The Black Bloodline of Hogwarts

In the Hogwarts Headmaster's office, Dumbledore, stroking his waist-length beard, pondered deeply. "It really is that Black. Hopefully, he won't be a variable."

"Crunch!" A lifelike cockroach burst into his mouth, and Dumbledore, exhausted from a long night, revealed a sweet smile.

---

Since the Night in the Forbidden Forest, thanks to Malfoy's widespread dissemination, the idea that there was a monster in the Forbidden Forest quickly spread throughout the school.

Most students were on edge, and even when strolling around campus, they made sure to stay far away from the Forbidden Forest. Even the Weasley twins, who were known for their mischief, were much more restrained.

Before long, a flood of complaints from parents arrived, especially from several board members led by old Malfoy. These letters were strongly worded, demanding that the school strictly enforce the ban on forestry to ensure student safety. Otherwise, they threatened to reduce funding to the school or even replace the principal.

Of course, it wasn't the students' place to worry about any of this. As for Julien, only Elizabeth Rosier inquired about the details and wished him to be careful lately, as there had been fluctuations of dark magic at the school recently, which was one of the Rosier family's talents.

However, ever since that night in the Forbidden Forest, Liria had never had a good night's sleep. The children of nature in the North were far more sensitive to smells than ordinary people, especially the scent of blood feud.

The scent of that dark figure—rotten moss, aged blood, and a nauseating sweetness—was branded into her memory.

Every night, when she lay on her four-poster bed in Hufflepuff dormitory, the smell would seep in through the cracks in the window, the floor, and the cracks in the walls, reminding her that the murderer was not far away, right in Hogwarts.

"I can smell him," Liria stopped Julien in the corridor after dinner that day, her icy blue eyes filled with a rare anxiety. "That man, the one who murdered my grandmother. He's been in the castle the whole time, he's never left."

Julien didn't question her judgment because he knew the plot. "Whom do you suspect?"

"Professor Quirrell," she whispered, "or rather, the thing parasitizing him."

Julien nodded calmly, showing no surprise.

"You think so too? I thought you, like Harry and the others, suspected Professor Snape."

"I've had my suspicions for a long time," Julien nodded, "but tonight... I have a feeling he'll make a move."

"Why tonight?" A figure emerged from the shadows of the corridor. Elizabeth Rozier was wrapped in a dark cloak, a star brooch shimmering at her collar.

"I heard what you were saying," she said in a very low voice.

"The fluctuations of darkness have been particularly strong lately. This is a talent of my family—a sensitivity to dark magic."

She paused, her expression complex. "Although my grandmother... was a follower of Grindelwald, she taught me how to recognize these fluctuations."

Since Liria learned that the person who killed her grandmother was actually that person, her attitude towards Elizabeth Rosier has improved considerably, even though the Rosier family has also committed many misdeeds.

"But why tonight? Is there something special about it?" Rozier pressed.

"Because Headmaster Dumbledore isn't here tonight," Julien said. "I just heard Professor McGonagall say it in the dining hall. The Board of Governors urgently summoned Dumbledore to the Ministry of Magic for a meeting tonight."

The three exchanged a glance, their eyes meeting in the dimly lit corridor. No words were needed; a tacit understanding had already formed.

"What do we do?"

"Whatever they're trying to do, we must stop them! But we suspect their primary target is the magic stone!"

"Philosopher's Stone?"

"Yes, Harry said that when Hagrid took him shopping in Diagon Alley, he took the Philosopher's Stone out of Gringotts. The Philosopher's Stone is in Hogwarts. This thing might be able to resurrect Voldemort—that is, the ghost that is parasitizing Professor Quirrell."

"Voldemort! What are we supposed to do?" Lyria asked through gritted teeth.

"As far as I know, Harry and the others will make their move tonight too. Let's follow them and see what happens!" Julien didn't actually know which day was the climax of the first book, but it was indeed the day Dumbledore left. At worst, it'd be a wasted trip.

"Harry Potter?" Rozier raised an eyebrow. "That first-year savior?" There was a hint of disdain in his voice.

"Hey, she's the chosen one of the plane. Besides, our priority is to protect the Mirror of Eris."

"What mirror?" the two women asked at the same time.

"I'll explain in detail later; it's still relevant to you all. Now, let's go."

Without further delay, the three of them moved towards the fourth floor under the cover of night.

They walked through corridors, avoiding Filch's patrol routes.

Julien's familiarity with the castle surprised the other two. He always managed to find hidden shortcuts at crucial moments or anticipate the direction the stairs would move.

"How do you know all this?" Liria couldn't help but ask.

"Yeah, it's like you didn't enter the school at the same time as us," Rozier added. "You probably break the school rules every night on purpose."

"Look at what you're saying, what do you mean by deliberately coming out to break school rules? I treat this school like my home, okay?" As they were talking, Julien suddenly stopped and waved his hand behind him as they turned a corner.

The three immediately disappeared into the shadows and held their breath.

A faint sound suddenly came from ahead, but nothing could be seen; the space ahead seemed somewhat blurry.

"Harry, you're stepping on my foot." It was Ron's voice.

"Shh, be quiet." It was Hermione's voice.

"This Invisibility Cloak is too small for three people." It was Harry's voice.

They looked closely toward the direction of the sound and could see a blurry outline moving in the corridor. They could vaguely make out that it was three figures huddled together, moving forward in an awkward manner.

After the shadowy figure disappeared into the distance, Liria asked, "What happened?"

"The Invisibility Cloak," Julien replied, "should be Harry, Ron, and Hermione."

"An invisibility cloak?" Liria was still a little confused.

"I know, one of the legendary Deathly Hallows," Rozier replied. "I never imagined the Invisibility Cloak was with Harry Potter."

"What are they going to do?" Liria asked softly.

"Like us," Julien said with a wry smile, "they're trying to stop Voldemort. But they probably don't know what the real danger is."

"Should we stop them?" Rozier's hand was already reaching for his wand.

"No," Julien shook his head, "let's see first. Come with me to verify something."

He led the two down a side path, which led to the north corridor on the fourth floor. But when they arrived at the room where the Mirror of Erised was originally located, they discovered—

The Magic Mirror was empty. Sure enough, Dumbledore had taken it to store the Philosopher's Stone, to give Harry experience points.

"It was indeed moved," Julien confirmed his guess, "but I'm afraid Voldemort might discover something."

"Where to next?" Liria and Rozier asked at the same time.

"The west corridor. The path Harry and the others took."

Just as they were about to leave, a sharp laugh echoed down the corridor.

"Hehehe! I've caught another troublemaker. Let me see, little Black! Oh? And the Child of Nature, and... the little traitor of the Rozier family?"

Pee-Pee peeked halfway out from the wall, his tricorn hat askew on his head, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

"Peeves," Julien whispered, "you know a lot of secret passages, right? Do you know of a secret passage down the west corridor on the fourth floor, the one where Dumbledore hides things?"

Julien knew that the trapdoor guarded by the three-headed dog was in the restricted area corridor on the 4th floor, but the road ahead led all the way down.

"What is it that I, Mischievous Ghost, don't know? But why should I tell you?" Mischievous Ghost made a face. "Unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless you promise me," Peeves seemed to think for a moment, "that you'll throw dung bombs into the field during the next Slytherin Quidditch match! I've been wanting to get back at Bloody Barrow for a long time."

"Deal, I'm good at this," Julien said without hesitation. The two girls looked at him with suspicion.

Mischievous Ghost's eyes lit up. "Come with me."