Herman quickly saw two figures emerge from around the corner through his Invisibility Cloak.
Quirrell's grey robes and short blond hair were clearly visible in the candlelight. Professor Malin walked beside him, the hem of her dark blue robes swaying gently with her steps, and the tip of her wand glowing with a steady white light.
The two walked and talked, their voices clearly penetrating the fabric. "It shouldn't be a big problem, maybe Hagrid's dog is just a little restless."
Marlene's voice carried a formulaic simplicity, "And every subsequent level was meticulously designed by the professors."
Quirrell nodded in agreement. "Indeed, I checked and refined my level a few days ago, and there were no signs of it being triggered. However, Fluffy is unreliable and seems to be frequently disturbed."
His voice dropped slightly by half a octave when he mentioned being "frequently disturbed".
"Perhaps it's just not used to it. After all, the size of that room isn't much different for it than being kept in a cage," Professor Malin explained casually.
Although she knew the Invisibility Cloak was very powerful, Herman could still feel her heart pounding, afraid of being discovered by the two people in the corridor.
However, Quirrell and Marlene's footsteps did not stop. As they passed by the fabric, the hem of Marlene's robe was less than two feet from Herman's feet, yet they still went unnoticed.
The two continued walking forward, heading towards the third-floor corridor.
Herman held his breath and waited for about ten seconds, making sure the footsteps didn't turn back.
Harry lifted the Invisibility Cloak, and fresh air rushed in. Draco stood still, took a deep breath, and then whispered, "Is this Invisibility Cloak? It's completely invisible, even the professors were fooled! It seems to cover your voice too. Where did you buy it?"
Harry folded the Invisibility Cloak and tucked it into her bosom, speaking casually as if it were a trivial matter, "Left from home."
Draco was clearly not satisfied with the answer and wanted to ask more questions, but Herman interrupted her, "Don't just stand there, it'll be troublesome if they come back."
Harry picked up the oil lamp again, and the three of them put their arms around each other's shoulders and continued walking back.
Herman walked beside Harry, his eyes glancing at the neatly rolled-up Invisibility Cloak in her arms, a few thoughts swirling in his mind.
This should be the Invisibility Cloak passed down from the Potter Family, one of the three Deathly Hallows, a legendary item that can evade death.
It seems that, unlike in the original story, Dumbledore returned it to Harry earlier than planned, instead of waiting until Christmas.
But it makes sense when you think about it, after all, Harry is the legal heir to the debts, and there's also her old friend and godfather Sirius Black who knows James Potter's financial situation.
Dumbledore felt embarrassed to keep keeping the things and not return them, becoming a deadbeat.
Besides, more than ten years have passed; the necessary research should have been thoroughly conducted, and people should have come to terms with some of the issues by now.
Marlene and Quirrell walked down the corridor to the heavy wooden door.
Quirrell stopped at the doorway, his gaze falling on the thin crack on the door panel. He reached out and gently traced the crack with his fingertip.
He paused for a moment before speaking, his tone more somber than before. "Someone has been here."
Marlene stood beside him, following his gaze to the crack. "How are you sure?"
Quirrell didn't turn around, and said directly, "I was here yesterday, there wasn't a trace on the door."
He paused, then added, "Someone angered Fluffy. Hagrid, though he looks fierce, doesn't go berserk for no reason, banging on doors and even cracking them open."
Marlene didn't respond to that question, instead asking another, "By the way, you said you checked your mechanism. How did you get past Cerberus? After I designed my mechanism, Hagrid brought the dog over, and I haven't been inside since."
Quirrell explained, " Fluffy is smart; he recognizes me. Dumbledore had Hagrid tell him that I might go in a few times and to Fluffy not to bite me. I've also brought him food; we're friends."
"I see." Marlene nodded, her tone carrying a sense of sudden realization. "Did you see my mechanism? Does it need some maintenance? Alchemy devices like this are prone to problems if they're not maintained for a long time, and besides, this is a new experiment for me, so I'm not sure how effective it will be."
Quirrell shook his head. "Didn't see it. None of the professors' mechanisms were activated; I just walked over."
"Not started?" Marlene's voice rose slightly at the end, as if the answer was unexpected.
Quirrell explained, "It seems the principal's mechanism isn't set up yet, so the Philosopher's Stone hasn't been placed inside, and there's no need to activate the mechanisms designed by the professors."
He paused, as if considering his words, "Actually, I've never quite understood why Dumbledore would bother having us design so many mechanisms when it would have been safest for him to hold the Philosopher's Stone himself."
Marlene didn't answer immediately, remaining silent for a moment before speaking, "Perhaps the headmaster doesn't want to keep the Philosopher's Stone forever. After all, the temptation of immortality is too great, isn't it? How many wizards have resorted to any means to achieve immortality?"
She turned her head slightly to look at Quirrell, "However, I'd rather see the Philosopher's Stone itself. It's the pinnacle of Alchemy, crafted by Nicolas Flamel; even just a glimpse would be worthwhile."
Quirrell didn't reply, but simply raised his hand and pointed his wand at the crack in the door.
Gray light flowed from the tip of the staff, slowly covering the cracks, and the edges began to merge and tighten, like a wound that healed quickly.
A dozen seconds later, the texture on the door panel returned to normal, and even the powder was cleaned away, leaving no trace of the impact.
Quirrell put away his wand and placed his hand on the door. "I need to go in and check on Fluffy, and see if anyone has gone into the later levels."
As he spoke, he pushed open the door, and the light inside the room brightened as the crack in the door widened.
Fluffy huddled in the corner, his three heads biting each other's fur, his six eyes half-closed, as if replaying the battle in his dream. Clearly, the fight was too humiliating for him to forget even in his sleep.
The moment they heard the door open, all three heads lifted up, and all six yellow eyes turned toward the doorway.
Upon seeing Quirrell and Marlene behind him, it flattened its ears, opened all three mouths, and let out a low growl filled with obvious displeasure.
Quirrell quickly opened his arms, palms facing outwards, and took a half-step back. " Fluffy, it's me, Hagrid's friend."
Fluffy heard Hagrid's name, the low growl in his throat paused for a moment.
It slowly stood up, its three heads close to Quirrell's direction, baring its teeth and sniffing his scent, then glancing warily at Marlene behind him, as if trying to determine if the man's scent was on Hagrid's list of those allowed to pass.
When Fluffy got closer, Marlene's gaze fell on him.
She frowned slightly, her tone carrying an academic curiosity. "Is this dog going through its molting season?"