Professor Flitwick was clearly swamped.
After quickly checking the students' progress in Charms, leaving behind a few notes, and awarding some house points, he hurried out of the classroom.
Sean's quill, enchanted to take notes automatically, scribbled down every word Flitwick said:
"This classroom never chooses the wrong students, my dear young witches and wizards—you're doing splendidly! But let me ask you this: if you can make a feather float, why not try it on that little table over there? I'm not encouraging you to tackle difficult spells ahead of schedule, but for those gifted among you, I suggest seizing your talents and mastering the fun spells in Standard Spells: Level One early. The Summoning Charm and the Water-Making Charm are incredibly practical. I hope these notes will help."
Flitwick's kind encouragement was punctuated by a subtle wink at Sean.
"Once you've mastered the spells required for first year, you'll find the mysteries of wandless magic waiting for you. Knowledge is never too much!"
With that, he bustled out of the practice room.
"As Miss Clearwater has done—she's mastered all the spells for this year, so I've encouraged her to try wandless magic… Oh, I'd better hurry, or who knows what Miss Clearwater might set on fire this time. Last time, if I recall, it was Professor Quirrell's turban…"
Sean froze at those words.
The Ravenclaw prefect was that bold?
"Alright, I've got to tell you both a secret," Hermione suddenly announced.
Sean, half-expecting this, sat down beside her with Justin.
The three of them nestled into the sofa as twilight settled in, the flickering light of magical lanterns casting a heavy, enchanting glow.
"Do you remember what Professor Dumbledore said?" Hermione asked earnestly.
"The start of the feast?" Justin ventured.
"'Anyone who doesn't wish to meet a painful, gruesome death, stay away from the right-hand corridor on the fourth floor'?" Sean added.
The two exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock in each other's eyes.
"Sean, that's not what you're most curious about?" Justin asked, surprised.
Sean thought for a moment. "I misspoke."
"You two!" Hermione huffed, smacking the table.
Justin instantly shrank like a scolded quail, and Sean's confidence wavered under her glare.
"Dumbledore was right—anyone who doesn't want a terrible death should steer clear of that corridor…" Hermione's voice dropped, almost a whisper.
Sean noticed Justin tense up. "So, Hermione… did you go in there? What happened? Are you okay?"
"It's not that I wanted to break school rules, but Harry…" Hermione began, only to stop mid-sentence.
"Hermione, I don't care about school rules or Harry. I only care about one thing—are you okay?" Justin's voice trembled slightly, the word "death" making his concern spill over.
Sean saw Hermione's eyes glisten with unshed tears.
"I… I'm fine…" she said softly.
"But I almost wasn't."
Justin's face flushed with panic, his breathing quickening. "Harry Potter? That Harry Potter? What did he do?! I'm going to find him and get answers!"
Sean gently held back the fuming Justin, whose rationality seemed to evaporate when Hermione was upset but returned with Sean's calm tug.
"Maybe we should hear Hermione's full explanation first. Harry's not going anywhere, right?" Sean said soothingly.
A bolt of lightning flashed outside, followed by rolling thunder. The weather in the Scottish Highlands was as unpredictable as ever.
But their little nook felt like a safe haven from the relentless rain.
"Gryffindor cowards! All they do is drag others into their messes!" Justin muttered angrily.
Hermione's explanation made everything clear. To Justin, Harry was a thoughtless fool tricked into a duel, and Ron was just as bad, provoking Peeves and leading them all into a panic. Not only were they useless, they'd put others in danger!
Hermione, driven by her sense of house pride, had tried to stop their nighttime wanderings and even used a spell to help them open a door—only to be dragged into their mess!
If Justin had been there, he swore he'd have knocked some sense into their empty heads with a smelly boot.
Something about the story felt off to Sean, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"It was a three-headed dog," Hermione recalled, her initial fear subsiding as exhaustion from a sleepless night crept in. "Its teeth could crush skulls, and its saliva was corrosive."
She paused, her thoughts drifting. "It's definitely guarding something… a trapdoor…"
As she spoke, she drifted into a peaceful sleep. Justin's anger, however, hit its peak. He silently draped a blanket over her, his face blank as he turned to leave.
Sean sighed. He didn't need to guess what Justin was planning.
"Dumbledore knows everything that happens at Hogwarts," Sean said softly. "Hermione said the three-headed dog was guarding something. That's likely part of the headmaster's plan. If Dumbledore allows it, it can't be that dangerous. Remember, the dog didn't actually attack Hermione."
Justin stood still for a moment.
"Sean, you're always so wise," he said finally. "But my mum once told me that if doing what's necessary makes you look like a fool, then so be it—I'll be a fool!"
With that, he stormed out.
"I don't care about Dumbledore's plans. All I know is Hermione almost died behind that door. If no one stands up for her, does her suffering just get ignored?"
A flash of lightning illuminated Sean's face.
Well, having a Hufflepuff friend really was something special, he thought.
Dumbledore wouldn't care much about Justin's protests, but Hermione would—and that was what mattered.
Sean didn't think the plot could be changed much. Everything was under Dumbledore's control, at least in the first Harry Potter book.
It was a pure fairy tale.
Nothing to worry about.
For Sean, the real crisis was his scholarship.
The three-headed dog wouldn't kill anyone, the Philosopher's Stone couldn't be stolen, and Voldemort was essentially just a walking experience point.
But if Sean didn't secure his scholarship, he'd genuinely be unable to afford quills or textbooks.
"Professor Flitwick practically spelled it out," Sean muttered, glancing at the sleeping Hermione and quietly moving the magical lantern aside.
"Levitation Charm—at least at a proficient level, ideally touching on wandless magic. Then there's the Summoning Charm and the Water-Making Charm to learn…"
His goal was crystal clear: grind proficiency, master spells to a high level, and then consult Flitwick about Defense Against the Dark Arts spells beyond the first-year curriculum.
He needed to collect the final piece of his scholarship puzzle.
And claim the 600-Galleon grand prize.
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