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[HP:Failed Art Student]-Chapter 16: Ethan Vincent Loves Saying No to Authority!
🕑 Added 2025-07-23 10:08:28 +0000 UTCEthan’s eyes sparkled as he slapped the painting onto the door of the Ravenclaw common room.
In an instant, a brilliant white light flared.
A rectangular frame materialized on the door.
Drained! In that fleeting moment, it was as if a black hole had opened, and Ethan’s magical energy was sucked dry in a heartbeat.
“Ugh!”
Ethan’s pupils contracted sharply, his body prickling with needle-like pain.
Gritting his teeth, he stole a quick glance and caught a blurry glimpse of the scene beyond the frame.
Faintly, he could make out deep blue sofas.
—It was the interior of the Ravenclaw common room!
He’d done it!
Ethan’s eyes lit up, and a grin spread across his face, revealing a flash of gleaming white teeth.
In that moment, he was like a predator shedding its disguise, radiating an intimidating aura!
The surrounding students instinctively took a step back.
W-What just happened?!
In the span of a single breath, the scene within the frame grew increasingly blurry and unstable.
It was like a passageway on the verge of collapse.
With his last ounce of strength, Ethan summoned every fiber of his being and leaped straight into the frame!
The next second—
Whoosh!
The frame imploded inward, vanishing from the door, leaving only the bronze knocker with its eagle’s beak in its place.
It stood silently before the crowd.
As if nothing had ever happened.
“…”
A deathly silence hung over the group.
Everyone stared at the now-empty door, frozen in place.
After what felt like an eternity, someone finally broke the silence:
“E-Ethan? Where’d he go?”
Michael swallowed hard, his voice hoarse.
Could it be? Had he really passed through that strange doorway, bypassing Ravenclaw’s barrier and entering the common room directly?
Impossible! Absolutely impossible!
That was a test set by one of the four founders! How could a first-year student break it?
Robert, the prefect, snapped out of his daze.
Steadying himself, he hesitated before stepping toward the door and pressing his ear against it.
Ugh… the door was too thick. He couldn’t hear a thing.
Robert straightened up, his face flushing slightly. He coughed twice to mask his embarrassment, then tentatively reached out and knocked on the door.
Knock, knock.
A dull sound echoed through the top floor.
Outside, the moon hung high in the sky.
The other houses were probably fast asleep by now.
But here they were, stuck outside, their intelligence thoroughly trampled by Ravenclaw’s eagle knocker.
A few seconds passed.
Finally—
Click.
The door creaked open from the inside.
Through the gap, Ethan’s pale, sweat-soaked face appeared.
Robert’s eyes widened, staring at Ethan in disbelief!
He had actually cut through the ropes and passed the test set by Rowena Ravenclaw herself!
What was that magic?
It was utterly unheard of!
Robert’s cheeks burned with shame.
He looked at Ethan, who seemed like he’d just been fished out of a river. His black hair clung to his forehead in damp strands, his lips were colorless, as if all his vitality had been drained. He looked utterly exhausted.
He was barely standing, propped up by the door and sheer willpower.
Yet—
His cobalt-blue eyes shone with a brilliant light.
Like stars in the night sky, their dazzling glow forced Robert to avert his gaze.
…This was the light of curiosity.
A rebellious, unorthodox light—one that forged its own path, driven by an insatiable thirst for knowledge and exploration!
In that moment, Robert understood.
Between the two of them, it was clear who truly embodied the spirit of Ravenclaw.
Ravenclaw never rejected eccentrics; in fact, they held unique value.
Just like their Head of House, Professor Filius Flitwick.
He might be small in stature with questionable bloodlines, but no one could deny his remarkable achievements and strength.
…If it weren’t for Ethan, Robert might have forgotten Ravenclaw’s true teachings.
His heart swelled with emotion.
He looked at Ethan with awe and admiration.
What a pity that he’d be graduating next year.
By then, would the other students accept someone as peculiar as Ethan?
To help Ethan fit in better at Ravenclaw, Robert decided he’d put in a good word for him as prefect.
Adjusting his expression, Robert smiled warmly. “We’re grateful to you for opening the door—”
Ethan mirrored his smile. “You’re thanking me too soon.”
Robert: ?
Before the prefect could react, the door slammed shut in his face with a bang, nearly clipping his nose.
Robert: ???
An awkward silence settled over the stunned students.
Michael raised a trembling finger, pointing at the door.
“He… Ethan just slammed the door shut?”
“He’s making us figure out how to get in ourselves?!?”
“Merlin’s beard—!”
Michael scrambled to the door, banging on it with both hands and feet, sobbing dramatically.
“Boss! Master! Adoptive father! Just let me in, please, I’m begging you!”
But all that answered him was the cold, unyielding door.
The eagle’s head on the knocker stared at him as if he were an idiot.
“…”
Robert’s expression twisted, his lips twitching as he pressed a hand to his forehead in frustration and exasperation.
…So much for “helping Ethan fit in.”
This kid had no intention of getting along with them in the first place!
Now it seemed the real fools were the seniors who thought they were so clever.
Inside the Ravenclaw common room, Ethan listened to the commotion outside and let out a soft hum.
Trying to ride his coattails to get in?
No chance!
Figure it out yourselves!
“Sigh, I’m really going out of my way to keep them from developing bad habits of relying on others,” Ethan said, mockingly wiping away a couple of crocodile tears.
He slid down the doorframe, collapsing onto the floor.
He couldn’t move a muscle…
But—
Ethan hadn’t expected to actually break through Ravenclaw’s door enchantment!
And this was just a Tier 1 Blue Rare card.
What would happen with higher tiers—Purple Epic or Golden Legendary paintings? Just how powerful could they be?
Now, Ethan understood.
As long as the effect was written, it would come to pass.
If it said it could open a door, it would open the door.
No matter what protective magic was in place, the only limiting factor was the strength of his own magic.
Ethan extended his hand.
The 【One Glance Opens the Door】 card in his palm crumbled into dust and vanished.
【Painting destroyed!】
【By replacing the canvas material, you can upgrade it for longer-lasting effects.】
【Due to the profound impression your painting left on others, your soul fusion rate has increased!】
【28% → 29%!】
A familiar warmth flowed through him, like someone had cracked a steaming hot spring egg over his head.
His body, previously immobile, began to regain sensation.
Only by increasing his fusion rate could he gain more magical power.
That would let his paintings achieve even greater effects.
He had to keep… ahem, not tormenting—spreading his paintings further.
Just 1% more, and he’d break the 30% barrier.
Ethan pondered, considering something big.
How about hosting a small art exhibition at the school?
The issue was, for an exhibition, he’d need proper oil painting canvases—linen or cotton.
Not the sketch paper he was using now, which Luna had given him.
Every week, Luna sent him a fresh batch of art supplies via owl.
That covered his usual practice.
Ethan was deeply grateful and made a point to write to Luna almost daily when he had time.
Luna’s owl, Carrot, had even slimmed down from all the deliveries.
Behind every perfect painting were countless practice sketches, consuming heaps of materials.
No wonder they say, “If you’re poor, don’t touch art.”
But what could he do? He loved it.
“What a money pit…” Ethan sighed faintly.
His top priority was to find a way to make some cash and upgrade to more professional art supplies for the exhibition.
“I need to figure out how to make money at school. Maybe I could help out the professors with some odd jobs?”
