The next day.
Morning.
Dew still clung to the castle's spires. Owls flapped out of the owlery, their wings scattering shiny droplets as they swooped over the courtyard with the morning post.
Portraits in the corridors yawned and stretched. Little wizards popped out from behind tapestries, splashing through puddles with loud splats.
They walked, laughed, and spread rumors like wildfire.
"Did you hear? Justin got out of detention because they fought off a werewolf in the Forbidden Forest!"
A Hufflepuff in a black-and-yellow scarf said excitedly. That was Ernie—pure-blood, going back who-knows-how-many generations.
"Forget that! I heard there was a troll too!"
Oliver shouted.
"And a dragon!"
Hannah, the newest gossip, jumped in eagerly.
"And…"
Susan opened her mouth, brain stalling. What's scarier and more evil than a dragon?
"And the Mysterious—"
She almost blurted it. Hannah broke into a cold sweat and clapped a hand over her mouth.
The whole circle of Hufflepuffs nodded in awe. Susan was officially the best rumor-spreader in the house.
"Alright, you win the 'Never Go Hungry' Club's Best Rumor Award. Prize: ten extra points on your finals. Claim it on the exam parchment."
Ernie said, impressed.
Justin and the others passing by couldn't help grinning.
They'd been let off detention—rare. They hadn't spilled about the fourth-floor room or the forest, but Hogwarts was buzzing with chatter anyway.
Why keep quiet? Exams were coming. Even if they were dying to brag, they agreed: after exams.
No one wanted to recite goblin rebellions while getting grilled about Quirrell's double betrayal.
Sean was heading to the hospital wing to bring Quirrell some potions—stuff to speed recovery for sick wizards.
Harry? He was pretty much back to normal.
Hospital Wing
Madam Pomfrey stared at the pile of pricey potions Sean brought in, a little shocked.
"Child, that's… more than necessary. Where did you—"
"I brewed them myself, ma'am."
Sean said.
"Hm?"
She gave him a weird look.
A student testing potions on a professor? A bit bold.
"Professor Snape checked them. They're safe."
Sean knew she'd misunderstood and explained.
"Let me see, dear. Any potion entering the hospital wing needs verification."
She examined them, then said with delighted surprise:
"Perfect! Oh, for you? Outstanding, child. Oh—you're Green?"
She finally put it together. Most of the potions here came from the dungeons lately—and the brewer's name on them? Green.
"Thank you so much—"
She clearly liked him. Didn't even mention visiting hours.
So Sean naturally set the potions on Quirrell's bedside table. The curse on him was bad—worse than what Voldemort had done to his body and soul.
That surprised Sean. He'd ask Hagrid in the forest later.
Hagrid knew unicorns. Maybe he had ideas.
Quirrell was asleep. Sean kept organizing his plans: Expert Alchemist title—just two mid-tier creations away. Transfiguration mastery—less than 1/15th proficiency left…
Soon, a notebook floated out of his pocket. Blank to everyone else. Even quill marks were invisible.
Only Sean wrote, line by line, sorting, planning—stealing more possibilities from fate.
Then—CRASH—the hospital wing shook.
Hagrid squeezed sideways through the door like a giant in a dollhouse.
He sat by Harry, looked at him, and burst into tears.
"It's—all—my—fault—this—idiot!"
He sobbed into his hands.
"I told that villain how to get past Fluffy! I told him! He knew everything—except that—and I went and told him! You almost died in that room! All for a dragon egg! I'll never drink again! I should be kicked out—live as a Muggle forever!"
He wailed. Pomfrey should have thrown him out, but she just cast a Muffliato and went to fix a kid with a broken leg.
"Sean—I saw Sean too—I heard he faced Quirrell alone—I must've been so desperate to apologize I hallucinated—"
Hagrid's arrival turned the wing upside down.
He shook with guilt and sorrow, tears soaking his beard.
"Hagrid, Voldemort would've found a way anyway. Please, cheer up. We saved the Stone. It's gone. He can't use it anymore. Have a Chocolate Frog—I've got tons…"
Harry looked pleadingly at Sean.
"We guarded the forest. Drove off Voldemort. You helped a lot, Hagrid."
Sean said.
"Really…" Hagrid wiped his nose on his sleeve. "That reminds me—I brought gifts.
"Dumbledore gave me a day off yesterday to put it together."
He pulled out what looked like a beautiful leather-bound book.
"I sent owls to your parents' old school friends… asked for photos. You don't have any of them… like it?"
Harry was speechless. Hagrid understood.
"And yours, Sean. Might get me expelled for this. But come with me…"
His eyes welled up again.
Sean followed Hagrid to a locked, unremarkable tower.
Hagrid glanced around, then unlocked the door:
"You've got three minutes. Go look. I don't know what it says, but they say augurey feathers have special magic…"
Sean knew instantly.
Inside: a black dragon-hide book. Beside it, a small silver inkwell with a long, faded quill.
The Quill of Acceptance and the Book of Admittance. Hogwarts' only way of choosing students.
Sean knew it wrote at least a witch or wizard's birthday. The rest? Unknown.