"Amazing! Can wizards be so powerful?"
Harry stared at the moving photos in the newspaper.
The looping image showed the dark wizard, actually Ivan in disguise, casting the spell Path of other fire god to instantly defeat all the hired wizards.
The young wizards had never seen Path of other fire god before, nor did they fully understand its significance.
But that didn't stop them from being awestruck.
The battle at Gringotts seemed to have opened a door to a new understanding for the young wizards, making them realize that magic could reach such astonishing heights.
Fighting against hundreds of opponents single-handedly and forcing back powerful wizards with a single spell—it was nothing short of legendary.
"So cool!"
The young wizards, especially those who had grown up in the wizarding world, were captivated. Led by Ronald, they expressed a mix of fear toward this wizard's immense power but even more admiration and envy.
Ivan was not Voldemort. He didn't kill indiscriminately.
Even that hired foregn wizard, whose arm Ivan had severed, recovered later under magical treatment.
So, despite the newspapers claiming that Ivan was wreaking havoc everywhere, they also acknowledged that he hadn't caused any major harm. Beyond embarrassing the Ministry of Magic and calling Gringotts' security into question, there was little damage done.
"But who is he?"
On the Slytherin side, the younger students were more interested in Ivan's identity.
How could such a powerful wizard have remained unknown until now?
At that moment, Snape, clad in his usual black robes and resembling a large bat, hurriedly entered the Great Hall.
His eyes locked onto Ivan, who was calmly eating his breakfast.
"Ambrosius, come with me."
"Hmm?"
Ivan looked up at Snape with a calm expression. After a brief moment, he stood up leisurely and followed him out of the hall.
"What happened?"
"Ivan was called away by Professor Snape."
Snape's arrival didn't cause much commotion.
The little wizards were still engrossed in today's Daily Prophet, eager to learn what steps the Ministry of Magic would take next.
Questions buzzed around the hall—whether Gringotts could still be trusted, and if their families would consider transferring their wealth elsewhere.
"What should we do?"
Hermione and Penelope, the only ones aware of the truth, were visibly uneasy.
However, the fact that Snape had called Ivan away didn't necessarily mean his actions had been exposed.
They knew Ivan's standing in Hogwarts.
Occasionally, professors would consult Ivan for advice on certain matters, so none of the otyher students linked the Gringotts intruder with Ivan.
Meanwhile, Snape led Ivan into an empty, secluded classroom.
With a wave of his wand, Snape cast a sealing charm on the room, ensuring no one could overhear or intrude upon their conversation.
"Is this you?"
Snape held up the Daily Prophet, pointing at the image of the dark wizard shrouded in white mist.
"Isn't it obvious, Professor?"
Ivan calmly found a seat and sat down, and this fearless look really made Snape's eyebrows jump wildly.
"Does he know?"
Snape's question referred to Dumbledore.
Snape had mixed feelings about Ivan.
On one hand, Ivan was a student at Hogwarts, and as a professor, Snape felt a certain responsibility to guide and protect him.
But the issue lay in Ivan's unparalleled talent.
In just one year—no, within a single month of enrollment—Ivan had surpassed Snape himself.
"Are you insane?"
Snape gritted his teeth and hissed, "Your magic with white steam is absolutely unique in the wizarding world!"
"And Path of other fire god?!"
"I suspect there's nothing but troll feces in your brain. Don't you realize this is Dumbledore's exclusive magic?"
"Couldn't you use any other spell?"
At the end, Snape's frustration finally bubbled over, revealing his true concern.
He didn't care about Ivan's conflicts with the Ministry of Magic, nor did he care about the goblins at Gringotts.
As for the wizards hired by Gringotts, Snape regarded them as little more than international mercenaries.
Since they dared to cast the Killing Curse on Ivan, they should have been prepared for the consequences of facing him.
What truly worried Snape was Ivan's age—just 12 years old—and the possible psychological toll of having taken a life.
However, according to the reports in the Daily Prophet, Ivan hadn't killed anyone at all.
The most Ivan had done was cut off the hand of a hired wizard.
What else was there to say?
Thinking of Ivan's overwhelming strength that could dominate any battlefield, Snape wanted to sarcastically mutter, "Ivan, truly… you're beyond words. I could weep."
Ivan had shown mercy and spared lives, yet people still questioned whether he had stepped into darkness?
If Voldemort had Ivan's strength, sparing anyone, let alone showing mercy, would have been unthinkable. Forget mercy—Voldemort wouldn't have left a single soul alive in England.
"Professor, are you worried about me?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
Snape's piercing glare fixed on Ivan. He wasn't the only one; Professor McGonagall and the other senior professors were concerned as well.
It was well-known among Hogwarts professors that Ivan's abilities were extraordinary.
During past training sessions, a group of professors had once joined forces to test Ivan, leading to the discovery of his magic incarnation.
When they read today's Daily Prophet, at least the head of the houses immediately recognized the figure in the report as none other than Ivan.
"Be honest—how do you plan to handle this situation?"
Snape knew Dumbledore had a soft spot for Ivan, but even Snape couldn't help feeling envious of the favoritism.
Dumbledore... You old fool!
Are you really just going to let Ivan do whatever he pleases, then clean up the mess for him?
If that's not indulgence, I, Severus Snape, might as well drown myself in Potter's shampoo!
"Haah..."
Ivan sighed helplessly and said, "Do you know why Voldemort was able to run rampant in England?"
Snape was momentarily stunned but quickly caught on to what Ivan was implying.
"There's no need to hide anything anymore."
Ivan raised his finger and tapped lightly, and suddenly, the space within the entire classroom shattered like fragile glass under immense pressure.
"...What is this?!"
Before Snape could fully express his astonishment, Ivan moved his fingers again.
The fragmented space, riddled with cracks, reverted to its original state as though time itself had reversed. It was as if nothing had happened at all.
The magical display was beyond extraordinary, even for someone as well-versed in magic as Snape.
While Snape knew of spells capable of producing similar effects, the precision and ease with which Ivan executed the feat were unprecedented.
The wizarding world is so big that there are too many things invented by people, such as time turners, the Philosopher's Stone, and spells like the extension charm which dapples with local space compression and destruction as well as the three Unforgivable curses.
So creating something powerful is indeed difficult, but not impossible.
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