As far as Sean knew, the Wizard's Heart had originally been brought back from Greece by Salazar Slytherin and Merlin.
Later, Merlin secretly took the artifact from Salazar.
When he left Hogwarts, he entrusted Peeves with finding a suitable successor.
Thinking about Merlin reminded Sean of an old rumor—that Merlin was the child of an elf and a human.
After visiting the elves' village, Sean had confirmed that this was not a rumor at all.
"You knew about the Wizard's Heart a thousand years ago?" Sean asked.
"Of course," Adam said smugly. "There isn't a single thing in this castle that I don't know."
Sean wasn't convinced.
"Then tell me," he said, "what is Snape doing right now?"
Adam froze.
Then he snapped irritably, "What do you take me for, some kind of peeping tom? How should I know what he's doing?"
"You just said you know everything in the castle."
"I meant I know where everyone and everything is!" Adam protested.
Sean immediately countered.
"Then why didn't you know I was waiting for you under an Invisibility Cloak?"
Adam fell silent.
Apparently, the cloak was beyond his senses.
Anything hidden beneath it was effectively invisible to him.
Still, Sean had to admit Adam sounded like an upgraded version of the Marauder's Map—one that tracked not only people but objects as well.
"I don't know what Snape's doing," Adam muttered, "but Filch is almost here."
Sean had become so focused on questioning Adam that he had stopped paying attention to his surroundings.
Within the range of his Silencing Charm, outside sounds could still be heard.
And now the sharp tap-tap of Argus Filch's shoes echoed from around the corner.
"Where's the Wizard's Heart?" Sean demanded. "Give it back."
"It's downstairs," Adam said. "And no, I'm not giving it back."
Sean glanced at the staircase descending into darkness.
He made his decision instantly.
Without hesitation, he grabbed the bound squirrel and ducked into the opening.
If Adam wouldn't return it willingly, Sean would take it himself.
Moments later, Filch arrived at the third stone pillar.
He passed right by it.
Nothing looked out of place.
Inside the passage, Sean used Reparo to restore the broken stone to its original form.
The entrance had been small, but once inside, the space opened dramatically.
In truth, the original doorway was nearly a meter tall—Sean had simply blasted a narrower opening than necessary.
"What is this place?"
Holding his wand aloft with Lumos, Sean descended the staircase.
Goosebumps rose along his arms.
Adam, still wrapped in thorny vines, said calmly, "Strictly speaking, this is the true origin of the castle."
Sean raised an eyebrow.
"I mean the castle itself," Adam added. "Not Hogwarts."
Sean thought for a moment.
Hogwarts had been founded around 990 AD by the four Founders.
Adam had claimed he was here long before that.
"When was this castle built?" Sean asked.
"A very long time ago," Adam replied. "Around 4900 BC."
Sean nearly missed a step.
"4900 BC?!"
The number was staggering.
Then again, after hearing stories about the Golden Adventurers, Sean had learned not to be surprised by ancient dates.
"So the Founders built Hogwarts on top of an existing structure?" Sean asked.
"Exactly."
Sean glanced at Adam.
"Then you knew the Founders?"
"No."
Adam shook his head.
"But I did meet Salazar once. He was searching the castle for a hidden chamber."
Sean's eyes widened.
"The Chamber of Secrets?"
Adam nodded proudly.
"That day happened to be my birthday."
He puffed out his tiny chest.
"Once a year, my master allows me to roam freely. On that day, I happened to meet Salazar."
At the time, Salazar hadn't recognized anything unusual about the squirrel.
He had a few sweets in his pocket and tossed them to Adam as a joke.
It was the first candy Adam had ever tasted.
In a good mood, he transformed into his human form and asked if Salazar needed help.
Shocked but intrigued, Salazar explained he was looking for a hidden space.
Adam, as the castle's oldest resident, knew every secret within its walls.
And so he guided Salazar to the perfect location.
"You showed him the Chamber of Secrets," Sean said.
Adam blinked.
"You know about that?"
Then he added casually, "There are several hidden rooms like that. The one where you're hiding the diadem. The Room of Requirement on the eighth floor. Plenty more."
Sean finally understood.
So that was why both Quirrell and Lockhart had gone wandering at night carrying candy.
Adam had a sweet tooth.
Then Sean's eyes narrowed.
"Wait."
"How did Quirrell and Lockhart know Adam liked candy?"
That realization opened an unsettling possibility.
Sean had always assumed Quirrell and Lockhart were acting under orders from Herpo the Foul.
During the kidnapping of Christine, Quirrell had mentioned Adam by name and seemed to know he predated Hogwarts itself.
But now another possibility emerged.
What if Salazar Slytherin was still alive—and allied with Herpo?
Given everything Sean had already seen, a thousand-year-old wizard no longer seemed impossible.
"Did Salazar meet you on November 9th?" Sean asked suddenly.
He still remembered that Quirrell had encountered Adam in the early hours of November 9th.
Adam looked astonished.
"How did you know?"
He puffed up with pride.
"Because today is November 9th."
Sean's eyes widened.
Today was Monday, November 9, 1992.
In less than half an hour, it would be November 10th.
"So this is your birthday."
Sean glanced at the bound squirrel.
"Tying you up on your birthday feels a little rude."
Despite his words, he made no move to release the Rose Thorn spell.
"I didn't bring any candy," Sean said. "I'll bring you a whole basket tomorrow."
Adam sniffed.
"I actually prefer nuts."
He paused.
"Though tomorrow won't matter."
Sean frowned.
"You mean you can only come out on November 9th?"
"Yes," Adam said reverently. "It is my master's grace."
"Who is your master?"
Adam puffed out his chest.
"My master is Lord Gelsang, one of the Golden Adventurers and one of the progenitors of all wizardkind."
He looked expectantly at Sean, clearly waiting for awe.
Sean nodded.
"Oh."
Adam's jaw dropped.
"That's it?"
Sean shrugged.
After meeting the elves, this revelation barely registered.
He had become considerably harder to impress.
"You're no fun," Adam grumbled.
Sean ignored him.
"Is your true form the squirrel, or the blond boy?"
"The squirrel. The human form is just for variety."
Sean eyed him skeptically.
"You expect me to believe a squirrel has lived nearly seven thousand years?"
Adam snorted.
"This is only my outward form. I am a spirit born from the sealing array itself."
Sean stopped walking.
"A spirit?"
Adam nodded.
"Yes."
"What exactly is being sealed?"
Adam's voice grew solemn.
"A dragon."
Sean's heart skipped.
"Where?"
Adam looked down.
"Right beneath your feet."
By now, Sean had reached a vast underground chamber.
It was even larger than Merlin's hidden room.
A strange unease settled over him.
He activated his Magic vision.
At once, he saw the Wizard's Heart shining brilliantly in the darkness.
"There it is."
Adam immediately warned him.
"Don't touch it. That's for everyone's sake."
Sean tore his eyes away from the artifact.
"A dragon?" he asked. "An ancient dragon?"
Modern dragons were dangerous, but manageable.
Specialized cages and a handful of skilled Aurors were enough to subdue one.
The creature beneath his feet was something else entirely.
"Correct," Adam said.
"It was once one of my master's companions in the Golden Adventurers."
He continued quietly.
"After the group scattered across the world to live peaceful lives, this dragon grew ambitious. It wanted to conquer the native inhabitants of Earth."
"My master and another companion joined forces to stop it."
"They buried it here and constructed a magical seal above it."
Sean swallowed.
"So beneath Hogwarts lies the progenitor of dragonkind?"
Adam nodded.
"Yes. And not only dragons."
He fixed Sean with a meaningful look.
"Many wizard bloodlines carry traces of its blood as well."
For the first time, Sean was truly stunned.
The implications were staggering.
"Hogwarts' motto is 'Never Tickle a Sleeping Dragon,'" Sean said slowly.
"Did the Founders know what was buried here?"
Adam shook his head.
"No. Pure coincidence."
He chuckled.
"If I remember correctly, Rowena Ravenclaw invented the motto simply to symbolize Hogwarts' quiet strength."
Sean let out a slow breath.
If the Founders had known a primordial dragon slumbered beneath the school, they probably would have built Hogwarts somewhere else entirely.
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