Dumbledore's Desire

"Oh, but Snape is his Head of House!" Ron still couldn't help but say, "At the Quidditch match that day, it was him casting spells at Harry, and that broom almost killed you too. You mustn't go snitching to Snape!"

As Ron warned Breeze, Breeze rubbed his brow and said, "Don't worry, Snape confiscated my wand, I'm still furious with him. Hearing you say that just makes me even angrier."

"However," Breeze said, shielding the faint crimson glow in his eyes with his hand, "what about Professor Quirrell? I clearly saw him trying to enter the Forbidden Corridor on the fourth floor."

Hermione also fell into a thoughtful state.

"Maybe he discovered Snape's plot. After all, the Sorcerer's Stone is... is..."

Oh, it seems Harry and the others haven't yet discovered the connection between the Sorcerer's Stone and Nicolas Flamel, nor the purpose of the stone.

Breeze had no intention of telling them; he needed to observe further and strive for his own advantage.

"I think we should find out the secret of the Sorcerer's Stone first, but I have to go upstairs now. Because of the flying broom incident earlier, I need to speak with Headmaster Dumbledore."

Breeze studied Harry's face; the green pupils behind his glasses were incredibly deep, and the boy looked somewhat restrained, which was only natural given that Breeze was staring right at him.

"Don't worry, I don't mean to blame you. You are a victim too, and I can guarantee that I won't reveal what you've told me today until this matter is perfectly resolved."

Having said that, Breeze waved at Hermione and left the corner, heading up the stairs.

Ron frowned and said, "He isn't going to go complain to Dumbledore right now, is he?"

Harry regained his composure.

"I think it would be more useful for him to go to Snape, considering Snape hates me enough to want me dead."

Hermione, however, watched the departing Breeze, her eyes filled with doubt; she felt that Breeze was still keeping things from her.

"Once we uncover the secret of the Sorcerer's Stone, the truth will come to light."

Hermione said confidently. She wouldn't ask Breeze, because she believed she could solve the mystery herself; it was like a competition outside of class.

Breeze arrived at the door of the Headmaster's office and said to the stone gargoyle, "Could you notify Headmaster Dumbledore?"

The door opened shortly after.

"I am very sorry to disturb you, Headmaster."

Dumbledore was sitting behind the Headmaster's desk, looking at a candy advertisement flyer.

"Oh, it's nothing of great importance." Dumbledore didn't put the flyer down, then asked, "Is there something you need, Mr. Order?"

"Chirp!" Fawkes the phoenix on the wooden perch nearby chirped, seemingly wanting to get close to Breeze.

"Look, it likes you very much."

Dumbledore caught a glimpse of the cheerful phoenix and looked at Breeze with a probing gaze.

Breeze said, "It's about the flying broom... I think I know who the culprit is."

The flying broom incident that day had already caught the attention of the Wizards, especially since the professors had discovered traces of Dark Magic attached to it. This had made Professor McGonagall very angry, but she was always busy and could only hand the matter over to Snape; unfortunately, the trail had gone cold with him.

"Oh, Snape has spoken to me about this. I am very sorry you were injured at Hogwarts. You can rest assured, we will handle it properly."

"So, tell me about your culprit?"

Dumbledore put down the flyer, his blue eyes behind his half-moon spectacles flashing; he seemed somewhat surprised by what Breeze had to say.

"Snape?" Dumbledore stared at Breeze with a strange expression.

"I think you should have confidence in the school's professors. Although Snape is a bit strict, who else but him is such an excellent Potions Master? The pursuit of potions always makes him lose some things, such as the ability to express himself well."

Dumbledore spoke as if reminiscing, and when he saw Breeze's gaze become less firm, he laughed heartily and said, "We will investigate this matter thoroughly. Before then, you can stay away from the person you believe is the culprit, though I hope your Head of House won't be saddened."

Seeing that Breeze did not refute him, Dumbledore slowly continued, "You are very excellent, and very vigilant... I will have other professors assist Snape."

Dumbledore winked at Breeze.

"It will also be to monitor him. How does that sound to you?"

Breeze smiled inwardly, though his expression remained tense; he had already verified the answer.

"Of course, but there is only one thing I want to be sure of right now."

"You will be watching over what happens next, won't you? I don't want to end up in the Hospital Wing again."

Dumbledore sat up straight in his chair and gave Breeze a definitive answer: "I will be watching. When I am away, other professors will be watching as well. Protecting the Wizards is our duty; you can trust Hogwarts."

Breeze left the Headmaster's office expressionless, only exhaling once he returned to The Owlery.

"It's confirmed, Dumbledore won't intervene... He is the Headmaster, the greatest white wizard of the age, so why is he letting Quirrell be? What does he want to gain?"

Breeze firmly believed that no one would do something without a purpose.

"The secrets are all hidden in the Forbidden Corridor on the fourth floor. That Sorcerer's Stone is the bait, and Quirrell is... a pawn?"

"Dumbledore is trying to draw out the master behind Quirrell!"

Yes, Breeze understood, but he could not forgive Dumbledore. This was putting Hogwarts in a dangerous position. Did he have the certainty to ensure everyone's safety? No!

Breeze himself had nearly died.

"The greatest white wizard... just how 'white' is he? Or perhaps his perspective is on such a high level that he believes in the greater good, and that sacrifices are inevitable?"

But was this style of conduct suitable for Hogwarts? The answer was even more of a firm no. The primary purpose of Hogwarts was to educate and nurture, and even if it had been built like a fortress a thousand years ago, that could not change.

"I appreciate those with a grand perspective, but I cannot tolerate being a sacrificial pawn on the chessboard."

Breeze had never been this angry before. He hated having his fate controlled by others. His ability to utilize the contract and risk injury to impose a counter-restriction on Quirrell was a testament to this; life was precious, freedom was priceless. Temporary forbearance was acceptable, but he would never be a pushover.

Breeze decided that he was going to the Forbidden Corridor. Since Quirrell was also a pawn, then let this pawn remain in the Forbidden Corridor forever. As for the master behind Quirrell, that was for Dumbledore to deal with; it had nothing to do with Breeze.

Once this matter was over, Breeze had no desire to interact with Dumbledore at all. This man was terrifying—who knew if one might be sold out and still be expected to be grateful for it!

Self-righteous Dumbledore, hmph!

However, what was the deal with the Savior?

With a little careful thought, Breeze could detect Dumbledore's favoritism toward Harry. If he wasn't mistaken, the exception made to the Quidditch selection rules was because of him. Otherwise, every year had excellent students; why break the rules precisely after the arrival of this Savior?

When Dumbledore announced that first-years could participate in Quidditch, Professor McGonagall, who was in charge, had been incredibly surprised. This matter was clearly orchestrated by Dumbledore—since when had Dumbledore been so proactive?

"The Boy Who Lived defeated the Dark Lord... a one-year-old child defeated You-Know-Who back then?"

Recalling the faint, lightning-shaped scar on Harry's forehead when he saw him, Breeze felt as if he had realized something.

"So, Quirrell's master is You-Know-Who?"

"You-Know-Who is not dead yet!"

Breeze rested his head in his hands, feeling a headache coming on. Recent events were simply too complex. He felt as if he had fallen into a massive web, and while there were clearly many breakthrough points, he found it difficult to move; the right timing had not yet arrived.

The speculation that You-Know-Who was not dead made Breeze feel both incredulous and yet it felt like a matter of course. How could a world-renowned figure die so easily and absurdly? You-Know-Who was not a fool.

"Dumbledore sent Hagrid to retrieve the Sorcerer's Stone from Gringotts, so Hagrid must be someone Dumbledore trusts. The information Potter and Hermione obtained was very likely leaked by Dumbledore on purpose."

"But why? Mr. Potter is poor even at his studies; he's only good at riding a broomstick."

"Breeze, what are you muttering about?" Faner was spitting sparks of lamp oil nearby, looking at Breeze's listless state with concern.

"Perhaps you should go eat; it's not early anymore."

"Gurgle..."

"You're right, Faner."

Breeze temporarily set aside the doubts in his heart. He only needed to uncover the secret of the fourth-floor Forbidden Corridor to understand everything; why torment himself like this?

Breeze left the Owlery and, after finishing dinner, heard Cedric's voice.

"Here is your small box. Professor Sprout asked me to return it to you... however."

However?

Breeze couldn't help but grow tense. He prayed it wasn't about the discovery of the unicorn carcass in the garden.

Seeing Breeze's nervous expression, Cedric smiled and said, "Professor Sprout said she needs to prepare decorative plants for the upcoming Christmas, so she needs some young wizards to help, and she specifically asked for you."

"Phew, oh, that's a small matter. Sigh, but is Christmas coming already? That's really fast."

Breeze's eyes held a touch of sadness, but the emotion vanished so quickly that Cedric didn't even notice.

"Aren't you planning to go home?" Cedric asked.

Breeze didn't seem to have told anyone about his personal affairs, and he didn't intend to.

"I've decided to stay at school. I hope Christmas at Hogwarts is safer than Halloween."

After hearing this, Cedric seemed to recall that when they were at King's Cross Station, Breeze had arrived alone. Based on the owl traffic Breeze had received over the past few months, Cedric vaguely understood something.

"If you don't mind, I can invite you to my home for Christmas."

"Sorry, Cedric, I don't think I'd adapt well. I'll be happier at Hogwarts."

Breeze wasn't lying. He had never liked Christmas because it was the day he had been abandoned at the orphanage, and it was also Betty's hated birthday. Yet, Breeze had never given her a birthday gift, and Betty had only given him a satchel when he was nine.

Perhaps he could take advantage of Christmas, when most young wizards went home, to explore the fourth-floor Forbidden Corridor. Many professors would also be leaving Hogwarts that day, and he heard Quirrell was leaving too...

Sigh, wait, Breeze felt this might not be a good time, because he had thought the same thing during the last Quidditch match, and the result had left him full of regret. He had tried to steal a chicken only to lose the rice—how frustrating!