Professor McGonagall stopped before an ugly stone gargoyle.
"Sherbet lemon." She said.
This was clearly a password. The gargoyle jumped aside as if alive, revealing a spiraling staircase slowly rotating behind it. Harry and Rove followed Professor McGonagall up the steps.
To Rove, he was currently ascending a legendary tower. The stone steps beneath his feet rose slowly, as if leading to the clouds, to the core controlling the fate of Middle-earth.
> [Map Loading: Tower of Orthanc]
> [Area: Council of the Wise / Observatory of the White Wizard]
> [Warning: High Concentration of Magical Power]
> [Environmental Suppression: Intelligence Check -2 (In the presence of a Legendary Mage, you feel your own insignificance)]
When they pushed open the gleaming oak door, Rove's pupils constricted slightly, his breath hitching for a moment.
This was a spacious, beautiful circular room filled with various subtle sounds like gears meshing. On spindle-legged tables stood many strange silver instruments, whirring and emitting small puffs of smoke. The walls were covered with portraits of former headmasters, all snoring gently in their frames or pretending to sleep while peeking.
"This is the pinnacle of alchemy..." Rove murmured in admiration. "That rotating silver ring... is it a Palantír monitoring the situation in Middle-earth? Or some time-flow controller detecting Sauron's gaze?"
> [Item Identification: Dumbledore's Silver Instruments]
> [Function: Unknown (Possibly involving planar monitoring, Dark Magic early warning, or just making coffee)]
> [Value: Priceless (Do not attempt to touch; will be turned into a ferret)]
Professor McGonagall had them sit at the desk and then left, leaving two uneasy boys behind.
Only Harry, Rove, and a large bird standing on a gilded perch behind the door remained in the room.
The bird looked terrible. Its feathers resembled moldy straw, hanging sparsely on its body; its eyes were dull, and its head drooped listlessly.
Harry looked at it worriedly. "It looks sick."
"No, Harry. Do not be deceived by appearances." Rove narrowed his eyes as data refreshed frantically on his System interface. "This is no ordinary illness. This is energy overload."
> [Target Analysis: Unknown Mythical Creature]
> [Status: Critical Point]
> [Energy Reading: Exponential Rise]
> [Countdown: 5... 4...]
"What do you mean?" Just as Harry asked, the bird suddenly made a strange choking sound, like a hiccup.
Immediately after, a burst of golden-red flame exploded from within it, instantly engulfing its entire body.
"It's on fire!" Harry screamed in horror, jumping up.
"Damn it! Element out of control! Reactor meltdown!" Rove reacted with extreme speed, displaying agility unsuited to his build. Without hesitation, he instantly unclasped his cloak and rushed forward like a firefighter.
"Hold on! Divine Beast!" Rove shouted, smothering the flames heavily with his thick cloak, trying to cut off the oxygen. "Harry! Find water! Or sand! We need to break the combustion chain!"
Harry scrambled to find a water pitcher nearby but only saw the Sorting Hat, so he grabbed it to cover the fire—luckily he stopped himself in time.
Rove pressed down hard on the cloak, but he could feel the heat beneath not disappearing; instead, there was a strange pulsing sensation, like a burning heart beating.
"This fire won't go out!" Rove was shocked, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. "This is magical fire! Damn it, is it spontaneous combustion from overdrawing Weave energy? Or did it swallow a dragon egg?"
Just then, a crisp chirp came from under the cloak. It wasn't a scream of pain, but a cheer of rebirth, like the first ray of dawn piercing the darkness.
Rove froze, slowly lifting a corner of the cloak with careful movements.
In the pile of ashes, there was no charred corpse. Instead, a wrinkled, ugly little chick poked its head out from the ash pile, covered in egg-like mucus, looking curiously at Rove.
> [System Alert: Mythical Creature Reborn]
> [Race Identification: Phoenix]
> [Skill: Nirvana]
> [Evaluation: This isn't scientific, but it's very magical!]
Rove stared dumbfounded at the ugly little thing, the cloak slipping from his hands to the floor.
"Necromancy?" He muttered to himself, eyes full of awe. "No... this is higher level than that. This is the cycle of life, a gift from the Valar. Burning itself to death and crawling out of the ashes? How much courage does that take... or how much masochism? To refresh a status bar, one has to undergo immolation?"
The office door opened, and Dumbledore walked in. Wearing long grey robes, he didn't look surprised at all; instead, he wore a gentle smile, like Gandalf just returning from a stroll.
"Ah, it seems you caught it." Dumbledore smiled. "Fawkes is a phoenix, Harry. When it is time for them to die, they burst into flame and are reborn from the ashes."
He walked to the perch, gently stroking the chick's head, then turned to look at Rove, whose face was covered in soot and still clutching the cloak.
"Mr. Baggins," Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled behind his half-moon spectacles. "I am glad to see you care so much for my bird. Although using a cloak to smother the fire... physically extinguishing a phoenix is a first. Very... creative."
Rove picked up his cloak somewhat awkwardly, dusting off the ash, and covertly pocketing a few burnt feathers he'd snagged (precious alchemical materials).
"I thought it had an accident, sir." Rove straightened his back, replying neither humbly nor arrogantly. "In my hometown, when an ally catches fire, we don't stand by and watch. Even if it's just a... divine beast that looks like a turkey. Protecting teammates is a Ranger's instinct."
Dumbledore chuckled softly. "'Ally'. A very good word. I think Fawkes will appreciate the sentiment. In fact, he does look a bit like a plucked turkey right now."
Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "So, it was going to die anyway? It wasn't anything I did?"
"Of course not." Dumbledore smiled. "Phoenixes are fascinating creatures. They can carry immense loads, their tears have healing powers, and they are highly faithful pets."
> [Intel Update: Phoenix Traits]
> [Strength: S (Extremely strong load-bearing capacity, can serve as air transport)]
> [Healing: S (Tears are Health Potions)]
> [Loyalty: S (Faction locked, cannot be charmed)]
> [Evaluation: Perfect logistical support unit, top-tier healer and transport.]
Just then, the office door was banged open with a loud crash, as if a battering ram had hit the city gate.
Rubeus Hagrid rushed in, tears streaming down his face, clutching a dead rooster in his hand.
"It wasn't Harry, Professor Dumbledore!" Hagrid cried loudly, his voice making the silver instruments buzz. "If you ask who the culprit is, I swear on Merlin it's not Harry! I've been praising that boy to the skies!"
"Hagrid, I..." Dumbledore tried to interrupt.
"This boy would never hurt anyone!" Hagrid waved the dead rooster like a warhammer. "This rooster was killed by Dark Magic! But I promise you, Harry wouldn't hurt a fly! Anyone who dares touch him, I'll..."
Rove looked at the dead rooster, frowning deeply.
> [Item: Murdered Rooster]
> [Cause of Death: Dark Curse]
> [Speculation: Strategic Resource Deprivation. The enemy is eliminating a specific bio-weapon.]
"Hagrid!" Dumbledore raised his voice. "I know it wasn't Harry."
Hagrid froze, blinking his black beetle eyes. "Oh... really? Right then."
He stood there awkwardly, the dead rooster in his hand still dripping blood, staining a patch of the carpet red.
"I'll wait outside." Hagrid said loudly, then turned and slammed the door shut, leaving silence in the room.
Dumbledore turned to Harry and Rove, his expression becoming serious. In that instant, the kindly old grandfather vanished, replaced by the powerful White Wizard.
"I did not summon you here, Harry, because I believe you did it." Dumbledore stared into Harry's eyes. "But I must ask you... is there anything you wish to tell me?"
The air grew heavy.
Harry hesitated. He thought of the strange voice, thought of Rove's "Whispers of the Ring," thought of everyone's rejection and suspicion. He wanted to say it, but looking into Dumbledore's eyes that seemed to see through everything, he felt a wave of fear.
Rove stood behind Harry, coughed lightly, and discreetly kicked Harry's heel.
In Rove's judgment, this was a trial.
> [Warning: Legilimency Detected]
> [The White Wizard is probing the Ring-bearer's mental defenses.]
> [Strategy: Gandalf once refused to touch the Ring because he feared his own corruption. If we tell him Harry hears "whispers" now, he might isolate Harry for the "greater good," or even...]
"Don't say it." Rove signaled with his eyes. "Now is not the time. We must bear this burden ourselves."
"No, Professor." Harry finally said, his voice a bit dry. "Nothing."
Dumbledore looked at Harry, then gave Rove a deep look.
"Very well." Dumbledore said softly. "You may go."
Walking out of the Headmaster's office, as the spiral staircase descended slowly, Rove let out a long breath.
"He knows." Rove whispered. "The White Wizard... I mean the Headmaster, he knows everything. But he chooses to let us face this trial ourselves. Just like Gandalf always gives the most dangerous missions to Hobbits."
"So what do we do now?" Harry asked, feeling helpless. "The whole school thinks I'm the murderer."
Rove clenched his fists, his gaze directed toward the dungeons, where the Slytherin common room was located.
"There is only one way." Rove said firmly, the fanaticism of a tactician burning in his eyes. "Into the enemy camp. Since they think you are the Heir of Slytherin, we'll go ask a real Slytherin."