Snape picked up his teacup and took a sip. "Occlumency?"
"This is the Sorting Hat's assessment," Dumbledore said as he added sugar to his teacup, piece after piece. "Occlumency is very important for Vizette."
"Being able to freely control one's emotions, and to express extreme emotions at will, makes even a silent outburst manageable..."
Before he could finish speaking, Snape bluntly refused. "Don't bother me."
"I don't intend to involve you in this matter." Dumbledore seemed to have expected this, and shook his head with a smile. "I have someone more suitable."
"Who is that intruder?" Snape's tone shifted, his gaze sharpening. "What's in the corridor on the right side of the fourth floor? Could it be... the Dark Lord has returned?"
"It's not certain yet," Dumbledore sighed. "We've only heard some rumors and found a clue, but we still need to obtain evidence."
"Obtain evidence?" Snape's eyes flickered, as if he were pondering something. "Could it be related to the thieves who broke into Gringotts? What was in the vault?"
"An alchemical artifact that could attract Voldemort was worth the risk he took and the commotion he caused."
"It's the Philosopher's Stone! Only it can attract the Dark Lord's attention!"
"Severus, you are too perceptive… This makes it difficult for me to continue communicating with you and exchange more information."
"That's your prerogative, but I must reiterate my point: Hogwarts is truly 'safe'!"
Dumbledore laughed and, following Snape's words, said, "Such security is maintained by all of us, and it needs your help even more."
His smile was like that of a hunter who had captured a wild beast. "Besides you, I will also ask other professors to help increase the security of Hogwarts."
"Perhaps I came at the wrong time." Snape's face darkened. "From the moment I knocked, it was a mistake!"
"You've come at just the right time." Dumbledore's eyes narrowed. "Even if you hadn't come to me, I would have come to visit and made my request in a sincere tone."
"I feel like you're implying something…" Snape became wary. "What are you planning to do next? Is the intruder confirmed?"
"It's not certain yet, but he'll slip up eventually." Dumbledore shook his head slightly. "It's getting late, the new school year has started, let's all do our best!"
...
Late at night, a female portrait in the principal's office suddenly spoke: "As you guessed, someone did go to that room."
Dumbledore, still working, looked up. "Ms. Wilkins, who is that man?"
Wilkins said, "Quirinus Quirrell, instead of opening the door directly, kept testing it with magic."
"As expected of Ravenclaw, a very clever move." Although Dumbledore spoke words of praise, his tone revealed unspeakable disappointment.
"This isn't like him. Things are getting worse… This last person is now confirmed." He picked up a quill pen and wrote the last name on the list.
The list includes not only Quirinus Quirrell, who was just written down, but also names such as Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, and Rubeus Hagrid.
-------------------------------------
As the first rays of sunlight streamed through the window into the dormitory in the early morning, Vizette opened his eyes, the sounds of snoring and murmurs echoing in his ears.
He felt his mind was blank, as if he had received too much information but couldn't remember any of it.
"One, two, three… I maintained the Guardian Meditation for at least five hours yesterday."
This was the longest he had ever maintained the Guardian Meditation Method.
With the help of meditation, he had experienced a magical night, fully immersing himself in everything that was happening there.
The Guardian Meditation Method could help control emotions internally and keep the Obscurus within the core;
It could enhance perception and even increase spellcasting speed, giving it a balance of offence and defence.
However, he needed to pay attention to the usage time at present, as it could not improve perception all day long for the time being.
An extra piece of parchment appeared on the desk, with all the lessons written in the grid.
Vizette picked up the timetable and glanced at it. The two classes this morning were Potions, and the afternoon class was History of Magic.
Vizette first strolled around the dormitory, absorbing the ancient magical power contained therein, before heading to the washroom.
After washing up, Vizette went to the common room to review his textbooks again, a habit he had developed in his previous life.
It was not yet seven o'clock, but many people were already in the common lounge, holding various books and reading with great interest.
"Good morning! Did you sleep well?" Cho Chang sat in a corner of the common room, her voice very gentle. "Are you settling in alright?"
"That's good." Vizette nodded. "I'm really looking forward to Potions and History of Magic today. They sound like they'll be really interesting."
"Looks like I'll have to pour cold water on this," Cho Chang joked. "These two courses... you should be mentally prepared."
"Professor Snape will appear silently behind you, so don't be startled; as for History of Magic class, it's perfectly normal to see someone sleeping."
Vizette asked curiously, "History of Magic? Why is that?"
Cho Chang explained, "Professor Binns is the oldest professor here. He is a ghost and is said to be the only professor of the history of magic in the school."
"He speaks in a drawn-out manner, and the classroom... is so comfortable that I sometimes fall asleep."
Vizette smiled dismissively. "That's amazing too."
...
Vizette sat in the common room for a while until his stomach started growling before he decided to have breakfast.
He hadn't gone far from the lounge when he heard a sudden hiccup, and then bumped into a woman who reeked of alcohol.
The woman was as thin as a bamboo pole, and she wore a pair of thick, large black-rimmed glasses that made her eyes appear many times larger.
She was adorned with numerous decorations, including countless strings of beads and chains hanging from her slender neck, and various bracelets and rings adorning her skinny arms—a typical image of a charlatan.
However, that was based on his judgment from his previous life, since magic truly existed in this world.
Now that it was just dawn, Vizette was certain that the corridor was empty and the woman had appeared out of nowhere.
He stood up first and said calmly, "Excuse me, ma'am, I didn't notice you."
"Burp!" The woman burped, the nauseating smell of alcohol filling the air. "It's nothing... this is the guidance of fate."
Her voice was weak and somewhat indistinct. "Yes, I knew it all along. I saw it in the crystal ball this morning."
Vizette was speechless. He had no idea what this eccentric woman was doing at the school.
"Since you're alright, I'll take my leave now," Vizette said, deciding not to bother with the woman any longer.
However, the woman's eyes widened, and her eyeballs darted around rapidly.
Her mouth was wide open, as if she were having a seizure.
Vizette instinctively took two steps back, but the woman caught up with lightning speed, her spider-leg-like fingers clamping down on his arm.
The woman spoke in a shrill, sawing voice, "The demon king who overthrew the revolutionaries while clad in a hero's armour… he has found a new star… the new star reminds him of days past…"
"He inherited the armor and the sword... The former demon king has returned, and the disguised demon king must defeat him... The rising star gives the disguised demon king a reason to break free of his shackles..."
"Is it the old demon king bringing down old fears... or a disguised demon king bringing new disasters...? The future is still unknown... The rising of a new star... will illuminate the path ahead..."
...
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