Ian really doesn't like dealing with riddlers.
He only enjoys being one himself.
Fortunately, although the mysterious witch had picked up some of the bad habits of wizards, her fondness for riddles wasn't too serious. Seeing Ian's blank, beady eyes, she offered a detailed explanation.
"You and that little girl have been frequently discussing a dark wizard named Tom on the grass by the river for years, talking about how dangerous it is to go to that school called Hogwarts... Perhaps next time you should be a little quieter."
The mysterious witch had clearly adapted to Ian's "dullness."
This was truly an unexpected answer for Ian.
But it seemed so reasonable.
Observation?
More like eavesdropping!
Ian silently criticized her in his heart, but on the surface, he squeezed out an awkward smile. "I didn't expect that you had been silently observing me for so long."
What else could he say?
Of course, he could only fall back on the classic questions and answers from The Road to Civil Servant Promotion!
Ian had studied it before he transmigrated but never had the chance to use it. He didn't expect to finally put it to use in such a strange place.
"Observation, yes... observation."
The mysterious witch's eyes narrowed like crescent moons—not pure and lovely, but rather cunning, like a fox's.
"We've talked for quite some time, and I've answered many of your silly questions, yet I haven't heard you call me 'teacher' even once?"
Her tone remained slightly lazy and gentle, but beneath that calm voice was a subtle edge.
"That's because you haven't told me your honorable name yet."
Ian immediately perked up, bowed slightly, and used his actions to prove he wasn't truly "dull."
"You may call me Teacher Mara."
The witch Mara's lips curled into a faint smile.
Her smile held hidden meaning, like a flower blooming in a rainforest—beautiful, but with thorns.
"Teacher Mara."
Ian blurted it out immediately, assuming the posture of a model student.
However...
At the same time, he was thinking—he had never heard of a famous witch by that name in the well-known Harry Potter stories.
Was it a pseudonym?
Or had her name been buried by the passage of time?
Well, perhaps she wasn't among the most powerful wizards. After all, the names of Hogwarts' founders and of Merlin had never faded with time.
Of course...
It was also possible that Teacher Mara came from an even earlier era, or that this was a name she adopted after losing her memories.
Thinking this far...
Ian recalled what Teacher Mara had said just moments ago. His curiosity piqued, he asked cautiously:
"Teacher Mara, you mentioned that you no longer possess the power and magic you had when you were alive?"
Though Ian asked carefully, it still drew the witch's sharp, pressuring gaze.
"Do you think I can't teach you anything?"
The witch smiled brightly.
"Of course not! I'm just curious—those runaway tableware items... weren't they enchanted?"
Ian averted his gaze, looking around the room.
"The mortal world can take away my magic, strip me of my power and blood, but…"
The witch leaned back in her chair, raised a slender finger, and pointed to her head.
"Knowledge will never betray its owner. My apprentice, remember—knowledge is the most precious wealth we possess. It accompanies us on every journey."
"Until... the end."
For the first time, the witch offered Ian a meaningful lesson in a serious tone.
"The end?"
Ian looked at her.
"For me, and for all the souls here, it represents the unknown future."
The witch responded with a smile, her tone tinged with anticipation.
Every soul staying in the Realm of the Dead had unresolved obsessions. Ian was now truly curious—what kind of obsession troubled this Teacher Mara, who still held such expectations for the future?
Yet, knowing this might touch on old wounds, he didn't dare ask her why she remained in the Realm of the Dead.
"Teacher Mara, then, what kind of knowledge can I learn?"
Since he had already addressed her as 'teacher,' Ian naturally hoped to learn as much as possible.
"Magic and potions—which would you like to learn first?"
Witch Mara spoke with clear confidence. Her tone and expression radiated it.
"You can also brew potions?"
Ian was a little surprised.
He wasn't sure who was more skilled—Teacher Mara or Professor Snape?
Snape had developed his craft over many years...
"Of course."
Witch Mara nodded nonchalantly before abruptly shifting the topic. "But this is a field with a very high threshold. Few people understand the beauty of a simmering cauldron releasing white smoke and real fragrance. Fewer still truly grasp the magic flowing through the liquid as it enters the bloodstream."
Her long, rhythmic words seemed laced with ancient mystery.
But...
Something about them felt familiar.
"Um, are you going to tell me next that as long as I'm not an idiot, you can teach me how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even stopper death?"
How could he not recognize it!
It was Snape's iconic speech to Hogwarts freshmen every year!
Do potion masters all use the same script?
"Heh."
Witch Mara was briefly stunned, then let out a soft laugh. "It seems I still left a trace of myself in the mortal world."
What did that mean?
Ian's mind raced.
Then he understood—Snape was a plagiarist!
"Have you ever written those words before?"
Ian's eyes lit up.
His gossip radar was going wild.
He felt he'd just uncovered Snape's biggest secret.
"Of course. I believe I left behind a book."
Witch Mara spoke softly, as if lost in memories. But unable to fully grasp them, a trace of sadness flickered across her delicate face.
But...
Ian didn't notice.
He was too caught up in the shock that Snape had plagiarized her.
It made sense!
Snape must have found the book left behind by Teacher Mara!
Perhaps he even sought it out deliberately?
Given his passion for potions, it was entirely possible that he had hunted down ancient tomes—including Mara's.
It was like how people quote phrases like, "break a leg," or "a blessing in disguise." Perhaps our Half-Blood Prince had read those stirring words in Mara's book and, inspired, adopted them as his signature speech.
Hiss!
The more Ian thought about it, the more plausible it sounded.
He felt like he had just caught Snape red-handed!
After all...
Just as J.R.R. Tolkien couldn't have written "The Hobbit" after seeing the flim, Teacher Mara—long dead—couldn't have plagiarized Snape's famous quotes.
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