The three of them retraced their steps and climbed back up the deep well covered in Devil's Snare. It took some effort, but fortunately, Hermione had packed a grappling hook in her bag for emergencies. All they had to do was wave torches to drive off the plants while climbing upward.
It was easy enough to think about, but only Hermione had the strength and stamina to climb up that way. She had to haul the other two up with ropes.
They were panting with exhaustion as they supported one another and stepped outside, only to find Professor Wilson waiting for them. Under the moonlight, he carried an indescribably powerful presence.
"Did you find it?"
He had actually followed them inside. When they faced Voldemort, he had watched from within the sea of fire, just in case anything went wrong.
The facts proved that there had been no problem with his teaching. Hermione had done even better than he had imagined.
Still, most people killed for the first time only because they had no other choice. At a time like this, it was better not to let Hermione know that she might have had other options.
Hermione's hair was slightly disheveled, and there were smudges on her forehead. The marks left by sweat looked like a lightning bolt.
Hearing the professor's question, she was not flustered in the slightest despite being caught wandering at night. Instead, she rolled her eyes, took the ring from her belt pouch, and spread it across her palm.
"We found it, but I don't think this is Nicolas Flamel's Red Stone. It feels... very evil. Just holding it makes whispers sound in my head."
At that moment, she noticed the professor frown. She had never seen that expression on him before.
It was terrifyingly serious.