Harry only lifted his head for a brief moment before lowering it again.
Tell Dumbledore?
The thought flashed through his mind, but he dismissed it almost instantly.
Voldemort was barely clinging to life now, attached to the back of someone else's head and surviving only by drinking unicorn blood.
If Harry still couldn't defeat Voldemort in such a pitiful state after all the brutal training Cassandra and Vivy had put him through a century ago, then all those years had been wasted. He might as well leave Hogwarts and enroll at Stonewall High to live as an ordinary Muggle.
Still...
Harry decided to wait a little longer.
He would make his move when Quirrell attempted to steal the Philosopher's Stone from Fluffy on the fourth floor.
That way, he would also have a perfectly legitimate excuse to borrow the Philosopher's Stone for a while.
After all, using minor Dark curses in front of his classmates—even harmless ones—would still be rather unsettling.
He quietly buried the thought and continued listening to Quirrell's lecture.
That evening, after returning to the Gryffindor common room, Ron quietly asked,
"What's gotten into you, mate? You were actually paying attention in class today. That's not like you at all."
Ron wasn't wrong.
Quirrell's lessons were usually so full of stammering and so lacking in substance that they were practically sleeping potions. Not even the Ravenclaws were interested, ranking Defense Against the Dark Arts alongside History of Magic as the most boring subjects.
"There's something wrong with Quirrell," Harry said as he sat on the sofa. "I only realized it today."
"Really?" Hermione hurried over. "No wonder he's been gone for so long. Harry, what did you discover?"
"Do you remember when I told you Voldemort was hiding somewhere inside Hogwarts?"
Hermione nodded hesitantly.
"I do... but what does that have to do with Professor Quirrell?"
"The one who attacked Poppy in the Forbidden Forest was Voldemort. When I drove him away, I accidentally left a magical mark on him. During class today, I sensed that exact same mark on Quirrell."
Harry paused.
"Which means..."
"So Quirrell is Voldemort, and Voldemort is Quirrell!" Ron declared confidently, slamming his fist into his palm.
"No, that can't be right!" Hermione frowned, supporting her chin as she thought. "Voldemort attacked Miss Poppy while he was already incredibly weak. Quirrell only looks pale, not like someone on the verge of death..."
Suddenly, her eyes lit up.
"I've got it!"
She slapped the table excitedly.
"I know why Quirrell wears that enormous turban! If Harry's mark is accurate, then Voldemort must be hiding underneath it!"
"Um..." Seamus was the first to raise his hand.
"Isn't that a bit unlikely? I mean... no matter what, You-Know-Who was one of the most powerful Dark Wizards in history. Why would he cling to someone else's head like a parasite, wrapped in a garlic-smelling turban? That doesn't sound right."
"Someone vile enough to attack a unicorn has already abandoned all dignity," Hermione replied firmly. "If that's what it takes to achieve his goal, he'd do anything."
She jumped to her feet.
"Then the Philosopher's Stone is in danger! We have to warn Professor Dumbledore!"
With that, she rushed out of the common room.
"She's always in such a hurry, isn't she?" Ron said helplessly.
Only a few minutes later, Hermione came running back.
"This is bad, Harry!" she exclaimed. "I just spoke with Professor McGonagall. She said Professor Dumbledore received an urgent letter from the Ministry of Magic and has already left for London!"
"Didn't you tell Professor McGonagall about Quirrell?" Ron asked.
"I did... but she didn't believe me." Hermione buried her face in her hands. "She told me not to assume the worst about our professors and said that spreading accusations like that would only harm the unity of the school."
Something about that didn't sit right with Harry.
Dumbledore was the greatest wizard alive.
There was no way he hadn't noticed something suspicious about Quirrell.
What troubled Harry most was the timing.
Quirrell returned to Hogwarts...
...and almost immediately afterward, Dumbledore was summoned away by the Ministry.
Could this be Quirrell's—or Voldemort's—plan?
Lure Dumbledore out of the castle so nothing would stand in his way?
Harry stood up.
"I can't wait any longer."
He instinctively touched the wand hidden inside his robes.
"I'm going to stop him."
As he headed toward the portrait hole—
"Wait, Harry!"
Harry turned around to find Ron catching up to him.
"You're going to need someone watching your back," Ron said. "I'm coming with you."
"So am I."
"Me too."
"We're coming as well."
Hermione, Neville, and Seamus stepped forward together.
Harry looked at the four of them.
"I need to remind you of something."
"This isn't another practice session in the Room of Requirement."
His expression became completely serious.
"The person I'm going to face is the most terrifying Dark Wizard of this century."
"Voldemort."
"I know," Ron answered without hesitation. "But we're friends. I can't just stand by and let you face him alone."
"Ron..."
Harry placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I appreciate it. I really do. But Voldemort isn't the kind of enemy first-year students can deal with."
"I know."
At the sound of Voldemort's name, Ron's body trembled for a brief moment.
Even so, his voice remained unwavering.
"Harry... do you remember what you told me about wizarding duels? I'm your second. If you fall... I'll step in."
Hermione spoke up as well.
"Hagrid told us Fluffy is guarding the entrance on the fourth floor. If Professor Dumbledore put Fluffy there, there must be several other obstacles protecting the Stone. With all of us together, we might be able to help you get through them much faster."
"Wait here."
Harry returned to the boys' dormitory.
He opened his trunk and carefully took out the precious vial of Felix Felicis Professor Snape had given him as a Christmas present.
When he returned to the common room, his four friends were still waiting.
Harry stood before them and said solemnly,
"If any of you want to back out, now is your last chance."
His gaze swept across each of their faces.
"What we're about to face is Voldemort."
"Being afraid is nothing to be ashamed of."
"Y-You-Know-Who's followers... tortured my parents."
Neville was trembling from head to toe.
Yet he stood perfectly straight.
"I can't run away... not after what they went through."
Ron thumped his chest proudly.
"We're Gryffindors."
"Courage is what defines us."
"And it's because of that courage that our House stands above the rest."
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