"What? You—you mean The Dark Lord might have returned?" Hermione covered her mouth in shock, staring at Harry in disbelief. Mya could even feel the hand Hermione was holding hers with becoming damp.
Draco's face had gone a little pale as well, but he remained unusually silent.
Since it was so late, Mya did not ask them about The Dark Lord.
The four went their separate ways. Back in the dormitory, Mya was still marveling at the thrilling and perilous trip to the Forbidden Forest that day.
Early the next morning, Harry told Mya that someone had returned his Invisibility Cloak the night before.
Mya was happy for him. It was good that he had not lost it.
Soon, Shalian and the others dragged her off to review, and she forgot to ask about The Dark Lord.
Exam day arrived quickly. For Charms, they had to make a pineapple tap-dance across a desk. It was a little difficult, but Mya happened to enjoy using that spell to dance with Qiqi.
For Transfiguration class, they had to turn a mouse into a snuffbox. What surprised Mya most was Potions class: the exam was on the Forgetfulness Potion Professor Snape had tutored her on.
The final exam was History of Magic. Mya was thrilled; finishing the exams meant vacation! Vacation was finally here. Without realizing it, she had been studying for so long.
Mya went to her familiar spot again. "Calori, are you there?"
Her hand stirred the surface of the lake again and again.
Ripples spread outward in layers. The next moment, Calori appeared, his expression faint and unreadable.
Mya set the basket of food on the grass and sat down as well. Patting the spot beside her, she said, "We just finished our exams today."
"Mm." After sitting down, he wore a faint smile. "So you came to see me as soon as you finished?"
"No, I went to the kitchen first, then came to see you." Mya honestly replied, picking up a pudding.
"Is the pudding good?" Calori picked up one as well.
"It's good."
"Mya Mu, so you were here." It was Hermione's voice, with Harry and Ron following behind her.
"Why are you here?" Mya waved to them, then said to Calori, "These are my friends: Hermione, Ron, and Harry."
"This is my Mermaid friend, Calori." Mya gently patted Calori's head, which was currently lowered.
After they exchanged greetings, Harry spoke. "We noticed a few things and thought we should find Hagrid and ask him about them."
Mya glanced at Calori. He smiled. "It's fine. How about you keep me company and chat tonight?"
"Of course." Reassured, Mya left with Harry and the others.
At the time, Hagrid was shelling peas outside his hut when he saw Mya and the others running over.
"Looks like your exams are over. Do you have time for tea now?"
"We do," Ron said. After Harry shot him a look, he changed his answer. "All right, we don't."
Harry hurriedly asked, "Hagrid, we have something to ask you. Do you remember the night you won Norbert in that card game? What did the stranger playing with you look like?"
Hagrid thought for a moment. "I didn't see his face. He wore a black cloak and a black hood the whole time."
Harry and the other two immediately looked stunned.
"That was the same outfit as that person last night," Mya said.
"Oh, that sort of outfit is actually quite common at the Hog's Head Inn, because all sorts of strange people go there," Hagrid said distractedly.
Hermione frowned. "Did he mention Hogwarts?"
"Um... I think he did. Now that I remember, he asked me what I did, and I told him."
"He asked what animals I guarded, and I told him I'd always wanted a dragon. He even bought me lots of drinks."
"He was worried I wouldn't be able to handle a fire dragon, so I told him I could even keep Fluffy under control. Oh, thank you, Mya Mu." Mya handed Hagrid his tea.
Harry maintained a calm exterior. "Was he interested in Fluffy?"
"That's right, he was quite interested. Three-headed dogs are rare creatures, after all. Fluffy's actually easy to deal with. Aside from Mya Mu's talent, just play them a little music and they'll fall asleep."
"Did you tell that person?" Hermione asked.
"Oh, of course."
"We're done for." Harry threw out those words and immediately ran off. The others could only follow him, leaving a bewildered Hagrid behind.
"We have to find Dumbledore. That person must be one of Voldemort, Snape, or Quirrell." Mya felt helpless. It seemed Snape still had not cleared himself of Harry's suspicions. But who was Voldemort?
They ran into Professor McGonagall. "Where are you lot going?"
Mya obediently answered, "We're looking for Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor."
"I'm afraid you won't find him. He left ten minutes ago after receiving an urgent letter from the Ministry of Magic, and flew to London," Professor McGonagall said.
Seeing Harry anxiously about to ask something, Mya pressed his hand. "Then, Professor, when will he be back?"
"He'll return tomorrow. Oh, Mya Mu, would you like to spend the summer with me? Dumbledore has a great many matters to attend to, so I doubt he'll have much time to look after you." Professor McGonagall smiled at Mya.
"Thank you, Professor, but he has already left me in Professor Snape's care." Mya was speechless. Harry and the other two were stunned, while Professor McGonagall left disappointed.
"Mya Mu, why didn't you let me tell Professor McGonagall that someone was going to steal the Sorcerer's Stone?" Harry asked.
Mya shook her head. "Professor McGonagall wouldn't believe us. She might even ask how we knew about the Sorcerer's Stone. Besides, she's one of the people guarding it."
"Then what do we do?" Ron asked.
"Are you wandering around here?" That familiar voice of the Snake King—it was Snape.
Harry and the other two had already developed a shadow of fear around him, while Mya complained inwardly, Honestly, McGonagall leaves, and Snape shows up.
"A reminder: if you three wander around the castle in the middle of the night, the consequences will be severe." Snape stared fixedly at Harry, as though he wanted to bore straight through him.
"Understood, Professor Snape. Goodbye." Mya grabbed their robes and made a quick escape.
"We need to watch Quirrell and Snape separately." Harry took a deep breath. "Hermione, you watch Snape. Mya Mu, watch Quirrell. Ron and I will go to the fourth-floor corridor."
Mya nodded in agreement. It felt a little like a spy game.
Mya watched Quirrell enter his office, but he did not come out even after a long time.
She crept up to the door, thinking she might hear something. Unfortunately, there was no sound inside, so she returned to her original spot and squatted against the wall.
Suddenly, Snape came over. "What is Miss Muya doing squatting here like a mushroom?"
"Waiting to run into you, Professor," Mya said.
"Hmph." Snape clearly did not believe her and walked away.
Hermione came over and shook her head at Mya.
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