The Hope Nook underwent a dramatic change.
And according to Mr. Owl, they could make the cottage transform at will—no matter what they asked for, it could do it.
So Justin got a kitchen and a small garden, while Hermione gained rows and rows of bookshelves.
Sean, meanwhile, flicked a knowing glance toward the left side of the cottage, where a concealed little door had appeared.
He didn't go in right away.
Instead, he sat down in front of his wooden bookcase and began his day's studies.
First: Transfiguration.
He had already reached Mastery, but he was still in the "combat power: five" bracket.
He opened his panel:
[Magical Transfiguration: Beginner (50/900)]
[Material Transfiguration: Adept (10/3000)]
[Soul Transfiguration: Adept (50/3000)]
Once, Magical Transfiguration had been his strongest lead. Now it was gradually falling behind, and Sean wasn't used to that.
After all, Legendary-level Transfiguration demanded two Masters and one Legend.
He couldn't afford to have any weak spots.
The good news was that Soul Transfiguration had reached Adept. Sean instinctively foresaw that this would bring a major change—but because he wasn't in the Interstice, where the soul stood bare, he couldn't feel it clearly yet.
Second: Alchemy.
He had already found two categories of high-tier alchemical creations—the Wizard's Book and Fairy-Tale Cookies.
Their progress was slow but steady, but when it came to the final category, Sean was back in exploration mode.
So he opened the panel again:
[High-Tier · Wizard's Book: Apprentice (100/300)]
[High-Tier · Fairy-Tale Cookies: Expert (6700/9000) (Collapse)]
[Advance Requirement: Three Master-tier high-tier alchemical creations unlock the Alchemy Master title]
After that, Sean checked his progress in Potions, Herbology, Charms, Dark Magic, and the rest.
With steady daily practice, all of them were progressing—reliably, if unglamorously.
Most were still sitting at Adept.
The only branch lagging behind was Divination.
It was simply too deep. Even after studying with the centaur teacher for quite a while, he still hadn't unlocked it—always stuck three points short.
The centaur teacher wasn't worried at all, and instead comforted him naturally:
"We call the infinite workings of countless shifting causes and effects 'fate.' When you study such a thing, an 'accident' is the least surprising thing of all."
So Sean's progress remained jammed at those last three points.
…
Busy days flowed past like water.
In the last few days, Harry and Ron had been amazed not only by the changes in the Hope Nook, but also by the changes in Justin and Hermione.
Before, they didn't really have many leisure activities to begin with—they were always studying in the cottage.
Now it was even harder to see them relaxed. For long stretches, they looked like they were holding their breath, determined to cash in every last scrap of their magical potential.
On dark nights, close to curfew, Sean sometimes walked back to the dorm with them.
Filch always pretended not to see what they were doing. As the castle's caretaker, he knew perfectly well that these two students had undergone changes that were shocking and hard to explain.
But that didn't stop him from thinking this was an excellent thing—something Mr. Green had brought to the school.
One morning, when the corridors were coated in thick frost, Justin—rarely—came to interrupt Sean.
"Sean, when we went home for Christmas break, we already investigated Lockhart's conduct, but…"
Hermione picked up the thread:
"He's like Vo—Voldemort. He's good at manipulating people. It's hard for us to find enough witnesses and testimony."
When Hermione said the terrifying name, she instinctively paused—then forced herself to say it anyway.
"What are you planning to do?" Sean asked, setting down The Ghost Book and putting away the two-way mirror and cookies on the table.
"We're going to get the truth out of his own mouth," Hermione said seriously.
"Hermione wants to brew Veritaserum. Once she succeeds, we'll subdue Lockhart and restore the truth," Justin laid out the plan.
If Ron had heard this, he would definitely have said:
"Have you ever seen a plan with this many steps that could go wrong?"
But the one hearing it was Sean.
He simply nodded.
"No problem."
"Great!" Justin and Hermione lit up.
"What do you need me to do?" Sean asked—
as if subduing a Hogwarts professor were the easiest thing in the world.
And the two in front of him didn't doubt his capability for even a second.
If Sean ever said he was going to duel Voldemort, the two of them would immediately start thinking about how to stop Voldemort from escaping.
"You need to do the hardest thing," Justin said in a low voice.
"Stay at Hogwarts—so we know you're here."
…
The fourth week of Christmas break.
Beyond studying, Justin and Hermione were carrying out their secret plan.
Justin would handle restraining Lockhart.
Hermione would brew Veritaserum.
Sean was curious—could Hermione actually manage Veritaserum?
And how exactly did Justin plan to subdue Lockhart?
Because while Lockhart was a fraud, his skill with the Memory Charm was no joke.
That was also why Sean accelerated his work on improving a certain object—the two-way mirror.
Compared to the Plan Map, the two-way mirror would be vastly more convenient and practical.
That way, if anything unexpected happened, he'd know immediately and could arrive immediately.
At the same time, Iffa's affinity had risen to Close, and Sean's Catamount Cookies would be ready to launch within a week.
In addition to his efforts on alchemical crafting, Transfiguration, and Charms proficiency…
Sean was also quietly waiting for another moment.
The Soul Relic's recovery.
For over a week, Sean hadn't entered the Interstice at all.
His Soul Transfiguration had already reached Adept, and by rights it should have changed something—but until he stepped into the Interstice, that change remained only a faint, hidden intuition.
That evening, the cold wind cut across hands and cheeks.
The sky—and the Great Hall ceiling—turned a pale blue-gray. The mountains around Hogwarts wore white caps of snow. The castle's temperature dropped noticeably, and during breaks in the corridors, many students wore thick gloves.
Sean passed through a corridor. On his chest, the Soul Relic gave off a faint flash of light.
The quiet wizard's eyes widened a fraction, and his steps grew lighter.
And so night arrived—right on schedule.
In Ravenclaw Tower, lights still glimmered. Students continued to talk in low, excited voices.
Sean crossed the common room. His gaze passed the statue in Ravenclaw Tower—Rowena Ravenclaw's white curls crowned with a stone diadem…
And at the exact moment he returned to his dormitory, mist began to rise—slowly.
