Chapter 181: Chapter 181: It Seems Everything is Coming Together
Defense Against the Dark Arts Office
Upon hearing the word "Nightmare" and seeing Ino's serious expression, Lupin couldn't help but smile wryly:
"I've mentioned before, all of this is based on unverified information. It's merely a reasonably reliable hypothesis."
Having wandered the Muggle world for over a decade, Lupin had also heard stories of Nightmares and Merlin, but no one could definitively answer what a Nightmare truly was.
"Actually, the magical world has no unified concept of Nightmares. Some people simply believe it's a magical phenomenon, essentially just a bad dream. But others firmly believe that Nightmares are a type of spiritual entity, just invisible to us."
Lupin explained as clearly as possible.
As he listened to this explanation, a silver-haired girl suddenly appeared in Ino's mind, along with something Luna once mentioned—Wrackspurts, another unseen entity.
He had lost interest in Boggarts, but now his curiosity was piqued.
For some reason, he kept thinking of that nameless Goblin.
It seemed that the other party had indeed seen something; otherwise, they wouldn't have written such fitting words—The unseen brings us closer to the truth.
Like completing a jigsaw puzzle, everything seemed to be slowly coming together.
But now was not the time to ponder, so Ino looked up and said:
"Thank you for the notebook, Professor! I also appreciate the favor!"
Hearing this, Lupin shook his head somewhat awkwardly: "It's not what you think! Or not entirely. But it's good if it helps you. As you can see, my abilities are quite limited."
Faced with such a subtle expression, Ino couldn't help but laugh:
"Professor, there's really no need! However, I did gain something today. There are also things I've done without expecting any return. Let bygones be bygones."
Honestly, although Lupin didn't explicitly mention it, his intentions were clear.
...
With the main topic finished, there didn't seem to be much left to chat about, especially since they weren't familiar with each other.
For the next while.
Out of politeness, Ino stayed for another quarter of an hour.
After bidding farewell to Lupin, he left the Defense Against the Dark Arts office.
In the quiet corridor.
He mentally reviewed their conversation and noted a significant piece of information: Snape had compromised, and Sirius might soon be exonerated.
Though a bit surprising, it was also within reason.
After all, in the original story, Harry was late only twice: the first time with the flying car last year, and the second time when he was ambushed by Draco on the train in the future.
But coincidentally, the only person waiting outside Hogwarts both times was Snape.
Love, it seemed, had extended further.
...
Meanwhile.
As Ino headed to the Slytherin common room.
In the dormitory, Draco sat silently on a chair, wearing a deeply thoughtful expression.
But what lay before him wasn't a textbook, but a familiar-looking single wardrobe.
"Thud!" A loud bang came from the wardrobe.
The sound not only broke the dormitory's silence but also sent a chill down Draco's spine, making him feel cold.
"How did this thing get in here..."
He now recognized the wardrobe but was puzzled as to how it had gotten into the dormitory on its own.
After the afternoon's practice, everyone was immune to Boggarts, but what frightened him was that this thing had appeared in the dormitory out of nowhere.
"Thud! Thud!" As if sensing a new fear, the wardrobe, previously weak, now began banging fiercely.
He took a few steps back, then suddenly turned and ran towards the door! He needed to find the prefect or Professor Snape immediately.
Oddly enough, before he reached the door, it opened on its own, but he didn't care; his mind was focused on getting out and calling for help.
"Bang!" A dull sound.
Draco was back in the dormitory.
"What the hell?" Ino helplessly looked at the figure knocked unconscious on the floor.
The moment the door opened, seeing someone lunging at him, he reflexively used the Shield Charm.
Looking at the unconscious Draco, he could only use a Levitation Charm to place him on a bed.
Taking him to Madam Pomfrey wasn't necessary; it was just a knock-out, and with a wizard's resilience, he'd likely wake up on the way.
After handling everything, Ino tiredly leaned back in a chair.
Honestly, seeing a shadow pounce as he opened the door, there was a moment he considered using Sectumsempra. Thinking about it now, he was somewhat scared. If he had cut Draco in half...
Even if he was saved in time, he wouldn't be attending Hogwarts anymore. If he didn't want to end up in Azkaban, he'd have to go on the run.
As he calmed down, the old wardrobe started banging again, making the cause of the issue clear.
He felt helpless with this not-so-bright phoenix. The instruction was to send it to the box, but it ended up in the dormitory...
Time passed slowly.
As Ino was about to deal with the wardrobe, Draco woke up, swaying.
Opening his eyes, he saw he was still in the dormitory. Before he could panic, a voice by his ear calmed him down.
"Scared of a Boggart?"
Hearing the disappointment in the voice, Draco showed a hint of confusion and muttered: "I'm not afraid of Boggarts, but this wardrobe suddenly appeared..."
"Sorry, that's my fault!" Ino immediately took the blame. Considering Draco's age, fear of strange occurrences was natural.
"It's okay! Next time, just tell me if you're moving anything," Draco waved dismissively, as if being knocked out was no big deal.
Then, changing his tone seriously, he said: "But we should cover this thing with a cloth and hide it, to prevent anyone from finding it."
"I didn't steal it!" Ino rubbed his forehead, "Professor Lupin gave it to me. I found it interesting, so I kept it as a pet."
"A pet?" Draco stifled a laugh.
He'd seen people with strange pets, but never anyone keeping a Boggart. It seemed more logical to keep a Billywig.
But quickly, Draco's smile froze, realizing Boggarts fed on fear, and there were only two people in the dormitory...
Seeing Draco's stiff expression, Ino quickly explained his plan: "I don't plan to keep it in the dormitory. I'll take it out soon. Its appearance here today was an accident!"
Relaxing, Draco turned his curious gaze to the wardrobe. This time, no fear, only curiosity.
"By the way, Ino, this wardrobe can't hold it. Boggarts are just smoke and will escape through tiny gaps without fear."
"Smoke?" Ino's eyes narrowed, realizing this was the second version he'd heard today. He curiously asked:
"Who told you Boggarts are smoke? Records say they have no physical form."
"My father said so. Once, I encountered a Boggart in the manor, and he reassured me it was just smoke. Another time..."
Ino, sitting in the chair, no longer cared about Draco's story.
Lucius, smoke, Boggarts, fear—linking these known elements.
He thought of another thing, or rather a distinctive spell that had never been documented.
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
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