"No… so many wizards died in the Middle Ages due to persecution by the Muggle Church? And that's what led to the Muggle isolation policy?"
The next morning, in the Hogwarts Library, Evans stared at the astonishing numbers in the book, a look of disbelief on his face. As a wizard, he understood the overwhelming power gap between a magical adult and a Muggle. Even a third-year Hogwarts student would have no trouble dealing with a few non-magical adults. An adult wizard, even without a wand, shouldn't be easily caught, let alone tied to a stake and burned to death.
Under what possible circumstances could so many wizards have been captured?
Just as he was about to jot down this question to ask Professor Binns, a childish voice interrupted his thoughts.
"I'm sorry, Professor."
Turning his head, he saw Hermione standing behind him, looking utterly dejected.
"What's wrong?" Evans asked curiously. He had sensed last night that she had run to the forbidden corridor in the middle of the night, but what exactly had happened to make her so disheartened? Could someone have died? His heart tightened, but he quickly dismissed the thought. If a young wizard had died in the castle, he wouldn't have been able to sleep so soundly, and the school would not be this calm.
"It's like this…"
Facing Evans, Hermione recounted exactly what had happened the previous night. After listening, he breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
"It's just a few broken school rules. I thought something serious had happened."
"But Professor, we violated more than one!" Hermione looked like she was about to cry from anxiety. If the school pursued the matter, she could face probation, or worse.
"It's fine. As long as you weren't caught in the act, there's no problem." Evans was quite nonchalant when it came to breaking school rules. During his own time as a student, he had been the most active offender; sneaking into the Forbidden Forest was like going home. Just wandering the castle after hours was nothing. If his past self had done something so tame, the insidious bat of the dungeons would only have been relieved that he'd finally turned over a new leaf.
In this, he was a true Slytherin; he cared little for school rules or the laws of the wizarding world. The only thing that guided him was his own inner code of conduct. The Sorting Hat had probably seen that, which was why it had sent him to Slytherin in the first place. But understanding was one thing; if he ever got the chance, he would still get his hands on that hat for a thorough examination. Firstly, he was genuinely curious about its magic. Secondly, there was a definite element of retaliation. His first two years in Slytherin had not been easy, and he'd barely experienced a normal school life. The Sorting Hat definitely bore half the blame for that.
"However," Evans said, his tone shifting to one of seriousness, "while breaking school rules isn't a big deal to me, don't go to that place again."
Although he felt the protective power of those puzzle-like checkpoints was questionable, they were still highly dangerous for young wizards. Fluffy itself was a very powerful creature; even an ordinary adult wizard would struggle against it. And if one didn't know its weaknesses, Devil's Snare was a very tricky magical plant. Not to mention the series of puzzle rooms that followed, rooms Evans didn't even know the contents of yet. Facing such dangerous trials with no reward, it was necessary to curb the exuberant, adventurous spirit of these young wizards.
"I understand." Hermione nodded seriously, then seemed to remember something and spoke timidly. "By the way, Professor Kahn." She held out her left hand, where the mark had glowed the night before. "What is this thing on the back of my hand?"
Everything that had happened was still vivid in her mind; she was certain that before the mark lit up, Fluffy had intended to bite them to death.
"Oh, that's a magical mark."
Now that he'd ensured his future homework grader would stay out of trouble, Evans leaned back comfortably in his chair. "It's like an identification," he said casually. "It also has a trace of my magic attached to it, which can soothe magical creatures after it's activated, making them feel close to you."
"However, its effect isn't very strong; it can only slightly change a magical creature's first impression. Don't expect it to help you control them… But if you encounter my friends, you can use this mark to ask them for some help within their capabilities."
"As for how to activate it, just concentrate your mind on the back of your hand. Try a few times, and you'll get it."
He had invented this mark in his sixth year, basing it on his own talent, specifically for his friends to identify each other. As his circle of friends grew, there were inevitably some magical creatures that were racially opposed—predators and prey, for example. This mark allowed them to maintain a basic calmness when they met, at least ensuring that one of his friends wouldn't eat another. Moreover, if the holder of the mark felt their life was threatened, the mark could also be passively activated to notify him. That's what had happened to Hermione last night.
"So, Fluffy is your friend?"
"No, not yet." Evans waved his hand lightly. Only when both he and a magical creature genuinely believed in each other could his talent truly be activated, making them true friends. He had only seen the big dog a few times. Perhaps because it liked him, the mark's effect was significantly enhanced, which was why it had let the three of them go.
However, the mark was not without its drawbacks. As if suddenly remembering something, Evans's tone became serious again.
"Do you know about dark creatures?"
"Dark creatures?" Hermione looked up in confusion, chewing on the term.
"Creatures like zombies, ghouls, Acromantulas, and insane werewolves—anything that preys on humans," Evans explained briefly. "If you are facing a dark creature, never activate this mark."
"Its effect on them is very weak, and it might even stimulate their predatory instincts. They might find you… very delicious."
Hearing his description, Hermione shivered and hugged her shoulders tightly.
"But there's no need to be overly afraid," Evans added, seeing the fear in her eyes. "As long as you don't actively activate it, this mark will only appear when your life is threatened."
In truth, the effect of the mark had been greatly weakened. If Evans himself stood before dark creatures, they would attack him regardless of anything else. He couldn't turn his talent off. This made him a walking, talking delicacy to them, emitting a scent they found irresistible. Very few dark creatures could resist this temptation, which meant he had almost no dark creature friends.
Listening to his comfort, Hermione gradually recovered from her fear. She remembered the terrifying screams she had heard before leaving the corridor and, after a moment's hesitation, decided to tell him.
"Terrifying screams?" Hearing this, Evans was first stunned. He frowned and thought for a long time, then, as if something suddenly occurred to him, he couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.
"What's wrong, Professor Kahn?"
"Nothing." After a moment, Evans finally stopped laughing, though the corners of his mouth still curled upwards. Their species was indeed powerful, but those three fellows could hardly be considered terrifying.
"There's no need to be afraid," he said. "It was just three silly creatures who sensed the mark's aura and were saying hello to you. If you're curious, after this semester, I might be able to take you to meet them."
With that, he flipped open his notebook again. "Now, let's continue studying the weather forecast. Once you've completely mastered this spell, I can teach you something else."
(End of Chapter)
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