Mick walked from the corridor outside the Great Hall to the Clock Courtyard, then from the courtyard to the Clock Tower. There were still quite a few students on the road at this hour, and Mick disliked the crowd. Soon, he left the castle.
Sean initially thought he was heading back to Hagrid's hut. If that were the case, there would be no need to keep following him.
But after passing through the castle archway, Mick didn't head toward the hut at all.
"What's this Greek guy wandering around for instead of going back?" Sean muttered, hiding behind him and keeping a close eye on Mick.
Because he wanted to return later, Mick deliberately chose a direction opposite to the hut. His plan was to stroll somewhere quiet before heading back.
However, unfamiliar with the layout of Hogwarts, he accidentally chose the path leading to the Owlery—the small tower where the school owls lived.
To Sean, though, this movement was immediately misinterpreted.
He assumed Mick intended to use the owls to send some kind of message outside the castle.
The castle behind them was still brightly lit, students continuing to enjoy the cheerful atmosphere after the banquet.
But the narrow path toward the Owlery was silent.
Only Mick and Sean remained.
About fifty meters away from the Owlery, Mick suddenly stopped.
Without any warning, he spun around and cast a powerful spell toward the darkness behind him.
"Fire Like Falling Stars!"
Seven or eight fireballs the size of rugby balls appeared in midair.
Their blazing light illuminated the surrounding night as they shot forward at incredible speed, leaving nowhere to hide.
"He's going straight for the kill."
Fortunately, Sean had already activated his Magic vision earlier to avoid losing track of Mick.
In the darkness, the magical aura radiating from Mick's body was the perfect beacon for tracking him.
When Mick stopped, Sean noticed through the Magic vision that he was suddenly constructing a spell framework with his wand.
Even though Sean didn't recognize the spell, his legs were already prepared to move.
Run fast enough, and even the Killing Curse can't hit you.
That was Sean's personal survival philosophy.
Thanks to his early prediction, Sean rolled and scrambled desperately across the ground, barely managing to dodge all eight incoming fireballs.
Seeing the follower evade his attack, Mick prepared to cast another spell.
But the firelight revealed Sean's face.
"It's him!"
The moment he recognized Sean, Mick's expression turned to shock.
As far as he knew, Sean was only a second-year student—though Hagrid had repeatedly called him a genius.
"A second-year student… and he avoided my surprise attack without a scratch?"
Mick found it hard to believe.
My cover's blown. Is he trying to silence me now? Sean thought grimly.
The suspicion between the two only deepened.
Sean knew Mick possessed greater magical power and was extremely vigilant.
If they fought, Sean would likely be the one at a disadvantage.
Since there was still distance between them, the best strategy was obvious.
Of the Thirty-Six Stratagems—
Retreat was the best option.
"I'm going straight to Old Dumbledore."
Sean turned and sprinted back toward the castle.
Unfortunately, the password for the Headmaster's office changed daily, and only the professors knew it.
So Sean had no choice but to find Professor Snape first.
"Professor, I have something important to report to Headmaster Dumbledore," Sean said urgently.
Snape had just spent the entire evening being used as Morisse's drinking partner, and he was already in a foul mood.
Now Sean suddenly appeared demanding to see the Headmaster.
Naturally, Snape's tone turned sharp.
"What matter could you possibly have that you cannot report to me instead of the Headmaster?"
"Um… Professor, do you know Mick?"
"What about him?"
"He's suspicious."
"I think you're the suspicious one," Snape snapped. "Do you even know who he is?"
"Who is he?" Sean asked, confused. Did Mick have some special identity?
"But tonight he attacked me," Sean insisted. "If you don't believe me, you can bring him here to confront me. If I hadn't reacted quickly, I'd be a pile of ash right now."
Snape studied Sean's serious expression.
He didn't look like he was lying.
Although Snape already knew Mick's identity, the matter still needed to be reported to Dumbledore.
"Come with me to the Headmaster's office," Snape said.
But when they entered the office, Sean was stunned.
Mick was already there.
And he was speaking anxiously with Dumbledore.
The moment Mick saw Sean, he pointed at him excitedly.
"It's him! This second-year student—he must be one of them!"
"Professor, Mick is suspicious!" Sean shot back immediately.
"Enough. Calm yourselves," Dumbledore said gently, raising his hand to silence them.
"Sean," he said, "tell me why you were following Mick."
Sean described the events truthfully—nine parts truth, one part lie—along with his thought process.
"After what happened with Jovic last semester, I suspected Mick might also have been sent by Bellatrix. Tonight he was acting suspiciously, so I followed him to see what he was up to. Luckily I stayed alert and avoided those fireballs… otherwise I'd be dead."
Sean left out the part about the Magic vision.
Everything else was true.
Neither Dumbledore nor Snape seemed to doubt his explanation.
"Sean, your actions were very risky," Dumbledore said calmly. "If Mick truly had been sent by Bellatrix, following him alone could have placed you in grave danger."
Thinking about it carefully, Sean realized Dumbledore was right.
He had acted recklessly.
If Mick had chased him down with another attack, the outcome of a fight between them would have been unpredictable.
Even though Sean now knew deadly spells like the Killing Curse, it meant nothing if he couldn't hit his target.
"I understand," Dumbledore continued. "This was simply a misunderstanding. I can assure you that Sean is not one of them."
He then looked at Mick.
"And Mick is not suspicious either."
Dumbledore proceeded to explain each of their identities to the other.
Only then did Sean finally understand why Mick treated everyone with such suspicion.
After all, his mentor had died during the mission.
Anyone would be psychologically affected by something like that.
"So… Fluffy was given to Hagrid by your teacher Quintus?" Sean said slowly, piecing things together. "To guard that object?"
"You're very perceptive," Dumbledore said with a smile. "I didn't expect you to connect Fluffy and Quintus."
"When I visited Hagrid's hut before, Mick seemed very familiar with Fluffy," Sean explained. "And just now you mentioned Quintus and Mick's relationship. I also remembered that during the last week of summer break, I saw Quintus at the school. So I guessed that was when he handed Fluffy over to Hagrid."
Dumbledore did not deny it.
That only made Sean more curious.
"So what exactly is that object?"
Dumbledore glanced at the clock.
"It's getting late. Curfew will begin soon."
He turned to Snape.
"Professor Snape, please escort Sean back."
Sean sighed helplessly.
"Alright, Professor."
"Mick, you should return as well," Dumbledore added. "And tonight's incident must remain confidential. Both of you."
Now that Sean understood Mick's identity, one more name was crossed off his list of suspects.
Only one remained.
The seemingly normal—
Professor Morisse.
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