transmutation, forming a weld between the woods of both structures.

Lifting his hand up to lift up the four wooden planks that barred the door from opening.

Finally, Quinn held the handle on the door and was about to push the door open when he got jolted with a stun of lightning.

"Fu-, motherfu-, shit, bloody hell, Merlin's saggy balls I forgot about that," heaved Quinn, his face all scrunched up in pain, clutching his hand and jumping up and down. There was a charm on the door handle that shocked anyone who touched it.

Quinn angrily disabled the charm on the door after recovering from the shock. He grabbed the handle and was about to push the door but stopped.

"Did I place something else in there?" After a few seconds of thinking, Quinn determined he was safe and entered the office.

White sheets covered the entire office furniture, and some dust flew in the room because of the sudden disturbance of the opened door. Quinn looked to the right and saw the big glass wall, which used to have a door slot to enter the workshop, but now didn't have a single opening. Quinn had sealed the door slot when he left for the summer break.

He walked to the glass wall and touched it to transmute a door slot into the glass wall, making a rectangular opening into the glass. He stepped into the opening, entering the workshop, which too was covered in white sheets covering the table and cabinets.

He sat down his suitcase on the floor and gathered his magic as he walked around the familiar room, smiling the entire time.

Quinn clapped his hand once, and the room came to life as white sheets in the office and workshop flew up and folded themselves into a neat stack on the floor. A wave of magic hit the entire classroom-turned-office-and-workshop and cleaned every nook and cranny of the room, eliminating the dust in the room.

Every drawer and door of every cupboard and cabinet opened and went through the same cleaning process, turning the entire room into a squeaky clean place.

The suitcase on the floor fell to the side and opened up with a dozen or more clicks of locks unlocking. It took a while before things flew out of the suitcase.

Various types of tools, vials of potions, reams of papers, other utensils, and all kinds of things that once filled the cupboards in the workshop once again took their rightful place in the workshop. Quinn again filled the file cabinets that he had emptied before leaving with documents and manilla folders.

In the office, decor adorned the walls. Furnishing the look that Quinn had decided for the office. With a snap of fingers, the chandeliers on the roof lit up the room, everlasting candles shining the room with their flames.

"Now, this feels right," said Quinn. And, at last, Quinn looked at the door leaning against the glass wall. The door lifted itself and took its place in the glass wall, covering the opening in the wall.

A.I.D was back in business

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

Gilderoy Lockhart didn't make a positive first or any impression on Quinn. The entire first class, the pompous lying piece of phony lied his butt off about everything. He had wasted an hour of Quinn's time, and even though Quirrell and Binns did that last year, they weren't annoying as Lockhart.

Quinn hated every second of his Defense Against Dark Arts class and had to hold the urge to stun the blonde bastard into oblivion. He spent an hour listening to the bragging that came out of Lockhart's mouth, and there was something about Lockhart's voice that Quinn couldn't ignore. It was like a mosquito's buzz, extremely annoying and hard to ignore.

"Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming-Smile Award, my ass," groaned Quinn, rubbing his temple, entering the Ravenclaw common room.

He made a beeline to his favorite chair in the common room and stopped when he saw a first-year sitting in his spot.

Quinn stared at the chair and the first-year sitting in it, and the first-year noticed Quinn staring at him. The first-year kid felt uncomfortable at being stared down by a senior. He looked around, wondering why Quinn was staring and concluded that Quinn wanted to sit in the chair.

He bounced up from the chair, not wanting to fight with an older student, and walked away from the spot, avoiding confrontation.

"Hey, kid," called out Quinn, causing the first-year Ravenclaw to freeze in his spot. He slowly turned to face and saw something thrown at him and instinctively caught it in his hand. The kid looked at his hands and saw chocolate sitting there. When he looked up at Quinn, he saw Quinn not looking at him and sitting down on the chair.

Quinn sat down on his chair and thought, 'Kids are weird.' Not noticing the reason behind why the kid left the chair.

Quinn slumped down in the chair and looked around the common room. When he looked to his side, he came across a pair of silvery eyes staring at him with a look of distinct dottiness. The girl was extremely close to him and almost startled him out of his chair.

"Can I have a chocolate?" asked the girl with silver eyes.

Quinn studied at the girl, and it took a second, but Quinn recognized the girl.

Stood in front of him, leaning down close to his face, was the girl with waist-length, straggly, dirty blonde hair and a feel about her that made her seem otherworldly.

Luna Lovegood wanted chocolate.

Quinn slowly took out a chocolate cube from his robes and placed it on Luna Lovegood's outstretched hand. She sat down on the chair beside him, unwrapped the sweet chocolate, and put the whole cube in her mouth.

She turned to Quinn, and he could see the small chocolate cube poking against the inside of her cheeks as she put it aside to speak, "Thank you."

Quinn nodded, observing Luna as if she was a rare creature, and extended his hand for a handshake.

"Quinn West," said Quinn, introducing himself.

Luna looked at Quinn's hand for a moment before taking it with both her hands, turning it so that Quinn's palm was facing her.

'Is she... reading my palm?' thought Quinn, but let the blonde do whatever she was doing, finding her behavior interesting.

"Your hands are amusing," spoke Luna. Her voice had a dreamy quality. If her words and voice were solid, they would fly and float away like a feather in a breeze.

"Amusing?" asked Quinn, not knowing what she meant by it. He looked at his other hand to see if anything was amusing with it but couldn't find anything particularly amusing.

She nodded while tracing the lines on his palm with her fingers, "Very amusing." She moved the chocolate cube in her mouth before continuing, "You love magic, don't you."

"... You found that from my hand?" inquired Quinn, watching her still playing with his hand.

She nodded, humming in agreement. Luna pulled on his fingers, popping knuckled while doing so, and smiling when his hand made popping sounds.

"I am sure that you would have no Wrackspurts around you. Your hands say so," said Luna, smiling in delight, but then frowned. "I forgot my pair of Spectrespecs at home, or else I would have been able to see them... maybe I should write a letter to daddy to send them to me."

She suddenly looked at Quinn's face and asked, "Can I have one more chocolate?"

Quinn took another chocolate cube from his robes and put the cube on his other hand that was still in Luna's grasp. The ever eccentric Luna requested something from Quinn, "Please unwrap it."

Quinn unwrapped the chocolate with magic, making sure that he had his fake wand out. His eyes almost bulged out when Luna leaned forward and ate the chocolate straight from Quinn's hand.

'"Thank you. It is quite delectable," said Luna licking her lips that were stained with chocolate.

"... You are welcome," said Quinn, not really sure how he should feel about the current situation.

"What is your name?" Luna stared into Quinn's eyes, silver meeting stone-grey. Usually, in these kinds of situations where he wasn't sure what to do, Quinn would take the opportunity to read the mind to get some hold of the conversation. But right now, he didn't have that in mind.

"My name is Quinn West," introduced Quinn, even though he already did it once. "And, you are Luna Lovegood."

"Yes." She finally released Quinn's hand and now was staring at Quinn's face.

"Your father is the editor of Quibbler, right? Can I buy a subscription," asked Quinn, trying to build a connection with Luna.

Her stare changed a little as if looking for something. She looked at Quinn for a good while before nodding, "I would need you to fill a form and pay the subscription fees. I will send it to daddy."

"That's it?" asked Quinn.

"That's it," replied Luna.

"Alright, thanks."

Luna got up from her seat and left, saying nothing.

Sitting in his chair, Quinn wondered what just happened. He met Luna Lovegood, gave her chocolate, had his palm read, got complimented that it was amusing, asked for a Quibbler subscription, and all this happened while he got caught up in Luna's pace.

"... Huh?" was all he could come up with in the end.

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

The first thing Quinn did after getting some free time was visiting the Icy vault. The Icy vault was as miserable as ever. A hellish cold place that no same human would like to spend time in.

Quinn silently put on thick layers of clothes that he specially stitched up himself for enduring the cold in the vault region. Putting on his glasses, he stepped down the stairs. His spiked boots provided Quinn with the grip needed on the iced floors.

Immediately a freezing chill hit him, trying to sap the heat from his body, but Quinn fought back with Blood magic heating up his blood throughout the body. The blood flowed through his body, keeping the body warm, sustaining his body in the harsh cold.

Quinn walked towards the snowflake icicle, not minding the cold one bit. He had become used to it, and if Quinn ever thought about this fact, he would wonder what was wrong with him.

He glanced at the snowflake, and it began to shake, and in one fell swoop, the ice came apart and changed into water vapor. The next second, the cloud vapor turned into a lump of magnesium metal, falling onto the frozen floor with a thump.

Quinn's magic pushed on the gates with his magic, and halfway through, ice spears shot from inside with the sole intention of killing Quinn, but they stopped mid-flight and dropped to the ground as Quinn walked inside the vault.

Immediately, the temperature changed, and Quinn's Blood magic gradually adjusted his body temperature and bought it to a natural temperature, making sure that the sudden shift in condition didn't cause problems in his body.

Immediately, Quinn shed down the layers of clothes and walked around the vault, observing Absolute Zero floating in mid-air, contained by the runes and charms inside the vault.

"Alright, nothing has changed. Good, good," said Quinn as he retrieved a case from his clothes and kneeled on the floor, setting the case on the floor.

With a single click, Quinn opened the case. Inside the container were seven pieces of metal.

Quinn took out three spherical metal balls from the case and looked around the vault, focusing on the vault walls.

"Here goes nothing," said Quinn before rolling the ball on the ground. The three balls rolled their way in different directions. The movement of the three spheres was unnatural as they adjusted their path until they reached the decided spot and came to a sudden stop.

The next second, the three spherical metal balls reconstructed themselves into three pyramids of similar sizes. If seen from above, the three pyramids were in a triangular position. Each one at the vertices of an equilateral triangle, with Absolute Zero in the middle of said triangle.

Quinn took a deep breath before raising his hand in front of him. Three soft streams of continuous magic made their way to a metal pyramid each. The pyramids started to glow in a green light; the light grew stronger until Quinn cut off the magic supply.

"Okay, do your thing," whispered Quinn, hoping that his creation worked according to its purpose.

The three pyramids started to hum, and after a few seconds, thin beams of green magic shot in different directions towards the vault's wall. Small bursts of magical light shot one by one, making contact with the vault's circular wall.

Quinn inhaled a deep breath when he saw the runes etched into the wall glow in an icy blue light. Thousands of runes of various sizes illuminated the vault.

"Okay, okay, it works," Quinn spoke fast and moved faster as he took the three more metal pieces from his case. These pieces were triangular discs, and Quinn slid them on the floor. They repeated the movements of the previous pieces and arranged themselves in a smaller triangle.

The triangular metal discs received magic from Quinn, but this time the input was much more intense and longer, and the output was also much drastic. The triangular discs shot glowed and hummed just like the pyramids, and the intensity grew until the discs emitted circular waves of magic.

Quinn clutched his hand when he felt the vault faintly shake and looked around with gleaming eyes as he watched the runes on the wall switch places, rearranging themselves on the wall.

'Let this work,' thought Quinn, his heart beating hard with both excitement and a tinge of fear. He had made thorough preparation with triple-checking every calculation and decision. But, there was always a chance that thing would fail, and it would release Absolute Zero from its containment, killing him immediately.

It took maybe ten seconds before the runes stopped arranging themselves and the new arrangement glowed brighter with a burst before settling down.

Quinn moved his eyes to his six pieces and urged, 'Come on.' The moment the thought ended, all six metal pieces shot continuous beams of magic towards the Absolute Zero. His breathing hitched as there was a screeching sound from the Absolute Zero, but nothing happened as everything calmed down.

The six metal pieces, three pyramids, and three triangular disks were now connected to the rune formation of the room and Absolute Zero.

Quinn exhaled heavily as he silently watched six beams of magic light connecting Absolute Zero with his metal structure.

He made the metal structures with runic magic. He had etched runes into the metal composite, giving them the functionality to change the rune formation of the vault to add a feature of his choice.

"Phew... that was stressful," said Quinn as he stood up from his spot and walked to the place just below the floating Absolute Zero. He had the last piece of metal in his hand.

The last piece was a circular disc with an indent in which you could horizontally fit a thin cylinder. If you looked closer, you would see faint impressions of runes on the surface. The faint patterns were present on every metal piece that Quinn brought.

Quinn squatted under Absolute Zero and placed the circular disc on the ground, and immediately it moved to calibrate itself to the six metal pieces around the vault.

He went into his clothes and retrieved a small silk pouch. He loosened the string on the top and tilted the pouch for a thin gold cylinder to fall out. Quinn felt the weight of the gold cylinder in his hand for a moment before placing it in the indent of the circular disc. The metal moved around the gold cylinder and clutched it snuggly.

Getting up, Quinn moved away from the circular disc, walking towards the gate of the vault, and stood beside his cold clothes. With his finger raised, he shot a single burst of magic into the circular disc.

"Commencing the last phase," as Quinn said those words. The circular disc shot six beams of green light, one to every metal piece. The second the beam hit the six pieces, every piece shot similar beams to the others, connecting all to each other.

Above in the air, the Absolute Zero showed activity as rings of icy-blue energy appeared around it. Every ring was made up of the cold energy from the intense energy of Absolute Zero.

The temperature in the vault dropped as Quinn activated Blood magic to protect himself, his hand crossed across his chest, observing every change with an eagle eye.

The rings started to revolve and rotate faster around Absolute Zero. After a dozen seconds of acceleration and intense humming from the Absolute Zero, a laser of energy as thin as a human hair shot down at the circular disc, more specifically at the golden cylinder.

Tink*

It produced the sound when the energy hit the gold.

Tink* *Tink* ... *Tink* *Tink* *Tink* ... ... ... *Tink* *Tink* ... ... *Tink*

With every hit on the gold cylinder, it produced a sound. The hair-thin energy kept hitting the gold cylinder for a few minutes before it finally stopped, and the rings of energy around Absolute Zero also absorbed back into it. The temperature also rose back to normal.

Quinn waited for half a minute before uncrossing his arms and walking towards the circular disc. There was a cold fog around it, and the surrounding ground was also frozen.

"Hmm... too much energy was wasted. The concentration of the laser wasn't optimal. There was abundant leakage. I need to improve the design and rune formation for the next use," noted Quinn, as he observed the circular disc and the surrounding area.

The gold cylinder detached itself from the circular disc as Quinn moved closer. Quinn looked at the gold, and as he expected, it wasn't frozen in ice layers. But, the cold mist emanating showed that it was extremely cold.

Quinn's mouth curved into a grin, and his eyes gleamed with delight,

"It worked."

His eyes locked onto the gold cylinder floating above his hand.

-*-*-*-*-*-

Quinn West - MC - Has his hands on something amazing.

Luna Lovegood - Eccentric Ravenclaw - "Hmmm~ Hmm~ Hnmm~ HNMm~ hnHMh~."

-*-*-*-*-*-

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-*-*-*-*-*-

The highest tower at Hogwarts was the Astronomy Tower. You could look down on the entirety of Hogwarts from the Astronomy, and while the sun was up, you could clearly see Hogsmeade at a distance. At night, while stars glimmered in the sky, you could come up there and get the best view of the celestial bodies.

Friar, the Hufflepuff ghost, floated at the highest point of Hogwarts, admiring the view of the stars, looking at their bright shine, making their position known to everyone who could see. In the centuries he had been here, Friar had made visiting the Astronomy Tower to look at the stars a habit.

Tonight was one of those nights when he came here to be at peace, away from the hustle-bustle of the students and the loneliness of the castle when those same students rested in their common rooms and dorms.

"Friar."

The ghost, who was once a clergy of the mendicant religious order, turned around his spectral body to see a student standing there in casual clothing. Friar recognized the child immediately.

"Quinn West," greeted Friar, floating closer to the young Ravenclaw who had dared to explore the mystery of the cursed vaults and had, against all odds, achieved the accomplishment of being the first one to survive the first vault and successfully opening it. He found the secrets that the cursed vault hid behind the millennia-old gates.

"It is nice to see you again, Friar. You look as jolly as ever," greeted Quinn. He gazed at the sky and remarked, "Looking at the stars, eh?"

Friar studied the child in front of him before speaking, "A hobby of mine. Looking at stars calms me down." Friar looked above at the clear sky.

A quiet fell between the ghost and the living person, as both relished the sight of the vast universe that was visible to the naked eye.

Friar was the first one to break the silence as he asked, "I presume that you have come to me for the clue for the next vault."

"Aye, I had enough time to rest. The next adventure awaits for me," replied Quinn, still looking at the night sky above.

A cool breeze blew on the tower, not so chilly and just the right amount of cool that it felt comfortable as it brushed against the skin.

"Do you remember how I told you that no one went past the first vault?" asked Friar. Memories of the numerous people who attempted to challenge the vault passed through his mind; ones who failed, died, lived but gave up, and many others.

"Yes, I remember that," spoke Quinn. "I am the first one to open the first vault or, as I like to call it, the Icy vault."

The defense mechanism to prevent people from accessing Absolute Zero had kept people at bay, instilling fear into their hearts and chill into their bodies.

"Yes, you are the first one. So, you will be the first one to explore the second vault." He glanced at Quinn, his ghostly eyes peering at Quinn, "The second vault is a mystery, even to me. I don't know much about it."

Quinn pulled his gaze away from the sky and trained them on Friar, who showed a worried expression on his translucent face.

"You look worried."

Friar clenched his hands, gathering his monk robes as he balled his fist.

"The second vault is very dangerous. At least it is dangerous, possibly fatal to use ghosts."

Quinn furrowed his brows as his lines appeared between them, "Why do you say that?"

Friar nervously floated as he revealed, "Whenever we ghosts go near the second vault, we felt a danger to our being. It is like if we go near it, we will experience something that we may not like. It instills something deeply unsettling inside our very being." He paused for a moment, contemplating how to form his following words, "All ghosts know better than to go there. Even Peeves won't take the risk when it comes to the second vault."

Quinn took the information, paying attention to Friar's every word. Anything that would give him an edge against the vault, he wanted to hear about it.

'... Something that ghosts dread?'

He thought about it, but nothing came to mind. He had little expertise with ghosts.

'Need to read up on ghosts. I wonder if there is something in Room of Requirements about ghosts,' thought Quinn, as he made a mental note on ghost research.

"Has any of the Hogwarts ghosts ever entered the second vault?" asked Quinn. If there was a precedent, then it would be an excellent point to start.

Friar showed a pained expression. It was not a story he wanted to remember,

"There was a ghost in Hogwarts around five centuries ago. He was a curious one, that fellow. Didn't listen to the warnings of us old ghosts, scoffed about what do we oldies know... a month later, there was a screech that filled the castle... and we never saw him again."

"And, did anyone saw this ghost before he disappeared?" asked Quinn.

"No, we only heard a miserable screech and never saw him after that day," Friar sighed in answer. "Before his death, he had started to roam the castle alone, asked us to leave him alone. We barely saw him in the fortnight before his death."

Friar floated to face Quinn and glided towards him. "Enough of this. Receive the riddle to the second one, find it, and maybe you will be able to find the truth behind the ghost's death and bring light to the secret of the vault."

Quinn stood a little straighter, ready to listen to the riddle. The second vault was waiting for him, and this was going to be the start.

Friar watched the eyes buzzing with excitement, and the expression brightened with anticipation.

[

The ensuing vault cursed like the first one,

One that... terrifies the dead ones.

It dwells on the stage of completeness,

Sheltered by the oil of green revenge.

If you want to taste the reward,

accolades you need to appreciate.

But are you ready? It will be anything but easy.

The roads we walk have demons beneath,

Are you ready to face what lies underneath?

]

Quinn felt goosebumps on his skins. Not because he felt scared, but because of the way Friar delivered the riddle. The last time he sang the puzzle for Quinn, Friar had built it from what he had seen throughout the year, but this time... this time, it was different.

This riddle came from Friar's heart, his personal experience, thought Quinn. Something that Friar had felt and not seen others doing.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Quinn scribbled down the riddle on paper for future reference.

Looking at the written riddle, Quinn frowned slightly, "This one seems harder, I mean, more abstruse than the last one." He scratched his head in slight disappointment that he would need to think more about the riddle before he could actually get to the vault.

"I will pray that you will be successful in your search. From what I saw last year, I have great hopes of you," said Friar, smiling as he gazed at Quinn. Last year had been monumental in the ghost's life.

Every few decades, all four house ghosts would take turns to appoint a person each to go after the vaults, and Friar's stock had gone up because Quinn was able to survive the first vault, the first one to do so.

Friar had gained bragging rights among his ghost friends.

He watched as Quinn walked away with a hand scratching his head and looking down at the paper in his other hand.

He had high hopes that Quinn would solve this one as well, and he would be able to stand high amongst his ghostly friends.

"This year's Deathday part would be quite fun," smiled Friar, humming a tune as he went back to look at the stars, a jolly expression gracing his face.

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

"Can you repeat that again, please? I am not sure if I heard you correctly," said Quinn, sitting behind his office desk.

"We want you to start a Hogwarts fan club for Professor Lockhart," said one of the Hufflepuff girls sitting in the client chairs of the A.I.D office. Three Hufflepuff girls had come into the A.I.D office and requested something that stunned Quinn.

While Quinn understood Gilderoy Lockhart's popularity among the general populace but knowing the truth about the phony professor and spending a few classes suffering for hours under his ridiculous brags.

So, when Quinn looked at the three older Hufflepuff girls, he could only see a trio of idiots looking at him with dumb gazes.

Quinn shook his head off the derisive thoughts about the older girls and said, "Alright, I can do that for you guys."

He took out a sheet of paper from his drawer and wrote stuff on it.

"First, we need to identify the club's objectives: Think about what kind of club you want to start and what you hope to achieve... In your case, you want to meet other people with similar interests."

One girl perked up and chimed in, "We want to discuss Professor Lockhart and share it with other people. We want more people to about the professor's greatness."

"He is so charming, so handsome, and not to mention so brave," dreamily sighed another girl. It bought dreamy expressions to the other girls' faces.

Quinn held back a gag and spoke, "Alright, the best way to spread Professor Lockhart's good deeds," he emphasized on 'good.' "is to make sure that everybody has access to his work, so it would be best if you girls could donate some of his works to the club."

"We can do that! I have all the professor's books with me," exclaimed one girl. Quinn nodded, not mirroring her excitement.

"Excellent, I would need some seed money for the start of the club to create some flyers for promotion and things like banners and decoration, you can provide me with designs so I can make them, or I can take care of it," said Quinn. He looked up and said, "If you guys want, I can arrange a room for you guys to meet for meetings, or you can get permission on your own."

"About the meetings, I would also need you guys to choose a day of the week when your potential members are likely to be available, such as a Saturday or Sunday, because there are no classes on the weekends, but I would suggest that you avoid Sunday. Once you recruit more members, you can discuss everyone's availability and a meeting schedule."

Quinn wrote something and continued, "The best place to find members is from your own social circle, so you can promote among your common room, and if you hire me, I can promote this in all four common rooms."

"After you gather members, which will not be difficult given the professor's reputation, you need to prepare for the first meeting. The first meeting is important as it needs to be interesting so that you can retain interested people. You could prepare some games or icebreakers so your members can get to know each other. Then, spend some time talking about what each member hopes to get out of the club, what they think it should focus on, and ideas for activities or events."

Quinn went on droning about what the girls needed to about the fan club, and the girls just sat in their seats, stunned, staring at Quinn with open jaws. They became a little worried about the work that needed to go into creating a fan club. This was supposed to be a fun activity, but Quinn made it seem like a tough job.

"W-Wait, this is too much," said one girl, causing Quinn to look up for his sheet of paper on which he was listing the tasks to accomplish.

He noticed the discomfort on their faces and scolded himself for causing them discomfort. The client needed to be comfortable while doing business.

'Grandfather taught me better,' thought Quinn and immediately switched gears. He put on a calming smile and eased the worries of the girls.

"I know it might seem a little too much, but you don't need to worry about it. I will take care of it. You guys just need to decide what you want to do in the club. I will take care of all the complicated stuff. Rest assured, you won't hear a single thing about all the tedious tasks, so just spread your creative wings and work on how to make the fan club fun."

Quinn didn't apologize for overwhelming them, as he wanted them to feel that Quinn was giving them a great deal of help by taking care of all the hard stuff.

And his words did bring the girls some comfort as their stiff expression softened up.

"I see, that is good to hear. Thank you for helping us. We never though it would be so difficult."

Waving his hand to dissuade their worries, "Please, I am just doing my job. I will make sure that you girls' fan club would be the best in Hogwarts."

Quinn talked to them for a while, this time making sure that they were comfortable and happy. By the time they were out of the A.I.D office, they were excited about the future of the upcoming Lockhart fan club.

When they left, Quinn leaned back in his chair and groaned loudly. He didn't want to create a fan club for the jerk, but a job was a job; he couldn't start the year with a rejected job. That was just bad business.

After groaning and whining for a minute, Quinn suddenly sat up straight, his eyes shining with euphemistic sparkle.

"Wait a minute, isn't this great?!" exclaimed Quinn. He was dreading doing this job, but right now, the gears were turning his head.

"I could use this," said Quinn, taking out a new sheet of paper and started to write the things he needed to do.

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

Quinn knocked on the door but not before taking a deep breath and putting on a joyous smile on his face.

"Professor Lockhart, may I come in?"

Yes, Quinn was doing a thing he never thought he would do; talking to Gilderoy Lockhart on his own accord.

Lockhart, who had his signature smile on his face, looked up from his desk. Quinn assumed he was replying to fan mails.

"Yes, child, please come in," said the phony, with his smile widening.

Quinn walked inside and reached Lockhart's table. He was here for something that, if it went smoothly, would be profitable for Quinn.

"Good evening, professor. I have something to talk to you about," greeted Quinn, his eyes gazing across at loads of fan letters on Lockhart's desk. Yup, he was right in his presumption.

"Of course, you have come to the right place. Talk to me, I will help you out, and you will be singing my praise by the time you are out of the room," bragged Lockhart.

'No, you would be quite happy by the time I am done with you,' thought Quinn. He took a seat and smiled, "I am here because I have been charged with creating a Hogwarts-based fan club for you."

Quinn threw the bait, and the Gilderoy-fish jumped at it like a tasty treat.

"A fan club, you say. What a noble and novel idea! Tell me more about this fan club," spoke Lockhart, with enthusiasm shining in his eyes.

If there was one thing Gilderoy Lockhart loved, it was fame.

Gilderoy Lockhart was born to a non-magical father and magical mother. Out of the three children of the couple, Gilderoy was the only one with magic, and it brought a lot of joy to his mother. She treated Gilderoy as her favorite child and pampered him rotten.

When Gilderoy got his Hogwarts letter, a seed of vanity to grow like a tenacious weed. He had hoped to be greeted by whispers and stares, as in his mind, he was already a fully-fledged genius with exceptional magical prowess. The fact that he was merely ordinary, that more talented and gifted children were there, and his naturally wavy hair particularly impressed nobody, disappointed him.

He did have above-average abilities. Lockhart was cleverer than most of his classmates but had a terrible flaw in that Lockhart would not try unless he was confident he would be the best of whichever particular team, group, or class he was with at the time.

Even if he fell short of his ambitions that he would freely share with anyone who bothered listening. He bragged he would succeed in creating the Philosopher's Stone before leaving school and intended to captain England's Quidditch team to World Cup glory before knuckling down to becoming Britain's youngest Minister for Magic.

His vanity was such that he valued learning not for education but because it granted him attention; he craved attention and prizes and begged the Headmaster to start a school newspaper purely so he could see his own name in print.

When these exploits failed to grant him attention, he took to grander, more dramatic means of garnering attention.

He achieved minor notoriety by carving his signature in twenty-foot-long letters into the Quidditch pitch, earning him a weeks' worth of detentions. Created a spell that shot a hologram of his own face into the sky in imitation of the Dark Mark and sending himself eight-hundred Valentines, causing breakfast to be canceled because of the number of droppings and feathers in the porridge.

He increasingly devoted his talents to insincere shortcuts and cowardly dodges, focused on attention and neglecting genuine learning.

After he graduated from Hogwarts, he employed the same habit of cowardly methods, deceit, and fraud but took them to the next level and became an accomplished author. Traveling to exotic parts of the world and having mastered Memory charm shortly after graduation, tricking accomplished witches and wizards into revealing their grandest of deeds and then erasing their memories, promoting them as his own.

So, hearing about a fan club in his alma mater interested him greatly. He understood Hogwarts was the premier institute for all British and Irish wizards, so he knew what kind of reach and demographic he could develop if a fan club was set up here in Hogwarts.

"There has been a demand for creating a club focused on you and your work. I have been charged to create it, and I need a little help from you in your capacity as a professor."

"Oh! Do tell me, I would help you with everything you will need," offered Lockhart, showing full enthusiasm for the matter.

Quinn took out a bunch of sheets of parchment and said, "While it is possible to create a club with no need for professor's permission, but I think that if I have permission from a professor, then it would provide the club with a solid foundation."

He set down the small stack of parchment in front of Lockhart and spoke, "I need you to sign these requests for an allotted classroom as the club base, permission to promote the club without getting into trouble, and other technicalities that enable the club. Please sign these so I can get the ball rolling."

Lockhart didn't even look at the papers and used his quill to sign on every blank space that Quinn had marked.

"What about the activities in the club? I have plenty of ideas regarding that matter?"

Quinn stood up and collected the paper while saying, "Of course, your creative ideas would be a significant addition. I will make sure to send the members in charge of that part. You would be able to get your ideas across better with those students."

Quinn shook hands with Lockhart, "Thank you for the help, professor. We will get back to you as soon as possible. Please look forward to it; students are excited to talk to you about you. Good evening, professor."

Quinn didn't wait for Lockhart to respond and bolted out of the room. He didn't want to talk to Lockhart more than the needed minimum.

A smile made its way to Quinn's face as he stared at the stack of parchments.

'He didn't read the Terms and Conditions, sucker!'

While Lockhart did sign papers for club creation, he also signed some papers not related to club creation, like permission to access the restricted section of the Hogwarts library.

"Yeah, Lockhart was easy to fool~," grinned Quinn.

Quinn had refrained from asking permission to restricted sections of the Hogwarts library as it would bring him unnecessary scrutiny. But with Lockhart's permission, Quinn had now received access for his third year.

He took out another sheet of parchment, and this one also bought a smile to Quinn's face.

"Oh, this is going to make me a lot of money, isn't it? Much more money than the notes did last year."

On the signed sheet of parchment, Lockhart had given Quinn the permission to produce and sell merchandise in Hogwarts, and Lockhart had relinquished any claim on the profits.

It was a proverbial gold mine.

Quinn hummed as he walked his way to get the whole thing started.

-*-*-*-*-*-

(Extra: Shorts)

"We want you to set up a fan club for Harry Potter," asked a Hogwarts girl.

"Oh, come on!" yelled Quinn. "Not again!"

-*-*-*-*-*-

Quinn West - MC - Devious - Opportunist.

Fat Friar - Hufflepuff ghost - Looking forward to being the center of attention at the Deathday party.

Fan Club Girls - Creating fandoms - Can be identified in the wild by their shrill squeals.

Gilderoy Lockhart - ... - "Sucker!" ~ by Quinn.

-*-*-*-*-*-

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The link is also in the synopsis..

-*-*-*-*-*-

Walking in the Hogwarts corridors could be a daunting challenge if you didn't know your way around. There were too many corridors, cuts, paths, doors, and goddamn stairs that liked to shit with people. But, those who spend an ample amount of time in Hogwarts could find order in chaos.

So, when Quinn walked in the corridors of Hogwarts, with a dazed look in his eyes, you didn't need to worry about him. As even with his mind somewhere else, his legs were taking care of the navigation.

The cause for the dazed Quinn was because he was thinking, which was crossing over to daydreaming about the riddle of the second vault. It had been a couple of days, but he hadn't been able to make any serious progress.

The wording of the riddle was vague, and Quinn didn't know what to make out of it.

'What is the stage of completeness? Is there something known as oil of green revenge? To get to the reward, I need to appreciate accolades? What was Friar on when he was thinking of this?' Multiple thoughts circled in Quinn's mind as he walked in the corridors, not really paying attention to his surroundings.

"Ouch."

"Umph."

Quinn walked into something, and while he didn't move at all, the thing he collided into did fell down.

Focus returned to his eyes, and he looked at the 'thing' he walked into and saw the 'thing' was actually a person.

A head of flaming red hair greeted him. The person looked up to show her freckled complexion with light skin, a very petite stature, and bright brown eyes.

The person on the floor was the only female progeny of the Weasley family, Ginny Weasley.

Quinn's mind, which had been solely focused on figuring the sense of the riddle, stopped and reassigned itself to the person in front of him.

"I am very sorry. I wasn't paying attention, and look what happened," spoke Quinn, as he helped the first year Weasley up.

"It's okay. I, too, wasn't looking," said the girl. She noticed the golden ring on Quinn's finger before she looked up and saw Quinn's face.

"Red hair, hmm... a Weasley? Oh, wait. I remember you. You are a first-year, aren't you?" said Quinn, breaking ice into a conversation. "What is your name?"

This was the perfect chance to have a conversation with the carrier of Tom Riddle's diary, a.k.a Voldemort's first Horcrux.

"My name is Ginny," replied the Weaslette.

"I see, Ginny. What are you doing here? There aren't any first-year classrooms here?" said Quinn, glancing around to see if there was around. It would be better for him if there wasn't anyone around. Easier for him to work when there weren't any witnesses.

But, at the same time, Quinn was nervous as he wondered if the girl in front of him wasn't Ginny but Tom Riddle. It would answer what a first-year was doing far away from the usual first-year student hotspot locations.

"... am l-..."

"Pardon me, but I wasn't able to get that," said Quinn, leaning towards her.

"I am lost!" half-shouted Ginny, her face becoming as red as her hair in embarrassment.

Or, it was a lost Ginny Weasley in front of him, thought Quinn, not really sure if Tom Riddle would be able to pull off a red-hot embarrassed expression.

"Ah~ well, there is no reason to get embarrassed because of that," assured Quinn, comforting the girl who truly had become red as her hair. "You are a first-year, and Hogwarts is a confusing place."

He smiled and offered, "Where do you want to go? I will take you there."

Ginny looked relieved as her flush receded, leaving behind a faint blush on her cheeks. "I want to go to the charms classroom."

"Alright, let's go. We are on the fourth floor, but the charms classroom is on the third floor. You must have stepped on the wrong flight of stairs," replied Quinn.

And, when Ginny made eye contact with him, Quinn wasted no time and took the opportunity to send a mental probe into Ginny's mind.

'Got in,' thought Quinn, latching his probe into Ginny's unprotected mind.

"Come on, let's go, or you will be late," said Quinn, as he broke eye contact and funneled magic and focus for maintaining the connection with Ginny's mind. This technique, while tricky for most Legilimency practitioners, for Quinn was easy as his way of practicing Legilimency was to sit in the Great Hall and eavesdrop into people's minds, 'listen' to their surface thoughts and emotions.

In the past two years at Hogwarts, Quinn had become weirdly good at using Legilimency without maintaining eye contact.

"So, how are you finding Hogwarts? Having any fun?" asked Quinn, making idle questions as he navigated his probe deeper into her mind, trying to reach the layer where memories resided.

"... Gryffindor common room is fun," said Ginny as she finished speaking, showing the starry-eyed expression of any new first-year.

"Nice, when I was in my first year, I kept a diary and wrote every new and fun thing I saw in it. Believe me, Hogwarts doesn't have a shortage of fascinating things. By the end of the year, my diary was full of fun stuff."

Quinn sneakily and smoothly deployed his standard Modulus Operandi (M.O.) of mentioning a keyword relating to the memory he was looking for. Hoping that it would trigger the memory in the target's mind, causing it to rise on the surface, making it easier for Quinn to find the relevant memory.

Quinn furrowed his brows a fraction as nothing relevant came to the surface, only Molly Weasley's house budget diary and Arthur Weasley's work diary.

'Gotta do it the long way,' thinking that Quinn focused deeper and dove deeper into Ginny's mind, trying to find anything relevant, and it was when they reached the grand staircase did Quinn finally found something.

'Got it!'

It was the memory of the day of shopping. The Weasley family, along with the Potter family, went shopping for school supplies. Just like the books, they met up with the Granger family. They ended up meeting Gilderoy Lockhart at his signing event.

Like the books, the real-life didn't cut out the brawl between Arthur Weasley and Lucius Malfoy. It almost made Quinn chuckle when he saw Arthur throw himself on Lucius. The two men knocked themselves into a bookshelf, starting a domino chain of falling bookshelves.

While Quinn watched the memory, the duo of younger Gryffindor and older Ravenclaw walked down the stair. As they descended, they heard a shout,

"Ginny!"

Quinn focused and saw four people on another flight of moving stairs. It was the golden squad: Harry Potter, Ivy Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley. The one who called out to Ginny was her brother, Ron.

'Time's up, I guess,' thought Quinn as he looked at them.

Quinn and Ginny reached a relay point to change stairs. Quinn looked at Ginny and smiled, "It seems my job ends here. Your friends would guide you from here on."

Quinn took out an A.I.D card from his pocket and handed it to Ginny.

"If you need help with anything, you can see me here. I will try my best to help you out," said Quinn. Ginny looked at the card and nodded.

"Good, now I will take my leave," said Quinn and stepped onto a staircase that came to the relay point.

"Wait, what is your name?!" called out Ginny.

Quinn turned as the staircase started to move and smiled, "Quinn West, and it might be late, but welcome to Hogwarts!"

The next set of stairs that arrived at the relay point were the golden squad's stairs, and as they stepped off the stairs onto the platform, Ivy asked,

"Ginny, what did he wanted from you?"

"Hmm? Nothing, I was lost, and he was guiding me to the charms classroom. He was nice," said Ginny. While Quinn did spend all the time looking at Ginny's memories, he made sure to hold a proper conversation with Ginny.

"What did he give you to at the end there?" asked Ron.

Ginny held the card in both her hands and showed it to Ron, "He gave me his card."

"Show it to me," said Ron as he tried to take it from Ginny, but the smaller Weasley was faster and snatched back her hand before Ron could get his hand on the card.

"Nope, if you want one, get it from Quinn," said Ginny, looking at the card in her hands. It was the first time she had received something like this, and she didn't trust Ron with it.

"I will give it to you later," Hermione spoke to Ron, who was trying to get the card from Ginny, who was effortlessly evading her brother.

Harry glanced at Hermione and asked, "You have one?"

"I have multiple cards. They aren't difficult to find. You can usually find them under the classroom tables," replied Hermione, and then quipped, "Of course, you wouldn't know it, would you."

She was commenting on Harry's lack of attention during lessons.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Harry, getting ready to quarrel with Hermione.

Ivy looked at her brother and best friend and immediately recognized the signs of another childish exchange, their usual thing.

"Okay, you two stop," she interrupted the two who were rearing to go at each other. She looked up and was just able to see one last look at Quinn before he was out of their sight.

She turned to Hermione and asked, "Why do you have multiple of those?"

Hermione's eyes shined as she exclaimed, "The cards aren't always the same. I have six different versions of cards, each one better than the last one. The charms on the cards are so fascinating; every card has charms I don't recognize. Even now, I don't completely understand what went into creating them. I am seriously considering taking the card to professor Flitwick to get some answers."

Ever since Hermione had found that there were multiple versions of A.I.D cards, she had started to collect them. She even went to older students to look at their cards. And had traded with them to have all the versions.

Hermione Granger was Hogwarts' first A.I.D card collector.

Ron didn't know about the guy and just thought it was another one of the bookworms from Ravenclaw, and Hermione's fascination with Quinn cemented his image of Quinn.

Harry, on the other hand, knew about Quinn. He had seen Quinn plenty of times talking to Katie Bell, who was his Quidditch teammate. He had seen him talking to Daphne Greengrass, who he recognized.

Plus, he had seen him once last year during his time in the Hospital Wing, and his mother had praised Quinn for being a good student.

Now, he caught the sight of the card in Ginny's hand and noticed the words A.I.D.

"Where have I seen that," Harry thought out loud. He couldn't place a finger on where he had seen those words.

Ivy helped her brother out and spoke, "A.I.D or Quinn West is the one who wrote the exam notes mum gave you. The colorful one."

It finally clicked in Harry's mind, "He made those notes?! I thought mum wrote those for us."

While Harry wasn't particularly active in the classroom, he wasn't stupid. He had been raised by Lily Potter; he made sure to regularly study as he had been taught to do by his mother.

Ivy looked at her twin like he was an idiot and said, "Didn't you see them with like everybody? Why would mum make them from everyone?"

"Hey, I don't really have a carefree last year," said Harry, defending himself.

Ivy didn't give him a hard time, as last year had been a little rough on Harry. He had been in close contact with Voldemort, and that caused his scar to hurt a lot. Plus, there were some attacks on his life.

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

While the golden squad was talking among themselves, Quinn had a peculiar experience.

'Damn it! Damnit! Damn it! Damn it!' repeated Quinn in his mind.

"This cannot be happening," exclaimed Quinn, his tone showcasing panic. He had just experienced something that shouldn't have happened, or at least Quinn hadn't thought of happening.

Like a wrecking ball, a grave piece of information had hit him while he thought he was making progress.

When in Ginny's mind, reading her memories to see the influence of the diary-Horcrux on her mind, Quinn could only find a single memory related to Tom Riddle's diary, and that was the fight at Flourish and Blotts.

In that memory, he noticed a glaring issue. A smoking gun that blew the whole situation apart.

Lucius Malfoy didn't sneakily give the diary to Ginny.

Meaning that Ginny Weasley didn't have the diary-Horcrux.

Meaning that there was a divergence from canon events.

Quinn had checked thoroughly and didn't notice anything going to Ginny or any Potter or Weasley children. Lucius Malfoy didn't have a chance to slip anything into Potters, Weasleys, or Hermione when he was busy being restrained by Auror James Potter for disrupting order by fighting in a public place.

Tom Riddle's diary wasn't with Ginny, and that made some glaring problems. Problems that down the line could create grave situations.

"Now, I don't know if the diary is in Hogwarts or not." Quinn paced back and forth, thinking about the ramification of his discovery.

The locations of Horcrux were crucial information to Quinn. As long as he was aware of the position of the Horcruxes, he had the upper hand on Voldemort.

But now, he did not know where the diary-Horcrux was.

Quinn began to think about the diary-Horcrux and came up with three possibilities.

First, the diary-Horcrux could still have made its way to Hogwarts but with another student. Lucius Malfoy could have simply dropped it with another student, resulting in it coming to Hogwarts. If this was the case, it was the closest to the canon events, and Quinn would like it the most.

Second, the diary-Horcrux remained at the Malfoy Manor, safe in the protected Manor, as it had been since Voldemort had entrusted it to Lucius. If this was the case, it caused some problems, as when Voldemort gets a body, there was a high chance Malfoy Manor would become Voldemort's headquarters. If that happens, it would mean that Voldemort would have a Horcrux close to him, which was not a pleasant thought.

Third, Lucius had sold the diary-Horcrux, and its location was unknown. This was the worst of the scenario, as that would mean that a Horcrux was out there, and as long as it was intact, Voldemort couldn't die.

This scenario was the least plausible, as Lucious might not sell something given to him by Voldemort. But, one could argue against it by saying that Lucius was carrying the diary with him on the day he was selling dark objects to Borgin and Burkes to get rid of it. He wanted to sell dark items to protect himself if the Ministry arrived knocking at his door because of the stricter standards.

And, let's say that diary-Horcrux never came to Hogwarts, which would mean that diary-Riddle would never wake the Basilisk up and Harry would never kill the beast, and it would be still alive. If Voldemort attacked Hogwarts, then the Basilisk would definitely be part of his forces. A magical beast that could kill with a single glance was a game-changer. It would be more effective on a battlefield than Voldemort himself.

Quinn heaved a heavy sigh as he thought about the situation that was getting out of his hand. The future knowledge was an essential asset for Quinn, and every change would decrease his safety in this world.

He looked up at the ceiling before glaring hard.

"I blame fate for this. Did you hear me?! I blame you!" screamed Quinn at an entity he didn't know if it even existed, but it was the action he took, and while it didn't solve the situation, it did help slightly to alleviate frustration.

He stomped hard on the floor before walking away; he needed time to think and make sure he was safe in Hogwarts.

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

It was true that Quinn was having a not-so-good time because of the Horcrux situation or that he had made little progress with the vault riddle, but there was a single thing that was buzzing with positive activity.

Gilderoy Lockhart merchandise produced by Quinn and sold in Hogwarts were selling like hotcakes. Lockhart was good at one thing other than using Memory charm, and that was his ability to create an excellent public presence and knew how to maintain a positive image of himself. His fame and reputation were always riding high, and the common public was full of praises for him.

Riding on the wave of Lockhart's popularity and fame, Quinn sold tons and tons of Lockhart figurines, posters, lapel pins, exclusive trading cards that showcased Lockhart in different poses and with different quotes on each card, and many more products.

Countless students, mostly girls, coughed serious cash to get their hands on the Lockhart products. Quinn worked hard to meet the demand, and because of good planning and preparation, Quinn was able to keep up production and sold so many items that his dream of swimming in a pool of sickles took a significant jump in progress.

Lockharts, the Hogwarts fan club, was the official site for the sales as Quinn had hired a girl in the fan club to handle the sales for a small payment. He didn't have the time or the want to deal with sales, and neither did he want to stay in the club room all day to sell to take orders. He didn't need the A.I.D office to become a place where Lockhart fanatics mingled, so he made sure everybody knew that the club room was the place to go.

Quinn's life was complicated as he made the most money he had ever in his life but didn't have the opportunity to celebrate.

-*-*-*-*-*-

Quinn West - MC - Has money - check, Hates fate - check.

Ginny Weasley - Gryffindor - Things are looking up for her as she escaped the fate of Voldemort controlling her - Good for her.

Hermione Granger - Collector - Looking forward to the new edition of A.I.D cards.

Lockharts - Cash cows - Being milked for money~.

-*-*-*-*-*-

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The link is in the synopsis!

-*-*-*-*-*-

50 Chapters!

Half-century!

Hurray!

Banzai!

Kampai!

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The link is also in the synopsis.

-*-*-*-*-*-

[

The ensuing vault cursed like the first one,

One that... terrifies the dead ones.

It dwells on the stage of completeness,

Sheltered by the oil of green revenge.

If you want to taste the reward,

accolades you need to appreciate.

But are you ready? It will be anything but easy.

The roads we walk have demons beneath,

Are you ready to face what lies underneath?

]

Quinn hummed in giddiness, staring at the riddle on his left and the third-year Hogwarts Arithmancy book on the right. It was a pure coincidence, but while doing his Arithmancy homework in the Arithmancy, he noted something written on the Arithmancy book.

It was the symbolism of number six, and according to Arithmancy, number six was the number of completeness.

It was also a perfect number, and a perfect number was a rarity. A perfect number was when all the numbers divisors, excluding the number itself, are added, and the sum equals the number itself.

Divisors of six (6) = 1, 2, and 3.

[Sum of divisors = 1 2 3 = 6]

Ancient Greek Arithmancy master Euclid had discovered the first four perfect numbers, 6, 28, 496, and 8128.

Seeing that Hogwarts didn't have floors in double digits, correlating this with Friar's last riddle, Quinn was sure that stage's meaning here was the floor.

The stage of completeness was the sixth floor of Hogwarts.

"I don't want to scan the whole damn floor just to find the entrance," grumbled Quinn. He slid the riddle paper in front of him and reread it again.

Last time, the riddle had minimum information about the actual vault, and it was more of an introduction to the cursed vaults in general, but this time, the entire puzzle was focused on the second vault.

"Hmm, now, what does oil of green revenge mean?"

Sitting in his office, Quinn tapped on his table, looking around the room, wondering about the wording. The ticking of the clock could be heard clearly in the quiet room.

The tapping of the table turned rhythmic as he tapped out a tune. Slowly all five fingers and palm came into play, performing a tap-tune with his hand beating against the table. His head started to bob with the music.

Slap!*

The sound of Quinn slapping his forehead with his other hand reverberated in the quiet room.

"... What are you doing, man?" scolded Quinn. He got up from his chair and paced up and down in the room. Trying to think of a solution.

Time ticked away as Quinn tried all kinds of things like doing a handstand, laying down on the floor, sitting lotus style, eyes closed, and anything that might work, but nothing worked.

After an unidentified time, Quinn ended up watching a non-magical painting on his office wall. It didn't move because of charms or did anything magical, but Quinn liked it because of its simplicity and the simplistic color palate.

"Colors are amazing," spoke Quinn, his eyes reflecting the colors in the oil painting.

"Hmm?" Quinn tilted his head and rewound through his thoughts.

"Wait a minute."

He turned his head to the riddle page on his desk and back to the painting on the wall. He repeated it twice before saying,

"Oil... Painting... Oil painting... Portrait... Magical Portrait... Friar, you beautiful fat monk." From the start of the sentence, Quinn's voice rose with every word till he came to the final conclusion, and facts all fell into their place.

Quinn didn't wait for a single second before he put on his Hogwarts robe, and while he did that, his table packed itself, and the page of the riddle flew into his hand. He pocketed the page and spoke to himself as he exited the office.

"Oh yeah, I am feeling it now. There is no point in being nut if you can't have a little fun."

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

Like every floor of the Hogwarts castle, the sixth floor was vast and grand. Full of different corridors and turns, with rooms that hadn't been opened in hundreds of years because the castle was so huge that the occupants never needed all the extra accommodations.

Ghost and portraits were a charming feature of Hogwarts. Its magical nature attracted ghosts to tie themselves to the castle, while people's time in the Hogwarts castle, while they were still alive, was so significant that they liked to send their portraits to the school.

Even to this day, a lot of dead people sent their portraits to Hogwarts.

'Maybe I will do the same when I am all old, sickly, and dead,' thought Quinn as he ran his way to the sixth floor.

He reached the floor and walked to the first portrait he saw.

"What's your name?"

The man in the portrait looked at Quinn before stroking his mustache as he introduced himself,

"Tatum Blakesleye is my name; mustache is my game."

Quinn cut him off and said, "Tate's homestead? No, that isn't anywhere near green revenge."

He looked at the next portrait, "What about you?"

"Lady Ebba Hornee."

Quinn shook his head, "From the fortress, that doesn't match either."

Quinn went one by one to every portrait and asked their names. Trying to relate them to green revenge, but nothing matched.

He stopped after a couple of tens of portraits and grunted, "Okay, this is taking too much time. Need to speed up the process."

He took a deep breath and gathered his magic, and initiated the magic he wanted to use. Quinn opened his mouth and spoke, but not a single sound came out of it.

But to every portrait in his sight, they could hear the same sentence.

"Everybody, tell me your names."

Every single portrait that could see Quinn heard the sentence, and they began moving closer to Quinn by traveling between frames. Some portrait people away from Quinn also came to see what was happening. And, tons of portrait people peered at Quinn from the picture frames on the walls.

Quinn shrug-nodded in amazement at the number, "Alright, a little more than I was expecting, but why not? Go ahead, speak your names together at the same time."

He closed his eyes and focused, diving deep into his magic, channeling it to enable the occlumency he had developed throughout the years. His mind thrummed with activity, and then it came.

Portraits were copies of their subjects while they were painted, which meant they too had personalities. The portraits began speaking their names; some took the lead, some followed after the first group, while others hung at the back of the group before speaking.

A cacophony of names came crashing into Quinn as he sorted through every single name that was thrown at him.

"Bonifatius Tegula." "Eustorgius Nerva." "Rodachan Nolani."

.

.

.

"Amara Nero." "Sionn Henness." "Adela Dreschnerg."

.

.

.

"Hrabanus Lentinus." "Eardwulf Fryee." "Madison Ecclestone."

.

.

.

"Sidonius Dorso." "Roswita Bohng." "Cyneric Harlowe."

.

.

.

"Eustorgius Nerva." " Vindictus Viridian." "Hildebrand Forsbergs."

Quinn visualized every single first and last name in his mind, looking at their meanings from their root language and culture. Every name appeared in front of a mental image of Quinn, and it would immediately turn into its closest meaning before Quinn would swipe his hand, and it would disappear, and the process would be repeated with a new name.

Celtics, Roman, Germanic, and Old English meanings floated in his mind; tens and tens of words flashed in his mind at an occlumency-aided speed that was remarkable for someone Quinn's age.

"Wait, a second!" shouted Quinn. He swiped his hand from left to right, and a pair of words appeared in his mind.

Vindictus Viridian.

'Vindictus is derived from the Latin vindicta, meaning revenge, and the surname Viridian from the Latin Viridis, meaning green.'

'Revenge' and 'Green' floated in Quinn's mind, and he switched the words to get ...

"Green revenge," he whispered and slowly opened his eyes. "... I found it."

He looked at the horde of portrait people and asked, "Who among you is Vindictus Viridian?"

A lady stepped in front of the group, and that confused Quinn, "You are Vindictus Viridian?" He thought it was a guy's name.

The lady shook her head and spoke, "No, Mr. Viridian left. He doesn't like noisy places, so when we spoke all the names, he left because it got too noisy."

Quinn clicked his tongue and asked, "Where can I find him then?"

Another portrait spoke from the herd, "Y-Yeah, we can't tell. Mr. Viridian doesn't like that, says that it just attracts more noise."

Quinn looked at the entire herd of staring eyes and asked, "Anyone else who wants to speak up?"

No one spoke and just shifted on their painted feet. Quinn was surprised by this and thought Vindictus Viridian might be an important man.

"Alright... ladies and gentleman, you were helpful. You may leave and go back to your lives... I mean frames." The portraits weren't alive, so telling them to continue on with their lives was wrong.

"Sorry about that," said Quinn before walking away to a place with no portraits. He leaned against a wall, crossed his arms, and began thinking.

'Let's see. Who is Vindictus Viridian?'

He wanted to check if there was someone with the name in his memory. A faraway look appeared in his eyes as Quinn dived into his mindscape and started looking for anything that would mention Vindictus Viridian.

After a minute or two, Quinn finally found a mention of the name in his memory and was surprised to see that Quinn did know a lot about Vindictus Viridian.

"Professor Vindictus Viridian, potioneer, author, and Headmaster of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the early eighteenth century. Now, I see why the portraits weren't willing to speak about him."

During his lifetime, he published a famous book on minor dark charms known as Curses and Counter-Curses: Bewitch Your Friends and Befuddle Your Enemies with the Latest Revenges.

A book that was still extremely famous among students in Hogwarts and could be found with a large part of the student population. In other words, he was still a best-selling author centuries after his death.

Focus returned to Quinn's eyes as he moved away from the wall and exhaled, "He will be on the sixth floor. It won't be difficult to find him."

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

"Damn, it was hard to find you!" exclaimed Quinn as he stared at the portrait of Vindictus Viridian. He had to look at every portrait frame, and through extraordinary events, Vindictus Viridian's portrait frame was the last one he found.

Vindictus Viridian looked up from a book he was reading and stared at Quinn, "You are the boy who was asking for names. Why have you come to find me, child?"

Quinn observed the portrait frame, which covered the whole door to a room, and said, "I want to get in there."

The portrait of Vindictus Viridian was guarding the room to the Room of Rewards, a secret room at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry that noted students' various achievements. It was different from the Trophy room on the third floor. Quinn didn't know how it was different, but he didn't care about that.

'Damn, Friar really thought this through, didn't he? If I just thought about the next part of the riddle. I wouldn't have spent all that time searching for this,' thought Quinn.

The next part of the riddle was about rewards and accolades. If Quinn figured that out, there was a chance he might not have to spend so much time wandering around.

"No, you can't. Students aren't allowed to go inside," said the portrait of the ex-headmaster.

"Why?"

"Because I say so," said Vindictus while going back to reading his book.

Quinn squinted his eyes before asking, "Is it because there is a rule against entering the room, or is it just because you just don't want to open the door?"

"The latter," answered Vindictus, not looking at Quinn and reading his book.

"Alright, if this is how you want to play." Quinn turned away from the portrait and walked to a place where a Vindictus couldn't see him and took out Recon.

"Let's see if you are so stuck up after this." He looked at the map and found the thing that would help him show up Vindictus.

He closed Recon and walked back to the portrait.

Portrait-Vindictus sighed as he looked at Quinn, "Boy, I will repeat, you aren't getting -."

"Summa Praemium."

Portrait-Vindictus stilled in his chair and turned to face Quinn, "What did you say?"

"Summa Praemium. Now, open up. Let me through. Reveal the treasure... Get out of my way, grandpa," said Quinn, smirking his face off. He had read the password for Room of Rewards from Recon and now was rubbing it in Vindictus' face.

Portrait-Vindictus didn't say a word as the door to the Room of Rewards opened up, but he did stare at Quinn the whole time.

Quinn stared back at the ex-headmaster as he strutted his way into the Room of Reward.

The inside of Room of Rewards wasn't filled with trophies or awards. But with shelves and shelves of black leather binders, with names written in gold on the spines of the binders.

He didn't touch anything in this room because of paranoia and just took slow steps to explore the room. He didn't want to make any unwarranted moves in here. Quinn had no plan to have a repeat of the last year.

After an infuriating amount of time, Quinn finally concluded that he could walk normally in this room without triggering any deadly trap.

"Phew... that was stressful," sighed Quinn. He finally relaxed his tense body and just looked at the room. It wasn't anything special, just shelves of black leather binders and nothing else.

The first thing he did was cast tons of detections charms on one of the black binders to check if they were safe to pick up, and the result was that there was nothing on the binders other than preservation charms.

Quinn picked up the binder and opened it to read it. There were tons of parchments inside the binder that told a story about a student named Paige Winthorpe. She was a student around three hundred years ago, and in her time as a Hogwarts student, she was made a prefect in her fifth year and continued her way to become a Head Girl in her seventh year. She was a top scorer in her exams in her time, and it showed in the report cards attached in the binder. Paige Winthorpe wasn't only good at academics; she excelled at sports and part of the Slytherin Quidditch team from her fourth to the sixth year. In short, Paige Winthorpe of Slytherin was an exemplary student.

Quinn picked up another binder and saw similar facts about another student and another one and one more. He went through five of these binders, and every single one of them was some kind of valedictorian or similar, someone who shined in Hogwarts in a way or another.

"Do I have to read all of these binders?" asked Quinn as he remembered about the line in the riddle.

[If you want to taste the reward,

accolades you need to appreciate.]

It made Quinn think he needed to 'appreciate' the accolades that were written in the binders. They showed the student career of the brightest students of Hogwarts, and these binders showed their accolades.

Quinn looked at the hundreds and maybe thousands of binders and dreaded going through this much material. He enjoyed reading, but only if it added to his knowledge or if he enjoyed reading something. And, he had just read those five binders and Quinn was sure that it would get boring real quick.

"I-I am going to through the room once again. Have to check it to find if I missed something," said Quinn, hoping that he missed something. He didn't want to read everything in this room.

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

October arrived, spreading a damp chill over the grounds and into the castle. A sudden spate of colds among the staff and students kept Madam Pomfrey, the matron, busy, her Pepper-up Potion worked instantly, though it left the drinker smoking at the ears for several hours afterward.

Quinn, too, had spent an amount of time in the Hospital Wing, brewing Pepper-up potions for the season-changing cold, helping the matron with the brewing load. In return, she answered every healing-related question he had.

A profitable exchange for both.

On the vault of side things, Quinn had little luck finding anything in the room. So, he had no choice but to read the binders. He would spend a lot of time in the Room of Rewards reading about many students.

It turned out that the Room of Rewards was reserved for the very best of the students of Hogwarts, and every year, the professors would sit and have a meeting to decide who would be admitted into the Room of Rewards.

Those binders held every remarkable detail about the students and the teachers' remarks about the student. Stunning recommendation letters and proof of character from faculty if the students needed them.

Quinn was sure that if any students had these, they wouldn't need a resume for the start of their career. Just pick one of these binders and walk into a place of hiring, and they would seriously give you a look over.

But, despite that, Quinn still didn't enjoy reading them, but he didn't have a choice. He just read the black binders and practiced magic while reading them.

Portrait-Vindictus tried to change passwords, but his efforts were for nothing as with Recon, no room in Hogwarts was blocked to Quinn. Of course, except the Chamber of Secrets that opened up with Parseltongue.

Speaking of Chamber of Secrets, while Quinn was immersed in reading the black binders, October passed, and Halloween arrived.

And, Halloween at Hogwarts with Potter's fate was always eventful.

-*-*-*-*-*-

Quinn West - MC - Solving Riddles, reading tons, brewing medicine.

Portrait-Vindictus - Portrait of Ex-headmaster - Likes quiet.

Poppy Pomfrey - Matron - October is her peak season.

-*-*-*-*-*-

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The link is also in the synopsis.

-*-*-*-*-*-

The dinner feast at Halloween was always special at Hogwarts.

The decor of the Great Hall was all Halloweeny and spooky. Floating pumpkin heads from the ceiling and spooky bats flew around the dark, enchanted sky.

The lighting on the Great Hall was also dimmed by a level, giving it a different feel than usual. It was oddly stimulating to see a place that you saw every day changed slightly.

The goblets had engravings of pumpkin, and the food came in cauldrons instead of the usual utensils.

Like every year, Quinn had put on his pointed hat for the occasion and had a pumpkin and bat lapel pin on his robes. It was his way of being festive.

Plus, he had dipped into his chocolate reserves and distributed chocolate to every Ravenclaw he came across in the Ravenclaw common room.

Unknown to him, they gave him the nickname Chocolate West because of the chocolate he had been giving out. It didn't help when he would randomly produce chocolate and give them to people even before Halloween.

Quinn cleaned his hands and corners of his mouth before turning to Eddie and smiling, "What Halloween candy is never on time for the party?"

Eddie gave the question a thought before shrugging, "I don't know. Which one is it?"

"Choco-LATE," laughed Quinn.

Eddie gave him a flat look and spoke, "That wasn't funny."

Quinn pursed his lips and nodded, "I know, here you go." Placing something on Eddie's hand.

Eddie looked at his hand, expecting to see the usual chocolate, but it turned out not to be chocolate.

"A candy cane?" asked Eddie, his brows quirking up.

Quinn showed a shallow lopsided grin and chortled, "The chocolate is late."

Eddie's jaw fell as he gawked at Quinn. He closed his mouth before asking, "Did you plan that?"

"No, it just came to me!" smiled Quinn, shaking his hands around his head. "Genius, right?!"

"... No, it wasn't," spoke Eddie, his face showing his complete disagreement.

Both friends got up from their bench spots and started to walk towards the exit

Quinn threw his arm around Eddie's shoulder and poked his cheek, "Come on, admit I got you."

"Nope, it didn't."

"It did." "Didn't."

"It did." "Didn't."

"It did." "Didn't."

.

.

.

"It did."

"Didn't!"

Quinn and Eddie walked together among the crowd of students who were going to the common room. He would walk with them till the fifth floor, then he was going to part with them to go to the Room of Requirements.

But then the crowd of students slowed down till every stopped and stilled. A murmur spread across the students, and then all of them heard something that bought chills to Quinn.

"Enemies of the Heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!"

Quinn froze when he heard Draco Malfoy's familiar voice. He had familiarised with it from all the times he had quarreled with Harry Potter in the Great Hall.

Eddie felt Quinn's arm slip away from his shoulder and watched as his friend step away from him and walk towards the front of the crowd.

"Hey, where are you going?" Eddie called out to Quinn but didn't get a reply from his roommate. "Quinn!"

Quinn didn't hear Eddie as he moved through the crowd towards the front of the traffic. His fingers twitched occasionally, and numerous students felt tugs on their clothes, shifting them slightly to the side as Quinn used magic to make a path from himself.

Quinn finally reached the front of the crowd and saw the scene he had read about and seen in the cinematic representation of the books.

Foot-high words had been daubed on the wall between two windows, shimmering in the light cast by the flaming torches. And, not any words, but words, written in blood red, and the dripping marks certainly upped the graveness of the wording.

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.

His eyes shifted away from the bloody words and saw Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat, was hanging by her tail from the torch bracket. She was stiff as a board, her eyes wide and staring.

'Is she dead?' thought Quinn and immediately looked at the floor to see a puddle of water.

'Okay, there is a chance that it might be alive.' The events exactly matched the canon, so there was a chance that Mrs. Norris was alive and was just petrified.

Quinn finally took note of his surroundings. The chatter, the bustle, the noise died suddenly as the people in front spotted the hanging cat. Harry, Ron, Ivy, and Hermione stood alone in the middle of the corridor as silence fell among the mass of students pressing forward to see the bloody sight.

Attracted no doubt by Malfoy's shout, Argus Filch came shouldering his way through the crowd. Then he saw Mrs. Norris and fell back, clutching his face in horror.

"My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?" He shrieked at Harry, his eyes popping red as he looked feral.

You!" he screeched. "You! You've murdered my cat! You've killed her!

I'll kill you! I'll —"

"Argus!"

Quinn looked as Dumbledore made his entry on the scene, followed by the professors. In seconds, he had swept past the golden quartet and detached Mrs. Norris from the torch basket.

He handled the situation swiftly and immediately asked Filch and the golden quartet to follow him to his office, and Lockhart offered his office because it was the closest.

The silent crowd parted to let them pass. Lockhart, looking excited and significant, hurried after Dumbledore; so did Professors McGonagall, Lily Potter, and Snape.

Quinn felt relieved as he saw the events happening just as canon progression. It made him feel in control and brought calmness that the diary-Horcrux was in the castle and not out of Hogwarts, which meant there was a solid chance the Basilisk might die at the hands of Harry Potter this year.

But...

Quinn didn't know that his relief would turn against him as without his knowledge, someone had seen his relief, someone that didn't have a good impression of him.

Ivy Potter, the Potter Princess, part of the golden quartet, caught sight of Quinn's figure in the crowd's front. And, something caught her attention, and when she observed, she saw a look of recognition in Quinn's eyes as he stared at the bloody scene.

Her eyes widened as she saw relief and something else in Quinn's expression as he watched the wording on the wall and the hanging cat.

A seed of apprehension gripped her heart as she saw him not showing the stunned and dismayed expression matching the others surrounding them.

Ivy continued to glance at him with the corner of her wide green eyes as her mother pulled them away from the crowd.

Without Quinn's knowledge, his hated wench had struck again.

Fate had placed an impending crisis on Quinn's head, and he did not know what was about to come.

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

The knowledge that the Basilisk was active in Hogwarts was a positive and negative thing at the same time.

The positive from the situation was that the course of events remained close to the canon progression. Quinn didn't need to worry about canon blowing itself out of the pool and the Basilisk wrecking havoc later on.

The negative of the diary-Horcrux being at Hogwarts was in the short term. It wasn't sunshine and daisies when you lived in the same building as the deadliest snake in the world, one that could kill you with a single look.

To feel a moment of safety, Quinn had come to the Room of Requirement to think about... something. He couldn't think much about how to handle the Basilisk.

Quinn's first priority was to stay away from the serpent and make sure he and the snake never met. He had no delusions of taking on the Basilisk.

'If it was blinded, then I would take my chances,' thought Quinn, tapping away at the armrest of the chair he had asked from the Room of Requirement.

There were two places in Hogwarts where he was safe from the Basilisk, he was sitting in the first, and the second was the Icy vault. Snakes didn't like cold, and Basilisk wasn't an exception; if Quinn became a squatter in the Icy vault, he would be safe from the Basilisk as it would avoid the cold climate of the vault.

'Even Voldemort won't be able to command the Basilisk to go in there.'

"I do not know who is the pitiful victim of the diary-Horcrux. That itself is a problem," contemplated Quinn. If Ginny Weasley was the Horcrux host, he would have robbed the diary from her and chucked it into the Room of Lost Things.

But, there was a part of Quinn's mind that didn't worry about the Basilisk, and it was because of his blood status.

Quinn came from a pure-blood family, and the young Tom Riddle was obsessed with his Slytherin lineage. Slytherin didn't want students of non-magical or mixed-lineage to enter Hogwarts, and the young Tom Riddle followed that mindset with his heart.

He wanted to rid Hogwarts of first-generation magicals (muggleborns). All his victims were muggleborns, except Penelope Clearwater, who was collateral damage, an unplanned victim.

Quinn was a pureblood wizard, so there was a part of Quinn's mind that thought he was safe. That the controlled Basilisk won't target him. The one time in his life that his blood status would help him out. His being pureblood would help him out in this situation.

He didn't believe in pureblood propaganda. Why would he? It didn't help him in magic. His hard work was what helped him progress in his magic capabilities. Blood purity had nothing to do with it.

But now, here he sat, wondering if this 'blood purity' would save him from mortal danger. An archaic way of thinking that led to genetic abnormalities, gene poll degradation, the possibility of declination of magic, and the birth of Squibs.

He didn't like this fact at all. It didn't fit well with him that this inherently corrupt doctrine might possibly help him out.

Quinn just sat there in his chair, staring at the floor, lost in thought about the time to come.

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

"Mr. Veridian, how are you today? Having a quiet day, I hope," said Quinn as he put on a pair of gloves over his head.

Portrait-Vindictus stared down at Quinn but didn't open his mouth to utter a single sound in greeting.

Quinn waited for some chat back, but as every day, the Portrait didn't entertain him, so he moved on, "Alright, please open up, I have to go inside."

"Password," demanded Portrait-Vindictus.

Quinn exhaled a sigh and put his hands on his waist before asking, "You know if you didn't ask me for a password every day. We would have been good friends."

"Password."

Quinn clicked his tongue and spoke, "Immortalis."

The door opened up without a single word of response, and Quinn stepped but not before saying, "See you in a bit, Mr. Viridian."

The inside of the Room of Rewards was dull as ever, with black binders resting on shelves.

Orbs of light manifested around Quinn, providing proper lighting for him to navigate and read.

"Okay, time for another session of reading random people's school records," said Quinn. He started from where he left off yesterday.

'Like a damn blue-collar worker.'

Quinn sat down his butt down on the floor and began reading, and while he read, a small holographic image of the binder appeared in front of him in mid-air.

The holographic binder opened up, and it was the exact copy of the binder in Quinn's hands. When he looked at a parchment, a holographic image of parchment would appear in the holographic binder.

If you looked closely at the holographic parchment, you would see words appear on it. If you backed up and looked at Quinn and the binder on his hand, you would notice that the words on the holographic parchment were the same as Quinn was reading.

As Quinn read, the words were appearing on the holographic image on the parchment.

Quinn didn't want to waste his time just reading, so he devised a practice exercise to utilize his time.

The practice was to get better at illusion magic.

An illusion was a distortion of the senses, revealing how the mind usually organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. By disrupting and manipulating the sensory input to the brain, a magical could their perception of reality.

Currently, Quinn was casting illusion magic on himself. He was disrupting his own senses to make himself feel the illusions. It was the best way to practice illusion magic. If he understood how his mind interpreted sensory input, then he would have an understanding of every single mind out there.

There were six base sensory perceptions; Sight (Visual), Smell (Olfactory), Touch (Tactile), Hearing (Auditory), Taste (Gustatory), and Magic (Extrasensory).

Currently, he was working on the visual sense or the perception of sight; he was working on how the eye interpreted light and was deceiving his own eyes to believe that there is a holograph of the binder he was reading.

By using the binder, he was changing the illusion with every second by adding words to parchments. It was great practice by creating dynamic illusions.

The only limitation to Illusion magic was the imagination and understanding of the caster. If you wanted to cast an illusion of fire, you needed to know the physical characteristics of fire. How the wisps of fire moved, the heat of the fire, the color, the light projected by fire, and everything that would make the fire illusion believable.

Illusions worked the best when the target believed that the illusion was real. It made the caster's work easier because the target was digging themselves a hole, and all the caster was to give them a push.

In the quiet room, the only sound was the turning of the pages. Quinn continued to read the student binders, sitting on the floor, and binders would float into his hands, and the ones he read would return to their places on the shelves.

After two dozen binders, Quinn stood up from his spot on the floor to stretch his body. He walked to the shelf of the binder he was holding in his hand.

He arrived at the section of the Room of Rewards that held the records of students from the time Hogwarts was under a century old. Both the shelves and the binders were old despite the preservations charms cast on them.

With a sigh, Quinn looked for the empty slot in the shelf to put the binder back.

"Ah, there is it," said Quinn, walking to the empty and was about to put the binder back when he noticed something weird.

There was some kind of engraving on the shelf wood that was visible because there wasn't a binder covering it. He hadn't noticed it before because he used magic to draw the binders to his spot on the floor.

Quinn put the binder back into its place and stepped back. With a twitch of his magic, the entire row of binders floated out of the shelf and glided overhead.

The dust on the empty shelf cleared, and small orbs of light appeared to shed some light on the rack. Quinn moved closer to get a better look and saw that the entire plank of wood was engraved. He thought of something and saw that the roof of the rack, too, was embossed with symbols.

"Alright," responded Quinn and memorized the symbols on the plank before putting the binders back into the rack.

He concentrated on the entire multi-row shelf and pulled out all the binders from top to bottom. And, lo-and-behold, the entire bookshelf was engraved with symbols.

He laughed in discovery, "Now, we are talking!"

Quinn looked left to right and saw that the designs of the shelves in this section were identical. He had ignored the fact because he didn't think it was relevant, but now it gave him a starting point.

He ran to one corner of the section of shelves and pulled out entire rows of binders to memorize the symbols on the wooden planks. Repeating the process on every row of binders and every rack in the section.

It took some before Quinn had managed to memorize every single rectangle of symbols.

"These aren't from a traditional language," noted Quinn, while he paced up and down the room, thinking about the symbols he saw.

He suddenly stopped and blurted, "They weren't complete!" He looked around the room and decided that it was time to leave the room for today.

"I need to work on this," spoke Quinn. A toothy grin reared on his face, threatening to split his face. He had been reading the boring binders for closer to two months now. He knew about people's test scores who were dead centuries ago.

Finding this clue was like an escape from his personal hell.

Quinn hopped his way out of the Room of Reward and turned back to shoot finger guns at Portrait-Vindictus.

"See you later, Mr. Veridian. I will see you later~."

The stoic man in the Portrait just stared at Quinn and began to think of a new password for tomorrow.

-*-*-*-*-*-

(Omake: Extra)

Quinn: ": If an old man and a child come in front of your broom, what will you hit?"

Eddie: "The old man."

Quinn: "Idiot. You should hit the BRAKE."

Eddie: "..."

-*-*-*-*-*-

Quinn West - MC - Oh boy, here we go again.

Ivy Potter - Observer - Yeah, her stock of Quinn is dropping really low.

Eddie Carmichael - Loves sweet - Not gonna lie, the first half didn't get him, but the second one did.

Portrait-Vindictus Veridian - Gatekeeper - One day, he would triumph over the smug brat.

-*-*-*-*-*-

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The Room of Requirements has always provided its user with what they desired. Today, too, the person who called out to the room got what they sought from the magical room.

On a very long table sat long strips of paper with symbols written on them in black ink. There were hundreds of these strips. Each long strip of paper representing a plank of symbols that Quinn copied from the Room of Rewards.??

He arranged them in the order of time. The plank which held the oldest binders went first, followed by the planks which had binders that came after them.

This arrangement was the one that made the most sense to Quinn because he did not know what the symbols meant. They weren't alphabets from any traditional language that Quinn knew.

The symbols were made from figures with angles, triangles, with at most one dot per symbol.

"This is a cipher," was the conclusion that Quinn came up with. The symbols weren't random, and Quinn could see the pattern and repetition in the symbols.

"There are twenty-five (25) distinct symbols. One less than the English alphabet? Hmm... is there a missing letter in the code?" noted Quinn, his hand holding his chin in thought.

Within a blink of his eyes, twenty-five symbols in red appeared in front of Quinn, floating in mid-air. These were all the unique symbols present in the cipher.

Using illusions instead of writing the symbols down was redundant, as Quinn needed to maintain his magic while focusing on deciphering the cipher, but he did it for a reason.

Last year, Quinn had noticed that he was spending too much time in the Icy vault. He did nothing but try to get into the vault and spent a lot of time doing it. The time that could have been better managed by him to focus on other areas of magic.

So to avoid that problem this year, Quinn had decided that while he focused on the vault, he was going to make sure not to let his other magical studies fall behind. Practicing Illusion magic was just one example of Quinn making sure that he didn't spend all of his time on the vault.

Quinn stared at the twenty-five symbols for a while before deciding the next step of action.

"Alright, let's apply the usual substitution cipher techniques." He clapped his hand and rubbed them rapidly as he roamed his eyes over the multiple strips of paper and symbol.

Quinn judged the cipher as a substitution cipher. A substitution cipher was a way to encrypt data by replacing the plaintext with ciphertext. In Quinn's case, the ciphertext were symbols, but they could be anything from letters, numbers, arcane symbols, lines, and dots, or weird alien squiggles.

For example, Ceaser cipher was a way to encrypt information using substitution. The key to the Ceaser cipher was to involve a simple shift to the alphabet. The following represents a Ceaser cipher with a shift of three places,

Plaintext: ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ.

Ciphertext: XYZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVW.

In the above example, 'A' was ciphered by shifting three places to the left and getting 'X.' So when you wanted to write 'A' in your ciphered text, you would write it as 'X.'

And, thus began long hours of rational and logical reasoning and study of ciphertext. Quinn was not experienced with ciphers and was the first time he was working on something like this. It took days over days of grind to work on the ciphered text that might give him the vault's location.

While working on the ciphertext, Quinn learned a lot about substitution ciphers and how to decode/decipher this type of cipher. There were techniques, tips, and methods that went into decoding substitution ciphers.

The first step to solving a substitution cipher was to look for single-letter words because they were almost definitely 'A' or 'I.' By having a guess on the singular-lettered words, Quinn could have a solid estimate on two letters.

Another technique was to count the frequency of the cipher symbols that appeared in the text. In the English language, or more specifically, an English text, some letters appeared more than others.

According to the statistics,

E - T - A - O - I - N - S - H - R - D - L - U,

Were the most appearing letters, with 'E' appearing the most and the frequency decreasing as we moved onto the right.

A technique that might have worked was to look for apostrophes as --T, -D, -M, -LL, or -RE typically followed them. But, there were no apostrophes in the text, so that went out of the window. This did make Quinn realize contractions like 'can't' were written in their expanded form of 'cannot.'

From here on out, things got tough as Quinn had to search for repeating letter patterns. They were common repeating letter groups such as -TH, -SH, -RE, -CH, -TR, -ING, -ION, and -ENT.

With time, he started on trying to decipher two-, three-, and four-letter words.

Two-letter words almost always had one vowel and one consonant. The five most common two-letter words, in order of frequency, were -OF, -TO, -IN, -IS, and -IT. The five most common three-letter words, in order of frequency, were -THE, -AND, -FOR, -WAS, and -HIS.

The most common four-letter word was 'THAT.' An encrypted term with the pattern { [#] _ _ [#] } was likely to be THAT. However, the pattern { [#] _ _ [#] } also represented thirty other words, so Quin had a lot of combinations to work on.

Quinn also scanned for double letters. They're most likely to be -LL, followed in frequency by -EE, -SS, -OO, and -TT.

Decrypting a cipher with hand took time, but slowly and surely, Quinn began making increasingly accurate guesses. Typical word fragments start to reveal themselves, though Quinn had to start over quite a few times because he guessed wrong.

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

Quinn sat in the History of Magic class, his head resting on his palm. Professor Cuthbert Binns droned about various Goblin Rebellions and Giant wars to bored, sleeping students. The ghost's lessons were regarded as some of the most boring at Hogwarts, leading many students to not paying attention in his classes.

The reason Quinn didn't listen in Binns' lecture was that the ghost spoke in straight facts. Those facts were all stated in the books, and Quinn felt that reading the Hogwarts text was sufficient for the History of Magic classroom. Plus, Quinn knew more about the History of Magic because he had read about said history from the perspective of various communities.

He was playing with his pen, his mind lost in thought about the cipher. He had hit a bit of a snag with his decoding of the ciphertext. There were only twenty-five (25) symbols in the cipher, but Quinn's initial assumption that the plaintext was in English, and there were twenty-six (26) letters in the English alphabet.

Quinn knew the plaintext was in English because he had been getting solid results in the form of proper words and coherent sentences, but there sizeable gaps in the text where Quinn couldn't make sense of the terms.

The legible parts and paragraphs didn't help Quinn to the vault's location or its content. From what Quinn had deciphered, the text was religious sermons from a group known as the Order of Solomon's Temple.

He felt a shake from his side and snapped out of his thought to look at the side, "Yeah, what is it?" He asked, looking at Marcus, who sat to his right side.

"You should seriously join Muggle studies. Professor Potter is genuinely fun. Her class is on its way to becoming my favorite," whispered Marcus. "If you ask Professor Flitwick, he might allow you to add another subject to your schedule."

"I am not joining. I already all too much on my plate," Quinn whispered back. He had no interest in joining the Muggle studies, no matter how fun Lily Potter's classes were.

"Really?" He smiled and continued, "Let me tell you something fun that Professor Potter told us in her class today. Maybe that will motivate you to join the class."

Quinn gave him a 'go on,' chin jut, and Marcus began,

"Did you know scribes used interchangeably 'I' and 'J' to express the sound of both the vowel and the consonant? It wasn't until 1524 when Gian Giorgio Trissino, an Italian Renaissance grammarian known as the father of the letter 'J' distinguished between the two sounds by creating the letter 'J.'"

Quinn's eye almost popped out from their sockets when he heard the juicy piece of information from Marcus's mouth.

'J didn't exist?!' he thought. 'Holy shit, this makes so much sense. There were only twenty-five before 'J.' Of course, now it all fits together.'

Quinn stilled for a second before another thought occurred to him. He looked at his hands and thought, 'Maybe I have plot armor... because this timing was definitely plot armor... heh, plot armor~.'

He turned to Marcus and hugged the dude, "Belby, you magnificent ball of sunshine. If you have any problem, come to me. I will fix it for you free of cost. Next time someone calls you something mean, holler me, and I will beat the crap out of them."

"... Okay," responded Marcus. He felt weirded out because he saw Quinn's eyes pop out before he looked at his hands and chuckled strangely. Not to mention he wasn't expecting the hug from Quinn.

He untangled himself from Quinn before beaming, "Then will you join Muggle studies?"

"Huh, no way. Why would I do that?" said Quinn, as he swung his legs under the desk. "How about you join Care of Magical Creature?"

Marcus made a face, "Eww, no way. Those creatures are gross."

"Yeah, but it is fun when you get to look at others squeak in fear or groan when touching something that you eloquently called as gross," laughed Quinn. "Yeah... that is always so much fun~."

"... You are weird," was Marcus' to-the-point reaction.

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

After Marcus told Quinn that 'J' didn't exist before, Quinn ran to the Room of Requirements and entered the room.

Inside, he unpacked a regular-sized version of the entire ciphertext and applied 'J' and 'I' to the text, and finally, he had the full deciphered text that Quinn thought was the correct interpretation.

"Yes! Let's do this," said Quinn, and red English lettering floated from the paper. Illusion magic did its job as the English plaintext of the ciphertext floated just above the page.

The deciphered full text was from the Order of Solomon's Temple's sermons about religion, and just as he expected, there was nothing about the vault in the text.

He pounded on the table and yelled, "What in the world is this?! Are you telling me that all of this was for nothing?!" The illusion of the deciphered text flickered away because of the bout of anger.

Quinn angrily paced in the room before stomping his way to the table with the text. "No, there must be something in here. I just have to look closer."

Taking a deep breath, Quinn focused all his attention on the deciphered cipher that reappeared as an illusion. His eyes roamed all over the English text, looking for anything that would stand out.

"Maybe, there is something hidden in here," mumbled Quinn.

He hunched over the table, and with his hands supporting his body, he concentrated, and seemingly random words turned from red to blue. The blue words would string together to form sentences before going back, and another set of words would turn blue and form another sentence.

The process repeated repeatedly, the speed of formation of blue sentences sped up, and the words flashed faster with Quinn's pupils moving over every word.

Then there was a sharp intake of air before Quinn stood straight as another set of blue words floated above the red words before the red words disappeared like sand in the wind, leaving behind a string of blue words.

"Under the seal, the antechamber of sin would be revealed."

The first words of the lines in the Fibonacci sequence (1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34...)

.

[

1 - Under,

2 - The,

3 - Seal,

5 - The,

8 - Antechamber,

13 - Of,

21 - Sin,

34 - Would,

55 - Be,

89 - Revealed.

]

.

"I know what to do," said Quinn. His stone-grey eyes glowed as he stared at those words.

Quinn immediately moved. He wanted to see the results of his work,

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

Quinn walked to the Portrait-Vindictus and looked at the man in the painting.

Vindictus Viridian stared at Quinn from his painting and noticed the smug child was here again.

"Password," he asked like he usually did.

"Insolubili Muro," came the immediate reply.

The immediate answer surprised the portrait and, finally, noticed that the child wasn't smiling his smug smirk. Today, the child was serious. A determined and focused look on his face as he stared forward.

Portrait-Vindictus opened the door to the Room of Reward, and the child marched inside, not giving him a second look.

Inside the Room of Rewards, Quinn walked straight to the center of the room.

"This is the seal, isn't it?" Quinn said as he squatted on the floor and touched the Hogwarts seal on the floor of the Room of Rewards. An 'H' in the middle with a Lion, Badger, Eagle, and Snake around it.

Quinn traced his finger on the motto of the school.

[Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus.]

"Never Tickle a Sleeping Dragon," he muttered before pumping magic into the seal.

When Quinn had first checked the room, he had investigated the entire room for any extrinsic charms or wards, but nothing popped out, which meant that either there was nothing in the room, or the charms and wards were hidden beyond Quinn's capabilities.

Now, if he had deciphered the ciphertext correctly and was right about the Fibonacci sequence, then this seal should react to his magic.

Quinn could feel his magic being absorbed into the Hogwarts seal, but there was nothing triggered.

His eyes caught the Hogwarts motto and took a chance,

"Aperio."

It was Latin for open, reveal, uncover, and in this case, unseal.

There was a slight rumble as Quinn noticed that every word on the seal changed into the cipher symbols, showing that he was correct about his interpretation of the cipher.

The faint rumble stopped, and the circular seal disappeared into thin air, leaving behind a dark opening on the floor.

"Huh, no chilling cold. Always a good sign," spoke Quinn as he stared inside the pitch-black darkness.

He raised his hand over the opening as an orb of light appeared in his hand. Quinn uncurled his hand and let the orb of light fall into the opening. He craned his neck and watched as the light illuminated a long circular tunnel going deep below the room.

The orb finally contacted the ground, and Quinn judged it was around twenty feet deep.

"Alright, that is pretty doable," nodded Quinn as he stood up and looked near the entrance for a metallic disc to conjure into existence.

The metal disc moved to the top of the opening before Quinn stepped onto the disc.

"Beginning descent," Quinn spoke to himself.

The disc started to sink with Quinn standing upon it. He took a deep breath when his body sank into the opening, and he could no longer see the shelves. Slowly, the disc traveled down, Quinn making sure that there was no incident on his way down.

Finally, Quinn exited the tunnel and was inside the antechamber, or as he thought, the vault.

He didn't step down from the disc and focused his magic, and instantly twenty-something white orbs of light illuminated into life. He waved his hand, sending them in every direction.

The orbs reached the ends of the room, revealing a sizeable room, the same size as that of an average Hogwarts classroom, which could comfortably hold forty-fifty people with plenty of space for every occupant.

The problem was that the room was bare. There was nothing in the room, and the floor, ceiling, and walls were also plain with nothing to look at.

"Did someone already cleared out this one?" was Quinn's thought. Maybe someone found this vault without getting to know about it from the ghosts.

Quinn sighed as he stepped down from the disc as it disappeared behind him. He walked around the room, his fingers gliding over the smooth walls. Quinn sent his magic into the walls, but nothing happened. The walls didn't absorb his magic or show any changes.

"Man, this one is really weird. Maybe I should go ask Friar for another cl-..."

Thud*

In the plain room, Quinn collapsed without any warning.

With him fainting, the orbs of light around the room extinguished, plunging the room into darkness. The opening tunnel was the only source of faint light.

For a moment, there was no movement in the antechamber.

Then the smooth walls of the heptagonal antechamber transformed to show seven rune circles, one on each wall.

Each one glowed in a different light; violet, green, orange, blue, yellow, pink, and red.

The centers of the seven individual runic circles brightly glowed before they shot seven sharp beams towards Quinn, covering his body in a harsh array of mixed light.

The process was swift, with the beams only appearing for less than a minute before everything in the room returned to normal.

Leaving behind the unconscious body of Quinn West.

-*-*-*-*-*-

Quinn West - MC - I am the author's little b*tch. He can f*k me over and I can't do anything about it.

FictionOnlyReader - Author - Damn right he can't do anything.

Marcus Belbly - Vessel (One time) - The Plot Armor worked through him.

-*-*-*-*-*-

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The link is also in the synopsis.

.

-*-*-*-*-*-

.

The feeling of the side of his face squished against the cold and dusty floor was not the feeling you wanted when waking up, but it was the one that Quinn felt when he groggily opened his eyes.

He coughed, dislocating the dust and at the same time inhaling said dust into his mouth.

Quinn immediately sat up but felt a dizzy spell hit him. His ears rang with a continuous buzzing, and the world around him was unstable and out of focus.

The thought of conjuring a mouthful of water to clean his mouth was out of his mind as he struggled to properly assess his situation. The ringing in his ears and the blurry vision didn't help as Quinn tried to stand up, almost falling back to the floor in his effort.

When he stood up, Quinn wavered to his sides. Like a drunk with alcohol impairing his balance. Quinn grabbed his head because a headache assaulted him, making the ringing in his ears much more annoying.

All the volatility in his body finally caught up to Quinn, and he stumbled forward, falling to the ground, his hands and forearm supporting his body from making complete contact with the floor.

He cried out a mighty groan of pain as he turned to lay down on his back. Coincidentally, all his wobbling trying to walk caused him to fall just under the tunnel to this room, the sole source of dim light that fell from the Room of Rewards above.

Under the circled of light, Quinn's chest moved up and down as he stared at the light. Slowly, his mental faculties returned to him, the ringing in his ears subsided, and the world returned to focus. The fading headache finally allowed Quinn to think where he was.

"... The second vault," croaked Quinn, his voice cracking because of a dried-out throat.

Quinn couldn't recall anything about how he had fallen unconscious. All he could remember was walking in the room, and then he woke up with a nasty case of disorientation. The time between was just like sleep.

'I was so careful this time,' thought Quinn; he hadn't taken any hasty steps while exploring the vault. He didn't even dare to step off the metal disc before he was sure that there was no trap in the chamber.

"But, it still happened... damn it, it still happened." Quinn laughed derisively. His light chuckles amplified in the quiet room before falling back into the consuming silence.

Closing his eyes, Quinn decided to check the condition of his body. Several healing-grade diagnostic charms flowed through his body, giving back their result to Quinn. He couldn't find anything wrong with his body except a concussion. He guessed he hit his head on the floor on his fall.

"Nothing Madam Pomfrey can't fix," groaned Quinn. "What time is it?" Quinn took out his pocket watch from his robes and saw that there was only an hour before the curfew. He never stayed in the Room of Rewards after curfew because Portrait-Vindictus was an ex-headmaster, and Quinn didn't want the portrait to snitch on him being out after curfew.

Quinn sat up from his laying position and sighed, "Time to get out of here." He pulled himself up to his feet and looked behind him at the dark vault chamber before raising both his hands to shoot out cords of light of the seize-and-pull spell. A cord each shot out of Quinn's hands and attached themselves to the tunnel near its entrance.

With a sigh, the spell pulled him up the tunnel. When he got out, Quinn saw the Hogwarts seal reappear on the place, hiding the tunnel, returning the room to its usual appearance, leaving no clue that there was a tunnel underneath the floor.

Quinn vanished the dust on his clothes and walked to the exit. He pushed the door open and stepped out to nod a greeting towards Portrait-Vindictus, but said nothing and directly left.

He made his way to the Hospital Wing, walking carefully as he still didn't have complete control over his coordination and felt a little nauseous.

"Madam Pomfrey," called out Quinn, plopping his butt down on one of the chairs, rubbing his temple to alleviate the headache that had returned.

The Matron turned towards the voice to see Quinn sitting in a chair and was about to turn him away because it was already late, but then she saw the pale look on Quinn, with him showing a pained expression.

She switched to her healer mode and hurried to the patient, "What happened to you." She pulled out her wand and started to cast spells on Quinn, getting a full diagnostics.

"I think it is a concussion," responded Quinn. He said nothing else as Poppy Pomfrey was a professional, and he didn't need to tell about the spells he cast on himself. 'She just casted more spells than I casted, so she probably already knows.'

The Matron finally stated her diagnostic results, "You have a concussion, and your magic core is surprisingly drained. What were you doing?" She walked away, and when she came back, she had a potion vial in her hand.

"Down this," ordered the Matron, putting the vial in Quinn's face.

He took it without a complaint and gulped the awful-tasting potion in a single gulp.

"Yuck," said Quinn, sticking out his tongue in disgust.

"Don't be a baby," chided the medi-healer. "How are you feeling?"

Quinn exhaled a heavy sigh as he felt the potion doing its work. He already felt so much better. "It is working."

He looked up at Madam Pomfrey and saw the question in her eyes.

"I over-practiced and fainted on the floor." It surprised Quinn when Pomfrey told him about the depleted magical core. He hadn't checked on his magical core when he was in the vault chamber.

'I didn't use much magic inside the vault. What the hell inside happened while I was out?!' wondered Quinn. At least the last time he knew what happened, but this time he had no idea what took place.

Pomfrey sighed before offering, "Do you want to sleep here today?"

Quinn shook his head and rejected the kind offer, "No, it is alright. I would like to sleep in my own bed." He had no problem sleeping in the Hospital wing, but this year, Quinn felt more comfortable inside the dorm because of the Basilisk.

She stared at Quinn for a moment before saying, "Alright, but come back here if you feel off about something."

Quinn put his hands on his knees, propping himself up. The exhaustion was finally settling in. "I will, thank you, Madam Pomfrey."

Poppy Pomfrey saw of Quinn, looking at the tired back of the boy who was usually full of energy.

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

The first thing Quinn did when he reached his dormitory room was to take a warm shower. He stayed under the shower tiredly thinking about the events today.

Unlike the last vault, this vault was a complete mystery. There was nothing of note in the underground chamber.

'Or, there is something in that vault, but it is beyond my level.'

Something had happened to Quinn inside that vault, which meant there definitely was something inside that vault. His sudden unconsciousness and depleted magical core were solid proof of a type of magic in there.

Quinn got out of the shower, deep in thought. The next course of action was different.

"I need to visit the vault chamber once again tomorrow," decided Quinn.

As soon as Quinn decided to visit the second vault, a momentary flash of soft blue light illuminated a spot on Quinn's nape.

The moment the blue appeared on his nape, his eyes blurred for a split second before Quinn spoke.

"Maybe, I will go sometime later. I don't have to hurry about the vault. Yes, that sounds great. Slow and steady wins the race." He yawned and looked towards his bed, "I am exhausted. Oh~ the bed looks really comfortable. I should go to sleep."

He walked towards his bed and laid down on it. "Yeah, this feels great~." He curled up and made himself comfortable.

With a smile on his face, he closed his eyes and sunk into a pleasant sleep.

Another blue flash flickered on Quinn's nape before it faded away, leaving behind a sleeping Quinn.

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

The entire school gathered on the Quidditch pitch at eleven o'clock on a Saturday. A game was scheduled between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Quidditch in Hogwarts was a big deal, with almost all of the student population gathering in the stands to watch the game.

The games were such a big deal that the stadium had seats for outsiders to watch the game.

Plus, this game was between Gryffindor and Slytherin, the most bitter rivalry in the history of Hogwarts.

Quinn sat in the commentator's seat, a smile gracing his face. Flitwick had asked him to volunteer for the commentator's job, and he had readily accepted the request without even thinking about it.

He turned to look at McGonagall and asked, "Can I start?"

McGonagall looked at her wristwatch and then looked at the stadium seats and nodded, "Yes, the majority of the seats are filled. I think it is alright to start."

Quinn grinned and turned to the microphone and turned it on.

"Ahem, mic check. Pop-pop popsicles, Ice-ice icicles, Test-test testing, one, two, three... ba dum tss."

Quinn watched as his words turned heads all over the stands, and he grinned, "Alright, I can see many heads turning, which means the microphone is working. We are live."

He turned to face McGonagall and waggled his eyebrows. The transfiguration professor just stared at Quinn, but her stern expression spoke loudly.

Quinn turned back to the microphone and started,

"GOOD MORNING, HOGWARTS!"

He grabbed the microphone and continued,

"Welcome to Hogwarts Quidditch. I am Quinn West and will be your commentator for the exciting game today. Before we start, this commentary was brought to you by the A.I.D consultation service. Are you a Hogwarts student? Are you facing a problem? Come to our office on the fifth floor, and we will sort you out. A.I.D is always happy and ready to help."

He could feel McGonagall's eyes boring into his eyes, but Quinn continued nevertheless.

Quinn looked up at the sky and commented,

"Today seems to be a muggy sort of day with a hint of thunder in the sky, so there are chances it might rain during the game. Rainy day games aren't good because of low visibility. Let's hope that it doesn't rain." He took the chance to give a shout out, "My good friend Luna Lovegood hung Japanese Teru-Teru-bozu dolls that are believed to ward off rain."

"The game today is an exciting one, one with the long-standing rivalry between the houses of Gryffindor and Slytherin. The two houses have pitted against each other on the field of Quidditch for centuries. Vying for supremacy in the sport beloved by all of Hogwarts."

The two teams entered the pitch, and Quinn veered the attention towards the players.

"The two teams have entered the pitch. Slytherin in green and Gryffindor in red. Both teams look like they are rearing to start the game."

"This game is going to be an exciting one with the Slytherin team riding on Nimbus 2001, the fastest professional brooms on the market. The seven players each have a Nimbus 2001. Courtesy of Lucius Malfoy, but we can all say that it would have been better if he donated that money to upgrade the brooms that students use in flying classes. I am sure Madam Hooch would have been glad to work with some updated equipment, and Madam Pomfrey wouldn't have to grimace every time she looks at the brooms the students currently use. Believe me, it horrifies her that students ride on those arcane brooms."

There were a lot of 'ayes' from the stands. Old brooms didn't inspire motivation in anyone.

"Alright, Slytherin is led by their Captain Marcus Flint. This year, they have the new seeker, the second year, Draco Malfoy. I won't say that this came to me as a surprise. If you know what I mean. Of course, you all know what I mean."

Quinn stared at the Slytherin team and remarked, "Hmm... an all-male team, huh. Well, that is boring. Let's move on."

A pink light flashed on Quinn's nape as he grinned,

"Let's move on to the Gryffindor team. Now, the Gryffindor team is much more interesting. We have the three chasers, Alicia Spinnet, Angelina Johnson, and Katie Bell. Now, this... this is something we can work with."

"Mr. West!" McGonagall's shout transmitted into the stands.

"Alright, alright... can I get a heck yeah from the crowd?"

And Quinn did get a chant of heck yeah. A lot of boys yelled out their 'heck yeahs' quite freely, appreciating Quinn's effort.

"Moving on, Gryffindor captain Oliver Wood leads the team with tenacity and hard work. Sources say that he is a ferocious slave driver that lives for Quidditch. I have also heard that he has professor McGonagall's permission and approval to be rough with the teammates."

The back of Quinn's neck shone red as he proceeded, "I guess professor McGonagall's last game as a Gryffindor student against Slytherin in which she crashed and burned into the stands, still haunts her dream. I would pay serious money for that memory - Ouch! Who shot me with a pinching hex!"

Laughter boomed across the stands, with Quinn's commentary entertaining everybody.

Quinn rubbed his bum while glaring at McGonagall before returning to the microphone, "Next, we have the twins. The Weasley twins rank number one on the Hogwarts twins rankings. I personally like the Patil twins more because they are really diametrically opposite to each other. Returning to the Weasley twins, they have the best coordination as a beater duo, but at the same time, they also have the highest number of fouls of sending the bludger into the stands. So everyone, please look out for stray bludgers coming out for your heads."

"Finally, we have the Gryffindor Seeker, Harry Potter. The second, or maybe the third most famous Potter in the castle. It depends on who you ask, but all of us know that professor Potter is the number Potter in the castle," said Quinn while a pink light flashed on his nape.

"Now, Harry Potter rides a Nimbus 2000, which is the predecessor to the Slytherin houses' Nimbus 2001. The key difference between 2000 and 2001 is the top speed; 2001 out speeds 2000 by a tiny margin. But other than that, both versions have the same top acceleration, handling, turning radius, and braking capabilities. But, top speed can be a crucial factor for professional level players, but here, versions 2000 and 2001 wouldn't be distinguishable on a performance basis."

He looked at the Slytherin team and commented, "But, all seven members of the Slytherin team equipped Nimbus 2001 will give them a great advantage..."

A yellow light flashed on Quinn's nape as he continued, "Damn, I should have opened a betting tab for the game. The money I could've earned. Maybe, next time."

"Mr. West, betting has no place in the honorable sport of Quidditch," berated McGonagall from his back.

"How about if I give good odds to the professors?"

"... How much are you talkin-. I mean, no! It is not allowed!"

"Alright, you know where to find me if you want to get in on the action."

The game was about to start as Madam Hooch descended on the pitch on her broom. And the two teams lined in front of each other.

A roar of cheers overflowed the stadium. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff were anxious to see Slytherin beaten, but the Slytherins in the crowd made their boos and hisses heard, too.

Madam Hooch, the Quidditch teacher, asked Flint and Wood to shake hands, which they did, giving each other threatening stares and gripping rather harder than was necessary.

The game began when the fourteen players and one referee rose up the leaden sky.

Quinn also started his in-game commentary,

"Harry Potter has taken the high sky, higher than the rest of the other players, a standard strategy for snitch hunting."

At that very moment, a heavy black Bludger came pelting toward Harry, who avoided it with a very slim margin. The crowd sucked in their breaths at the close call.

"Oh boy, that was a close call. That Buldger was about to give Potter an intense love hug. George Weasley streaks towards the bludger, but what is this?! The bludger avoids him and once again rushes towards Potter... Oh! What a close call; that bludger almost took out Potter's head."

Seeing, this Quinn thought that Dobby was also part of this timeline as the rogue bludger that was continuously targetting Harry Potter was charmed by Dobby to do so.

But, while Quinn was in deep thought, a blue light appeared on his nape, and suddenly Quinn dropped his line of thought about Dobby. 'I will think about Dobby later. This game is much more fun than thinking about Dobby.'

"Looks like the Gryffindor team has called a time-out. Maybe it is to discuss the bludger that is particularly matey towards their seeker." Quinn continued to diligently provide commentary.

Quinn looked at the sky and spoke, "Looks like the weather is not on our side. It has started to rain. Please, make sure to cover yourself to avoid getting wet and risk catching a cold."

The Gryffindor team ended their time-out without stopping the match to check out the bludger and continued the game in the increasingly pouring rain.

And, the moment the game continued, the bludger whistled towards Harry Potter like a homing missile. Harry flew expertly, avoiding the bludger narrowly every time.

Finally, Harry had spotted the golden snitch, but while he caught it, the bludger rammed into his shoulder hard. Quinn winced, thinking about the shattered bones.

"Oh boy, that will surely hurt a lot later. Wait... Harry Potter has caught the snitch. The golden seeker has caught the golden snitch! The game is over! Gryffindor, against the clear equipment deficit, has defeated Slytherin and has clinched the victory from their mouths. Oliver Wood and his team have done it. Gryffindor is VICTORIOUS!"

Another flash of blue graced his nape, and Quinn lost all his energy. He sat down on his seat and felt a little tired from all the talking he did.

"This was more tiring than I thought," said Quinn, not knowing that something was happening to him.

.

-*-*-*-*-*-

.

[

Blue - ???

Pink - ???

Red - ???

Yellow - ???

]

.

-*-*-*-*-*-

.

Quinn West - MC - Something is wrong with him.

McGonagall - Quidditch Junkee - Avid Gryffindor supporter.

Harry Potter - Seeker - Busted arm (Lockhart still vanishes his arm)

.

-*-*-*-*-*-

.

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-*-*-*-*-*-

.

Quinn stood in his workshop, working on a new piece of equipment. He had worked hard to get this piece of equipment and had kind-off risked his life while obtaining it.

In front of him sat a thin black rectangular case on a table in his workshop. He gazed at the black case, and it unlocked with a click. The case's lid rose up and moved aside, revealing behind a thin golden cylinder with a four millimeter (4 mm) diameter and a length of twelve centimeters (12 cm).

The thin golden cylinder was the same cylinder that super chilled using the cold energy from Absolute Zero. Quinn didn't touch the box or the gold cylinder because they were intensely cold.

He glanced at the spot on the table beyond the black case, and there sat a hexagonal metal cylinder with a conical tip on one end; in simpler words, it was in the shape of a pencil.

The metallic pencil rose from the table and flew into Quinn's hand. The metallic pencil was made from vanadium and steel alloy. He moved the metallic pencil closer to his face and saw the faint runic markings all over the pencil's surface.

He turned it to the non-conical side to reveal a cylindrical hole in the pencil. This was the place where the chilled gold cylinder was going to fit. The metallic pencil was a runic tool that used a super chilled magic conductor as its core to channel magic into the runes etched into the metal.

The metallic pencil floated in his hand, and his other hand veered his hand towards the gold cylinder and used his magic to lift it off the case. Quinn could feel his magic react to the cold, and it was slightly more difficult to control, but to Quinn, it was nothing as he had operated his magic on a super-chilled block of ice for months.

The hexagonal metallic pencil and the gold cylindrical core lined with each other, and with a move of magic, the gold cylindrical core slipped inside the metallic pencil. The opening immediately closed when the gold cylinder was fully inserted into the metal.

Quinn gently channeled magic into the metallic pencil, and immediately, all the runic markings on the surface glowed with white, and the tip of the metallic pencil also turned white.

"Excellent," grinned Quinn.

The back of his nape shone in violet color. Quinn felt extremely proud of the magical tool floating over his hands. He genuinely thought that this was the best thing that came out of this room in the entire thousand-year history of Hogwarts.

"Alright, let's go and test this out," Quinn spoke and cleared out the black case from the table and bought out a thin circular metal disc of the size of a coaster.

Placing the thin metallic disc on the table, Quinn stuck it to the table with a sticking charm.

"Okay, testing the new concentrated magic engraving tool for shallow rune engraving," commented Quinn while he put on his leather apron, leather gloves, and safety goggles.

Quinn's metallic pencil engraving tool floated above the metal disc, and with a thrum of Quinn's magic, the rune marking light up in white, and the tip shone brighter than any rune on the metal.

The metal engraver lowered down to the metal disc, and the white tip contacted the metal. There was a trill as Quinn used magic to draw runes on the metal disc, carefully sliding the glowing tip over the disc to mark runes over the metal.

The glow on the runes and tip changed as Quinn dynamically altered the flow of magic as per the requirement. It took a few minutes before the entire surface of the metal disc was marked with very shallow runes.

The runes on the engraver dimmed as Quinn stopped supplying magic to the gold core inside the metal body.

Quinn vanished the fumes created because of the engraving before pulling the engraver closer to him. He released the gold core from the body and observed its condition after a session of rune engraving.

"Hmm, at this rate, it will last for another... maybe ten sessions before I need to recharge the cold energy from Absolute Zero," noted Quinn as he attentively examined the thin gold cylindrical core.

The core floated to the side and took its place back inside the black case as Quinn moved towards the engraved metal disc.

Shallow engravings of less than a millimeter (=0.9 mm) depth covered the entire metal surface.

"Oh yeah, now this is precision art," Quinn admired the runic marking engraved by the rune engraver. The results were as stunning as Quinn expected.

Runes were all about the material used and the shape of the runes that were drawn. The more accurate the constructs, the better the runes would perform their tasks.

Before today, Quinn had been using transmutation to engrave runes on solid surfaces like wood and metals, but there was a slight problem with that method, and it was precision. Quinn could successfully mark runes into the solids, but they were not the best engravings as Quinn struggled with dimensions.

He couldn't make engravings that had a depth of less than two to three millimeters (2 - 3 mm) with transmutation because that level of precision was out of his current mastery level. Some runes needed to be of depths less than that amount, and unless Quinn could improve his mastery, those runes would work, but not as effectively as Quinn wanted them to. But, with the rune engraver, Quinn could overcome the problem until he could improve his mastery over transmutation.

He picked up the metal disc into a wooden frame and fitted a glass dome over the wooden frame to cover the metal disc. Quinn set everything in their place with sticking charms.

Quinn looked up at the ceiling chandelier, and all the candles extinguished with a gust of wind.

The room went dark with no light source.

Light from the table bathed the room with white as Quinn's newly engraved metallic disc performed its function. It was a rune cluster that produced an orb of light above the metal disc, providing light like a standard light bulb.

Quinn looked around and finally saw how everything in his workshop looked like in white light instead of the yellow light of the candles.

"Yeah, white light is better than yellow light. Much better," Quinn picked up the magical light bulb and moved around the room to shine a light on everything. "Three more for the workshop and two for the office would be enough."

He stared at the magical light bulb with a proud smile on his face. The violet on his nape bloomed and thrummed with activity.

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

Colin Creevey had been attacked and was now lying in the Hospital wing as though dead. Such news had spread through the entire school. The air was suddenly thick with rumor and suspicion. The first years were now moving around the castle in tight-knit groups, as though scared they would be attacked if they ventured forth alone.

Before, Mrs. Norris was petrified, so no one really cared about the event as the victim was a cat, but this time the victim was a student, and with the rumor mill, the teenage minds believed whatever was fed to them.

And, amongst all this tension, the school announced an event that excited all students in Hogwarts.

Quinn, Eddie, and Marcus stood in front of the notice board in front of the entrance hall. A small knot of people stood with them, who were similarly reading a piece of parchment pinned on the board.

"They're starting a Dueling Club!" said Marcus. "First meeting tonight! I wouldn't mind dueling lessons; they might come in handy one of these days..."

"What, you reckon Slytherin's monster can duel?" joked Eddie, but he, too, read the sign with interest.

"Could be useful," Quinn said to Eddie and Marcus as they walked to the Great Hall for dinner. "At the very least, it would be fun. Let's drop by tonight."

Eddie and Marcus were all for it. So, at nine o'clock that evening, three pals hurried back to the Great Hall. The long dining tables had vanished, and a circular stage had in the middle of the hall, lit by thousands of candles floating overhead. The ceiling was velvety black once more, and most of the school seemed to be packed beneath it, all carrying their wands and looking excited.

It surprised Quinn to see a circular stage instead of the long straight one like in the series.

"I wonder who'll be teaching us?" said Marcus as they edged into the chattering crowd.

"It will be Flitwick, of course. He was a dueling champion, who better than him," replied Eddie.

Quinn grinned as he nudged them to look at the stage. "At least one of you is right," Quinn spoke, but it surprised him as well because Filius Flitwick accompanied Gilderoy Lockhart instead of Snape in the canon Snape and Lockhart pairing.

Lockhart waved an arm for silence and called, "Gather round, gather round! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent!"

"Now, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little dueling club, to train you all in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions — for full details, see my published works."

"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Flitwick," said Lockhart, flashing a wide smile. "He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about dueling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin. Now, I don't want any of you, youngsters, to worry — you'll still have your Charms master when I'm through with him, never fear!"

Flitwick's lip was curled into an almost feral smile in response.

Quinn cackled and repeatedly slapped Eddie on his shoulder, "Lockhart is an idiot!"

Eddie and Marcus actually felt second-hand embarrassment because of Lockhart.

Lockhart and Flitwick turned to face each other and bowed; at least, Lockhart did, with much twirling of his hands, whereas Flitwick simply nodded. Then they raised their wands like swords in front of them.

"As you see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position," Lockhart told the silent crowd. "On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will aim to kill, of course."

"One - two - three -"

Both of them swung their wands above their heads and pointed them at their opponent; Flitwick cried, "Stupefy!" There was a dazzling flash of scarlet light, and the next second, Lockhart crumpled into a heap on the floor.

Quinn could see Malfoy and his gang of Slytherin cheered. Many girls gasped and squealed their fingers.

Flitwick turned to look at the crowd of students and spoke, "Looks like professor Lockhart would be out of commission for a while, so I will be taking over this lesson." Flitwick swung his wand, and Lockhart's clothes tugged upward and dragged him off the stage to a corner of the Great Hall.

"The charm I used was a Stunning charm - as you saw, it stunned professor Lockhart unconscious. Now, I think you saw sufficient demonstration. Does anyone like to volunteer?"

Flitwick turned around to look at the entire crowd and didn't see any hands rising. Maybe it was because they just saw Flitwick stun Lockhart or because no one wanted to go first.

Quinn also looked around to see if anyone would volunteer when he felt his shoulders being grabbed. He looked to his sides to see Eddie and Marcus smiling, and then they pushed him forward.

"Whoa! You gormless little pieces of naffers," cursed Quinn as he stumbled to the front of the crowd.

Flitwick's eyes shined as he excitedly clapped in bony hands, "Looks like Mr. West wants to take part, excellent, ten points to Ravenclaw. Come on up."

Quinn sighed before shaking his head with a smile. He removed his robes and turned back to throw them at Eddie, "You two better not come up there because I will make your lives miserable." Glaring at his two friends as they stuck out their tongues at him.

The crowd cheered when Quinn removed his robes and climbed up onto the stage while loosening his necktie. He raised his hand to the crowd with a chill smile on his face.

"Now, who will be the other one," Flitwick twirled around his spot. "Students, don't be shy, and please step up."

Quinn was absentmindedly playing with his fake wand when he heard the Slytherin cheer up. He turned in their direction to find a Slytherin student climb upstairs to the stage.

'Miles Bletchley, fourth-year,' Quinn tilted his head as he identified the Slytherin student.'Slytherin Quidditch team, a mean-spirited individual who lacked good sportsmanship. He takes enjoyment in mocking others and likes to play rough. Hmm, did he come up because he thinks he can win this fight?'

The red light took root on his nape as Quinn felt disrespected. He could see the slight smirk on Miles Bletchley's face, which made Quinn feel angry.

Flitwick grinned in delight as he motioned his two participants to face each other.

"Face your partners!" called Flitwick, back on the platform. "And bow!"

Neither of the two duelers bowed to each other and just stared at the other. Bletchley smirked at Quinn, while Quinn didn't smile or anything and just stared back.

"Wands at the ready!" shouted Flitwick. "When I count to three, cast your charms to Disarm your opponents — only to disarm them - we don't want any accidents - one... two... three, GO!"

Quinn didn't bother raising his wand high and just stared at Bletchley. On the other hand, Bletchley moved immediately and casted a curse, and it was not the Disarming charm.

"Furnunculus!"

The Furnunculus Curse caused the target to erupt in painful boils/pimples. If you had mastery over the curse, then the boils could be pretty painful and continuously ooze with puss.

A gold flash of spell light zapped toward Quinn, who simply side-stepped to avoid the curse.

Bletchley clicked his tongue and casted one more curse.

"Calvorio," A dark curse that removed all hair from the curses' victim.

Quinn ducked and let the spell pass him.

'Alright, if this is how he wants to play,' thought Quinn and walked towards Bletchley.

Bletchley frowned and cursed another charm.

"Locomotor Mortis!" A curse that is used to bind the legs of the victim together.

Quinn hopped to let the curse hit the floor.

Bletchley growled as he saw a mocking grin on Quinn's face.

"STUPEFY!" Bletchley roared in frustration. A jet of red coursed through the air aimed right at Quinn's face.

Quinn tilted his head with a smirk, and the red jet whistled past him.

Bletchley stood stunned at yet another dodge and was startled when he saw Quinn running towards him. He raised his wand and tried to cast a charm, but in his agitated state, he wasn't able to decide on a spell.

Quinn stopped right in front of Bletchley, winked at his opponent, and snatched Bletchley's wand straight from his hand and chucked it over his head into the crowd.

"Aww, nice try. Those were some serious nasty curses, you know? If one of those hit me, that would have been bad." Quinn tapped Bletchley's face with the back of his hand. "Better luck next time!"

The red glow on his nape turned violet as he turned his back to Bletchley and pumped his hand in the air.

"That's how you do it!"

The crowd, which was silent while watching the duel, erupted in cheers and applauses for Quinn. To watch a person dodging every spell and win without using magic in the manner Quinn did was exciting to see.

Quinn put his fake wand on the side of his neck, and it amplified his voice for all to hear, "Alright, who is next. Let's get this party started."

Flitwick, who was watching from the side, just beamed and walked off the stage. He was surprised that Quinn didn't cast a single spell, but he was amused by the effortless dodging. Looking at the crowd's mood, he decided it would be a waste to remove Quinn from the stage.

No time was wasted as one of the Weasley twins stepped on the stage and the Gryffindor students cheered for him,

"Take the birdbrain down!" "Gryffindor rules!"

Quinn spread his arms and smiled towards the Weasley twin, "Ah, before we start, which one are you?"

The Weasley laughed before speaking, "I am Fred, or maybe I am George. Or, maybe I am Forge or neither of them and am Gred."

Quinn nodded with a tilt and laughed, "True, true, what is in a name? Let's start, shall we?"

Both nodded and readied their wands. From below the stage, Flitwick counted them off,

"One - two - three, GO!"

This time Quinn moved first and swiftly took a step forward while kneeling down on one knee to shoot a conjured rope towards Fred/George's legs.

The sudden spell took the twin by surprise, and the rope wrapped around his legs, sealing any movement from his lower body and also messing up his balance.

Quinn grinned and waved his wand. Suddenly, The rope around Fred/George's legs rose up into the air with its captive in the tow.

"Woah!" shouted Fred/George as he found himself being lifted into the air, upside down at that.

Quinn let the Weasley hang in the air for a bit before levitating the rope so that Fred/George moved towards the Gryffindor crowd and lowered him close to the ground before releasing the rope spell, letting Weasley fall onto the floor.

Everyone, including a lot of Gryffindor students, cheered for Quinn at yet another win.

The victor raised both his hands and prompting the crowd to cheer more loudly.

Quinn laughed in delight as he bathed in the cheers. The violet on his nape deepened in color and turned vivid and dark. Inside his body, Quinn's magic sang with power and vibrated with activity; Quinn felt his magic's presence much clearer than ever before.

He closed his eyes and felt his connection with his magic deepen in real-time. The feeling was exhilarating, lifting his already good mood even better.

'This feels so good!'

The patch of violet on Quinn's nape had gained another level of depth as Quinn felt the change in his magic.

Not for a second did the thought of why his magic was reacting the way it did, cross Quinn's mind. His mind was too distracted by the stimulation his magic was providing right now.

Quinn's magic was changing.

.

-*-*-*-*-*-

.

Blue - _ _ _ T _

Pink - ???

Red - _ _ _ _ H

Yellow - _ _ E _ _

Violet - _ _ I _ E

.

-*-*-*-*-*-

.

Quinn West - MC - Having a good time...

Filius Flitwick - Duel Master - Scoot over it is my time.

Gilderoy Lockhart - "- Professor -" - Stunned unconscious.

.

-*-*-*-*-*-

.

[

Webnovel has been 'shadowbanning' comments recently. This means that any comment that contains profanities in any form, will be automatically deleted.

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]

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If you have any ideas regarding the magic you want to see in this fiction or want to offer some ideas regarding the progression. Move onto the DISCORD Server and blast those ideas.

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-*-*-*-*-*-

.

The change in his magic bought immense pleasure and delight to Quinn as he found his mood uplifted and a skip accompanying his step. Quinn looked around the crowd to see if anyone wanted to be his next opponent. And, his eyes met with those of Tracy.

He smiled and beckoned his Slytherin friend with his hands.

The gesture surprised the brunette Slytherin as she shook her head side-to-side, but Quinn relayed everything would be okay with his eyes, and it was okay to come up.

Tracy hesitated if she wanted to go up to the stage, and after some thinking, decided to go up. She stepped forward and directly climbed the steps to the stage.

There was a lot of boo-ing from the other three houses because of Tracy's status as a Slytherin. The harsh boos affected Tracy, and she did her best not to show that it affected her. But if you looked closely, you could see the slight slump in her gait.

"Ignore the other, and let's have some fun, Tracy."

It startled Tracy to hear Quinn's voice so close to her; it was like that he was directly whispering into her ear, but when she looked up, Quinn was standing a distance from her, showing a comforting smile, and when their eyes met, Quinn gave her a quick wink.

"You called me Tracy," she spoke in utter surprise. After an entire year of Mrs. Davis and Davis, she finally heard Quinn call her by her given name.

Tracy's words made Quinn realize he had called the girl by her first name, and it was quite a surprise to himself as well.

Tracey saw Quinn's lips move and once again heard his voice like he was standing right beside her. "Yes, I did. It looks like I will be calling you by Tracy from now on. You are the first one, you know? The first one I called by their first name. Ha ha ha, be honored, little girl."

Tracy's eyes sparkled with delight at being first, and she couldn't feel any negativity from the boos of the crowd. She took out her wand with confidence and aimed it at Quinn, following Quinn's lead.

"Remember, cast a Disarming spell, Expelliarmus." Tracy nodded, hearing Quinn's explanation, directly delivered to her ears and no one else's.

"One - two - three, GO!"

The second Flitwick yelled go, Tracy moved first and cast a Disarming spell.

"Expelliarmus!"

An impulse of scarlet magic burst out of her wand and buzzed towards Quinn. Quinn also pointed his fake wand and whispered Expelliarmus in the likely event anyone was listening and countered with his own scarlet burst of spell light.

The two spells made contact in between the two casters and canceled each other out.

Quinn grinned and again cast a Disarming spell towards Tracy. Tracy, who now was feeling confident, and countered with her own Disarming spell.

The crowd ooh-ed and aah-ed when they saw the two spells collided with each other. Once again, they canceled each other, giving the crowd the show they wanted.

Tracy was back in her element and showed her taking-charge personality and shot a stream of Disarming spell light which hurled towards Quinn.

"Now we are taking," laughed Quinn as he shot out a stream of the same spell towards Tracy's.

The two red jets of magic met in the middle, colliding with each other, fighting for dominance. It entranced the younger students when they saw the continuous jets of magic meeting each other.

Tracy held her wands with both her hands when she felt Quinn's magic overpowering her and tried to channel magic into her wand, trying to push back.

But, the struggle was futile as Quinn's magic continued to overpower hers, and Quinn's spell light moved closer and closer to hers.

The Slytherin students in the crowd cheered for their representative. Quinn had humiliated the last one, but she stood steadfast against Quinn, which was had redeemed the house of Slytherin.

Quinn calmly smiled as he inserted a burst of magic into the spell and overpowered Tracy's magic in one fell swoop, forcing Tracy's hand open and driving her wand out it, disarming her in the process.

The wand wheeled in the air before it landed in Quinn's hand, who caught it with a cheeky smile on his face.

"I won," he laughed, walking towards Tracy, handing her the wand back. "Good duel?"

Tracy held her wand back in her hands and grinned her usual bubbly smile, "Good duel!"

"Great," he smiled before turning to look at Flitwick and gestured that he was done for today.

Flitwick picked up the gesture and climbed up to the stage while Quinn and Tracy took the other set of steps to get down.

Tracy and Quinn parted their ways, and Tracy ran to Daphne and got looks of approval from many Slytherin students.

"Are you okay?" asked Daphne, worried about her friend. "He didn't overdo it, did he?"

Tracy swayed on her spot with her hands behind her back and grinned a boastful smile, "He called me Tracy."

Daphne tilted her head in confusion and asked, "What?"

"Quinn called me Tracy," she repeated, waiting for the news to sink in her friends' pretty head.

"What else would he call-," Daphne began speaking, but mid-sentence realization struck her, and she stopped. "He called you Tracy?"

Tracy giggled and bumped Daphne's shoulder with her's. "He said I was the first one he called by their first name. He he he."

The blonde turned her blue eyes to look at the Ravenclaw in question and saw him putting his robes back on, laughing with his friends and housemates.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked back to see Tracy gazing at her with an encouraging expression, "Don't worry, he will call you by your given name soon."

Daphne stared at her best friend and spoke in a flat voice, "I couldn't care less."

Tracy waggled her eyebrows, opting not to say anything, but gave a 'sure you do' look to her best friend.

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- (Scene Break) -

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It was like someone pasted a permanent smile on Quinn's face causing him to beam like the happiest person in the world. He was experiencing something like a euphoric high. The change in his magic was becoming more pronounced to Quinn when he took a moment to feel it and could sense the enchanting feel of his magic under his control better than ever.

He just wanted to let his magic loose and cast a massive freeze wave in the Great hall or transfiguring the floor to change the terrain of the hall. Anything would do as long as it would allow him to flex his magical capabilities, but he held back and looked at the stage, watching the duels.

His interest deepened when he saw Harry Potter climb up the stage with a swagger in his step and confidence in his gait. The boy-who-lived looked comfortable on the big stage and under the gaze of the majority of the student population.

Harry walked near the Slytherin side and pointed at Draco, hooking his index finger to beckon his enemy/rival to come up to the stage to duel him.

"You won't be a no-show like that last time, would you Malfoy? Because last year was an utter disappointment. Let's have the duel you so much wanted," said the boy-who-lived, speaking so that everyone could hear him.

Draco's face heated up with anger as he growled, "POTTAH!"

The blonde Malfoy stepped onto the stage, stepping up to face Harry Potter in a duel.

Both second-year students faced each other on the circular stage and looked at each other with their chins raised slightly, not bothering to bow to each other.

Flitwick looked side-to-side at Harry and Draco and didn't bother telling them to use Disarming spells. From the looks the two gave each other, it didn't look like they would listen to him.

The half-goblin wasn't actually worried about the spells the two would use against each other. If they got injured, that would only serve as a lesson to them that the spells were dangerous.

"One - two - three, GO!"

Harry swung his wand high, but Malfoy had already started on 'two,' his spell hit Harry so hard that Harry felt as though someone had hit him over the head with a saucepan. He stumbled, but everything still seemed to work, and wasting no more time, Harry pointed his wand straight at Malfoy and shouted,

"Rictusempra!"

A jet of silver light hit Malfoy in the stomach, and he doubled up, wheezing with laughter. Harry had hit him with a Tickling charm, and he could barely move for laughing.

Malfoy pointed his wand at Harry's knees, choked,

"Tarantallegra!"

And the next second, Harry's legs jerked around out of his control in a kind of quickstep. It was the spell that made a target's legs spasm wildly out of control, making it appear as though they were dancing.

Harry was startled but cast a Finite on his knees, stopping them from spasming. Draco, on the other side, did the same to make himself stop laughing.

Below the stage, Quinn, with his arms crossed, observed the duel and thought, 'I would have obliterated both of them together multiple times by now.'

"Serpensortia!"

Bellowed Draco, and Quinn watched as the end of Draco's wand exploded with light as a long black snake shot out of it, fell heavily onto the floor between them, and raised itself, ready to strike.

'... It is happening,' thought Quinn, stepping a step forward while everybody stepped back in fear.

Harry brandished his wand at the snake, and there was a loud bang; the snake was pushed back with force. Enraged, hissing furiously, it slithered straight toward Justin Finch-Fletchley, who was standing a bit too close to the stage and raised itself again, fangs exposed, poised to strike.

Quinn wasn't looking at the snake of Justin Finch-Fletchley and trained his eyes on Harry Potter. Quinn's eyes opened a fraction when he saw Harry walk towards the snake.

A green shade bloomed on Quinn's nape as he heard the boy-who-lived hiss as the snake and saw miraculously - inexplicably - the snake slumped to the floor, docile as a thick, black garden hose, its eyes now on Harry.

"Parseltongue, the language of serpents," spoke Quinn, not knowing that everyone around him heard him. Quinn's words bought them out of their fear and set a fire of murmurs across the students.

Everybody had one thought in their heads; Is Harry Potter - The heir of Slytherin?

Quinn didn't have thoughts like that. He just stared at Harry with an envious gaze. Harry Potter had a magical ability that he didn't have. The ability to communicate and command another species to a degree was always a plus point. It was an uncommon skill and was known to be an almost exclusively hereditary trait.

Quinn was jealous that he did not have the ability to speak Parseltongue. Neither did he know if it was possible to learn Parseltongue; he had heard the lore that Dumbledore could speak it, but Quinn wasn't sure if it was true. He had been to India, and the Parselmouths there told him it was something you were born with.

The green patch deepened with Quinn's emotions, planting its roots in Quinn, but it stopped when Quinn heard a screech from the snake that burned into the nothingness from a spell from Flitwick.

The charms professor had lost the excited smile he had on his face and had an urgent look on his face and a suspicious look in his eyes as he looked at Harry.

Suddenly, Ivy ran up to the stage and pulled on Harry's robes, dragging her twin off the stage. Ron Weasley shoved the students aside, making way for the golden squad so that they could leave the Great Hall and the suspicious eyes that bore into the back of Harry.

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- (Scene Break) -

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Quinn groaned as he woke up in the morning and sat in his bed. He didn't want to get up from his bed and contemplated skipping his morning run.

Yesterday, he had gotten excited about his new magical improvement and had run an obstacle course full of moving targets and dummies placed around an irregular terrain. He had run laps around the course while shooting magic-heavy spells while running, jumping, and doing all kinds of physical exertion.

He rolled in his bed for a while before noticing something. The sleepy boy looked towards his legs and felt something peculiar. He lifted his sheet to what was inside.

There was a tent standing in his pant. Quinn watched it with an intrigued look on his face.

"Hmm, heh."

Quinn stared at the tent and the tent... well, didn't stare back, but stayed tent-like.

A pink hue developed on Quinn's nape as he looked at the tent, and thoughts appeared in his mind. Minute changes took place in Quinn's magic happened as the pink shade stayed on Quinn's nape.

"Alright," Quinn smiled, hopped off his bed, and walked to the bathroom. He looked at his right hand and smirked, "I am counting on you, buddy. Let's go and have a good time."

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- (Scene Break) -

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For the next few days, the major topic of conversation in Hogwarts was how Harry Potter was the Heir of Slytherin, and he was out for all muggleborns in the castle.

Sitting in the library, Quinn could hear the conversation of a group of the Hufflepuff who should have been in Herbology classes. But because of the heavy snow outside, they canceled the classes. He could see that their heads were close together, and they were having what looked like an absorbing conversation.

"So anyway," a stout boy was saying, "I told Justin to hide up in our dormitory. I mean to say, if Potter's marked him down as his next victim, it's best if he keeps a low profile for a while. Of course, Justin has been waiting for something like this to happen ever since he let it slip to Potter that he was a muggleborn. That's not the kind of thing you band about with Slytherin's heir on the loose, is it?"

"You definitely think it is Potter, then, Ernie?" said a girl with blonde

pigtails, anxiously.

"Hannah," said the stout boy solemnly, "He is a Parselmouth. Everyone knows that is the mark of a Dark wizard. Have you ever heard of a decent one who could talk to snakes? They called Slytherin himself Serpent-tongue."

There was some heavy murmuring at this, and Ernie went on, "Remember what was written on the wall? Enemies of the Heir, Beware. Potter had some sort of run-in with Filch. Next thing we know, Filch's cat's attacked. That first year, Creevey was annoying Potter at the Quidditch match, taking pictures of him while lying in the mud. Next thing we know - Creevey's been attacked."

"Does this mean that Potter would go after professor Potter," said Hannah Abbot uncertainly, "She is a muggleborn as well." A pitiful look appeared on her face, "Professor Potter seems so nice. Now, she will become his target."

Ernie lowered his voice mysteriously. The Hufflepuff's bent closer and Quinn balanced his chair on its back two legs to get nearer so that he could catch Ernie's words.

"No one knows how he survived that attack by You-Know-Who. I mean to say, he was only a baby when it happened. He should have been blasted into smithereens. Only a powerful Dark wizard could have survived a curse like that." He dropped his voice until it was barely more than a whisper and said, "That probably is why You-Know-Who wanted to kill him in the first place. Didn't want another Dark Lord competing with him. I wonder what other things Potter's been hiding?"

Then suddenly, the person in question barged in and slapped his hands on the question and leaned on it as he peered at the group of Hufflepuffs, "Alright, dumb tweaks. I am looking for Finch-Fletchley Where is he?"

The Hufflepuffs' worst fears had clearly been confirmed. They all looked fearfully at Ernie.

"What do you want with him?" asked Ernie in a quavering voice.

"He has been running his trap about me being the Heir of Slytherin," Harry sneered and continued, "I need to get it inside his head that I was just trying to help him."

Ernie bit his white lips and then, taking a deep breath, said, "We were all there. We saw what happened."

"Then you all saw that the bloody snake backed off when I spoke to it," Harry made hissing noises at the group and continued, "Or, are you guy blind as well?"

"All I saw," said Ernie stubbornly, though he was trembling as he spoke, "Was you speaking Parseltongue and chasing the snake toward Justin."

"I didn't chase it at him!" Harry said, his voice shaking with anger. "It

didn't even touch him!"

"It was a very near miss," said Ernie. "And in case you're getting ideas," he added hastily, "I might tell you that you can trace my family back through nine generations of witches and warlocks, and my blood's as pure as anyone's, so -"

Harry kicked the leg of the table and yelled, "I don't give rat's ass about what sort of blood you have got! Urgh!"

He turned on his heel and stormed out of the library, earning himself a reproving glare from Madam Pince, who was polishing the gilded cover of a large spellbook.

'Oh boy, you made he made it much worse,' thought Quinn looking at the Hufflepuff group, 'Look how scared they are. He hissed at them for Merlin's sake.'

He shook his head and sighed, 'This Harry Potter isn't good at damage control. Boy, this is going to blow up... goody!'

A smirk surfaced on Quinn's face as a green appeared on his neck, deepening by the second, changing Quinn's magic.

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-*-*-*-*-*-

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Blue - _ _ O T _ -- _ _ _ _ _ _

Pink - _ _ S _ -- _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Red - _ R _ _ H -- _ _ _

Yellow - _ _ E E _ -- _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Violet - _ R I _ E -- _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Green - _ _ V _ -- _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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-*-*-*-*-*-

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[

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So, if you are commenting with curses and profanities, censor a single letter or get creative.

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If you have any ideas regarding the magic you want to see in this fiction or want to offer some ideas regarding the progression. Move onto the DISCORD Server and blast those ideas.

The link is in the synopsis!

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If you want to read ahead, you can check out my Patreón @

[ https//fictiononlyreader ]??

The link is also in the synopsis.

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-*-*-*-*-*-

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AUTHOR'S NOTE REGARDING THE DIRECTION OF THIS STORY.

Read if you don't like the now dubbed COLORS ARC.

[

I will be honest, I wasn't expecting that much of a push back against this concept. But after I thought about it I realized that the other stories have betrayed you guys because of something similar happening and then things going south.

To the readers who don't know about me that much, I would like to tell you guys that I am not one of those deep-thinking authors who can churn out storylines so unique that it stands out from the canon plot.

I love the canon timeline. I like to stick to the source material.

You guys saw how I remove Ginny as the Horcrux host, but then a few chapters later, I brought the storyline back to close to the canon by Mrs. Norris' petrification.

The canon plot gives me comfort, which I really like.

The 'cursed vault' wasn't even my idea. I discovered the existence of the cursed vaults in the games from a Discord member/fellow writer.

I admit I adapted it so that Quinn could do his own thing because I remember a reader telling me that Quinn and the story would become a slave to the canon plot at this rate.

This turned out to be good as I was able to spend an entire volume/story-year away from the plot with just a few intersections. Perfect for that point of the story.

Now, we came to this year (Quinn's third year/Canon second year/Chamber of Secrets.)

I introduced the COLORS arc (I am using this now). The response is not so great.

A lot of readers said that this ruined the story for them. That it is cliche, overused, and doesn't make sense.

But, please take a moment as I bring to your attention the key features of this story.

-*-*-

First is that Quinn is a pragmatic character (thank you @passive for using this adjective to describe Quinn). But a lot of you thought that because of the colors I am derailing the character because he is being influenced.

I would like to assure you guys that Quinn won't be going overboard. He would do things that are slightly out of character, but they won't be things like rāpé or torture or any other over-the-top things. The only time you guys might feel a little discomfort from his actions would come in the CLIMAX (a two-chapter simultaneous release.)

You don't have to worry about him going bat shit crazy and switching to the dark side. A lot of you may even like the things he will do under the influence of the colors.

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-*-*-

The second feature of this story is the steady progression of Quinn's power level.

This is one of the top-selling points if not the best-selling point of this story. It doesn't help me and the story if I throw it away.

He is not OP from the get-go; he works for the power he gains. I am not looking to kick him up the power chart in one fell swoop by using the colors because in the last two chapters you can see that the colors are improving his magic.

There is a twist during the CLIMAX. But that DOESN'T means that it would be NERF.

I may sometimes like to read stories without ups and downs, adversity, and trials, but I don't enjoy writing them. I showed it last year when he almost froze to death.

So, I would like to say that this isn't my way to give a huge power boost to Quinn.

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-*-*-

This isn't a feature, but a complaint that Quinn shouldn't come under the influence of colors because he has occlumency.

But, I haven't even told you guys the magic behind the colors. True, it has a major mental/mind portion, but even then, I have explained nothing about what the rune circles down in the vault did to Quinn.

The reason why he is under influence despite occlumency? I already mention ? (half) of the reason already. It just needs the other ? (half) so that it would click in the minds of the readers and make you pop out a reaction like 'Ah, that is why.' (At least I hope so.)

I will explain it later when Quinn manages to escape the colors.

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-*-*-

Now, the reason why I choose to add COLORS ARC to this story.

At first, it was just an idea I thought was good and entertaining. But as I wrote, @passive (big brain helper) told me that the vaults should help Quinn gain/learn something.

He told me that when the founders built Hogwarts, their main motive was to teach young ones about magic. Even though the DADA, History of Magic, Muggle Studies, and Divination doesn't reflect that motive, the main objective of Hogwarts is to impart knowledge.

So, I decided that I would try to write the story in such a way that every vault would be a way for Quinn to grow not only as a magic-user but also as a person.

It is my way of telling that Hogwarts did help Quinn grow as a person. That him giving the school seven years of life isn't going to waste.

I didn't think this while writing the Icy vault, but still, Quinn gained perseverance and caution from it because he didn't give up even after he almost died. And caution so that he won't make hasty mistakes.

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-*-*-

This vault and the colors are actually a major/good/important point in the storyline as it allows me to answer a few unanswered questions from the very first volume (Pre-Hogwarts: If any of you guys noticed the name of this volume you would have known that the choice between Hogwarts and Beauxbaton was an illusion.)

The aftermath which will come in the summer after the school year will give you guys a chance to know Quinn a lot more. It will be serious character development that will allow you to connect to Quinn.

(You guys can level up with Quinn too! For reference check out the image in the paragraph comment. Refresh if you can't see it.)

This volume also gives me the chance to tie up some loose ends and gives me the ability to create some new loose ends that I can tie up later in the story.

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-*-*-

And finally, I can't snap this arc out of existence because I have 7 chapters in my stack out of which 5 chapters are on Patreón, and the remaining two are for rainy days.

So, if you really don't want to read this arc, I would suggest that you start stacking up chapters so that you can blaze through them in one sitting and don't have to sit through something you guys don't enjoy every single day till this is over.

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-*-*-

And last but not the least, I would again reassure you that Quinn would be back to his dandy self by the end of this volume/year. In fact, he would be better as I would have injected a booster shot of character development.

I would iterate something I stated in the Aux chapter of this novel.

"Let's start something new, hoping it would turn out into something enjoyable."

So, give this content a chance, and I hope that this novel would stand up to your expectations.

]

THE ABOVE MESSAGE WAS FROM THE AUTHOR -- FictionOnlyReader.

THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS FROM THE PERSON BEHIND FictionOnlyReader.

Click this paragraph comment to read the message.

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-*-*-*-*-*-

START OF THE STORY - You guys didn't want colors, so you won't get in this one.

-*-*-*-*-*-

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"You are an idiot!" yelled Ivy, glaring at her brother, who was looking away from her. "You hissed at people in the library. Everybody there heard you hissing."

She tore a handful of grass from the ground and threw it at him, "What were you thinking?!"

"I wasn't thinking, alright!" barked Harry, cleaning the blades of grass from his clothes, "They were being stupid, so I just did it to scare them."

"They are already plenty scare of you," scoffed Hermione, looking at the Black Lake in the distance.

The castle had become a little too stuffy for Harry. So the gang decided to take a walk. Spending their time outside, away from the eyes of everyone in the castle.

"I don't understand what is wrong with everyone," Ron chimed in, lying in the grass, "Harry isn't the Heir of Slytherin. I am sure that it is that git, Malfoy. Just look at him; he hates muggle and muggleborns."

"And, if he had held his tongue for a few more days," said Ivy, pointing at Harry, "Then the Polyjuice potion would have allowed us to get some information. Do you know how difficult it is to move around the castle with eyes following you everywhere?"

From the looks of it, Ivy was more worried about this situation than Harry. While the girl twin was pulling her hair in frustration, the boy twin was silently brooding.

Harry decided he needed some time alone, away from Ivy's occasional glares and Hermione's quips. He stood up from his spot, ready to leave.

"Now, where are you going?" asked Ivy.

"I just need some time alone," replied Harry, brushing his clothes, "Don't follow me."

Ivy tried to stop him, but Harry ignored his sister and walked away from his friends, deciding to return to the castle.

This wasn't how he wanted his second year to go. Last year, he had spent worrying about Snape and how he was trying to steal Philosopher's stone, but in the end, it turned out it wasn't Snape, but Voldemort stuck to the back of his Defense Against Dark Arts, Quirrell.

An entire year of his scar hurting, occasional headaches, and burning pains were stressful for him. Not to mention he had almost lost his sister to a Troll (she would disagree).

Thinking about his second year, Harry had hoped to be free of situations like these and hoped that it would be a carefree year with no extraordinary events, but it wasn't in his luck.

Even before his year started, Harry had met with an oddity, a house-elf by the name of Dobby, who warned him not to go to Hogwarts this year, talking about a danger that awaited him, but Harry had ignored the elf's ramblings and thought little about them.

At the start of the year, he and Ron had been blocked from entering platform nine and three-quarters. They had flown to Hogwarts in Ron's father's car. Which, in foresight, was an idiotic decision.

A decision that had almost gotten him expelled. Harry's mum had scolded him for hours and had been angry with him for a couple of weeks. Even his usual chill dad had been furious at Harry because multiple muggles had noticed the car flying in the sky.

Not to mention that the Whomping Willow had almost killed them by crushing the car while they were inside it. He and Ron got dirty looks from professor Sprout because of the damage to the tree by the car.

His new Defense Against Dark Arts didn't turn out like he imagined and taught them nothing and just made them recreate the scenes from his books and had them write poems about him and his achievements. His detentions with Lockhart were a menial work of replying to fan letters. And listening to him ramble on how to get famous and earn fame.

Then came the whole Chamber of Secret debacle with the Heir of Slytherin. Harry was determined the Heir as many people suspected him of being the Heir and petrified Filch's cat. He and his friends were sure that Draco was the Heir of Slytherin from the way he enjoyed looking at the bloody message and his very public despise of muggles and muggleborns.

Hermione had come up with the plan to use the Polyjuice potion to infiltrate the Slytherin house and gain some information, but in the time required to brew the potion, Colin Creevey had also been petrified.

And, he had found that the murderous bludger during the Quidditch game was Dobby the house-elf's doing so that Harry would get injured and go back home. Harry has almost strangled the scrawny elf in anger.

Above that, Harry had been hearing some disturbing voices about killing, blood, ripping, and all kinds of creepy dialogues. He had tried to share this with his friends, but it seemed no one else could hear the voices.

Just when he thought that the year couldn't get worse, he (and the rest of the school) found that he was a Parselmouth and could speak the language of the serpentine creatures. Something that was widely associated with dark wizards.

From that situation, Justin Finch-Fletchley had freaked out when he had tried to help him by asking the snake to leave Justin alone. The fallout was Justin being a scardey cat, and the entire school had made up their minds that he was the Heir of Slytherin.

"Bloody Fletchley!" cursed Harry, stamping his feet as he walked, "If I get my hands on him, he is looking for an ass-whooping."

Harry stamped up the stairs and turned along another corridor, which was particularly dark; a strong, icy draft that was blowing through a loose windowpane had extinguished the torches. He was halfway down the passage when he tripped headlong over something lying on the floor.

He turned to squint at what he had fallen over and felt as though his stomach had dissolved.

Justin Finch-Fletchley was lying on the floor, rigid and cold, a look of shock frozen on his face, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. And that wasn't all. Next to him was another figure, the strangest sight Harry had ever seen.

It was Nearly Headless Nick, no longer pearly-white and transparent, but black and smoky, floating immobile and horizontal, six inches off the floor. His head was half off, and his face wore an expression of shock identical to Justin's.

Harry got to his feet, his breathing fast and shallow, his heart doing a kind of drumroll against his ribs.

When he said he was going to get his hands on Justin, he meant nothing like this.

He looked wildly up and down the deserted corridor and saw a line of spiders scuttling as fast as they could away from the bodies. The only sounds were the muffled voices of teachers from the classes on either side.

'I could run, and no one would ever know I had been here.' Harry thought, but he couldn't just leave them lying here... He had to get help... Would anyone believe he had nothing to do with this?

As he stood there, panicking, a door right next to him opened with a bang. Peeves the Poltergeist came shooting out.

"Why it's potty wee Potter!" cackled Peeves, knocking Harry's glasses askew as he bounced past him. "What's Potter up to? Why is Potter lurking -"

Peeves stopped, halfway through a mid-air somersault. Upside down, the ghost spotted Justin and Nearly Headless Nick. He flipped the right way up, filled his lungs, and before Harry could stop him, screamed,

"ATTACK! ATTACK! ANOTHER ATTACK! NO MORTAL OR GHOST IS SAFE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! ATTAAAACK!"

Crash - crash - crash - door after door flew open along the corridor, and people flooded out. For several long minutes, there was a scene of such confusion that Justin was in danger of being squashed, and people kept standing in Nearly Headless Nick. Harry found himself pinned against the wall as the teachers shouted for quiet. Professor McGonagall came running, followed by her own class, one of whom still had black-and-white-striped hair. She used her wand to set off a loud bang, which restored silence and ordered everyone back into their classes.

No sooner had the scene cleared somewhat than Ernie the Hufflepuff arrived, panting, on the scene.

"Caught in the Act!" Ernie yelled, his face stark white, pointing his finger dramatically at Harry.

Peeves was bobbing overhead, now grinning wickedly, surveying the scene; Peeves always loved chaos. As the teachers bent over Justin and Nearly Headless Nick, examining them, Peeves broke into song:

"Oh, Potter, you rotter, oh, what have you done. You're killing off students, you think it's good fun -"

"That's enough, Peeves!" barked Professor McGonagall, and Peeves

zoomed away backward, with his tongue out at Harry.

Professor Flitwick and Professor Sinistra of the Astronomy department carried Justin up to the hospital wing, but nobody seemed to know what to do for Nearly Headless Nick. In the end, Professor McGonagall conjured a large fan out of thin air, which she gave to Ernie with instructions to waft Nearly Headless Nick up the stairs. This Ernie did, fanning Nick along with like a silent black hovercraft.

This left Harry and Professor McGonagall alone together.

"This way, Potter," she said.

"Professor," said Harry at once, "I swear I didn't -"

"This is out of my hands, Potter," replied Professor McGonagall curtly.

They marched in silence around a corner, and she stopped before a large and exceptionally ugly stone gargoyle.

'I am screwed,' Harry thought as he stared at the gargoyle, 'So, screwed.'

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- (Scene Break) -

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Hogwarts hadn't changed in the years he had studied here in his day. The castle was the same as ever, a magical and majestic building standing for a millennium. The professors and students had changed, but that changed nothing in the ambiance of the mystical castle of Hogwarts.

Children's chatter, portraits passing their time, the specters floating around the corridors, and house-elves hurrying around doing their work. Everything was the same as the time he had studied and stayed here.

In the night's cover, he roamed in the spacious corridors, feeling the cool breeze caressing 'his' face. He had been walking around Hogwarts ever since he had got here; it was his home, after all, it was the only place that accepted him, provided him shelter and the means to be different than others like he always meant to be.

Being sorted into the Slytherin house was a nod to his ancestor Salazar Slytherin. The proof that the blood in his veins was of a noble lineage, a genealogy of the highest order. He saw it as the sign that he was meant to great things and destined to stand above others.

Due to his exceptional acting abilities, he could convince virtually all the Hogwarts staff and instructors that this facade was his true personality. The sole exception to this was Dumbledore, who, though not necessarily suspicious of him, never forgetting about his misdeeds or his unsettling behavior during their first meeting.

In turn, he realized that he had been careless in showing Dumbledore his true character upon their first meeting and never attempted to win him over as he had with his other instructors.

In time, he came to fear and despise Dumbledore. The old goat was too much of a hindrance to him.

But, now he was here, and Dumbledore had no idea that it was all his doing.

Gazing down, he admired the green trims on the clothing, fitting to his status as a member of house Slytherin. The greatest of the four, the noblest of them. And the one who knew what was best for the wizarding world.

He made his way to the gloomiest, most depressing bathroom he had ever set foot in. Under a large, cracked, and spotted mirror were a row of chipped sinks. The floor was damp and reflected the dull light given off by the stubs of a few candles, burning low in their holders; the wooden doors to the stalls were flaking and scratched, and one of them was dangling off its hinges.

Looking around, he saw that the girl wasn't there, maybe occupying another bathroom in the castle. It was better this way; he didn't want the girl to stare at him every time he visited here; it got bothersome quickly.

He walked to one of the unassuming sinks in the tattered bathroom and looked at one of the copper taps with a small snake engraved on it. A smile made it on 'his' face at the sight of the little snake.

"Open," he said.

Except that the words weren't in English; a strange hissing had escaped him, and at once, the tap glowed with a brilliant white light and spun. Next second, the sink moved; the sink, in fact, sank, right out of sight, leaving a large pipe exposed, a pipe wide enough for a man to slide into.

He lowered himself slowly into the pipe, then let go. It was like rushing down an endless, slimy, dark slide. He could see more pipes branching off in all directions, but none as broad as his, which twisted and turned, sloping steeply downward, and knew that he was falling deeper below the school than even the dungeons.

At the end of the pipe's end, he jumped and expertly landed on the damp floor of a dark stone tunnel large enough to stand in.

"Lumos," he chanted the incantation, and his wand's tip lit up with white.

Walking on the tunnel's wet floor made loud slapping noise against the water, and the light from the wand cast shadows on the soaking walls that looked monstrous in the wand light.

The tunnel was quiet as a graveyard at night, and the only sound was the occasional crunch made when he stepped on the bones of small animals like rats littered around the floor.

The wand light shone the path after a dark bend and shed light over a gigantic snakeskin of a vivid, poisonous green, lying curled and empty across the tunnel floor. The creature that had shed it must have been twenty feet long at least.

He smiled as he glided his hand against the snakeskin, feeling its texture as he walked beside the humongous shedding. And then, at last, as he crept around yet another bend, he saw a solid wall ahead on which two entwined serpents were carved, their eyes set with great, glinting emeralds.

"Open," came the words in a low, faint hiss.

The serpents parted as the wall cracked open, the halves slid smoothly out of sight.

Inside stood at the end of a very long, dimly lit chamber. Towering stone pillars entwined with more carved serpents rose to support a ceiling lost in darkness, casting long, black shadows through the odd, greenish gloom that filled the place.

Every footstep echoed loudly off the shadowy walls as the hollow eye sockets of the stone snakes seemed to be following him.

Then, as he drew level with the last pair of pillars, a statue high as the Chamber itself loomed into view, standing against the back wall.

He had to crane his neck to look up into the giant face above: It was ancient and monkeyish, with a long, thin beard that fell almost to the bottom of the wizard's sweeping stone robes, where two enormous gray feet stood on the smooth Chamber floor.

"Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four," he hissed and watched as the giant stone face moved, mouth opening, wider and wider, to make a huge black hole. And something was stirring inside the statue's mouth. Something was slithering up from its depths.

"Come out," he smiled as he watched the enormous body hit the stone floor of the Chamber. A serpent uncoiled itself from Slytherin's mouth.

He stared at the titanic serpent as it stared back at him.

If he had been anyone else, he would have been dead with a single look from the king of serpents. But because he spoke in the language of snakes, Parseltongue, the Basilisk didn't kill him with the gaze that could kill with a single glance.

A translucent third eyelid covered its acid yellow eyes, blocking the innate magic that resided in the Basilisk's eyes. The translucent eyelids were part of Basilisk's biology, present there in case the snake didn't want to use its killing gaze.

"You did well. Another mudblood down. Just like the great Slytherin wanted," he hissed at the snake.

"More, kill, rip, blood..." the Basilisk hissed in reply.

The Basilisk was a dreadful and dangerous beast. A horrifying monster with dark green scales, that creature was a violent and bloodthirsty beast of titanic size. After being put to sleep inside the Chamber for centuries, it wanted nothing but to get out and rampage.

"More will come," he laughed, "As soon as I gain a body, we will reap lives of those who are inferior and unworthy."

He laughed loudly and proclaimed,

"Soon, I, Tom Marvolo Riddle, will return to this world as Lord Voldemort and take my rightful place as the ruler of wizardkind and beyond."

"But before that," Riddle took out a diary from 'his' robes and spoke, "I want to know more about Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived. I want to know how a one-year-old babe took down my future."

Riddle planned to get the diary to the boy, wanting to find more about him and what he possessed to defeat the Dark lord.

The Basilisk hissed something that made Riddle chuckle in reply, "Yes, he will be quite fun to play with." He looked at the Basilisk and recalled, "He has a mudblood girl in his entourage, we should go for her next."

The Basilisk hissed in horrid glee, thrashing its tail in delight.

A boy and Basilisk stood in a dreary Chamber, planning to go after their next victim.

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Harry Potter - Boy-who-lived - Boy-who-broods.

Tom Marvolo Riddle (Sixteen years old) - Lord Voldemort (Soul fragment)- Heir of Slytherin.

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"Oh boy, you have been eating a lot these past few weeks, haven't you?" asked Eddie as he looked to his side, "If you didn't eat with proper table manners, you would be indistinguishable from Marcus."

Quinn ate another piece of sausage before speaking, "I have been feeling starved these past few weeks," he swallowed a mouthful of fries and continued, "It is like there is a bottomless pit in my stomach."

"I am here to tell you something, my friend, you can eat and eat and eat, but nothing will ever fill that void," spoke Marcus from across the table, "You want a slice of banoffee pie?"

"I feel you, brother," said Quinn, pointing his fork at Marcus, "And, yes, I will take two slices. My sweet tooth is tingling."

Quinn food-moaned as he ate some of the banoffee pie that Marcus passed on to him. An orange hue developed on his nape as Quinn indulged himself in the delicious food.

'Maybe I should live in the kitchen with the house-elves,' thought Quinn as he nodded towards Marcus while pointing towards the dessert. "This is damn good!"

The last few weeks had been brilliant for and to Quinn. He had found himself enjoying his student life, feeling that he was on cloud seven all the time; he always had a skip in his step, a smile on his face, and joy in his words. He felt nothing could pull him down to earth.

Quinn was sure that if the number of times he had broken into songs were stringed together, they would be enough for an entire script of a musical play.

His magic had been improving every day at a visible rate, and Quinn couldn't be more excited than seeing his connection with his magic improve every other day. It was like he had been wearing weights all his life, and now they were removed. Casting spells was becoming easier, and his magic responded to him faster and smoother like never before.

If his magic before the improvement was him pulling water out of well, and he had to work to mold his magic into spells, then right now, his magic was waiting for him to give a single command, and it would spring out with no effort.

His magic was a servant waiting to fulfill his every whim. No adversity could make him feel helpless and hopeless.

Spending time in Room of Requirement to destroy things was becoming his new hobby. If someone stumbled upon the Room of Requirements during Quinn's occupancy, they would have a heart attack by the sheer amount of destructive and dark magic remnants in the room.

The pure exhilaration Quinn felt when he exerted his magic to annihilate everything in his way: a feeling beyond words.

It made him feel powerful beyond measure. He felt empowered; it made him feel like he could do anything, and nothing was outside his capabilities.

Quinn finished his meal, patting his belly in culinary satisfaction, and tapped danced his way outside the Great Hall.

When Quinn turned a bend, a stone-faced blonde greeted him, scaring the shit out of him.

"Bloody hell!" Quinn jumped back in shock as he stared at Daphne Greengrass standing there with her arms crossed.

"Hullo!" said Tracy, revealing herself from behind Daphne with a grin on her face and twinkled in her eye. She covered her mouth in laughter and commented, "That was wicked fun!"

"Yeah, it was wicked scary! You almost scared the soul out of my body!" Quinn patted his heart and asked, "What is it?"

Tracy stepped forward and asked, "We were wondering if you would help us with a spell. We have been having some problems with the cast."

Quinn quirked his brow and spoke, "Sure, I can help. What is the spell?"

"It is the seize-and-pull spell," replied Daphne. Her face was twisted in frustration and irritation. The spell had been giving her and Tracy a lot of problems. No matter how much they tried, the magic refused to operate properly.

Quinn's eyes shined in joy, "Oh boy, Carpe Retractum! The seize-and-pull." He clapped his hands, "Do you know it is one of my favorite spells."

"So, you will help us?" asked Daphne, surprising Quinn with her forwardness. She usually let Tracy do the talking, but right now, she was taking the lead.

The truth was that Daphne didn't like things she couldn't figure out, and this spell had been giving her problems longer than she anticipated.

"Alright, I will help out," said Quinn, "I am free today, so do you want to start after classes?"

"Yes," replied both the girls in unison.

"Perfect, then it is decided," smiled Quinn, "We will meet after classes."

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- (Scene Break) -

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Daphne and Tracey entered the classroom in which the three had decided to meet and practice. There they saw Quinn sitting there on a stool. It looked like he hadn't noticed the two Slytherin girls enter the room.

He was sitting there with a dazed look on his face. Looking into the distance with a blank look on his face.

Daphne and Tracy stilled for a moment and stared at Quinn with mild surprise. In the time they had known Quinn, they had never seen him like this, doing nothing and zoning out while sitting in a chair. Every time they had seen Quinn, he was doing something. Quinn would always have something to do like read a book, or scribble or draw on a paper, or talking to someone, but never in their time had these two seen Quinn doing... well, nothing.

Then there was the look in his eyes. The Quinn they knew always had a focused look in his eyes like he was always thinking and on point, and the depth in his stone-grey orbs reflected the knowledge held in them. The current shallow and dazed was out of place for Quinn.

And finally, the thing that stood out was Quinn's posture. No matter what the time, Quinn always sat with his back straight and shoulders back, but the Quinn in front of them had a slouch in his posture: his back was curved, and shoulders hunched slightly.

It was so unusual that Daphne and Tracy felt worried for Quinn, seeing him so different from his usual self. There was a feeling of conflict rising inside them. There was a stark difference between this version of Quinn and the image of Quinn they had in their mind.

Tracy stepped forward and carefully voiced, "Hey Quinn, are you alright?"

Her words seemed to snap Quinn out of his daze as he turned his face to the duo.

The two girls saw focus return to Quinn's eyes as he stood up from his stool, recognition flashing in his eyes. A smile bloomed on his face as he greeted them, "Good evening, you two. Now that you are here - let's get started."

Daphne and Tracey stared at Quinn with another bout of shock at the sudden change in energy. Just a moment ago, Quinn looked like he could sit on his stool doing nothing but stare at the wall for hours, but the next second, he was on his feet, full of rigor and ready to get the practice session started.

"Hey Quinn, are you sure you are alright?" asked Tracy, still worried about her friend, "We can do this another day if you aren't feeling well."

Quinn turned his body towards them, a confused expression clear on his face, like he wasn't sure what Tracy was talking about.

"What do you mean?" he chuckled, "There is nothing wrong with me. In fact, I can't be feeling any better."

Quinn clapped his hands and showed a confused wrinkle in his brows, "Come on, let's get moving, or do you not want to learn?"

Tracy looked at Daphne and asked her best friend what to do with her eyes. Daphne turned to look at Quinn, who was peering at them with a confused look on his face, his hands raised, asking them what was happening.

Daphne also felt a little worried about Quinn, but looking at him now, he looked normal.

"Let's start," said Daphne, announcing her decision to the other two in the room.

"That is the spirit," grinned Quinn, "Okay, stand here. Yeah, side-by-side like that. Excellent."

Daphne and Tracy stood side-by-side, standing close to one of the classroom's walls, and took out their wands at ready.

Quinn, who had walked to the stool he was sitting at before, looked back and saw the two girls with their wands out. He waved his hands and spoke, "Alright, let's sheath the wands for just a minute or two."

He picked up two ropes from the corner and walked to the girls, handing them each a rope.

Quinn smiled when he saw the confused look on their faces, "The seize-and-pull spell produces a magical, retractable cord of light that could be used to pull objects towards the caster, or, if the target was fixed in place, to pull the caster towards the target."

He pulled out his fake wand, and the ropes uncurled into straight lines, another swing and two iron weights transfigured on the ends of the ropes. The irons had substantial weight but weren't heavy enough for the girls to have difficulty pulling.

"So, you are going to be pulling when you seize-and-pull spell, so it would be good if you know what does it feel like to pull something," he raised his hands when Daphne was about to speak, "I know you know what it is like to pull things but do it now so it is fresh in your mind."

He walked between the two ropes and continued, "I am making you pull these weights because if you do it now, you would remember it more vividly than ever before. Your brain knows that I am making you do it for the spell, so it would remember the sensation much more clearly."

"Now, pull on those ropes and get a clear feeling," he gestured towards the rope before stepping to the side, "Go."

The two girls looked skeptical at the exercise but did it anyway. Putting both of their hands on the rope and then pulling at the iron weights.

"Let me ask you a question," spoke Quinn, gaining their attention, "When you learn a spell, do you understand it better when you learn the mechanics behind it? When the professor explains what the spell is actually doing, does it help?"

"Of course, that is obvious," replied Tracy pulling on the rope.

Quinn nodded and explained, "Understanding and comprehension are an essential part of the magic. If you understand what you are doing, things get a lot easier, much simpler." He raised his fake wand and pointed it at his other open palm, and a miniature version of Quinn in ice appeared on his palm, "Knowing means having control over what you are doing, and control in lack of better words is good."

He walked in between the two girls and faced the same way they did, "The seize-and-pull spell is a retractable cord, so while you won't be pulling and your magic would be doing the work for you."

Quinn raised his fake wand and shot out a red-yellow cord of light at the opposing wall. The end of the cord attached itself to the wall, sticking to the surface.

Daphne and Tracy looked at the end attached to the wall to Quinn, who put his hand on the cord, and their eyes widened when they saw the cord detached from the wand tip and rest in Quinn's hand.

"How are you doing that?" exclaimed Daphne, "You can't detach the cord from the wand. That should break the spell!"

"If you know what you are doing. If you understand the mechanics," Quinn cracked a smile, "you will have... control, control over what you are doing." He pulled on the cord, and girls could see it taut because of the pull.

"Now, that was enough," Quinn waved his fake wand, the weights vanished, and the ropes curled up, "Let's see you girls try it."

He took a step back, giving space to the girl, "Carpe Retractum is the incantation, and the wand movement is in the shape of V. Now, off you go."

The two girls readied their wands, pointed them at the wall, and cast,

" "Carpe Retractum." "

Two flimsy cords of light shot out of their wands, darting towards the wall, but fell down to the floor before reaching it.

The two turned back to look at Quinn, and the older Ravenclaw just said, "Both of you have to be more aggressive, provide more magic, and if I am right, you guys should focus more on the wall. The spell would conjure the cord for you; you need to want the cord to go to the wall."

"Here, look at this," said Quinn stepping forward and pointing his fake wand at the stool. A thick cord of light shot out of his wand and wrapped around the barstool in the distance. "See, I made the cord wrap around the barstool. It usually sticks, but because I wanted it to wrap around the target. You have to be clear about what you are doing."

He gestured to them to try again.

The two girls raised their wands, and as Quinn instructed, they focused more on the wall. Both wanted their cords to stick to the wall in front of them.

" "Carpe Retractum!" "

Two cords of light exploded out of their wands and darted towards the wall. Both cords reached the wall and stuck to the surface; Daphne's cord was faster than Tracy's and struck the wall first.

"Excellent, well done!" congratulated Quinn, "But, hold it, don't stop the spell." He stepped forward, walking halfway to the opposing wall. H flicked both the cord to check them the tangibility and pulled on them to see the adhesive quality at the end.

He nodded before turning to them, "Alright, everything seems good. Tracy, you have to work on getting the cord faster to the target, but yours stuck more firmly to the wall." He turned to Daphne and remarked, "Daphne, you had a great launch, but you need to work on the tangibility of your cord. It looks like it would snap if there is too much weight at the end."

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- (Scene Break) -

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Quinn met with Daphne and Tracy a couple more times to walk them through the spell.

"Today, we are going to pull on stuff," Quinn said, standing in front of the two girls, "Did you two practice in your own time?"

"We did," the girls replied

"Alright, then let's move on," he pointed to the two barstools and said, "Aim at the barstools and pull them towards you."

"Wands at ready," he instructed while stepping out of the way, "Go nuts."

Red-yellow cords of light darted to the barstools and adhered to the wood. The girls had enough practice with the spell and could stick the cords to the target with outstanding success.

Quinn silently watched from the side, observing them cast the magic, trying to pull the barstool towards them, but their efforts were giving irregular success at best.

"You guys are pulling your arms back to pull, don't do that," spoke Quinn as he stepped forward and pointed at their arms, "The magic is a retractable cord; you don't have to physically pull on the cord; you have to retract it."

Quinn put his hand and took out a standard yellow retractable tape measure, showing it to the girls. It was one of the things that resided in Quinn's robes.

"Take this for an example," he pulled the metallic tape measure out of its casing, "Now, observe," he continued and released the tape, and the girls watched as the yellow metal strip rushed back inside the casing.

"It is something like this," said Quinn, "This what you call retractable. You need to suck in the magical cord back into your wand."

He walked to their front and grinned mischievously. Taking out his fake wand, he pointed it at Tracy and shot out the cord of seize-and-pull spell. The cord wrapped around her.

Tracy let out a surprised yelp before she screamed when she was pulled towards Quinn, who caught her with his arms and spun her around in circles, while Tracy laughed in fun with little fear mixed in.

Quinn widely grinned as he put Tracy down, who walked unsteadily because of the dizziness and walked like a drunk person.

Daphne shifted her gaze from Tracy to Quinn and saw the grin, and her eyes widened in realization, "Oh no, you don't -," but she was late as Quinn had already shot a seize-and-pull cord towards her.

She let out a similarly startled yelp when she was pulled towards Quinn.

Unlike Tracy, she wasn't spun around circles and was held close to Quinn. He took her waist with his hands, holding her close to him. When she looked up toward's Quinn's face, she saw a smile different from Quinn's usual smile.

She saw Quinn raise his hand and tuck a stray strand of her hair behind her ear.

"If you weren't a second year, I would have invited you out to Hogsmeade," she heard Quinn speak, "What a pity."

He pulled her closer for a second before letting her go and moving to Tracy, helping her stand up; she had sat down because of the dizziness.

Daphne Greengrass stood in a distracted daze, thinking about what had just happened. She didn't know what to make of the interaction she just had with Quinn. One thing was for sure: she wouldn't be forgetting about this for a long time.

After five lessons in two weeks, Quinn trained Daphne and Tracy in the seize-and-pull to the point that they could pull it off every single time flawlessly. Their original flimsy cords had thickened to something respectable, and they could pull anything with reasonable weight towards them without breaking a sweat.

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Blue - _ _ O T _ -- A _ _ D _ _

Pink - _ U _ _ -- _ _ X _ _ I _

Red - _ R _ _ H -- _ _ _

Yellow - _ _ E E _ -- _ _ A _ _ T I _

Violet - _ R I _ E -- _ _ P _ _ B _ _

Green - _ _ V _ -- _ _ _ I _ I _

Orange - _ _ _ T _ _ N _ -- _ _ L _

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Quinn West - MC - Teacher Extraordinaire.

Tracy Davis - Slytherin - Learning magic and having fun.

Daphne Green - Slytherin - Learning magic and feeling confused.

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-*-*-*-*-*-

.

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-*-*-*-*-*-

Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Ivy Potter were planning an infiltration operation into the Slytherin house common room by employing the miraculous Polyjuice potion. The potion allowed a person to change their appearance to someone else's and all it took was a strand of their hair.

The four Gryffindor stood in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, gathered around the stall that issued thick black smoke while Hermione stirred the cauldron full of bubbling, glutinous potion.

"Does everyone have the hairs of their targets?" asked Hermione. When the other three nodded, Hermione continued, "Good, now we need to separate the potion into the four glasses and add the hairs."

While Hermione poured the Polyjuice potion into goblets, Ivy spoke up, "I sneaked these spare robes out of the laundry," throwing a sack on the floor, "We will need robes with Slytherin trims, so wear these before exiting here."

The four of them stared into the cauldron. Close up, the potion looked like thick, dark mud, bubbling sluggishly.

"I'm sure I've done everything right," said Hermione, nervously re-reading the splotched page of Moste Potente Potions. "It looks like the book says it should... once we've drunk it, we'll have exactly an hour before we change back into ourselves."

Hermione handed the goblets to her three friends and instructed, "Add your hairs to the goblets."

The four added the hair into the bubbling goblets and watched as the potion hissed loudly like a boiling kettle and frothed madly.

Harry Potter added Gregory Goyle's hair strand into his potion and watched as it turned into khaki color.

Ron Weasley added Vincent Crabbe's hair strand into his goblet and the potion frothed before turning a dark, murky brown.

Hermione Granger dropped a strand of hair from Tracy Davis into hers's and it turned into a lilac color.

At last, Ivy Potter inserted a blonde strand from the head of Daphne Greengrass and watched as an icy-blue color spread through the potion.

"Now, get into the stalls and down them," said Ivy, "Don't drink them out here and change before drinking because your clothes won't fit."

"Good call," commented Ron, picking a set of clothes from the sack, and the others followed.

Careful not to spill a drop of their Polyjuice potion, the golden squad slipped into their individual stalls.

"Ready?" called out Harry.

"Ready," came Ron's, Hermione's, and Ivy's reply.

"One - two - three -" Pinching their noses, the four chugged down their potion in two to three gulps.

There were groans and grunts from all four people before there was silence, followed by gasps of shock, and finally, the rustling of clothes could be heard at the end.

Three people came out at the same time and looked at each other with a stunned expression.

"This is unbelievable," said Ron, approaching the mirror and prodding

Crabbe's flat nose. "Unbelievable." His voice was exactly the same as Crabbe's, and it surprised Ron a lot.

"This is wicked and jarring at the same time," Goyle's low rasp of a voice issued from Harry's mouth.

The two transformed boys turned their heads to look at Ivy, who had altered into Daphne Greengrass, watching herself in a broken mirror with a complicated expression on her face.

Harry (Goyle) and Ron (Crabbe) watched with wide eyes as Ivy (Daphne) exhaled before an expressionless look took its place on Daphne Greengrass's face.

"Wow," exclaimed Ron, "She looks exactly like exactly like her." If Ron didn't know that the girl in front of her was Ivy, he would have bet his entire pocket money on Daphne Greengrass standing in front of him.

Harry silently watched his sister put on the same expression as Daphne. He could understand the complicated look before the expressionless face; his twin sister and Daphne Greengrass did have a complicated relationship.

"Are you sure that Greengrass and Davis won't walk in on us," asked Harry. While Harry and Ron had put Crabbe and Goyle to sleep with mild sleeping potions, Tracy and Daphne were still awake and in the castle.

Ivy stared at Daphne's face in the mirror for a while before replying, "At this time, Tracy and Daphne are in the library doing their homework. Those two follow this schedule without fail," she paused before continuing, "She is quite methodical about it."

She sighed before speaking, "We have plenty of time before those two will return to the Slytherin common room, so we don't have to worry about them."

Harry nodded before noticing that Hermione wasn't out of her stall, "Hermione, come one, we need to go," he called out while banging on Hermione's door.

A high-pitched voice answered him.

"I-I don't think I'm going to come after all. You go on without me."

"Hermione, we know Tracy Davis differs greatly from you, but no one's going to know it's you -"

"No, really, I don't think I'll come. You three hurry up; you are wasting time -" said Hermione in a weirdly high-pitched voice.

Harry looked at Ron, bewildered.

"That looks more like Goyle," said Ron. "That's how he looks every time a teacher asks him a question."

"Hermione, are you okay?" asked Ivy through the door.

"Fine, I'm fine. Go on," came Hermione's response.

Ivy looked at her watch. Five of their precious sixty minutes had already passed.

"We will meet you back here, all right?" she said.

And, so Harry (Goyle), Ron (Crabbe), and Ivy (Daphne) were off to the Slytherin house common room.

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- (Scene Break) -

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Harry (Goyle) and Ron (Crabbe) walked ahead while Ivy (Daphne) walked a distance behind them because Daphne Greengrass wouldn't hang out, much less walk with the dumb duo of Slytherin.

The three went down the marble staircase, all they needed now was a Slytherin that they could follow to the Slytherin common room, but there was nobody around.

"Any ideas?" muttered Harry.

Harry and Ron didn't know where the Slytherin common room was located in the dungeons.

"The Slytherins always come up to breakfast from over there," said Ron, nodding at the entrance to the dungeons. The words had barely left his mouth when a boy with black hair emerged from the entrance.

"Excuse me," said Ron, hurrying up to her. "We've forgotten the way to our common room."

Ivy (Daphne) who, just turned the bend, looked at the duo and frowned, 'What in the world are those two doing?' She heard the last part of the sentence and had the urge to slap her forehead and then beat the two with a beater's bat.

'They didn't know the location of Slytherin common room?!' thought Ivy, 'Of course, they didn't! Ugh, these idiots!'

The Ravenclaw boy looked at them with interest and chuckled, "I beg your pardon?" He pointed at his tie and trims on his robes, "Our common room? I'm a Ravenclaw."

"You guys must be really dumb," the Ravenclaw boy laughed till tears were coming out of his eyes. He looked them straight in their eyes and said, "Don't get lost, alright?"

Ivy felt embarrassed at her twin brother and their friend, not only because they jumped into the plan without knowing the first part and because the person who was laughing at them was the one person who she didn't want them to be embarrassed in front of.

The Ravenclaw with black hair had stone-grey eyes, and there was only one Ravenclaw with those features.

'Quinn West,' groaned Ivy.

She watched as Harry and Ron hurried down the stone steps into the darkness, their footsteps echoing particularly loudly as Crabbe's and Goyle's huge feet hit the floor.

Quinn chuckled as he watched the two climb down to the dungeon and turned back to see Daphne standing there, and his eyes flashed.

"Greengrass," he waved and smiled, "Fancy meeting you here."

Ivy (Daphne) froze when she saw Quinn walked towards her but quickly gathered herself and spoke in a Daphne-esque fashion, "Quinn."

"Where is Tracy," asked Quinn, looking behind her, "You two are usually together."

"She is in the library. She was behind on her homework," replied Ivy (Daphne).

"Oh, is that so," said Quinn. He thought of something and looked worried, "Is it because of the Duro transfiguration spell? Did she spend time too much time practicing the spell?" Quinn sounded apologetic and continued, "We have been practicing it a lot together. Maybe we should pull back a little."

Ivy, who didn't know about what Quinn was speaking, just nodded.

"How about you?" asked Quinn, "Are you comfortable transfiguring various materials into stone?"

"Of course," spoke Ivy, imitating Daphne, "It wasn't that difficult after I understood it." She replied such that even though her expression remained unchanged, her voice portrayed pride.

Quinn smiled and then seemed to recall something, "Before I forget. I got the thing that you wanted," he put his hands in his robes, and the thing that came out was his wand.

Ivy's (Daphne's) eyes widened as she felt ropes conjure around her and tightened around her body. The ropes pulled her back, and she was slammed against the wall. The next second, the wall behind her transfigured into a liquid form, covered her entire body, and hardened to trap her inside.

"What are you doing?!" shrieked Ivy (Daphne), looking angry and furious.

"You are not Daphne Greengrass," Quinn looked at her. She felt his eyes were looking right through her, "So, who are you?"

"What bloody nonsense are you talking about?!" she screamed, feeling panic bubbling inside her.

Quinn peered at her and said, "You see, when I called you Greengrass, you didn't show any reaction."

Ivy felt confused at the statement, but Quinn cleared it for her.

"Recently, I switched the way I address her. I call her Daphne now," Quinn explained, "She would roll her eyes at the start, but now she doesn't even bat an eye. With her personality, she would definitely quip at me reverting back to her family name."

"Next, we never practiced the Duro spell, so that gave you away," said, "That was the second strike."

Ivy was the full force of panic and couldn't think of anything to speak or rebuke.

"And, the last strike is this," Quinn raised his hand to reveal a wand in his hand, "This isn't Daphne's wand."

Ivy's eyes almost popped out, and she nearly screamed at Quinn to return her wand back.

'When did he take it from me?' thought Ivy.

"So, you clearly not Daphne Greengrass. Which prompts the question, if you are not Daphne, then who are you?" Quinn spoke as he looked at the wand in his hand.

"Hmm..." a sound came out of him as he narrowed his eyes and then looked up at Daphne look alike.

"You know, now that I remember. There was a break-in in professor Snape's potion ingredient storage. Now that I see you in the form of Daphne, the stolen ingredients were of the Polyjuice potion, weren't they?"

A wide smirk formed on his face as he said, "Professor Snape would be delighted if he found who stole his things."

Ivy, in the form of Daphne, paled.

The charges on her would be stealing from a professor, impersonating another student without their permission, intent-to-infiltrate another house's common room.

This could very well end up in expulsion.

She could clearly imagine how her mother and father would feel if this got out.

But it seemed that her capturer wasn't done as he dropped another bombshell on her.

"Plus, I am now sure that Crabbe and Goyle I just saw now weren't the real one," said Quinn, "Those two are dumb, but not enough to forget the location of a place they have been living in for one and half year."

He stared into her eyes and raise the wand, "So, Ms. Ivy Potter, tell me what should I do with you?"

Ivy was beyond the point of shock and panic, and a strange clarity filled her, "How did you know it is me?"

Quinn pointed at her wand, "I remember this wand. I remember it from the Duelling club," he pointed at his temple and smirked, "You see, I have an excellent memory."

He raised his hand to point in behind towards the dungeon entrance, "I am willing to bet good money that those two were Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley." His smirk widened, "Now, imagine what would happen if I alert professor Snape that two Gryffindors are inside the Slytherin common room. After the flying car incident, this would definitely kick those two out of the school."

Ivy was once again back to feeling massive panic. Her father had faced a lot of criticism because of Harry's action at the start of the year. James Potter was an Auror, and one of their responsibilities was to maintain the International Statute of Secrecy.

It did not look good when one of his children was caught breaking the same code that could reveal the existence of magic to the world.

"I am willing to forget all of this if you owe me a huge favor," he tapped her nose before continuing, " I am willing to spare your brother's reputation by letting all of this go. He is already suffering because of the whole Heir of Slytherin, and if he gets expelled, no matter what the reason, people would believe they sacked him for all the petrifications."

Ivy was sure that she was about to die from shock.

Harry's reputation was already at rock bottom because of the ridiculous rumor. She was sure that if the situation was given time, then Harry's reputation would improve. But right now, it would ruin Harry Potter, and in turn Potter family's reputation.

Quinn stood straighter and spoke in a deeper voice, "So, what is your decision, Potter princess?"

Ivy gulped before nodding. She had no choice but to agree.

"Alright, I will do whatever you want. So don't reveal any of this."

Quinn hummed with a bright smile before turning stern, "Don't try to refuse this later because it will not go the way you want to. Do. You. Understand?"

Ivy nodded with a hard expression.

"Say that you understand."

"I understand," she spat out.

"Good," said Quinn, and the wall went back to normal, and the ropes restraining her also loosened before vanishing.

Quinn patted her cheek before saying, "Now, go hide until the effects of the potion wear off. Daphne is my friend, and I don't want a look-alike roaming around."

He pointed at the wall behind her, "Your wand is right there."

When Ivy looked back, she saw her wand stuck to the wall.

"It will come off in half a minute," said Quinn, "Now, while it was good profiting off you, I am busy person, so I would take my leave."

Quinn softly smiled before walking away, leaving Ivy stunned, looking between Quinn's retreating and her wand stuck to the wall.

Her thoughts were that this operation went nothing like she was expecting. Her's and Hermione's plan had been dismantled within minutes.

They had thought that it would be a fairly straightforward plan for them to get the information from Draco, but the plan had failed before it even started.

Hermione, for some reason, didn't come with them.

Quinn West had caught her, restrained her, and had revealed her identity. Plus, he had forced her into being under his debt.

She had didn't know how Ron and Harry were doing without her to guide them. Those two fools didn't even know the location of the Slytherin common room.

Quinn West came in like a cool breeze and left like a terrifying typhoon.

She would later find out that even though Harry and Ron had successfully gained entry to the Slytherin common room and had talked to Draco Malfoy, it turned out that Malfoy wasn't the one to open the Chamber of Secret.

So, they were back to square one.

And not to mention the accident Hermione had with the Polyjuice potion and had gained a... tail.

When Ivy Potter found all of this, she, without an ounce of doubt and hesitation, classified this mission as a big fat failure.

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

Harry Potter heavily sighed as he walked toward the bathroom.

He wasn't in a great mood. The entire school was literally against him and considered him the next dark lord. Everyone blamed him for the petrification of the muggleborn students. And because of it, he was being avoided like the plague.

Before, everyone would become noisy when he entered, but now? Now, they would quiet down and avert their eyes so that they wouldn't catch his eyes.

There were select few people he could spend time with, and now one of them was stuck in the Hospital wing because she added the wrong hair into her Polyjuice potion.

Harry and Hermione quarreled a lot, but Harry seriously considered her to be one of his closest friends because of all the help she was last year. And, people who faced a Troll and deadly obstacles together were bound to develop some comradery.

This year was the same. Hermione was the one to come up with the Polyjuice plan despite her love of rules and authority, showing that she treasured their friendship.

His twin sister as well was acting weird and looked stressed about something since the whole Polyjuice plan. She didn't join them inside the Slytherin common room because someone stopped her (she didn't specify who).

When he asked what was wrong, she said that nothing was wrong and she was just stressed about Hermione and the Chamber of Secrets, but Harry could tell that there was something else. He stopped push when she started to get irritated and had left the matter alone.

Finally, Ron was well... Ron. While he laughed at Hermione's furry appearance, Harry could tell that his best friend was worried about their friend.

Harry, somewhere in his heart, blamed himself for dragging them in all this mess, and now all of them were stressed and worried.

While Harry was brooding about his, depressing thoughts collided with someone and yelled, "Hey, watch it, man!"

But the other person didn't even look at him or say sorry and just ran off.

"Jerk," muttered Harry, and when he turned to walk, his foot kicked something.

He looked down to see a small thin book with a shabby black cover.

Harry picked it up and turned back to return it but, the person had already run off and out of his sight.

Lowering his eyes to examine the thin book. Harry saw at once that it was a diary, and the faded year on the cover told him it was fifty years old. He opened it, and on the first page of the diary, Harry could barely read out the name {T. M. Riddle} written in smudged ink. When he turned the pages, and there were no words written on the pages.

In the quiet and eerie corridor stood the lone figure of Harry Potter, staring at the black diary clutched in his hand with an unblinking gaze.

-*-*-*-*-*-

Quinn West - MC - Out of character - Gained a significant debt.

Ivy Potter - Polyjuiced into Daphne Greengrass - In debt.

Harry Potter - Boy-who-lived - ... Diary, a black diary...

Hermione Granger - Having furry problems - Her tail feels weird.

-*-*-*-*-*-

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-*-*-*-*-*-

.

It was a rare moment of peace in the last few months as Quinn laid in the cool grass looking up at the sky.

The past few months had been a rollercoaster for Quinn. His magic has been going through rapid change, not only in quantity but also in control. There were many types of magic that Quinn didn't think were possible for him for a couple of years were now within his grasps.

His magic did his bidding with no complaints, and almost every day, dummies and targets of the Room and Requirements would get annihilated into smithereens.

The Restricted Section of Hogwarts library had also proven to be helpful. The thing about the Room of Requirement was that it had been hidden for so long that nobody knew how it operated, and as such, no one knew how to add books to it.

The books and tomes in the Room of Requirement's knowledge base were extremely old. The books were from the founder's time, and as far as Quinn could tell, they weren't updated from that time, which meant that the Room of Requirement was missing out on a millennium's worth of advancements in magic.

The Room of Requirements had a lot of knowledge that would be classified as lost knowledge. Lost knowledge was the knowledge about fields of magic lost to the magical civilization with time, but the thing about that lost magical knowledge from Room of Requirements was that a lot of it was too complex for Quinn.

While Quinn's magical prowesses grew at an unprecedented rate, his knowledge about magic didn't experience a similar boost. He was still building his magical knowledge step-by-step.

So, the Restricted Section of Hogwarts Library came in as resourceful because Hogwarts did a decent job at supplementing their library with new books throughout the ages.

Quinn did notice that even though there was a lot of information about magic that could be hazardous if not handled or properly understood, there was nothing too crazy in the library.

Dumbledore moderating the books in the library was one of Quinn's theories. Another theory was that Hogwarts was a school for children who came here to learn to control their magic. Those children might not need books that delved into high-level complexities about magic. As such, the Hogwarts administration never thought of buying books above a certain level.

The magical world and not just magical Britain didn't have a university system for higher education. Instead, it followed an apprentice system to gain higher knowledge about magic.

You could buy high-level magic knowledge for the right price, but most people only did it when they gained a master to apprentice under because magic grew more and more dangerous as you dove deeper into its mysteries. Researching esoteric magic without guidance could be fatal, and as such, people needed some form of teaching to get started.

The Restricted Section of Hogwarts library had some fascinating books and tomes. Quinn had been quite busy greedily researching knowledge that would supplement what he already knew.

In Quinn's eyes, Lockhart had finally done something worthwhile with his life by signing the permission note to the Restricted Section for him.

Between studying, having fun, and enjoying himself, Quinn had been quite busy.

Today, he found himself free from everything, lying down in the grass looking at the white clouds slowly floating in the sky. He felt as free as the clouds he was gazing at.

Quinn didn't feel angry when he looked at Lockhart's stupid face.

He didn't feel elated when he received the weekly sales report of Lockhart goods.

His daily run didn't leave him so tired that he wanted to sleep the entire day.

He didn't randomly make his way to the kitchen to stuff his face with food.

Last night's Duelling lesson didn't inspire superiority inside Quinn.

His eyes didn't immediately follow a group of older girls when they walked by, looking all nice.

And he didn't feel the weekly bout of jealousy at Madam Hooch's excellent broom riding skill.

But, even with his calm, Quinn didn't question his behavior this entire school year. He didn't even think that something was wrong with his behavior. To him, his year had been like a fun rollercoaster, but nothing wrong.

It was a peaceful day, and while Quinn enjoyed the time he was having for the past few months, he enjoyed this calm and quiet day.

Quinn peacefully smiled and spoke without looking to his side.

"So, how have you been finding Hogwarts?" he asked his companion, who laid in the grass with him, similarly looking at the clouds, or at least he thought she was.

"It is fun, but I think Nargles took some of my belongings," said the girl beside him, "They are known to be quite the naughty thieves."

Quinn's eyes narrowed, and he felt a bout of anger climb up into his mind. While she thought Nargles were stealing her stuff, Quinn knew better.

"Do you want me to help," he offered, a nasty grin forming on his face, "... If you leave it up to me, then Nargles would return your stuff and never... ever... and I mean it, never will they steal your stuff ever again."

One word from her, and he would tear those shitheads apart, enjoying every - single - moment of the process.

Luna Lovegood turned her head to face him and spoke, "No, it is fine. The Nargles will return my stuff, they might be naughty, but they won't go overboard."

Quinn pursed his lips and took a deep breath to curb his anger, imagining it draining into the vast ground below him.

"Alright, but if the Nargles ever disturb you too much, tell it to me," Quinn spoke seriously, "I will take care of them."

"Uh-huh, I will call you," spoke Luna, raising her hand towards the sky as if trying to grab the clouds in her grasp.

The anger finally left him, and Quinn closed his eyes, feeling the ground below him. He channeled magic into the ground around him and focused on the grass below and around him.

It was a unique sensation of his magic covering thousands of blades of grass, filling them with energy, providing them with another source of vitality other than the sunlight from the glorious sun, the giver of life.

'Feels good,' thought Quinn, a calm bliss spreading through his body and mind. He tapped into his magic core, and more ground was saturated with his magic.

Quinn's magic did nothing to the ground or the grass. He didn't make his magic do anything. He was just extending his magic, nothing more or nothing less.

But, in a few years, there would be a few trees growing here in the same spot; a holly tree, the tree of luck; a Rowan tree, the wizards' tree; and an Alder tree, the fairy's favorite tree.

The relaxed boy didn't know that last night, the stars in the night sky had aligned in a special arrangement, providing him ease against the condition he was facing. A condition he knew nothing about or even knew that he had said condition.

It was just the calm before the storm.

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

Ivy Potter looked outside the window in her dorm room. She shared the dorm room with Parvati Patil, Lavender Brown, and Hermione Granger.

The presence of the four girls divided the room into four different styles.

Parvati's section was all girly and a little messy. Lavender's section was similarly girly pink but a lot cleaner than her best friends. Hermione's side was filled with books and faintly smelled of parchment and ink.

Her part of the room was practical. She had textbooks but didn't have as much as Hermione. Her room was neater than Lavender's but less than Hermione's. She also possessed things that a normal teenage girl would have but didn't go overboard like Parvati.

Distinct from her roommates - Ivy had many pictures of her friends and family on her side's walls and table. Many happy memories were captured in the framed photos, all of them magically charmed to move, showing the happiness of the moments.

The redhead's mind was filled with thoughts about the past few months. Ever since the day she and her friends have drunk Polyjuice potion to get some answers, things had gone downhill.

She was caught and blackmailed into owing an enormous debt to a guy she didn't want to owe anything at all. Ivy had felt helpless when he took her wand, even without her knowing, and trapped her inside a wall.

Hermione had mixed Tracy Davis's pet cat's hair into her Polyjuice potion, and it caused a reaction, turning her into a furry cat girl. Ivy's best friend had to spend a lot of time in the Hospital wing, hiding from others.

Her brother had found a diary with the initials T.M. Riddle. Ron had led them to the Trophy room to show that the guy was a Head boy and won an award from the school for his meritious services.

The same diary had given them a clue about the Chamber of Secrets. It turned out Tom Riddle had gotten the award because he caught the person who opened the Chamber of Secret fifty years ago.

Shockingly, it was someone she knew. Rubeus Hagrid, the gamekeeper at Hogwarts, and one of her dear friends had opened the Chamber of Secrets when he was attending Hogwarts.

But, ever since getting the diary, Harry had gotten quiet and talked little to anybody and spent a lot of time alone. He wrote in the diary a lot, apparently talking to Tom Riddle's diary was her brother's newest obsession.

But that all changed when Harry lost the diary and became irritable, taking out his anger on random people in Gryffindor. He looked for the diary a lot but couldn't find anything.

Eventually, he stopped looking for the diary, and his behavior improved, but he still acted as the world owed him money.

Just when Ivy thought things were improving, another attack happened, and they found a muggleborn Ravenclaw girl petrified in one of the bathrooms, lying on the floor. She was found the next day after a search when she didn't show up for any classes.

Then things took another dip for the worse because the minister came for Hagrid and took him away because of all the petrifications. On top of all that, Malfoy and the board of Governors suspended Dumbledore from his position as the Headmaster.

Then her brother and Ron did something stupid and went into the Forbidden Forest and almost got killed by Hagrid's deadly human flesh loving pet, Aragog the Acromantula. An Acromantula was a giant magical species of spider. They were spiders the size of carthorses, eight-eyed, eight-legged, black, hairy, and gigantic.

"Ivy?"

Hearing her name broke her away from her thoughts, and when she looked back, she saw her best friend, a worried look on her face.

"Yes?" asked Ivy, turning her body to face Hermione.

"What is happening? You have been looking stressed in the last few days," asked Hermione, moving closer and sitting on Ivy's bed.

Ivy looked down at her hands, contemplating something before looking up at Hermione and saying,

"I-I think I know who opened the Chamber of Secrets," Ivy carefully spoke, thinking about her every word, "I am not completely sure, but I think I know the identity of Heir Of Slytherin."

Hermione's eyes widened to the size of golf balls, and her brows disappeared up her hairline,

"Who is it?"

Ivy gulped before saying, "I think it is Quinn West."

Hermione's wide eyes immediately turned into a frown, "Ivy, I know you don't like him, but you can't just blame-"

Ivy grabbed Hermione's hand and cut Hermione off, "I am not saying this because I don't like him. I have some reasons behind the accusation."

"And, what are they?"

Ivy looked uncomfortable for a second before steeling herself and revealing the thing she had kept a secret,

"The day we used the Polyjuice potion, do you remember how I said I didn't make it to the Slytherin common room because I got caught up in something."

Hermione nodded, not knowing where this was going.

"Well, West was the one who caught me," said Ivy and watched Hermione gasp.

Everybody knew that Quinn West was Daphne Greengrass's friend. If Ivy met Quinn while she was transformed into Daphne, then...

Ivy confirmed her doubts,

"He immediately recognized me and then trapped me." Ivy gritted her teeth and continued, "He trapped me in a damn wall and took away my wand after a simple exchange of words."

Hermione could see the anger and frustration in Ivy's eyes as she continued, "It was like he already knew I wasn't Daphne even before we talked."

"Every sentence he spoke was a test to see if I was Daphne," Ivy told Hermione about their conversation before Ivy was trapped, "How did he know I wasn't Daphne with a single look! He then somehow deduced that Crabbe and Goyle were Ron and Harry!"

"It made me think, what if Heir of Slytherin could tell if a student was from Slytherin house or not," Ivy put down her theory, "West saw us and immediately could tell we weren't Slytherin students and were just imposters."

"He blackmailed me into owing him a favor in exchange for not talking about the incident," Ivy heavily exhaled before saying, "I agreed."

Hermione squeezed her friend's hand and said, "Ivy, I am sorry you had to go through that," she paused for a moment before continuing, "But, this is just a theory."

Ivy shook her head and shifted in her spot.

"I know, but let me tell you about Mrs. Norris' petrification," Ivy explained what she saw that day. The look of recognition in Quinn's eyes and the relief while he saw the scene. "It was like he already knew this was about to happen. Who else but the Heir of Slytherin, the person who opened the Chamber of Secrets, would know about the attack?!"

Hermione was about to say that this was still not enough and just Ivy's dislike for Quinn West clouding her judgment, but Ivy raised her hand and continued,

"Do you know West is famous for staying outside after curfew," said Ivy, elaborating on her reasoning, "I asked around, and everybody in the Ravenclaw house knows that West stays outside after curfew. He only comes back later late in the night."

She grabbed Hermione's shoulders and continued,

"He did it the entire last year, and from what I heard, he did it every day, and not once was he caught," her voice raised as she continued, "What if West was looking for the Chamber of Secrets the entire last year and found it. He didn't get caught because no one knew the Chamber's location, and he stayed inside. And this year, he released Slytherin's monster."

Ivy licked her lips and looked Hermione in the eye, "And, I don't know how this adds up but do you remember about West's ring?"

Hermione frowned before nodding, "Yes, the gold ring, what about it?"

"He didn't have it last year, and he started wearing it this year," Ivy thought about the gold ring, which caught her attention every time she looked at Quinn West, "What if the ring controls the Slytherin's monster?"

Listening to Ivy listing off points against Quinn West did make her believe her friends, at least somewhat,

"I don't know, Ivy," said Hermione, "There are too many what-ifs in there."

"I know. That is why I think that we should go to West's A.I.D office," said Ivy, "He spends a lot of time in there. Maybe there is something in there. We may find something there that connects him to the Chamber of Secrets."

Hermione bit on her lower lip, thinking about the petrified students. She didn't want anymore to get petrified, so if they could find a lead, that would stop this...

"Alright, I will go with you," she stood up and said, "Come on, we should tell the boys."

Ivy grabbed her arm and stopped Hermoine.

"No! We can't do that. The boys would be reckless and maybe even jump West without thinking. We should do this alone."

Hermione needed no more convincing, "Agreed. Let's do this alone."

"Alright, when should we do this?"

"We would need the third year schedule for Ravenclaw," Hermione thought out loud, "After that, we would need to find an hour when he has a class, and we don't, so we would have time to get in his office and exit without him knowing."

Ivy felt relieved when Hermione started to build a plan. Hermione taking the lead to help her friends was normal, and currently, Ivy was craving normal.

It was decided,

Ivy Potter and Hermione Granger were going to break into the A.I.D office owned and operated by Quinn West.

.

-*-*-*-*-*-

.

[

A/N [1: So, as you can see. I introduced many changes in the canon events. So, if you commented about me messing up, I didn't because I changed the events on purpose.

A/N [2:

There is another muggleborn student who got petrified. I added her. Hermione wasn't the next target. [Change 1.]

Hermione didn't figure out about the Basilisk because the diary-Horcrux affected Harry and withdrew into himself, not talking to people, so he didn't tell them he could hear voices, and such Hermione didn't connect his Parseltongue and voices. [Change 2.]

Harry still hasn't figured out about Moaning Myrtle being killed by Slytherin's monster, so the timelines have been skewed. He will figure it out in maybe the next chapter or one after that [Change 3.]

A/N [3: If you can remember any more changes, do comment!

]

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Blue - _ _ O T _ -- A _ _ D _ _

Pink - _ U _ _ -- L _ X _ _ I _

Red - _ R _ T H -- _ R _

Yellow - _ _ E E _ -- _ _ A _ I T I _

Violet - _ R I _ E -- S _ P _ _ B _ _

Green - _ N V _ -- _ _ V I _ I _

Orange - _ L _ T T _ N _ -- _ U L _

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Quinn West - Third-year Ravenclaw - Experiencing a calm day.

Luna Lovegood - First-year Ravenclaw - Struggling from Nargles.

Ivy Potter - Second-year Gryffindor - Heir of Slytherin = Quinn West.

Hermione Granger - Back from Furry-ness - Planning for yet another infiltration.

.

-*-*-*-*-*-

.

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-*-*-*-*-*-

.

Eddie and Quinn headed towards the History of Magic classroom to attend another history lecture by Cuthbert Binns, the professor ghost of Hogwarts.

"What are we going to study," asked Quinn, "I stopped listening to him months ago."

"Hmm, ah, today we are going to learn about one of the goblin leaders," answered Eddie. Trying to remember topics for today's lecture, "I can't recall the name. It was something followed by a weapon."

That brought a chuckled out Quinn, "Isn't that most of them?"

"Why does Hogwarts let professor Binns teach after his death," wondered Eddie, "He clearly had an obsession with goblins. I mean, look at his classes; he rushes through anything that isn't goblin related and spends most of his time on the goblin rebellions."

Quinn thought about the reasoning and could only come up with reasoning.

"Hogwarts is a school. Professors are its employees, so maybe, they keep letting Binns teach because they don't need to pay him. A ghost doesn't have the use of money. Plus, as far as I know, no law states that ghosts need to be paid," Quinn nodded as he looked at Eddie, "Yeah, I guess that is it."

"So, money is the reason, huh," Eddie held his chin with his hand, "Never thought about that. Maybe you are right."

Quinn bumped Eddie with his shoulder and spoke, "Maybe before we graduate from Hogwarts, we would exorcise professor Binns and save the future generation from boredom incarnate."

Eddie wagged his finger in disagreement, "And, take away the one hour of practically free time from them? I don't think so."

"Hmm, maybe you are right," laughed Quinn, "After a while, everything Binns speaks turns into white background noise."

"Exactly."

Eddie and Quinn laughed as they entered the History of Magic classroom.

.

- (Scene Break) -

.

Ivy Potter and Hermione Granger walked at a fair distance away from Quinn West, following him, tailing their prime suspect.

Both girls watched Quinn and his friend laughing and joking around like it was any other day.

Ivy grabbed Hermione's arms when they reached the corridor with the History of Magic classroom and hurriedly whispered, "As soon as the class starts, we are going to run to the A.I.D classroom."

Hermione nodded and hid behind a pillar, waiting for the class to start so that they could sneak into the A.I.D classroom-turned-office.

"Do you know what is behind the glass wall in there?" asked Hermione as they waited.

Ivy shook her and replied, "I tried to ask around, but nobody knows what is behind the glass. Everybody has only ever seen the office part."

Both she and Hermione had only been to the A.I.D office once, but they clearly remembered the glass wall. The glass was heavily frosted, so not much visible through the wall panel.

"Maybe we would find something in there," said Ivy, "There was a door built into the wall, so we know there is something in there."

She was anxious about what they were about to do. The Polyjuice plan didn't cause her this much anxiety because they knew Draco was an idiot. But Quinn West? He was an entirely different ballgame.

Quinn West was a smart person. Ivy could still remember the first time he had warned them about the stone's defenses or when he refused to admit that he had been in the chambers, even though he clearly knew what was inside.

When he caught her, Quinn West exactly knew what he was doing. His words and demeanor reflected his end goal, and that was to bring her under his debt, which he succeeded in doing without breaking a beat.

There always had been a sense of mystery around Quinn West, and today would be the day she would remove the curtain of the mystery away from him.

"Ivy, let's go," she heard Hermione speak, "The class has started."

Hermione's words snapped Ivy out of her thoughts. She looked at the empty corridor and could hear the faint sound of Binn droning about goblins and one of the early rebellions.

"Let's go."

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- (Scene Break) -

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Eddie and Quinn sat side-by-side, a deck of mini cards spread on the table in front of them. The cards were regularly sized, but Quinn had shrunk them to fit on the somewhat narrow table.

The two boys played the game, Concentration, Matching Pairs, Match Match, Match Up, Memory, Pelmanism, Shinkei-suijaku, Pexeso, or anything you wanted to call the game.

The game was simple: all the cards were laid face down on the table, and two cards were flipped face up over each turn. The object of the game is to turn over pairs of matching cards.

"You know you never win this game," whispered Quinn, "Yet, you still challenge me to this every so often. Why is that? You do know that we can play something else instead."

He had his cheek resting on his palm, with his elbow on the table, looking like a standard laid-back fellow.

"One day, I will win against you," said Eddie, flipping over two similar cards, gaining a point for himself, "And when that day comes, victory will be that much sweeter. Oh, Merlin, it will be glorious, and you will rue the day."

A low scoff came from Quinn before he spoke, "The only way you can beat me at this to drug me till I am doozy and then challenge me." He turned a pair of similar cards and gained a point, followed by another identical pair, gaining yet another point for himself.

"Yeah, that is my last option, my plan-Z as to speak," spoke Eddie as he hovered his hand over the cards, deciding which one to flip, "If I don't win till we are in our seventh year, I am going to hand you the dessert you like with tons of potion mixed in and then challenge you to a game."

"...," Quinn stared at his friend with stunned silence, "That won't be a genuine victory, you know?"

"So? It is your fault. Who told you to be so good at this game."

.

- (Scene Break) -

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Ivy and Hermione reached the west corner corridor of the fifth floor. This hallway was where the A.I.D office lived, right on the main corridor, so it was easy to find.

The two girls stood in front of the door to the classroom-turned-office. They stared at it for a few seconds before Hermione took action.

She took out her wand and pointed it at the door lock, "Alohomora," the whisper of the incantation left her mouth accompanied by an invisible spell light to the door lock.

Hermione's eye twitched when the door didn't unlock. She turned to Ivy and spoke, "He has charmed it against the unlocking spell." She bit her lower lip, "Just like professor Flitwick did in the stone's defenses."

"I thought he might do that, so," the redhead put her hands in her robe pocket and revealed a key in her head, "I swiped the key from Filch's key hoop. He has keys to all the rooms in the castle."

The redhead, green-eyed Potter looked proud as she inserted the key into the lock hole and turned it to unlock the door. There was a click before the lock released the door from its bindings.

She held the doorknob and looked at Hermione before pushing the door to enter inside.

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- (Scene Break) -

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Inside the History of Magic classroom, Quinn inhaled a deep breath and sat up straight in his chair, his eye wide open as he stared straight ahead.

The ward on the front door of his office triggered itself. Someone had opened just opened the front door and entered his office.

It was a simple sensory ward used on doors and entrances that warned the caster if someone opened the door and entered. The ward was simple to cast and had a simple yet elegant function, plus the ward had an added hidden ability which made it moderately problematic to detect.

Of course, it did have its disadvantages; the ward once found was easy to dismantle or bypass without the caster's knowledge.

But that didn't matter right now because, with a flash of red on his nape, Quinn felt anger building inside him as someone had just broken into his office.

Quinn didn't know who it was, but that didn't matter.

He hadn't done anything to warrant a spot check from the professors if the intruder was a faculty member. They had no proper justification for going through his stuff.

This was the better scenario because he couldn't do anything drastic against the professors.

But, if it was not a faculty member, which meant it was a student. And if the intruder was indeed a student, then they didn't know what was good for them. Cause there was a f*ing storm going to rain down on their bloody heads.

The red on Quinn's deepened as he thought about the intruder in his office.

'I have to know who it is?' fumed Quinn. He needed to get out of here.

Neither the office nor the workshop had currently any defenses set up that stopped people from going in if they really tried to break in.

He had removed the shock on the doorknob because he was afraid that someone would get shocked while he was not in the office and it might get the professors involved. Even though the A.I.D cards clearly stated if he has in or out of the office, the reality wasn't so ideal and people still showed up when he was not in.

And, around a month ago, he was feeling especially sleepy while he working in the workshop, so he just left for the night by locking the door. Ever since then there had been no magical defenses on the workshop door. Plus, this was a first, no one actually tried to break into his workshop since the time he opened shop, so he might have been lax on security.

Even though there was nothing in the workshop other than some files, he still wanted to go there right now.

He looked to his side at Eddie and whispered, "I am not feeling well. I am going to the hospital wing."

"Now?" asked Eddie as they were in the middle of a class.

Quinn nodded as he packed his book bag and spoke, "Yeah, I am going right now. See you later."

He stood up and directly spoke to Binns. "Professor Binns, I am not feeling well. I am going to the hospital wing."

The ghost of a professor looked at Quinn before nodding. No more words were spoken as Quinn briskly walked outside of the classroom.

As soon as Quinn was out, he immediately pulled out Recon and activated it while walking.

"Fifth floor, west corner, main corridor!" Quinn spoke with raging heat behind his words. Red flashed on his nape.

The Hogwarts tracking map immediately obeyed its master's orders, and the ink on the fabric shifted to show the precise location that Quinn had specified.

With a look from Quinn, the map zoomed and honed on the A.I.D office, and the second he saw two blue dots on the map in his office, his feet stopped, and he came to a halt.

Blue dot meant that the person on the map was a student.

Quinn stared at the text tags above the two blue dots, and his gaze turned into a glare, his face twisting into a fierce expression before every expression drained from his face.

It wasn't occlumency that took expressions away from his face, the look on Quinn's face was an expression of ice-cold anger.

Recon showed two names,

「Ivy Potter」 and 「Hermione Granger」.

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- (Scene Break) -

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Ivy and Hermione looked around the office area of the classroom, and the room was dark with no windows to provide light to the room.

Hermione looked up at the ceiling with her wand raised but saw that there were no chandeliers with ever-burning candles on the roof.

"There are no chandeliers on the roof," she said as her wand tip lit up, "Use the Lumos charm."

Ivy took out her wand, and her wand tip lit up after a murmur of the incantation.

In the light from the two glowing tips of wands, the room revealed itself in the light.

The room had changed from the last time they had been inside. A lot more wall decor on the walls. Odd trinkets that somehow looked right in place in their current arrangements.

The door in the glass wall immediately attracted Ivy's attention, as it was the entrance to a place no one had seen.

"I will go inside there. You try to find if there is anything in here," Ivy said to Hermione and moved towards the door in the glass wall.

She didn't have the key to this door, and the Unlocking charm (Alohomora) didn't unlock the door. The only thing that remained was to break the door down.

She knelt in front of the door and pointed her wand at the door, and took a deep breath.

"Diffindo," she spoke the incantation, and the lower half of the wooden door suddenly had a shallow cut on the in it.

Ivy frowned at the result of her magic. The Severing Charm (Diffindo) was a charm used to precisely and accurately cut something. Her mastery over the spell wasn't at the level where she could cut through the wood in one fell swoop.

She shook her head and cast multiple Severing Charm to create cuts in the outline of a rectangle.

"Ugh!" she silently cursed that the door didn't cut all the way through. Ivy made a decision and sat down on the floor. With both of her feet in front of her body, she kicked the carved outline. The next second, a rectangular chunk of wood broke with a woody snap.

The sudden noise startled Hermione as she snapped her head towards Ivy and exclaimed, "What are you doing?! Why did you break the door?!"

"The door wasn't opening, so I kicked it down." Ivy got on all fours and carefully crawled inside.

"Are you mad?!" screamed Hermione. "West would know someone was here."

"No, he won't," came Ivy's voice from the other side of the door. "A simple Repairing Charm and the door would be back to normal. No one will ever know that the door was broken."

"Oh," came out of Hermione. Not knowing a retort to that. So, she continued to search in the office.

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- (Scene Break) -

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Quinn was fuming in rage as he watched Recon and saw Ivy Potter enter his workshop. He was so angry that his fists were shaking with anger as he moved towards his office.

'How dare they break into my office!' thought Quinn as he stepped on the fifth floor.

Every step of Quinn's feet left a patch of ice on the floor, which instantly evaporated into mist by the next second. The red hue on his nape had become deeper than ever before. And, his magic was now in control of his magic, accidental magic happening with his every step.

'Ivy Potter!' Quinn growled in his mind. 'I helped her out not too long ago, and this is how she repays me?! What gall!'

Quinn's mind wasn't even considering that he was the one to trap and blackmail her. The help he was talking about was to let her go with her owing a debt to him.

The office door finally came into his views, and immediately Recon turned off, folded itself with snappy motions, and flew into Quinn's robes.

Quinn cracked his neck for it to create popping noises.

And, the second he was in touching distance of the door, the wood on the door parted from the middle, thin slivers of wood continuously moved to the side as the wooden door created a space for Quinn to step inside, showing Quinn's skill in transmutation.

All noise disappeared for Quinn as he stepped inside the office through the opening in the door, and the first thing he saw was Hermione looking at the bookshelf behind his desk, reading a book.

He saw her ears perk up from the noise of wood moving aside, but the second she saw Quinn step inside and her eyes widen in shock, darkness overtook her.

Quinn, in the span of two to three seconds, had stunned Hermione Granger. He followed by putting her into a full-body bind and conjured ropes to bind her body.

The conjured ropes felt a tug as they moved with Quinn's wishes, and by using them, Hermione's unconscious body was lifted into the air and carelessly dumped into one of the client chairs.

Quinn's expressionless, angry face turned towards the door in the glass wall which led to his workshop, and he clenched his fist tighter.

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- (Scene Break) -

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Ivy Potter looked at the darkroom, illuminated by the light from her wand tip with wonder. There were a lot of fascinating things in here that she wasn't expecting.

There were a lot of tables, cabinets, and cupboards along the walls. She could see various potion vials behind the glass of the cupboards; there were many potions, and she could see all the rainbow colors.

As she moved around the room, she was tools hung on walls. She could see hammers, picks, measures, grip pliers, blades, try squares, gloves, goggles, scissors, snips, handsaws, and clamps.

When she opened one of the shallow but wide drawers inside it were large sheets of different fabrics. Another similar drawer had distinct qualities and varieties of papers.

She saw tons of different metals and woods in deep drawers. There were in the form of blocks, planks, strips, and even scraps.

When she was walking around, she also found what looked like drafts for the notes that Quinn West had made last year, and surprisingly, there was another set for third-year subjects.

Ivy decided to hurry and opened what looked like a file cabinet and saw a few manila folders. Each had a title on them. She lifted them each to read the titles.

...

「Project: Watch」

「Project: Vaults (Overview)」

「Project: Fax」

「Project: Edison」

「Project: Engraver」

「Project: Icebox」

「Project: Noir」

「Project: Drone-Vision」

...

But Ivy couldn't even manage to open the manilla folders as they were sealed, and they didn't unseal with the use of Finite, so she had to put all of them back into the cabinet with frustration.

It was at that point when she heard a thump and on the other side of the door.

"Hermione, did you find something," she said as she looked at more stuff, "There is a lot of weird stuff in here."

She froze when she heard the sound of a door opening with a creak.

Ivy Potter turned on instinct, and the last thing Ivy saw before darkness took over her was the face of Quinn West staring at her from the door that she had previously broken.

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-*-*-*-*-*-

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Blue - _ L O T _ -- A C _ D _ _

Pink - _ U S _ -- L _ X U _ I _

Red - W R A T H -- I R A

Yellow - _ _ E E _ -- _ _ A _ I T I _

Violet - _ R I _ E -- S _ P E _ B _ _

Green - _ N V _ -- I _ V I _ I _

Orange - _ L _ T T _ N _ -- _ U L _

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-*-*-*-*-*-

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Quinn West - Owner of A.I.D - Anger, Rage, Fury.

Hermione Granger - Infiltrator #1 - Covers the front office.

Ivy Potter - Infiltrator #2 - Covers the back workshop.

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-*-*-*-*-*-

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The link is also in the synopsis.

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Ivy Potter groggily opened her eyes and saw herself staring at her lap because her neck wasn't supporting her head. She groaned and tried to lift her head, but maybe because she wasn't completely awake, she ended up throwing her head back and found herself staring straight up.

The redhead squinted because of the bright light on the ceiling, and her dilated pupils couldn't let so much light into her eyes, causing her to squint so that her eyes could adjust themselves. Of course, the green-eyed girl wasn't thinking about any of this and just ended up groaning because of the bright light going into her eye.

Her head swiveled to the side to remove her line of sight from the direct contact to the bright light, and when her eyes acclimated to the light, she saw her friend Hermione.

Ivy's eyes opened wide when she saw Hermione's hands and torso tied to the chair she was sitting in with ropes.

"Hermione!" she called out and tried to leave her chair to free her friend, but when her hands didn't move, she looked at her own body and saw ropes around her torso, forearms, and she could feel ropes binding her legs together.

"What in the bloody-" shock could be heard from her voice as she struggled against the ropes while simultaneously tried to wake up her friend. "Hermione, wake up! Hermione!"

Her words seemed to work as the bushy-haired brunette groaned and moved her head, showing signs of regaining consciousness.

Hermione went through the same routine as Ivy and panicked a little when she felt her body bound to the chair she was sitting on.

She struggled against her bindings until she finally heard Ivy's voice.

"Hermione!"

When she looked to her right, she saw Ivy similarly bounder to a chair, just like her.

"Ivy!" exclaimed Hermione, immediately feeling a little better to see her friend with her, "What happened? How did this happen?"

"I don't know," Ivy replied. She tried to think back to what happened before she was knocked out, and her eyes widened as she remembered. "It was Wes-."

"You two seem lively."

That sentence cut Ivy off, and both girls stilled when they heard the words spoke in a grave tone.

The girls finally looked to the front and saw the grand table in front of them. On the table, they saw two hands resting on it. When their eyes looked up, they saw that the rest of the person was hidden in the dark, and they could only make out the person's silhouette.

"You two are either really brave or extremely stupid to break into my office," said the person.

The two girls immediately knew who the person was, and a moment later, it was confirmed as a light shone from the ceiling, illuminating the person sitting behind the table.

Quinn West was staring at them with an apathetic look.

If Ivy and Hermione weren't panicking, they would have noticed that the light in the room wasn't yellow but white, and it wasn't coming from a type of everlasting candles like it usually did in magical places.

A light bulb in Hogwarts? That question would have been their first thought. But right now, all their attention was on Quinn West staring at them.

"It has been maybe five minutes since I stunned and bound both of you," started Quinn, placing a pocket watch on the table. It was a silver timepiece with roman numerals written on black with blue for indicating time. The mechanism was exposed in the center. The hour, minute, and second hand were a similar blue, with the clock mechanism made of a golden material.

"I gave myself five minutes to calm down before I spoke to you two," he continued, "But believe me when I say that those five minutes didn't help much. I am pretty much at the same level of anger I was before."

Ivy and Hermione felt the ropes around them tighten a smidge. Both girls fidgeted in their seats.

"So, I will give you some free advice that will help you here," he leaned forward. "Don't lie, don't bullshit, don't give me some lame excuses. I want to know why did you guys break into my office."

After that, he went quiet and simply stared at them like he was waiting for an answer.

Ivy and Hermione looked at each other and communicated with their eyes before they came to a decision which was to remain quiet.

But the second they decided to remain silent, Quinn spoke up.

"Not saying isn't an option. You will be in deep trouble if you don't speak up," Quinn warned. "Don't force my hand because it won't end well for both of you."

Quinn reached into his robes and took out two wands: Ivy's and Hermione's wands.

"The Reverse Spell, Prior Incantato is a charm that forces the wand to create an echo of spells that were performed through it," he explained while he put the wands on the table, and they stood up straight, pointing towards the ceiling.

"I tried it out and found that both of you used Alohomora recently, which means you tried to open my office door," Quinn stared right into their eyes as he spoke. "I have charmed my door against the unlocking charm, which means you most probably have the key, and only Filch has duplicate keys to all rooms. So I am confident to deduce that you girls stole the key from the caretaker."

"That is one strike against you guys. Stealing from the staff," he looked at them and scoffed. "And, I thought you would learn your lesson. What would McGonagall think when I reveal these adventures to them."

Ivy felt heat rush to her face because of the humiliation she was experiencing.

"Let's talk about Ms. Potter," Quinn continued. "You used Diffindo: the cutting spell for damaging my other door and then forced your way through..." Quinn looked at the broken door to his left and spoke, "... by kicking the weakened wood."

"That, my pitiful intruders, is what you call the destruction of personal property. I crafted that door by myself, it is not the school's property," Quinn spoke with a leveled voice. "The second strike."

"For the last strike, I am going to use the Polyjuice incident," Ivy's and Hermione's eyes widened with those words. "Ms. Granger was stuck in the hospital wing for weeks before the mishap passed, so we clearly established that she brewed the Polyjuice potion. Madam Pomfrey would attest to that."

"The ingredients stolen from Professor Snape's storage were for multiple doses of the potion. Believe me, I checked, but you already know that, don't you?" he scoffed once again. "So, if I spin my story right and bring in Draco Malfoy, he will gladly tell that his two companions, Crabbe and Goyle, were acting very suspiciously that day."

Quinn put his hand on his chest and talked, "Plus, my own account about catching Ivy Potter as Daphne Greengrass would be very damning. The Professors would believe me because first, I am a model student. And second, I have the high ground here. I will bury you guys into the ground."

He had one more card, and that was Prefect Percy Weasley meeting the two Polyjuiced Gryffindor while they were disguised, but because he was busy blackmailing Ivy at that time, he wasn't sure if that event happened.

Quinn tapped his table with his right-hand index finger and asked, "Now tell me why you are here, or else I would have you guys in deep trouble."

Ivy gritted her teeth in humiliation, frustration, panic, and slight fear. She didn't want to say anything, but when she thought that Ron, Harry, and Hermione would get in trouble because of her, she spat out.

"I thought you opened the Chamber of Secrets," she sounded defeated. "I thought you were the Heir of Slytherin."

The answer bought the anger in Quinn to a still. He, for a moment, didn't know what to think. Quinn had assumed that the two were here to get back at him for blackmailing Ivy.

If he wasn't so angry, Quinn would have used legilimency on Hermione to dig out the information, but the red spot on his nape was so dark that Quinn wasn't thinking straight out of rage.

But, the bewildered feeling didn't last long before anger returned, and he pounded on the table.

"Why in the shitty world would you think that?!" he yelled at the two girls, who recoiled because of the loud shout.

Ivy, who didn't like the shouting, snapped back with her reasoning.

"You are famous for staying out after curfew. And no prefect, teacher, ghost, or even portraits have seen you outside after the curfew, despite that, everyone knows you roam outside," she explained, "So, I thought you were looking for the Chamber of Secrets last year and found it. And, this year, you released it upon the school."

"Oh, come on!" Quinn rolled his eyes, "So, now anyone who breaks curfew is the Heir of Slytherin. I thought you were, I don't know, what is the word, SMART?! What kind of idiotic reasoning is that?!"

The redhead glared at her capturer and bit back, "Then what about our conversation when I was Polyjuiced into Daphne?! Everything from your first words to me there was a test to see if I was the real deal or not. How did you even assume that I wasn't the real one?! I thought that Heir of Slytherin could recognize Slytherin students."

Quinn made a face that could only be described as 'I am looking at stupid.'

"I taught Daphne and Tracey for a week, plus I have known them since last year and as I told you, my memory is excellent. I knew you weren't Daphne because even though you looked like her, spoke like her, and even your expression was on point, you didn't walk like Daphne. You didn't have the feel of Daphne Greengrass. She has a really refined way of holding herself, and the moment I saw you, I was sure that you weren't the real deal."

Even though Quinn was angry, it was righteous anger, so he was able to lie right through his teeth and speak the bullshit about posture and gait, which, even though true, Quinn didn't notice at first glance.

Ivy, on the other hand, was feeling angry at being captured. Plus, she just heard Quinn imply she wasn't as refined as Daphne Greengrass.

"Then what about your expression during the time when Mrs. Norris got petrified? You looked relieved, and I saw it clearly, so don't deny it!"

Quinn was taken aback at that. He didn't think that someone was paying attention to him when there were more shocking things to see like, words written in blood on the wall and a possibly dead cat.

"I thought the bloody cat was dead and was relieved that it wasn't a student!" Quinn fought back with his reasoning. "Come on."

He looked at Hermione and asked, "Don't tell me she convinced you with this kind of clearly idiotic reasoning! I expected better from you, Ms. Granger."

Ivy felt more pissed from that and yelled, "Oh yeah?! Then what about the ring that you are wearing? What is the deal with that? It is clearly some kind of artifact. It is abnormally eye-catching for a normal ring. I am sure that it controls the Slytherin's monster."

Quinn laughed a laugh full of mocking, "Oh my god, you are clearly dumber than your brother. I can't believe I made a mistake judging a person."

Hermione, who was on the side, wasn't sure how to feel. She sat in a chair, bound by ropes, as she looked back and forth between her best friend and her captor. Those two were exchanging words with each other, as she didn't exist at all.

Don't get her wrong, she didn't want Quinn West to yell and mock her, but being completely ignored when she sat just an eye glance away was a little bit hurtful.

As she looked at the two yelling at each other, and even though their conversation was mainly Quinn shut down Ivy's accusations, Hermione thought they would get along in another setting.

Quinn stopped laughing mockingly at Ivy as he raised his left hand with the gold ring on his middle finger and pointed at it with his other hand, "This ring you so stupidly think is a monster controlling artifact isn't actually a ring at all!"

Ivy and Hermione frowned at those words.

"Look carefully," as Quinn said that the ring disappeared from his finger. "Now, both of you, look at your left hands."

The two girls looked at their hands, and two pairs of eyes widened as they saw identical gold rings on their middle fingers.

"The ring was an illusion made from illusion magic that I have been keeping up the entire year," Quinn explained. "And the reason it is so eye-catching is that I made it so it would catch eyes." [A/N - 1]

He rubbed his temple as he continued, "It is a way for me to practice magic. If the ring was eye-catching and noticeable, then more people would stare at it, and that would increase the difficulty as the eyes stay at the illusion longer and increase the probability of someone figuring out the illusion."

Ivy opened her mouth a couple of times, but she couldn't think of anything to say. Plus, when she looked at her finger, she didn't know what to say. She could clearly see the ring, but there was no feeling of metal against her skin. This clearly was the sign that the gold ring was an illusion.

Quinn was now feeling too tired to be feeling angry. He was exhausted from all the yelling and feeling furious.

'Ugh, this a stool, why couldn't it be a chair with a back to it,' Quinn sighed as a faint blue color graced his nape.

He looked at the two bound girls and thought what to do with them when an intensely deep shade of yellow. Quinn suddenly took a deep breath before his eyes become laser-focused.

"I will confirm this from my side," Quinn spoke. "I am not the Heir of Slytherin, and I didn't open the Chamber of Secrets. I have no relation to the incidents happening."

"Plus, if I was the Heir of Slytherin," he smirked and slackly pointed at the two girls. "You two would be dead by now."

Ivy and Hermione felt a chill go down their spines as they thought about the scenario. Quinn had stunned them without breaking a sweat, and if he was the Heir of Slytherin, they might not have woken up.

"If we don't return, you would be in big trouble," Ivy tried to bluff in case Quinn tried something. "I have told Harry and Ron that we would be coming here, and if we don't return, they would know where to find us."

The bluff didn't even stand up for a single second.

"No, they don't. Given Harry Potter's and Ronald Weasley's personalities, they would have been jumped me by now."

Ivy's lips twitched at the swift reply.

"I will tell you the thoughts which are in my head right now. Right now, nothing will give me more satisfaction to throw you guys to the wolves and see them chew you out. Believe me, it will make me very, very happy," Red flashed momentarily before the yellow came back. "But, that won't do me any good in the long term, and I really like the long-term game. So, I going to do you both a favor."

He interlocked his fingers and spoke to Ivy, "Ms. Potter, I will offer the same deal as before. I am willing to forget this slight behavior action of yours if you owe me big time." He glanced at Hermione and added, "The same goes for you, Ms. Granger."

He turned back to Ivy and continued, "Before this, I wasn't going to make you do anything uncomfortable when I cash in what you owe me, but this time..." Ivy felt suddenly felt nervous at Quinn's words. "... With what you just did, be ready for being forced into some really uncomfortable situations in the future because I will not hold back. And, don't even think about getting out of this anytime soon because you messed up big time."

Quinn looked at the two and spoke.

"So, what is your decision? Just know that if you accept now and refuse responsibility later, I would make your lives miserable," he paused for effect before speaking. "And, I assure you, you will regret every moment, so think carefully. You can accept my proposition and get a chance to escape the consequences of your actions, or you can go down now as I involve the professors and really stack the cards against you. And even if somehow you got away with a slap on your wrist, I will start a campaign to ruin your reputation among the students."

When Quinn was done speaking, he raised the fake wand for the first time since entering the office and waved it so that the two chairs of his captives were close to each other. Quinn was allowing them to have a private conversation by whispering to each other.

But he did sneakily sent a probe into Hermione's unprotected mind to monitor her thoughts.

The thoughts and emotions were pretty standard ones like fear, nervousness, unwillingness, and some hopelessness. But added to that was the quick-thinking nature of Hermione Granger, she was thinking about the pro and cons of the situation, and Quinn was happy to see that she considered taking the deal would be better than to let it go to the professors.

After a minute of muffled conversation, Ivy spoke up with unwillingness apparent in his voice.

"We accept," the answer was brief as she didn't want to speak anything else to Quinn.

Quinn nodded and pointed his wand at the broken workshop door.

"Are you sure? Because the second I repair the door, the deal would be set in stone. The second I release the spell, you both would be under my debt. I will not listen to words like we changed our minds, and if I did hear those words, then the response would be welcome to hell, and I hope you hate your stay."

Hermione nodded with a defeated sigh, "Yes, we agree."

"Good," said Quinn as he waved his wand and spoke the incantation. The broken part of the door floated back to the main body, and all three people saw the door repair itself back to its form before it was brutally smashed.

"The deal is set," smiled Quinn, feeling good about increasing his influence upon the brains of the golden squad.

Hermione and Ivy looked down at their bodies and watched the ropes loosen before vanishing into the nothingness.

"You guys are free to go, and please take your wands," said Quinn, once again feeling some mental exhaustion, plus his throat was a little sore.

Ivy carefully extended her hand and took hold of her's and Hermione's wand before handing her friend her wand.

The two girls looked up before they stood up, ready to leave.

As Ivy turned around, she had a random thought and recalled Quinn's words the first time she had come here.

'Information is always available at the right price.'

She didn't know what possessed, but she turned back and bluntly asked,

"What can you tell me about the Slytherin's monster and Chamber of Secrets?"

Hermione was about to say something, but Ivy clasped her hand to stop her from talking.

Quinn made a face and said, "Didn't we just go through this whole farce? I am not the Heir of Slythe-"

Ivy cut him by asking, "I am asking for information about it," she took a breath before saying. "I am employing your services. I am willing to pay."

Quinn would be lying if he said that this didn't surprise him. He wasn't expecting this question from Ivy at this moment, and he let it show on his face.

If Ivy wasn't completely serious, she would have felt the triumph of surprising Quinn, but right now, she wanted an answer.

A vain violet flashed, and Quinn decided to go for it, showing that he indeed knew everything. He stared at the redhead girl before saying, "Give me a minute."

He stood up, entered his workshop, and returned with a sheet of paper in his hand. He put the sheet of paper upside down on his office table and gestured them to sit.

When the girls sat down, Quinn spoke up, "The price for this information is simple. I want you to get me the Marauder's Map."

Ivy's eyes widened when she heard the word Marauder came out of Quinn's mouth.

Quinn caught the look of recognition in Ivy's expression, "You know about them; they are related to you."

"Yes," Ivy nodded. "But, I have no idea what is the Marauder's Map."

It didn't surprise Quinn that she didn't know about it. The original map was confiscated from the creators years ago. It wasn't exaggerating to say they thought it didn't survive. [A/N - 2]

"You will find it with the Weasley twins," informed Quinn. "Get it to me before the end of this year. Do you agree?"

Ivy thought about it before agreeing.

"I will get it for you."

"Good," Quinn smiled, "Remember, it is the Marauder's Map."

He opened a drawer in his table and took out a parchment roll, a pot of ink, and a quill.

"Copy the content in your handwriting. You aren't to tell anyone that you got the information from me," said Quinn. He didn't want any physical connecting it to him. "I have written the sources of everything I am giving you. You can find everything in the Hogwarts library. So, nothing comes back to me."

Ivy nodded before hurriedly flipping the paper and reading the contents with Hermione.

The girls were shocked to see the answer.

"Basilisk?"

"Uh-huh," spoke Quinn, "Salazar Slytherin was a Parseltongue, so I made an assumption that it would be a serpentine creature. Did a little digging, and the Basilisk was sitting right there. Plus, all the roosters are dead."

Hermione frowned and read the contents, "Basilisk has a murderous stare, and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death. The students who were targeted aren't dead."

"None of them saw the Basilisk's eyes directly," explained Quinn, "Mrs. Norris, the cat, had a puddle of water near where we found it. Colin Creevy saw it through the viewfinder of his camera. Justin Finch-Fletchley saw it through Nearly Headless Nick's ghost body, and the ghost can't die because he is already dead. And, finally, Susanna Hesleden, the latest victim, saw it in the bathroom mirror."

"So, even though they didn't die, everyone still got petrified," Quinn ominously smiled, "So, when you go out, remember to look around the bends through mirrors because petrification is much better than death."

Ivy and Hermione felt cold go down their bodies at the words and that scary smile.

As Ivy started to write everything down, Hermione asked, "What about the Chamber of Secrets?"

Quinn glanced at her and said, "You would have to ask Moaning Myrtle about it. Just ask how she died and lead from there." Quinn had actually talked to the dead girl, so the information really came from her, and it covered him from all bases.

After the girls were done with copying the contents, they stood up and proceeding to leave. No goodbyes or even looks were exchanged. The two parties weren't on friendly terms after what happened in the room.

When the two girls walked to the door, Quinn waved his finger and made some slight changes.

The Gryffindor girls closed the door behind them, and when Ivy looked back at the door, she saw a plaque with the 「773H」written on it.

Ivy frowned as the plaque wasn't there when they entered, "Hermione, was this here before?"

Hermione turned her attention from the paper, thinking that she needed to conjure some mirrors to look around the corners. She looked at the plaque, and it immediately understood the wording.

"Read it backward and upside down," said Hermione.

Ivy tilted her head and thought about the wording backward and upside down.

"HELL," she spoke. It was just like their experience just now. It was hell for them, and they only escaped from it by making a deal with the devil.

Inside the office, Quinn smiled as if he could see through the door and stare at the two lambs, who just lost their souls to the devil.

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Blue - S L O T H -- A C E D I A

Pink - _ U S _ -- L _ X U _ I _

Red - W R A T H -- I R A

Yellow - _ _ E E _ -- _ _ A _ I T I _

Violet - P R I D E -- S U P E R B I A

Green - _ N V _ -- I _ V I _ I _

Orange - _ L _ T T _ N _ -- _ U L _

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Quinn West - MC - Devil in the office.

Ivy Potter - Lamb #1 - Has guts to do business after all that.

Hermione Granger - Lamb #2 - Sidelined during the whole ordeal.

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[

A/N [1: It goes two ways. It attracted the attention of many people, and then it attracted the reader's attention... if you get what I mean.

A/N [2:

So my reasoning behind downplaying Marauders is because first, it was something they called themselves in school. I mean, who carries their school group name to their adulthood.

Second, one Marauder betrayed them by defecting to the other side, and led to the death of one member's (James) parents to die protecting the Potter Twins. Plus, it is said that Sirius was always welcome to the Potter house, which meant he was also close to the Potter parents. That is the parental figure of at least two members... dead.

So, I don't think they would like to call themselves Marauders in their adulthood because it would bring bad memories.

At least, that is my reasoning. Tell me what do you guys think.

A/N [3: Longest Chapter yet! YEET!

]

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The link is also in the synopsis.

.

-*-*-*-*-*-

.

Quinn stayed in his office for a while after Hermione and Ivy left his office. Thinking about what had happened in the last few minutes.

At first, Quinn was dead set on getting them into trouble. The only motive in his mind was to catch them, force them to reveal what they were doing, and then throw them to the professors. He was ready to throw his family's weight around if Dumbledore tried to pull some favoritism bullshit.

But, as he talked to them and Ivy Potter told him she suspected him of being the Heir of Slytherin, it stunned Quinn, shocked at the idiocy, and while it didn't extinguish his anger, it did lower it to a level where he didn't want them to get into trouble.

So, he decided to suck Ivy Potter and Hermione Granger into the quagmire of debt. He gave them an option, to do whatever the hell he wanted from them, with no questions asked. It was always good to have favors saved in the bank for later use.

But, the thing that happened next was the most surprising. Ivy Potter asked him for information; it dazed him for a moment. Typically, he wouldn't have given that type of information, but something in him wanted to impress, so he dished out the information.

Now that he sat, Ivy Potter's actions impressed. She was resourceful and quick to act, and if forced to admit, quite daring.

The last thing at the door was just theatrics to solidify an impression. And a way of warning them not to try something that they would regret.

His payment for the information was to get the Marauder's Map. He could have gotten the map by himself, but he felt it would be less work for him if he outsourced the acquisition of the map to someone familiar with the current owners.

As for what he wanted from the map? He just wanted to check something out, and then the map would be returned back. His Recon was better than the Marauder's Map. He had no desire to possess the Marauder's Map.

"Alright, let's leave," muttered Quinn, stood up, and after giving the office one last look, Quinn exited the office, looking in behind him, resetting the sensory ward on the door.

Quinn had a free hour, so he decided to walk to the kitchen and grab something to eat. He was hungry after all the shouting he did.

Quinn walked down the grand staircase and was on a moving staircase climbing down.

As he was halfway through the staircase, he saw a fifth-year Slytherin student also coming up the stairs from the ground floor.

'Terence Higgins,' identified Quinn as he looked at the older student. It made him wonder what Terence Higgins was doing here, but he had just crossed the entrance to the grand staircase, so Quinn assumed the Slytherin was going there.

Ravenclaw and Slytherin met eyes while they were on their respective staircase. Quinn saw an apathetic look from the Slytherin, and Terence saw the same expression from the Ravenclaw.

The two climbed up/down their sets of stairs without a single word to each other. The two did glance at each other from the corner of their eyes.

Quinn paused his steps, and he didn't know why but Terence Higgins attracted his attention. He turned back to look at the Slytherin student and saw that Terence was also staring back at him. The two stared at each other; none of the two blinked or removing their eyes from each other and maintained firm eye contact.

Terence Higgins seemed satisfied with the stare-down, turned back, and walked away from Quinn.

Quinn's eyes lingered on the Slytherin for a moment longer before he similarly turned away and walked away.

'Terence Higgins,' thought Quinn. 'He seemed interesting.'

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- (Scene Break) -

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After having a hearty meal, Quinn neared the Ravenclaw common room. His belly was full and happy, and with a soft smile on his face, he reached near the common room and caught the sight of a prefect standing near the corridor which led to the entrance. Quinn wasn't going to greet the prefect and just walk into the common room, but the prefect called out to him.

"West," the prefect called, "There is an emergency curfew until further notice. Professor Flitwick said that no one is to remain outside."

Quinn's legs stopped and turned towards the prefect, "Oh? Why is that?"

"The Slytherin's monster struck again," he explained. "They found Hermione Granger petrified near the library, and Ivy Potter is missing."

She leaned in and whispered, "The Heir of Slytherin left another message, right underneath the first one." There was a pause before she spoke the message, "Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever."

The gears in Quinn's mind moved at a rapid speed as he connected the dots.

'They must have gone to the library to verify the information.' Quinn had given references, so it wasn't a wild assumption. 'And the Heir of Slytherin attacked.'

Quinn looked at the prefect and nodded, "Thanks for the hard work. I will go to the common room right away."

The prefect nodded, and Quinn left, but the moment the prefect turned her back, Quinn disappeared out of sight.

Quinn, who made himself invisible and silenced his footsteps, looked at the prefect and cast magic.

The Ravenclaw prefect was on the guard/guide duty saw a rubber ball bounce in front of her, and it bounced away to a bend. She furrowed her brows and walked to the bend in the corridor, but when she looked, the ball wasn't anywhere to be seen.

She felt something, causing her to turn back. The result was the same, and there was nothing to be seen.

And for Quinn? He was already far away from the prefect and was walking towards Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

The magic he used on the prefect was illusion magic. The rubber ball was an auditory and visual illusion to draw the prefect away from the direction he was going. And the slight presence near her back was just a tactile sensation of wind brushing against to make her look towards the common room so she wouldn't notice the invisible Quinn is he was slightly noticeable while walking.

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- (Scene Break) -

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Moaning Myrtle's bathroom was a second-floor girls' lavatory. It was situated right above the Great Hall. Myrtle Warren's death had caused the restroom to be placed out of order, not functioning as a typical restroom since the tragedy.

When Quinn entered the lavatory, still invisible and the sound of his clothes and shoes silenced, his eyes shined when he saw the vast hole in one stall.

'He is already in,' thought Quinn. By 'he' Quinn meant Harry Potter as he was sure that Voldemort would know more about the Chamber and would close the tunnel down.

The invisible boy wasted no time and jumped right into the pipe tunnel. It was like rushing down an endless, slimy, dark slide. He could see more pipes branching off in all directions, but none as broad as his, which twisted and turned, sloping steeply downward, and knew that he was falling deeper below the school than even the dungeons.

Quinn held himself back from screaming out of part excitement and part fear at the sheer length of the slide ride.

The second Quinn exited the tunnel, he came across a nervously fidgeting Ron Weasley in his spot. The redhead Weasley was repeatedly glancing at the path going inside.

Seeing that, Quinn frowned and immediately sent a mental probe into Ron's mind and found why he was standing here.

The gist of the situation from Ron's mind was that they found the information on Hermione just like the canon. Harry, just like the canon, figured out the location, and he did it in almost instantly.

'This Harry Potter is smarter,' Quinn remarked in his mind. 'But...'

The part different from canon was that Harry and Ron came down here alone, without Lockhart or any professor at all.

'He might be smarter, but coming here alone was dumb.' Quinn didn't even think that he, too, had come here alone with no assistance.

Harry had told Ron to wait here and if he didn't return in an hour, go and call someone. Ron had tried to refuse and accompany him, but Harry had convinced his best mate to stay here.

Quinn moved along, leaving behind Ron Weasley, who didn't know that someone had passed by without him knowing.

After walking on the path, Quinn reached a bend, and when he turned on it, he saw a solid wall with a circular hole in it.

'Alright, this is it,' thought Quinn and just stood there. He stood near the circular hole and tried to listen to any noise coming from inside. Quinn had no intention to go inside till he got some confirmation that it was safe to go inside.

Harry Potter might have survived the Basilisk without any counter to the Basilisk's death gaze, but Quinn West wasn't taking any chances.

After a while and a few rumbles and tremors, Quinn finally heard a yell.

"NO!" Quinn heard from who he thought was Riddle screaming. "LEAVE THE BIRD! LEAVE THE BIRD! THE BOY IS BEHIND YOU! YOU CAN STILL SMELL HIM! KILL HIM!"

"Alright, that is the cue," Quinn whispered as he just heard Riddle scream at the Basilisk to find Harry by smell, which meant that the Basilisk was blind. "Good riddance to the death glare."

Walking inside, Quinn saw towering stone pillars entwined with more carved serpents rose to support a ceiling lost in darkness, casting long, black shadows through the odd, greenish gloom that filled the place. After crossing the hallway slowly, taking his time, not hurrying at all, cruising along the path as he heard more shouts and some phoenix singing, he finally saw the giant face statue, the mouth open.

He would have spent time just watching the face statue, but his eyes were stuck on the enormous green-scaled body of the Basilisk. As Quinn walked closer, he saw Harry Potter half-sitting, supporting his body with the stone wall behind.

But, Harry Potter was unconscious. Fawkes the phoenix cried some tears on Harry Potter's wounds.

"You're dead, Harry Potter," said Riddle's specter. "Dead. Even Dumbledore's bird knows it. Do you see what he's doing, Potter? He's crying."

He ignored the specter for a second and paid attention to Harry Potter. He could see the pained expression on Harry's face ease, but the boy-who-lived was still unconscious.

Fawkes stopped crying, and then there was a bright flash of fire, and the majestic turkey bird turned into ash.

'Burning day?' exclaimed Quinn. From the ashes, a baby phoenix poked its head out. The newly born bird, who was really ugly, and looked like a decrepit-looking, half-plucked turkey, glared at the specter of Tom Riddle with its young eyes.

Burning Day was the name of the day in which a Phoenix burst into flame and was reborn from the ashes.

'What a sucky timing,' Quinn shook his head. This event was different from the canon, as Fawkes' burning day was much before the current day.

"I am impressed that you managed to kill the Basilisk with the help of the dumb bird. I wasn't expecting to lose the Basilisk today," Riddle's specter smirked and chuckled as he looked at the unconscious body of Harry Potter. "But, it doesn't matter. In a few minutes, I will return to this world of the living."

"It is a pity that even with the phoenix's tears, you won't be able to leave here alive."

He turned to look at the face statue of Salazar Slytherin, "I will make my ancestor proud and return the name of Slytherin back to its intended glory. And it will start with the sacrifice of the boy-who-lived and his sister. My future self somehow died by his hand, and today I will take revenge."

The specter looked back to the body of Harry Potter, intending to finish the boy, but his brows furrowed when he saw a stone dome over the place where the diminutive phoenix sat.

"It is really a pity," specter-Tom heard a voice from his back. He turned back to see a boy standing as he looked down at his host and the petrified body of Ivy Potter. "You came really close to coming back to life, you know? Really close."

Specter-Tom Riddle clutched Harry Potter's wand in his hand, the wand which was the sister to his own.

"You..." he peered at the boy. "You are Quinn West." He knew about the boy, the so-called smartest of his age. And the owner of the weird consultation of his in Hogwarts.

Quinn looked down at the host of Tom Riddle's diary-Horcrux.

"Terence Higgins," Quinn spoke. "So, I found Tom Riddle possessing you interesting and not the guy itself. I didn't see that coming."

Quinn looked at the specter that was a soul-split molded into Horcrux.

Specter-Riddle saw Quinn raise his hand towards him, and the next second he found the wand flying from his hand into the air before it paused for a second in the air and rushed into Quinn's hand.

"Wandless magic!" specter-Riddle exclaimed at the magic.

"Yup," Quinn smiled as he fiddled with the wand. "I am pretty good at it... Why am I being modest? You are going to be dead shortly. I am really good at it."

"Me, Dead?" specter-Riddle laughed, but his eyes were eyeing Quinn critically. The boy had come out of nowhere and had just taken the wand from him.

"Of course," he replied as he moved towards the Basilisk head while putting gloves on his hands. "A Horcrux doesn't mean immortality, you know?"

Specter-Riddle's eyes sharply narrowed as he growled, "How did you know?"

Quinn smirked as he put his hand on one of the Basilisk fangs and pulled it out in one fell swoop.

"You have been here for the entire year," Quinn said as he appraised the venomous fang. "So, you must have heard about my consultation service. I am an information dealer, so of course, I know what is happening in my territory."

Scepter-Riddle started to feel nervous as he saw the boy move towards his diary/container with the fang in his hand.

"What are you doing?" Scepter-Tom yelled and followed after Quinn, "Answer me!"

"Do you know that Basilisk venom can destroy Horcruxes? It is quite ironic, you know, Basilisk and Horcruxes were Herpo the Foul's creations." He stood on top of the diary-Horcrux and grinned towards the Horcrux projection, "He created magic that wouldn't allow him to die, but at the same time, he created something that could destroy said magic."

The projection glared at Quinn, and immediately Quinn felt a mental attack hit against his shields.

Red, violet, and green hues switched on Quinn's nape before settling on the green. He pursed his lips before smiling, "It won't work, that mental attack. I have shields powerful enough to deflect the attack. But, I have to say, you are better than me at legilimency. I can't induce mental pain with mental attacks yet. I haven't reached that far yet."

Specter-Riddle didn't speak and shot out a scarlet jet of magic towards Quinn, but it met an invisible shield before it could reach Quinn.

"It is useless," Quinn's soft voice reached the specter. "You aren't my match without a wand, and even if you had a wand, I still would have crushed you."

A farewell smile graced Quinn's lips as he spoke, "So, Tom Riddle, or as you like to be called, Lord Voldemort, it is a farewell. Goodbye." All the while, Specter-Riddle kept shooting low-level spells at Quinn, but Quinn's shield defended against them without taking a major load.

Quinn seized the basilisk fang and plunged it straight into the heart of the book.

There was a long, dreadful, piercing scream. Ink spurted out of the diary in torrents, streaming over Quinn's gloved hands, flooding the floor. Riddle was writhing and twisting, screaming and flailing, and then the specter was gone.

Silence except for the steady drip of ink still oozing from the diary. The basilisk venom had burned a sizzling hole right through it.

Then came a faint moan from the end of the Chamber. Quinn looked up to see Terence Higgins stirring up and immediately sent a stunning charm towards the waking up Slytherin, knocking him out. Quinn didn't want anyone else to see him here.

"I have to move quickly," murmured Quinn and hurried towards the Basilisk and took out six vials from his robes, and with a twitch of magic, the vials expanded into their original size. The original vials had quite a large volume.

One by one, the beaker vials were placed below the fangs. Quinn focused his magic on the muscle that released the venom from the secondary venom ducts in the fangs and exerted a lot of magic to milk out the Basilisk venom.

He completely filled the six big beaker vials with venom, and Quinn was sure that there still was a lot of Basilisk venom in the venom sac.

"Hot damn," Quinn expressed his admiration. "Basilisk body sure is magic resistance. Even the inside is quite tough." He had forced a lot of magic on the muscles that pushed the venom out of the fangs.

After retrieving the lids for the special beakers, Quinn transmuted the caps on the beaker vials to create six closed cylinders. His eyes flashed with delight as he saw the six full vials, yellow briefly flashing on his nape.

"This is more than enough," nodded Quinn. He currently had no plans for the venom other than to use it to destroy the Horcruxes. Even one of these vials was way too much for destroying all the remaining Horcruxes.

Quinn stared at the Basilisk smelly mouth. A yellow flashed on his nape, and he broke a dozen fangs from the Basilisk. Eying the fangs with a captivated look. The fangs were wrapped into thick bundles of cloth and then pocketed into Quinn's robes.

Looking around, Quinn took in the scene and smiled. "Not bad for a day's work. Not bad at all."

His eyes saw the petrified Ivy Potter and muttered, "You better come back to normal. I want that payment paid to me this year."

Quinn turned invisible and walked away from the ordeal without looking back, not forgetting to vanish the stone dome from over the ugly baby bird.

If he wasn't in stealth mode, Quinn would have hummed a song in joy.

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Blue - S L O T H -- A C E D I A

Pink - _ U S _ -- L U X U R I A

Red - W R A T H -- I R A

Yellow - G R E E D -- _ _ A _ I T I _

Violet - P R I D E -- S U P E R B I A

Green - _ N V _ -- I _ V I _ I A

Orange - _ L _ T T _ N _ -- G U L A

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Quinn West - MC - Basilisks, gone~! Horcrux, gone~! Venom, have it all~!

Specter-Riddle - Horcrux - Ooooh, he dead. So dead.

Harry Potter - Basilisk Slayer - Props to the dude.

Fawkes - Pheonix - Going from big-beautiful turkey to baby-ugly turkey.

Ivy Potter - Petrified - Even when turned to stone, her creditor wants the payment - Pitiful.

Terence Higgins - Slytherin - Random dude victim to Lucius Malfoy's decision.

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-*-*-*-*-*-

.

[

Webnovel has been 'shadowbanning' comments recently. This means that any comment that contains profanities in any form, will be automatically deleted.

So, if you are commenting with curses and profanities, censor a single letter or get creative.

]

.

If you have any ideas regarding the magic you want to see in this fiction or want to offer some ideas regarding the progression. Move onto the DISCORD Server and blast those ideas.

The link is in the synopsis!

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The link is also in the synopsis.

.

-*-*-*-*-*-

.

A/N: This the start of the two-part CLIMAX of the [COLORS ARC].

- [Climax Part 1: Descent into Madness] -

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The day after Quinn went into the Chamber of Secret and killed the first Tom Riddle/Voldemort's Horcrux, Quinn was sitting in his office, cleaning his tools and other things in his office.

Diary-Horcrux of the sixteen-year-old Tom Riddle was destroyed when Quinn stabbed it with Basilisk venom while making small talk with the soul-split tied into the Horcrux. From that entire ordeal, Quinn took his payment for doing the job. The fee was in the form of liters of Basilisk venom and a dozen fangs from the Basilisk.

Last night, he also made sure that the four students it out of the Chamber of Secrets by checking their location status on Recon. And as he expected, three out of the four people were in the hospital wing. The three being petrified Ivy Potter, Basilisk-bit Harry Potter, and Horcrux-possessed Terence Higgs.

Ronald Weasley, who was untouched from the Chamber of Secrets, was back in the Gryffindor dorm, sleeping at night in his own dorm bed.

Quinn, who was the invisible participant, was able to enter and exit the Chamber of Secrets without being detected. Reaped some benefits and slew a part of the dark Lord Voldemort. There was nothing in the entire ordeal that was detrimental to Quinn.

The owner of the A.I.D consultation service sat in his workshop, doing spring cleaning of his various tools and utensils in the workshop. It was a good day, followed by a fruitful day.

As Quinn worked away in silence, there was a knock on his door, followed by the door chime ringing with the door opening.

Quinn set down equipment in his hand on the table and walked to the office to meet the client. Waiting for him in the office was Gilderoy Lockhart, Hogwarts' current Defense Against Dark Arts professor.

"Ah, good afternoon, professor," Quinn greeted as he sat behind the table and gestured Lockhart to take a seat. "How may I help you, professor?"

To Quinn, Lockhart was a cash cow he had milked throughout the year, and if that cash cow walked to his doorstep, he won't reject it and welcome it in pleasantly because of its services. Plus, Lockhart had signed an all-year pass to the Restricted Section of the Library, so Lockhart, who Quinn previously considered as an annoying bug, was now his golden egg-laying goose.

"Quinn, just the student I was hoping to see," said Lockhart, his every motion brimming with theatrics. He sat down and put on that blinding, million-watt smile. "I have a matter of utmost importance to discuss with you."

"Of course, professor, do tell," smiled Quinn, being polite to the man who had bought him close to his goal of filling a tub with sickles. The man had single-handedly given Quinn the asset, which allowed Quinn to complete ninety percent of his aim. According to his estimates, he would reach the target by the end of the school year.

"Quinn, I want to talk to you about the fan club," said Lockhart, opening the conversation.

"Professor, I am sure that you would be able to gain more by talking to the managers of your club," Quinn put on an apologetic smile. "I am not involved in the daily activities of the fan club."

"I am not talking about the club," Lockhart shook his head and explained. "I am talking about the merchandise sold in the club."

Quinn's eyes sparkled as he clapped his hands in excitement. "Professor, do you have a new product idea," Quinn took out a sheet of paper and uncapped his pen, ready to take notes. "Do tell." He wasn't going to let this opportunity pass by.

"Yes, I am talking about the products you sell. But I am not here to tell you about a new product."

Quinn's shoulders slumped as he capped his pen and put it down on the table. His initial excitement, deflating in an instant.

"So, what is it do you want to talk about, professor."

Lockhart cleared his throat and spoke. "Those merchandises that you have been selling through the club are all based on me." Lockhart puffed his chest and bragged. "Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming-Smile Award."

"So, it is normal that you should divide the profits with me," Lockharts' voice was filled with confidence. He spoke like the thing he was saying was obvious. "How about we spit up the profits ninety-to-ten? Of course, ninety to me and ten to you."

Lockhart looked down on Quinn as he spoke, "Your products only sold because of my reputation. Without me, no one would buy things from a child." Lockhart looked at Quinn as an easy-to-push-around child who would buckle under his words.

Quinn tilted his head in confusion, putting on an expression of confusion. All the previous politeness from him draining from his face and eyes.

"What are you talking about, professor?" Quinn opened a drawer on his table and took out a sheet of parchment. "This is not what we discussed."

Quinn slid the parchment towards Lockhart so that he could read it.

"This document clearly states that you relinquish all earnings of my sales. The profits from anything I sell will go to me and not to you."

Lockharts' eyes popped when he saw the signature on the page while Quinn talked.

"T-This!" stuttered Lockhart as he looked up from the document. "I have no recollection of this. I don't remember signing this."

"I don't know what to say, professor," said Quinn. Putting on an oblivious expression. "You were the one to sign it; it is your sign. You can even have it checked for magic forgery."

"With this document, you have no right to ask me for even a single knut of what I made from selling the products even though they are based on you," Quinn intertwined his fingers and finished, "Sorry, professor, but I can't help you in this matter. You are already signed over the rights to me."

It stunned Lockhart into silence, which was a lot to say because the man rarely stopped talking. He just kept staring at the document in front of him.

"... Does anyone else know about this," asked Lockhart, staring at the document, "And, do you have a copy of this? I want one so that I have a copy."

"This is a private venture, professor. I, alone, handle the production and supply of the merchandise," Quinn took the document which Lockhart placed on the table and said. "This is the original. I will make a permanent copy and bring it out to you just in a minute."

Lockharts' eyes shined as he immediately took out his wand and pointed it at Quinn. "Then it is settled. I will do you a favor and erase the memory of this document from your mind, and then you will give me the money you made from the sales. Previously, I was going to give you a ten percent share, but now, I am going to cut that in half, and you will only get five percent."

Lockhart loudly laughed as he watched Quinn, "You might not know this, but the Memory charm is my premier skill. It is my bread-and-butter as to speak. I built myself on this charm, so don't worry about accidents because I am really good at it."

The Memory Charm (Obliviate), also known as the Forgetfulness Charm, was a charm used to erase specific memories from an individual's mind.

"I focused my considerable talents solely on the Memory Charm until I perfected it, making it the only spell I can perform without fail," Lockhart eyed Quinn with delight in his eyes. "In my pursuit of fame and glory, I utilized the charm extensively on people who performed heroic feats after interviewing them on every detail of their works, so they would not go 'babbling' while I take their credits in the form of my books."

He smiled appreciatively at Quinn and spoke, "I am planning to leave Hogwarts tomorrow. This school has dangers lurking in every corner. The monster of Slytherin is still on the loose, and it struck again yesterday. I have to leave this place before it gets to me."

No one had told Lockhart that the monster of Slytherin was already taken care of, and the school was safe from further petrification. The fraud author still believed that the horror was still roaming in the castle.

"The money I get from you will be more than enough for another expedition to a foreign land to interview another fellow and do 'research' on my ext book," he pointed his wand at Quinn, ready to cast the charm, and grinned. "Maybe I will thank you in my next books for your help. Not that you will remember it."

Quinn stood in his place looking at Lockhart with an expression that showed no fear, horror, or any negative emotion and conversely portrayed boredom. His face screamed, 'why did I expect anything else' through the expression.

He glanced at Lockhart's wand, and the next moment Lockhart's hand was forced open as the wand shot out his hand into Quinn's grasp.

"And here I thought you escaped your original fate yesterday," a sigh escaped Quinn. He looked up at the shocked fraud in front of him and spoke. "That is the problems with villains. They spend too much time explaining their plans. You should have straight out erased my memories without the monologue. Not that it would have worked."

An alternating yellow and red flashed on Quinn's nape as he used magic, and Lockhart's knees buckled. The blonde pompous fraud fell onto the chair that Quinn expertly positioned just underneath him.

Lockhart looked down at his hands and watched as ropes slithered around his hands, legs, and torso.

"I accept I didn't use honorable means to get you to sign the document," said Quinn as he walked towards Lockhart. "But neither did you. All your works are based on lies and deceit. So, in this case, I like to think of myself as a thief stealing from a thief. Plus, it is not my fault that people believe in the silly books that you wrote."

Putting his hands on Lockhart's shoulder, Quinn leaned in and whispered, "The attempt to erase my memories was a mistake because it got me furious. But the bigger mistake was to try and take my money from me."

"My family is exceedingly rich, richest in magical Britain. I don't need to care about money as I can use all I want, and I would have more if I ask for it. I don't need to work a single day in my life, and I won't ever run out of riches." He chuckled before continuing. "But, there is something special about the money I earned myself. This money results from my hard work and cunning to hoodwink you and then draft interesting things products that the students would buy."

Lockhart winced when he felt Quinn's grip tighten on his shoulders.

"You, trying to get your hands on that money, is unacceptable to me. It isn't something I can forgive even though you were a sizable reason that I was able to earn a lot of it." Lockhart heard a throaty chuckle in his ear as Quinn spoke. "So, a punishment is in order."

Quinn removed his hand from Lockhart's shoulder and stood up straight as he placed his hand on Lockhart's head and swirled it around.

"You said Memory charm is your best charm, correct. So I think it will be fitting that I perform my first Memory charm on you."

"N-No, p-please forgive me," Lockhart stuttered as he begged Quinn to let him go. "You can keep the money. I promise I won't come here ever again. Please, let me go."

"Tut, tut, tut," said Quinn as he shook Lockhart's head from side to side. "Too late, I can't let you go anymore."

Quinn grinned, and signs of mania were evident in his expression.

"N-No! Please let me go!"

Magic stimulated in Quinn's magical core as the Memory charm got activated.

'I will erase everything about your job from your memory. Your only accomplishment in your life will be gone,' smirked Quinn. He was going to erase knowledge about Lockhart's travel, the people he interviewed, how Lockhart's obliviated them to steal the credit, or that he was an author from Lockhart's memory.

But then something happened.

A curse triggered inside Hogwarts. An esoteric and abstruse curse placed on Defense Against Dark Arts teaching position activated.

On the day Tom Marvolo Riddle / Voldemort got turned down the Defense Against Dark Arts teaching position by Dumbledore a few years later, he placed a curse on the Defense Against Dark Arts position. The curse ensures that no Defense Against Dark Arts professor would stay for longer than a year.

The curse slightly gave a nudge to Quinn's mind, which was already under the influence of another magic.

A smirk so broad that it split Quinn's face appeared as he laughed.

"Screw it, let's go the canon way! Which we know is ALL THE WAY!"

Quinn's magic entered Lockhart's mind, rampaging inside it and erasing everything that made Gilderoy Lockhart, well, Gilderoy Lockhart.

In a few seconds, the magic settled, and Quinn removed his hand, and Lockhart's head slumped forward.

Quinn frowned and walked to Lockhart's front and lifted the newly obliviated man's head with his chin.

"Lockhart?" Quinn called out. Quinn slapped the man on his cheeks, trying to wake him up. But the only response was some groaning.

"Alright, everything is fine," Quinn beamed, and ropes-over-ropes covered Lockhart and propped him straight up on his feet.

"Let's go, Mr. Lockhart," Quinn smiled. "Let's get you to your office. I know you will be more comfortable there."

Lockhart's body floated up and turned, so it was horizontal to the ground. Another look from Quinn and Lockhart with ropes turned invisible.

The boy hummed a happy tune as he skipped his way to Lockhart's office.

On his nape, seven colors oscillated, shining with deep shades, giving the impression of deep entrenchment.

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Blue - S L O T H -- A C E D I A

Pink - L U S T -- L U X U R I A

Red - W R A T H -- I R A

Yellow - G R E E D -- A V A R I T I A

Violet - P R I D E -- S U P E R B I A

Green - E N V Y -- I N V I D I A

Orange - G L U T T O N Y -- G U L A

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Quinn West - MC - Colors, colors, what are you?!

Gilderoy Lockhart - ??? - Gilderoy Lockhart no more.

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