HP: Those Years Sleeping with the Half-Blood Prince

Severus watched expressionlessly, while Ian stood beside him with a perfectly measured look of surprise and confusion, as if he too was puzzled by this sudden "mass hysteria."

His gaze met that of James, who was struggling to stare at him as he danced.

Ian tilted his head almost imperceptibly, his eyes calm, yet conveying a sense of "Do you understand?"

James understood instantly.

It was that box! It was Burke! He let them steal it on purpose! Anger mixed with extreme humiliation overwhelmed him.

Potions class ended in great chaos.

Professor Slughorn had to call Professor McGonagall, and it was only after Mrs. Pomfrey administered a powerful sedative that the exhausted and nearly collapsed group of four finally came to a stop. They were carried to the university hospital, leaving behind a trail of suppressed laughter and pointing fingers.

The news spread like wildfire throughout the castle.

The raiders, especially James Porter, became the biggest joke of the day.

Unable to find the cause, the professor could only attribute it to the strange reaction of some kind of magic potion.

But James knew the truth.

Lying on the hospital bed in the school hospital, his muscles ached all over, and the mocking laughter still echoed in his ears. He almost ground his teeth to powder.

"Bock... I'll make him pay!"

Sirius's face was ashen, and he didn't speak, but his eyes were equally fierce.

Lupin closed his eyes wearily, while Peter Pettigrew was still sobbing softly.

The next evening, just after dinner, the sky was dark.

Ian returned to the cellar alone from the library, carrying a few books, looking completely unsuspecting.

He deliberately took a quieter corridor, closer to the prize display room.

Sure enough, four figures blocked the way at the corner.

James, Sirius, Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew, who, though frightened, had no choice but to come along.

The usual playful smile was gone from James's face; only anger and ruthlessness remained.

"Burke." James drew his wand, the tip pointing at Ian. "You did it, didn't you? That damned box!"

Ian stopped and looked at them. His face showed no surprise, but rather a calm "finally they've arrived" attitude.

"Potter, Black, and the other two, is there something you need? If it's to thank you for your wonderful impromptu performance in Potions class, then no need, I was just an audience member."

"Stop playing dumb!" Sirius drew his wand and stood beside James, his grey eyes filled with hostility. "You framed us! You used dark magic items!"

"Dark magic item?" Ian raised an eyebrow, his tone carrying just the right amount of doubt and a hint of sarcasm. "You mean, that old piece of jewelry you stole from me? I was just about to ask if someone 'borrowed' it and forgot to return it? It may not be worth much, but it's still mine."

"You!" James was enraged by his attitude. "What else can you do besides these underhanded tricks? Come at me head-on!"

"Insidious?" Ian chuckled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "Which is more insidious, Potter, than deliberately knocking someone down on a Quidditch pitch and causing a fracture? Or are you saying that only you Marauders are allowed to toy with others, but others aren't allowed to fight back?"

"Kevin Walker deserved it! And it was an accident!" James roared.

"Whether it was an accident or not, you know in your heart." Ian's voice turned cold. "As for fighting back... aren't I right here in front of you?"

Before he could finish speaking, Jaime had already fired a "Grinning Shot" at him, and Sirius launched "Tarantella Dance" almost simultaneously.

Ian seemed to have anticipated this. With a flick of his wrist, the silent Ironclad Spell instantly took shape. The two spells collided with the invisible barrier and vanished without a trace.

"A silent spell?" Lupin's pupils contracted, and he raised his wand as well. "Watch out—"

Before he could finish speaking, a thick fog suddenly filled the corridor, obscuring Ian's figure.

"Damn it, it's the Cloud Curse," Sirius cursed. "Flickering Light."

James, Lupin, and Peter immediately followed the light and crowded around him, forming a circle back to back, their wands nervously pointing towards the white fog outside.

"What a charade!" James spat, waving his wand irritably, trying to blow the fog away with the wind.

The incantation had barely begun when Ian's voice echoed from within the thick fog: "Petrify them all."

Four nearly overlapping beams of light shot in from different angles.

The raiders only had time to catch a glimpse of the light flashing through the fog before their bodies instantly stiffened, frozen in a defensive or spellcasting posture, unable to move even their eyes.

Footsteps sounded at a leisurely pace, and Ian emerged from the mist, his wand pointing steadily at them. His face was expressionless, neither smug nor angry, as calm as if he were handling some materials in Potions class.

"Looks like you guys need some more practical training," Ian said calmly. "Are you all gathered together because you're afraid a binding spell won't be enough to tie everyone up?"

With a flick of his wand, four magical ropes extending from the mist tightened instantly, binding the four stiff figures tightly together.

Then, he drew a peculiar arc with his wand tip pointing straight up, without uttering any incantation.

With a "whoosh," the four raiders were suddenly lifted up by an invisible force, their feet off the ground, and suspended headfirst on the high stone beams of the corridor.

The hem of the robe fell down, revealing socks of different colors and a section of calf, creating a scene that was both embarrassing and comical.

James's face turned a deep liver color from bloodshot eyes and rage. Sirius tried to twist in vain, Lupin closed his eyes, and Peter let out some sobs.

Ian looked up at them, put away his wand, and said, "This spell was created by a friend when he was bored. He felt that some people needed to see the world from a different perspective."

He took two steps closer, making sure the four hanging upside down could hear him: "This is back for you, and... this is just the beginning, Potter, Black."

Ian's gaze swept over them. "If you don't learn to restrain yourselves, if you touch my people again—whether it's Kevin, Aris, or Severus—next time you'll be hanging here, it won't just be a matter of embarrassing yourself. Hogwarts nights are long, and accidents... can happen in many ways."

After saying that, he stopped looking at those distorted faces and turned away.

With a casual wave of the wand, the swirling mist dissipated, revealing the original appearance of the corridor, with only four upside-down figures swaying slightly in the dim light.

He walked steadily toward the corridor exit, as if he were simply taking an ordinary nighttime stroll.

At the crossroads outside the corridor, a person stood quietly in the shadows.