In the end, Harry and the other two arrived utterly bewildered—and left just as bewildered, with Avada trailing behind them, quietly running his own calculations.
"Sorry, Ken."
The moment the entrance to the Headmaster's office closed behind them, Harry apologized to Avada with an apologetic look. Hermione and Ron wore expressions that were equal parts embarrassed and ashamed as well. "We misjudged you."
"It's really no big deal."
Avada shrugged. "If I were in your position, I'd probably have thought the same. After all, Professor Snape does look… well, uh, not exactly like a good person."
"Yeah! Exactly!"
All three nodded in fervent agreement, feeling that Avada had hit the nail on the head.
"As for that scene you saw, Harry—the one where Professor Snape seemed to be threatening Professor Quirrell…" Avada continued. "Honestly, I don't know what was really going on either. But you saw it yourselves—after Professor Dumbledore learned about it, he didn't react much at all. That alone shows everything is still within his expectations and under his control."
He went on calmly, "So, just like Professor Dumbledore said, you don't need to worry too much about the Philosopher's Stone. By your account, even Professor Snape stumbled when dealing with the three-headed dog—so who else could possibly get through? And on top of that, Dumbledore is still here. As long as Dumbledore remains at Hogwarts, the Philosopher's Stone is absolutely safe. There's no doubt about that."
With a reassuring smile, Avada turned and headed downstairs alone, leaving the three of them space to talk things over.
In the end, he had still helped Dumbledore patch things up—reinforcing their trust in both the "three-headed dog" and in "Dumbledore," without interfering with Dumbledore's plans. After all, if his own plan had flaws or wasn't accepted, there needed to be a Plan B.
He couldn't possibly let Voldemort linger at the end of that corridor, studying the Mirror of Erised until he actually figured something out and stole the Philosopher's Stone. Voldemort was a top-tier wizard on the same level as Dumbledore. Even in his current weakened state—his intellect diminished—there was still a chance he could unravel Dumbledore's magic.
"Enough thinking. Back to research… back to research…"
…
Several weeks later, inside the Room of Requirement.
[Dear Headmaster Dumbledore:]
[Please accept my sincerest greetings. I am an adventurer from the United States. Unfortunately, due to certain reasons, my name and identity cannot be disclosed—but that is not important. What is important is this: I have found a way to deal with Voldemort.]
[Through my own channels, I have obtained information that strongly suggests Voldemort may be setting his sights on a "Philosopher's Stone" this year. I know that you are a close friend of the Stone's creator, Nicolas Flamel, and that you are widely regarded as the wizard Voldemort fears the most. Therefore, I have decided to pass this method on to you, in the hope that it may be of some help…]
[In my youth, I once explored regions near Albania, where I encountered Voldemort's wraith. I was unfortunate enough to fall under his temptation and was possessed by him. However, during that time, I managed to regain clarity of mind and secretly recorded all of his mental power data using a few small tricks, eventually freeing myself from his possession. Using that data as a reference afterward, I tailored a set of trap magic specifically for Voldemort. Regrettably, my own strength is insufficient to face him directly, so I have chosen to entrust this magic to you…]
[The core principle of this magic is "sealing." As you know, the fact that Voldemort survived eleven years ago means that killing him outright will not be easy. Therefore, I believe that completely imprisoning him first, and then gradually determining how to destroy him, is a sound approach…]
…
[Enclosed with this letter are five notebooks. Four contain Voldemort's mental power data; the fifth details the principles and setup of the trap magic…]
[I wish you good health and every success.]
"Yes, this should do it."
Avada looked with satisfaction at the neatly printed letter he had just finished writing. After double-checking that the five notebooks—copied using a Quick-Quotes Quill—contained none of his own handwriting or any information that could trace back to him, he bundled them up carefully. He then meticulously erased every trace from the package itself, and only after putting on a pair of gloves did he finally pick it up.
"Next, all I need to do is head to Hogsmeade and send this to Dumbledore via the owl post there."
"Near Yet Far."
With a flicker, Avada stepped directly into the spatial interstice. With the Near Yet Far Spell, he didn't even need to bother sneaking through secret passages anymore.
Moments later, in the corner of a small alley in Hogsmeade, a figure appeared out of thin air—his face hidden beneath a hood and bandages. He strode quickly to the owl post office, spoke with the staff using a voice altered by potions, paid the fee, and personally watched as the owl carried his package off into the sky. Only then did he turn and leave with peace of mind.
"Since I'm already here, should I take the chance to look around Hogsmeade? Honeydukes, the Three Broomsticks, the Shrieking Shack—I haven't visited any of those famous spots yet. And the products at Zonko's Joke Shop might have some research value too…"
As he was planning this out, a sudden heat flared along the Dark Mark on his right arm—Voldemort was summoning him.
"At a time like this? Is he finally going after a unicorn?"
Avada's heart tightened. He quickly found an empty corner and cast Near Yet Far again, then pushed his broom to full speed. In less than half a minute, he was back in his dormitory. After stuffing a long-prepared package into his pocket, he ran straight to the third floor and knocked on the door to the Defense Against the Dark Arts office.
"Professor, you called for me? Is it time to begin the hunt?"
Avada closed the door behind him and asked eagerly.
"That's right."
Voldemort nodded, tugging at the corner of his mouth. "That idiot Hagrid finally took the bait. Tempted by that dragon egg, he spilled everything he knew… I've already learned how to pass the dog without making a sound. Once I drink unicorn blood and regain some strength, I can retrieve that item at any time. By then, Hagrid will probably still be playing with his foolish dragon—oh, or perhaps he'll have already been discovered and expelled…"
"This hunt will be led by Quirrell, with you accompanying him. I'll rest for now and adjust my condition. Call me once the unicorn has been killed."
As soon as he finished speaking, Quirrell's expression shifted and his body shuddered—Quirrell himself had returned.
"Now then, Ken," he said calmly, without a trace of his usual stutter. "I'll cast a Disillusionment Charm on you so you can follow me invisibly. There's no need to be too nervous—unicorns have relatively weak resistance to the Imperius Curse. With your abilities, you can control it easily."
With that, he drew his wand and lightly tapped Avada on the shoulder. A familiar chill enveloped him at once—Quirrell's Disillusionment Charm was about on par with his own, perhaps even slightly better.
"Let's go."
Quirrell hurried downstairs and left Hogwarts Castle. Invisible, Avada followed closely behind. Before exiting the castle grounds, Quirrell transfigured his clothes into a pitch-black hooded cloak. Under his lead, the two of them ventured deep into the Forbidden Forest…
"Guide me."
Quirrell twirled his wand lightly in his fingers, then nodded as the tip pointed in a certain direction. "Just as expected—the unicorn is that way. Make no sound. Follow me."
(End of Chapter)