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Is your bottom line more important, or is your family more important?
This question confused several people. It was heavy, and it made these young wizards wrestle with their hearts again and again—except for Harry. He no longer had a family, and he didn't have as much to love or lose as the others.
Think about it.
"We didn't come to you to hear that," Harry said, feeling the topic had drifted too far.
Raising an eyebrow, Solim looked at Harry and replied, "Well, you want to protect the Sorcerer's Stone. Although I told you last time that Dumbledore has the Stone well-guarded and no one can steal it from him, you Gryffindors don't seem to trust our Headmaster very much."
"We don't mistrust him, we just…" Harry trailed off, at a loss for words.
"You just think it's safer to do it yourselves, don't you?" Solim asked, studying Harry's face. "Are you thinking of stealing the Philosopher's Stone first—just to hand it to Dumbledore later?"
Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at each other. They hadn't told Solim their plan—so how did he know? Hermione had figured it out, but she hadn't said anything yet.
"Legilimency! You can do that spell!" Hermione exclaimed suddenly. Solim had mentioned Legilimency before, and the thought struck her. Solim had been staring right at Harry a moment ago—had he used Legilimency on him?
Hearing Hermione's words, Solim looked momentarily surprised, then smiled and shook his head. "To tell you something you won't like, how could I use Legilimency on you? That's not how I do things. Gryffindors always think too much. It's actually quite easy to guess what you're going to do next."
He paused and added calmly, "But I'll say this—I don't even know Legilimency."
Solim wasn't lying. He truly didn't know the spell. Legilimency wasn't easy; it required strong mental discipline, and most wizards didn't begin practicing it until adulthood.
Leaving the topic behind, Hermione explained their plan in detail.
"So," Solim said after listening, "as I suspected, you want to steal the Philosopher's Stone first—so that Professor Snape can't." He smiled slightly. "And you came to me hoping I'd join your little operation, help you get through the traps set by the professors, and maybe even help you fight Snape?"
That was exactly it.
But Solim wanted to cry without tears. He had planned to watch the whole thing as a spectator, maybe with Neville and Draco—he even had popcorn ready. Now they wanted him to participate? How many people were they planning to drag along—five, six, maybe more? Would they need substitutes next?
And as for fighting Snape? That was absurd. Whether Snape planned to steal the Stone or not, there was no way Solim could fight him—he couldn't even hold him off for a second.
These Gryffindors clearly didn't understand the difference in power between adult and underage wizards.
The gap was enormous.
No matter how gifted a young wizard was, it was impossible to truly match an adult wizard.
A talented eleven-year-old and a trained adult were not equals—just as a child cannot defeat a grown fighter. Even if the child struck a weak point, at best it would cause momentary pain, perhaps anger. But once the adult reacted, the child would stand no chance.
Strength, stamina, resilience—everything was different.
Think about how the Hulk handled Loki. That's what it was like.
The spells of young wizards couldn't even break through the basic protective charms of adult wizards, let alone withstand their attacks.
Even though Solim had once killed a troll using Fiendfyre, he knew that spell would barely scratch Snape.
Snape was no ordinary wizard. He was skilled in Charms, Transfiguration, and Defense. Even if his mastery of Potions wasn't directly useful in battle, his knowledge and precision made him formidable. With just a wave of his wand, he could subdue all of them before they could react.
Solim saw no chance of victory against Snape.
"I'm not interested in the Philosopher's Stone," Solim said finally. "And I don't believe it can be stolen. But since you clearly think otherwise—and you want to protect it yourselves—I can help you."
He wasn't going to join them in person, but he could assist in other ways. Solim already knew which traps the professors had set and how they could be bypassed. If he provided a few useful items, the trio could progress faster through the Stone's protections.
Solim had no intention of running such a low-level "dungeon" himself. The effort and the risk didn't match the reward. The Philosopher's Stone was a quest item—something you couldn't actually keep. Even if they got it, they'd have to hand it back to Dumbledore in the end.
The final arrangement was simple: Harry, Ron, and Hermione would go through with their plan. Solim would prepare the necessary potions and supplies for them. Draco and Neville would accompany him as spectators—he even planned to invite Evans to act as their bodyguard.
Although he hadn't discussed it with Evans yet, he was confident the man wouldn't refuse. After all, protecting the Stone was Evans's main task this year.
After dismissing the trio, Solim turned and opened his own trunk, rummaging through it.
The last time Gilvez had sent him a shipment, it included not only five bottles of precious potions but also various alchemical materials and defensive items. Solim remembered there were a few self-protection tools among them, which he planned to lend to Harry and his friends.
Meanwhile, Draco and Neville went back to the next room to continue practicing their spells, and Solim went out to find Evans.
After Evans's true identity had been discovered, he seemed much more at ease. He no longer needed to pretend to be his toad.
He had found a hidden classroom somewhere in Hogwarts and turned it into his living space. Most of the time, he moved around the castle under a Disillusionment Charm, hiding his presence.
It was obvious that Dumbledore had allowed it. Normally, no adult wizard unaffiliated with the staff was permitted to stay at Hogwarts for long, but Evans was an exception—his task was vital.
The room Evans had chosen was on the fourth floor, very close to Jamie's chamber—the place where the three-headed dog guarded the entrance to the Stone's protection.
It was Solim's first time visiting, and he was impressed. The room was spacious and cleverly divided into two levels, with staircases on both sides leading up.
The lower floor was clearly Evans's workspace—stacks of parchment covered the tables, filled with notes and reports. The upper floor was where he rested.
Solim spotted Evans immediately upon entering, though his appearance made him pause.
"You really treat Hogwarts like your own home, don't you?" Solim said, half amused.
Evans looked up, wearing only a half-buttoned shirt that exposed a chest covered in dark hair, and a pair of blue-and-white striped shorts.
"I just woke up," Evans grumbled. "I was up working until this morning."
"I thought coming to Hogwarts would be relaxing, but there's too much to record—and…" He trailed off, frowning suddenly as he looked at Solim. "Those little Gryffindors never stop, do they? I've been following them all night through the Forbidden Forest, and now I've got to watch the door again. I'm seriously sleep-deprived. Can't they sit still for one night?"
Hearing that, Solim realized Evans must have seen something in the forest. Taking the chance, he got straight to the point.
"Since you mentioned them, I actually came to talk about that," Solim said, explaining the trio's plan to reach the Stone.
Evans slapped a hand to his face and groaned. "You've got to be kidding me. They're going to give me gray hair. Can't they not make my job harder?"
He sighed heavily, rubbing his temples. The thought of having to write even more reports made him dizzy.
Solim chuckled, though he sympathized. "Don't worry, I'll handle most of the preparation. You just have to make sure no one dies."
Evans gave him a look. "That's supposed to make me feel better?"
Solim shrugged. "It's the best I can offer."
He then began to outline how he'd support the trio—potions, hints for the traps, and timing. Evans, though exasperated, listened closely. Deep down, he knew Dumbledore probably foresaw this happening. The Headmaster was famous for letting things unfold naturally—especially where Harry Potter was concerned.
By the time they finished talking, the plan was set. Evans would keep watch near the entrance, ensuring no real harm came to the children, while Solim would stay behind the scenes, guiding the trio through their "mission."
As Solim left the room, Evans called after him, "Next time they try something like this, I'm stunning them all and locking them in a cupboard!"
Solim just laughed and waved. "Good luck with that."
Outside, the castle corridors were quiet. The air felt heavy with anticipation—something was about to happen.
Solim thought again about Evans's words earlier: Is your bottom line more important, or is your family more important?
He didn't have an answer either. But as he glanced toward the Gryffindor Tower, he knew one thing for certain—Harry and his friends would soon learn what those words truly meant.
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