The deep silence of Gryffindor Tower was broken by the sound of hurried breathing.
Harry suddenly woke up, gasping for air, as if he had just crossed the entire Forbidden Forest in the middle of a violent thunderstorm.
His scar burned fiercely.
The sensation was not unfamiliar. But this time it was different.
The usual burning pain was mixed with a sharp pressure that seemed to drill straight through his skull.
He sat up and tried to recall the dream he had just had.
At first he couldn't remember anything. Then the images slowly surfaced.
A twisted forest.
And he had been a snake, hunting a wandering wizard.
The pain in his scar grew stronger. His vision even darkened slightly with each pulse of his heartbeat.
Just then, a sudden cool sensation eased the pain slightly.
Harry instinctively reached into his pocket and touched a small metal coin.
It was the Galleon Lucian had given him.
When his fingers pressed against the engraved raven and ouroboros on the coin's surface, a strange coolness rushed up into his mind.
It felt calm, solemn, and rational.
The intense pain in his scar miraculously faded.
Under the pale moonlight coming through the window, Harry studied the coin in his hand.
Lucian's words suddenly echoed in his memory.
When you realize the greatness you trust cannot give you answers, come find me.
Harry tightened his grip on the coin and wondered who he should tell.
Hermione?
He could almost hear her voice already.
"Your scar hurt? Harry, that's definitely not normal! Write to Dumbledore immediately!
I'll check Common Magical Ailments. Maybe there's something about cursed scars."
Yes. Hermione would absolutely suggest that. Go to the Headmaster right away and search through books.
But Harry didn't think books would help him.
He was the only person who had survived Voldemort's curse. There was no way a book like Common Magical Ailments would mention something like this.
And if Hermione heard Lucian's theory about treating death like an equation, she would probably explode with anger.
Tell Dumbledore?
Harry looked toward the window.
He had no idea where the Headmaster was right now. Hedwig could certainly find him, but how was he supposed to write that letter?
Dear Headmaster Dumbledore,
Sorry to bother you, but my scar started hurting this morning.
Also, a Ravenclaw first-year gave me a Galleon that somehow makes the pain stop.
It sounded ridiculous.
If he actually sent that letter, he would feel like a foolish kid making a big deal out of nothing. Worse, it would feel like tattling.
As for Ron....
Ron would probably shrug and say that curse scars sometimes hurt, then go ask Mr. Weasley about it.
In the end, Harry lay back down on his pillow.
The pain in his forehead was still there, but it was manageable now. The Galleon in his pocket also became quiet again.
.....
At the same time, inside the hidden chamber within the Ravenclaw statue.
Lucian floated silently above a vast cosmic chessboard.
His fingers absentmindedly turned a chess piece made entirely of condensed magic.
Beneath him, countless small stars flickered and vanished along the silver gridlines spreading across the board.
He could feel the Galleon trembling faintly in Harry's hand.
But he could not take any drastic action right now.
Lucian knew very well that his actions in the classroom last night had probably caught Dumbledore's attention.
The white wizard appeared gentle, but he showed no mercy toward those who walked a different path.
What concerned Lucian even more was something else.
Whenever he interfered deeply with the story or influenced a key character, the invisible pressure of fate would begin to cling to him like a lingering curse.
At one point last night, he had almost acted recklessly.
Using the miracle granted by the Philosopher's Stone, he had considered breaking several magical laws directly in front of Hermione and completely subduing that proud and brilliant girl.
But he had immediately suppressed the idea.
"Haste invites disaster," Lucian murmured quietly.
Trying to oppose the will of the world without sufficient preparation, or attempting to forcibly alter causality, would only turn him into ashes scattered across the sky.
After yesterday's small intervention, he had confirmed something important.
Under the protection of Ravenclaw, he could slightly disturb the original storyline every day within certain limits.
Here, the fate energy entangled around him would be diluted and neutralized by the vast rotation of the star system.
"Slowly," Lucian said softly.
He looked at the star representing Harry Potter on the chessboard.
Its light flickered violently because of pain.
"The bait has already been swallowed. Now we only need time to let it ferment."
.....
The Hogwarts holiday ended under a long and heavy snowstorm.
When most of the students returned to the castle through fireplaces, carrying the cold air of their hometowns and various gifts, the Ravenclaw common room once again filled with the restless energy known as youth.
Prefect Robert Hilliard walked into the common room carrying a stack of thick winter cloaks.
The cloaks had just been treated with fragrant charms by house-elves.
They carried a faint scent of dried wood and were designed to resist the brutal winds of January in the Scottish Highlands.
Lucian received his cloak and politely thanked him.
The prefect opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something friendly. But when he met Lucian's calm eyes, deep like the Black Lake, the words stuck in his throat.
In Ravenclaw, knowledge was a badge of honor.
But Lucian's kind of knowledge carried a quiet distance that pushed people away.
Hilliard finally forced a laugh.
"Stay warm, Lucian. The wind is strong up in the tower.
Don't be like the Gryffindors next door who refuse to fasten their collars just for appearance."
Once the prefect left, Michael Corner immediately rushed to the dressing mirror with bronze decorations.
He had clearly spent a lot of time on his appearance during the holidays.
His black hair shone brightly with what was probably a strong styling potion.
"I have to say, dark blue velvet suits my skin tone," Michael said while admiring himself in the mirror.
"It makes me look far more mature than those Gryffindors who only know how to grin stupidly.
In a few years, even Professor Lockhart's ranking in Witch Weekly might be threatened."
Lisa Turpin sat nearby reading One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi.
She turned a page without even looking up.
Her tone was as cold as the Black Lake in January.
"Intelligence is the best decoration for a Ravenclaw, Corner.
If your cerebral cortex reflected light like your hair does, perhaps I wouldn't mistake you for a peacock lost among books."
Michael choked on his response.
He looked around for someone to support him, only to realize that Lucian's seat in the corner was already empty.
"What a strange guy," Michael muttered. "He didn't even go home for Christmas. I heard he spent the entire holiday studying weird magic and obscure runes."
Lucian had indeed left the tower.
Even though there was a fireplace, the atmosphere there made him restless. The invisible pressure of fate drained both his mind and body.
He walked through snow-covered corridors and reached a quiet corner beneath the Astronomy Tower.
The spot was shielded from the wind by the castle walls. A dead oak tree stretched its twisted branches into the cold sky.
Two identical girls stood there whispering together.
They wore identical cloaks. When they saw Lucian approach, their voices instantly dropped to almost nothing.
One was Padma Patil from Ravenclaw.
The other was her twin sister from Gryffindor, Parvati Patil.
Lucian leaned against the stone wall nearby and closed his eyes in meditation. Even so, their whispers reached him clearly.
"Anthony Goldstein is really handsome, Padma," Parvati whispered excitedly.
"That quiet genius vibe is absolutely charming."
"Really? More handsome than Lockhart?"
"It's a different feeling. Ravenclaw and Gryffindor have some classes at different times.
Let's switch classes tomorrow. You can observe him up close. No one can tell us apart anyway, right?"
"That sounds exciting, but…"
"What if we get caught?" Padma hesitated. "Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick aren't easy to fool."
"Relax. Even Dad can't tell us apart," Parvati said confidently.
"See that snowy owl over there?"
She pointed at Lucian, who stood several feet away.
"That's Lucian, the famous oddball from your house."
"Go say hello and practice. If even a bookworm like him can't tell us apart, everyone else will definitely fall for it."
Parvati pushed her sister forward.
Padma took a deep breath and walked toward Lucian with small, elegant steps, trying to imitate the refined expression of a Ravenclaw student.
"Hello," she said politely. "I'm Padma Patil. We met in the common room this morning. Do you remember?"
Even with his eyes closed, Lucian could sense Parvati's breathing becoming lighter.
He could almost feel the excitement in the air as she anticipated a successful prank.
Lucian spoke calmly.
"You are not Parvati Patil."
"Oh! I knew we'd get caught!" Parvati jumped out from hiding and pointed at her sister.
"Padma! You tricked me!"
Padma stepped out from the shadow of the tree, looking shocked. "You really didn't overhear us? We were at least ten feet away and whispering!"
"In Ravenclaw, noticing details is a habit," Lucian said.
It was a lie.
The truth was simpler. To him, the two girls felt completely different.
One was like calm water.
The other was like dancing fire.
Parvati's curiosity immediately exploded.
She and her sister were identical twins. They looked the same, sounded the same, and had switched identities many times without anyone noticing.
Yet Lucian had seen through them instantly.
She had to know how.
Twelve-year-old witches were naturally curious.
The twins whispered together, trying to figure out how Lucian had discovered the difference.
At that moment, the winter sun shone faintly across the courtyard.
Lucian felt a sudden playful mood.
The inner alchemy technique within him began to circulate quietly.
The thin magical energy around them slowly gathered toward his body like water flowing toward gravity.
From the twins' perspective, the air around Lucian seemed to distort slightly.
"Padma, did you feel that?" Parvati suddenly exclaimed, sniffing the air.
"Feel what? Don't try to change the subject. Tomorrow you still have to help me—"
"No! It's warm!" Parvati stepped closer in surprise.
"Wow! It's so comfortable! Like spring! Even better than the fireplace!"
Padma looked doubtful and walked closer.
"You must have a fever. In this weather—" But the moment she approached, Lucian changed the flow of magic.
The warm spring air instantly turned into freezing winter.
"Ah! It's so cold!" Padma shivered.
"Parvati, are you messing with me? It's even colder here!"
Parvati blinked in confusion.
She stepped closer again. "No, it's really warm—wait, why is it cold now?"
For the next five minutes, the twins created a complete comedy scene around Lucian.
Whenever Parvati approached alone, Lucian warmed the air slightly, making her feel comfortable enough to stretch.
But whenever Padma came closer, the temperature dropped immediately.
"I figured it out!" Parvati shouted suddenly.
"This must be the legendary Avalon hot spring! Padma, stay away! Don't ruin the spring!"
"That's nonsense! I clearly felt freezing wind!" Padma argued while pushing forward.
The situation became increasingly absurd.
Parvati enjoyed invisible warmth while Padma shivered in cold air.
Sometimes they hugged each other and shouted. Sometimes they pushed each other away while arguing over the nonexistent warmth.
"Padma, you must be possessed by a Yeti! Every time you come closer, spring disappears!"
"Parvati, I think you've been hit with a Confundus Charm! It's cold enough here to freeze a dragon!"
Finally, after exhausting themselves and beginning to question their own senses, Lucian slowly opened his eyes.
He withdrew the magic field and showed a rare smile.
"That's enough, you two," he said while standing up.
"Oh, and by the way, Anthony Goldstein will indeed be in the library tomorrow. But he's currently studying the Veritas Charm."
Lucian glanced at them casually.
"If I were you, I would practice Occlumency first."
With that, he left two stunned girls behind and walked calmly back into the castle corridor.
Parvati blinked.
"Padma… was he teasing us?"
"I think he was," Padma said through clenched teeth while staring at Lucian's retreating back.
"And he definitely used some kind of strange spell… although I didn't see him cast anything."
Parvati rubbed her frozen hands.
"But he still feels kind of mysterious," she said thoughtfully.
"...Just a little mean."
Lucian walked through the quiet corridors of Hogwarts.
The twins' distant argument gradually faded behind him. The tension in his mind eased slightly.
He gave a small, self-mocking smile.
After all, he was only twelve years old.
__________
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