As time quietly slipped by, Hogwarts students were drawing ever closer to their end-of-term examinations. A tense atmosphere blanketed the entire castle, and the usual sounds of laughter and roughhousing in the corridors and common rooms had grown noticeably rarer.
But there were always those burdened with special responsibilities, whose pressure far exceeded that of ordinary students—such as fifth- and seventh-years facing critical exams, and also…
"…I think I understand now."
Inside the Room of Requirement, Baron sat opposite Avada, his fingers interlaced beneath his chin as he calmly listened to the full outline of Avada's plan.
"So in other words, you've already put every other measure in place. The only thing missing before you can act is my black crystal ball. You need to use its ability to contain souls, combining it with those spells, to imprison the wraith of Voldemort that's currently possessing Quirrell."
"Exactly," Avada nodded.
"And the problem is that, under this plan, you'd need an opportunity to place the crystal ball directly on Voldemort to guarantee success. But Voldemort won't allow you to participate in the theft of the Philosopher's Stone. As for Harry—if he touches Quirrell, it'll directly cause Quirrell's death and allow Voldemort to escape?"
"That's right."
"Have you tried asking Professor Dumbledore for help? With his vision and power, he might be able to assist."
"I originally intended for him to handle it. I've already told him the entire plan," Avada replied gravely. "But after hearing his explanation, I realized this plan can only be carried out by me personally… a small secret, you understand."
He continued in a heavy tone, "So telling Dumbledore does more harm than good. His involvement wouldn't help with trapping Voldemort, nor with protecting Harry. In fact, the moment he shows himself, he might scare Voldemort off entirely, causing the whole plan to fail before it even begins."
"…Are you absolutely sure?" Baron's expression practically spelled out the word absurd.
Honestly, even he found it hard to believe. The most reliable figure at Hogwarts—the backer and early guardian angel of countless transmigrators—had no role to play whatsoever in this plan.
But facts were facts. In the original timeline, Voldemort's wraith had indeed slipped away from Dumbledore. And after reviewing the information and plan Avada provided, Dumbledore himself admitted that this approach was superior to the original—yet still impossible for him to execute.
"Completely certain. Dumbledore cannot hold Voldemort, and Harry doesn't need his protection either. I've seen that future with my own eyes."
"…"
After Avada's unequivocal assurance, Baron lowered his head in thought. A moment later, he looked up again.
"I have an idea. Want to hear it?"
"Oh?" Avada raised an eyebrow, curious how Baron had managed to resolve a problem that had troubled him for months. "Let's hear it."
"It's like this. I plan to…"
Avada listened in silence as Baron laid out his proposal. His expression shifted from curiosity to shock, then from shock to outright horror, and finally settled into helpless resignation.
"…Well. It's a plan with a very Slytherin flair—and a strong sense of noble spirit."
Avada gave a small nod, acknowledging Baron's intellect and line of thinking, then let out a long sigh. "But you really don't need to involve yourself."
"Leaving everything else aside, you wouldn't even get past deceiving him—he can use Legilimency. And besides, only Voldemort is weak. Quirrell isn't. If he goes all out, it'd take him less than three minutes to knock me down, let alone you. Even with the conditions you mentioned—"
"Just tell me whether it's feasible," Baron interrupted.
"It is feasible, but—"
"That's enough."
For once, Baron cut him off twice in a row. "The magical world shouldn't continue to suffer under that bastard. If sacrificing a bit of my personal safety can make him disappear for good and bring peace to Britain—no, to the entire world—then I can't think of anything more worth doing. And besides, other than me, no one else meets all the requirements. Isn't that right?"
"And if your operation goes smoothly, he won't even get a chance to act. I won't face any danger at all. Or do you lack even that much confidence?"
"I'm a Slytherin, after all. You can't expect me to watch a friend risk his life while I stand by doing nothing."
Avada opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found himself at a loss for words.
"There's no need for this," he finally managed. "Worst case, we just don't do it this year. There'll be other chances to destroy him in the future…"
"Don't say something so stupid."
Baron frowned. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And you told me yourself—if this fails, the next chance won't come until after he's resurrected, with a huge additional variable. Right now, the price we're paying to destroy him is only my personal safety. That's already an incredible bargain."
"You can't measure things in terms of transactions—"
"I don't believe my own safety is more important than peace for the entire magical world. I said it before—this is my responsibility, and no one else can bear it for me. I'm the only one who meets the conditions."
Looking straight into Avada's eyes, Baron spoke slowly and firmly, "And I trust you. I trust your plan and your actions to keep me from harm. That's enough."
"…"
Avada fell silent for a long while.
"You're… sure?"
He looked Baron directly in the eyes and asked one final time.
"I'm sure."
Baron nodded firmly.
"Do you know Occlumency?"
"Yes. I practiced last summer. My father said my level was pretty good."
"Can you Apparate?"
"No. My parents won't let me learn yet."
"…I see. Give me the crystal ball."
Avada took the black crystal ball Baron handed over. From his pocket, he drew out a silver ring and loosely slipped it around the sphere, then raised his wand and murmured a low incantation. As time passed, the ring slowly changed size, tightening until it fit perfectly around the crystal ball, as if the two had always been one.
"That should do it."
Avada returned the crystal ball to Baron. "Once he's imprisoned inside, it'll suppress his mental power completely. He won't be able to escape again."
"Understood. Remember to call me when the time comes."
Baron accepted the crystal ball and stared at it blankly for a moment. "Let's hope everything goes smoothly."
"Mm."
Avada nodded. "You should head back for now. I still need to research a few things here."
"All right."
Baron stood up and walked toward the door of the Room of Requirement, his steps heavy. "See you."
"See you."
…
After confirming that Baron had truly left, Avada stood up at once, flung open the door, and strode out—but instead of turning toward the stairs, he headed in the opposite direction.
The Headmaster's Office.
He was going to find Dumbledore, to inform him of the plan he was about to carry out and ask him to secretly protect Baron's safety. Harry didn't need extra protection, and neither did he—but Baron was different.
If exposing his Magical Perception was the price, then so be it.
(End of Chapter)