Chapter 78: The Shafiq Family Secret
The next morning, Ethan woke up on the headmaster's sofa, feeling uncomfortable with a sore back and waist.
"This is the headmaster's office? I fell asleep here last night?" He looked around, remembering the previous night's events, and scratched his head in confusion.
He'd been too tired to check his magic level before falling asleep.
"Headmaster! Headmaster Dumbledore! Are you there?" he called toward the closed bedroom door.
"Yes, yes, what is it?" Dumbledore, in his pajamas, opened the door.
"Headmaster, what level did I test at last night?"
"Not bad. Fifth-year student level." Dumbledore gave a thumbs up.
"Alright, now that you're awake, get going. Don't be late for class. I'll have the house-elf deliver your bed to the dormitory."
He spoke to the air. "Dobby, deliver a bed to Ethan's dormitory."
"Yes, Headmaster Dumbledore." Dobby's voice drifted through the air.
Ethan glanced at the clock on the wall before taking his leave from Dumbledore.
It was still early, so he went to the Great Hall for breakfast before returning to his dormitory to assess his losses.
"The bed's been delivered. My trunk was reduced to ashes, but fortunately I had another in the wardrobe that was usable. A few clothes inside the trunk were burned, which is acceptable."
After taking stock, he breathed a sigh of relief.
He organized the books on his shelf, primarily sorting through the notes and Dark Arts manuscripts mixed among them to ensure nothing was missing.
His three roommates tacitly didn't ask what had happened last night, but after their discussion, they more or less understood.
It seemed Draco had instructed them, as Goyle and Crabbe behaved as usual, which pleased Ethan.
After some tidying, they left for class together.
After Ethan left, Dumbledore began writing to Cyril, detailing the previous night's events, which would be delivered by owl to Shafiq Manor, where Cyril now lived.
Ethan's classes didn't go smoothly today. Likely due to last night's outburst, the spells he cast were suddenly much more powerful and difficult to control.
During Charms class, Ethan lost control because his magic had suddenly strengthened while casting the advanced version of Lumos — Lux Maxima. A thigh-thick beam of light shot from his wand tip, blinding many classmates.
The classroom filled with screams. The Slytherin students, their eyes red and faces covered, lined up after class to see Madam Pomfrey in the hospital wing.
Ethan was very apologetic. In the afternoon Transfiguration class, he was extremely careful to restrain his magic output, finally avoiding further incidents.
During Defense Against the Dark Arts, Ethan didn't volunteer to stay after class, and Quirrell didn't ask him to.
The reason Ethan didn't stay was simple, he was afraid of exposing himself. Before, he'd only faintly and intermittently seen Voldemort's soul fragment, but after the outburst, he could constantly see its location.
He didn't dare stay, fearing that when alone with Quirrell, he couldn't help but constantly glance at the back of his head.
"This is too terrifying. I need to find a way to turn off this ability, or how will I attend classes in the future?"
After a full day of classes, Ethan lay in bed, lost in thought, unable to sleep for a long time.
Meanwhile, Dumbledore received Cyril's reply much faster than expected.
"I'm in Hogsmeade. Come to the Three Broomsticks."
The handwriting on the owl-delivered note was somewhat scribbled.
"You mean you rushed here as soon as you got the message? My owl hasn't even returned yet." At the Three Broomsticks, after casting Muffliato, Dumbledore looked with surprise at the wizard who couldn't contain his excitement.
"Never mind that. First, tell me what happened last night." Cyril Shafiq's face was flushed with excitement.
Dumbledore recounted the story he'd heard from Snape, repeating in spoken form what he'd written in his letter.
"Wonderful, absolutely wonderful! I never imagined this child, living outside the family, would have such talent!"
"Cyril, can you tell me what's going on? I've never heard of anyone having a second magic surge."
Dumbledore was deeply curious. Seeing Cyril's expression, this might be a Shafiq family secret, but he was simply too curious to resist asking.
Cyril hesitated for a moment. Since Dumbledore already knew about Ethan's magic surge, he finally decided to reveal some information:
"In the Shafiq family, while not every member experiences a second magic surge, it's not uncommon either.
Take me, for example. I had my second magic surge as an adult. Because my total magic is greater than other wizards', the spells I cast are more powerful.
Ethan's parents were able to fight off so many wizards two-against-many because they too had experienced a second magic surge, relying on their magic reserves combined with defensive measures."
This...
Dumbledore was stunned. He never imagined that a second magic surge, so rare he'd never heard of it, was a common opportunity for most members of the Shafiq family.
Cyril cautioned, "Don't spread this. Keep it to yourself. I didn't expect his talent to be this good, having a second outburst in his second year. No, I must hurry and persuade his adoptive parents to let him stay with me for a while."
Cyril left in a rush, leaving Dumbledore alone, slowly sipping his butterbeer, pondering whether this mysterious Shafiq family held even more secrets hidden in the shadows.
After finishing his drink, Dumbledore stood to pay and noticed several empty cups before him, slightly stunned. "Wait, that old rascal left without paying!"
After returning to his office, Dumbledore pulled out the list of Shafiq family members who had attended Hogwarts through the generations, comparing them one by one with those he remembered meeting, hoping to find more secrets.
Based on information from the Pensieve, he indeed made a new discovery:
"Members of the Shafiq family have excellent talent for fire magic and are more skilled in Dark Arts than others. It seems this is also a bloodline inheritance."
So Ethan must have excellent talent for Dark Arts and fire magic too. No wonder he's connected to Quirrell," Dumbledore mused.
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