Sterling's face showed nothing, but his wand was already smoking inside his sleeve.
A sparrow burst from Sterling's sleeve, instantly layered with several spells, flying arrow-like out of the office toward the headmaster's quarters.
"Did Voldemort break in and beat you up like this?"
"Not exactly..." Vitam's voice was strained. "The Forbidden Forest. After having Terry call you to find me, I went there to gather materials, then encountered him. He was wrapped in black mist. I couldn't see his new vessel's appearance clearly."
She shifted, mercury still dripping from her wounds. "I'd heard Dumbledore describe Voldemort's state before. He's definitely not simply a wraith now, nor parasitic on someone's head like with Quirrell. The feeling he gave me was very strange..."
Oh. So it was the Forbidden Forest.
Sterling relaxed slightly. He'd just heard about Voldemort and connected it with all the forgetting incidents so far, getting stressed. Come to think of it, if it weren't encountering Voldemort in the Forbidden Forest, why would the first words be to seal the Forbidden Forest?
This wasn't so panic-inducing now. Beating Professor Vitam nearly to death in the Forbidden Forest versus in her office represented two different levels of magical accomplishment. The former... not to look down on Professor Vitam, but Sterling believed he could do it without full effort.
The latter? Fighting a positional battle with Nicolas Flamel's disciple? Sterling really wasn't sure he could win, or rather, couldn't win silently. If forced to fight, Hogwarts might take flight.
When learning alchemy, Sterling had glimpsed how many alchemical explosives Vitam had buried under her office floor.
Sterling didn't know her other methods, but he didn't believe she could resist stuffing things in walls and ceilings.
"Professor Vitam, did Voldemort directly appear and attack you? Didn't he use the Killing Curse?"
"No. I discovered him first. He was feeding on unicorn blood at the time. You should know how terrible that is."
Sterling nodded. Unicorn blood was a remedy when willingly donated, extending human life. But blood spilt through malicious harm carried terrible curses.
When sinful lips drank unicorn blood, they'd receive a half-dead life.
"So Voldemort still isn't like Quirrell. He doesn't care about his current vessel either."
Sterling recalled negative examples of unicorn blood. As far as he knew, the longest anyone persisted under that curse was barely two months of clinging to life.
Voldemort was extremely skilled with curses. Perhaps he'd live longer but probably couldn't bear other negative effects.
Otherwise he wouldn't need to come to Hogwarts for the Philosopher's Stone. Just farm unicorns and feast away.
"Not so." Unexpectedly, Vitam shook her head. "When fighting me, he was very careful protecting his current vessel. Even abandoned the chance to kill me, letting me activate a transport item back to my office."
"...Will he follow?"
Sterling was somewhat worried. Dumbledore wasn't always at Hogwarts. Of course, even outside, Dumbledore would surely quickly realise Harry had been forgotten and rush back.
But the possible time gap in between...
If Voldemort went crazy and attacked, directly unleashing a Killing Curse storm like that night in the Forbidden Forest, Hogwarts would be forgotten by the world.
"Probably not. He's likely not feeling well either. Most importantly, without confirming Dumbledore's absence, he absolutely wouldn't dare step foot in Hogwarts."
"That's good." Sterling exhaled. "By the way, Professor Vitam, what did you originally want me for?"
Vitam rubbed her head and pulled a blank picture frame from a drawer.
"Teacher Nicolas Flamel has lost contact. Since this morning, I haven't been able to reach him. I heard he gave you an alchemical life as a pet? I want to know if it has methods to contact the teacher."
"Could Mr Flamel possibly just be..."
"Absolutely impossible!" Vitam interrupted Sterling, her voice sharp.
"My observation teaching plan is a project the teacher cares about greatly. He punctually requests reports from me every morning at eight o'clock, without exception since I entered Hogwarts."
"Teacher Nicolas displays one hundred percent rigour before truly important matters. He couldn't delay even a minute or second."
"Teacher didn't notify me in advance of today's absence. The possibility of accident is extremely small. Teacher's prophetic orbs aren't much different from truly effective prophets, and his safe house is protected by the Fidelius Charm."
Vitam's mercury wounds had mostly sealed, but her hands still trembled. "I went to the Forbidden Forest to collect materials for creating a temporary communication device to directly locate teacher's whereabouts, but..."
So that's how it was. Sterling had always thought Nicolas Flamel was just a simple old mischief-maker.
But teaching plans were that important? Really? Sterling recalled Robin's body structure and shook his head.
"Robin has no alchemical mechanisms for remote communication. Probably no way to contact Teacher Nicolas."
Vitam dejectedly lowered her head.
Sterling suddenly felt uneasy. That sparrow should've reached the headmaster's office long ago. Why was there still no feedback?
Feeling restless, he suddenly thought of something.
"Professor Vitam, do you still remember Harry Potter?"
"You mean the current large-scale cognitive modification incident." Vitam immediately understood his meaning.
"Without teacher's Philosopher's Stone fragment protection, I might've been unconsciously affected too. This kind of magic is rare. I've never seen it in all my years."
Hmm. Alchemy's crown jewel could resist "forgetting". Not too incredible.
Then the office fell silent.
Only slight sounds of mercury slowly flowing on the floor. It was gradually flowing back into Vitam's "body". After today's ordeal, Sterling discovered Vitam was actually involved in human alchemy.
This kind of modification couldn't extend life. Just enhanced alchemists' ability to handle surprise encounters, allowing internal alchemy when necessary.
Lost in thought, Sterling sensed that sparrow dissipating from magical exhaustion.
"...Professor Vitam, I'm afraid you'll need to find Professor McGonagall to help seal the Forbidden Forest."
"Professor Dumbledore probably isn't at school now."
Hearing this, Vitam rose. Her body had mostly recovered. Except for mercury stains on her clothes, she was no different from normal.
"Well, you should prepare for this afternoon's Charms class now. I know you haven't attended classes all morning. I'll explain to Professor McGonagall."
"Sigh, in this situation, how can I concentrate on classes?"
Sterling wearily slumped on the table. This morning had really exhausted both his stamina and magic power.
Of course, more tiring was his heart.
One forgetting incident after another, Voldemort's reappearance, unknown vessels, Nicolas Flamel's disappearance...
Hogwarts' future seemed shrouded in mist, impossible for Sterling to see clearly.
"I think you should treasure your current school life. This is advice for my lifesaver."
Before leaving the office, Vitam looked back at Sterling, her eyes seeming to contain things Sterling didn't know.
"Just leave Harry and Voldemort to me and Dumbledore. I'll use special methods to call Dumbledore back. Don't worry."
"Really, Sterling, don't shoulder everything yourself. I don't know why you so naturally view everything you know as your obligation."
"Don't be surprised. At your age, your disguise is quite crude before us adults."
"I think regardless of the reason, there's no justification for letting a young wizard solve problems while we adults are still here. This isn't right."
"There's nothing that absolutely requires you. Trust Dumbledore. He can solve this. Don't worry so much about things you originally didn't need to worry about. As a child, you should be happy."
Looking at the door Vitam had closed, Sterling sighed.
Nothing that absolutely required me?
But after seeing Ravenclaw's diary, how could I not seek my responsibility? What if eliminating Voldemort was my destiny? Though more likely Harry's.
What if solving the forgetting was my destiny? Though that matter was too small.
Sterling smiled self-mockingly but found his mouth corners could only force an ugly arc.
Since Christmas began, it seemed he hadn't really smiled again.