"Phew, that was close... I thought Professor Apocalis would be very strict!"

Danilova patted her chest, belatedly saying.

They had already left the Headmaster's office and were walking down the stairs outside the Gryffindor common room.

Fighting on the third day of school, and being caught red-handed by the Headmaster and the caretaker – Danilova had expected to be severely reprimanded, or at least punished with writing lines or detention.

In reality, the old wizard had shown no sign of blaming them at all.

On the contrary, Professor Apocalis had even asked the kitchen to send up a lavish meal, so that everyone could eat and chat.

According to him, their infraction was brawling in a crowded place and disrupting the order of the school. They hadn't broken into the Hogwarts kitchens to wreak havoc, so there was no reason to deny them dinner.

Of course, more accurately, "everyone" excluded the boy named Lucien Bole.

Although they were all enjoying dinner at the same mahogany round table, the arrogant Slytherin boy's plate only contained boiled broccoli, boiled potatoes... and a few slices of bland boiled lamb.

"This is the punishment you deserve, Bole –"

Facing the little wizard's confused gaze, Otto Apocalis professor used a stern tone for the first and only time tonight, "It's not just because you broke the school rules, but as a fourth-year student, a student who has attended my Defense Against the Dark Arts class, your performance tonight was utterly terrible."

The old man said this as he naturally cut open the crispy and tender Scottish smoked chicken, dipping it in sweet pepper sauce.

In the ensuing conversation, Apocalis didn't discuss the details of the previous conflict much.

The old wizard picked up the Russian newspaper from a few years ago, glanced at it briefly, and then spoke with great interest about the magical war that had taken place in that land decades ago, and some of the lesser-known trivia that had occurred afterward.

The protagonist of the story was a middle-aged wizard named Novat Ivanovich.

About how he had survived to the last moment in that terrible wizarding war, and how he had rebuilt the almost extinct Russian magical civilization from the ruins, and of course, his love for that land that transcended the boundaries of the magical and non-magical worlds.

"Before you have enough voice, strength, and experience to challenge authority, it's best not to be in a hurry to express your opinions."

At the end of this unique 'detention' education, the old wizard said softly with a profound meaning.

"At the same time, don't blindly attack each other under the instigation of authority... even the black wizard who disappeared half a century ago, his influence left in the world is not something a student can bear – not to mention, when we judge a wizard, quoting other people's conclusions is the most stupid thing to do, what is the truth... you find it yourselves..."

Then, before the students had time to taste the last dessert, they were kicked out of the Headmaster's office.

As a student qualified to compete for the position of Shadow Prefect, Lucien Bole wasn't stupid.

In fact, it was precisely because he understood the importance of power and networks that he was so eager to become a Prefect, and at the same time, he understood the hidden lines that were not fully explained behind the story Professor Apocalis told – with the passing of Novat Ivanovich, the surname Ivanovich had become Irina's most powerful protective umbrella at Hogwarts.

If Lucien Bole knew anything about non-magical politics, he might use another appropriate term to describe it.

– Political asylum.

Whether it was for Hogwarts or the British Ministry of Magic, the meaning and attitude had already been self-evident when they exceptionally recruited Irina Ivanovich and registered her under her original name.

Perhaps they wouldn't give this little witch any honors or resources, but they would never tolerate anyone attacking her.

Therefore, after leaving the Headmaster's office, Lucien Bole and a group of older Slytherin students didn't even bother with any polite platitudes, and slunk away first – apologizing was absolutely impossible, not in this lifetime.

"But then again..."

Danilova glanced at the slinking figures in the distance, and waved her small fist threateningly.

"If I hadn't won against that boy today, wouldn't he have been punished? I don't know why, but I always feel that the Professor's reasons for the punishment are a bit strange, and seem very different from those of my teachers at school before..."

"...That's Professor Apocalis's style, you'd know if you'd taken the Professor's class."

Hannah Abbot shrugged her shoulders, saying with a used-to-it expression.

"It's a pity you guys came a year late... you probably won't have the chance to re-experience Professor Apocalis's History of Magic and Defense Against the Dark Arts classes – the instigator of the dispute, the winner's punishment remains unchanged, the loser's punishment is doubled – this is the rule set by the Professor last year when dealing with violations, although many professors seem to have some opinions on it."

"Oh, does Hogwarts have such a rule?!"

Danilova opened her eyes wide in surprise, and then nodded thoughtfully and seriously.

"In that case, then I have to be careful of them later... I suffered such a big loss today, I guess those older students will definitely not let it go, Irina, you quickly teach me some spells later..."

"Don't worry, after tonight, those boys won't continue to come looking for trouble."

Irina shook her head, and said softly with an affirmative tone.

"When we were eating together just now, the Professor threatened them very clearly, and they must have understood it too. Otherwise, those boys would have at least left some polite words, and wouldn't have just turned around and left without saying a word."

"Threat? What threat? Wasn't the Professor just telling stories just now?"

Hannah was stunned for a moment, and asked in confusion.

"Oh, that's right! Professor Apocalis is really amazing, they must be scared out of their wits now, right?"

Danilova nodded with a sudden realization, "Sure enough, he is worthy of being... uh... the legendary magical wizard. I was still wondering why the Professor kept telling stories, so there was this meaning in it!"

"???"

There was even more confusion in Hannah's eyes.

What meaning was this?

Did she miss some important dialogue when she was distracted while eating?

"Remember to jump here, um, did Professor Apocalis say anything just now?"

Hannah looked at the girls beside her while nimbly jumping over the trick stairs on the staircase, and asked in confusion.

"Did the Professor threaten those boys just now? I don't remember at all..."

"Of course –"

"Of course not, how could a formal professor threaten Hogwarts students?"

Danilova was just about to explain, but before she could finish, Irina quickly took over, glanced at the older student who usually spent time with the dangerous "Fairy Queen", and said thoughtfully.

"Senior Abbot, you're right, I understand... I will pay more attention to some things later."

"Eh? Uh-huh?" Hannah blinked her eyes.

"I understand too, got it! I won't say it out loud –"

In the next moment, Danilova glanced at the corridor downstairs, and nodded with a sudden realization.

There was a faint noise of people talking vaguely below the stairs, obviously the dinner in the Great Hall had also ended, and it was obviously not appropriate to continue talking about these things – as the daughter of a nuclear physicist, Danilova was clear about the basic principles of confidentiality.

"Aba Aba –"

Hannah looked at the two new students beside her, and opened her mouth weakly.

She really didn't understand!

Even if they looked at her with such serious eyes, as if she usually looked at Elena, she didn't know what these two little guys were talking about – and the worst thing was that, from the current point of view, it seemed that she was the only one who didn't understand tonight?!

"Well, I'm going back first... See you tomorrow~"

Before Hannah could think about how to ask, Danilova suddenly spoke.

The entrance to the Ravenclaw common room was located at the top of the spiral staircase on the west side of Hogwarts. During the conversation, they had already arrived at the fork in the floor. Danilova waved goodbye and walked towards the other side with her schoolbag.

As the "little key" of the Ravenclaw eagle ring, she had to open the door for everyone as agreed.

"Um, uh, okay, see you tomorrow."

Hannah waved her hand helplessly, watched the little girl with a brain no less intelligent than Elena's and Hermione's leave, hesitated for a moment, and turned her head to look at Irina beside her with the determination to put all her eggs in one basket.

In this second, the duel between "maintaining the dignity of the senior" and "asking the questions in my heart" ended!

Anyway, she wasn't a tsundere like Elena and Hermione who cared so much about face. Compared to the illusory dignity, if she didn't understand this riddle question, Hannah felt that she might not be able to sleep peacefully tonight.

The Slytherin common room and the Hufflepuff were on the same floor, such a long distance was enough for her to ask clearly.

"So, Miss Ivanovich, we..."

"Sister Hannah, you go first, I still plan to go to the Owlery."

Irina Ivanovich glanced at Danilova's back and suddenly said.

"I want to write a letter to my father to verify some things. You don't have to wait for me. I may be a little late to return to the Slytherin common room – don't worry, I remember the way I came, I know how to get back to the dormitory."

"Eh, uh, um... okay, then you go..."

The smile on Hannah's face stiffened, and she waved her hand weakly.

As soon as she finished speaking, a large group of little wizards who had just finished dinner suddenly poured out of the stairs below.

The sudden crowd quickly separated the two, and in the midst of the jostling crowd, Irina's figure was completely submerged among the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw students in a matter of seconds, completely disappearing from Hannah's sight.

On the other side that Hannah couldn't see, the calmness maintained on Irina's face finally disappeared.

Irina did not go to the Owlery as she said, but mingled with the Gryffindor students going upstairs and returned to the corridor on the top floor of the castle, walking towards the pair of stone statue guards that looked a little ugly.

Before writing a letter to her father, she had to go back to the Headmaster's office once.

Regarding the deep meaning in Professor Apocalis's stories, although at first glance it seemed to be just to remind those Slytherin students of the mistakes they had made without revealing any traces, there were quite a few little stories that sounded a little redundant.

After all, if it was just to deter those older students, there was no need to introduce too much of Novat's life.

Unless, the message that the old wizard wanted to convey was not only aimed at those older students...

Or rather –

Irina's eyes flickered, and she pondered thoughtfully.

Those older students were just incidental...

And the person that Otto Apocalis professor really wanted to convey the information to was her?

In Irina's memory, her grandfather rarely talked about stories from his youth.

Even if he occasionally talked about the old events of decades ago, most of them were about rebuilding Koldovstoretz, and he rarely talked about how he had fought against Grindelwald's wizards in the snowy and icy weather with other wizards.

However, in the old wizard's mouth, he instead focused on telling a lot about the events during the wizarding war.

More importantly, in Professor Apocalis's story, a person appeared who was extremely important to both her and her father.

A person who had almost never appeared in her grandfather's stories.

Novat Ivanovich's wife, her grandmother, the relative that she and her father had never met.

In the past events described by Professor Apocalis, most of the things were not much different from what she had heard from her father and grandfather over the years, but only this one thing was different from what the old Ivanovich described.

Her father died of dystocia not long after he was born – this was the version she had known for a long time.

However, just now, Irina heard another explanation.

From... soldiers of the Muggle government?

If Professor Apocalis was telling the truth, then... her grandmother was very likely still alive.

But the only question was, why was the old man so cautious, and even had to deliberately guide a reasonable illusion, as if it was just to warn those Slytherin students to stay away from her.

Or, in fact, there wasn't much deep meaning... just the sigh of an old man?

"Fizzing Whizbees!"

Irina recalled Professor Apocalis's password and said softly.

Immediately afterward, the girl passed through the passage behind the stone statue and pushed open the tightly closed door of the Headmaster's office.

"You're a little slower than I expected, Miss Ivanovich..."