Chapter 118: The Note Collection
The Disillusionment Charm would ensure he wasn't seen. His practical combat skills would ensure he could intervene if necessary. But if Voldemort himself decided to show up and go on a rampage, Sean fully intended to be as far away as possible.
Fortunately, that scenario was highly unlikely. It would require Dumbledore to somehow allow Voldemort to sneak out. The chances of that were even lower than Sean winning a one-on-one duel with the Dark Lord. For that to happen, Voldemort would first have to escape without Dumbledore's knowledge, and second, he'd have to find someone who didn't desire the Philosopher's Stone to retrieve it for him.
The entire first book wasn't just Harry's adventure; it was Dumbledore's elaborate trap for Voldemort. Dumbledore knew Voldemort was hiding in Albania, and he knew Quirrell had conveniently taken a "research trip" there. When Quirrell returned with his suspicious turban and erratic behavior, Dumbledore certainly knew, which was why he had Snape keep a close watch on him.
With Dumbledore managing the chessboard, Sean's own worries were minimal. His primary task was to avoid Quirrell at all costs. Whatever the professor had once been, he was now undeniably dangerous. His secondary task was to monitor the troll. After that, his only real objective was to stay hidden and let the plot unfold as written.
The next morning.
The corridors were filled with laughter. Students chased each other, and, notably, many of them were clutching thick, blue-covered notebooks. Outside the stained-glass windows, Hagrid was still hauling pumpkins across the lawn, one by one.
Hermione and Justin walked towards the Great Hall, followed by a head-down, shuffling Neville.
"Neville," Hermione sighed, "if you don't look up, I swear that enchanted mirror is going to shout at you again..." She had a particular soft spot for Neville, especially after learning about his parents' fate at St. Mungo's. In her eyes, the Gryffindor boy wore a permanent "please don't bully me, I'm pathetic" sign, a fact that both worried and exasperated her.
"By the way, Hermione, what did you think of the Collection?" Justin asked.
"It's... very good," Hermione admitted, clutching her own sky-blue notebook, her praise cut short by an icy gust of wind. The drafty corridor was bone-chilling, and all three of them longed for the roaring fire in the Room of Hope.
In a less-crowded area, Justin suddenly tilted his head, his eyes fixed on an empty patch of shadow. "Sean?" he whispered.
A moment later, Sean's form shimmered into view. Neville yelped. Hermione clapped a hand over her mouth.
"Yes, it's me," Sean nodded, unfazed. It seemed Hermione hadn't spotted him, which was the main point of the test. He then looked at Justin and sighed. Caught again.
"Oh, Sean, your Disillusionment Charm is getting better!" Justin said cheerfully. "But bring it on. This is one competition I'll never lose!" He seemed to have gleefully accepted his role as Sean's personal invisibility detector. It had become a game, just like Sean's Finite practice. At first, Sean couldn't counter Justin's 'Novice' Levitation Charm. Now, he could effortlessly dispel Justin's 'Adept'-level spells, a rate of progress that left his friends speechless.
Sean just sighed again and walked towards Professor McGonagall's office.
Professor McGonagall was visibly busier than ever, as if she were trying to grade the entire term's assignments and plan all her future lessons at once. She had been this way ever since Sean had begun advanced Transfiguration. But no matter how busy she was, she always paused her work to watch him practice, correcting his form and guiding his theory. In that, she and Snape were surprisingly similar—though Snape's "guidance" was, of course, delivered with significantly more vitriol.
When Sean left her office, the sky was already growing dark. He passed a suit of armor in the corridor and found Harry and Ron waiting there, surrounded by a crowd of other students.
"It's Sean!" Ron yelled. The entire group—Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, and… Slytherins?—turned to look at him with expressions of awe and gratitude.
Slytherins? Sean looked at the snake-scarfed boy standing next to Michael and felt a genuine spike of confusion.
"Today's the day the 'Green Collection' was first released, Sean!" Ron announced excitedly. "We're here to thank you for the free samples!"
From Ron's rambling, triumphant explanation, Sean pieced together what had happened. Justin, bless his Hufflepuff heart, had compiled and organized many of Sean's notes and, after getting Sean's permission, had released a "free trial" version. He'd intended it as a marketing tactic to build demand for selling notes for other subjects.
He hadn't counted on Harry and Ron. Armed with the advanced notes, the two Gryffindors had suddenly started earning a shocking number of house points. The "Green's Notes" phenomenon had exploded before Justin's marketing plan had even launched. The initial ten free copies (which only covered material up to Hallowe'en) had been fought over, copied, and passed around until Justin's own notes were gone. It was just enough, however, to give the students a stress-free weekend.
Ron, in his excitement, had organized this impromptu thank-you party, and in the spirit of inter-house unity (over homework), even Slytherins had been swept up in the fervor.
By the time Sean escaped the corridor, his arms were overflowing with sweets. He suddenly understood why Justin had secretly stuffed his bag full of candy that morning—he had needed currency for the inevitable "thank you" gifts.
In the Transfiguration Office.
"It seems, Minerva, that our Mr. Green is quite popular," Dumbledore murmured, his blue eyes twinkling.
"Albus," McGonagall said, her brow furrowing, "haven't you been paying... a little too much attention to him lately?"
(End of Chapter)
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