Chapter 350: Unmasked
Smaug left the vault and crawled along the special dragon passage, hauling himself up from the cliffs on the northern face of Weathertop into the open grounds beside the castle.
His vast bulk made entering Hogwarts itself impossible, so he simply took up a position on the huge lawn outside.
From there, with his colossal size and height, Smaug could sweep his gaze across the windows and walls, watching the movements on every level of the castle at a glance.
His appearance drew cries of shock from professors and students alike. Many had only ever heard tales of dragons, never seen one with their own eyes.
Even those who had once beheld Smaug were stunned by how much he had grown.
After the first wave of awe and fear, however, a different mood settled over the school. With a dragon that size standing guard, it was hard not to feel a measure of safety.
What enemy could truly threaten them now?
Students from every house crowded the dormitory and common room windows, staring out at the golden dragon who now stood taller than the castle itself. Instinctive dread warred with open admiration in their eyes.
So that was the legendary dragon the Headmaster rode. Enormous did not begin to cover it.
At that moment, a great voice rolled through every corridor and chamber of the school.
"All students are to remain in their dormitories at once. No one is to leave. All staff, report immediately to the conference room."
"It is the Headmaster!" someone cried. "The Headmaster is back!"
At the sound of Kael's voice, students and teachers alike lit up with relief. Hope flooded the castle.
Only one soul, hidden among them, went pale. Their expression darkened, something cold and foul flickering in their eyes.
The students obeyed without argument, pulling back into their house dormitories and doing their best not to cause trouble.
The moment they were all inside, the entrances to every common room swung shut and sealed.
No matter what password was spoken, the doors did not move an inch.
Anyone who had hoped to slip into a house and disappear among the students found that road suddenly closed.
All across the castle, professors turned and made their way towards the staff conference room as soon as Kael's summons echoed in their ears.
"Professor Edward!" a voice called from behind as he hurried up the stairs.
Edward turned. Seeing who it was, his wariness eased. "Professor Allensis. Have you just come up from your office? There is no need to rush so," he added. "Catch your breath first."
Allensis, Potions master and Head of Basilisk House, kept his office near the Slytherin‑like dormitories in the first basement. He spent most of his days there brewing for the infirmary.
As a result, he was often overlooked. His complexion was pale from lack of sun, and his hair had grown lank and greasy from too many hours bent over steaming cauldrons.
Unlike a certain Potions professor in another world, though, Allensis was friendly and talkative.
He fell into step beside Edward. "Do you think the Headmaster has finally unmasked our hidden enemy?" he asked curiously. "Is that why he has called us to the conference room?"
"I do not know," Edward admitted. "He did say he was working on something that would let him catch the one lurking in the dark. Now he has emerged and summoned us… perhaps he has finished it."
"If so, that is the best news we could hope for," Allensis said fervently. "I, for one, would like that rat caught as soon as possible. Then we could all breathe again."
He glanced sideways and noticed the tired lines around Edward's eyes. Fishing in his pocket, he brought out a small bottle of potion. "You look exhausted," he said, holding it out. "This is a fresh batch of energy draught. Take it. You should not drive yourself to collapse."
Edward blinked at the vial, then smiled gratefully. "Thank you. I do need it. I would rather not have the Headmaster see me in this state."
He reached out to take it.
Before his fingers could close around the glass, a shimmering barrier sprang up between them, knocking their hands apart.
Both men started and snatched out their wands, turning towards the source of the spell in instant alarm.
A small group was approaching down the corridor: Kael, Elrond, and several other professors who had reached the castle's heart more quickly than the rest.
"Headmaster," Allensis blurted, surprise flashing across his face. "You have come yourself?" His gaze jumped back to the invisible wall between him and Edward. "And what is this about?"
Kael did not answer.
His eyes, hard as flint, never left Edward.
Elrond stepped forward instead. "Professor Allensis," he said mildly, "come and stand over here."
Allensis stood bewildered. He looked at Elrond, then at the silent Headmaster, then at Edward, who was still separated from him by the barrier. None of it made sense.
Even so, he obeyed and walked carefully around to join the others.
Kael's gaze did not so much as flick in his direction. It remained fixed, cold, and unblinking on Edward.
"Saruman," Kael said quietly, "I destroyed your body once and let your spirit slip away. I did not expect you to dare return to this castle and plot under my nose. Did Sauron lend you courage?"
Edward's face went blank with shock. "Headmaster, what are you saying?" he stammered. "Saruman? Me? You must be mistaken. How could I possibly be him?"
The other professors looked from Edward to Kael in dismay.
They had worked beside Edward for over a year. They knew his manner, his voice, his temper. In all that time, he had never given the smallest hint of being anything but himself.
They did not want to believe that their deputy headmaster, Kael's most trusted right hand, could have been possessed with none of them the wiser.
Yet Kael and Elrond showed not the slightest doubt.
Kael lifted the dragonhide map in his hand and gave a thin smile.
"You have hidden yourself well, Saruman," he went on. "So well that even I, Gandalf, and Lady Galadriel could not pierce your disguise. You left no trace, and we could not find you.
"But however well you bury yourself, your name cannot hide from my Map."
On the surface of the Map, the name Edward glowed before them.
Layered directly over it, in a harsh, blood‑red script, was another: Saruman (Curumo).
Curumo—Saruman's true name from the days when he had dwelt in Valinor as a Maia—sat like a wound upon the parchment, his later name in Middle-earth written beside it.
At the words and the display of living parchment humming with power, "Edward's" face changed.
The familiar warmth fell away. In its place came a thin, cold smile, and his eyes filled with hate.
"Impressive, Kael," he said softly. "I once thought you a man of no consequence. Yet somehow, time and again, you have tripped me. Now I am reduced to a wandering shade, drifting powerless like some common ghost.
"But even if you have found me, what can you do? Kill me?"
His smile widened into something ugly.
"If you mean to kill me, you will have to kill this body first. If I recall correctly, he is the servant you rely on most. He has been truly loyal to you. Loyal enough to try to die with me, to stop me using his flesh to fool you.
"Unfortunately for him, his soul is far too weak to oppose mine. He cannot even manage to take his own life.
"Can you truly harden your heart and let your most faithful servant die just to bury me?" he taunted.
He flicked his wand in a vicious arc. The barrier in front of him shattered under his curse.
In the same breath, he aimed a spell straight at Kael and the others. "Ossa Frango!"
The Bone‑Shattering Curse shot from his wand like a cannon blast.
Kael snapped his own wand up. The jet of magic struck his deflection and glanced aside, slamming into the stone wall.
The castle shook as a massive section of masonry simply ceased to exist, leaving a gaping hole and a storm of shattered stone.