70: Chapter 70 Countdown to the Final Battle

At the end of May, exams were stifling Hogwarts, and Library seats were occupied from morning until night.

Harry closed his thick book, his face pale.

"Hagrid let something slip."

Ron looked up from behind a piece of parchment.

"What did he let slip this time? Every time he lets something slip lately, it lands us in trouble."

Hermione stopped writing.

"Explain."

Harry moved his chair closer to the table.

"Hagrid met a stranger at the tavern. The person kept asking how to deal with the Cerberus and even gave him a dragon egg."

Ron pushed his book away.

"So we lost one hundred and fifty points because of that dragon, but the real question is, where did the dragon egg come from?"

Hermione looked at Harry.

"Did that person ask about the weakness of the Cerberus?"

Harry nodded.

"Music."

Hermione opened her notes and pushed a schedule between the two of them.

"Dumbledore is leaving the school this afternoon, Professor McGonagall didn't deny it, and Snape has been watching the Third Floor for the past few days."

Ron looked at the schedule.

"You even wrote down the route?"

"Start from Gryffindor Tower, avoid Filch, go to the corridor on the Third Floor, put the Cerberus to sleep, and then go down."

Ron swallowed hard.

"You make it sound like we're just going to the kitchen to steal a pie."

Harry pressed his hand against the invisibility cloak in his bag.

"I have this."

"I wish it could cover up the fear, too."

Hermione put away the parchment.

"Telling Professor McGonagall is useless; she'll just tell us to stay away from the Third Floor."

Harry stood up.

"Tonight."

Ron looked at him for a moment and grabbed his bag.

"Fine. If we don't die tonight, you two owe me a whole box of Chocolate Frogs."

Hermione glared at him.

"Don't say things like that."

Ron corrected himself.

"Two boxes."

Harry finally smiled a little.

"Deal."

At the same time, in the Slytherin Common Room, the lake light shimmered against the stone walls.

Draco spread his Potion textbook across his lap, staring at the same page for half an hour.

"Potter, are you sure something will happen tonight?"

Allen Potter leaned back in his armchair, holding a piece of parchment between his fingers.

"Certain."

Draco looked at the paper.

"What did you write?"

Allen threw the parchment into the fireplace. The flames licked over it, turning the four characters 'The oriole is behind' Black.

Draco frowned.

"You're using those expressions I don't understand again."

"It's not good for you to understand."

Nott sat opposite, closing a thin book.

"Gryffindor is moving. Granger borrowed books on Devils Snare and Potion puzzles, Weasley asked about Wizard's Chess, and Harry stuffed the invisibility cloak into his bag."

Draco closed his book.

"Are they really going to the Third Floor?"

Allen yawned.

"Let them go."

"That's the Philosopher's Stone."

"Exactly because it's the Philosopher's Stone, we should let them go first."

Draco's expression changed.

"You want to follow behind?"

Allen stirred the ashes by the fireplace.

"You will review Potion tonight. Crabbe and Goyle will keep you company. It would be best if Pansy sees you too."

Draco understood.

"To testify for you."

"To testify for all of us."

Draco gritted his teeth.

"I hate it when you use the word 'us'."

Nott interjected.

"That word can save your life."

Allen looked at Nott.

"You watch the Professor."

Nott raised his eyes.

"Watch who?"

"Snape, Quirrell, McGonagall. If Dumbledore returns, write that down too."

"I can't watch four Professors by myself."

Allen placed a knut on the table.

"The Owlery, outside the dungeons, the corner of the Third Floor, the stairs to the Headmasters Office—find someone to keep an eye on each."

Nott picked up the knut.

"I can get two upperclassmen to help; they won't do it for free."

"Two Galleons each."

Draco spoke up immediately.

"I'll pay."

Allen looked at him.

"Don't do anything extra tonight."

Draco sneered.

"I'm sitting here reading a Potion book; isn't that boring enough?"

"If you're bored, recite the cure for boils."

"Do you really think you're Snape?"

Allen stood up.

"I'm easier to talk to than him."

He returned to the dormitory, where Crabbe and Goyle were sharing toffees.

Crabbe asked indistinctly.

"Do you want some?"

"No."

Allen drew the curtains.

"Don't leave the Common Room tonight."

Goyle asked.

"Why?"

"Filch will catch anyone wandering at night."

Crabbe immediately stuffed the bag of sweets under his pillow.

"I won't go out."

The curtains shut out the noise from outside. Allen raised his blackthorn wand, and the Portable Space unfolded by his bed.

The void hovered beside the ebony box, its silver pupil aimed at the cage.

Peter pressed against the bars, his lips moving.

Allen stepped into the Portable Space.

"Don't cause trouble tonight."

The gap in the cage loosened, and Peter immediately spoke.

"The Master will make a move, right?"

"Quirrell will."

"There is no difference."

Peter grabbed the bars.

"Don't go, child. You don't know what he will do when backed into a corner."

Allen held his wand horizontally in his palm.

"He doesn't even have a body right now."

"Precisely because he doesn't, he will use others' lives to pave his way."

Allen walked to the center of the open space.

In front of the wand, a knut was bent by an invisible force field, its edges curling up, landing silently.

Peter's face turned even paler.

"You're practicing this kind of thing in your first year?"

"Spatial collapse."

Another knut disappeared from the wooden box and landed three steps outside the cage.

"Dimensional penetration."

Peter stared at the coin.

"What if that were a human arm?"

"Depends on whether I want to keep it."

Peter was silent for a moment.

"You are not like James."

Allen looked at him.

"You know."

"What?"

"Villains die from talking too much."

Peter immediately shut his mouth.

The void circled the ebony box and tapped the lid with its tail tip.

The cracked pocket watch emitted a blue light, and the blackthorn wand vibrated in response.

Allen pressed his wrist.

"Only use space, don't touch time."

Peter whispered.

"That watch will take your life sooner or later."

Allen lined up the knuts.

"You know about it?"

"I don't know."

Peter corrected himself too quickly; the void raised its head.

Allen looked at the cage.

"Think clearly before you speak."

Peter pulled his hand back.

"I only heard that the Potter Family has an old object related to time that no one dares to touch."

"Who said that?"

"People from the Black family."

Allen didn't press further. He swiped his wand, and the three knuts collapsed into thin sheets simultaneously.

Peter watched the sheets land.

"You want to deal with Quirrell, and you also want to deal with my Master?"

Allen put away the thin sheets.

"Depends on which side they stand on."

"The Master will not let Harry go."

"Harry just needs to survive until tonight."

Peter finally understood.

"You're using him as bait."

Allen turned back.

"You only just figured that out?"

Peter's Adam's apple bobbed.

"You are more terrifying than the Master was when he was young."

Allen raised his wand, the gap in the cage closed, and Peter's voice was cut off.

Outside, the sound of Draco knocking on the bedpost came.

"Potter, are you dead asleep?"

Allen put away the Portable Space and drew the curtains.

"No."

Draco stood by the bed, holding the Potion textbook.

"Nott left; he said he'd be back before curfew. Pansy saw me reviewing in the Common Room, Zabini saw it too, and Crabbe and Goyle are reciting porcupine quills."

Crabbe shouted from the other side.

"It's Li-Huo-Jia!"

Goyle added.

"It's not Porcupine-eat!"

Draco rubbed his temples.

"You heard them; they aren't going anywhere tonight."

Allen got out of bed and put on his robe.

Draco stared at him.

"You're leaving now?"

"Wait five minutes."

"Wait for what?"

"Wait for Gryffindor to leave first."

Draco closed the book.

"What if you don't come back?"

"Class as usual tomorrow morning."

"That's not what I asked."

Allen looked at him.

"Then don't ask."

Draco blocked the bedside.

"At least tell me, what exactly is under the Third Floor?"

"Obstacles."

"No kidding."

"Devils Snare, flying keys, chessboard, Potion, mirror."

Draco was stunned.

"How do you know?"

"Guessed."

"You call this a guess?"

Allen walked around him.

"You only have one task: sit in the Common Room and don't let anyone see that you're panicked."

Draco looked down and realized the spine of his book had been bent by his grip.

He switched the book to his other hand.

"You'd better come back alive."

Allen pushed the door open.

"You've said that already."

"I can say it again."

"Save your energy to deal with Snape."

In the Common Room, the fireplace fire was already very low.

Pansy saw Allen come out.

"Weren't you going to sleep?"

Draco spoke first.

"He went to get a book."

Pansy looked at Allen.

"What book?"

Allen pulled an old Potion notebook from the shelf.

"This one."

Zabini leaned back in his chair, his gaze shifting between the two.

"Quite diligent tonight."

Draco sat back down.

"Exams are coming up; Malfoy doesn't rely on luck."

Zabini smiled.

"Then I hope you recite the porcupine quills correctly."

Allen walked toward the stairs with the book. Passing the spot where Nott usually sat, he saw a small piece of folded parchment on the table.

There was no one near the Third Floor, Snape was in the dungeon, Quirrell was not in his office, McGonagall was in the tower, and the three Gryffindors had already left.

Allen stuffed the paper into the fireplace.

Draco watched him across the firelight.

"Leaving?"

Allen tucked the Potion notebook under his arm.

"Reviewing."

Draco stared at him.

"You owe me an explanation."

Allen walked into the shadows.

"We'll talk when I come back alive."

Draco opened the Potion book, the firelight illuminating his tense face.

"Then don't you dare welch on it."

At the corner of the stairs, the Spatial Thin Layer adhered to the wall.

Allen closed his eyes. The life magic from the purified Unicorn blood in his body was still running.

Four hours.

Enough to follow behind The Chosen One and watch the game of chess tonight.