Jerry had finally calmed down, though the way it happened was still unsettling.
Hoff was Nicolas Flamel's student. Since he was staying at Hagrid's hut, it meant he had Dumbledore's approval. Dumbledore rarely misjudged people. Even if Hoff seemed strange, he probably wouldn't pose any threat to Hogwarts.
At noon, Sean sat in the Slytherin common room holding Jerry, waiting for Chris. When she returned from class and saw that Jerry had recovered, she asked curiously, "What did Hagrid do? A potion?"
Sean hesitated. "I'd like to know too. I think even Hagrid was confused."
That made it clear—it hadn't been Hagrid who calmed Jerry.
"Then who was it?" Chris asked.
"Hoff Stark. You've seen him before," Sean said casually.
"I have?" Chris frowned, trying to recall the name.
"Oh… actually, you haven't. You were unconscious at the time," Sean corrected himself.
Chris had been unconscious during her kidnapping, and although Hoff had been part of the rescue, they had never met. By the time she woke up, Hoff had already left Hogwarts.
With that explanation, Chris understood who Hoff was, even if they hadn't met face to face.
"So Nicolas Flamel's student is at Hogwarts?" she exclaimed in surprise. Given that the alchemy master had just died, his student's appearance here was certainly not a coincidence.
Her voice was a little too loud.
Draco, who happened to be passing by, overheard everything.
"Shh, keep it down," Sean said, glancing around.
Draco immediately pretended he hadn't heard anything and quickened his pace toward his dormitory.
Sean had no idea that this brief exchange would soon cause trouble for Hoff.
Draco loved showing off and being the center of attention. The moment he got the information, he rushed to share it with his two cronies.
"I've got something big to tell you," Draco said, raising his brows smugly.
Crabbe and Goyle played along, looking eager to hear more—exactly the reaction Draco wanted.
"You know Nicolas Flamel, right?" Draco began.
"The alchemy master who died recently. The only one who could make the Philosopher's Stone," Crabbe replied.
"Exactly. So, do you know who his student is?" Draco asked.
Crabbe and Goyle exchanged confused looks. They had never heard of Flamel having a student. Both shook their heads, waiting for the answer.
"I don't know either," Draco shrugged.
Crabbe and Goyle looked awkward.
"But," Draco continued, "I do know he's at Hogwarts right now."
"A transfer student?" Goyle asked dumbly.
"If there were a transfer student, I'd know about it. So obviously not," Draco said.
Even as a first-year, Draco was well-informed about school matters. With Lucius Malfoy as a school governor, he often knew things before other students did.
The next day, Draco brought it up again while chatting with Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson.
Among the Slytherin first-years, aside from Draco, there was Daphne Greengrass, another pure-blood from one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight families. Notably, her younger sister Astoria would later become Draco's wife.
Then there was Blaise Zabini—a tall, dark-skinned boy. Though not from a prestigious family, his arrogance rivaled Draco's, and his personality was even sharper and more cutting.
His mother had married six times, each husband dying under mysterious circumstances and leaving behind a fortune. As a result, Blaise and his mother were quite wealthy.
"Nicolas Flamel's student is at Hogwarts? You're not just making that up, are you?" Blaise said skeptically.
"Making it up? Since when do I lie?" Draco shot back.
Although Blaise hung out with Draco, he wasn't like Crabbe and Goyle. With his sharp tongue and pride, he often challenged Draco.
"Oh really? Then how about a bet? Prove within two days that this person actually exists at Hogwarts," Blaise said.
Draco wasn't one to back down. "Five Galleons. You dare?"
Five Galleons was a ridiculous amount to bet on something like this—especially for students.
But Blaise wouldn't lose face. He accepted immediately.
Such childish bets were common among younger boys. Pansy and Daphne looked on with clear disdain.
Draco was confident. If a stranger had come to Hogwarts, someone would know.
That afternoon, he sought out members of the Serpent Society from second to seventh year.
After asking around, no one knew anything.
Doubt crept in. Was Sean messing with him?
But thinking back to Sean and Chris's conversation, it didn't seem staged.
Just as Draco was worrying, a voice sounded behind him.
"I heard you're looking for Nicolas Flamel's student."
Draco, sitting on the sofa in the common room, turned sharply. Sean stood behind him, smiling.
Sean had run into Theo earlier, who asked him about Flamel's student. Curious, Sean traced the source—and found Draco.
"You overheard me and Chris at lunch, didn't you?" Sean said.
Draco replied nervously, "Chris was speaking too loudly. I just happened to hear."
"You seem very interested in this student. You even asked members from every year in the Serpent Society."
Sean's gaze sharpened. "So… what are you planning?"
Draco stammered, unable to answer.
But in the next moment, Sean answered for him.
"Don't hang around someone like Blaise. Just consider that bet a loss."
Sean had casually asked a first-year and quickly learned about the bet. He didn't think much of Blaise—his character wasn't great.
Blaise looked down on Harry, mocked Draco's father for being sidelined among Death Eaters, and held little respect for Voldemort or his followers. In short, he was a contrarian who loved provoking others.
Draco looked unwilling. "Why? So there really isn't a student of Nicolas Flamel?"
Sean patted his shoulder, leaned closer, and said in a low, mysterious voice, "Just treat the bet as lost. In truth, you've already won. Just don't tell anyone."
Draco's expression lit up with realization. He nodded eagerly, completely convinced.
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