Chapter 232: Hagrid's Good News
The next day.
Morning.
The spires of the castle were still adorned with dew. The sound of flapping wings came from the Owlery as a procession of delivery owls swept across the courtyard, their feathers glistening with moisture.
People in the corridor portraits yawned and stretched. A few young wizards emerged from behind tapestries, splashing loudly through the puddles in the hallway.
They walked, laughed, and spread rumors.
"Did you hear? Justin's detention was cancelled because they defeated a werewolf in the Forbidden Forest!"
A Hufflepuff wearing a black and yellow scarf said excitedly. This was Ernie Macmillan, a Hufflepuff of many pure-blood generations.
"More than that! I heard there was a troll too!"
Oliver cried out loudly.
"And a dragon!"
Hannah Abbott, newly joining the discussion, chimed in enthusiastically.
"And..."
Susan Bones didn't know what else she could add. What was more powerful and evil than a dragon?
"And You-Know-Wh—"
Her brain misfired, and she almost blurted it out. Hannah broke into a cold sweat and quickly covered Susan's mouth.
The surrounding Hufflepuffs were impressed. Everyone agreed that Susan was the undisputed champion of rumor-mongering among the young wizards.
"Alright, you win the 'Never Go Hungry' Club's Best Rumor Spreader Award. As a reward, you get ten extra points on your final exam—remember to claim them on your paper," Ernie said admiringly.
Justin and the others passing by couldn't help but smile.
Their detention had been cancelled, which was a rare occurrence. So, although they hadn't leaked the details of the third-floor corridor or the Forbidden Forest, the castle was undoubtedly filled with speculation.
The reason they hadn't spread the story was simple: exams were coming up. Even though they were excited, they collectively decided to save the bragging until after the exams were over.
After all, no one wanted to be pestered about Professor Quirrell's double-rebellion while trying to memorize the dates of Goblin rebellions.
Sean was preparing to visit the Hospital Wing to bring some potions to Professor Quirrell. These potions would help the ailing wizard recover faster.
As for Harry, he seemed to be mostly recovered.
At the Hospital Wing, Madam Pomfrey looked at the pile of expensive potions Sean had brought with mild surprise.
"Child, there are many unnecessary... where did you get these..."
"Madam, I brewed them myself," Sean said.
"Hmm?"
Madam Pomfrey gave him a strange look.
A young wizard testing potions on a professor was somewhat unexpected.
"Professor Snape has inspected them. These potions are up to standard," Sean explained, knowing Madam Pomfrey had misunderstood.
"Let me see them, child. Potions entering the Hospital Wing must always be confirmed safe."
Madam Pomfrey examined the potions for a while, then spoke in a delightful voice:
"Qualified. Oh! For you, this is excellent, my boy. Oh—are you Green?"
Madam Pomfrey seemed to realize it belatedly. Most of her potions came from the dungeons, and recently, the dungeons had been sending extra batches, all labeled with the name of the brewer: Green.
"Thank you very much—"
Madam Pomfrey seemed to appreciate him greatly, not even mentioning how long he could stay in the Hospital Wing.
So Sean naturally placed the potions on Professor Quirrell's table. The curse Professor Quirrell suffered from was severe, even worse than the damage Voldemort had inflicted on his life and soul.
This surprised Sean slightly. He planned to visit Hagrid in the Forbidden Forest later to ask about it.
Hagrid knew Unicorns very well; perhaps he knew of other remedies.
While Professor Quirrell slept, Sean continued to organize his current plans. He was only two Intermediate alchemical creations away from the Expert Alchemist title; his Transfiguration proficiency was less than one-fifteenth away from Master...
Before long, a notebook floated out of Sean's pocket. It appeared blank to others; even the words written by the quill were invisible to anyone but him.
Only Sean wrote bit by bit, organizing bit by bit. He intended to seize more possibilities from the hands of fate.
Suddenly, a huge commotion came from the Hospital Wing entrance. Hagrid squeezed his way sideways through the door.
Every time Hagrid entered a room, he looked like a behemoth.
He sat down beside Harry, took one look at him, and burst into sorrowful tears.
"It's—all—my—ruddy—fault!"
He sobbed with his face buried in his hands.
"I told the evil git how to get past Fluffy! I told him! It was the only thing he didn't know, and I told him! You could have died! All for a dragon egg! I'll never drink again! I should be chucked out and made to live as a Muggle!"1
Hagrid 2bawled loudly. Madam Pomfrey, who should have thrown him out, simply cast a Muffliato charm on him and went helplessly to attend to a student who had just broken his leg.
"Sean—I even saw Sean—I heard he faced Professor Quirrell alone—I must have wanted to apologize to him so much I started hallucinating—"
Hagrid's arrival transformed the atmosphere of the Hospital Wing.
He shook with grief and remorse, great tears soaking into his beard.
"Hagrid, Voldemort would have found out somehow. Please, cheer up. We saved the Stone, it's gone now, he can't use it. Have a Chocolate Frog, I've got loads..."
Harry looked to Sean for help.
"We guarded the Forbidden Forest and drove Voldemort away, Hagrid. Much of the credit belongs to you," Sean said.
"Really..." Hagrid wiped his nose with the back of his hand and said, "That reminds me. I've brought you a gift.
"Dumbledore gave me the day off yesterday to get it ready."
Hagrid produced something that looked like a handsome, leather-bound book.
"Sent owls off to all yer parents' old school friends, askin' for photos... knew yeh didn't have any... d'yeh like it?"
Harry couldn't speak, but Hagrid understood perfectly.
"And for you, Sean... although I might get expelled for this. But you have to come with me..."
As he spoke, he seemed to remember something, and fresh tears welled up in his eyes.
Sean followed Hagrid to an inconspicuous, locked tower.
Hagrid looked around, then took out a key and opened the door.
"You have three minutes. You can go look, Sean. I don't know what's written in it, but they say the Augurey feather has very special magic..."
Sean immediately guessed what it was.
He entered the tower and saw, sure enough, a book bound in black dragon hide. Beside it sat a small silver inkpot with a long, faded quill standing in it.
These were the Quill of Acceptance and the Book of Admittance, the only method Hogwarts used to select students.
Sean knew that, at the very least, a young wizard's birthday would be written inside. As for anything more... that was unclear.
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