Chapter 53: Fool
Professor Flitwick appeared to be genuinely busy.
After briefly checking the progress of the group's Charms work and leaving several notebooks while awarding them house points, he hurried out of the classroom just as quickly.
Shawn's quill recorded everything the professor said: "This classroom, chosen by Ravenclaw's wisdom, never picks the wrong student. Children, you've performed excellently. But I must say, if you can make a feather spin, why not try it on that small table? I don't encourage young wizards to study difficult spells ahead of schedule, but for those with talent, I recommend they seize that talent and complete the interesting charms in The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1, early. Summoning Charm and The Water-Conjuring Charm are both remarkably practical spells. I hope these notes help you."
At that moment, Professor Flitwick had winked at Shawn while encouraging everyone, then continued: "When you've barely mastered the first-year charms, you'll discover that Silent Spells await you. Knowledge is never excessive!"
Then he quickly left the practice room, adding: "Just as Miss Clearwater has completed all the charms for this term, so I encouraged her to boldly attempt Silent Spells. Oh, I must hurry or I won't know what Miss Clearwater will set on fire next time. Last time, I believe it was Professor Quirrell's turban..."
Shawn was somewhat stunned hearing that.
Ravenclaw's Head Girl, truly that courageous?
"All right, I need to tell you a secret," Hermione suddenly spoke while Shawn was lost in thought.
Shawn, anticipating this, sat beside Hermione along with Justin. The three nestled into the sofa as twilight descended. The magical lanterns' light flickered, casting serious and fantastical shadows.
"Do you remember what Headmaster Dumbledore said?" Hermione spoke seriously.
"The feast beginning?" Justin asked.
"Those who don't wish to encounter accidents or painful deaths, do not enter the corridor on the right side of the fourth floor?" Shawn said.
Justin and Shawn exchanged glances, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes.
"Shawn, you're not concerned about that?" Justin seemed surprised.
Shawn thought carefully: "I misspoke."
"You two!" Hermione puffed her cheeks and slapped the table.
Justin instantly lowered his head like a quail. Shawn's demeanor also inexplicably diminished.
"Headmaster Dumbledore was right. Those who don't wish to die painfully should not enter there," Hermione said, her voice growing quieter.
Shawn noticed Justin's body tensing: "So did you go in, Hermione? What happened? Are you all right?"
"It wasn't that I wanted to break school rules, but rather Harry..." Both voices spoke at once, and Hermione stopped midsentence.
"Hermione, I don't care about school rules or Harry. I only care about one thing: are you all right?" Justin paused, the word "painfully" causing his voice to tremble slightly. His concern seemed ready to overflow.
Shawn saw Hermione's eyes begin to redden.
"I'm... I'm fine..."
Hermione said vacantly, then: "Actually, I almost died."
Justin suddenly became agitated. Shawn heard his breathing accelerate: "Harry Potter? Do you mean that 'Harry Potter'? What did he do?! Damn it, I need to find him and demand answers!"
Shawn gently pulled back the impatient Justin. His rationality seemed to leave with Hermione's shock and return with Shawn's gentle tug.
"Perhaps we could hear Hermione's full explanation first. Harry won't disappear, will he?" Shawn said gently.
Lightning suddenly flashed outside. Shortly after came rolling thunder.
The weather in the Scottish Highlands was always unpredictable. But having a small hideaway was enough to shut out the continuous rain.
"Gryffindor cowards, completely useless except for dragging people down!" Justin muttered angrily.
The situation became quite clear through Hermione's explanation. In Justin's view, the brainless Harry who'd been tricked into a duel, the brainless Ron who'd struck Peeves and caused chaos, were not only useless but harmful. Meanwhile, Hermione, full of house pride and trying to stop their nighttime wandering while even using spells to help them open doors, was completely the victim. If he'd been there, he would have used a stinking boot to whack those two idiots' brains.
Shawn sensed something was off, but couldn't quite figure out what.
"It was a three-headed dog with teeth sharp enough to shatter skulls and corrosive saliva," Hermione recalled. The previous terror and panic gradually subsided, and fatigue from last night's insomnia took its toll.
"It must be guarding something. A trapdoor..." She thought about it and fell peacefully asleep.
This pushed Justin's anger to its peak. He quietly pulled a blanket over Hermione and stood to leave, his face expressionless.
Shawn sighed. He didn't need to think twice to know what Justin intended to do.
"Headmaster Dumbledore would never be unaware of what's in Hogwarts," Shawn said gently. "Hermione said the three-headed dog was guarding something, and I believe that's the Headmaster's plan. If the Headmaster allows this to happen, it means it's not dangerous. Remember, the three-headed dog actually never attacked Hermione."
Justin stood silently in place for a moment: "Shawn, you're always full of wisdom. But my mother says if doing something necessary makes you look like a fool, then let me be a fool!"
He left anyway.
"I don't know about the Headmaster's plan. I only know that Hermione almost died behind that door. If no one protests for her, will her suffering simply be ignored?"
Distant lightning illuminated Shawn's profile.
Well, having a Hufflepuff friend was truly nice, Shawn thought once more.
The Headmaster wouldn't mind Justin's protest much, but Hermione would. That was what mattered.
Shawn didn't think the plot could be changed. Everything was within Headmaster Dumbledore's control. At least in the first Harry Potter year, it was.
This was a pure fairy tale. Nothing to worry about.
Compared to these concerns, Shawn's scholarship crisis was far more pressing. The three-headed dog wouldn't kill anyone. The Philosopher's Stone couldn't be stolen. Voldemort was just an experience reward.
But if Shawn couldn't secure his scholarship, he truly couldn't afford quills or textbooks.
Shawn cared more about his own schooling than how quickly Voldemort would be driven away.
"Professor Flitwick was almost explicitly hinting..." Shawn thought, watching sleeping Hermione. He quietly removed the magical lantern.
"Levitation Charm, at least intermediate level, preferably touching Silent Spells. Also need to learn Summoning Charm and Aguamenti Charm."
His current goal was crystal clear: grind proficiency, bring Charms learning to high level, then ask Professor Flitwick about Defense Against the Dark Arts spells beyond the first-year curriculum.
Collect the final scholarship fragment and synthesize a 600 Galleon super reward package.