"So our next job is to watch them on behalf of the professors?"
In the dim room, flickering candlelight illuminated Ron's eyes. Wrapped in a large cloak, he looked like Snape's heir.
"Ron, what are you doing?"
Terry looked at him with bewilderment. "Why did you suddenly turn off the lights?"
Hermione said nothing, just reading books with Padma using small Lumos charms.
Neville didn't dare move because he was tending to the bluebells Professor Sprout had just given him. Unable to see anything, he feared accidentally crushing them.
"Quiet, quiet! This is Utopia's first adventure commission! We should complete it properly!"
"What books has Ron been reading lately?" Hermione asked Padma, who thought for a moment. "I think he took those adventure stories you brought. Red Dragon Adventurer? Something like that."
That explained it. Hermione continued focusing on her book.
Ron continued his speech, naturally copied from books, changing a few words to suit the current situation.
Though only Terry responded with a few sentences, his enthusiasm didn't diminish. He even wanted to stand on the table.
"We must make Utopia's name known through this mission. Gain point-awarding and deducting rights from Hogwarts' professor team! From now on, only Ravenclaw and Gryffindor names will appear on the House Cup!"
Sterling, just entering through the portrait, heard this ambitious speech. He applauded, then turned the lights back on.
"Ah! My eyes are going to explode!"
The sudden bright light nearly made Ron fall from the table. Sterling quickly summoned vines to catch him.
But Hermione and Padma shot him unfriendly looks. They hadn't noticed before, but Ron really had dared to stand on the table where they sometimes brought food from the kitchen to eat!
The two grudge-holding young witches exchanged glances, mentally deciding to make Ron clean up later.
"Ron, I mentioned this to make you notice and stay away from Malfoy and Flint, not to actively approach them."
Sterling sighed, pressing Ron back into his seat properly.
"That's Voldemort's spy. Who knows what Dark Lord contingencies might exist?"
"Charging straight at them... do you want to add another life to Voldemort's hands? He's not short of victims."
"I shouldn't have told you all this." Sterling shook his head.
"Don't worry, Sterling. I believe George and Fred will manage Ron well, keeping him from even seeing Malfoy and Flint's robe edges."
Terry was confident that for just two Galleons, the Weasley twins would ensure Ron couldn't approach those two.
Wait, Slytherin and Gryffindor shared many classes. They would need a first-year Gryffindor to watch Ron. Neville?
Terry glanced at Neville still tending his bluebells and dismissed the idea. Neville was too tolerant of friends, and his initiative... not that Terry looked down on him, but it really wasn't great.
Having Neville watch Ron would probably have no effect.
"Neville, could you watch Ron and keep him away from Malfoy?" Sterling said.
What? Terry spun around. Impossible. Surely Sterling could see Neville's lack of initiative?
"Me... me?" Neville pointed at himself, seemingly unable to believe what he heard.
"That's right, you." Sterling walked to his side, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Malfoy has a fifty percent chance of being Voldemort's spy. You know he's skilled and cruel, so Malfoy might have protective measures or magic to harm others."
"We can't watch Ron constantly, but you can, Neville."
"Listen carefully. If Ron frequently contacts Malfoy, he might die. And you can prevent this from happening. Can you do it? Can we trust you?"
Neville looked into Sterling's eyes, always feeling something pink buried beneath that sky-blue colour.
"Gulp." Neville swallowed audibly in the quiet room.
"Can... can I?"
"You can. You'll definitely manage it, and only you can!"
Looking into Sterling's eyes, Neville nodded firmly.
As for Ron, constantly saying "I can control myself", he was already being made to wipe tables by wand-wielding Hermione and Padma.
Sterling left Utopia, with Terry following behind.
Both were quiet until reaching the bottom of Ravenclaw Tower.
"Sterling, you did it deliberately. Deliberately revealing Voldemort's spy was among Malfoy and Flint. Then you knew Ron would definitely rashly plan to surveil them."
Sterling nodded without commitment.
"Why? For Neville?"
"Mostly correct. I initially wanted to motivate Neville. Actually, Ron's reaction exceeded my expectations. Perhaps influenced by us, he's reading more, but adventure stories are making him even more reckless than before."
"In my original plan, he should have learnt from Harry's lesson and stayed away from the Dark Lord. As for Neville, he should be the one urgently wanting to surveil and catch the Dark Lord's spy."
"Why do you say that?" Terry asked. Neville wasn't a typical brave, fearless Gryffindor. He shouldn't be so impulsive.
"Because... no, Terry, don't you know? Think about Neville's parents."
The heroic Auror couple who went "mad" from countless Cruciatus Curses. Frank and Alice Longbottom.
"He should harbour resentment toward the source, Voldemort. But no, his emotions hadn't reached that line. Instead, just now when protecting Ron, his emotions crossed that line."
Sterling knocked his head as if confused.
"I don't know... people's emotions are still too complex. At least now I can't make them all act as I imagine. But the final result was achieved."
"Terry, do you remember me telling you I think Neville is more suited for swords?"
With that, Sterling turned and climbed the stairs.
Terry stood watching his figure slowly disappear into the spiralling staircase, opening his hand to find deep nail marks unknowingly pressed there.
Sterling seemed to have become somewhat strange.
The Mandrake leaf in his mouth seemed nonexistent. He could see the leaf sliding randomly over his teeth and tongue but never breaking.
And most importantly, his personality seemed changed. Cold, yes, grown colder.
Except for those few words to Terry, every sentence carried a faint sense of detachment. Others might not notice, but emotionally sensitive Terry from childhood wouldn't miss it.
"Sterling..."