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The next day, news of the great saviour defeating the troll spread like wildfire. Once again, Harry found himself swept up in the dizzying wave of fame.
"That troll was twenty feet tall, ugly, and reeking of stench. Harry and I..." Ron was boasting at the breakfast table, waving his arms for emphasis. It was obvious who had leaked the story.
When Aiden entered the Great Hall, he spotted Ron showing off and walked straight to the Gryffindor table, taking a seat beside him.
"Aiden, you didn't see it last night..." Ron began.
"Oh, really, my dear brother? Do you want Auntie to hear about your heroic deeds from last night?" Aiden replied, feigning innocence.
"No... no need," Ron mumbled, instantly deflating.
"Aiden, were you there last night?" Hermione asked in a low, uncertain voice.
Aiden nodded to her without saying a word, and Hermione gave him a grateful smile.
"Hermione, why are you being so secretive?" Ron asked, glancing between her and Aiden. Then he grinned, puffing up with pride. "Honestly, you should have seen how many people are jealous of our bravery last night."
"Alright, Ron, we were just lucky last night," Harry interrupted, trying to keep things grounded.
***
After finishing his meal, Aiden left the Gryffindor table and made his way through the corridor, heading towards the library.
Suddenly, a pale hand shot out from the shadows, grabbing Aiden and pulling him out of sight.
Magic swirled around them, and a silent spell blocked all sound from escaping.
Aiden found himself pressed against the wall by Snape.
"Professor, if you want to practise this, my advice is to pick a red-haired wizard from Gryffindor," Aiden quipped, quietly weaving a suggestion into his words.
"Enough. Stop showing off your tedious tricks," Snape snapped, glaring at him.
"What happened with those two trolls last night?"
"Trolls? Wasn't that Harry's doing?" Aiden replied, playing dumb.
"I know you were there, and the magic on the troll was the Imperius Curse, wasn't it?" Snape's eyes bored into Aiden's.
"Do you want the Ministry of Magic to throw you into Azkaban?"
Snape's Legilimency failed to penetrate Aiden's defences. Instead, Aiden picked up on the worry hidden deep within Snape's anger.
Aiden gave a small smile. "It seems you actually care, Professor."
"It wasn't the Imperius Curse, I swear. If you don't believe me, check my wand," Aiden added, holding out his wand.
"Then tell me, besides the Unforgivable Curses, what other spell could twist a troll's soul?" Snape demanded, his voice rising until Aiden's ears rang.
"Alright, alright, Professor. I promise I won't explore the Unforgivable Curses too soon, but are you sure this is the place to discuss the mysteries of the soul and mind?"
"Follow me." Snape released the spell, swept his robes aside, and strode off with purpose.
Aiden lowered his head and followed. Along the way, young wizards glanced at him with sympathy, while Slytherin students looked on with smug satisfaction.
***
In the basement, Snape pushed open the door to his office and motioned Aiden inside. As soon as Aiden entered, Snape waved his wand, and the door slammed shut.
"Now that we're alone, should our Ravenclaw genius, the new king of Slytherin, explain his sinister, cruel, and vicious methods to me?" Snape said, his tone biting.
Aiden sat down calmly. "Professor, tea, please."
Snape glared at him, then poured a cup of hot tea and handed it over.
Aiden took a sip, clearing his throat. "Professor, how did you know the troll's soul was twisted?"
"Autopsy. The troll was under a powerful spell. It was still dancing even during the autopsy. I used a Supersensory Spell to observe its soul," Snape replied.
"How did you know it was me?"
"Our great genius doesn't really think his poor Disillusionment Charm can fool two Heads of House, does he?"
Aiden smiled. "Well, Professor, first of all, I can assure you I did not use the Unforgivable Curses. The Imperius Curse needs a huge amount of negative emotion and is highly polluting. You should be able to sense that I don't have any dark arts residue on me."
"What about the troll's soul? How do you explain that?"
"Professor, I can tell you that I've explored the realm of the mind deeply. I've entered what you might call the collective unconscious sea of living beings."
"The collective unconscious sea?" Snape echoed.
"Maybe a different term would help. I read it in my family's collection. Wizards sometimes call it the hazy dream. You've worked at Hogwarts for years, so you must have heard the saying that death is just another great adventure."
"Yes, that's the nonsense our sugar-addled Headmaster loves to spout," Snape muttered.
"But what if it's true?"
"What do you mean? Be clear."
"Simply put, after a wizard's body dies, the soul doesn't perish immediately. After the soul dies, the mind still does not vanish. A wizard needs to experience three deaths to truly die."
"Triple deaths?" Snape asked, his brow furrowing.
"Yes. That's what my ancestors discovered. It's the difference between wizards and Muggles. The mind of a magical creature exists independently of the soul. That allows our minds to travel elsewhere through the hazy dream after the body dies. For ordinary creatures, the mind and soul are tightly bound. After death, the soul sinks into the collective unconscious sea, which is the blurred illusion."
"What does this have to do with the troll?"
"Everything, Professor. I was born with the ability to control the power of the mind. I integrated magic with the mind and let the spell act on the troll's mind. The soul of a magical creature is lower priority than the mind, so it is naturally twisted by the mind. In other words, the troll twisted its own soul with its own thoughts."
"Evil magic. Evil imp," Snape muttered.
Aiden ignored the insult and continued, "The Unforgivable Curses are also a combination of mind and magic, but the magic has become too extreme, so there is almost no cure once someone is cursed. Besides, wizards have been developing magic for centuries. I can't be the first person to explore this field. Using huge negative emotions to leverage the mind and combine it with magic, the final product is the Unforgivable Curses: the desire to kill, the desire to dominate, the desire for revenge, and the most primitive emotions of humanity."
"Didn't you say you didn't study the Unforgivable Curses?" Snape demanded, his voice rising again.
"I've only read the information, all thanks to the research of those before me. Besides, using emotions to pry open the mind adds an extra step, and the conversion efficiency is too low. It's not worth it for me," Aiden answered honestly.
"One last thing. Is there a counter-curse for this magic?" Snape asked.
"Yes, it is actually quite simple. Any wizard who has explored the mind can easily build their own mental defences to resist this kind of attack. For example, the Patronus Charm. Strong positive emotions protect the wizard's mind and provide some protection for wizards in that era of wild experimentation. That's why it is called the oldest and most powerful white magic."
"Alright, I understand. Now leave my office," Snape ordered.
Time to get rid of the donkey after it has finished grinding the mill, Aiden thought, pouting as he walked out.
The office fell silent, leaving Snape alone, deep in thought.
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