Theodore stood silently by the Black Lake.
The night had grown colder.
Not because of the wind.
Because the thing beneath the lake had spoken those final words.
Something far worse than me wakes up first.
The statement carried no threat.
No malice.
Only certainty.
That made it far more concerning.
Theodore looked toward the depths.
"You don't know what it is?"
The ancient being remained quiet for several moments.
Then—
"I know."
Its voice echoed slowly through the water.
"I simply do not wish to remember."
Theodore's eyes narrowed.
A being that had witnessed the Mythological Era.
A being imprisoned beneath Hogwarts.
Something powerful enough to treat the embryonic Ten Absolute Arrays like an itch.
And yet even it was reluctant to speak of whatever slept below.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Theodore had a feeling the answer might involve the final piece of the puzzle.
The Great Old Ones.
The Investiture Tribulation.
Ancient Wizards.
Pangu.
All of them seemed connected somehow.
The problem was that he still lacked enough information.
The creature beneath the lake suddenly spoke again.
"You are not afraid."
Theodore smiled.
"Should I be?"
The ancient being considered the question.
Then unexpectedly laughed.
A deep rumbling sound spread through the lake.
The giant squid immediately fled several hundred meters.
"You sound like him."
Theodore raised an eyebrow.
"Him?"
No answer came.
Only silence.
Then the golden eyes slowly began closing.
The conversation was ending.
Before the creature completely withdrew, however, one final sentence reached Theodore.
"Do not let them complete the formation."
The lake became still once more.
The presence vanished.
Only moonlight remained.
The next morning.
Theodore arrived at breakfast unusually early.
For perhaps the first time all year.
Which immediately attracted attention.
Hermione nearly dropped her book.
Harry blinked.
Ron looked personally offended.
"Why are you awake?"
Theodore stared at him.
"What kind of question is that?"
"You never show up before me."
"That's because you're always eating."
"Exactly."
Ron pointed triumphantly.
Hermione ignored both of them.
"What happened?"
Theodore took a sip of tea.
"I learned something."
That sentence immediately captured all three of their attention.
Because Theodore's version of learning something generally led to explosions.
Or ancient entities.
Or both.
Harry lowered his voice.
"Good something or bad something?"
Theodore thought about it.
"Both."
That was not reassuring.
Across the hall.
Professor McGonagall was reviewing tournament preparations.
Everything seemed normal.
Which worried her.
After the last few months, she had developed a healthy distrust of normality.
Normality usually lasted about fifteen minutes.
Then either the twins exploded something, Quirrell was hospitalized, or Theodore accidentally discovered another ancient secret.
Often all three.
Her eyes drifted toward Quirrell.
The Defence professor looked surprisingly healthy today.
Healthier than he had in weeks.
McGonagall frowned.
That felt wrong.
Unfortunately.
Her instincts were correct.
At that exact moment.
Deep beneath Hogwarts.
The fourth node awakened.
Not fully.
Just enough.
A pulse spread through the underground network.
The first node responded.
Then the second.
Then the third.
The embryonic Ten Absolute Arrays grew brighter.
Far brighter than before.
And somewhere in an abandoned classroom—
Voldemort began laughing.
"Excellent."
The Dark Lord's voice echoed inside Quirrell's mind.
"The final preparations are proceeding beautifully."
Quirrell nearly cried.
Not because he disagreed.
Because Voldemort had said excellent.
Nothing good ever followed that word.
Ever.
"My Lord."
"What?"
"Perhaps we should proceed cautiously."
"Cautiously?"
Voldemort scoffed.
"Theodore has discovered a few fragments."
"A few."
"The overall formation remains hidden."
"Mostly."
"The tournament begins in a matter of days."
"Yes."
"And I possess the superior position."
Quirrell wanted to ask which superior position he was referring to.
The one where Theodore kept dismantling his plans?
Or the one where every magical creature associated with Theodore seemed eager to kill him?
He wisely kept those thoughts to himself.
Meanwhile.
Theodore had returned to the Room of Requirement.
The room no longer resembled a classroom.
Nor a study.
Nor even Hogwarts.
It looked like a miniature world.
Mountains.
Rivers.
Forests.
Spiritual veins.
Countless roots spread beneath everything.
At the center stood Willow Immortal.
Its trunk had become noticeably larger.
Its branches swayed despite the absence of wind.
Theodore slowly approached.
The willow's leaves rustled.
Then—
A small branch tapped him on the shoulder.
Twice.
Theodore laughed.
"You're getting smarter."
The leaves immediately shook with obvious satisfaction.
Willow Immortal was still far from becoming a true demon immortal.
Yet the simplified Wuzhuang Temple Grand Array had already begun influencing it.
Its intelligence was growing rapidly.
Theodore placed a hand on the trunk.
Instantly.
His consciousness merged with the expanding root network beneath Hogwarts.
The castle appeared in his perception.
Every corridor.
Every tower.
Every hidden passage.
Every underground vein.
And—
The nodes.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Theodore's expression changed.
The fourth node wasn't where he expected.
It wasn't near an abandoned ruin.
Nor beneath the Forbidden Forest.
Nor close to the Black Lake.
Instead—
It was inside Hogwarts itself.
Very close.
Far too close.
Theodore's eyes opened.
The roots continued tracing the location.
Down a corridor.
Past a staircase.
Near a familiar classroom.
Then stopped.
The answer appeared.
Theodore stared for several seconds.
Then laughed.
Actually laughed.
Because the location was so absurd that even he hadn't considered it.
The fourth node was directly beneath—
Professor Quirrell's office.
Elsewhere.
Quirrell suddenly sneezed.
Then another.
Then another.
A chill crawled up his spine.
He looked around nervously.
"My Lord."
"What now?"
"I suddenly have a bad feeling."
Voldemort rolled his eyes.
"That's because you're Quirrell."
Before Quirrell could respond—
A knock came at the office door.
Both froze.
Another knock followed.
Slow.
Calm.
Unhurried.
Quirrell swallowed.
Something about it felt ominous.
Very ominous.
Then a familiar voice sounded from outside.
"Professor Quirrell."
Theodore Snow.
Quirrell nearly had a heart attack.
And Voldemort's smile slowly disappeared.
Because for the first time—
Theodore hadn't stumbled onto something.
He had come looking for it.
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