Undercurrents and Starlight (Part 1)

The thrill of the Invisibility Cloak had barely faded, and Harry and Ron's excitement crackled like the fire in the Gryffindor common room. Huddled in an old armchair by the fireplace, they spoke in hushed, animated tones, dissecting every detail of their recent adventure, especially Linley's seemingly magical method of calming Fluffy.

"Merlin's saggy left sock! Linley, how did you do that?" Ron finally burst out, turning to Linley, who sat in a slightly more distant armchair, his eyes filled with pure adoration. "Just like that! Those three heads that could swallow a person whole... just fell asleep? More effective than Hagrid's accordion!"

Harry also looked over eagerly, his green eyes sparkling in the firelight. Tonight's experience had given him a completely new perspective on his quiet classmate.

Linley was looking down, rubbing the Star Stone pendant hanging around his neck. It had returned to its usual gentle glow, as if the power that had erupted moments ago was merely an illusion. Hearing Ron's question, he looked up, his expression unreadable. "Coincidence. Probably the stone," he said, tapping the Star Stone with his fingertip, "and Hermione's Moon White Stone, resonating in that tense situation. It soothed Fluffy's emotions." He paused, adding, "The principle is unknown, and it might not work next time."

His tone was calm, stating facts with an undeniable certainty, skillfully sidestepping the core issue. Hermione sat on a low stool beside Linley, a book titled Analysis of Common Magical Creatures' Behavior open on her lap, though she hadn't turned a page. She had keenly noticed the deliberate reservation in Linley's words but didn't press him. The feeling of his hand, the strange and comforting warmth that had flowed when the two stones resonated, was imprinted on her heart more vividly than any explanation. She simply gave a soft "Mm," her fingertip unconsciously stroking her own Moon White Stone pendant, feeling its steady pulse.

"Alright, who cares how! We succeeded anyway!" Ron's attention was quickly drawn to more pressing matters. "The problem now is, how do we deal with that giant dog? Hermione, you said music? Will it really work?"

"Absolutely," Hermione was immediately pulled back to the topic, leaning forward slightly, her tone regaining its usual certainty. "Hagrid said so himself, and he demonstrated it. Fluffy is completely defenseless against music; any soothing melody can make it fall asleep quickly. Ron, is your modified record player loud enough?"

"No problem!" Ron patted his chest reassuringly. "Fred and George added the Amplifying Charm and the Penetrating Charm to it. It's loud enough to play rock music in the Quidditch stadium! Should we record a lullaby or... hmm... a slow song by the Weird Sisters?"

"A lullaby is safer," Hermione decided firmly. "The melody is simple and has a strong hypnotic effect. We'll start preparing tomorrow." She clearly assigned tasks. "Harry, you'll find an opportunity to confirm the details of Fluffy's reaction to music with Hagrid, naturally. Ron, the record player and song selection are up to you. As for what's beyond the trapdoor..." Her delicate eyebrows furrowed habitually again as she looked at Linley. "We need to figure out what's down there. Since the professors set up protective measures, it won't just be Fluffy."

Linley nodded. "Professor Quirrell and Snape are the breakthroughs. One is on guard, the other has ulterior motives; both might leave clues."

"Exactly!" Hermione's eyes lit up. "Especially Professor Quirrell! He's so... nervous, maybe his office has some oversight? Or we could subtly probe..."

"A nighttime visit to Quirrell's office." Linley calmly finished her thought, stating it as a fact, not a question. The audacious idea made Harry and Ron gasp.

"Are you crazy?" Ron whispered. "That's a professor's office! Ten times more dangerous than the Forbidden Corridor! If we get caught, we'll be expelled for sure!"

"That's why we need the Invisibility Cloak, and even more, a plan." Linley's tone was unwavering, as if discussing tomorrow's weather. "The objective is clear: find clues related to the protection of the Sorcerer's Stone or Nicolas Flamel (N.F.). We won't take anything, just look. Avoiding Filch and Mrs. Norris is the top priority, and we must choose a time when Quirrell is unlikely to be present."

Hermione's heart raced with tension and a flicker of secret excitement. It was risky, but Linley's calmness anchored her. She quickly accessed information in her mind: "Professor Quirrell has a special privilege to organize ancient Runic texts in the library's restricted section every Wednesday evening from seven to nine. His office is empty then. Tomorrow is Wednesday."

The time window was found. Harry and Ron exchanged glances. Though still apprehensive, Linley and Hermione's composure gave them courage.

"Okay," Harry took a deep breath. "Let's do it! But we have to be extremely careful!"

Wednesday evening, dusk draped Hogwarts Castle in a veil of grayish-blue. At 6:50 PM, four figures huddled once more under the Invisibility Cloak, like flowing shadows, silently gliding through the increasingly quiet corridors. This time, Hermione and Linley were closer. Every movement in the confined space, the rustle of fabric, the slight brush of arms, made Hermione acutely aware of Linley's presence and his clean scent. The Moon White Stone against her skin sent waves of steady, reassuring warmth, as if silently echoing the heartbeat of the person beside her.

Quirrell's office was located in a secluded corner on the third floor of the castle. Above the door hung a dried, strangely shaped unicorn skull, emitting a faint, mixed scent of herbs and dust. The corridor was empty, save for the soft snores of figures in distant portraits. Linley pressed his ear against the heavy wooden door, listening for a moment to confirm the silence within. He took out his wand and whispered at the keyhole, "Alohomora."

With a soft click, the lock sprang open.

The four held their breath as Harry gently pushed the door ajar. It was pitch black inside, filled with a more intense, mixed odor—a strong garlic scent (which Quirrell claimed was to ward off vampires he'd encountered in Romania), the smell of old parchment, and an indescribable, moldy herb-like aroma. Confirming it was safe, the four quickly slipped inside, Harry closing the door behind him.

Quirrell's office was narrow and cluttered. The walls were lined with tall bookshelves, crammed with dusty scrolls, rusty instruments, and glass jars containing suspicious liquids or specimens. A large desk, also piled high with clutter, occupied most of the space. The only light source was a dim oil lamp on the desk; the oil seemed nearly depleted, the flame flickering weakly.

"Split up and search, quickly!" Harry urged in a low whisper, his voice barely audible. "Be careful not to knock anything over!"

Ron was immediately drawn to a miniature, self-rotating pyramid model on a shelf and cautiously approached it. Harry began quickly sifting through the scattered documents on the desk—mostly student essays and drafts on the theory of Defense Against the Dark Arts, written in a messy, heavily corrected hand.

Hermione's gaze swept over the bookshelves, searching for any titles related to the Sorcerer's Stone or alchemy. Her fingertips brushed over thick book spines: A Compendium of Eastern European Vampire Variants, Foundational Defensive Spell Theory (Revised Edition), Common Phobias in the Wizarding World and Their Cures... She found nothing.

Linley didn't search blindly like the others. He stood in the center of the office, his gaze like the most precise detection spell, calmly scanning the entire environment. Dust motes floated in the dim light. There was an almost imperceptible scuff mark on the edge of the desk, as if someone frequently leaned there. His gaze finally settled on a half-open drawer to the left of the desk.

He walked over silently. The drawer was stuffed with miscellaneous items: a few used bandages (with a faint, strange medicinal smell), a box of damp matches, several tarnished Bronze Knuts, and... a book pressed to the bottom, its dark purple hardcover peeking out.

Linley carefully pulled it out, avoiding disturbing other items. The book was thick, its cover made of heavily worn dark purple dragonhide, with no gilded title. Only in the bottom right corner was a small, familiar ink stamp—a raven holding a scroll. His pupils contracted—that was Snape's private mark! He had seen a similar symbol on the door of the Potions professor's office. Flipping open the title page, a familiar, elegant, and slightly sharp italicized text met his eyes:

Advanced Potion-Making: Extraordinary Techniques and Forbidden Boundaries

—By Severus Snape

Personal Annotated Edition

This was Snape's personal copy, filled with extensive annotations! It absolutely shouldn't be in Quirrell's drawer!

Linley quickly flipped through the pages. A cool scent, characteristic of Snape's office—a mixture of potion ingredients and old books—permeated the pages. The blank margins were filled with dense notes, the handwriting identical to that on the title page, Snape's hand. The content was extremely advanced, involving many out-of-curriculum and even dangerous potion recipes and theories. However, what alerted Linley wasn't the knowledge itself, but the deep creases on several pages from repeated flipping, and beside certain passages, trembling, faint pencil marks—clearly left by Quirrell—in a handwriting completely different from Snape's.

His sharp gaze swept over the passages marked by Quirrell:

"...For certain highly parasitic dark magical entities, a mixture of moonstone powder and unicorn blood, combined with specific counter-curse gestures, can temporarily suppress their activity, at the cost of the host enduring severe soul-burning pain..." (Beside it, Quirrell's trembling handwriting: Tried it, effective but intensely painful, couldn't last.)

"...The light-averse properties of Devil's Snare can be reversed by high-intensity light and heat spells, but one must be wary of its amplified coiling power when provoked..." (Pencil marks beside it: Needs strong light, flames blazing? Fluorescent flicker highly effective?)

"...Understanding the core weakness is crucial when dealing with magical creatures guarding treasures. Music has a powerful calming and hypnotic effect on some species with acute hearing (such as the three-headed dog, Fluffy), a significant biological flaw..." (Quirrell had circled this passage multiple times with force in the blank space.)

Linley's heart sank. These markings were as clear as road signs on a map! They pointed to the key obstacles protecting the Sorcerer's Stone: suppressing a parasitic entity (likely the trouble on Quirrell's own head), navigating the Devil's Snare, and using music against Fluffy! Quirrell wasn't just researching; he was likely paving the way for someone (or the entity on his head)! Snape's book was Quirrell's strategy guide!

"Someone's coming!" Ron, who was nervously peering through the crack in the door as a lookout, suddenly let out a choked gasp, his voice distorted, like a chicken being strangled.

Almost simultaneously, footsteps echoed from the corridor outside! Not Filch's heavy boots, nor Mrs. Norris's light paw steps, but... a dragging, hesitant, slightly neurotic sound of leather shoes on the floor! Accompanied by a few suppressed coughs—it was Quirrell! He was back early!