In the Harry Potter Without Harry Potter

Chapter 20: Sapphire Ring

"I just go to the library a bit more when I'm not doing anything, but I actually couldn't even use a single magic spell right now if I really asked to do it."

Jon looked down and took a sip of the warm cup of black tea, he had just stuffed his face at Hagrid's and had no intention of drinking it all now.

"A solid theoretical foundation is the key to successful practical skills." Slughorn said as he poured himself a cup of tea as well, "I never failed to judge people's potential, you will have a great future ahead of you. If this is peacetime I would have given the invitation to join my club in a heartbeat."

Of course, Jon knew about the club he was talking about, and it was true that the people who managed to join it were all people who were either capable or from distinguished families.

Slughorn was obviously very good at building relationships with students, he always managed to take the initiative when it came to socialising, not only by virtue of the status they had but also by virtue of their innate talents.

Jon had only stopped by to help out, he had no intention of staying longer, so after sitting and having a couple of sips of tea, he got up and prepared to leave.

Slughorn didn't keep him much longer either, he just asked him to take a few toffees and a box of Crystallised Pineapples with him when he left.

After leaving the office and closing the door from the outside, Jon did not linger on the long corridor, fearing that if he did not return, he would have to go to Professor McGonagall to report about his disappearance, given Neville's character.

However, just as Jon took a step to go back to his dormitory, he suddenly felt a cold touch on his right index finger.

He froze slightly, then lifted his hand and saw a ring that had never been there before on his index finger!

It was a silver ring, slim in overall appearance, fitting on Jon's finger precisely in the right size, and a diamond-shaped blue gemstone embedded in the middle of the ring.

The gem is small and is not held above the ring, it's just enclosed in the ring, and around the side and back of the gem, around the silver ring, there are still four diamond-shaped gaps faintly visible, exactly like the one in front, like four other gems supposed to be embedded there.

Jon couldn't help but frown deeply at the ring, he is certain it is not his ring, and he has never seen this ring before!

He tried to remove the ring from his index finger and took it off easily.

Jon's first thought was that it belonged to Slughorn, because he hadn't had it in his hand before he entered the office, and it had suddenly appeared right after he had left the door of the office.

With a brief reflection, he figured out what to do with it.

Whether or not it had slipped into his hands from Slughorn's office, he would have to go back and give him the ring.

In the magical world, diaries, rings, lockets, jewellery pieces and the like, especially those of unknown origin, tended to be bad things, with curses beyond normal human comprehension attached to them.

Jon had no illusions that this ring might contain an old grandfather who might proclaim him to be the Chosen One, and it was safer to nip any possible danger in the bud than let it slip away!

So he turned without hesitation and knocked again on the door of Slughorn's office room.

"Come in."

Slughorn, who was stuffing a Crystallised Pineapple into his mouth, looked at the re-entering Jon with some surprise and asked suspiciously.

"Is there anything else you want, son?"

Jon took a deep breath and held out his right hand in front of his face.

"Professor, when I went out of your office, this suddenly appeared in my hand for some reason."

Seeing the ring in Jon's hand, which quietly remained, Slughorn was visibly frozen.

But he quickly reacted, moving swiftly to return the Crystallised Pineapples that he hadn't had time to stuff into his mouth back on his desk while pulling open the drawer in front of him and taking out a small wooden box from inside.

He opened the box in front of Jon, and it was empty, but you could clearly notice from the sunken padding that there was originally a ring laid there.

Slughorn's face became serious, he lost the smiling face that he usually had when he looked at anyone, and his face became somewhat serious and even intimidating.

Such seriousness did not last long, the frown loosened again, but then the pair of eyebrows quickly re-furrowed.

He did not speak, and rose directly from his chair, pacing back and forth in front of Jon with a grim face with his hands behind his back.

Jon didn't try to disturb him; one thing that at least reassured him about Slughorn's current reaction was that the ring had originally belonged to this Defence class professor and had just somehow ended up in his hands after he had gone out.

Finally, Slughorn stopped his anxious musings, he stared at Jon and extended his hand.

"Give me the ring."

Without half a moment of hesitation, Jon handed the ring back to him.

After getting the ring, Slughorn didn't ask Jon to leave, nor did he immediately put it back into the wooden box, instead he just walked backwards straight from him, and after about three metres back, a familiar cold sensation abruptly reappeared on Jon's index finger!

Jon looked at the ring that acted as if it had grown fond of him with a look of shock. In contrast to him, Slughorn's face became calm at this point.

"Professor, this..."

"You'll just have to wear it for now." Slughorn looked at the ring on Jon's hand and said softly, "Don't worry about anything else, it won't do you any harm, but you won't be able to get rid of it for a while either. Go back for now Jon, I'll see you again tomorrow when I've sorted some things out, and I'll explain to you about the ring then, also don't say anything about the ring to anyone in the meantime, remember! Anyone!"

Jon was certainly uncomfortable with such a result, but he couldn't force Slughorn to spill the beans on what this ring really is right now.

All he could do was ask.

"When should I come to see you tomorrow, Professor?"

As if he could see that he was worried, Slughorn gave him a definite time.

"Tomorrow after lunch, we should both be free at that time."

Having been given an exact time, Jon eventually left.

He got back to his dorm room just as Neville was looking like he was in a hurry to go out, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Jon.

"Where have you been? I didn't see you at lunch either, and I almost went to Professor McGonagall just now to report your disappearance."

"I went to do Professor Slughorn a little favour, don't worry, I've already eaten lunch and brought back some dessert."

Jon acted as if nothing had happened and placed the Crystallised Pineapples and toffee on the table, but once he had laid back down on the bed, he quietly picked up the ring with the blue gemstone and stared blankly at it.

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