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Aiden knew these guys were heading straight for trouble, so he quickly excused himself.
"Oh, I just remembered I have an alchemy experiment to finish. You guys get busy—bye~"
He gently shook off Harry, who was still clinging to his leg, then stood up and prepared to leave.
The weather was hot and humid. Ron lay lazily on the ground, stretching out.
"Bye, Aiden. And Harry, relax a bit. Hermione's right—as long as Dumbledore is near that stone, we'll be safe. Besides, we have no proof Snape has figured out how to get past Fluffy. Last time, Fluffy nearly tore his leg off. I doubt he'll risk it again anytime soon."
Hermione nodded in agreement after hearing Ron's words.
An owl flew overhead, heading straight for Hagrid's hut. Harry watched it and an idea sparked in his mind.
"Hagrid! I think I know!"
Harry jumped up and ran toward Hagrid's hut, with Hermione and Ron hurrying after him.
The three learned from Hagrid that the black-robed man had learned Fluffy's weakness from him.
"I knew it—Snape wants to steal the Philosopher's Stone to bring Voldemort back," Harry said as they left Hagrid's hut, connecting all the pieces into a clear, logical picture.
"So, what should we do now?" Ron asked, looking lost.
"We all missed one thing," Hermione said quickly, her mind racing. "Who is the wizard Voldemort fears the most?"
"Dumbledore," Harry answered without hesitation.
The three hurried to Professor McGonagall's office to explain Snape's plan and to try to find Dumbledore.
"Dumbledore was called away by the Ministry's owl," McGonagall said sternly. "I don't know how you found out about the Philosopher's Stone, but it's well protected. This isn't something you should worry about. Go back to your dormitory."
She sent them away without further discussion. The three left feeling dejected.
"So, you're just going to watch from the sidelines, Mr. Prewett?" McGonagall said without looking up, marking test papers. Then, noticing movement, she glanced down and spotted Aiden hiding under a Disillusionment Charm.
"Haha, Professor, you're so mean. Aren't you worried they might get into trouble?"
Aiden stepped out of the shadows, smiling.
"If trouble happens, who could hurt them? Not with a remnant soul and a self-righteous servant watching over them."
McGonagall's words were full of authority, and Aiden couldn't help but admire her.
Meanwhile, in the corridor, the trio whispered loudly about Snape, unaware that the man himself was nearby and listening.
"Good afternoon," Snape said in a deep voice. "How can three Gryffindor students like you be willing to stay inside when the weather outside is so nice?"
"We're just—"
Hermione stammered, but Snape cut her off.
"Be careful. I personally guarantee that if you wander around at night again, you will be expelled."
With that, he flicked his robes, a gust of wind followed, and he disappeared down the corridor.
"What should we do now?" Ron asked.
"Go under the trapdoor tonight," Harry replied firmly.
Back to Aiden: after saying goodbye to McGonagall, he left the classroom looking like he'd had enough of gossip.
He cast the Disillusionment Charm and headed to the cafeteria for lunch.
As he passed a professor's office, the door suddenly swung open. A cold wind rushed out, and a large hand grabbed Aiden's arm, pulling him out of the Disillusionment Charm.
With a loud bang, the door slammed shut behind them.
At the same time, Aiden was slammed against the wall—hard. The force was precise and powerful.
"Again?" Aiden rolled his eyes.
"Our dear Ravenclaw genius seems to have forgotten the ban on casting spells in the hallway," Snape said, stepping forward with a sharp glare.
"Look at what you said. How could that be? I'm a good student who follows the rules," Aiden replied, glancing around.
"Enough. I don't have time for your clever excuses."
Snape waved his wand, casting a silent sealing spell that locked the entire office.
"Listen carefully. Keep an eye on your empty-headed cousin and that arrogant Potter. Don't let them get into danger," Snape said fiercely, staring into Aiden's eyes.
"Professor, prophecies are hard to resist. The more we struggle, the more likely we become part of them," Aiden said, his voice calm but serious.
"Then smash this damn prophecy. Why does it have to be her?" Snape muttered, his words oddly fragmented but filled with frustration.
Watching Snape fall into thought, Aiden bowed slightly and left the office.
That night, Aiden held Lada in his arms, guarding the Gryffindor common room.
Harry and the others sneaked down the stairs but were stopped by Neville. Hermione acted quickly, casting Petrificus Totalus on Neville.
Neville collapsed onto the floor, and Aiden appeared.
"Poor child," he said softly.
He carried Neville to the sofa and conjured a blanket to cover him.
Setting Lada down, Aiden said, "Lada, help me watch him."
"People are in the common room. What's so special about him?" Lada complained.
"I'll treat you to a big meal later," Aiden promised.
"Good." Lada blinked, satisfied.
On the third-floor corridor, Fluffy was awake. No screams came from under the floor door, so Harry and the others had made it to the third level.
Fluffy glared at Aiden, thinking, I let the last thieves go, but this weak one came. I'll leave his body and go back to my master for a reward.
Fluffy lunged at Aiden fiercely.
Aiden stood still, pretending to be scared. Fluffy bit through him, but Aiden slowly transformed into silver-white butterflies and flew away.
Then Aiden appeared behind Fluffy and cast "Stupefy," and "Confundo," in quick succession.
Fluffy fell into a deep, baby-like sleep.
Aiden stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"That doesn't make sense. Dumbledore isn't here?"
Surprised, Aiden scanned the area again with his ability but found no strong mental fluctuations.
"How can they be so relaxed? They know Avada Kedavra kills instantly. If Quirrell catches Harry, he's finished."
Aiden felt disbelief and hurried after them.
After Aiden jumped through the trapdoor, a figure with long, silver hair and a beard that reached his waist removed an invisibility cloak. Half-moon spectacles perched on his nose, and his robes, though grey, hinted at a more flamboyant purple underneath.
"Wow, luckily Harry didn't take this away. Otherwise, it would be hard to avoid that kid's mind detection."
He waved his wand, and two silver lights appeared in the air.
"Minerva, come to the third-floor corridor."
"Severus, notify Poppy to prepare for treatment."
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