"Silence! Si—len—ce! Si—len—ce!"
The ancient halls of Hogwarts echoed with a deep, commanding voice.
It was Headmaster Dumbledore, employing the Sonorus charm to project his words into every ear, soothing the restless young witches and wizards.
"Everyone, return to your dormitories at once. No lingering in the corridors! Prefects, maintain order in your common rooms!"
With that order, students still wandering the halls hurried back toward their respective dormitories.
Of course, there were exceptions—like Qin Yu, who was making his way swiftly toward the Forbidden Forest.
Thanks to his months of late-night escapades as the "mysterious teacher," Qin Yu knew a hidden route, one that let him slip by unnoticed.
He navigated the shadows with practiced ease, soon arriving at the edge of the forest. Before entering, he cast a high-level Disillusionment Charm, vanishing from sight as he crept inside.
He hadn't gone far when a mad, feverish voice drifted from deeper within:
"...Ha...ha... cough, cough... Who left that bottle of venom... Trying to kill me, or help me... ha...ha... cough... I must find them, I must find them..."
The moment he heard the word "venom," Qin Yu's suspicions were confirmed.
No doubt about it—the one causing all this chaos in the Forbidden Forest was none other than Professor Quirrell.
Still, as certain as he felt, Qin Yu couldn't help but be disappointed. So, even with the doctored Acromantula venom, Quirrell—and the thing inside him—had survived.
Disappointing, yes, but hardly surprising. This was the big boss, after all. People like that don't go down so easily.
"Who's there?! Who is it?!"
A cold, menacing voice cut through the night, aimed directly at Qin Yu.
He froze, heart hammering. It felt as though a wild beast had locked eyes on him.
So much for the infallibility of a high-level Disillusionment Charm.
Against Quirrell—or rather, the Voldemort possessing him—some traces were bound to show.
But there was no point regretting his impulsive dash into the forest now.
He tightened his grip on his wand, banished all distractions, and braced himself for a fight. Every sense was focused on the rapidly approaching figure.
A ragged, black-robed silhouette burst from the shadows, closing in fast.
In that instant, the familiar system prompt echoed in Qin Yu's mind, urging him to choose: "Use Obscurus Power" or "Face this alone."
Clearly, the situation was dire.
But Qin Yu ignored the prompt—or rather, he didn't have the luxury to consider it. All his attention was fixed on the advancing threat, ready to counter whatever magic might come his way.
When the shadow was just ten meters away, it stopped by a great tree, raised its wand, and swept it through the air in a swift, elegant arc.
Danger prickled down Qin Yu's spine. He ran through possible spells in his mind, weighing his options—dodge, shield, counterattack?
But in that split second, the shadow's wand froze mid-swing. The spell died on his lips.
After a brief pause, the figure spun on his heel and bolted into the darkness.
"He ran?" Qin Yu muttered, surprised.
The answer revealed itself almost immediately.
A white-bearded old man had appeared at the forest's edge, strolling toward them at an unhurried pace.
"Professor Dumbledore, have you found anything?" called a familiar, stern female voice.
Qin Yu glanced over and saw Professor McGonagall, her expression grave.
The headmaster and deputy headmistress had arrived—not exactly on time, but not too late either. Their presence was enough to send the shadow fleeing, and to pull Qin Yu back from the brink.
He let out a long, shaky breath as the tension drained from his body.
Then he noticed Dumbledore's gaze settling on him.
Oh, no—busted by Dumbledore... Well, may as well show myself. This time, it really wasn't my fault.
Just as Qin Yu prepared to drop his invisibility, Dumbledore gave a casual little wave in his direction.
Instantly, Qin Yu felt an invisible force settle around him. The world grew muffled, as if a blanket had been thrown over the noise. His presence, too, seemed to fade from the notice of others.
Watching Dumbledore lower his hand, Qin Yu couldn't help but marvel—wandless magic, just like that. The old man was truly something else.
Clearly, Dumbledore had noticed him, and just as clearly, he didn't want anyone else to.
Qin Yu understood the message. He stayed put, content to observe from the shadows.
"No discoveries yet. Minerva, let's take a look further in," Dumbledore said, beckoning McGonagall to follow.
Once they had gone a little deeper, Qin Yu trailed after them, careful to remain unseen.
…
"Professor Dumbledore, doesn't tonight's incident feel oddly familiar?" McGonagall asked, her tone cautious.
"Oh? Does it?" Dumbledore replied, feigning confusion with the air of a doddering old man.
"Have you forgotten what happened just over a year ago?" she prompted.
"A year ago? Oh, you mean that time..." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as understanding dawned.
"Exactly. Do you think this could be connected to that child again?" McGonagall asked, worry etched on her face.
"I think..." Dumbledore mused, turning slowly as if searching the shadows, his gaze lingering for just a moment in Qin Yu's direction. "Perhaps it is."
Come on, Dumbledore, don't pin this on me out of thin air!
Qin Yu, listening in, was so startled he almost gave himself away.
"But if I recall correctly," Dumbledore continued, "when the disturbance started in the Forbidden Forest, young Qin was still in Severus's office for his lesson. He didn't have time to commit any mischief."
"I see..." McGonagall nodded, her tone businesslike. "When Professor Snape arrives, we can confirm this with him."
"As we should," Dumbledore agreed.
Qin Yu thought to himself that Dumbledore was definitely dragging things out on purpose.
Speak of the devil—here came Professor Snape, gliding silently through the night in his billowing black robes.
Before either headmaster could speak, Snape announced, "Fortunately, this time it wasn't young Qin causing trouble. He'd only just left my office, not five minutes before."
"While I'm relieved it wasn't him, I must say I'm a bit surprised," McGonagall remarked, a rare hint of humor in her voice.
"As am I," Snape agreed, nodding.
"Haha, you know, if your student overheard you talking about him like this, it might not be very kind," Dumbledore chuckled.
"Professor Dumbledore, you wouldn't tell him, would you?" McGonagall asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.
"Of course not! My lips are sealed," Dumbledore declared, all innocence.
As he spoke, Qin Yu caught the legendary wizard glancing once more in his direction.
Not that Dumbledore needed to tell Qin Yu—after all, he was right there, listening to the whole exchange.
"Let's go see what's actually happened," Dumbledore said, steering the conversation back on track. He added with a sigh, "Things have been rather unsettled lately."
The three professors set off together.
Trailing behind, Qin Yu mulled over Dumbledore's final words. Was he talking about unrest at Hogwarts? Or the entire wizarding world? Or both?
Either way, one thing was certain—peaceful days were growing fewer and farther between.
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