HP: The Wizard Who Paints with Magic

Harry didn't have much time to ponder the empty train car, because Ron, his new friend, had already moved on. He proudly produced a plump, old rat from his pocket.

Harry noticed an immediate shift in Ethan. His eyes sharpened, the cobalt blue turning as cold and hard as a frozen lake as he stared at the rat. Though Ethan's lips were still curved into a smile, the expression didn't reach his eyes.

"Oh, how interesting," Ethan said slowly. "You have a cute little pet."

He shifted, crossing one leg over the other, letting the shadows from the window frame fall across him. The change in posture made his entire demeanor feel suddenly serious, almost predatory.

Ron inexplicably grew nervous and stammered, "Uh, yes, yes. Its name is Scabbers. It used to be my brother Percy's. He became a Prefect this year, so Dad bought him an owl, and he gave this unwanted rat to me..."

"Mm-hmm." Ethan responded with a soft hum, his gaze never leaving the snoring rat.

Scabbers.

Or rather, the murderer who indirectly caused the death of Harry's parents—Peter Pettigrew.

Ethan rested his chin on his hand, idly considering his options. He could, of course, simply lunge forward and smash the rat to death. That would certainly leave an unforgettable impression on Ron and Harry. However, his next stop wouldn't be Hogwarts but Azkaban. He could keep the wrongly accused Sirius Black company. At this point in time, Peter Pettigrew was still considered a hero.

Besides, while he would be killing a rat on the surface, he would actually be killing a person. He had no idea if a wizard in their Animagus form would revert upon death. The sudden appearance of a corpse on the train… this was the wizarding world, not some grim detective novel.

Killing might affect my soul, Ethan thought. He was an upstanding, kind young wizard, wasn't he? He had no intention of wickedly splitting his soul into seven pieces like a certain noseless monster.

So, what to do?

As Ethan pondered, an idea began to form. Across from him, Ron had already picked up his old, chipped wand, ready to cast a spell on Scabbers.

Just then—

Whoosh!

The compartment door slid open. A girl with a mass of bushy brown hair appeared in the doorway, a round-faced boy with a mournful expression trailing behind her. The boy had been by earlier, asking if anyone had seen his toad.

"Have you seen a toad?" the girl asked as soon as she entered, her sharp eyes scanning the compartment. Her tone was rather brusque.

Harry frowned, about to say they hadn't, when he heard Ethan's interested voice:

"Which part?"

"..."

The faces in the compartment went blank. The poor, round-faced boy blinked, his mind slowly catching up. When he realized the implication, his already flushed face turned deathly pale.

"Hahaha, just kidding," Ethan said with a laugh.

Harry managed two dry coughs in support. Ethan's sense of humor, he was beginning to realize, was… unusual.

The brown-haired girl raised her eyebrows sternly, about to deliver a lecture, but her eyes landed on the wand in Ron's hand. Her words changed course. "Oh, are you casting a spell? Then let's see."

"Okay, okay, ahem." Ron blushed, then solemnly muttered an ineffective spell at Scabbers. The fat rat merely rolled over, disturbed but seemingly comfortable.

"Are you sure that was a spell? It doesn't seem very good, does it?" the girl commented disdainfully, preparing to launch into a speech about her own textbook mastery.

She was interrupted by Ethan.

"Hey, I learned a spell, too. Want to see?" Ethan asked, slowly drawing his wand.

"Of course, of course!" Harry said quickly, willing to do anything to save Ron from further embarrassment.

Ron, his face crimson, mumbled a few words. He was torn between wanting Ethan to cast a brilliant spell to shut the annoying girl up and not wanting to see Ethan actually succeed.

He soon realized he had been conflicted far too early.

Ethan pointed his wand at Scabbers, smiling as he enunciated with perfect clarity:

"Avada Kedavra."

The words fell into a compartment that had gone utterly silent, as if a pause button had been pressed. Harry, Ron, the bushy-haired girl, and the round-faced boy all stared at Ethan, dumbfounded, as if he had just transformed into a troll wearing a skirt.

"—SQUEAK!!!"

A shrill scream erupted from Ron's hand. The fat rat began to convulse, its leg with the missing toe kicking frantically. Its pea-sized eyes seemed to bulge from their sockets, its expression one of pure terror, as if it had come face to face with its deepest nightmare.

But it was just a rat, wasn't it? Its tiny brain shouldn't be capable of having "frightening nightmares."

"You—you killed Scabbers?!" Ron shouted in horror, breaking the silence.

<(￣︶￣)>

"…No, obviously not," the girl said, regaining her composure. She pursed her lips. "He didn't successfully cast it. There wasn't even a flash of light. Your rat should still be alive."

Although… that's a bit strange, Hermione frowned to herself. If the spell had no effect, why did the rat react so violently? Can an ordinary rat understand the Killing Curse?

"That's right. It was just another little joke," Ethan said smoothly. "I'm not some dark-hearted wizard. How could I possibly cast such a terrible spell?"

"So—" Ethan tilted his head, looking at the stunned faces around him. "Why isn't anyone laughing?"

Silence answered him. The unspoken thought hung heavy in the air: Dude, you are way too much.

Ethan smiled, his expression gentle and innocent, giving no hint that he had just treated one of the three Unforgivable Curses like a party trick.

"…That's not funny at all!" Hermione finally snapped, crossing her arms. "If you only know nasty tricks like that, then I don't think you're anything special! Even worse than him!" she declared, jabbing a finger in Ron's direction.

She stared fearlessly into Ethan's eyes. For a moment, the atmosphere in the compartment grew tense. Neville, who had only wanted to find his toad, looked as if he wished he had never set foot in this carriage. Ron was completely focused on his pet, muttering, "Bloody hell! It's not going to pee on my hand, is it?"

Harry looked from one to the other, wanting to smooth things over but not knowing where to begin. He felt that a good wizard like Ethan wouldn't truly want to harm someone's pet. His jokes were just… advanced. Like inviting a Dementor to sing 'Happy Birthday' at a party. Exciting, perhaps, but wholly unnecessary.

"…Oh dear. I'm really being underestimated," Ethan murmured, the smile still plastered on his face. Holding his wand, he gave it a casual flick in the air.

"Accio Toad."

"Accio?" Hermione pounced, as if a switch had been flipped. "Haven't you read the textbook? The Summoning Charm can only be used on inanimate objects! It will never work on a—"

CRASH!

Her lecture was cut short by a distant bang, followed by a faint scream. A black shadow whizzed down the corridor, rounded the door frame with impossible speed, and landed squarely in Ethan's outstretched hand.

It was, astonishingly, a very dizzy-looking green toad.

(End of Chapter)

***

(End of Chapter)

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