Chapter 46: An Unwilling Ally
Is your moral bottom line more important, or is your family? The question hung heavily in the air, leaving the young wizards to wrestle with a dilemma far beyond their years. Harry, who had no family to speak of, found himself tormented by it less than the others, but the weight was still palpable.
"We're not here to discuss this," Harry said, steering the conversation back on track. He felt the topic had veered into dangerously philosophical territory.
Solim raised an eyebrow. "Ah, yes. You want to protect the Philosopher's Stone. Even though I've already told you it's perfectly safe with Dumbledore and that no one could possibly steal it from under his nose, you Gryffindors don't seem to have much faith in our Headmaster."
"That's not true! We just..." Harry faltered, unable to articulate their reckless brand of proactive worry.
"You just think it's safer to handle it yourselves, right?" Solim finished for him, a knowing look on his face. "Let me guess: you're planning to steal the Stone first and then present it to Dumbledore for safekeeping?"
Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged startled glances. They hadn't told him their plan. Hermione knew she hadn't said a word.
"You just used Legilimency!" Hermione cried out, the realization dawning. Solim's intense stare and the recent topic of mind magic had connected in her mind.
Solim looked momentarily taken aback, then chuckled and shook his head. "If I didn't want to listen to you, why would I bother with Legilimency? Gryffindor's 'style' is painfully predictable. It's not hard to guess your next move." His expression turned serious. "But let me be clear: I did not use Legilimency." He wasn't lying. The art was mentally taxing and rarely practiced by those who hadn't even reached adulthood.
With that accusation settled, Hermione quickly outlined their plan to Solim.
"So, you intend to steal the Stone first, just as I thought, to preempt Professor Snape?" Solim said, a note of dark amusement in his voice after hearing her out. "And you came to me to recruit me? To help you bypass the professors' enchantments and then stand with you when you confront Snape?"
His original plan had been to bring Neville and Draco as spectators, popcorn in hand. Now, he was being asked to join the cast of this reckless production. And they expected him to help fight Snape? Whether Snape was the thief or not, Solim stood no chance against him. He couldn't even serve as a meaningful distraction. These three had a profound misunderstanding of the chasm between an adult wizard's power and their own.
An underage wizard, no matter how talented, was worlds apart from a formally trained adult. A child might land a lucky, distracting blow on an unsuspecting adult, but they could never win a straight fight. The differences in strength, stamina, and magical endurance were insurmountable. A spell from a first-year wouldn't even scratch a competent adult's shields. While Solim had once felled a mountain troll with a well-placed Incendio, he was certain the same spell would be little more than an irritation to Severus Snape.
Snape was a master of Charms, Transfiguration, and Defense. A single, swift flick of his wand would effortlessly contain all of them. Solim saw zero chance of victory.
"I have no interest in the Philosopher's Stone, and I remain convinced it cannot be stolen," Solim stated flatly. "But you are clearly determined to be its guardians. So, while I won't join your little crusade, I can offer... logistical support."
He knew the protections the professors had devised and how they were meant to be passed. He could provide them with tools to speed their progress through what he privately thought of as the "Hogwarts Philosopher's Stone Challenge." He had no desire to run the dungeon himself; the effort far outweighed any potential, non-existent reward. The Stone was a quest item he couldn't possibly keep.
So, let Harry, Ron, and Hermione be the frontline adventurers. Solim would be the quartermaster, preparing potions and supplies. Then, he would take Draco and Neville to observe from a safe distance, and he'd even invite Evans to act as an unseen bodyguard. He hadn't asked the man yet, but he doubted he'd refuse—overseeing the Stone's security was, after all, his primary mission this year.
After ushering the trio out, Solim opened his trunk and began rummaging through it. Gilves's gifts had included not only the five precious potions but also various rare materials and alchemy items. He recalled several self-defense artifacts among them, which he intended to loan to Harry temporarily.
With Draco and Neville returning to their spell practice next door, Solim left to find Evans. Since his cover was blown, the portly wizard had happily abandoned his toad form, taking up residence in a hidden classroom and moving through the castle under a Disillusionment Charm. This arrangement undoubtedly had Dumbledore's tacit approval, as an unaffiliated adult wizard was not normally permitted to reside at Hogwarts.
Evans had chosen a room on the fourth floor, conveniently close to the forbidden corridor. His main task was, after all, to monitor the Stone. While Evans also believed stealing it was impossible, maintaining appearances was part of the job.
Solim found the room, a surprisingly spacious two-level affair with a staircase leading to a sleeping loft. The ground floor was Evans's workspace, littered with stacks of parchment—decades of student reports, no doubt.
Solim found Evans just inside, and the man's state of dress gave him pause.
"Do you truly think of Hogwarts as a holiday resort?" Solim asked, taking in the sight.
Evans wore a rumpled shirt, hanging open to reveal a heart-covered undershirt, paired with a pair of garish blue and white striped shorts.
"I just woke up! I was busy until dawn," Evans grumbled, rubbing his eyes. "I thought this posting would be comfortable, but there's so much to document, and..." He fixed a bleary stare on Solim. "...the Gryffindor youngsters are so active. I followed them around the Forbidden Forest and then had to monitor the third-floor corridor. I'm severely sleep-deprived. Can't they just... stop?"
Since Evans had followed Harry into the Forest, he must have seen everything. Seizing the opportunity, Solim got straight to the point.
"Since you brought it up, I have a matter to discuss." He quickly explained the Gryffindor trio's plan to raid the dungeon.
After listening, Evans slapped a hand to his chubby face. "Are they trying to give me a nervous breakdown? Can't they lighten my workload for one single night?"
The thought of the mountain of incident reports this would generate made his head spin.