Hogwarts Study Panel

Chapter 229: Dumbledore Returns

The obstacle behind the trapdoor was not difficult for Sheen.

Before Louie could react, Sheen transformed a wooden board into a flute, and soon sent the three-headed dog to sleep.

Behind Lu Wei was a bottomless hole. Just as Sheen was about to go down, he heard a series of sounds behind him.

"Xion..."

He heard a soft call; it was Hermione and Harry. They must have seen the signal on the plan map and followed.

They were still in shock at that moment.

"What are you doing here?"

Hermione asked, trembling.

"What else could it be? Hermione, think about what's behind the trapdoor! Cerberus is down, do you really think Sheen did that?"

Harry always reacts quickly in a panic, but sometimes his reactions seem too quick.

"Headmaster Dumbledore isn't here... Professor Quirrell has gone to steal the Philosopher's Stone..."

Hermione muttered to herself.

Louie was awake just now, which means that Professor Quirrell had been gone for a while, and Sheehan had no idea how far they had progressed.

He had to be fast, as fast as possible.

See you later.

Sheen ignored the two and turned to step into the bottomless cave.

The cold, damp air whistled past his ears. He fell, fell, fell, and then—

Thump. With a strange, dull thud, Sheen landed on something soft.

He casually lit a flame on his wand, and the devil's web laid out there retreated, hiding from the light and warmth.

But as soon as he extinguished the flames and got up from the devil's web to leave, two people landed on the ground behind him with a "thump, thump".

The devil's web extended snake-like tendrils and entangled the two of them.

"do not move!"

Hermione shouted,

"I know what this is now—it's the Devil's Web!"

"I'm so glad, Hermione, we've figured out its name."

Harry said.

"We need fire, but we don't have any matches..."

Hermione said.

"Are you insane? Are you a wizard?!"

Harry yelled.

"Oh, right!"

As Hermione spoke, she drew her wand, waved it, and chanted an incantation. A blue bellflower-like flame appeared on the tip of the wand.

Only then did the two thankfully see Sheen's calm eyes; he was not far from them.

"well done."

They heard Sheen say that, and then hurried after him.

At the end of the corridor was a brightly lit room with a high, arched ceiling, and at the very back was a large silver door. Countless birds, as dazzling as jewels, flew about here. Notably, their plumage was of various colors, and up close, they looked like birds transformed from keys.

Harry and Hermione followed Sheen to the door, and before they could react, they saw Sheen instantly wave his wand:
"Impedimenta! (Obstacles abound!)"

"Accio Key! (The key is flying here!)"

With just two simple spells, Sheehan obtained the key and opened the door amidst the bewildered gazes of Hermione and Harry.

"Oh, Hermione, do you know how Sheehan found the exact key?"

Harry asked in a low voice as he walked.

"The door is silver; perhaps we need to find a silver key. But no one can be that fast..."

Hermione explained in a low voice.

Passing through the gate, they were met with a massive chessboard, the pieces towering above them, seemingly carved from black stone or something similar. At the other end of the room, facing them, were some white chess pieces. Harry and Hermione trembled with fear—these towering white pieces had no facial features.

"What do we do now?"

Harry asked Sheehan in a low voice.

The journey had been uneventful, and seeing Sheen here, Harry's fear of the towering chess pieces vanished, and he looked at them with slight curiosity.

"Let's play chess..."

Hermione's face showed a nervous and flustered expression.
“But Ron isn’t here; he’s the best chess player among us.”

The chessboard, which was dozens of meters wide, was like a game for giants, and Sheen looked very small in comparison.

Professor McGonagall's chessboard was originally intended as a test of chess skills, but now Sheen has no time to play chess with the pieces.

His shapeshifting abilities were clearly insufficient to counter so many pieces, but he had learned more than just those spells…

"Reducto! (To be utterly destroyed!)"

A dazzling light flashed, and the white chess piece symbolizing the king shattered on the spot.

[You practiced the Shattering Spell to expert standard once, proficiency +50]

He learned more than just how to stir crucibles in the cellar.

He opened the panel:

【Divine Sharpness Shadowless Spell: Expert Level (2000/9000)】

【Crushing Spell: Expert Level (100/9000)】

[Barrier Charm: Expert Level (1000/9000)]

……

Expert level represents silent and instantaneous operation.

Seeing the king explode, the white pieces bowed and retreated, making way for a door.

Sheen stepped inside without hesitation.

"We're going to play chess, right?"

Hermione said.

"Maybe."

Harry quickly followed.

A giant monster was lying on the ground at the entrance. It seemed to be just unconscious, and it was making a snoring sound.

Sheen bypassed him and came to the seven potions, which were Professor Snape's puzzles. Sheen had forgotten the answers, but he could solve them on the spot.

The only problem is that only one person can pass through here.

Behind the door at the final checkpoint.

Professor Quirrell found himself in a state that no one knew about.

Does Harry's special attack on a professor who hasn't completely fallen from grace still exist? That's impossible to know.

Sheen heard the hooting of owls returning outside the castle, which meant that dawn was not far off.

Professor McGonagall or Professor Terra will arrive soon, and Principal Dumbledore's return won't be far off either.

If we had just a little more time, if we had delayed things just a little longer, things might have been different.

While Sheen was pondering.

Hermione has solved the riddle:
She read the paper several more times. She paced back and forth in front of the row of bottles, muttering to herself and pointing at this one or that one. Finally, she clapped her hands happily.

“I understand. This smallest bottle will help us get through the black flames and retrieve the Philosopher's Stone. But there's only enough for one person to drink from.”

Hermione frowned again and said,
"Not even a bite yet."

Harry's throat tightened, as if he was about to volunteer.

But then a paper airplane shot through the wall, landed in Sheen's hand, and unfolded, revealing only a few words written on it:
I'll be back soon, child.

Harry and Hermione had no idea who this was, but Sheen breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'll stall for a while."

Sheen drank the potion and turned to walk out of the flames.

Harry and Hermione interpreted these words in only one way.

Before the professors arrive, Sheen must confront the Dark Lord's minions alone to prevent Professor Quirrell from obtaining the Philosopher's Stone.

……

In the last room, there were only low voices.

“Master, please forgive your incompetent servant! I failed to kill the unicorn because my magic was too weak, and my will was not strong enough… Please… please give me another chance. I will not let you down again…”

Sheen saw Professor Quirrell, who was circling the magic mirror, constantly belittling himself and pleading.

"give me one more chance……"

Professor Quirrell kept repeating this phrase, until he noticed something and turned his head.

His bloodshot eyes strained to their limit, his pupils contracting and trembling.

His lips were bitten until they were bloodless, and though they were slightly parted, no sound came out. Only his Adam's apple bobbed in vain.

Before anyone could react, Professor Quirrell quickly stuffed a cookie into his mouth, and his robed figure instantly transformed into a trembling squirrel.

The squirrel ran up to Sheen, then stood still and didn't move.

Until a notebook and a quill floated out from Sheen.

"You... how did you get here... You shouldn't have come, the mysterious person will kill you... Run, run..."

Sheen looked at the words in the notebook, and many thoughts popped into his mind.

The transformations in the Animal Party series are continuous; the moment Professor Quirrell chooses to transform into a squirrel, he seamlessly remains a squirrel for at least half an hour.

Sheen's bag contained many squirrel-shaped cookies, all of which he made during his practice.

"And what about you, Professor?"

Sheen lowered his eyes.

Oh, oh… He torments me, just like when I failed to steal the Philosopher's Stone from Gringotts, he was very upset. He punished me… But this has nothing to do with you… Go, Mr. Grimm, please go…

The squirrel even cried out in alarm.

Sheen suddenly heard a soft footstep behind him. He trembled slightly, knowing who had come.

"Did you obtain the Philosopher's Stone?"

Sheen asked again.

The magic stone... I didn't want to use it, but it wanted to come to me instead. I saw my reflection in the mirror, wanting to grab the magic stone... I made up an excuse... and didn't dare look in the mirror...

The room fell silent for about ten seconds.

The Philosopher's Stone will be taken out sooner or later... He will return... Of course he will return. He will leave me, and this empty body of mine, this soul riddled with holes... Mr. Grimm, I don't want to deceive you anymore, nor do I want to deceive myself anymore... I am already a dead man...

Sheen watched silently as Professor Quirrell transformed into a squirrel.

You gave me a choice, and only then did I realize how wonderful hope is... Now, I still have a choice... Everyone eventually has a final choice...

Sheehan knew what the professor meant: the equality of life lies in the fact that there is always a way to die, no matter when.

“You’ve done well enough… Headmaster Dumbledore…”

Sheen turned his head and saw an old wizard with a long, white beard, followed by several young wizards.

Justin, Hermione, Harry, Ron...

……

The matter was over. The moment Voldemort saw Headmaster Dumbledore after completing his transformation, he abandoned Professor Quirrell and left.

He passed right through Harry's body and knocked him unconscious instantly.

Professor Quirrell was subjected to a magical spell by Headmaster Dumbledore, who muttered to himself as he cast the spell:
"His soul was not completely tainted; it remained intact. He had never taken an innocent life—truly rare..."

Headmaster Dumbledore glanced at Professor Quirrell, then at Sheehan and the others:

"It seems you did a good job while I was away?"

This made Hermione and Justin, who were still harboring resentment, a little embarrassed. Ron, who was supporting Harry and was covered in sweat, also straightened his back after hearing this.

The weakened Professor Quirrell confessed everything, and his words nearly made the young wizards gasp in astonishment.

Voldemort had been hiding behind the professor's head the whole time?!
The news that Professor Quirrell chose to die, dying as someone who, like Harry, had defeated the Dark Lord, made everyone deeply respect this seemingly cowardly professor.

Not a moment later.

Harry and Professor Quirrell were taken to the hospital together.

In the corridor, the young wizards, who had only slept for ten hours in two whole days, remained silent as they walked back to Hope Hut.

Just then, Justin suddenly raised his hand and clapped, celebrating for everyone.

Yes, it was Headmaster Dumbledore who banished Voldemort, but in the time the Headmaster was away, it was they who protected the Forbidden Forest, broke into the trapdoor, and prevented Voldemort's resurrection plan.

As the principal said, they did a good job.

"Guys, we did it!"

He said.

Ron, Hermione, and Neville looked at him, then at Sheehan, their faces showing immense joy and satisfaction.

Now, they're going to get a good night's sleep and then go visit Harry.

Sheehan, on the other hand, should visit a brave professor.

Before falling into a coma, Professor Quirrell refused Headmaster Dumbledore's offer to teach the Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

He was too ashamed to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts Castle... but his body was very weak, and due to the curse and Voldemort's damage to his life and soul, it would take him several years to recover to his former level.

Unless there was a special potion, Professor Quirrell's Galleons were all spent at Voldemort's behest.

So who could offer a position to this frail professor?

　Lu will conclude this part of the story with a long chapter. There will be another update tonight, so readers can read it when they wake up tomorrow.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)