Sterling couldn't remember where he'd read it, but appreciating beautiful things makes one beautiful too.
Applied to Sterling's situation, it was probably: witnessing a hero's progress makes oneself change toward heroism as well.
When Harry told Ron to run first while he stayed to block the three-headed dog he couldn't possibly fight, Sterling's magical vision caught the golden threads within Harry instantly taking on a red tint, becoming a magnificent interweaving of gold and red.
Immediately after, his own "Witness of the Author" materialised before him, its pages flipping like they were caught in a storm, almost creating afterimages. Harry's threads were drawn to wrap around it, gilding the pure white pages with a gold-red border.
A sword suddenly appeared on the cover of "Witness of the Author".
It was the Hero's Heart that Sterling thought had been devoured by his budding Mourning the Demon Dragon.
The moment Harry's threads began transforming, it instantly grew, tearing through the dragon mark's suppression and crashing into Sterling's Origin Magic.
Though Sterling appeared expressionless as he controlled the three-headed dog behind Harry, his heart was in turmoil.
This was the symbol of Thirteen Magic being "forged" into Origin Magic... and the sign of truly mastering one of the Thirteen Magics.
Whether it was Mourning the Demon Dragon under Lady Maleficent's careful guidance or Stargazing Scholar bestowed by Ravenclaw across a millennium, Sterling was currently only "using" them. Crudely wielding inherited marks, still distant from true mastery.
He hadn't expected the first Thirteen Magic he'd truly learn to be this abandoned Hero's Heart.
Sterling couldn't understand how this magic worked. Sudden awakening, then immediately fast-forwarding to mastery?
How was he supposed to know he was so appealing to heroes?
Actually, that wasn't right. Thinking back on these two instances of Hero's Heart stirring... the first awakening and this second mastery...
Sterling's gaze turned to Harry.
It seemed both were related to this kid?
Before the first awakening, Sterling had often hidden away using "Witness of the Author" to observe what made this Saviour special, coincidentally witnessing him do helpful good deeds.
This time, Sterling first received a prophecy about him, then could be said to have completely witnessed his actions that perfectly embodied the "Hero" identity...
The key lay in two points: Harry's own actions and Sterling using "Witness of the Author".
Right, witnessing.
"Witness of the Author" currently showed abilities of prophecy and reality modification. If reality modification corresponded to the "Author" part, then prophecy should correspond to "Witness"... Sterling had initially thought this, but it was somewhat forced.
If prophecy corresponded to "Witness", it actually conflicted with Sterling's interests.
He liked witnessing interesting stories he'd never heard before, not stories completely spoilt by prophecy.
Though Sterling knew prophetic ability was unreasonably powerful, essentially he didn't really want to know endings before stories happened. That was boring, very boring.
Since Origin Magic was a "gift" for him, it should align with his preferences. So the "Witness" part corresponded to other abilities.
"Prophecy" and "gaining some kind of power through witnessing stories" combined should be the "Witness" component.
Prophesying where stories "from which power could be gained" would appear, then "gaining power" after witnessing them. This was Origin Magic's true usage.
Sterling felt the Hero's Heart fusing into his Origin Magic. While retaining its core "weak triumphing over strong" ability, the "magical shaping" ability had undergone adaptive changes based on "Witness of the Author".
A pitch-black quill jumped into Sterling's hand. Looking at the bound three-headed dog, he traced a word in the air.
"Fire"
Crimson flames instantly blazed on the three-headed dog, appearing without warning. If not for the dog's frighteningly high fire resistance, this alone could have taken half its life.
Still, it howled loudly, constantly swaying its claws trying to tear through the thorns.
Sterling smiled. His thorns were just the outer form. Inside was all life magic flame. Better not to tear them; once touched by life magic flame, no fire resistance would help.
This adaptively changed Hero's Heart suited Sterling's taste.
It strengthened the reality modification part. The original ability was to first present a segment of reality, then modify it by changing words. Honestly, a purely advance-planning ability is useless in encounters or ambushes.
Now he'd gained the additional ability to make words real through writing. Not just matter, but magic and even living beings could be manifested, provided sufficient magical power. Unlike word-changing reality modification, manifestation used magical power rather than physical strain, making it much easier.
After testing the magic, Sterling extinguished the flames and doubled the thorns, bundling the three-headed dog like a caterpillar on the ground.
"Sterling, why'd you stop burning it?" Ron said, supporting Harry. Actually they were mutually supporting each other, both somewhat weak-kneed.
Harry's attention was drawn to the wooden trapdoor on the floor, now completely visible with the three-headed dog lifted.
"Because he still has his job, and he hasn't actually hurt you, so he doesn't deserve to pay with his life." Sterling indicated Ron should also look at the trapdoor.
"You might have forgotten that Headmaster Dumbledore said this was a forbidden area where students couldn't enter. He should be responsible for guarding the forbidden area, treating you as intruders and attacking... quite dedicated. If he hadn't attacked you, I'd probably reward him with two bones."
Sterling was in a good mood, so he didn't mind joking.
Hero's Heart making people reckless was during the learning process. It didn't apply to Sterling, who'd skipped the learning process.
Sterling wouldn't refuse a side-effect-free Hero's Heart. Not to mention how this had multiplied his direct combat ability. Next time he encountered those black knights in Avalon, he'd dare fight them head-on. Of course, not in front of the Black Mirror Kingdom; facing great wizards still required caution.
But Harry and Ron couldn't really laugh now. Instead, their faces looked terrible.
"Why those expressions? Like Headmaster Dumbledore suddenly appeared here, ready to dock your points haha..."
Seeing Harry nod, Sterling's smile stopped.
"You're joking, right?"
An aged but still strong hand rested on Sterling's shoulder, with a somewhat cheerful voice from behind:
"Oh, I think after tonight's exciting encounters, Harry wouldn't be inclined to joke."
Sterling's mouth corners drooped. Now Robert and Hermione would scold him terribly.
He should have stayed under the Invisibility Cloak, secretly helping like when he opened their door, then running. That way he wouldn't have been caught red-handed.
Sterling turned around, stiffly greeting Dumbledore.
"Good evening, Headmaster Dumbledore..."
Dumbledore shook his head. "I'm not doing very well now. None of you took my opening words to heart... This makes me very sad..."
Harry and Sterling both had ominous premonitions. Sure enough, Dumbledore spoke words that chilled their hearts:
"Let me see. Night-prowling, ten points each; evading Mr. Filch, ten points each; and entering the forbidden area, I think fifty points each would be appropriate?"
"Oh... Professor Dumbledore... please..." Ron nearly jumped like he'd been bitten.
Seventy points each! Gryffindor would lose one hundred forty points! This wasn't about Percy killing them anymore. The Gryffindor upperclassmen would hang and burn them like mediaeval witch trials!
"Yes, Mr. Weasley, breaking school rules must be punished. But we also cannot fail to reward excellent young wizards."
He winked at Sterling.
"Let me think. For Harry's brave facing of the three-headed dog to protect his companion, sixty points to Gryffindor; for Ron not abandoning his companion and facing difficulties together, another sixty points to Gryffindor."
"For Sterling's noble character in helping classmates, fifty points to Ravenclaw, and for your spellwork far exceeding first-year level and kind forgiveness toward Fluffy, another fifty points to Ravenclaw."
This way, Gryffindor only lost twenty points, while Ravenclaw actually gained thirty.
Harry and Ron had no objections. Reducing one hundred forty points to twenty was enough to make them laugh aloud. At least it changed from judgement by all Gryffindors to pursuit by Percy alone.
As for Sterling actually gaining points? Harry and Ron weren't heartless enough to question their saviour.
In their view, Sterling's points were too few! He should get a hundred points for his magic!
Dumbledore smiled at them. "I think you should return to your common rooms for a good night's sleep. Sterling, would you mind staying to walk with this old man a bit longer?"
"My pleasure." Sterling readily agreed.
Perfect chance to probe how to handle the Quirrell matter.
The two, each wanting to know something, smiled at each other, leaving Harry and Ron completely puzzled.