Ravenclaw Gets 200 Points!

Silas didn't use the normal castle passages. Instead, he flew directly through the Headmaster's office window, cloaked in the Levitating Cloak, landing lightly on the plush carpet. Fawkes lifted his head from his perch, giving Silas a curious glance.

Dumbledore sat behind his desk, a letter in hand, seemingly engrossed in reading. He showed no surprise at Silas's sudden entrance. He slowly put down the letter, looked up, and his blue eyes behind his half-moon spectacles met Silas's calmly.

"Good evening, Silas," Dumbledore's voice was as gentle as ever. "I presume the commotion in the Forbidden Forest has something to do with you?"

Silas walked to the desk, hands braced on its surface, leaning forward slightly. His tone held a hint of accusation and confusion:

"Professor Dumbledore, I don't believe you could have possibly not sensed the explosions in the forest, the Fiendfyre, and those flashes of green light from the Avada Kedavra curses! You must know Voldemort is back, and he's in the Forbidden Forest!"

Dumbledore nodded gently, a look of understanding and approval on his face. "Yes, I sensed it. And I estimate that you once again successfully confronted Voldemort and, with your power and wisdom, repelled him once more."

Silas frowned. "Then why didn't you come to help? If you had intervened, perhaps we could have dealt with him permanently!"

Dumbledore shook his head slightly, a cryptic smile playing on his lips. "Silas, from the moment you engaged Voldemort to when he finally escaped using some kind of... spatial means, the entire process, according to my senses, lasted only about ten seconds."

He held up a finger, gesturing. "Ten seconds. By the time I sensed the anomaly, grabbed my wand, and prepared to depart, the battle was already over. Your efficiency... is remarkable."

Silas: "..."

He opened his mouth, finding himself speechless for a moment. Thinking back carefully, it seemed... that was indeed the case? Although his confrontation with Voldemort was perilous, the exchanges of attack and defense were incredibly swift, and the entire process was indeed very brief. Even if Dumbledore had wanted to help, he might not have had time to reach the scene.

Seeing Silas's speechless state, a hint of amusement flickered in Dumbledore's eyes. He cleared his throat and spoke in a formal tone:

"Regardless, you have once again protected the school's safety, thwarted Voldemort's scheme, and displayed extraordinary courage and power. For this, Ravenclaw House gains 200 points."

Silas blinked upon hearing about the points, then scratched his head. "Oh... thanks."

He had a whole host of questions he wanted to ask, such as who Voldemort's new host was, how the Suspended Ring got out, and what should be done next... But with Dumbledore's interruption and the "reward" of 200 points, he suddenly felt rather tired, and those questions didn't seem so urgent anymore.

"Well... if there's nothing else, I'm going back to sleep." Silas yawned and turned towards the window, preparing to leave the way he came.

Dumbledore watched his retreating back and said gently, "Good night, Silas. Rest well."

Silas waved his hand, leaped out the window without looking back, his Levitating Cloak billowing as he vanished into the night.

Dumbledore gazed at the empty window, the smile on his face gradually fading, replaced by a solemn expression. He murmured to himself, "Ten seconds... spatial teleportation... Voldemort's power has recovered faster than I imagined, and this child Silas... his growth rate has exceeded everyone's expectations. The variables for the future are increasing."

Tonight's brief confrontation, though ending in Silas's victory, had sounded a more urgent alarm bell in Dumbledore's heart.

Silas flew back to Ravenclaw Tower from Dumbledore's office. As soon as he slipped silently into his dormitory through the window, he saw Eddie Camilleche waiting anxiously by his bed, clutching the silk handkerchief wrapped around the Unicorn Mane.

As soon as Eddie saw Silas enter through the window, he immediately stood up, his face a mixture of lingering fear and relief, but more so bewilderment. He held out the silk bundle, his voice slightly stammering:

"Si-Silas! Are you alright? That was terrifying just now! That Dark Wizard... and those dreadful spells..." He patted his chest, still shaken, then looked at the item in his hand and said hesitantly, "This... this Unicorn Mane... you helped me find it, and you saved me... I... I can't take it all. This should be yours."

Silas looked at Eddie's fearful yet loyal demeanor and found it somewhat amusing. He waved his hand, his face weary but his tone casual:

"Alright, stop pushing it back and forth. I said I'd help you make money, and I will. These materials, along with the ones collected before, are all yours. You can do with them as you please, sell them or keep them."

As he spoke, he took off the Levitating Cloak and tossed it carelessly onto the back of a chair. He then let out a huge yawn, tears welling up in the corners of his eyes.

"I'm dead tired, my magic is completely depleted, and I just want to sleep. Don't bother me if it's nothing important."

Without waiting for Eddie to say anything else, he threw himself onto the soft four-poster bed, pulled the covers over his head, and almost instantly began to breathe evenly—asleep.

Eddie stood there, looking at the valuable Unicorn Mane in his hand, then at Silas, who was sound asleep on the bed. He opened his mouth, then swallowed his words. His heart was filled with gratitude and a complex, indescribable emotion. He carefully put away the silk bundle, tiptoed out of Silas's dormitory, and closed the door quietly behind him.

Tonight's experience had been too intense and shocking for Eddie, but it had also given him a deeper understanding and... awe of Silas. He decided that he would give Silas a large portion of the money earned from selling this Unicorn Mane, even though he knew Silas probably wouldn't care about such a small amount.

As for Silas, in his deep sleep, he began to recover his greatly depleted magic and gather strength for the potentially more complex situation that might unfold next.