As June approached, the weather turned clear and cloudless, roasting people with heat.
It made everyone want to grab a few pints of chilled pumpkin juice, drift out to the lawn, find any random place to sit, play a few lazy rounds of Gobstones, or simply gaze at the giant squid as it glided dreamily across the lake.
But they couldn't.
Exams were coming. The students could not laze about outside. They had to stay inside the castle and force their brains to concentrate, even as tempting summer breezes drifted in from the windows.
Even Fred and George Weasley were working hard now. They were about to take their O.W.L.s, the Ordinary Wizarding Levels.
Percy was preparing to pass his N.E.W.T.s, the Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests, the highest qualification Hogwarts offered.
Percy wanted to enter the Ministry of Magic, so he needed excellent grades.
He had become more and more neurotic. Anyone who disturbed the peace of the common room at night would be punished severely.
In fact, if anyone was even more nervous than Percy, Hermione had to be counted among them.
Harry and Ron had no time to ask how she could attend several classes at once, but when they saw her exam timetable, they could not help themselves.
The first column of the timetable listed:
Monday, 9 o'clock: Arithmancy
9 o'clock: Transfiguration
Lunch
1 o'clock: Charms
1 o'clock: Ancient Runes
"Hermione,"
Ron asked carefully, because these days she was very easy to anger when disturbed,
"er… are you sure you copied these times correctly?"
"What?"
Hermione said sharply, snatching up the timetable and checking it carefully.
"Yes. Of course they're right."
"How can you sit in two exam rooms at the same time? Does that question matter?"
Harry asked.
"No,"
Hermione said flatly.
"Has either of you seen my Numerology and Grammatica?"
"Oh, right, I borrowed it. I was flipping through it before bed."
Ron said, though his voice stuck in his throat.
Hermione began moving around the piles of parchment on her desk, searching for the book.
"By the way, where's Sean?"
she asked again.
This time, Harry and Ron both fell silent.
Percy was already irritable enough, but Hermione could still surpass him.
And as for a certain black-haired young wizard—
very few people dared approach him anymore.
It was not only because of Headmaster Dumbledore's strange behavior at the feast that day.
Speaking of which, most wizards at Hogwarts now knew what Headmaster Dumbledore had in mind. He had announced he was going to retire, then asked a certain young wizard to help him leave.
After that, he disappeared for so long. The Headmaster's office was now only occasionally visited by that same young wizard, while Acting Headmistress Minerva handled affairs from her Transfiguration office.
Everyone knew that the young wizard was Dumbledore's chosen Headmaster.
But that still was not the reason the students did not dare approach him.
The main reason was that he had become much colder.
Harry and Ron had never imagined the word "cold" could be used for Sean.
But the truth was, during the Easter holidays, very few people received replies from Sean anymore.
In the past, he always sent special return gifts to the young wizards who gave him presents, occasionally adding a few words of encouragement.
Now, however, almost no one received anything.
Another thing was that he no longer attended classes with the other students.
The professors seemed to have made separate arrangements for his coursework. It was now rare to see Sean appear in class.
Only at dinner did they occasionally catch sight of him. He would sit in a corner and end the battle with his elegant yet rapid style of eating.
Occasionally, a wizard would greet him, but he seemed not to hear, absorbed in flipping through his books.
The students said it was because of Headmaster Dumbledore. He had put too much pressure on dear Mr. Green.
So no one really dared disturb him anymore.
"You haven't seen him either?"
Hermione gathered up her books, then signaled to Justin with her eyes.
"It's almost mealtime. We should be able to find him in the Great Hall."
Justin stood up, his magic hand mirror floating out beside him.
By the time they reached the corridor, the weather had suddenly turned poor.
Scotland's climate was always like this, like a child throwing a tantrum, impossible to predict.
For the next several days, Hermione and Justin still failed to find Sean.
It seemed he had even lost the habit of going to the Great Hall to eat.
Hermione and Justin could not find him even when they wanted to discuss things with him.
So they could only leave messages, mentioning new discoveries about the search for the seventh Horcrux.
But Sean never replied. Hermione and Justin even guessed that he might no longer be at Hogwarts.
Just like Headmaster Dumbledore.
Rainwater ran down the castle's ancient stone walls, turning every window into a gray, misty sheet of water.
The Black Lake had risen to its highest level in ten years, and waves beat against the shore in the wind with a low roar.
Looking out from the tower, the treetops of the Forbidden Forest swayed violently in the storm, like countless black hands clawing at the sky.
But none of this affected the warmth inside the castle.
Sean was in the dungeon. Surging flames swept over bottles and jars, then abruptly went out, leaving ash scattered across the floor.
The next second, a faint light flashed, and several mice suddenly froze in place.
[You practiced the Fiendfyre Curse once at Master standard. Proficiency +300]
[You practiced Sectumsempra once at Master standard. Proficiency +300]
[Master-tier Dark Magic Categories:]
—
Sectumsempra: Master (2420/3000000)
Impediment Jinx: Expert (200/30000)
Petrification Spell: Expert (340/30000)
Reductor Curse: Expert (2340/30000)
Fiendfyre Curse: Expert (2120/300000)
—
[Evaluation: A wizard who has reached Master level in the field of Dark Magic surpasses the vast majority of Dark wizards.]
[Advancement: One Legendary-level Dark Magic spell can unlock the Legendary-level title in the field of Dark Magic.]
Sean let out a light breath.
The Legendary-level Dark Magic title required one Legendary-level Dark Magic spell.
Very reasonable.
Sean naturally chose Sectumsempra.
Professor Snape's teaching had also allowed Sean to gradually touch the shadow of Legendary.
He suspected the professor had mastered Legendary-level Sectumsempra. After all, he had created the spell.
Professor Snape was not in the dungeon. He had become busy too.
Sean sat in his chair and thought.
Time was becoming tighter and tighter. He knew Headmaster Dumbledore had used some method to keep Voldemort from making any moves, but Voldemort had returned after all.
He had completely hidden himself in the darkness.
Like a poisonous snake baring its fangs, waiting for its prey.
Sean needed at least two kinds of Legendary-level magical power. Only then could he ensure the safety of Hogwarts Castle.
So for the past three months, he had spared no effort in pushing his Dark Magic forward.
Sometimes he was so busy that he could not distinguish day from night.
Let alone the young wizards who came to greet him.
As for why he had not put too much energy into Transfiguration—
Sean took out a much more damaged stone tablet.
The Void Talisman had been unusable for a long time.
Sean's plan to go to the Borderland and find the secret to raising Soul Transfiguration to Legendary had been postponed again and again.
Fortunately, recently he could sense those mists again. They were getting closer and closer to him.
The corners of Sean's mouth lifted slightly. This made him decide to go to the Great Hall for dinner and wait for nightfall.
The torches in the corridor burned brighter than usual. The portraits visited one another and chatted. Occasionally, a ghost passing through a wall would bring a chill wind with it.
There were two weeks left before final exams. The library was full from morning to night. Madam Pince patrolled between the shelves like a vulture. Any student who dared fold a corner of a book would be chased out by her feather duster.
And tonight was the last formal feast before the exams.
Tomorrow's timetable would only have revision lessons and question sessions. Starting tonight, the staff table would no longer be fully attended either. So, at the moment, at that long table surrounded by ghosts and candles, Professor Sprout was showing Headmistress McGonagall a new Herbology paper, while Professor Flitwick sat beside Professor McGonagall, sipping wine in small mouthfuls.
The Great Hall was filled with the smell of roast beef and pumpkin juice. The enchanted candles under the ceiling floated in midair, twice as many as usual.
The tables of all four houses were piled with food, more lavish than even a weekend feast.
This was a Hogwarts tradition—to let the students have one last full meal before exams arrived.
But if anyone observed the staff table carefully enough, they would find three empty seats:
Headmaster Dumbledore was absent, gamekeeper Hagrid was absent, and the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's seat was empty as well. Professor Flitwick was sitting in that place tonight.
When Sean entered the Great Hall, he attracted many glances. Hermione and Justin tried hard to wave him over.
Just then, the oak doors of the Great Hall were pushed open.
Rain and cold wind instantly poured in, snuffing out the nearest row of candles all at once.
Every student turned to look at the entrance.
A soaked owl flew in. One of its wings seemed injured, and it flew crookedly, nearly crashing into the wall several times.
In its claws, it carried a thick roll of newspaper. The paper had been soaked through by the rain and was dripping water.
The owl barely managed to fly above the Hufflepuff table, dropped the newspaper, then crashed headfirst into a plate of pudding.
Several students screamed. The newspaper spread open on the tabletop, and the enormous headline on the front page struck everyone who saw it like a hammer to the face:
Daily Prophet Special Edition:
[Giants Attack Village in Northern Scotland, Leaving Three Dead. Ministry of Magic Announces Level Two Alert]
Immediately afterward, more owls flew in.
In the Great Hall, magic hand mirrors began buzzing at just the right time, one after another.
A few seconds later,
the Great Hall went quiet.
All chewing, talking, and laughter vanished at the same moment.
Then, as if someone had flipped a switch, buzzing discussions exploded through the hall like a kicked beehive.
Sean stood and took the rain-wrinkled newspaper from Bai Yi's claws.
His eyes swept over the front page, then the second page, then the third.
[Front Page]
[Giants Attack Scottish Highlands Village; Minister Fudge Holds Emergency Meeting Overnight]
[Reported by this paper's special correspondent, Rita Skeeter]
[At midnight last night, a tribe of giants attacked Glenmore Village on the edge of the Scottish Highlands. Three Muggle-born wizarding families were killed in the attack, and seven others were injured, two of them seriously. They are currently receiving emergency treatment at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.
According to eyewitnesses, the attack occurred without warning. The giants surged into the village from the direction of the ridge, using tree trunks and boulders to destroy three houses before rapidly retreating prior to the arrival of the Magical Law Enforcement Patrol. This is the most serious giant attack to occur on British soil in the last decade.
Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge stated at a 4 a.m. emergency press conference that the Ministry has activated Level Two Alert and will deploy additional Auror forces to Scotland.
"We are doing everything in our power to ensure public safety," Minister Fudge said, but refused to comment on whether the attack was connected to a recent series of unusual Dark Magic activities.
When asked whether he had contacted Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, for assistance, Minister Fudge stated: "The Ministry of Magic possesses sufficient resources and ability to handle the current situation and does not need to rely on individual help."]
Sean silently turned the newspaper and saw the second page.
[Abnormal Werewolf Pack Gatherings; Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures Issues Travel Warning]
[Reported by this paper's Barnabas Cuffe]
[This morning, the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures issued a rare public travel warning, advising wizards to avoid traveling at night to remote areas in northern England and southern Wales.
According to a spokesperson from the department, in recent weeks, werewolf groups within England and Wales have shown unusual large-scale gathering behavior.
"We have monitored at least four known werewolf groups moving across regions outside the full moon period," the spokesperson said. "This gathering pattern is inconsistent with any previously recorded natural migration. We are investigating the possible organized behavior behind it."
A well-known werewolf rights activist refused to comment. However, a former official of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, who requested anonymity, told this paper that he "strongly suspects" this phenomenon is connected to the activities of known Death Eater Fenrir Greyback.
"Greyback has been missing for some time," the source said, "but he controls the largest werewolf group in Britain. If he is gathering them, there can only be one reason."]
"What's happening?"
"Have they gone mad?"
Sean heard young wizards shouting in panic.
At the same time, he keenly caught Justin and Hermione's questioning gazes amid the panic.
He silently focused his attention back on the report.
Giant attack.
Werewolf gathering.
These were not isolated events.
He turned to the third page.
This page had no headline and no reporter's name.
Only a short notice tucked into the corner, formatted like a temporary filler piece, so that the ink and handwriting were fainter than the rest of the page.
But the contents of this short notice concerned Sean more than the first two pieces of news combined.
[Accident at Malfoy Manor. Wiltshire News—An "accidental magical incident" occurred last night at Malfoy Manor, ancestral home of the Malfoy family. According to the local Accidental Magic Reversal Squad, the incident damaged part of the manor building but caused no casualties.
The Malfoy family is currently residing temporarily in Provence, France. Mr. Lucius Malfoy's acting attorney stated in a written declaration that Mr. Malfoy "is handling family affairs on the European continent" and reserves the right to pursue legal action against any malicious speculation concerning Hogwarts student Mr. Draco Malfoy.
The acting attorney added that Mr. Draco Malfoy "has been informed that all is well at home and will continue to focus on his studies."]
Sean gently set down the newspaper and opened his magic hand mirror:
[Mr. Lucius, you have not communicated with me for some time.]
[Great Mr. Green, I offer you my sincerest apologies.
At dusk, I finally managed to return to London. I presume you already know that the Dark Lord has learned—I was recalled, and as you also know, he has gone mad. This was the inevitable result.
For the near future, I am afraid I will be unable to serve you. Your servant once again offers his sincerest apologies.
However, I can confirm that Hogwarts will soon receive a Death Eater. Please be extremely careful.
—Your loyal follower, the Malfoy family]