The four beneath the Invisibility Cloak froze instantly, as if their blood had turned to ice. Hermione instinctively clutched Lynn's arm tightly, her nails nearly digging through his clothes into his skin, her heart pounding as though it might leap from her throat. In the darkness, Lynn could clearly feel the tension in her body and her faint trembling. He gripped her wrist firmly in return, conveying a silent command: Stay calm!
Lynn's reaction was unbelievably fast. At the same moment Ron gave his warning, he had already slipped the deep purple Potions Book back into the drawer at lightning speed and casually brushed away any traces of dust he might have left behind. His movements were smooth and silent, as though rehearsed hundreds of times. His other hand swiftly and firmly wrapped around Hermione's waist, guiding her away from the desk toward a corner completely shrouded by the shadow of a tall bookshelf.
"Hide!" he ordered in a breath so quiet that only the three beside him could hear it.
Harry and Ron reacted as well, scrambling toward the same corner. The four squeezed together beneath the Invisibility Cloak, pressed tightly against the cold, rough stone wall and the moldy back of the bookshelf. They desperately shrank into the deepest shadows, scarcely daring to breathe.
Creak—
The office door was pushed open.
Professor Quirrell appeared in the doorway, wrapped in his signature oversized purple turban. His face looked particularly pale and haggard in the dim light. He seemed exhausted, muttering things like, "Translated it wrong... Madam Pince really is..." as he rubbed his temples and dragged himself inside. He did not light the lamps immediately, merely groping his way through the darkness toward the desk.
Beneath the Invisibility Cloak, four hearts seemed clenched by invisible hands, lodged in their throats. Hermione was pressed tightly against Lynn's chest and could clearly hear his steady, powerful heartbeat. Miraculously, the sound eased some of her own panic. Lynn's hand remained firmly at her waist, the warmth of his palm through the fabric giving her a reassuring strength. He lowered his head slightly, his warm breath brushing her bangs and bringing a faint tickle along with an indescribable flutter. In the darkness, the Moon White Stone and Star Stone resonated through their clothes, sending out a strange, soothing warmth in unison.
Quirrell fumbled until he lit the dim oil lamp on the desk. Its yellow glow barely opened up a small patch of space. He collapsed heavily into the chair behind the desk, letting out a long, pained sigh. He tugged irritably at his turban, his fingers tapping nervously against the desktop as his hollow eyes stared at the flickering flame. He seemed anxious about something, continuing to mutter vague words such as "Master... time... pain..."
He did not notice that the shadows in the corner of the office were slightly darker than usual, nor did he detect the faint, nearly suspended breaths behind the bookshelf. He sat there lifelessly for several minutes, sometimes sighing, sometimes twisting his fingers nervously. To the four beneath the Invisibility Cloak, those few minutes felt as long as centuries.
At last, Quirrell seemed to make some sort of decision and abruptly stood up. He walked to the drawer Lynn had searched and pulled it open! Hermione's heart leapt into her throat. If he discovered the book had been moved...
Quirrell rummaged through the drawer and took out a small black bottle filled with some kind of thick, dark red liquid. He pulled out the stopper, his face twisting with extreme disgust and fear. Pinching his nose, he tipped back his head and drained the liquid in one gulp! Immediately afterward, he let out a muffled groan of extreme pain, his body convulsing violently. Beads of sweat instantly appeared on his forehead, and his face turned even grayer. He leaned against the desk and panted for a long while before tossing the empty bottle back into the drawer and locking it again. Then, without sparing another glance at the rest of the office, he staggered out, apparently eager to find somewhere to ease the pain caused by the potion.
Only after Quirrell's footsteps had completely faded at the end of the corridor did the four beneath the Invisibility Cloak finally dare to slowly and silently release the long breath they had been holding.
"Merlin..." Ron's voice trembled with the weakness of someone who had just escaped death. "What the hell was that thing he drank?"
"It looked like... blood?" Harry's voice was tight too. What they had just witnessed had been far too bizarre.
"He mentioned 'Master'!" Hermione whispered, her voice filled with shock and cold dread. "And the way he suffered after drinking that... Lynn, that book..."
Lynn pulled Hermione along, signaling for everyone to leave this dangerous place first. The four became shifting shadows once more, slipping back to Gryffindor Tower as quickly and quietly as possible.
When the Fat Lady's portrait closed behind them and they safely returned to the noisy, warm common room, the four pulled off the Invisibility Cloak, their faces pale with lingering fear.
"That book belonged to Snape!" Lynn concisely recounted the key information he had seen, especially the passages Quirrell had marked regarding suppressing parasites, Devil's Snare, and Fluffy's weaknesses. "Quirrell is using Snape's research to try to break through the protections around the Philosopher's Stone. There's someone behind him. He calls them 'Master.'"
"Parasites... Pain Potion..." Hermione's expression was grave as she analyzed it quickly. "Combined with the way he drank that potion just now... Professor Quirrell may be controlled by some powerful Dark Magic creature, or... a dark wizard? Is he being forced? Is that why he's so afraid?"
"Snape threatened him! That day in the third-floor corridor!" Harry suddenly remembered. "Was Snape forcing him to help 'Master' steal the Philosopher's Stone? Or trying to stop him?" The tangled clues pointed toward an even darker conspiracy.
"Whoever wants to steal it, Fluffy is only the first obstacle." Lynn's gaze swept over the others. "Devil's Snare is the second. We need a Strong Light Source. Hermione, you're good at charms."
"The advanced version of Lumos, or... precise control of Incendio." Hermione immediately switched into work mode, her mind racing. "I need to practice."
"And that potion..." Ron rubbed his arms, as though he could still feel Quirrell's pain. "He seemed really dependent on it."
"Our immediate priority is getting past Fluffy and Devil's Snare." Lynn made the decision. "Ron, your lullaby must be recorded by tomorrow. Hermione, the light charm is your responsibility. As for Quirrell and the 'Master' behind him..." He looked through the common room window at the heavy night outside. Beneath his collar, the Star Stone gave off a faint warmth carrying a sense of warning. "Wait and watch. Gather more information. They're more desperate than we are."
The plan advanced in tense but orderly fashion. Ron got hold of a recorder and recorded an ancient lullaby, soft and soothing in melody, hummed by a House-elf in the Hogwarts Kitchens. After the twins modified the machine, it played the song loudly and clearly. Hermione, meanwhile, buried herself in charm practice, often spending hours alone in empty classrooms. Her goal was to raise "Lumos" to a level bright enough to illuminate an entire room and make Devil's Snare recoil at once, or to precisely control "Incendio" so that it burned only the vines without starting a fire.
During those tense days of preparation, the castle quietly began to change as well. As January wore on, signs of melting snow became increasingly obvious. The wind blowing through the castle corridors was no longer biting cold, carrying instead a faint scent of damp earth. Students gradually traded their heavy winter robes for slightly thinner woolen ones. More noticeably, a restless yet sweet atmosphere began to fill the air.
The spirit of Valentine's Day quietly crept over Hogwarts like climbing vines.
Pink and gold ribbons conjured by magic began to appear on the corridor windows. Enchanted paper cranes carried love letters or little gifts as they clumsily flew around, occasionally crashing into suits of armor or portraits and prompting bursts of good-natured laughter. Peeves had been especially excited lately, scattering bubbles that made people blush and magical scraps of paper that sang off-key love songs everywhere.
"I can't stand it!" Ron swatted away a silver paper crane carrying a heart-shaped candy that nearly flew into his nose as they headed to the Great Hall for breakfast. "It's only the end of January! Valentine's Day is still two weeks away!"
"It's a Hogwarts tradition." Hermione shrugged, though her eyes were involuntarily drawn to an elegant blue paper crane flying past with a small bunch of enchanted roses. "I heard there's already a notice on the bulletin board. This year's special Valentine's Day event is the Starlight Ball."
"A ball?" Harry and Ron cried out together, their expressions entirely different. Harry looked confused, while Ron looked somewhat horrified.
"Yes." Hermione nodded, a barely noticeable longing on her face. "On Valentine's Day night, in the Great Hall. Apparently, it's meant to let everyone relax after all their stressful studies. It requires... ahem, a dance partner."
"A dance partner?!" Ron's face instantly turned as red as a boiled lobster, his eyes darting around in panic. "Th-this is too sudden! Who... who would..."
Harry awkwardly scratched his messy black hair as well.
Hermione's gaze swept seemingly casually over Lynn beside her. He still showed little expression as he walked quietly, as though the lively Valentine's Day atmosphere around them and the word "ball" had nothing to do with him. The small spark of expectation and nervousness in Hermione's heart deflated a little like a punctured balloon. She pressed her lips together slightly.
Over the next few days, the Starlight Ball became the hottest topic in the castle. Girls gathered together excitedly to discuss what dresses to wear, while boys began awkwardly practicing how to ask someone to dance—or, like Ron, tried their best to hide beneath an Invisibility Cloak. Even the library could not escape it. Quiet discussions and low giggles of successful invitations could often be heard in its corners.
That afternoon, Hermione was practicing Lumos Maxima in an abandoned charms practice room on the seventh floor of the castle. Completely focused, she made dazzling white spheres of light burst from the tip of her wand again and again, turning the dim classroom as bright as day. Sweat dampened the loose strands of hair on her forehead. After another casting, the sphere hovered steadily and brightly in the air, lasting a full three seconds longer than before. She let out a satisfied breath and wiped the sweat from her brow with her sleeve.
"You've improved a lot." A calm voice came from the doorway.
Hermione jumped, nearly dropping her wand. When she turned around, Lynn was standing there somehow, leaning against the doorframe. He held two books in his hands, his gaze resting on the lingering glow at the tip of her wand.
"Lynn? How did you..." Hermione's heart inexplicably skipped faster.
"There weren't any seats in the library." Lynn explained concisely as he walked in. "I heard the noise on the way." He walked to the center of the classroom and looked up at the lingering magical traces of light on the ceiling. "The brightness and stability are both enough to drive back Devil's Snare. What about Incendio?"
"I'm still practicing the range of control," Hermione answered honestly, walking to the side to pick up her water bottle and take a drink. "Precisely stopping the flames from spreading is a little difficult."
"Mm." Lynn nodded, seemingly unsurprised. He set down the books in his hands, his gaze passing over Hermione's flushed cheeks and bright eyes from practice before pausing. The classroom was very quiet. Only the occasional laughter of students outside the window and the flutter of paper crane wings could be heard. That cloying atmosphere unique to Valentine's Day seemed to have quietly seeped inside as well.
Hermione grew a little uncomfortable under his gaze and lowered her head to straighten her wand. She could feel her cheeks heating up.
A brief silence. Lynn's gaze passed over Hermione and fell on a small item hanging from her schoolbag in the corner of the practice room—a delicate music box set with tiny sapphires. It was a Muggle Christmas gift sent by her parents, and she had added a little magic to it so it could play a simple melody.
"The Starlight Ball," Lynn suddenly said, his voice as even as ever, betraying no emotion. "Do you have a dance partner?"
Hermione abruptly looked up and met Lynn's deep, tranquil eyes. Her heart seemed to be gripped by an invisible hand, then began pounding madly against her chest like a drum. The heat in her cheeks surged at once. He... he was asking that? What did it mean? Was he simply asking? Or was it...
She opened her mouth, feeling that her throat had gone dry and her mind blank. Her usually prized logic and quick tongue had both stopped working. The secret expectations that had quietly circled in her heart, only to be forcibly pressed down, now churned like a lake disturbed by a thrown stone.
Outside the practice room window, a golden enchanted paper crane happened to fly past, scattering tiny flecks of light and sweet, off-key notes.
Before you continue