Hogwarts: Voldemort, don't stop me from studying!

[Padma: Merlin! You finally saw the message!]

Padma: I'm outside in the fourth-floor hallway.

Padma: Curfew is approaching, Filch's cat has been watching me, and I think I just saw Peeves... What should I do? Dumbledore isn't here... Nobody's back...

Even from the jumbled words, one could feel the girl's fear and worry.

[Wade: Wait for me.]

Wade hurried to the main tower, and as he passed through the foyer, he detoured to the auditorium to grab some bread and roast meat. Filch stood at the entrance to the foyer, watching the students still eating their dinner with displeasure.

Wade nodded to him and said, "Good afternoon, Mr. Filch."

Filch was slightly surprised. He stared at Wade suspiciously, as if trying to figure out what bad idea he had.

But Wade had already walked quickly past him.

As Padma walked up to the fourth-floor corridor, he paced back and forth outside the penalty area, peeking out from time to time, as if afraid that any large movements would attract attention.

Around the corner not far away, the gaunt Mrs. Lorris was squatting on the ground, staring at her intently. Hearing Wade's footsteps, she turned her head to look in her direction.

Vader tossed two small dried fish to Mrs. Lorris and went to Padma's side.

“Vade!” Padma looked like she was about to cry, and the hem of her clothes was crumpled from her own grip.

“Don’t worry.” Wade handed her a sandwich and asked, “Have you eaten something… Have you notified the professor?”

Michael went to Professor Flitwick, who said the Philosopher's Stone was safe and that we shouldn't worry, and could enjoy the days without exams.

Padma's tone inevitably carried a hint of resentment towards the professors.

"Professor McGonagall said the same thing to Harry, and she warned us not to misbehave or we'd lose a ton of points. Professor Sprout is teaching the fifth year, so we didn't get a chance to talk to her."

Padma finished speaking quickly, then held the sandwich, unable to eat it.

Where is Professor Dumbledore?

"He received an urgent letter from the Ministry of Magic and went to London."

Padma said with tears in her eyes, "We don't have his Book of Friends, we can only send messages by owl, and we don't know when he will receive them... Maybe by the time he comes back, it will be too late."

“Don’t worry, remember what we said before—Dumbledore knows everything about Hogwarts.”

Wade comforted him.

After regaining his memories through the Pensieve, Wade became even more certain that Dumbledore had complete control over the school during Harry's first year, and Quirrell's perceived opportunity was merely a deliberate flaw revealed by Dumbledore.

The underground "challenge game" is Dumbledore's real "final exam" for Harry and his friends.

Chapter 103 Deep Sea

That being said, Vader couldn't just sit here and wait—the young wizards who went to try their luck were unlikely to die, but injuries were unavoidable.

So much time has passed, I wonder where they are now.

“I’ll go check,” Wade said to Padma. “Curfew is approaching, you go back to the lounge first. If I find anything, I’ll let you know from the friends’ account.”

Padma grabbed his sleeve and shook her head vigorously.

"Padma?"

“Michael told me the same thing…” the girl choked up. “I don’t want to wait anymore… waiting is more painful than anything else. I’d rather face God and the mysterious man with you…”

Wade paused for a moment, then sighed, "...Alright, then you can follow behind me."

Padma nodded and followed Vader step by step into the fourth floor.

"Meow-"

Mrs. Lorris suddenly let out a sharp scream, arched her back, and stood in front of them.

Wade glanced at the dried fish out of the corner of his eye; they were scattered on the ground, seemingly untouched.

"I'm sorry, but we have to get through."

The two walked forward, and Mrs. Lorris first bared her teeth and took two steps back, then her eyes darted around and she quickly ran downstairs.

"Collapse!"

Vader swung his wand, and a red flash struck the gray cat in the back. She fell with a thud, her body sliding to the side of the corridor.

“Great—she must be trying to tell Filch.” Padma couldn’t help but say, “How can there be such an annoying cat!”

"In her owner's eyes, she is the most loyal and dutiful cat."

As Vader spoke, he pushed open the half-closed wooden door. Padma gasped when she saw what was inside.

The ferocious three-headed dog was tearing apart a harp. Hearing the noise, it immediately looked at the two people and let out a low growl.

Padma's lips trembled as she stammered, "Harry said...it falls asleep whenever it hears music...Can I...can I sing to it?"

But in her panic, she couldn't remember what she knew how to sing.

"Music?"

Wade tossed a small ball onto the ground, where it rolled along, and halfway through, a melodious piano tune began to play.

“What is this?” Padma asked blankly.

“Für Elise, a classic work by Beethoven,” Wade replied.

"No—I'm asking, what is this little ball?"

Padma looked at the small ball that could not only sing, but also spin and emit colorful light and asked.

"Music player - the magic version."

"—Your new invention?"

“Not really,” Wade said. “It’s a Muggle invention; I just made a small modification.”

Knowing that there was a three-headed dog in the secret room, Vader naturally chose to be prepared.

From the moment the first note sounded, the once ferocious three-headed dog began to drowsy and soon fell asleep on the floor, its six nostrils emitting foul-smelling hot air, its massive body occupying most of the field of vision.

Padma mustered her courage and searched halfway around the three-headed dog.

"I...I heard there should be a trapdoor here...on the ground..."

Both of them looked at the three-headed dog at the same time.

"It seems to be suppressed by it."

Vader cast the Levitation Charm, and the three-headed dog was moved aside to lie down again, revealing a trapdoor on the ground. Vader grabbed the ring and opened the door, immediately hearing a familiar sound—

"Great, finally someone's here!" Neville's relieved voice came through the air. "Who's up there?"

"Get your wands, Neville!" Michael warned in a low voice. "Those guys might be their accomplices!"

Hearing their voices, Padma knew they were alright. She leaned against the trapdoor, crying and laughing, and said, "Michael, are you all okay?"

"Padma!" several voices exclaimed in surprise.

“Vade is here too, we’re together!” Padma said to the people inside.

Then, several people, riding brooms, flew up one after another through the trapdoor—

Michael was with Neville—Neville's leg was broken and still bleeding.

“Thank goodness you came—the three-headed dog blocked the trapdoor, and we couldn’t get out no matter what we tried,” Michael explained.

Theo's face was bruised, and his body had many small, narrow cuts, as if he had been cut by many sharp knives.

Ryan's arm was bent at an odd angle, and he was sweating profusely from the pain.

The most serious case was Ron, who was brought up by Hermione—he was unconscious and covered in blood.

"My God!"

Seeing the tragic state of everyone, Padma was so shocked that she was at a loss for what to do, and tears immediately welled up in her eyes.

"I...I didn't bring any white dandruff essence!" she said in a panic.

“It’s alright, I have some.” Wade said, taking several bottles of potions out of his bag and handing them to everyone: “—and painkillers too.”

To be honest, he admired these children—with such severe injuries as broken arms and legs, none of these eleven or twelve-year-olds cried out or rolled on the ground, something many adults couldn't do.

—Perhaps magic endowed them with some innate ability to endure pain... or heal injuries?

Ryan downed the painkiller in one gulp and said, his face pale, "Harry is still down there."

"What happened inside?" Padma looked fearfully at the dark cave entrance. "Did you encounter...that person?"

“No.” Hermione’s hands unconsciously crossed over her chest as she said nervously, “If Quirrell and Snape wanted to steal the Philosopher’s Stone, they should have done so at the final hurdle… The black flames blocked their path, and the potion that would allow one to safely pass through the flames was only enough for one person… So Harry chose to go alone…”

Padma exclaimed, "Isn't he afraid of dying?"

Of course he was afraid, but he still chose to face it.

The Book of Friends in Wade's hand suddenly started to heat up. He opened it and saw a message from McKee: "It's okay now."

The phrase "it's okay" can be interpreted in many ways, but at this moment, it only means one thing—

Dumbledore is back.

“Go to the infirmary first.” Wade closed the Book of Friends and said calmly, “Even if it’s just because you’re injured, Madam Pomfrey will contact Dumbledore immediately.”