When the Austrian Ministry of Magic heard that Nurmengard had been breached, their first reaction was disbelief. It was impossible—this had to be a false report.
But the Auror who returned from the scene spoke with a grim expression. "It's true. The top of the tower has been blasted open."
Soria's face darkened. "Which faction was responsible? How many people?"
"According to the guards, there was only one person—a young man with short brown hair. He went straight for Grindelwald, but after entering his cell, he didn't take him."
The news quickly spread throughout the European wizarding world. Meanwhile, Sean and Dumbledore were already on a plane back to Britain. It wasn't until they returned to the Leaky Cauldron that they learned Nurmengard had been infiltrated.
"Professor…" Sean looked at Dumbledore with concern.
They had just left, and something like this happened immediately after. The timing was too suspicious. Even someone as calm as Dumbledore couldn't help but consider the worst possibilities.
"I'm afraid I must return to Austria," Dumbledore said. "You should go back to Hogwarts."
Sean understood the gravity of the situation. This development was beyond anything he had anticipated. If the intruder was connected to Voldemort, then the situation would become dangerously unpredictable.
Dumbledore left the Leaky Cauldron at once. Sean greeted Hens and Old Tom briefly before using the Floo Network to travel through the fireplace to the Three Broomsticks.
Madam Rosmerta and several wizards who were drinking inside looked at Sean with confusion as he stepped out of the fireplace.
"Where did you come from?" Rosmerta asked.
"The Leaky Cauldron," Sean replied as he walked past. "Sorry for the disturbance."
"Isn't Hogwarts in session today?" one wizard asked.
"It is," Sean said casually. "I just don't have classes."
The wizards exchanged puzzled glances as Sean left the pub.
Twenty minutes later, Sean returned to the castle. Classes were still ongoing, so he went straight to Hagrid's hut. Seeing Sean, Hagrid immediately dropped the axe he was using to chop wood.
"Sean, you're back! Where's the professor?" Hagrid asked.
"He went back to Austria."
"Did something happen to the Philosopher's Stone?" Hagrid immediately assumed the worst.
Sean shook his head. "Not sure. Right after we left, someone broke into Nurmengard. Apparently, it was just one person."
Hagrid's mouth fell open. "One person? How could anyone do that? That's Nurmengard!"
"Exactly… how did he do it?" Sean muttered. Having seen the place himself, he knew it was practically impregnable.
There were no guards outside. The entire tower was sealed. Entry required authorization from the Austrian Ministry, and that authorization had to be sent through a dedicated channel before the guards inside would open the entrance.
To be honest, Sean was also curious how Voldemort had managed to break in during the original story. Had he stormed it with a group of Death Eaters? That seemed possible, especially since Voldemort had gathered many followers after his resurrection.
"So, tell me," Hagrid said, "did you see Grindelwald?"
"I did. He's completely lost his edge. Nothing like how the books describe him," Sean replied.
"Honestly, I didn't expect the professor to take you with him. He must really trust you," Hagrid said.
Sean forced a smile. "He's using me as bait."
"Dumbledore has everything arranged. The other professors are all protecting you. If there's anyone besides Quirrell trying to get the Stone, they'll come after you," Hagrid said with unwavering trust in Dumbledore.
The professors knew Quirrell had aligned himself with Voldemort, but none of them realized that he was also the one who had stolen the wand. They suspected that agents of Haerpo might have infiltrated the school.
Sean had only been gone for an afternoon, yet everyone who knew him was curious about where he had gone with the headmaster.
His answer was always the same—a faint smile and a single word. "Secret."
At sunset, Sean raised his wand and pointed it at his heart while chanting softly, "Amato, Animo, Animato, Animagus."
This was the third step in becoming an Animagus. Until the day lightning and thunder arrived, he had to repeat this action at every sunrise and sunset.
At dinner, Sean glanced toward the Gryffindor table. The trio was staring at him, their eyes filled with curiosity.
"Sean, what exactly did you do with the headmaster?" Cassius asked yet again.
"I told you, it's a secret," Sean replied helplessly.
At the staff table, Quirrell stared at Sean without blinking. For the sake of his master, he had already decided—tonight, he would act and find out where the Philosopher's Stone had been taken.
"Sean, Harry Potter seems to be looking at you," Chris said from across the table.
"I know," Sean replied without turning around.
"Heh, even the famous Harry Potter must admire our Sean," Cassius said proudly.
After dinner, the three of them stood up to leave the hall, but the trio followed close behind.
"Sean, can we talk?" Harry asked.
Sean turned to Cassius and Chris. "You two go ahead."
After they left, Harry spoke again. "Sean, you know everything, don't you? The Philosopher's Stone, Nicolas Flamel, and the person trying to steal it."
Hermione added, "We went to the third-floor corridor. The three-headed dog is gone. The Stone has been moved, hasn't it?"
"You're right," Sean said. "It's no longer safe at Hogwarts."
With the Stone gone, the trio's original adventure had essentially disappeared. Now they were just like ordinary students, attending classes with nothing exciting happening.
"Focus on your studies. Leave the rest alone," Sean said before turning to leave. He couldn't even be sure whether Haerpo's people had infiltrated the school. If the trio caused trouble now, things would only become more complicated.
Back in the common room, Cassius waved him over from the sofa. "Sean, Professor Quirrell was looking for you earlier."
Sean instantly became alert. "Quirrell?"
"Yeah. Chris went with him too," Cassius said.
Sean immediately broke into a run, rushing all the way to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom on the third floor. Inside, Chris was helping Quirrell organize assignments. Sean suppressed his anger and spoke as calmly as possible.
"Professor, you were looking for me?"
"Yes," Quirrell said, stammering slightly. "Midterm exams are coming up, and there's a lot of work. I thought you and Chris could help grade the first-years' assignments."
Chris didn't suspect anything. It sounded perfectly normal. Professors often asked outstanding students to help with grading.
But Sean knew better.
"There's not much work. I can handle it alone," Sean said, giving Chris a subtle look. "Chris, you should go rest."
Instead of leaving, Chris frowned stubbornly. "No, I'll stay and finish this."
Quirrell smiled strangely. "No… you should rest."
With a flick of his wand, Chris collapsed instantly onto the desk, unconscious.
Quirrell pointed his wand at her, his face twisted with malice. "Now tell me—where did you and Dumbledore take the Philosopher's Stone?"
Seeing Quirrell reveal his true nature, Sean said coldly, "Let her go, and I'll tell you."
"You may just be a child, but Lord Haerpo warned me not to underestimate you," Quirrell said, holding up a vial. "Drink this Veritaserum, and I'll release her."
Sean's eyes widened. "What? Haerpo? You've allied with him?!"
This was bad—far worse than expected. Two dark forces working together meant even Dumbledore might struggle against them.
"You stole the golden wand?" Sean asked.
"Of course," Quirrell sneered. "Dumbledore thought I couldn't retrieve it from the Mirror of Erised? Hah! The great Harry Potter helped me get it."
"What did you do to Harry?" Sean demanded.
Quirrell smirked, clearly enjoying his advantage. "I stole ingredients from Snape and brewed a confusion potion. Made Potter believe Snape was the one trying to steal the wand. I led him to that room, and he obediently took it out for me."
Sean suddenly remembered Snape accusing students of stealing his potion ingredients during class.
"How did you know where the wand was hidden?" Sean pressed. "Was it… Adam?"
This time, Quirrell was the one shocked. "How do you know that name?!"
So it really was Adam.
"He told you where the wand was, didn't he?" Sean continued. "He's working with Haerpo too?"
"Haerpo? No, no," Quirrell shook his head. "Adam is something else entirely. He's a native entity of Hogwarts. He existed here even before the school was founded."
Sean frowned in confusion. Even Peeves had only come into existence after the school was established. So how could a being like Adam have existed before Hogwarts itself?
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