[Soul Fusion increased by 3%]
[Accumulated Fusion: 5%]
Following the system's prompt, Ethan felt a subtle tremor run through his body.
It was like massive crocodiles relentlessly slamming into a dam.
At the same time, the kerosene lamp in his mind flared a bit brighter.
A faint link formed between him and the new members of the society.
Strength, magic, spirit...
It felt like tapping into a shallow pool.
To his surprise, Ethan discovered that his own abilities—though the changes were incredibly faint, almost undetectable—were being steadily replenished.
And to a certain degree, he could even exert influence over them.
A perpetual motion machine?!
I always knew my name was destined for the pages of A History of Magic.jpg
Ethan clenched his fist, a thrill of excitement surging through him.
In time, as his Enlightenment Society flourished and expanded, he was bound to reap unimaginable benefits from it!
Then, Ethan turned his attention to the item he'd acquired.
[scissors of shedding 'clothes']
[Description: A pair of scissors whose history is unknown, said to have belonged to a club owner's wife]
[Usage: As long as magic is consumed, no matter how tough the shell, it can be shed]
[Rating: A sharp tool for peeling pecans]
The text dissolved away.
A delicate pair of small golden scissors materialized in front of Ethan.
Its previous owner must have been a woman, because it fit snugly even in his hand.
The two crescent-shaped blades were razor-sharp.
Ethan experimentally pressed his thumb against one edge.
"Hiss!"
He winced in pain.
The skin on his fingertip peeled back instantly, leaving a small wound that resembled a skinned tomato—utterly gruesome.
Ethan healed himself and thought with mounting excitement:
A divine artifact!
This is way more useful than a wand!
Looks like in the future, when I need to interrogate enemies, I won't have to resort to Dark Arts like the Cruciatus Curse, which racks up all that bad karma.
The scissors of shedding 'clothes' are at your service.
The handle was adorned with beautiful, multicolored gems.
It looked quite elegant.
Yet, from the golden blades emanated a subtle murderous intent and a heavy scent of rust.
It sent instinctive chills down the spine.
A sudden idea struck Ethan:
He could use this to help the Basilisk shed its skin!
Having trouble molting on your own?
I'll give you a hand—once and for all.
"Hehe, hehehe..."
Ethan snipped the scissors in the air, letting out a creepy chuckle.
He glanced up.
That's when he noticed a black-haired girl watching him, looking like she wanted to speak but was holding back.
"Is something wrong?"
Ethan tucked the scissors away and instantly slipped back into his polished, gentlemanly facade.
Gazing at the black-haired girl from the East in front of him, he said, "I recognize you. You're a third-year Ravenclaw, Cho Chang, right?"
Cho Chang: "Ah, yes..."
Before she could finish,
Whoosh, whoosh!
Two sharp stares locked onto her!
Hermione, the fierce little lioness from Gryffindor, and Luna, the quirky Ravenclaw girl.
The former eyed her with probing suspicion, while the latter observed her steadily, without a single blink.
Let's see who else is trying to chat up our leader/best friend?
Cho Chang: "
Maybe I should just bail QAQ
But then she reminded herself that she'd already gone through the trouble of coming here and enduring all this.
If she went back empty-handed, she'd probably catch hell for it.
With that in mind, Cho Chang bit her lip, tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, and forced a smile: "I'm just curious—how do you plan to develop the society moving forward?"
At her words, Ethan looked up and studied the girl from the East more closely.
To be fair, she was attractive.
Harry had a thing for pretty faces.
Her hair was jet-black, and her almond-shaped eyes held a gentle warmth.
She just didn't seem like the type who could handle real adversity.
"First off," Ethan raised his index finger and said in a grave tone, "it's not 'my society'—it's 'our society.'"
"I founded this Enlightenment Society with zero selfish intentions! It's all about sharing knowledge and guiding everyone toward collective progress!"
"Everything is for the greater good!"
Hermione sighed admiringly: "Oh, Ethan!"
Cho Chang: "
That phrase, 'the greater good,' rings a bell.
"Second," Ethan went on, "the society's future will obviously start with building up the members' skills and steadily broadening our reach."
"In time, we'll grow bigger and stronger!"
Ethan's eyes gleamed.
His words rang out with the forceful resonance of a tempered hammer striking hot iron.
The crowd's spirits ignited.
Even the Weasley twins, who'd initially joined just for kicks, found themselves swept up in the fervor.
It was as if they could already envision themselves towering over the masses, their names etched into history.
Fred winked at George: "This beats Wood's Quidditch rallies by a mile."
George snickered: "If Wood had half of Ethan's charisma, he'd have us drilling twenty-four hours a day!"
Sensing the charged atmosphere, Cho Chang went quiet once more.
Isn't this just a casual club...? Do we really need to blow it up like this?
Cho Chang couldn't wrap her head around it.
Under Ethan's intense stare, she could only manage a couple of awkward laughs.
She mumbled a goodnight and slipped away quietly amid the dispersing group.
Hermione approached, her brow furrowed: "I know that girl—she's part of that little student clique in Ravenclaw...
"It's called the [Round Table Council]."
"Why was she here? She has to be spying for intel!"
Though the Round Table Council had some notoriety, compared to Ethan's Enlightenment Society, its scale was minuscule.
A fierce spark lit in Hermione's eyes.
She looked ready to storm over and stir up trouble in their group right then and there.
However, Ethan just smiled at the news.
"This is an opportunity, Hermione."
He soothed her: "When we take down our rivals, the Enlightenment Society's fame will spread like wildfire."
And he'd be able to fuel his lamp even brighter.
And claim more rewards.
Plus...
With the scissors of shedding 'clothes' and the Basilisk's shed skin, he'd soon be crafting even more potent and exquisite works of art.
Ethan grinned, his eyes flashing with the eager, predatory hunger of a wolf.
Meanwhile, in the Round Table Council's meeting room.
Click.
"Sorry I'm late."
Cho Chang rushed through the door.
She froze a moment later, catching her breath as her eyes widened involuntarily: "We... couldn't turn on the lights?"
The place was pitch-black, and she'd nearly tripped.
Two seconds ticked by.
Clack.
The room lit up.
It was a spacious, elegantly furnished space, with ornate chandeliers dangling from the ceiling.
Plush blue sofas dotted the area.
And at the center, of course, stood a grand round wooden table.
Though equality was the official line, over years of quiet tradition, certain seats had come to imply varying levels of status.
For instance, at the table's prime axis sat a red velvet chair with golden accents.
But right now, this "throne" was unoccupied.
In its place stood a mirror.
Flanking it were plain wooden chairs.
Penelope perched on a somewhat fancier seat, rubbing her drowsy eyes and smiling: "Sorry, we got so bored waiting that we switched off the lights for a quick nap."
Cho Chang: "—It's fine."
Straightforward enough.
She glanced around and asked with concern: "Isn't Senior Sean joining the meeting today?"
"He's basically semi-retired from the society."
A raspy, deep voice echoed.
In the mirror before the throne, a hazy figure materialized.
At the sound of that voice, everyone snapped to attention.
Cho Chang, hands clasped behind her back, nervously relayed the details of Ethan's recent evaluation.
The two-way mirror remained silent for a long stretch.
Then, it spoke slowly: "Is this even permitted?"
Its tone dripped with bewilderment.
Unleashing terrifying three-headed beasts to pursue students?
He'd only been away for a year, studying as an exchange at Durmstrang.
Had Hogwarts turned that lenient?
Cho Chang affirmed confidently: "Yes, it was. The professor approved it. And it was none other than Professor Gilderoy Lockhart from Defense Against the Dark Arts—the renowned Gilderoy Lockhart himself—who led the whole thing."
At that, the other members drew in sharp breaths!
They'd already cozyed up to the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor so fast!
Ethan was truly not one to underestimate.
"...I won't be as reckless as Sean and dive in headfirst."
The figure in the mirror drawled.
"Our predicament is this: if we let that second-year keep building momentum, he could snatch up Ravenclaw's top talents before we do."
And if that drags on, Ravenclaw's storied reputation would warp into something monstrous, like a giant octopus.
The legacy of our predecessors, shattered in a flash.jpg
"I recall Slytherin has a real grudge against Ethan Vincent, don't they?"
"Then let's have them probe the depths first."
Sure, they'd heard the second-year was a touch wicked, but he couldn't possibly spark some massive catastrophe, could he?
As if Hogwarts would end up shuttered, leaving him without a school to attend?
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