The exams were finally over, lifting a huge weight off everyone's shoulders.
Now, it was time to enjoy the next few days and wait for the holidays!
However, after lunch, Hermione noticed that Neville looked unusually pale and uneasy.
"Neville, are you feeling alright? You look like you haven't been sleeping well," she asked, concern evident in her voice.
Neville forced a weak smile. "I'm fine. Just a nightmare, that's all."
Jerry, who had been sitting beside him, interjected, "Neville's been having nightmares for several nights in a row. I told him to go to the hospital wing and ask Madam Pomfrey for some Dreamless Sleep Potion, but he refused. He didn't want to worry you."
Ron chimed in, "If you ask me, it's just exam phobia! Fred and George told me loads of students get it, but it usually disappears after the exams are over."
Neville nodded, though it seemed like he was trying to convince himself more than anyone else. "Yeah... I guess I was just too worried about my grades. Now that the exams are done, the nightmares should stop."
Meanwhile, Ted had been wrestling with a dilemma for days—should he get involved in the Sorcerer's Stone incident?
Getting involved was dangerous.
The world had already changed so much. Neville was now the Chosen One, and that meant nothing was guaranteed to go the same way as in the original timeline. Quirrell and Voldemort were a real threat, and who knew what other obstacles had been set up by the professors?
If Ted intervened, he could be risking his life.
But if he didn't…
Dumbledore had a plan. If things followed the original course, Quirrell wouldn't even be able to see the Sorcerer's Stone without Neville stepping in front of the Mirror of Erised.
The problem was, Dumbledore wanted the Chosen One to go through these trials. He had orchestrated the whole thing—every challenge, every puzzle, every danger was part of a grand test meant to shape the savior who would one day defeat Voldemort.
So, could Dumbledore allow Neville to stay out of this? Not likely. If they didn't go voluntarily, they'd probably be led into it anyway.
And if that was the case, wasn't it better to take the initiative? To control how they got involved rather than being pawns in someone else's game?
Besides, this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get close to one of the greatest alchemical creations in history.
The rewards from a high-level quest like this would be massive.
The moment Neville mentioned his nightmares, Ted knew—this was the last warning. If he was going to act, it had to be now.
A dozen thoughts raced through his mind in an instant, and he finally made his decision.
'It's happening, boys.'
Instead of waiting for Dumbledore to pull the strings, Ted would take charge.
If things went south, at least they'd have a better chance at surviving.
Ted's gaze sharpened as he focused on Neville.
Ron stiffened. 'Oh no… here it comes.'
Jerry felt a chill run down his spine.
After seeing Ted's reaction during the Mirror of Erised incident, he knew this expression meant only one thing—intense training and preparation were about to begin.
Ted twirled his wand between his fingers before casting a quick spell to block anyone from eavesdropping.
"Neville," he said seriously, "has your scar been reacting lately?"
Neville blinked, caught off guard. "What? Oh… uh, yeah. It hurts. A little. When I wake up from the nightmares, it's always throbbing."
Ron's face twisted in shock. "Mate, why didn't you tell us that sooner?!"
Neville scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I didn't want you guys to worry…"
That lightning-shaped scar on Neville's forehead was a mark left from his battle with the Dark Lord. If it was hurting and he was having nightmares, that wasn't something to ignore.
Ted leaned in. "What exactly have you been dreaming about?"
The question made Ron pause. Now that he thought about it, he had no idea what Neville's nightmares actually were. He had just assumed they were stress-related.
Neville swallowed. "I keep dreaming about… that night in the Forbidden Forest. The night we saw that thing drinking unicorn blood."
His face was pale as he recalled the figure cloaked in darkness, moving like a specter through the moonlit trees. He had dreamed of that creature every night, and every night, his scar burned.
The atmosphere around the group grew tense. They all knew something was very wrong.
Ted's face was unreadable as he spoke again, this time in a whisper.
"You all remember how I've been extra cautious about the Forbidden Forest, right? That's because I know there's a dark wizard in there who's preying on unicorns."
Hermione shivered. "But… why would anyone do something so awful?"
Ted sighed. "Unicorn blood has incredible properties. Even if you're at death's door, drinking it can keep you alive. But there's a cost. It curses you with a half-life—a wretched existence. Even the darkest of wizards avoid it unless they have no other choice."
Harley frowned. "Then… who would be desperate enough to do that?"
Ted hesitated for only a moment before saying what he had known deep down for a while now.
"I think it's the Dark Lord."
Silence.
Then—
"WHO?!" Ron's voice cracked into an embarrassing squeak, his eyes practically popping out of his skull.
Ted's expression remained firm. "I think the one who drank the unicorn's blood… was Voldemort."
"VOLDEMORT?!" Harley's voice wavered. Even as the 'supposed' Chosen One, the name still sent shivers down her spine.
Even among Gryffindors, Voldemort's name was barely spoken. He was the nightmare lurking in the shadows, the boogeyman parents warned their children about.
And for Harley, Voldemort was more than just a legend. He was the monster that took her parents from her.
Although Voldemort didn't strike the final blow himself, the Potters still died because of their battle against him.
And for Harley, that made it a true, unforgivable blood feud.
Ted took a deep breath before speaking. "For years, there have been whispers in the wizarding world that the Dark Lord isn't really dead. At least, not completely."
The others listened intently as Ted continued, his voice steady. "Now, we all know Dumbledore hid the only known Philosopher's Stone in the world—the key to eternal life—right here, in the third-floor corridor."
"We also know that someone tricked Hagrid into revealing how to get past the three-headed dog guarding the entrance," he added, eyes narrowing.
"And we know someone has been hunting unicorns in the Forbidden Forest to drink their blood."
Neville's hands tightened around his wand, his face flushed with anger. "You-Know-Who is trying to come back?!"
"We have to stop him!" Harley said, her emerald eyes blazing with determination.
Hermione grabbed her arm. "We need to tell Dumbledore. Immediately."
"But we don't even know the password to get into his office!" Ron pointed out, crossing his arms.
Jerry snapped his fingers. "Then we go to Professor McGonagall. She'll know what to do!"
Without another word, the six of them rushed toward McGonagall's office. When they arrived, Harley practically slammed her hands on the professor's desk. "Professor, we need to see the Headmaster! It's urgent!"
Professor McGonagall frowned, adjusting her glasses as she studied the group. "The Headmaster is very busy. He cannot meet with students without a proper reason."
Neville opened his mouth to speak, but Ron clamped a hand over it.
McGonagall sighed. "Besides, he isn't even at the castle right now."
"Wait—what?" Hermione gasped.
"The Ministry of Magic needed him for an urgent matter," McGonagall explained. "He left before lunch and hasn't returned."
"When will he be back?" Jerry asked.
McGonagall shook her head. "I don't know."
The six of them left the office, their expressions grim. The worst possible thing had happened—Dumbledore was gone at the most crucial moment.
"So... what now?" Ron asked, looking between them.
"Maybe we should wait for him to return?" Jerry suggested hesitantly.
"No!" Neville immediately rejected the idea. "We cannot let You-Know-Who get his hands on the Philosopher's Stone. We have to stop him first!"
He looked at each of them, silently pleading for support.
Harley nodded without hesitation. There was no way she was letting the monster who killed her parents get what he wanted.
Ron nodded, though his confidence wavered. He wasn't entirely sure how dangerous this would be—actually, scratch that, it was dangerous.
Ted crossed his arms. "We have to do something."
Hermione huffed. "I have to come with you. Someone has to make sure you don't do anything reckless."
Jerry quickly raised his hand. "And I'm not getting left behind!"
With that, the six of them made their plan. They would meet at 11 PM outside the third-floor corridor's left-hand classroom.
Just then—
Ding! A system notification popped up in Ted's mind.
____________________
[Quest Triggered: Breakthrough the Game (Blue)]
Dumbledore's carefully orchestrated trial for the Chosen One and their friends. A special training exercise, not to be missed!
Objective: Complete all seven trials.
Reward: 300 experience, random card.
Dumbledore has already written the script, set the stage, and assigned the villains. Now it's your turn to play the hero!
____________________
And another notification immediately followed—
____________________
[Quest Triggered: Can I Touch Your Philosopher's Stone? (Red)]
The legendary Philosopher's Stone, Nicolas Flamel's greatest achievement, and the only one of its kind in the wizarding world.
Objective: Touch the Philosopher's Stone.
Reward: 1200 experience, +LV1 Alchemy, and card [False Philosopher's Stone (Red)].
Miss this opportunity, and you won't find another like it!
____________________
Ted's eyes widened. "Oh man… one red quest, one blue quest… this is gonna be a bloodbath."
But the real question was—how the hell was he going to touch the Philosopher's Stone?
Dumbledore wasn't going to make this easy.
And Ted had a feeling they were all about to get very familiar with the meaning of "high stakes."