A beam of golden light shone through the frost-rimmed window onto the canvas, illuminating a small bird perched delicately on thorns. It had goose-yellow feathers sparkling with tiny lights, like warm summer sunshine captured in paint. In this somewhat dim bedroom, the painting appeared like a precious treasure glowing with inner radiance.
However, the bird's pitch-black eyes stared fixedly at something outside the canvas—motionless, unblinking, eerily still.
[Name: The Shrike's Nest]
[Type: Portrait Painting]
[Tier: First Order - Blue Rare]
[Description: Its feathers are like gold, its chirping is like silver bells, its... oh look, its beak is blood-red]
[Effect: First release of the shrike—it will guide you to its nest containing treasures; second release—it will lead you deep into that wine-dark forest; third release... hey buddy, why is your head hanging up there?]
[Rating: Stronger, longer-lasting, more convenient than Felix Felicis, but gains come with losses—you should know the shrike's other name, right?]
"So beautiful..." Ethan lovingly stroked the shrike's golden body on the canvas, his fingertips feeling warm, the impossibly fluffy texture despite being mere paint. Created with golden paint transformed from the sun rune's power, the bird radiated a bright and warm aura! Combined with Felix Felicis's rare ingredients, such as fairy wing powder and scarab beetle powder, and complex spells meticulously woven throughout the composition. Finally composing this supremely holy painting!
"Now let's see who still dares call me sinister—everyone must praise me as a child of righteousness!" Ethan gripped his paintbrush triumphantly, eyes blazing with satisfaction. His gaze swept over the sharp thorns depicted at the top of the painting, each one stained with a touch of crimson.
"Though only two safe uses, it's far more efficient than one-time Felix Felicis." And so much cheaper too. Thinking about how many precious Galleons were concentrated in that tiny Felix Felicis vial made Ethan mentally gasp. Professor Snape, thank you for your involuntary hard work. Surely you're very willing to contribute to my great cause. Ethan thought with profound satisfaction.
"Before Christmas break, there's one more chance to visit Hogsmeade Village. Perfect—I'll release the shrike during this free activity and let it guide my destined path! Let Hogsmeade Village become radiant with my presence again!"
Amid faint, ethereal chirping that seemed to echo from within the painting, Ethan contentedly rolled up the canvas and carefully put it away. What kind of treasure will I find this time...?
Before Christmas break officially began, heavy snow fell across the grounds. Everything visible was blanketed in pure white. Thick goose-feather snow covered the castle and grounds like a soft quilt, crunching satisfyingly underfoot.
Hagrid dragged enormous fir trees slowly toward the castle entrance, waving cheerfully and greeting the excited students streaming past. Snow-white Buckbeak the Hippogriff walked elegantly beside him, preening under endless human praise and admiration.
"Good morning, Hagrid." Ethan smiled warmly, waving his wand with a flourish to complete his ambitious "Contemplating Octopus Head" snow sculpture. I've truly fallen from grace—actually using magic shortcuts instead of hand-sculpting models properly. No longer that pure artistic boy. Ethan condemned himself internally as he carefully adjusted the tentacle angles with meticulous precision. The surrounding snowmen appeared to struggle desperately to escape their frozen prison.
"Oh! Good morning, Ethan!" Hagrid shouted enthusiastically, his booming voice carrying across the snow. Then, seeing the eldritch octopus head posed like Rodin's famous Thinker, he visibly choked on his words, finally stammering weakly, "Very... nice."
Was it his imagination? Hagrid couldn't shake the feeling that this octopus head sculpture was actively watching him, as if summoning him closer with invisible mental tendrils...
"Professor's calling assembly, Hagrid. See you later." Ethan's words broke Hagrid's uncomfortable trance.
"Ah, oh, right, you go on ahead..." Hagrid rubbed his eyes confusedly. Looking at the octopus head sculpture again, the strange creation was completely motionless. Must have been an illusion. Better not investigate any further.
Just then, Hagrid looked up and saw Harry leaning dejectedly against a stone pillar near the entrance, watching the joyful students with obvious resentment—like a forlorn statue waiting eternally.
Hagrid's soft heart ached. "Oh—poor Harry, no parents to sign his permission form, can't even go to Hogsmeade with his friends."
That emotional attack power is a bit strong. Ethan glanced at Harry's miserable expression, saying with deliberate mystery, "I think Harry will always find a way to get there."
In the original timeline, the Weasley twins gave Harry the Marauder's Map, letting him reach Hogsmeade through secret passages undetected.
"Ethan—let's go!" Hermione shouted from ahead, waving both hands frantically.
Ethan nodded farewell to the confused Hagrid, turning to Luna with a gentle smile. "Bye, Luna. I'll bring you something delicious."
"Great! I've always wanted to try the new strawberry-flavored Cockroach Cluster!" Luna's dreamy eyes curved with delight as she took Ethan's injured hand gently, soothing the burning sun rune brand with her cool touch.
"Ahem," Hagrid cleared his throat awkwardly, saying loudly to break the moment, "I should decorate the Great Hall too! See you later, Ethan!"
Before parting, Luna leaned close and whispered mysteriously, "[Watch your feet]—the moon spirits whispered this warning to me last night."
"Okay, I'll remember." Ethan smiled warmly and waved as she left. Turning around cheerfully, he opened a shimmering portal directly in front of a startled "guard" Auror's face.
The Auror's eyes widened in shock: "?!" With a heavy thud, the poor man fell backward on his backside—landing directly onto a vicious Fanged Geranium that had been randomly dropped by the mischievous Weasley twins.
BANG! "OWWW!"
Professor McGonagall's sharp voice cut through the chaos: "—Ethan Vincent?!"
Ethan stood ramrod straight, eyes forward with perfect innocence. That Auror attacked the innocent Fanged Geranium with his buttocks. I did absolutely nothing wrong~
Throughout the snowy journey to Hogsmeade, even fierce wind and biting cold couldn't dampen the students' excited spirits.
Ron practically drooled with anticipation. "I'm buying another Exploding Bonbon—the kind stuffed with the purest cream! Not greasy at all! Oh, and Pepper Imps are brilliant too—I can sneak them into Fred and George's breakfast porridge..."
"My parents want more of Honeydukes' sugar mouse mint candies!" Hermione said enthusiastically. "This proves having a wizard in the family is genuinely useful."
"Ethan, what do you want to buy?" Hermione and Ron looked curiously at their enigmatic friend.
Last time, Ethan bought one of practically everything from Honeydukes. That lavish spending stunned every single student in the crowded shop. The Weasley twins said they'd never seen the Honeydukes owner smile quite so sweetly.
But though Ethan bought everything available, strangely, no one ever saw him eat any candy afterward. Instead, Ravenclaw's "Loony Lovegood" mysteriously had her dormitory table piled high with sweets the very next day.
Ethan's casual explanation: "I'm very curious what they all taste like, so I bought one of each variety." A perfect embodiment of Ravenclaw's insatiable thirst for knowledge.
"Mm..." Ethan considered for a moment, then said, "I want to visit Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop. I heard they received new Thunderbird tail feathers."
If you zone out and stop writing too long, the enchanted quill shocks you back to attention.
Hermione's eyes immediately lit up with admiration. "That's so like you, Ethan! Always focused on self-improvement and academic progress!"
Ron felt a sharp pang of inadequacy. He silently distanced himself from the conversation, feeling a sad, thick barrier already separating him from Ethan and Hermione's world of ambition and achievement.