[General point of view]
Ryan stood still, watching the Hufflepuff common room barrel close behind Eliza.
Silence.
Only him and Lily Evans.
They didn't move at first. As if the very air needed a second to reset.
Ryan glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.
What strange events. Minutes earlier he had been thinking about his projects, lying lazily on cold hard stone. And suddenly: Mulciber. Rosier. Little Eliza. The sound of a broken quill.
He felt a anger at the sight of it.
He'd had his revenge, and if Eliza hadn't been watching it might have been more violent.
That Eliza had bought a second-hand quill didn't surprise him. He'd seen the pattern before: students bought one, then wanted a different color, resold the first at a reduced price to recoup a couple of galleons and buy another.
Some students even liked collecting colors, so they didn't sell the original they'd bought.
And since his quills had become popular, that kind of student microeconomy had expanded.
Now he was alone with Lily Evans, a fourth-year.
He looked at her properly for the first time.
Long, straight, reddish hair a deep, vibrant shade that fell over her robe like a polished waterfall. Defined cheekbones. Soft but expressive brows. And green eyes. Intense. Intelligent. A deep, warm, observant green.
The same look that, he knew, Harry Potter would one day inherit. Of course she didn't know that. She had no idea who her son would be.
Nor that he, Ryan Ollivander, was watching the future mother of the Boy Who Lived while pretending they had merely shared a walk to accompany a frightened child.
"Ahem," Lily coughed, with a half-smile, noticing the way he'd been looking at her. "Are you going to keep staring at me like that or say something?"
Ryan blinked and gave a quick, mischievous smile.
"Sorry," he said, with not a shred of genuine remorse, "Although, to be fair, you were looking at me while I spoke with Eliza."
Lily held his gaze, without denying it.
"You surprised me, that's all," she said. "I didn't imagine you could be so… warm. So patient with a child. It's not something you expect after hearing about… previous reputations."
Ryan tilted his head, amused. "Sarcasm, chaos, ego-worship, genius inventor? Those parts?"
"Exactly," she replied. "That part is well documented. The other not so much. And those are good things, by the way."
He shrugged, smiling a touch more sincerely this time. "Thanks, I suppose."
Lily looked down for a second, as if weighing whether to ask something else. Finally she did: "And what are you going to do with the wands?"
Ryan didn't answer immediately. He pulled one of the wands from inside his robe and twirled it slowly between his fingers. Mulciber's, perhaps.
"I thought of a little game," he said at last.
Lily raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Her stance was no longer that of someone about to leave. She'd stayed, watching him closely. "What kind of game?"
Ryan smiled to one side. "A treasure hunt."
That was enough for Lily to narrow her eyes at him, amused. "A treasure hunt with stolen wands?"
"Technically requisitioned," Ryan corrected, keeping the smile, "For misconduct."
"Of course," Lily said, laughing softly.
"I need to hurry," Ryan said, putting the wand away, "I'm pretty sure those two are off to bawl to McGonagall or Slughorn. So if I'm going to hide them… it has to be now. And I need a good riddle. Something that brings them a couple of tears, if possible."
She looked at him. She didn't say it was a bad idea. Nor that it was immature. Nor that they would punish him.
"And do you have any idea where you're going to hide them? That would be the first step to making the riddle," Lily said.
Ryan turned his face slightly toward her and gave a small sideways smile. "You seem very interested. Do you want to help?"
Lily shrugged, but her eyes didn't hesitate.
"Yes," she admitted. "I froze when I saw Mulciber and Rosier bullying Eliza. I wanted to intervene…but I couldn't. So at least I want to help now."
Ryan didn't make an easy joke; he only nodded seriously. "It's not shameful to feel fear, Evans. Especially against that ape Mulciber who must be over 1.85 meters and weigh more than a hundred kilos. Even I felt a bit afraid when I saw him breathing near me."
Lily couldn't help laughing.
And Ryan smiled too, as if that were a small personal victory.
"Good, then it will be an honor to have the help of someone so clever," he added, mock-solemnly inclining his head.
She looked at him, half amused, half surprised. "Do you know me?"
Ryan paused for a second, as if weighing his answer. "You have a good reputation. Very good grades, always on top of your homework, respectable attitude. Enough that even those of us who don't speak to you, we know."
Lily blinked. She couldn't help feeling happy. Not because anyone else said it because he said it. After everything he'd seen and done.
The clock was nearing seven. An hour earlier you could have gone to the Great Hall for dinner, so the corridors were empty.
Besides, Lily and Ryan were moving through deserted passages so they wouldn't be seen.
Between jokes, conspiratorial glances, and a hail of absurd ideas (some Ryan's, some surprisingly hers), they ended up creating a riddle together.
A clever one. Perfectly designed to break the patience of two furious Slytherins. When they finally finished, it was 7:05.
"The whole school should already be in the Great Hall," Lily murmured, checking the time on a clock.
"Yes, let's go back" Ryan said, but he didn't move right away. He turned to her, serious for a moment.
"Evans… you'd better let me take all the credit for this. If you're seen with me now or linked to what I do, you could end up punished. Or worse: you could become a target for Mulciber or Rosier."
Lily looked at him. Her lips pressed together. Her chin slightly raised. "I don't want to hide."
"It's not hiding, it's avoiding that—"
"This is the first time in my life I've broken a rule," Lily interrupted calmly but firmly, "And this time I feel it's worth it. I don't want to stand aside while you're punished when I helped you."
"And as for Mulciber and Rosier… I'll manage if they want to attack me."
Ryan watched her silently for a few seconds. "I see why the Sorting Hat put you in Gryffindor."
Lily raised an eyebrow, offended, though there was a spark of humor in her look. "Are you questioning my bravery because I froze before?"
Ryan raised both hands in surrender, feigning drama. "Not at all! You're taking my words out of context, Miss Evans. Don't report me to the authorities."
She laughed, lowering her head for a moment, but when she looked up she was more serious.
"But seriously…" she said, "I know hiding wands that aren't ours is going to get us in trouble. It will cost us points, probably some punishment."
Ryan nodded slowly. He didn't deny it.
"But we also have to make sure they're punished," Lily added. "Mulciber and Rosier broke Eliza's quill, intimidated her, called her a mudblood."
Her green eyes shone with a calm but cutting determination. "That should also cost them points, lots of points. And a punishment. It can't go unpunished."
She crossed her arms.
"I'm going to talk to McGonagall. I'll give my testimony. I saw everything from the start. If you do the same, and Eliza agrees to confirm what they did… at least they'll have to sanction them."
"It will happen. They won't go unpunished. Their cruelty will be exposed in front of the whole school," Ryan agreed confidently.
Lily squinted at him. "In front of the whole school? What are you planning?"
"Nothing serious. Just when the moment comes, you'll have to give your testimony. Just like you said," Ryan replied without going into detail.
"The moment?" Lily repeated, frowning.
She imagined something simple. A conversation with McGonagall. Maybe in her office, after dinner. Formal. A normal procedure. Why couldn't it just be that?
But Ryan didn't offer her that kind of reassurance. He offered something else.
"You'll see," he said, still smiling.
And against all odds, she didn't protest.
Not because she trusted him completely. But because there was something in the way he moved, spoke, looked, that made everything seem like it would turn out fine. That even if they were about to do something reckless, it would be a good kind of recklessness. One worth it.
And that, Lily thought, was strange.
Because she had known him for less than an hour. And already it felt like she'd known him before.
As if she were about to get into trouble. And for the first time, that didn't scare her. It amused her. It excited her, though she wouldn't admit it.
...
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