"You mean someone was actually watching me?" Jon, having taken off the iron ring, glanced at the stone creature in surprise.
He hadn't actually shoved the Weasley twins headfirst into the Vanishing Cabinet; he had only cast a Memory Charm on them and tweaked their memories a little.
As for the past few days, he had been staying inside the Headmaster's Office… easily the safest place in all of Hogwarts. With Dumbledore gone, the stone creature refused to let anyone but Jon enter.
But late at night, Jon often went to sit by the office door. He would read there and occasionally chat with the stone creature.
The office was simply too noisy. Ever since Dumbledore left, the chattering portraits hadn't stopped talking for a single moment, constantly rambling about all sorts of strange things… In that racket, reading was impossible.
The stone creature might be a bit simple-minded, but compared to dozens of headmaster portraits, it was blissfully quiet.
So when the stone creature suddenly told Jon that someone was "watching" him, he was completely dumbfounded.
"That's right." The stone creature nodded. "But the magic wasn't aimed only at you. It was probably a detection spell or item targeting the entire school… I've already hidden both of your names within the range of the Headmaster's Office. No magic can detect you now."
"You can actually do that?" Jon stood up, set his book aside, and curiously examined the ugly stone creature.
"Of course!" The creature raised its head proudly. "As the guardian of the Headmaster's Office, I've served three principals in a row, with more than a hundred years of history… If any random spell could slip into the Headmaster's Office, what point would I serve?"
"…You're over a hundred years old?" Jon blinked. "So basically, any ghost, statue, or portrait in the castle would be from your grandfather's generation or older?"
The stone creature sagged like a punctured ball and looked at Jon with a wounded expression.
Seeing how pitiful it looked, Jon quickly comforted it: "Actually, think about it this way… Sure, the other statues are older, but none of them are as capable as you. With talent like yours at such a young age, your future is limitless!"
The stone creature brightened immediately, wagging its tail happily as it nodded at him.
...
The stone creature's reminder made Jon think of Harry Potter's Marauder's Map. It was probably something similar. Hopefully no one noticed him… Though Jon Hart had been dead for over half a year in theory, so even if someone saw something, they'd probably dismiss it as a mistake.
Now that the whole Headmaster's Office was hidden by the stone creature, he felt safe. Still, just to be sure, he couldn't leave the office area even at night—better not risk an accident.
Beside him, the stone creature had already lain down and begun snoring.
Jon stood up and went back inside the office.
After midnight, everything fell silent.
A roasted chicken and a plate of sandwiches sat on the desk. Jon quietly pulled off a drumstick and started eating.
There was no real food in the Headmaster's Office aside from sweets, and Jon didn't dare summon a house-elf (Umbridge, as "headmaster," could command them).
But he wasn't helpless. After spending more than ten minutes "coaxing and pressuring" Headmaster Phineas Black, he finally convinced him to go to Grimmauld Place with a message.
Dumbledore and Fawkes spent most of their time there, so ever since the message was delivered, Fawkes flew over every few days carrying a pile of food.
The silly phoenix seemed to enjoy being a messenger. Each time she returned, she stuffed herself with herbs in the office before flying back…
...
While Jon was gnawing on the drumstick, he suddenly heard someone swallow behind him.
He turned and saw Headmaster Dexter Fortescue peeking at him… When the plump, red-nosed wizard noticed Jon looking, he quickly shut his eyes and pretended to be asleep.
"Headmaster Fortescue?" Jon tiptoed over and whispered, careful not to disturb the others.
Headmaster Dexter Fortescue reluctantly opened his eyes. When he saw the drumstick Jon was holding, he turned his head away and cleared his throat.
"Ahem… I do miss it. The last time I ate anything was nearly three hundred years ago."
When Jon looked like he was about to burst out laughing, he snapped in embarrassment: "You'll find out someday—once you become a portrait!"
He spoke so quickly Jon didn't quite catch it.
Jon, looking apologetic, said, "Sorry, Headmaster Fortescue, I didn't mean to. Next time I eat, I'll take it outside and tempt the stone creature by the door instead…"
Headmaster Fortescue's expression eased.
He lowered his eyes and noticed the open page of The Advanced Spellcaster's Compendium in Jon's hands.
"You're studying the Disillusionment Charm?" he asked.
"Yes." Jon nodded. "Right now I can only make the target blend in like a chameleon—matching its color and texture to the surroundings… But any movement gives it away. I can't achieve full invisibility."
"There's a flaw in your entire approach!" Dexter Fortescue said bluntly. "Matching color and texture to the surroundings is the most foolish method, because your environment isn't uniform… The spell should be cast on yourself instead…"
"Exactly. You should consider the effect of light—that's what matters most!" a voice said from above. It was Everard, who rarely spoke, his expression stern.
"Honestly, I still think Invisibility Cloaks are more practical…" Phineas Black added weakly. "Demiguise are actually pretty common in Africa… Walk across the East African savanna and you'll find one within two years."
Only then did Jon realize almost all the headmaster portraits had their eyes open.
"Did I wake you?" he asked quickly.
"Of course not." Phineas Black shook his head. "Why would portraits need sleep?"
"Then… then why do you always look so sleepy?" Jon asked in astonishment.
"We're pretending…" Phineas Black said, as if it were obvious. "Keeping our eyes open every moment of every day would be unbearably boring!"
Jon looked around at the other headmasters, who all nodded, even the usually stone-faced Oliver Cromwell.
He stood there speechless, the drumstick slipping from his hand to the floor.
"Let's get back to the Disillusionment Charm," Dexter Fortescue said, ignoring the others. "Where were we… Right, light. The most advanced Disillusionment Charms should act on light itself…"