In tense silence, a loud bang resounded through the room.
Dumbledore's figure emerged from the flames. He didn't spare a glance for the others in the room, walking straight to Harry's bed.
Sterling could see he was truly urgent. Even his usually silk-smooth beard hung messily, and his slippers weren't a matching pair.
He waved his hand, and Harry's eyelids opened by themselves. Seeing those pure white orbs, even Dumbledore, who'd weathered countless storms, couldn't help closing his eyes. He could already foresee what would happen next.
"Mr Sterling, I think I need to take Harry away for some examinations."
Sterling withdrew the starlight from Harry. The analysis was complete, but the answer left Sterling somewhat incredulous.
"Professor Dumbledore..." Dumbledore stopped him, drawing a circle in the air before gesturing for Sterling to continue.
This was something Sterling recognised. An advanced use of Muffliato.
"I have magic that can analyse conditions... It tells me 'Harry's body is completely unharmed,' while 'Harry's spirit is extremely satisfied,' with 'no diseases, curses, or any malicious magical interference whatsoever.'"
"Body and spirit... Well, this is indeed beyond my expectations... Perhaps I should find an expert."
A silvery-white phoenix flew from Dumbledore's drawn wand, passing through the window toward the castle's lower levels.
This magic resembled the Patronus Charm. Sterling knew this spell could serve as a communication tool when mastered.
As for that direction, beneath Hogwarts, plus the so-called "expert" designation, the person Dumbledore sought was obvious.
Snape... but wasn't he at odds with Harry?
Not giving Sterling much time to think, Dumbledore raised his wand, preparing to Disapparate with Harry. Sterling quickly grabbed Dumbledore's robe corner before they vanished.
With a sharp "pop", only several young wizards remained in the room, looking at each other in bewilderment.
"What do we... do now?" Ron grabbed a tissue to wipe tears. He'd genuinely cried from anxiety.
Hermione closed her books and knocked Ron's head gently.
"This isn't something we can participate in now... Of course, if you're willing, we might search the library for more books to see if we can help Professor Dumbledore and the others."
"Then let's go quickly..." Ron was about to run, but Hermione caught his robe hood.
"Class first... There's Transfiguration this morning. We'll go after class."
Meanwhile, Sterling was getting thoroughly scolded.
"The dangers of Apparition! I believe you couldn't possibly not know! Splinching! Every year people die or suffer serious injuries from hasty or inexpert Apparition causing splinching!"
"Even the best Aurors pursuing criminals wouldn't grab onto someone mid-Apparition like you did to enter spatial gaps together. They'd definitely Apparate simultaneously, and even that carries great safety risks!"
"If not for your luck just now avoiding splinching, you should be lying with Harry right now..."
Sterling felt dizzy, not really absorbing much of Dumbledore's lecture.
At that moment... he'd suddenly had a premonition that he absolutely wouldn't be harmed, then his body acted before his brain.
Sterling didn't think this was his personality being influenced by Hero's Heart again. Hero's Heart had been mastered and wouldn't cause self-backlash anymore.
He felt this was more like... fate's arrangement.
A black thread was wrapped around his right index finger, something he'd "captured" during Apparition.
Dumbledore's education ended because the headmaster's office door was forcefully pushed open.
"Albus Dumbledore! How did you promise me?!"
Sterling had never heard Snape speak so loudly. His throat seemed to harbour a sleeping volcano, with boiling emotions beneath the hoarse voice.
Snape strode in with the largest possible steps, seemingly completely ignoring everything else, including Dumbledore and Sterling. He walked to the sofa where Harry lay, using trembling hands to open Harry's eyes...
Sterling couldn't describe that feeling. What emanated from Snape was... tragedy?
Or other emotions?
Such complex feelings, like a spilt palette.
Sterling even saw a grey-white thread growing from Snape's body.
"Severus..."
"Dumbledore! Harry! How did you... Sterling Page, why are you here?"
He tremblingly drew his wand on Sterling. Dumbledore immediately stepped forward, blocking Sterling.
"Calm down, Severus. Sterling isn't a loose-lipped child."
"...Get out." Snape compromised. He knew that once Dumbledore made up his mind, this matter couldn't change.
Dumbledore signalled Sterling to follow Snape's words and go outside the office.
The moment Sterling left, Snape waved his wand, sealing the door tightly, followed by complete silence.
After a very, very long time, the door opened with a loud "boom". Snape emerged with a cold expression, Harry floating behind him with his entire head wrapped in layers of white bandages.
"Don't say unnecessary words." Passing Sterling, he dropped this phrase and walked away without looking back.
"Please come in, Sterling." Dumbledore's exceptionally weary voice came from inside.
Sterling was startled upon entering. A fresh bruise had appeared around Dumbledore's right eye, looking newly made.
He was applying a Transfigured ice pack to the bruise, showing Sterling a somewhat embarrassed smile.
"Young people sometimes get... emotional..."
Sterling wisely didn't pursue questions, making Dumbledore sigh in relief. Soon, he resumed a serious expression.
"So Sterling, I think your risking danger to Apparate with me must mean you have something I should know?"
Dumbledore rubbed his somewhat aching temples. Hogwarts' direction was beginning to exceed his control. Since that Halloween night – no, from earlier – everything at Hogwarts seemed shrouded in mist to him...
"Harry might have been affected by a magic mirror. He and Ron went night roaming to see that mirror last night. It can show people's inner desires; then this morning Ron discovered Harry like this... But I also examined that magic mirror. It shouldn't have harmful abilities?"
"Magic mirror... Mirror of Erised... It shouldn't have such power... Yes, you're right. The greatest threat it could pose would be making the timid more cowardly in nonexistent sweet dreams. Ah, perhaps..."
Dumbledore fell into deep thought. After a while, he waved at Sterling.
"Go to class first... Tell Harry's friends they need to prepare for a long period of Harry Potter's absence."
After Sterling left, Dumbledore pulled out a golden hourglass to fiddle with.
"The Mirror of Erised... it seems like Nicolas found it... in a meteorite crater left by the 1290 Yorkshire meteorite."