Chapter 256 Seeds Of Distrust

"Yes, the books he reads are truly profound and intricate, and it has always been so," Harry continued, "Evan and Hermione are the finest young wizards I have ever encountered."

"Harry, this is not a good thing. Do you still not understand?!" Ron looked around, lowering his voice eagerly, "Evan and Hermione are different. Although I do not comprehend how Hermione can juggle so many classes at once, at least we know what she is up to, but Evan delves into those magic tomes..."

"What do you mean?" Harry averted his gaze from the parchment.

"I mean, the magical books Evan consults are all in the Restricted Section. He must be studying something behind our backs. I snooped on his research notes the other day, and there were some ghastly patterns in them that did not seem like decent magic," Ron hesitated, "Harry, he might be studying..."

Harry looked at Ron in surprise and finally grasped what he was getting at.

Neither of them spoke, and a terrible sense of unease washed over them.

From Ron's expression, it was evident he suspected Evan of studying DARK MAGIC.

Instinctively, Harry wanted to refute that possibility, but he didn't know what to say. Evan had always seemed to know everything. He was knowledgeable about magic. After Ron had been controlled by the Imperius Curse, it was Evan who had first uncovered it. If Evan hadn't studied it, how could he know such wicked dark magic?!

But the idea of Evan studying dark magic was something Harry simply could not fathom. In his mind, dark magic was extremely wicked and should be absolutely forbidden. Those who delve into dark magic are dark wizards like Voldemort and Peter Pettigrew.

They were ruthless, cold, and emotionless, and Evan could not possibly be such a person.

Yet Harry could not refute Ron's comments. The notion of Evan studying the Dark Arts was like a heavy boulder pressing on Harry's heart, leaving him breathless. He felt a panic he had never experienced before.

"Perhaps he just wants to understand..." Harry said softly.

His voice was very low. He did not want anyone to know about his conversation with Ron.

"Harry, this is no jest. I have been under the control of mysterious individuals, and I know that feeling. The Dark Arts must be absolutely forbidden," Ron also lowered his voice and said, "We must take action."

"What do you propose?"

"I do not know, but we at least need to comprehend what Evan is up to," Ron continued, "If he is truly studying the Dark Arts, we can inform others about it and ensure they understand the truth. For example, Dumbledore or Sirius would never allow Evan to do such a thing. They will assist us."

There was a brief silence. Ron noticed that Harry was clearly hesitating. Strange emotions resurfaced in Ron's body. After suspecting that Evan was studying the Dark Arts, he briefly felt surprise, followed by a strong sense of injustice.

He recalled the looks from others and the rumors at school.

Ron felt it was very unfair. He had been innocently ensnared by the Imperius Curse just twice. He was also a victim. Yet others regarded him with suspicion, as if he truly desired to commit those wicked deeds.

Evan was studying dark magic, which was more malevolent than the things he had done. But no one spoke ill of him. On the contrary, many hailed him as a hero, and Evan was becoming even more renowned in school than Harry.

In Ron's view, everyone was being deceived by Evan.

The more he pondered, the more he felt that everyone was blinded by Evan's facade. The same applied to Harry, Hermione, his family, and others.

They all believed in Evan, but he betrayed everyone's trust. He was studying dark magic behind their backs. He was engaging in something very wicked in secret.

A strong sense of responsibility arose deeply in Ron's heart, and he felt compelled to unveil Evan's true colors and halt the ongoing scheme. The strange feeling that surfaced on the Quidditch field a few months ago was also the primary reason that drove Ron to do this.

"Harry, we..."

"I know what you mean, Ron, but I believe in Evan. There is no evidence that he is practicing dark arts. He cannot borrow those magic books from the Restricted Section without permission from a teacher and the headmaster." Harry pondered for a moment and continued persuading: "Evan is not akin to those dark wizards. Even if he is studying dark magic, he is simply seeking knowledge. I trust him!"

"But..."

"If you are not at ease, we can talk to Evan. Whatever he is up to, he will surely tell us."

"Ask him if he is delving into wicked dark magic and whom he plans to sacrifice. That's an intriguing topic," Ron murmured.

The atmosphere turned uneasy. Neither of them broached the subject again, but the seeds of distrust grew slowly, imperceptibly, and sprouted.

Harry and Ron refrained from going to the library to bother Evan, nor did they dare to disturb Hermione, who seemed a bit irritable, and ended up seeking Sirius's help to complete their assignment on Undetectable Poisons.

Although Potions was not Sirius's forte, the third-year task was too simple for him. He provided Harry and Ron with many valuable insights.

To be fair, with Sirius's assistance, Harry's work should have been at least acceptable, but Snape gave him a poor grade. Harry didn't mind. He had expected that outcome.

While maintaining a good relationship with Sirius, his extracurricular tasks and potions he brewed would never be appreciated by Snape.

Evan was probably the sole exception, having studied all of Snape's designs and the magical potions required for second-year wizards, and had discovered the finest recipes and preparation methods. Even if Snape sought flaws, he would not find them.

Snape attempted several times and even asked Evan to complete an Ordinary Wizarding Level exam before dealing with difficult potions.

But Evan could complete it flawlessly each time, and the process was more flawless than that in the textbooks.

As he grew darker and more menacing to the other students, Snape's attitude towards Evan returned to its previous state of indifference.

When he had to address him, he used "Mr. Know-It-All" instead.

In Potions class, Evan was the only Gryffindor student who succeeded in preventing Snape from criticizing him or deducting points, causing envy in the others.