Looking at the empty room, Kael frowned.
Whether as a member of Hufflepuff or the one responsible for this, Kael felt it was his duty to help Professor Sprout rectify this small oversight.
However, the Devil's Snare was still in the Room of Requirement on the eighth floor, and moving it again would be too much of a waste of time. By the time he returned, Quirrell would probably have turned into ashes.
So, Kael decided to use something else as a substitute.
He opened the box and took out all the Chomping Cabbages inside, placing them neatly under the trapdoor.
There were about thirty of them, just enough to cover the steps that previously held the Devil's Snare.
Previously, he had taken two seeds from Professor Sprout's greenhouse, and placing them here now was a tenfold return.
Kael looked at his handiwork and nodded in satisfaction... This was the strength that should be guarding the Philosopher's Stone. The previous Devil's Snare felt like it was just for show, too perfunctory.
Hopefully, Professor Quirrell coming down later would also enjoy the Chomping Cabbages and understand their habits and weaknesses, otherwise... he might be in trouble.
As for what would happen to Harry, Kael wasn't worried at all. He had a feeling that Harry would definitely be fine.
After finishing all this, Kael got back on his broom and flew forward along a stone corridor, soon arriving at Professor Flitwick's challenge.
In the brightly lit room, countless winged keys fluttered like birds under the high arched ceiling.
At the entrance, there was a row of old broomsticks, exactly three of them.
"Three broomsticks... Hmm, Professor Flitwick seems off," Kael muttered softly.
To create some trouble for Professor Quirrell, Kael didn't rush to break through the challenge but took out his wand and quietly incanted towards the broomsticks in the corner:
"Away you go!"
The three broomsticks floated up one after another and flew down the stone corridor behind.
As for where they would end up flying, Kael himself didn't know.
In any case, it didn't matter where they went, as long as they weren't in this room.
Then Kael himself jumped off his broom and quickly walked towards the other end of the room.
The flying keys in mid-air made no movement, and he reached the door unscathed.
Kael took out a Universal Key, inserted it into the keyhole, and gently turned it... With a click, the lock immediately sprang open.
It must be said, this challenge was even more perfunctory than Professor Sprout's Devil's Snare, with no difficulty at all.
Even without the Universal Key, just finding a Bowtruckle from the Forbidden Forest could also easily pass through.
However, the next challenge by Professor McGonagall was a bit troublesome.
Previously empty, the chessboard was now filled with black and white chess pieces... These pieces were carved from stone, about two meters high, looking just like the statues in the castle, full of a sense of oppression.
Kael frowned, finding it a bit challenging since his level in magical chess was average, good enough for some leisure, but he really wasn't confident in passing this challenge.
Fortunately, he had other means; it might just be a little bit rough. Hopefully, Professor McGonagall wouldn't get angry.
Kael opened the box and released the Troll.
"I need to get to the other side."
The Troll tilted its head, took a while to understand Kael's meaning, and carried its wooden club onto the chessboard.
The white chess pieces tried to stop it, but in the face of the Troll's immense strength, they were as fragile as clay, crumbling with a single blow.
Kael followed behind the Troll, directly walking to the door on the opposite side.
Behind him, the broken chess pieces were slowly recovering. Without lingering, Kael re-packed the Troll into the box and proceeded down the next corridor.
The following room also contained a Troll, with a nauseating stench that was more overpowering than the Troll itself!
Holding his breath, Kael easily tricked the Troll with a Disillusionment Charm and hurriedly passed through the room to the final challenge.
Here, there was only one table with seven differently shaped bottles arranged on it.
Just as Kael crossed the threshold, purple flames rose behind him, blocking the entrance... At the same time, black flames leaped from the door leading forward.
He was trapped in the middle.
Kael walked to the table and picked up the parchment lying on top.
A simple logic puzzle... If it were someone from London Baker Street here, they could probably deduce the answer at a glance.
Although Kael wasn't that quick, he didn't need to solve the puzzle either and directly picked up the smallest bottle.
Kael uncorked the bottle, peering at the dark liquid inside, hesitated for a moment but ultimately chose not to drink it.
The color was too eerie; he really couldn't bring himself to taste it.
Moreover, Snape's magic potions all shared one characteristic... If he didn't drink them himself, the taste would be indescribable.
Last year, Mikel had remarked after drinking the Demon Suppression Potion for the first time that the fertilizer in the greenhouse smelled sweeter than that stuff.
Kael didn't know if he was exaggerating, but being cautious was always good.
After all, Snape knew who was trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone. Given his personality, he might really add some extra ingredients to the correct potion.
Kael decisively put the bottle back and went to the black flames ahead with his wand.
Soon, his wand began to emit an orange glow.
That glow spread from the tip, quickly dyeing the wand a vibrant orange.
Kael reversed his grip and stabbed the wand into the ground.
"Finite Incantatem!"
In an instant, the purple and black flames simultaneously extinguished, restoring the room to its original state.
Kael exhaled deeply.
Thanks to Dumbledore, who transformed this large magic that used to require multiple wizards to cast together into a single spell twenty years ago.
Otherwise, an ordinary Finite wouldn't have been enough.
Kael briskly walked through the doorway, successfully entering the final room.
Quirrell... or rather, Voldemort hadn't arrived yet; the room contained only a large mirror.
The Mirror of Erised.
Kael stepped forward, circling around the mirror.
Honestly, he had thought for a long time and still didn't know how Dumbledore hid the Philosopher's Stone in this mirror.
Kael speculated that Dumbledore must have used Alchemy, disassembling the Mirror of Erised, incorporating the Philosopher's Stone, and then reassembling it.
This sort of thing Kael definitely couldn't do, but for those Masters of Alchemy, it was undoubtedly a piece of cake.
And Dumbledore happened to be such a Master of Alchemy; otherwise, he couldn't have become a lifelong friend with Nicolas Flamel in his youth.
Those silverwares emitting smoke in the Headmaster's Office, they should be his creations, though what their purpose was remained unknown.
...