Magnus stood at the front of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, pacing back and forth as he lectured about the dangers of dark magic, his deep voice booming, commanding attention. “The dark arts are not to be trifled with. They corrupt the soul and twist the mind of those who dare to use them.” He paused, eyes narrowing as he scanned the room. “Who among you thinks they have what it takes to resist the side effects of it?”

His gaze lingered on Anon for a moment, an unreadable expression flickering across his face. There was something oddly…familiar about them that Magnus couldn’t quite place. A sense of nostalgia washed over him whenever he looked at Anon, quickly overshadowed by a pang of guilt he couldn’t explain. Magnus shook his head, pushing those evasive thoughts aside as he resumed his lecture.

“Powerful dark practitioners wielded immense power. We will study defensive measures against such forces.”

Magnus’ eyes kept drifting back to Anon despite his attempts to focus. There was something about the way they looked at him, a peculiar gleam in their eye that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. It was eerie, yet it left him curious beyond belief. Magnus swallowed hard, determined to ignore the strange.

“Now then, who would like to volunteer and assist me in demonstrating how to cast a basic shielding charm?” He scanned the room, searching for a brave student to call upon. His gaze settled on Anon once more and he opened his mouth to address them, but the shrill ringing of the bell cut him off.

Magnus sighed heavily as students began packing up their belongings. “Anon, a word if you please. Stay after class, I need to speak with you.”