Chapter 64: Urgent! My Roommate is a Neo-Grindelwald Supporter

Punctual. On time.

Not even a second late, with time to spare.

Ian had no intention of giving Snape the chance to ask about the recipe for the Draught of Living Death.

“Ian! Over here! Over here!”

William, the green-haired boy, had probably been in the classroom for a while.

Unfortunately, he looked rather pitiful among the other young wizards. Most students had already formed groups, chatting excitedly about the upcoming lesson, but he sat alone at a table, isolated.

Perhaps the friends he had made on the Hogwarts Express were sorted into different houses, leaving him behind. Meanwhile, their other dormmate, Michael, was shamelessly trying to ingratiate himself with the Slytherins.

Among all the first-years at Hogwarts, only Michael and an unknown Slytherin girl seemed to have a "limited edition skin"—a unique presence. It was obvious that Michael was a very traditional Black wizard.

"The reason Michael stayed silent when we were ranking the prettiest girls this morning is finally clear."

Ian, amused, walked over to William, who had enthusiastically prepared his textbook, flipping it open to the first chapter of today's Potions lesson.

"He's a traitor!" William grumbled bitterly.

"I think it's rather nice," Ian said, suddenly feeling at ease.

He had been worried about Michael's silence during breakfast when the boys had been ranking the most attractive witches. Now it all made sense—Michael simply had a preference for Black girls.

Fair enough.

"That girl only greeted him with a simple ‘Good afternoon,’ and he looked like his soul had been stolen. The Slytherins obviously don't care about him, yet he keeps pushing his way in."

"One day, he'll be scammed so hard that he won't even have a single Knut left," William muttered, his voice laced with the bitterness of someone who had possibly experienced something similar.

"You guys are so mature," Ian remarked. "Unlike me—I only love learning."

Looking around the classroom, he noted that there was still some time before class started. Many young wizards had already arrived.

The Potions classroom wasn't particularly large, but it could easily accommodate forty or fifty students. Today, there were only about thirty, making the space feel comfortably open.

Shelves filled with ingredients lined the walls, along with jars containing various preserved creatures. Professor Snape had yet to arrive.

"We're the same, then. I love learning too," William said, his enthusiasm returning as if he had finally found a kindred spirit.

However, before their scholarly bond could deepen, a striking figure entered the classroom—a girl with flowing platinum-blonde hair, radiating confidence.

"It's her! The wicked woman from the Grindelwald family!"

"She's here at Hogwarts to recruit a new generation of followers. Ian, you have to believe me—my grandfather was an Auror in Germany for decades!"

For someone who claimed to love studying, William was awfully quick to get distracted. He watched the girl closely, unlike Ian, who remained focused on revising his textbooks: One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi and Magical Drafts and Potions.

"She's coming this way!"

William panicked and immediately ducked his head, as if terrified that she had overheard his words. His nervousness skyrocketed when two books were gently placed on their table.

"I'm sorry," he blurted out, trembling.

"??????"

Aurora, the platinum-haired girl, raised an eyebrow at the green-haired boy, confused by his bizarre reaction.

"Is he your friend?" she asked Ian curiously.

"Ian, we're good friends, right?" William suddenly grabbed Ian’s arm, his voice filled with desperation. His panicked eyes darted between Ian and Aurora.

"Good afternoon, Aurora. This is my roommate, William. He's just... a little shy," Ian replied smoothly, refusing to throw his dormmate under the bus. Loyalty like this, he figured, should at least be worth ten times of William washing his socks.

"Mm."

Aurora nodded, then turned to William.

"Good afternoon, Ian's roommate."

Hearing a greeting from the Grindelwald family’s wicked woman, William nearly fainted. His response was stammered and awkward, his fear obvious.

“Y-you too…”

He didn’t even dare to say her name.

So much for being a ‘master of words.’

"Potions class requires partners. Would you like to pair up with me?" Aurora asked, her heterochromatic eyes filled with a hint of expectation as she looked at Ian.

"Cross-house pairing? Is that allowed?" Ian asked, genuinely curious.

Besides…

"William and I usually partner up." Ian was actually considering his roommate's situation, worried that William might be left out.

But before he could finish, William had already begun packing up his things.

"I think I'd like to enjoy the view from another part of the room," William announced before scurrying away. His hurried steps were clumsy, as if his legs had gone weak.

It was unclear what kind of "view" he expected to find in the farthest corner of the classroom…

From his ‘safe spot,’ William watched as Aurora took the seat beside Ian. His mind was filled with regret.

"He calls her Aurora… She calls him Ian… Why did no one warn me about this sooner?!"

If someone had to summarize his thoughts at this moment, it would be:

Urgent! Just cursed the heir of the first Dark Lord—only to realize my roommate might be a hardcore Neo-Grindelwald supporter. What do I do?!

"Your friend is rather timid," Aurora commented as she sat down, clearly understanding why William had acted that way.

She had seen similar reactions far too many times before.

"He has social anxiety," Ian said casually, his eyes scanning the Slytherin section of the room.

“Wasn’t I the one with social anxiety?” Aurora tilted her head in amusement.

“We take turns. It’s only fair.” Ian’s gaze remained fixed on the Slytherin side.

"Were there any Slytherins still in the common room when you left?" he asked. There were only a few minutes left before class started.

"You mean Daphne Greengrass?" Aurora guessed immediately.

"She hasn’t woken up yet. Snape said the shock she received was too great—she might sleep for another two days." Aurora hesitated before lowering her voice slightly.

"Though… I think she might just be faking it."

Ian nodded. "That was my guess too."

"She’s awful!" Ian muttered, his hand leaving his pocket with a disappointed sigh.

"…?"

Aurora blinked at him, finding his reaction oddly suspicious.

Before she could question him—

BANG!

Professor Snape stormed into the classroom, his black robes billowing dramatically. With a flick of his hand, the heavy wooden doors slammed shut behind him, locking out any potential latecomers.

The room instantly fell silent.

Ian, however, was bewildered.

Wait… Where’s the part where Snape roasts the late students?

That was the part he was looking forward to the most!