HR Chapter 145 A Bewildering Night, Anomaly Part 1

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The lifelike raven pattern made Ian want to reach out and touch it.

"Is it because of this pattern that you think the transfer student from over a hundred years ago is connected to the founder of our House?" Ian turned to look at Professor Flitwick, who was shorter than him.

Professor Flitwick didn't respond directly. Instead, he took out the Ravenclaw House crest and placed it next to the lifelike raven pattern on the parchment.

The two were strikingly similar in every detail.

"I believe this is the truth. Our House crest likely didn't appear out of thin air but has some origin and history. I just haven't found the evidence to support this theory yet." Professor Flitwick sighed heavily, his voice tinged with regret. It seemed as though his curiosity had been driving him to seek the truth for many years.

"If we follow your line of thinking, do the crests of the other Houses also have origins and histories?" Ian suddenly felt a surge of curiosity.

Hearing this, Professor Flitwick shrugged. "Who knows? I'm not particularly interested in the history of the other Houses. After all, I don't teach magical history," he replied bluntly.

"Headmaster Dumbledore must have met this transfer student." Ian turned his gaze back to the text in the memoir, his eyes reflecting a complex mix of emotions.

"Albus probably didn't want to cause a panic. After all, if such a transfer student truly existed, it would have caused a massive stir in the wizarding world and raised questions about our school." Although Professor Flitwick had been curious for many years, he clearly didn't blame Albus Dumbledore for keeping quiet.

"Yeah, I'm feeling quite panicked right now..." Ian's gaze remained fixed on the text, particularly on a few specific phrases.

"Don't worry, Hogwarts is very safe now." Professor Flitwick clearly misunderstood Ian's words. He made a move to pat the young wizard's shoulder but, even on tiptoe, couldn't quite reach.

"You've grown so tall?" Professor Flitwick's tone was filled with surprise. He probably remembered how Ian was when he first enrolled, and there was a hint of barely noticeable envy in his voice. Who wouldn't want to be tall? After all, being tall meant never needing stools or ladders.

Professor Flitwick had also once harbored feelings for a girl many years ago. The problem was his height. At least, that's what he believed.

"Hogwarts is indeed safer than ever before." Ian wholeheartedly agreed with Professor Flitwick's statement, as who knows how many versions of Albus Dumbledore might be around the school by now?

To be honest, Ian had been feeling paranoid lately, wondering if an Albus Dumbledore might be standing in some corner, watching him. He even felt the strange urge to check every stall when he went to the bathroom.

Since he hadn't studied time much, Ian had no idea what Dumbledore meant by the "limit of the challenge", how many versions of oneself from different times could coexist within one timeline. 

Perhaps even Dumbledore himself didn't know. After all, just like how the Flash never knew how many versions of himself from alternate timelines were present when his mother died.

No one can be certain about things that haven't happened yet. All one can say is that the Time-Turner is indeed mysterious... The secrets of time still made Ian feel uneasy.

Many things were right in front of him. He couldn't help but overthink.

"Sir, I'd also like to learn more about the transfer student, no, I mean, about this bird on our House crest." Ian looked down at Professor Flitwick beside him. 

He'd heard about the raven from more than one person, but compared to the previous information, he was now more concerned about the one encountered by the transfer student from a hundred years ago. It was too terrifying to think too deeply about!

"What I know is very little, I'm afraid. After all, we can't expect to clearly capture a figure who might have only briefly flashed by in history after so many years have passed."

"The late Lady Ravenclaw is probably the only one who knew the true story behind the raven on our House crest." Professor Flitwick trotted over to the bookshelf again, climbed up a ladder to a higher shelf, and pulled out a rather old-looking ancient book.

"But we can't ask Lady Ravenclaw, who has been gone for many years, can we?" As he descended the ladder, Professor Flitwick sighed with a touch of wistfulness.

"Yeah, that's true." Ian's expression turned slightly unnatural. After all, what was impossible for others wasn't necessarily so for him. He just didn't know if he could meet Lady Ravenclaw again. 

The Twilight Zone was too vast, and there was still much he didn't understand. He wasn't even sure if he could return to that volcanic crater or to Lady Ravenclaw's island.

"As people of later generations, all we can do is catch a glimpse of the past through ancient books," Professor Flitwick said as he walked back to Ian and placed the old book on the table.

This ancient and magical tome seemed to have been slowly pulled up from the depths of time itself. On the cover, the marks of time were unmistakably visible, with fine cracks like small paths on an ancient map, winding and twisting, recording the traces of countless readings and explorations.

Among these cracks, occasional glimmers of light seemed to be the residual magical energy lingering between the pages, inadvertently revealing a hint of mystery.

"Glimpsing Fate"

A very short title.

What was most intriguing was the author of the book, Rowena Ravenclaw.

"I was fortunate enough to obtain a secret book from the founder of our House, but the mention of the mysterious raven in the book is confined to only a few words in one small section."

Professor Flitwick flipped to page seventy-seven of the book. Ian leaned in, and just as the Head of Ravenclaw House had said, there were indeed only a few words. 

It roughly mentioned a contract tied to the House, which allowed Rowena Ravenclaw to gain the talent of glimpsing fate, and this contract was linked to the raven that had a deep connection with Ravenclaw House. 

This wasn't much different from what Ian had learned from Albus Dumbledore, but it still lacked crucial details about the raven's origin and nature.

"Actually, I think the raven mentioned by Lady Ravenclaw and the one encountered by that transfer student are not the same. After all, a bird can't possibly live for a thousand years."

"Wizards don't live that long either, well, except for wizards like Nicolas Flamel who possess the Philosopher's Stone... But this possibility is far less likely than another one."

Professor Flitwick clearly had his own judgment and thoughts. His words prompted Ian to ask a question.

"What possibility?" Ian's eyes flickered slightly.

Professor Flitwick didn't notice the young wizard's unusual curiosity, as curiosity was a trait deeply ingrained in every Ravenclaw student. He pondered for a moment before answering.

"The transfer student mentioned that the raven he encountered was a wizard's Animagus form. So, the raven the transfer student saw is more likely to be a descendant of Ravenclaw House."

"Perhaps many people don't know, but the Animagus forms of Ravenclaw House members are most likely to be ravens. I think this is also connected to the contract this House has with the raven."

"Just as many wizards with special bloodlines have Patronuses that reflect their heritage, I believe there's a similar connection with Animagus forms."

At this point, Professor Flitwick paused as if remembering something and glanced with some concern at Ian, who seemed distracted for some reason.

"By the way, how's your Patronus Charm coming along?" Professor Flitwick asked, still remembering the strange Patronus Ian had produced not long ago, a Patronus that even he couldn't quite explain. 

He had spent many days and nights searching for a solution, but despite all the evidence pointing to Ian being capable of casting a proper Patronus, there was something about the magical nodes that seemed off. The incantation, gestures, and magical flow were flawless, but the abnormality persisted. Even investigating if it was related to his bloodline had led to no answers. 

Professor Flitwick had pulled out enough hair over this to make a wig.

"Feeling better about it now?" Ian hesitated, wondering whether to attempt the Patronus Charm for his Head of House. A Patronus manifesting as a deceased person would surely cause a massive stir in the wizarding world.

"Did you find a solution on your own?" Professor Flitwick raised his somewhat exaggerated eyebrows.

"I got some help from elders," Ian answered honestly. After all, creating the [Patronus Ring] wasn't solely his work.

"It's Albus, isn't it? Only he has that kind of ability to help you." Professor Flitwick might have doubts about other wizards, but he trusted Headmaster Dumbledore without question.

"Headmaster Dumbledore is one of the helpers," Ian nodded.

The young wizard's words surprised Professor Flitwick. "There are others helping you? I don't think Severus is better than me in the field of Charms." Professor Flitwick was quite familiar with Ian's family background, and suddenly, he felt a bit put out.

"..."

Ian fell silent. "It's other elders."

The young wizard found it a bit difficult to find the right words.

Of course, he respected Professor Flitwick as a powerful wizard, he simply didn't feel the need to compare him to Professor Morgan or Lady Ravenclaw.

(To Be Contiinued…)