Owen didn't want to come. With this much time, he could have been reading a book.
Moreover, he knew that Professor Snape—the very man Harry and his friends were desperately trying to stop—was currently holed up in his private lab, brewing Felix Felicis for the Savior who was dead set on catching him and throwing him into Azkaban.
The irony was palpable.
During the giant wizard chess match, the old Headmaster nodded approvingly as he watched, even wiping away a tear when Ron chose to sacrifice himself to let his friends advance.
"Friendship... no matter how many times I witness it, it always moves me. Don't you think so, Owen?"
Honestly, Ron's actions did slightly improve Owen's opinion of him, but not by much. In Owen's view, there were better ways to play that game. But there was no point saying it now, as the adventure was moving on.
Now it was just the three of them. Harry wanted Hermione to take Ron back, but Hermione refused to leave. So, the two of them struggled together, half-carrying, half-dragging the unconscious Ron forward.
"Ah, what pure friendship."
Owen couldn't take it anymore. He waved his hand, conjuring a row of stretchers in front of Harry's path and casting a Levitation Charm on them.
"They've studied at a magic school for almost a year, yet they have absolutely no wizarding mindset. Headmaster, if it were me, I'd be deducting points from Gryffindor right now."
The old wizard's smile froze. After a moment, he suddenly reached out and pinched the young wizard's cheek. "Owen, I've had a wish for many years that hasn't come true. I've always wanted to discipline a junior like a father or a grandfather would. Would you be so kind as to satisfy an old centenarian's wish?"
Owen rolled his eyes so hard they almost got stuck. "Oh! Such great, pure friendship! I'm so moved!"
The tone was flatter than a pancake.
Dumbledore laughed despite himself, giving the boy a light smack on the shoulder before continuing forward. Then they saw...
"No, I don't agree with putting Ron on that. What if it's a trap?"
Harry was stubborn. Ron had sacrificed himself, and Harry refused to put his friend in more danger.
"Harry, do you think we can protect the Philosopher's Stone if we're dragging Ron like this?"
Hermione was more level-headed. She recognized it as Transfiguration immediately, but she saw Harry's point. So, she took out her wand, transfigured a piece of wood into a stretcher, placed Ron on it, and used a Levitation Charm to lighten the load. Only then did they continue.
Owen nearly died laughing. "Headmaster, I really want to ask these three just how little they think of the professors. They haven't mastered more than a handful of spells, and their Defense Against the Dark Arts education has been a disaster all year. Tell me, where does their confidence come from?"
The old wizard didn't answer. He simply grabbed Owen, pulled him into a headlock, and clamped his hand over the boy's mouth, physically sealing it.
Okay, fair enough. Even Dumbledore couldn't force a compliment here.
"Owen, I've seen the changes in Slytherin, but I haven't seen any changes in the other three Houses. That's not right of you."
Owen couldn't speak—the old man's hand was still over his mouth. He could only follow Dumbledore as they watched the trio pass the trials one by one. In the end, only Harry entered the final chamber.
When Hermione dragged Ron back out, she looked up and saw someone she didn't expect. "Owen? Why are you here?"
"Why shouldn't I be here?"
Owen waved his hand, and the stretcher floated up on its own. He then flicked his wrist downward, and a jet of water shot from the air, splashing directly onto Ron's face.
He had seen it clearly earlier—the kid wasn't injured, just scared unconscious.
Sure enough, drenched by the water, Ron shuddered and woke up. Seeing Owen, his brain hadn't quite rebooted yet. "Owen? Are you here to help Snape steal the Stone?"
Hermione's mouth twitched, but Owen didn't hesitate. He raised his hand and slapped Ron across the face. Then he stared into his eyes. "Awake yet? If not, I can keep going."
"A-awake... I'm awake..."
Ron had never been hit like that before. He was stunned. But seeing Owen's hand raised again, his brain finally snapped back into place.
"First, Professor Snape couldn't care less about the Philosopher's Stone. He is a Potions Master. The Stone is an alchemical product. His lifelong ambition is to brew the Elixir of Life without the Stone."
"Second..." Owen held up a second finger. "During that Quidditch match, Professor Snape wasn't cursing Harry. He was casting a counter-curse to save him. When Hermione set his robes on fire and made him stand up, he broke eye contact with someone else, interrupting the real curse."
"Finally, the Professor Snape you suspect is currently brewing Felix Felicis for Harry. And you? You've been suspecting him all along, falsely accusing him of stealing the Stone, and now you're even dragging me into it..."
Ron's face went white.
"So... the one who really wants to steal the Stone is..."
Owen sighed deeply. "Ron, your twin brothers possess an item called the Marauder's Map. It shows the location of everyone in the castle. If you weren't so self-righteous and had just asked them for it, you would have seen a name constantly overlapping with Professor Quirrell's."
Ron scrambled off the stretcher. "Harry! Harry is in danger!"
"Don't worry. Dumbledore is in there too. Now, you two get out of here."
"Owen, did you know all of this? Why didn't you tell us?"
Hermione figured it out, but she was upset. She felt Owen's behavior wasn't what a friend would do.
"Did you ask me when you were planning and acting?"
With the first sentence, Ron and Hermione lost their momentum.
"When you asked for my help, did I tell you the truth? But did you believe me?"
Their momentum weakened further. They didn't dare lift their heads.
"Did you notify me when you started this operation? Did you even bother to check if Professor Snape was in his office?"
Ron felt the slap was deserved. He had it coming.
Hermione felt like she was the one who hadn't been a good friend. When she followed Harry and Ron, she honestly hadn't thought to include Owen.
"Go back and rest. I'll give you three days. I want an after-action report from the very beginning. Tell Harry the same applies to him. Once you've written it, come find me in my common room."
Watching the two leave dejectedly, Owen smiled. It seemed... he had found the way to change Gryffindor.
The line between bravery and recklessness is thin—often just the presence of a plan. From now on, he would make the little lions get into the habit of making a plan for any action. Even if there wasn't time in the moment, they would have to write it up afterward.
Flaws are hard to correct if you can't see them. But when they're laid out right in front of your eyes, even the most impulsive person won't make the same mistake again.