Hogwarts was as quiet as ever.
Aside from Sean, who had just returned, no other young wizards were permitted to stay at the school over the holidays. However, very few of the professors had actually left. Because of this, Sean had the unique opportunity to receive one-on-one instruction from all of them—provided he ever managed to step out of the dungeons.
On the very morning he returned from the Leaky Cauldron, Sean resumed his Fiendfyre practice.
A gentle breeze swept through the room as roaring flames gradually filled a small portion of the underground classroom.
Sean listened as the system panel rated his current level of control as [Expert], his mind wandering to how exactly he could reshape Dark Magic.
Yes, reshape it.
Magic was born from the order within a wizard's mind, and Sean could easily imagine how cruelty and murder had always been deeply rooted in wizards' beliefs. After all, ancient wizards faced a highly dangerous magical world filled with raw, untamed magic. To survive, they needed to harness that same ferocious power.
It made sense that, in their pursuit of greater strength, these ancient wizards had twisted their own minds and forged cruel belief systems.
But if ancient wizards could create powerful yet mind-corrupting Dark Magic, then Sean could reexamine its source. He could reshape its [Order] with entirely different intentions, seeking [Wisdom] instead.
It was an incredibly whimsical plan, one that so far existed only in his mind. But if he could pull it off, the entire magical world would undergo a true revolution.
Dark wizards had always been known for their cruelty and immense power. When they embraced Dark Magic, they sacrificed their conscience to do so.
But what if, one day, Dark Magic no longer required a good person to be filled with hatred, or a kind heart to boil with rage? Would Dark Magic simply become another controlled force for wizards, just like ordinary charms?
Sean knew that cruelty would never truly disappear from the world. But could it cease to be a shortcut? Could it stop luring fallen wizards into its grasp?
---
Today was a remarkably brilliant morning at Hogwarts. The sky was a clear, hazy pastel blue.
Even through the narrow dungeon windows, Sean could see the towering beech tree outside. Its green, fuzzy branches were lined with gold, silently watching over generations of Hogwarts wizards.
Sean knew that Professor Snape had once sat beneath that very tree, studying for his exams with his brows furrowed—exactly the way he was scowling right now.
"You're zoning out..."
Snape's dark, silky voice suddenly cut through the silence.
"Apologies, Professor," Sean said, instantly snapping back to attention.
"Hmph." Snape stared at him, his expression completely unreadable. "Control, Green. Unless you want to end up like some of my more idiotic students and get reduced to ash by your own Fiendfyre, you will maintain absolute control at all times—even right before you extinguish it..."
He stepped down from the podium, approaching the young wizard who was already showing signs of fatigue from the prolonged practice.
"Now..." Snape locked eyes with him. "I am going to teach you how to resist the Imperius Curse. You would do well to memorize every single word I say."
Hearing this, Sean looked up and neatly tucked away his wand.
"Listen to me closely—Dumbledore does not want you exposed to this. But Green, accidents do not wait for convenient moments, nor do they discriminate. If you prefer to learn the hard way—waiting for someone to cast this curse and place you entirely under their control—fine. But I refuse to allow it."
Snape tightened his grip on his wand.
"I am going to teach you how to resist it, how to fight it. Watch closely."
Snape turned his gaze toward the live animals kept in the glass cabinets and cast the Imperius Curse on them.
Under the curse's influence, Sean watched the animals perform the most unnatural behaviors one after another. A rat hopped in circles around a cat three times, offering no resistance when the cat finally snapped its jaws around it. A toad mimicked a squirrel, desperately trying to climb the oak tree outside the window. A venomous snake executed a series of astonishing acrobatics—movements it could never achieve under normal circumstances.
Their bodies were completely stripped of their own autonomy, only returning to normal once Snape lifted the curse.
"Green," Snape said in a low, dangerous voice. "Your turn. Remember—resist me."
Sean paused for a second, then stepped into the center of the dungeon classroom. The room was filled with cauldrons resting between wooden desks, alongside brass scales and jars of potion ingredients.
Snape stepped closer through the lingering smoke. He raised his wand, pointed it directly at Sean, and said:
"Imperio!"
A very strange sensation washed over Sean.
He felt weightless. Every thought, every worry in his mind was swept away, leaving behind only a vague, intangible sense of blissful happiness. He stood there, feeling incredibly relaxed and completely carefree.
Then, he heard Professor Snape's voice echoing from some distant corner of his empty mind:
Come here... come here...
But why? Another voice suddenly awoke in the back of his head.
Why should he go over there? the second voice asked.
Come here... the first voice demanded again.
Why... the second voice replied, a bit firmer this time.
Come here! The first voice grew louder.
Just as the two voices locked into a stalemate, they suddenly paused. Both were quickly drowned out by completely different voices:
"Sean Green, my student, do not sleep," one voice said.
"Sean Green, my friend, wake up," another echoed.
With that, Sean snapped back to reality and regained control of his body. To Snape's utter shock, a faint mist began to drift out from the amulet resting on the young wizard's chest.
The mist was purely white, but it didn't behave like normal fog—it looked more like something that hadn't fully materialized yet. Snape stared at it closely, completely stunned.
"Professor?" Sean walked over, asking with mild curiosity.
"Not entirely terrible," Snape said swiftly, recovering himself. "You resisted it. No... you didn't resist it..."
As he spoke, he fell into deep thought. Sean watched as Snape furrowed his brow, his eyes darting between Sean's chest and narrowing in suspicion.
"What else are you hiding from me?"
Snape paced back and forth before finally leaning in close to Sean, his face exceptionally dark.
---
It didn't take much effort for Sean to explain the Borderland.
Snape stared at him with cold, piercing eyes. The very first words out of his mouth caught Sean completely off guard:
"The Empty Rune. A sacred relic of Uagadou. A legendary artifact that has never left their lands... Magic that grants a wizard the power to walk through realms of myth, to traverse the dreamscapes of souls... If it truly isn't just a rumor—"
Snape's voice dropped to a harsh whisper.
"Tell me, Sean Green. Where is mine? Where is my dream?"