"Not yet?"
Hearing Rosier's refusal, Abernathy frowned. If it weren't for the fact that the person in front of him was Rosier, he might have drawn his wand without hesitation.
However, Rosier's words did not make Abernathy think she had any ulterior motives, because he knew that this woman would never betray Gellert Grindelwald.
At that moment, Rosier held the Philosopher's Stone in her hand, a smile playing on her lips as she said:
"Wentworth worked so hard to obtain the Philosopher's Stone—we must make good use of it! Even if we were to deliver the Stone to the Master now, there is little he could do with it. Instead, we should utilize it ourselves first!"
Pausing briefly, Rosier pondered before speaking again:
"Send the word, Abernathy. Have our people search for Nicolas Flamel with all their might! The Alliance has questions to ask!"
Abernathy nodded without hesitation. Moments later, an owl soared from Hogsmeade Village.
Meanwhile, at the moment when Wentworth handed over the Philosopher's Stone to Rosier and Abernathy, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Draco were huddled in a corner of the Hogwarts library, deep in discussion.
Since the events of the previous night, the bond between the four had noticeably strengthened. This time, it was Harry who had gathered the others.
Glancing around to ensure no one was paying attention, Harry leaned in and whispered:
"I know who let the troll into Hogwarts yesterday!"
The bombshell revelation made the others' faces freeze in shock.
"Who?!"
Hermione's voice was filled with indignation—after all, if not for Harry, Wentworth, and the others arriving in time, she might not have survived the night.
Draco quickly added:
"Harry, tell me who it was—I'll have my father send them straight to Azkaban!"
Draco's fury was palpable.
Hermione's eyes flicked to him, a small smile playing on her lips.
"Thank you, Draco!"
Draco Malfoy: ???
In truth, Draco's anger stemmed from his own suffering. His magical exhaustion from the previous night had left him with lingering effects—his dark-circled eyes bore testament to the sleepless agony he had endured.
Harry, seeing no reason to drag out the suspense, declared:
"It was Professor Snape!"
Hermione froze, while Draco's reaction was the most intense:
"Impossible! Our Head of House would never do such a thing!"
Despite their fear of Snape, Slytherin students respected him for his unwavering loyalty to his own.
Harry pressed on:
"Believe me—it's true! Didn't you notice Snape's leg is injured? I saw it with my own eyes last night—he was bitten by something!"
Draco shook his head firmly.
"Nothing at Hogwarts could bite Professor Snape!"
At that moment, Ron spoke up, breaking the silence:
"Actually... there is."
All three turned to him, curiosity flickering in their eyes.
"I overheard Fred and George—during one of their nighttime escapades—they found a three-headed dog at the far end of the fourth-floor corridor. They said it was taller than me!"
A lump formed in their throats, but Draco scoffed.
"You're having us on, Weasley. There's no such dog!"
Ron stood his ground.
"It's true! George said the dog was guarding a trapdoor—Fred reckoned it was protecting something!"
Draco was about to protest again when Harry suddenly exclaimed:
"I know! When we first arrived at Hogwarts, the Daily Prophet reported a break-in at Gringotts. The vault that was targeted—the very day before—Wentworth and I had accompanied Hagrid to retrieve something from it!"
Harry's eyes burned with certainty.
"That dog must be Hagrid's. Only he would keep something like that. And whatever it's guarding—Snape wants it too!"
The others exchanged uneasy glances.
Meanwhile, Wentworth quietly slipped back into Hogwarts but found no sign of Cedric or Kirk in the Hufflepuff common room. Assuming they were off playing cards somewhere, he paid it little mind.
By nine o'clock that evening, Cedric and Kirk arrived punctually outside the Room of Requirement—only to find Cassandra absent.
Frowning, Cedric suggested:
"Maybe something held Cassandra up. Let's go in and wait for her."
Kirk nodded, and the two pushed open the door.
To their astonishment, the Room of Requirement was completely transformed.
Dense mist filled the air, obscuring everything beyond a few feet.
"Looks like Cassandra's already here," Cedric murmured. "This is a new Room of Requirement."
Kirk nodded.
"I'll go first—stay close behind me."
He stepped forward into the swirling fog. With every step, the mist receded just enough to reveal a path ahead. When Kirk glanced back, the door had vanished.
Following the winding trail, the mist gradually parted until a massive round table emerged in the distance. A single beam of white light illuminated the table, driving back the fog.
Seated at one corner was a shrouded figure, barely discernible through the mist. On the table before them lay a deck of cards, with one card prominently displayed—the King of Hearts, the symbol of Cassandra of the Stars.
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