Sterling collided with Draco on his way to Professor Vitam's office.
Suddenly struck by the rapidly advancing Sterling, Draco, whose body wasn't particularly robust to begin with, was instantly knocked flying and landed on his rear.
"Sorry, Mr Malfoy. You suddenly appeared from around the corner, giving me no time to react."
Sterling was a polite person. Of course he'd apologise after bumping into someone. Considering Harry and Ron's assessment of Draco, Sterling also clenched his fist inside his wide sleeve.
A few complaints, even scolding Sterling with not-too-excessive words, would be fine. But if he opened with "filthy mudblood", Sterling would make him spin like a cauldron.
"Damn it! Don't you know how to watch where you're going? What's the rush..." Draco looked up and glared at Sterling. After recognising his distinctive face, he suddenly showed a trace of joy. "Sterling Page?"
What was this about? Sterling frowned. He didn't recall having any friendship with Draco.
"Malfoy, what's wrong? If you're injured anywhere, I'll take responsibility for getting you to the hospital wing."
"No, no, no." Draco stood up, covering his still-tingling rear. "Page, do you know Harry Potter? Not the one who died at Godric's Hollow. I mean the Saviour. Right, not Lily Potter but Harry Potter..."
Wow. Draco actually remembered Harry Potter... According to the pattern he'd summarised... So Draco also belonged to "people with strong bonds to Harry"?
This didn't seem right no matter how you looked at it... Sterling studied Draco for a while, then nodded under his anxious gaze.
The summarised pattern was probably wrong. It should be people with deep stories involving Harry, which would include both Snape and Draco.
Snape's reasons were unclear, but counting arguments and mutual mockery, Draco might've communicated with Harry more than Harry had with Padma.
Wonder what Ron's expression would be knowing Draco also remembered Harry Potter?
"Excellent!"
Draco showed a relieved expression. "This morning I told Crabbe and Goyle we'd try ambushing Harry Potter in the bathroom today, but they said Harry Potter had long been dead! They even showed me the Daily Prophet. Everyone else said the same. I was starting to doubt whether I had problems, fantasising about an... opponent?"
"Since you also remember Harry Potter, Sterling, do the others in your little group all know too? Is it that I'm fine and others have problems? This isn't all my fantasy..."
Draco urgently desired Sterling's recognition. This highlighted Slytherin characteristics.
Group mentality. Though Slytherin didn't flaunt it like Hufflepuff with their "unity" reputation, Slytherin's group nature actually exceeded Gryffindor's, second only to Hufflepuff. Once stabilised, these relationships were even stronger than house bonds.
This was the pureblood family circle in the wizarding world. "Unbreakable yet easily shattered alliances" solidified by previous generations' interests and marriages, maintained by this generation's personal relationships. For some unambitious young Slytherins, maintaining this circle's recognition was even more important than studying magic. Nobles couldn't exist independently.
Therefore, Draco feared this "abnormality" would create barriers between him and this circle.
Ravenclaws like Sterling and Terry had no such concerns. In solitary eagles' eyes, they were always right.
When Hermione found books didn't match her understanding, she immediately assumed the books were wrong, not herself. This showed Ravenclaw influence. When their firmly held knowledge clashed with other things, Ravenclaws wouldn't hesitate. Their knowledge couldn't be wrong.
"Yes, Harry as Saviour is the correct understanding... If you want to know more, ask Ron. Due to Harry and his opinions about you, I can't tell you Harry's current situation."
"Oh!" Draco showed an expression like he'd been bitten. "Know more? That scar-head?"
Sterling didn't say more to him. How childish. Forget him. Even Hermione could probably see through his insincerity. In this unclear situation, could he resist investigating Harry at the storm's centre?
Impossible. Slytherin's quality of assessing situations would compel him to grasp the current situation clearly.
And... maybe Sterling felt wrong, but he thought Draco was genuinely somewhat worried about Harry's condition.
Sterling walked past Draco, continuing his charge toward Vitam's office.
Soon, the familiar red button appeared before Sterling. Just as he prepared to press it, the door burst open, and a large hand made of red particles shot out, grabbing Sterling and stuffing him into the office.
The office was now chaotic. Red particles and mercury everywhere, messy like a Muggle construction site.
Sterling cast a Bubble-Head Charm on himself. This spell was somewhat obscure for ordinary wizards but essential for alchemists. Without learning Bubble-Head Charm, you might faint from mercury poisoning mid-alchemy, and then an explosion would send you to meet Merlin.
This scene... didn't look like alchemy either? Who made such a mess of an alchemical workspace?
Especially the scattered mercury. Symbolically in alchemy, mercury was a precious metal second only to gold. Such large quantities of mercury would cause alchemical concept extraction to fail.
After dragging Sterling in, the large hand dissipated. Sterling endured the uncomfortable feeling of mercury sticking to his shoes and walked toward the inner room.
He heard tremendous commotion from inside. What exactly was Professor Vitam doing?
The moment he pushed open the small door, irritating gas rushed out. Sterling instinctively raised his hand to protect his face. When he lowered it, his robe sleeve already had several small holes.
Of course, Sterling's body remained unharmed.
"Professor Vitam, you... what happened to you?"
The scene inside shocked Sterling. Vitam's entire body had collapsed limply on the carpet, with multiple ruptures throughout, leaking mercury mixed with red particles.
Her upper and lower body were completely separated, connected only by a long mercury column.
Her hand hooked on the cauldron's edge, seemingly holding something ready to pour in. Seeing Sterling's figure, her originally dim eyes suddenly showed hope. She tried her best to tremble her fingers by the cauldron twice, hoping to attract Sterling's attention.
Sterling quickly stepped forward and extracted what was in her hand. A tube of crimson semi-fluid. Sterling looked at materials in the cauldron bottom. Unicorn blood willingly donated, golden beetle shells... Though unable to identify which concept was being extracted, Sterling had a premonition that adding this semi-fluid and continuously refining it as the main component would work.
Relying on reasonably excellent alchemical skills and super-quality materials, Sterling stumbled through completing the alchemy before Vitam completely gave out, extracting from the cauldron bottom a red triangular stone emanating a terrifying magical aura.
The moment it appeared, Vitam's condition improved considerably. The mercury column at her abdomen extended a slender tentacle, quickly embedding the red stone after coiling around it. Then wounds large and small on Vitam's body began healing, and her separated upper and lower body rejoined under the mercury column's guidance.
About ten minutes later, Vitam finally had the strength to speak. She propped herself up and urgently grasped Sterling's hand.
"Seal the Forbidden Forest!"
"Voldemort hasn't lost much magical power. He's found a new vessel! I didn't see who clearly, but that vessel must be supplying him with far more magic than Quirrell. Go tell Dumbledore!"