Chapter 88: “The Old Man and The Phoenix”

“Snape?”

Harry quickly explained, “We got some news from Hagrid that a three-headed dog guards the Sorcerer’s Stone. Hagrid called him Fluffy, and he accidentally revealed how to tame Fluffy someone else.”

“I also heard that Professor Dumbledore is not in the castle today.” Harry looked at Sean eagerly.

“So, you suspect that Snape will help Professor Riddle to steal the stone?”

“Exactly.” The three nodded.

Sean sighed, “Guys, wouldn’t it be better to just tell the professor about this rather than handle it yourself?”

“I did!” Harry said, a little annoyed, “We couldn’t get in touch with Professor Dumbledore, so we went to Professor McGonagall. But she told us to stay and made sure Snape wouldn’t do such a thing!”

“And that’s why you went out in the middle of the night?”

“Yes,” Harry’s expression suddenly became serious, “In the hope of curing my sister, I have to get the Sorcerer’s Stone before Snape.”

Harry’s intention was indeed good, but he was too reckless.

Just as he was about to continue speaking, Neville said, “Sean, why did you come out in the middle of the night?”

“Maybe the same as yours,” he spread his hands and then interrupted their excited expressions, “but I’m here to find Dumbledore. Do you want to come with me?”

“Together? But Dumbledore isn’t at school.”

That was fake news spread by Dumbledore. The purpose was to let Tom take the bait. Sean wanted to explain this, but a question suddenly occurred to him.

Snape told himself that Dumbledore was away tonight, but he received another note from Dumbledore. But why?

At that time, he didn’t think much about it. After all, only Dumbledore could use the Phoenix to send him that message. Sean is not worried that it is fake news from Tom as he couldn’t have possibly done that.

But after thinking about it, this seems a bit contradictory. Snape is someone who seems to be working with Dumbledore, and he should about a thing or two about Dumbledore’s situation now.

Thinking from another angle, could it be that it was a fake Professor Snape? Or, the note he received did not come from Dumbledore but from someone else.

Sean took a breath and immediately thought of how he was tricked into Nurmengard last time. The note from the flame and a phoenix feather are still in Sean’s bag, but he’s a little hesitant now.

Is this a letter from Professor Dumbledore? But he really wasn’t sure about it.

If not, what is their purpose? What can he do by bringing himself to the principal’s office? They would have done it now if they wanted to do something on the way to the eighth floor.

There are a lot of situations where he put himself in danger at this time and let the enemy a chance to attack him directly on his way out.

Just as Sean was thinking, he suddenly felt that his mind went blank, so blank that he seemed to have lost all his thoughts.

Immediately afterward, a huge sense of happiness spread from the depths of Sean’s heart. There seemed to be a voice speaking to him, and he couldn’t help but obey it.

The three looked at each other. They didn’t understand why Sean suddenly stopped talking.

“Sean?”

Harry asked suspiciously, and then he saw Sean raise his head with a smile, “I have to go back, and I advise you not to go through that door either.”

“Didn’t you say you were going to find Professor Dumbledore?”

Sean spread his hands, “When I heard from you that Professor Dumbledore is not in the castle, I decided to forget about it.”

After speaking, he took off the invisibility cloak and walked out.

“I suggest you go back to sleep too. This is not something we should be involved in.”

Looking at Sean’s figure without looking back, the three of them looked at each other.

Ron said softly, “I think he’s right…”

Harry was a little annoyed, “But we can’t let Snape get the stone!”

Just as they were arguing, Sean turned around the corridor, and all the expressions on his face were suddenly lost. He smiled happily with a sense of confusion in his eyes.

He walked into a small corridor, then walked to the end and pushed open a door.

After walking into the narrow room, Sean pulled something. The center of the room gradually sank and then turned into a stone staircase. Sean walked down the stone steps with a smile on his face. He walked through the corridor with torches and came to a room.

In the empty room, an old man with white hair and a beard was standing there. He was wearing a loose plain robe, and he kept playing with a wand in his hand.

The old man looked hunched over, giving an intuitive feeling similar to Filch. Of course, he’s well-dressed and looks much cleaner than Filch.

He had a pair of black eyes, crossed his hands in front of his waist, and looked at Sean so quietly.

After a while, a look of struggle finally appeared on Sean’s face. His face gradually distorted, and the confusion in his eyes began to disappear.

The old man had a surprised look in his eyes. He watched Sean’s expression become more and more distorted. He finally clapped his hands as if in admiration, and he waved his wand.

The blank space in Sean’s mind was filled with thoughts again. The happiness that he gradually suppressed disappeared immediately.

“Dave! Naja!”

Sean immediately gave the order, and Dave leaped from him and turned into a huge monster, and Naja enlarged her body to protect Sean.

“Protego Diabolica!” The blue ring of fire immediately ignited.

The old man showed a look of nostalgia and sighed and then quietly looked at the Winged Demon who was flying towards him. Dave’s eyes were red, and he opened his mouth to the old man’s head.

A strange sound rang out. Sean saw the old man instantly turn into a large mass of black oily substance, and Dave flinched.

Sean’s eyes widened.

“I have no bad intentions towards you. I didn’t release the curse immediately just now to attack you.” He said.

“You intentionally using the Imperius curse without any evil intention?”

He was controlled by an Imperius Curse before. Although the old man did not show any evil to him, the Imperius Curse itself represents evil. It is one of the Unforgivable Curses anyone could use.

The old man smiled. He stretched out his hand. Fire flashed in the air, and a phoenix cry resounded throughout the room. A fiery red feather appeared on his hand.

Sean’s eyes widened in disbelief. Knowing that Phoenix can only be summoned by someone from the Dumbledore family.

The old man held up the feather and stepped directly into the blue fire ring.

“First of all, I need to apologize to you,” He looked embarrassed, “I’m not as good at thinking as Albus. So in order not to let you ruin Albus’ plan, I’m forced to use this kind of approach.”

Sean stopped Dave.

“I can understand your vigilance, but I have to stop you. Albus told me about you beforehand, and it’s exactly what he just said.” Said the old man.

“Why did you pretend to be Dumbledore and lure me out?” Sean asked.

“Oh, that’s not me. That’s Grindelwald doing.” The old man spread his hands.

Sean’s eyes twitched for a moment. First, he imitates Dumbledore’s writing, and now Grindelwald can use the Phoenix.

“What does he want? What does Professor Dumbledore want?”

“I don’t know. But Albus definitely doesn’t want you to meet Grindelwald again, and only Albus can guess what Grindelwald was thinking.”

He said helplessly, “I’m not good at this. Both Albus and Grindelwald are much better than me in all kinds of planning. So, I’m just here to keep an eye out for everyone that sneaked or walked around the castle this time.”

“Oh, by the way, I haven’t introduced myself.” He turned around, and the old man with the white beard and hair showed a smile that didn’t match his character, “I’m Aurelius Dumbledore.”