Under the gaze of everyone present.
The gray-black fur on the surface, along with the flesh beneath it, sloughed off and hit the ground with a wet splatter!
Blood sprayed out in flecks!
It was like the collapse of some grotesque organism!
The crowd was horrified.
Had the potion failed?!
"Professor Lupin!"
Hermione cried out, lifting her foot as if to rush forward.
But Luna held her back.
The golden-haired girl, who always wore a dreamy, sleepwalking expression, placed a finger to her lips and whispered:
"Shh—you have to trust Ethan."
"But—"
"I can see it..."
Luna gazed at the writhing, howling Professor Lupin, her eyes gleaming with an otherworldly light.
"It's shedding away, transforming... a new life emerging."
As her words faded.
With a heavy thud.
A hand suddenly emerged from the pool of blood!
A human hand!
Then, right after.
Thud, thud, thud, thud.
Hands, feet, torso—
Like a butterfly breaking free from its cocoon, a human form struggled out from the gore and filth!
In an instant.
Everyone held their breath.
They stared at the figure in disbelief until.
"Thud!"
Professor Lupin himself burst free from the encasing shell!
Like a newborn infant, he collapsed to the ground.
Yet.
He was completely, undeniably human!!
"Congratulations! You have completed the Werewolf Healing Potion!"
"You have successfully solved a problem that has plagued the wizarding world for centuries! You have broken the curse of fate!"
"This is a miracle well earned."
"Your foresight has increased."
"Soul fusion increased by 2.3%."
Ethan felt the power surging through him and allowed a slight curve to form on his lips.
It had worked.
Everything had unfolded just as he'd anticipated.
In the stunned silence.
Ethan waved his wand.
A blanket draped over Professor Lupin.
Catching his dazed eyes, Ethan extended a hand and offered a faint smile:
"Congratulations on your new life, Professor Lupin."
Lupin lifted his head in a fog.
What met his gaze was the brilliantly bright full moon hanging high in the night sky.
It was the very thing that had haunted his deepest fears.
Instinctively, Lupin turned his head to avoid it.
But the familiar agony and madness never arrived.
He stared in astonishment at his blood-smeared hands, feeling his body invigorated and clean.
As if some deep-seated grime had been scrubbed away!
Even Ethan's earlier purification spells had never left him feeling this refreshed!
"It really... it really worked...?"
Professor Lupin trembled, his pupils shaking.
He recalled the werewolf attack from his childhood that had turned him into one of them.
All the injustices he'd endured for over thirty years flooded his mind.
But from this moment on.
Lupin suddenly realized.
He could live a different life.
In that instant.
His nose wrinkled, and his lips pulled into a wide, tear-streaked grin!
"What did I tell you?"
Ethan's clear voice, laced with a touch of smugness, sounded from above him:
"What I promise, I deliver."
"Even if, in your human eyes, it seems 'impossible'!"
Lupin looked up.
He chose to overlook the odd use of "human."
His eyes, far more weary and aged than his years should allow, were rimmed with red.
He tugged at the corners of his mouth and rasped:
"Yes... I'm feeling it deeply now."
"You've performed a miracle, Ethan..." Professor Lupin drew a deep breath, his gaze resolute.
"I promise, your name will echo through the entire wizarding world, even into its darkest corners!"
As a former werewolf.
He knew of those hidden, shadowy gatherings.
And he would rally all those outcasts, shunned by society, to become Ethan's allies!
Ethan smiled faintly: "I'm looking forward to it."
Lupin regarded Ethan with a profound stare.
Then, he rose unsteadily to his feet.
He surveyed the stunned crowd in the arena.
Drew a deep breath.
And, summoning all his strength, bellowed with vibrant power from his chest:
"It worked! Ethan's potion to cure werewolves—it worked!!!"
No further words were needed.
Because he himself was the ultimate proof!!
It was like dropping a bomb into a still lake.
His shout pierced the night sky beneath the lofty full moon.
After a brief hush.
The crowd erupted!!!
"How... how is this possible?!"
"Merlin's beard, am I seeing things?"
"He did it! That kid actually pulled it off!"
"This is a genuine miracle! Is a brighter future for the wizarding world finally here?!"
The Daily Prophet reporter, Rita Skeeter, suddenly gaped in shock.
She was jostled sideways by the excited throng.
Her Quick-Quotes Quill, scribbling madly, whirled away into the air.
She didn't even notice.
She stared blankly at Lupin and Ethan, now encircled by flashing camera bulbs!
After a long moment, she glanced down at the pages of her report.
A piece sensationalizing "Ethan's failure."
Rita realized belatedly—it was all useless now.
"Congratulations!"
"Your achievement has stunned the masses!"
"No matter what the future brings, history will reserve a prominent place for you!"
"Your influence has expanded dramatically."
"You have ignited the lamp in your skull: Faint Glow → Dawn."
"Lamp brightness increased!"
"You have unlocked more hidden realms; the unknown beckons your exploration!"
The uproar.
Gradually shifted into thunderous applause.
From the raised stands.
Everyone rose to their feet, faces flushed, clapping with unbridled enthusiasm!
Ethan narrowed his eyes.
He spread his arms wide, basking in the tidal wave of applause crashing from every direction.
A serene thrill coursed through his heart.
Like a swelling sea.
Ethan flipped his hand, and his wand morphed into a paintbrush.
In the air, he sketched dreamy, vibrant strokes of color!
They enveloped the crowd, exploding into clusters of dazzling, diamond-like starbursts!
Amid the gasps of awe, Ethan spoke slowly:
"I shall name this potion... 'Lily.'"
As his words landed.
Harry, and Snape on the staff platform, both froze in place.
Headmaster Dumbledore cocked his head.
With a playful glint, he smiled at the stunned Snape:
"What do you think, Severus? Ethan's ambitions surpass even Lord Voldemort's, don't they?"
Snape's body shuddered.
He snapped back to reality.
He clenched his fist, gazing at Ethan—who stood amid the applause and swirling colors—with a tangle of emotions.
The vivid hues obscured Ethan's features.
Making him appear even more enigmatic and profound.
Snape's lips moved:
"...Two hundred points to Ravenclaw. For Mr. Ethan Vincent, who has made history."
With those words.
He flicked his robe and strode away without a backward glance.
Leaving Headmaster Dumbledore chuckling endlessly.
A wave of sentiment stirred within him as well:
Once, there had been another who gathered diverse followers.
Yet the magic that spilled from that one's wand.
Was an eerie blue flame that consumed any who opposed him.
Not a gentle showcase of wonders for all.
"Grindelwald... you're outmatched by a mere child."
Dumbledore murmured.
He shook his head, a mix of sigh and wry amusement.
At that moment.
Someone descended from the bustling stands.
And stood before Ethan.
It was Minister Scrimgeour.
The new Minister for Magic, renowned for his forceful policies and ironclad governance!
The din quieted gradually.
Every eye locked onto the pair.
Curious to see what this new Minister for Magic.
Would do with such a gifted, yet rebellious student!
Under the collective stare.
Minister Scrimgeour extended his hand to Ethan.
And intoned gravely:
"Next term, a grand event will unfold at Hogwarts."
"Would you be willing to serve as its organizer and collaborate with the Ministry of Magic to craft a flawless competition?"
It struck like a hammer blow.
Everyone's eyes bulged in shock!
The officials even sprayed their drinks with a sputter, staring at their new Minister in disbelief!
No, they hadn't heard of this idea either?!
Handing the organization of a major event to a fourteen-year-old wizard—an artistic eccentric who'd just staged Pettigrew's trial.
And addressing him so formally?!
This was pushing favoritism a bit too far!!
And the Hogwarts students, who knew Ethan's antics all too well.
Especially.
Those who'd joined the Treasure Hunt Challenge—like Miss Gemma Farley, and Ravenclaw's prefect Penelope.
Their faces drained of color!
"This... this is going to end with no survivors..." Penelope whispered, trembling.
She could already envision the day Ravenclaw was shipped wholesale to Azkaban.
On the other side.
Headmaster Dumbledore's vision swam.
He thought of the overly avant-garde "roller coaster" still jammed in the castle's heart.
So this was the trap lying in wait.
Dumbledore: "Heh heh heh... Otherwise, maybe I should just hand the Hogwarts headmaster position over to Ethan right now."
Otherwise.
He might claim victory, only to tarnish his legacy in his twilight years.
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