"Your clothes?"
At Sean's question, Luna looked down at her thin school robes with a vaguely confused expression, as though only just noticing the cold. She shivered slightly, then said in her characteristic dreamy voice, "I woke up late this morning. I was hurrying to watch the match, so I forgot to bring my winter cloak."
How does someone simply forget something like that?
Sean regarded the shivering Luna with a mixture of helplessness and concern. She didn't seem particularly bothered by the cold at all, despite her obvious discomfort. With a resigned sigh, he withdrew a notebook from his bag, tore out a sheet of parchment, and tossed it toward Luna. The paper unfolded mid-air, expanding and wrapping itself gently around her shoulders. As it settled, the parchment transformed seamlessly into a long, sky-blue winter cloak that draped elegantly over her thin frame.
"The Transfiguration should hold for several hours," Sean explained. "As long as Gryffindor and Ravenclaw don't engage in an absurdly prolonged match, it should last until you return to Ravenclaw Tower. It's getting cold—don't forget proper clothing next time."
Luna glanced down at the conjured cloak, running her fingers over the soft material. She seemed genuinely pleased with the color. "Thank you. I like it very much."
"You're welcome."
Throughout the match, Sean and Luna sat together in companionable silence, their quietness making it somewhat difficult for Blaise to express his usual enthusiastic commentary on the game.
As the match entered its critical final phase, three poorly disguised "Dementors" suddenly appeared at the edge of the pitch, clearly attempting to intimidate Harry Potter. They were repelled almost immediately by Harry's somewhat clumsy but effective Patronus Charm—a bright, silvery stag that charged across the field.
Sean sighed with profound exasperation, watching as Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were sent tumbling from their position beneath the stands, clearly terrified by Harry's Patronus despite knowing it was a protective spell.
"They're all third-years," Sean muttered. "Can't they demonstrate even a modicum of intelligence?"
Luna completely ignored Sean's commentary, her protuberant eyes remaining fixed on the match above. Blaise, however, responded with genuine anger in his voice. "That Malfoy! As Slytherin's Seeker, to do something so disgraceful! He's brought shame to the entire house!"
In Blaise's estimation, Malfoy had dishonored not only the Slytherin Quidditch team but the house itself. And indeed, it was true—Draco Malfoy remained frustratingly naive and foolish in many matters. Though he would eventually mature into someone more reliable and capable, at present his words and actions rarely aligned with Slytherin values beyond his obsession with pure-blood status.
Of course, this also demonstrated how thoroughly protected Malfoy had been throughout his childhood, lacking any of the characteristic Slytherin cunning and adaptability. Even Miles Bulstrode, Sean's rather dim-witted cousin, now knew enough to keep a low profile. Sean's very existence had placed immense pressure on the entire Bulstrode family especially Miles.
The match concluded quickly.
Gryffindor won decisively.
Upon seeing the result, Luna showed little reaction beyond a brief, polite applause congratulating Gryffindor on their victory. She then turned to Sean, bid him a simple goodbye, and departed the stands with her usual dreamy demeanor.
Sean and Blaise left shortly afterward.
When they returned to the Slytherin common room, they were greeted with the news that Slytherin House had been deducted fifty points due to Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle's disgraceful Dementor impersonation.
Upon hearing this, Sean immediately knew that Harry and his Gryffindor friends were going to suffer in Potions class. His Head of House had never been one to show restraint when it came to deducting points from Gryffindor, and he would certainly extract his revenge for this embarrassment.
Saturday evening, seven o'clock.
Sean met with Mr. Antonius once again in their usual classroom.
Upon their meeting, Sean immediately relayed Dumbledore's message regarding Nicolas Flamel's request for a face-to-face meeting.
Antonius hesitated briefly upon hearing Sean's words, his translucent ghostly form flickering slightly in the lamplight. Then he nodded slowly. "I'm a ghost now, which ironically gives me more to consider than when I was alive. Yet what do I truly have left to lose?"
"So, sir, you mean...?"
"Then let us meet," Antonius decided. "I simply don't know when he wishes this meeting to occur."
"It shouldn't be this week, at least," Sean offered. "They won't have time to arrange travel so quickly."
"Very well. We'll discuss the details another time." Antonius's expression shifted to something more scholarly. "No wonder Nicolas didn't send a letter this week—he intends to say what he must in person."
With the matter settled, Antonius immediately transitioned into teaching mode. He cared deeply for his apprentice Sean, and they only had two precious hours of communication each week on Saturday and Sunday evenings—time that Antonius cherished immensely.
At precisely 8:50, the lesson concluded as always. The remaining ten minutes were typically spent either composing responses to Nicolas Flamel's letters or engaging in more casual conversation. Sean mostly shared news of events occurring beyond the ghost's isolated existence, and Antonius always listened with rapt attention.
"Sean, you learn remarkably quickly," Antonius observed with evident satisfaction. "You've nearly finished studying the texts I asked you to retrieve last time. I'll need some additional books for next week's lessons, which means you'll need to visit Gringotts again." He paused, considering. "The password for my vault is 'Philosopher's Stone.' Simply provide that to the goblins at Gringotts."
"Understood, sir. I'll also inform Professor Dumbledore that you've agreed to the meeting with Nicolas."
"Excellent. Then let us meet on—"
Before he could complete his sentence, the clock struck nine.
Antonius stood abruptly, his expression going blank as the compulsion took hold. Without another word, he turned and vanished through the classroom door, disappearing into the stone walls beyond.
Watching Antonius disappear so suddenly, Sean frowned with concern. Even for a ghost, his teacher's condition was decidedly abnormal. The rigid schedule, the compulsive departure at precisely nine o'clock—something was clearly wrong. However, Antonius remained frustratingly tight-lipped about his own circumstances, so Sean could only continue seeking a solution gradually.
Leaving the classroom, Sean packed all his materials into his Undetectable Extension Charm bag. He didn't plan to return to the dormitory immediately tonight. Instead, he made his way through Hogwarts' corridors, cast a Disillusionment Charm upon himself, and silently departed the castle. Following the secret passage beneath the Whomping Willow, he emerged in Hogsmeade village.
Exiting the Shrieking Shack, Sean withdrew a vial of Polyjuice Potion and drank deeply. His features shifted and rearranged themselves, transforming him into a blonde man in his early thirties with unremarkable features. Thus disguised, he walked directly into the Three Broomsticks pub.
He headed straight for the innermost table, where a middle-aged witch sat waiting. Sean recognized Markwood immediately despite the Polyjuice Potion transformation. He was somewhat surprised—Markwood had been using Polyjuice to transform into a witch rather frequently lately. Had the man perhaps developed some unusual preferences?
Settling into the seat across from Markwood, Sean dispensed with pleasantries. "How have operations been progressing? What's the status of our plan?"
"Master," Markwood replied quietly, leaning forward slightly, "we've recently made initial contact with our target. He recently suffered a conflict with a foreign smuggling organization—lost a significant number of his dark wizards in the confrontation. He's desperately seeking new manpower to replenish his forces."
Markwood's expression grew more intense. "We've used this opportunity to establish cooperation and have successfully infiltrated his organization. However, he doesn't fully trust us yet. He keeps that captured Auror with him constantly as security, but unfortunately, the Auror always wears a mask. We haven't been able to identify him yet."