Since the events of Halloween night spread, Hermione had noticed that people around her had become friendlier. Even when she pointed out the rule-breaking actions of the Gryffindors, most people would just grumble, "You're just like Professor McGonagall."
The biggest change was in Harry and Ron. They had started being extra cautious, afraid they might upset Hermione and end up with the same fate as the troll.
So, somehow, Hermione had acquired two little followers. At first, she felt a bit uncomfortable, but soon it became a responsibility. She needed to keep an eye on these two troublemakers, the worst of Gryffindor's first years. She couldn't let the Gryffindor hourglass lose any more of its precious gems.
For Harry and Ron, this arrangement was quite a deal. They could now finish their homework in the Gryffindor Common Room without having to endure the looks from Slytherin students when they used Aiwei's homework as a reference.
One day, Hedwig brought a note from Aiwei, inviting them to meet at Hagrid's hut.
Harry and Ron immediately turned to their "bird mother" for guidance. After a moment of hesitation, Hermione decided to go with them. She had something to discuss with Aiwei.
After the shift in how the other students viewed her, Hermione realized that the theories Aiwei had shared with her by the Black Lake were, in fact, worth considering. But she remembered clearly that it wasn't her who defeated the troll—it was Aiwei's elemental spheres. She also recalled Aiwei's promise to train her.
Since November had arrived, the Scottish Highlands had begun to snow. The weather had become incredibly cold. The mountains surrounding the castle were covered in a dull gray and snow, and the lake's surface was as cold and hard as tempered steel.
Hagrid's hut, however, was warm. Despite a slight smell of burning firewood, everything seemed cozy.
When the three of them knocked on Hagrid's door, Aiwei opened it for them. As Harry stepped inside, he saw his broom. He hadn't seen it for a few days.
"How are you, Harry?" Hagrid appeared with a pot of strong tea. He quickly found cups for the three young wizards. "So, this is the Cannonball Queen, Your Majesty?"
Hagrid laughed heartily, clearly aware of Hermione's nickname, thanks to the Weasley twins' stories.
"Let us hear about the Queen's heroic deeds!" Hagrid said as he plopped down, eagerly looking at Hermione.
Hermione flushed deeply, embarrassed. She glanced at Aiwei, struggling to speak. On one hand, she wanted to tell everyone that it was Aiwei's doing, but on the other hand, she hesitated. What if the professors confiscated Aiwei's elemental spheres under the excuse of "dangerous magic"? She didn't want to cause trouble for Aiwei, especially since he was a Slytherin.
"For that, I have a different discovery," Hermione tried to steer the conversation away. "Do you remember the three-headed dog at the end of the fourth-floor corridor? I think someone wants to steal something from it."
"Who? The three-headed dog? Only a madman would try to steal from a three-headed dog!" Ron, with his typical lack of understanding, completely misunderstood Hermione's words.
"Idiot! I didn't mean stealing the dog, but stealing what it's guarding!" Hermione glared at Ron, then explained carefully, "The three-headed dog is standing on a trapdoor. It's guarding something."
"No wonder Snape went to bother the three-headed dog! He must want whatever's behind that door!" Harry suddenly exclaimed.
"What?" Hagrid was completely confused. "How do you know about the three-headed dog? And what's Snape got to do with it?"
The three of them exchanged glances and explained the duel that had taken place in the castle, as well as Harry seeing Snape injured in the Potions classroom.
"Tsk tsk—You three are crazier than I thought." Hagrid shook his head, clicking his tongue. Then he looked at Aiwei, sitting quietly nearby. He hadn't expected this student, who shared a love for magical creatures, to possess such magical power—to be able to freeze Peeves into an ice lump!
"Wait, Hagrid. Didn't you say it was a three-headed dog?" Harry suddenly realized a missing piece.
"Yeah—it's mine—I bought it from a Greek fellow I met last year at an inn—I lent it to Dumbledore to guard something—"
"What?" Harry interrupted, eager.
"Enough, no more questions," Hagrid snapped. "That's classified information, understand?"
"But Snape wants to steal it," Harry pressed.
"Maybe Quirrell has something to do with it," Hermione calmly pointed out.
"The Defense Against the Dark Arts professor who always wraps himself in garlic scarves?" Ron laughed, dismissing Hermione's theory, "Impossible! If he had real skill, he wouldn't just be reading from the textbook in class."
"The troll on Halloween night was released into the castle by him," Hermione provided her reasoning. "What did he say when he barged into the feast? Do you remember?"
"The troll in the basement?" Harry wasn't sure.
"Exactly, but in reality, we encountered it in the third-floor corridor," Hermione accidentally slipped, remembering that Aiwei was with her at the time.
"'We'? You've started sounding like royalty, haven't you?" Ron teased, misunderstanding the context. (In English, "we" is used by the Queen when referring to herself, just like ancient Chinese emperors used to refer to themselves as "I," and Hermione's nickname is "Cannonball Queen," so Ron made a humorous mistake.)
Hermione shot Ron an irritated look before continuing, "When the professors found me, Professor McGonagall came from the stairs below, while Snape and Quirrell came from above. So, they might be working together."
"I'm telling you, you're wrong!" Hagrid said angrily. "I don't know why the troll was on the third floor, but Snape and Quirrell would never try to harm a student! Now, listen to me—both you three, and you, Aiwei!"
Though Aiwei hadn't spoken, Hagrid hadn't forgotten his presence.
"Listen! You're meddling in things that don't concern you. This is dangerous. Forget the big dog, forget what it's guarding—this is between Professor Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel—"
"Aha! There's a man named Nicolas Flamel involved, right?" Harry interrupted, eager to piece things together.
Hagrid was furious and began muttering to himself in frustration.
"Aiwei!" Hermione noticed that Aiwei hadn't spoken, "As an ancient wizard, you must have heard of this Nicolas Flamel, right?"
Hagrid immediately cast a pleading look at Aiwei.
Aiwei took a sip of strong tea and calmly replied, "The Philosopher's Stone."
With that, they were promptly sent back into the cold, snowy weather.