Chapter 19: A Terrible History of Magic
It was almost time for class, so Ethan took the book to Mrs. Pince, who sat behind the counter, and handed it to her. "I'd like to borrow this."
Mrs. Pince took the book and recorded the title along with his name. "Return it within two weeks. And don't damage or soil it."
"Okay, thank you, Mrs. Pince." He put the book in his bag and headed toward the History of Magic classroom on the second floor.
He didn't arrive early this time. The Slytherins who'd learned their lesson that morning had already taken their seats.
Ethan glanced around and spotted an empty seat next to Draco, so he sat down.
With a few minutes to spare, and based on something he'd read in the book, he tentatively asked, "Draco, as a pure-blood, don't you have any bloodline talents?"
"How could we not! As members of the noble Malfoy family, how could we not have innate talent!" The statement seemed to enrage Draco, who shouted loudly enough for the whole class to hear.
"What are you yelling about?" Ethan's eyes widened as red light flickered in them, which he didn't notice.
Draco sensed danger, and he finally realized he hadn't been mistaken last night. His roommate's eyes had indeed flashed red.
Then it clicked. Draco understood why Ethan had asked him that question. "Wait, have you awakened some kind of bloodline talent?"
"Hmm." There were quite a few people in the classroom, so Ethan didn't reveal anything more.
If he wasn't mistaken, Draco's eyes were filled with deep envy.
"It seems you must be descended from a pure-blood family, or at the very least a half-blood."
"Why do you say that? Don't Muggle-born wizards have awakened talents?"
He shook his head. "Yes, but very few. Muggle-born wizards may have magical blood in their ancestry, but it's been diluted over many generations. It's already quite an achievement for them to even become wizards. Very few of them awaken their talents further."
"Is that so?" Ethan remained noncommittal. As a newcomer to the wizarding world, he had no way to verify Draco's claims, so he let the matter drop for now.
"What talent have you awakened?"
Draco glanced awkwardly at a classmate who was watching them on the sly. "Talent is a private matter. I'll tell you when we get back to the dorm. Now isn't the time."
"Okay." Ethan glanced at the equally curious little snakes and nodded.
However, he suspected the truth. Draco might have awakened a talent, but it definitely wasn't a strong one. That explained his secrecy and reluctance to reveal it publicly. Given his boastful nature, if his talent were truly impressive, he would flaunt it regardless of privacy.
"So the question is, what makes a talent strong versus weak? Is it determined by combat ability, or something else entirely? This book only offers a superficial analysis, and remains frustratingly vague."
Just then, the school bell rang, and a withered ghost wearing small, thick glasses passed through the wall and floated behind the podium.
"A ghost!" the Slytherins exclaimed.
"I am Professor Cuthbert Binns, History of Magic. Now, turn to the first page of your textbooks, and let us begin the lesson." The ghost's voice was flat and emotionless, droning in a way that was distinctly uncomfortable to hear.
Ignoring the murmurs from the Slytherins seated before him, he began reading from the first page in monotonous, tedious prose.
Ethan had initially looked forward to seeing how skilled Professor Binns actually was, since the ghost rarely appeared in the films, but he quickly grew to despise him.
Professor Binns's performance reminded him of those college professors who simply read straight from their slides.
He rolled his eyes. "The book is right in front of us. Can't we read it ourselves? Do you really have to read it aloud?"
He hadn't yet gauged the professor's temperament, and didn't dare to openly ignore the lecture, so he carefully flipped through the book he had just borrowed from the library, sliding it beneath his thick, brick-like History of Magic textbook.
To appear attentive, he occasionally looked up and tried to meet Professor Binns's gaze.
But it was futile. Professor Binns's eyes remained fixed on the back wall of the classroom as he droned on, reciting the textbook word for word.
Soon, Ethan gave up the pretense entirely. He pushed aside the History of Magic textbook he'd already skimmed and pulled out a different book.
Draco, sitting beside him, was practically green with envy. He'd expected History of Magic to be interesting, but insufferably dull. It was maddening.
The bell rang, cutting off Professor Binns's droning voice.
Professor Binns glanced at the gloating Slytherins. "Before next class, hand in an essay on the lives of Emeric the Evil and Uric the Oddball. Make sure it's at least eighteen inches long."
"Oh, no!" A chorus of groans erupted.
Professor Binns paid no heed and drifted through the wall.
Ethan finished packing his bag and stood up. "I've got plans tonight. We'll talk about talent when I get back to the dorm."
Without waiting for Draco to respond, he headed for the Great Hall as agreed.
Draco watched him go, pressed his lips together, then marched over to Crabbe and Goyle and slapped their desks. "Get up! Class is over!"
The two boys, who'd been sleeping soundly, jolted awake.
Crabbe wiped the drool from his mouth, still dazed, and stared blankly at the nearly empty classroom. He slowly gathered his things and, along with Goyle, followed Draco like a pair of bodyguards toward the dungeons.
When Ethan arrived at the Great Hall, Hermione was already waiting.
He set his backpack on the chair, pulled out his book, turned to the third page, and handed it to Hermione across the table.
"A Brief Analysis of the Origins of Bloodlines?" Hermione read the title aloud.
"Is the special ability you awakened a bloodline talent?" Hermione asked, understanding Ethan's meaning after a quick glance at the pages.
"Yes. I asked Draco during class, and he said he has one too, but it's a secret. We agreed to talk about it when we get back to the dorm tonight." He nodded, took the book, and set it on the table.
Hermione said with envy, "That's wonderful. I wonder if I'll ever awaken a bloodline talent of my own."
From what Draco had said, Ethan knew the odds were against them, but he still offered Hermione some reassurance. "It's hard to say. The book says talent usually manifests during Accidental Magic, but it doesn't say it can't develop later. I think you've still got a chance."
To keep Hermione from realizing he was bluffing, he steered the conversation toward his recently finished History of Magic class.
"Professor Binns assigned us an eighteen-inch essay. I was thinking of heading to the library tonight to do some research."
"Eighteen inches? That's quite a lot. I don't have plans tonight, so I'll come along. How's History of Magic? Is it interesting? What's Professor Binns like?"
Ethan considered the question seriously, but ultimately decided not to spoil it.
After all, Professor Binns's only saving grace was the novelty of being taught by a ghost. If he ruined that surprise, the class would have no appeal at all.
Still, he couldn't bear to let Hermione waste an entire class, so he offered her some advice. "You'll see when you get there, but I'd recommend bringing another book. Something like *The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts*, perhaps."
"Really? Does Professor Binns go that in-depth?" Hermione, unsuspecting, decided she'd bring an extra book to tomorrow's class.
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