[Note: Read up to Chapter - 95 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]
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Just as Aris turned to leave, Cho Chang's voice called out once more from behind.
"Wait—what is it you're curious about? Maybe I can help."
Her eyes lingered on Aris's sharp features and long silver hair, and though she couldn't quite explain it, something compelled her to stop him.
"I mean, I've been at Hogwarts for two years already!" she added quickly, as if her experience might somehow make her more convincing.
Aris smiled, giving a polite shake of his head.
"Hmm… forgive me, but Professor McGonagall said the question I asked was a bit beyond our level—not the sort of thing students our age should be troubling themselves with," he said with a light chuckle.
"So, chances are, you might not know either."
"But I promise," he added, "if I get an answer out of her, I'll let you know."
With that, Aris turned again and made his way toward the professors' table.
Cho watched him go, curiosity bubbling inside her. 'What sort of question would make even Professor McGonagall hesitate like that?'
And why was Aris so determined to find the answer?
After a pause, a faint smile curved her lips.
'Seems the Sorting Hat got it right after all. He really is just a brilliant boy with an insatiable thirst for knowledge.'
Meanwhile, at the staff table, Professor McGonagall felt a sudden and inexplicable sense of dread the moment she noticed Aris heading her way.
"Albus," she said hastily, half rising from her seat, "I've just remembered—I've a bit of pressing work to attend to, if you'll excuse me—"
But things didn't quite go to plan.
"Oh, Minerva," Dumbledore said, clearly puzzled, "surely nothing could be more important than supper at the start-of-term feast?"
He glanced towards Aris, who was already closing in, a polite but knowing smile playing at his lips as he fixed his eyes on her.
The silver-haired old wizard chuckled softly, a thoughtful glint in his eyes.
"It would seem you're avoiding someone, Minerva," he said, eyeing Aris with mild curiosity.
"What puzzles me, though, is—why on earth would you be dodging a first-year student?"
"Albus, I believe you've rather misunderstood," Professor McGonagall replied with a small cough, clearly caught off guard. She quickly composed herself and sat back down, trying her best to appear unbothered.
"Is that so?" Dumbledore replied, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he cast a knowing glance at Aris.
"Well, I daresay you might be mistaken, Headmaster," Aris said coolly, stepping forward with calm confidence. "I only came to ask Professor McGonagall a question. I'm sure she wouldn't avoid me over a simple question, would she?"
"Of course not!" McGonagall said quickly, clearing her throat again and raising her voice slightly as if to reaffirm her authority.
"Mr. Shafiq, go ahead—ask what you like. So long as it's within my knowledge and doesn't involve, shall we say, 'classified' matters, I'll do my best to give you a proper answer."
"Thank you, Professor," Aris nodded politely, his voice still measured and respectful.
"It's actually the same question I asked you a month ago, in the Lovegood family's hall—the one about the true nature of magic."
"The nature of magic?" Dumbledore repeated, arching an eyebrow over his half-moon spectacles and turning to McGonagall, clearly intrigued.
He hadn't expected a first-year to be pondering such a question.
"That's right," Aris confirmed, locking eyes with the silver-haired Headmaster.
"I've been wondering… Even if magic is an innate ability in wizards, what exactly is it? Does it follow certain principles, like the chemical or physical laws in the Muggle world? Are there deeper rules behind it all?"
"If we could unravel these questions, perhaps the entire wizarding world might benefit from it," Aris continued steadily.
"If we truly understood magic at its core, creating spells could become far simpler.
Our control over it would be more precise—structured, even—instead of relying on something so mysterious that it defies proper explanation."
As Aris spoke, the professors seated at the head table turned their attention to him, a flicker of surprise in many of their eyes.
Though most tried to hide it, there was no mistaking the puzzled glances being exchanged.
"Mr Shafiq," Dumbledore said at last, his voice calm but laced with curiosity.
"You do realise, don't you, that such matters are usually far beyond what a first-year student is expected to ponder?"
His tone was gentle, but his gaze sharpened slightly behind the gleam of his half-moon spectacles.
Aris remained composed, but his voice grew firmer with each word.
"Of course I understand. I realise even adult wizards struggle to answer these questions. But that's exactly the problem, isn't it?"
He paused, then glanced meaningfully at Professor McGonagall—though, in truth, his words were directed at Dumbledore.
"The wizarding world has hidden itself away for so long that much of its knowledge has fallen out of sync with time. After I received my Hogwarts letter and discovered I was a wizard, I began reading everything I could—about magic, its history, and even the great wars that nearly exposed us to the Muggle world."
He looked around the table, letting his words settle.
"Some of you must have noticed just how fast the Muggle world is advancing. Their technology has reached a level that, frankly, changes by the day—it's not even an exaggeration."
"And yet... why has their world moved on so drastically, while ours has stood still?"
"That's because Muggles have been striving to understand the very fabric of this world," Aris declared, "delving into the microscopic realm—unseen by the naked eye—one that might be even more mysterious than our own world of magic!"
"They've categorised every known substance, studied how these elements interact, and recorded change after change—each chemical reaction, each physical phenomenon, broken down and harnessed for use."
"They're reshaping civilisation itself—pushing beyond the boundaries first set by the ancestors!"
"That... that's a whole new kind of civilisation. A technological one. Brimming with endless potential!"
"And if they can do it—if they can pull apart the threads of reality and weave something new—then why can't we?"
"Why can't we examine magic the same way? Study it, dissect it, uncover its most basic laws, and unearth its true essence?"
By now, the entire Great Hall had fallen utterly silent.
Every eye was locked on Aris, who stood tall just below the dais, his voice clear and unwavering.
It rang out across the hall, carrying a strange power—an invisible weight—that stirred something deep in the hearts of the listening students.
And it wasn't just the students.
Even the professors on the high table sat frozen, their expressions tinged with disbelief.
"I believe—no, I know—that young wizards are the backbone of our world," Aris continued, voice firm and resolute.
"These aren't questions that only adults must bear. They're our questions too. Our burden. Our challenge."
He clenched a fist at his side, passion burning behind his eyes.
"Even if I'm only a first-year student at Hogwarts, I must have the courage & the will to pursue those answers."
"Because that's the only way the wizarding world has any chance of a brighter future."
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Drop power Powerstonessssssssss!
[Note: Read up to Chapter - 95 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]