Taking the First Step

"I'm afraid so, Harry. From what you've said, Voldemort may really have returned," Kano answered seriously.

"Where is he? I have to find him—I want revenge!" Harry let go of Kano's shoulders and began pacing wildly around the empty classroom.

"Calm down, Harry! You're only a young wizard right now, and your parents wouldn't want you drowning yourself in hatred."

"Take it one step at a time. Voldemort won't recover that quickly. Back then, you nearly killed him."

With Kano's reassurance, Harry gradually calmed down, though there was now an added resolve in his eyes.

"After the exams, I want to see Headmaster Dumbledore," Harry said in a low voice.

"I support you, mate," Kano said aloud, while thinking, When the time comes, I'm afraid old Dumbledore will be the one coming to see you.

In truth, Harry's scar had suddenly started hurting entirely because Voldemort had controlled Quirrell and made him drink unicorn blood.

The vitality brought by the unicorn blood had allowed Voldemort to recover somewhat. Of course, poor Quirrell's life had already entered its countdown.

He had already been drained dry, yet they were still squeezing him for more. In the end, there probably would not even be any dregs left.

The exams began soon after. With Kano's memory, there was no problem at all with the written portions.

After all, they were only a group of eleven-year-old children. The difficulty of the exams was easy to imagine.

The practical examination room was exceptionally lively. Each student was called into the classroom alone, and crackling noises constantly came from within.

The one who had just gone in seemed to be Seamus. That kid could make anything explode, no matter what spell he used.

When Kano entered the classroom, Professor Flitwick was using a Repairing Charm on the long table in front of him.

"Oh, Kano, I can finally relax a little," Professor Flitwick said, setting down his wand and rubbing his hands together before sitting comfortably on his tall stool.

"Professor, what is my task?"

"Very simple." Professor Flitwick pointed at the pear on the long table. "Make it tap-dance its way across the table."

Kano waved his wand, and the pear grew two arms and two legs.

Professor Flitwick nodded approvingly, only to see the pear with limbs wiggle twice before tripping over itself and falling to the floor.

"Er... don't be nervous, child."

Professor Flitwick tried to reassure Kano, who gave him an awkward smile.

"Professor, I'm not very good at dancing."

In the end, Kano directed the legged pear to somersault from one side of the table to the other, finishing with an aerial split.

Professor Flitwick nodded in satisfaction, and the practical Charms exam ended just like that.

The practical Transfiguration exam that followed went smoothly. Kano turned the mouse into a snuffbox, perfectly ordinary, with no extra tail or whiskers left behind.

Once the final History of Magic exam was over, Kano quickly left the examination room.

Dumbledore had sent Fawkes with a message that morning, telling him to come to the Headmaster's office.

"Password."

The stone gargoyle at the entrance to the Headmaster's office lifted its eyelids and glanced at Kano.

"This is no fun, mate. Dumbledore was the one who told me to come," Kano said. He knew perfectly well that the Headmaster's office password was just a pretense. If Dumbledore did not want to see you, the stone gargoyle would not let you in even if you knew the password.

"Say one quickly, so I can make things difficult for the next person." The stone gargoyle hopped aside, and the spiral staircase descended.

"How about preserved plum candy?" Kano said as he stepped onto the staircase and turned his head.

"Dumbledore will like it. That'll do."

When Kano entered the Headmaster's office, Dumbledore was packing some things.

"Headmaster, I'm here. Are you so eager to go on holiday?"

"Just a short trip. I intend to rest a little before McGonagall urgently calls me back." Dumbledore waved his wand, and a cup of hot tea and a dish of sweets appeared before Kano.

Thank goodness, it was not Cockroach Clusters this time.

"I believe you've already left Harry enough clues." Dumbledore sat across from Kano. "I can confirm that Quirrell will make his move tonight."

"Because if he doesn't act now, he won't get another chance?"

"Because I had Snape temporarily loosen his surveillance of him." Dumbledore's expression remained calm. As expected of a master of fine control, everything was under his command.

"All right. Once Quirrell goes through the trapdoor, I'll go in as well and wait for Harry before the final obstacle." Kano lifted his tea and took a sip.

All that remained was to wait.

"Kano! Have you seen Kano?" The trio searched the castle like headless flies, while Kano was happily eating lunch in the Headmaster's office.

Harry suddenly realized that after drinking alcohol, Hagrid had told that hooded trader how to get past Fluffy.

He believed that person was either Snape or Voldemort. When he frantically searched for Kano, his classmates all said they had not seen him since the exams ended.

"How could he have disappeared? He's so clever... could it be?" Harry suddenly thought of a terrifying possibility.

"Snape couldn't have killed him, could he?" Hermione covered her mouth in horror.

"What are you talking about?"

A cold voice came from behind them. Snape, dressed in flowing black robes, swept toward them close to the ground like a bat.

"You'd better behave yourselves and not cause trouble at the end of term."

The trio held their breath. Snape's icy gaze swept over them before he left the corridor.

Harry and the others had already imagined Snape killing Kano, dragging his body out of the castle, and throwing him into a deep pit.

Kano's handsome face was gradually covered by dirt, his lifeless eyes staring up at the sky...

"No, no, probably not." Ron shook his head. "Besides, Kano isn't the kind of person to put on a brave front. He'd definitely leave a note or something."

The three hurried back to the boys' dormitory. Kano's bed was perfectly neat, with only a book lying on the pillow.

Hermione picked up the book and shook it. A note fell out from inside.

"Wait until I return. Then we'll talk."

The three looked at one another, at a loss for words.

"Hermione, stay here and look through this book. Maybe Kano left us a clue."

After saying that, Harry took Ron with him to find McGonagall, ready to report Snape.

"Snape wants to steal the Philosopher's Stone and may have hurt Kano?" McGonagall adjusted her glasses and looked at Harry helplessly.

"That's impossible, Harry. Snape has been grading papers all day. That's exam papers for all seven years."

"Then is Professor Dumbledore at school? We want to talk to him." Harry asked anxiously.

"Professor Dumbledore has gone to London. The Ministry of Magic asked for him. He only just left, and he won't be back until tomorrow."

That night, Harry, Hermione, and Ron sat in the common room as if on pins and needles. Hermione held Kano's note, completely stumped.

At midnight, Hermione suddenly cried out.

"Look!"

The words on the note had changed into "Philosopher's Stone."

After an intense internal struggle, the trio decided to act alone. They would go through the trapdoor and take the Philosopher's Stone before "Snape" could steal it.

Meanwhile, Kano stood beyond the trapdoor, amusedly patting the middle head of Fluffy, the three-headed dog.