"Professor, is it that stone?"
Sean sounded like he was asking, but it was as if he'd already confirmed it.
That idea came from Tayra's earlier explanation—admitted students at Uagadou receive word from the current headmaster through a dream messenger.
And the dream messenger leaves a token in the child's hand while they sleep—usually a stone carved with runes.
"Genius-level intuition."
Tayra looked utterly pleased.
"The holy stone, also called the empty rune, is said to be that blank rune-stone from the old myths, containing the deepest wisdom and the essence of self.
"But I'm more inclined to believe it's a powerful piece of alchemy—like the Deathly Hallows from The Tales of Beedle the Bard.
"It isn't as almighty as the legends claim, but it's enough to let a witch or wizard step into that unique realm. That's why Uagadou's people are so strong at self-transformation.
"Originally, none of the holy stones were allowed to leave Uagadou—but there are always exceptions.
"Be patient and wait for the next opening, my dear student…"
Tayra stared off into the distance. High above the clouds, a paper airplane was wobbling its way across the sky.
…
Tayra's mention of the Deathly Hallows pushed Sean toward the library. He remembered that The Tales of Beedle the Bard was on a particular shelf.
Compared to term-time, when every seat was full, the summer library was nearly deserted. The magic lanterns lit the air before him, picking out rows of books:
The Adventures of Martin Miggs, the Mad Muggle: a comic book about the "mad" Muggle Martin Miggs' exploits—Ron was a devoted fan and kept a stack of them at his Hope Nook seat.
On the same shelf, Sean saw The Magic Storybook, The Owl's Christmas Journey, and others, all bound in thick red covers with gold titles.
Before long, he found The Tales of Beedle the Bard—its blue cover was hard to miss.
"The Tales of Beedle the Bard? Oh, I keep forgetting you're still such a little child."
Madam Pince had appeared without him noticing, feather duster in hand, smiling faintly.
"It reminds me of that dreadful play… Plenty of parents wanted this book pulled from the Hogwarts library after that."
Sean had originally intended to carefully reread the story of the Deathly Hallows, but Pince's words sparked a new curiosity.
"May I ask…?"
"Of course you may. As I recall, the Herbology teacher at the time—Herbert Beery—was a great lover of drama. He proposed turning one of the children's favorite tales, The Fountain of Fair Fortune, into a Christmas performance for the school.
"But certain… personal issues completely ruined it. As director, Professor Beery never noticed the love triangle right in front of his nose. The stage became incredibly dangerous.
"The actresses playing Amata and Asha, and the actor playing the knight, fell into a tangled love affair—then, right before the performance, the knight switched sides.
"The play unraveled from the first scene. Amata and Asha started dueling for real, Beery got dragged into the fight, and things got worse and worse. The stage fire-ash snake actually set things ablaze. The hospital wing was packed for months, and the smell of charred wood in the Great Hall took just as long to fade.
"Headmaster Armando Dippet banned pantomimes entirely after that, and Hogwarts has stuck to that rule ever since."
Madam Pince reminisced with obvious relish, then plucked another book from the shelf and handed it to Sean.
"It's the holidays. Relax a little. Beedle the Bard is lovely, but this one—Dream Tales—might suit you too."
Sean accepted it, surprised that Hogwarts contained so many strange stories.
He thought that even if the students hadn't seen the infamous play, they'd certainly seen worse fiascos in real life.
After Madam Pince left, he read through the Deathly Hallows tale—but when he casually opened Dream Tales, a phrase caught his eye and refused to let go:
—Soul Hallows.
Sean immediately set Beedle the Bard aside and started on Dream Tales.
It told of a wizard who used the Soul Hallows to walk in a "world behind the Veil."
At first he transformed into all kinds of animals there, having strange adventures. Later, he found that stargazing in that world could predict the future. Eventually, he could even meet dead witches and wizards—and briefly "pull out" those who hovered, unwilling to move on, unwilling to be ghosts.
It was… fascinating.
By the time he closed the book, the sky outside was pitch black.
Before the curfew bell rang, Sean went to the desk to check the book out, surprising Madam Pince.
"You finally agree to rest a bit? What are you waiting for—let me sign it out for you."
…
Staying at Hogwarts over the summer was peaceful and full.
Sean spent most of his time shifting between cat and human. Each long, controlled switch nudged his Soul Transfiguration proficiency up by one.
For example:
[You practice Soul Transfiguration at apprentice level within the Master tier. Master-level proficiency +1]
After changing back, he would move on to Magical Transfiguration, his main weapon for facing the basilisk head-on.
Of course, for various reasons, Snape's demands in Dark Arts training had become far harsher. Sean's dark magic levels were climbing rapidly every day.
In the early mornings, he had other tasks—like sneaking into the Forbidden Forest to visit a very large dog.
After a week of this busy rhythm, an owl brought Sean a particularly important letter.
[Please still board the Hogwarts Express from King's Cross Station on September 1.]
…What if I'm already at Hogwarts?
Sean looked up at the tall towers, watching the owl wing back toward the Headmaster's office.
It seemed the letters were being sent in bulk, and Dumbledore was delivering his to Sean in person.
He kept reading:
[Second-year students must acquire: Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2, by Miranda Goshawk;
Break with a Banshee by Gilderoy Lockhart;
Gadding with Ghouls by Gilderoy Lockhart;
Holidays with Hags by Gilderoy Lockhart;
Travels with Trolls by Gilderoy Lockhart;
Voyages with Vampires by Gilderoy Lockhart;
Wandering with Werewolves by Gilderoy Lockhart;
Year with the Yeti by Gilderoy Lockhart.]
The long parade of "Gilderoy Lockhart" made Sean's eyes ache.