Chapter 304: The Heir

The corridor at night was empty, save for the faint sound of footsteps.

Occasional rustling noises could be heard, as if some crawling creature was shifting.

The Headmaster’s office.

It was located atop a solitary tower, and like the common rooms of Hogwarts’ four houses, entry required the correct password.

A giant stone gargoyle guarded the office; now it leapt aside, revealing the spiral staircase behind.

Wizard Sean entered the Headmaster’s office; the portraits were all dozing.

On a slender-legged table lay many strange silver objects, spinning and emitting thin puffs of smoke.

On a shelf behind the table sat a tattered, wrinkled wizarding hat—the Sorting Hat.

Now Wizard Sean picked up the Sorting Hat.

“Mr. Sorting Hat?”

Wizard Sean placed it on his head; the large hat obscured his eyes.

“Proud and shrewd Ravenclaw, ah… they always say that. But the old hat says, wise Ravenclaw… possesses hard-won courage…”

The folds of the Sorting Hat’s mouth opened and closed.

“Undoubtedly, the old hat knows—the time has come.”

The Sorting Hat always spoke in cryptic riddles; the wisdom of the Founders made its words hard to decipher.

Under the moonlight, Wizard Sean seemed to sense something—he gently removed the Sorting Hat and held it in his hands.

On a nearby gilded branch, Fawkes lifted his gaze and slowly spread his wings.

At the doorway, Harry, Hermione, and Ron had widened their eyes.

“How could it be Wizard Sean… oh no, no other student could enter the Headmaster’s office like this.”

Ron muttered under his breath.

“But what is he doing with the Sorting Hat?”

Hermione pressed against the wall, whispering.

“Look, something seems to be inside the Sorting Hat…”

Harry suppressed his strange emotions and focused intently on the young wizard bathed in moonlight.

His profile was sharper than usual; he grasped a long, hard object—and this time, there was no resistance.

Wizard Sean drew the Sword of Gryffindor.

“The time has come, the time has come—to respond and appear promptly, to aid the one you recognize as heir…”

The Sorting Hat’s voice grew faint, until it vanished entirely.

It was a gleaming silver blade, hidden within the hat, its hilt set with a brilliant ruby the size of an egg.

Wizard Sean held the Sword of Gryffindor, surprised by how easily he had obtained it.

He felt a flicker of doubt, but time was running out.

He must go to the Chamber of Secrets.

With a flick of his wand, books flew from his bag and swiftly formed a scabbard, which he strapped to his waist.

At this moment, he looked like an ancient wizard.

Before the International Statute of Secrecy, wizards freely mingled with Muggles, but using a wand to fight a Muggle’s sword was considered disgraceful.

Thus, they often wielded swords in combat, as naturally as wands.

Many gifted wizards were also skilled duelists; Gryffindor was one of them.

But Wizard Sean doubted he had any talent for swordsmanship—he didn’t even know if swordsmanship could be added to his panel.

At the doorway, Harry, Hermione, and Ron jolted awake from their frozen stupor.

They hurried away from the crack in the door.

“What was that?”

Ron stammered, the first to dash up the spiral staircase.

“The Sword of Gryffindor—if you’ve read *Hogwarts: A History*, you’d know.

It was forged by the greatest goblin silversmith, Goblin King Ragnuk the First.

Records say it possesses near-wand-like sentience, able to respond and appear promptly to aid its chosen heir.”

Hermione explained urgently, the second to rush up the staircase.

“But Wizard Sean isn’t a Ravenclaw, is he?”

Harry’s head spun.

If the Sorting Hat hid a sword, then when we wore it…

Were we nearly decapitated?

“As for courage…”

Hermione cut herself off as Ron shouted:

“The Sorting Hat hid a sword inside! Oh, I mean—could it fall out?”

Ron trembled slightly; had the Sorting Ceremony always been a trial?

Wizards who failed would have their heads cut off by the sword.

His thoughts aligned, at least partially, with Harry’s.

“I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

Hermione snapped in exasperation.

Soon they fell silent, as a young wizard descended the now-turning spiral staircase.

Moonlight illuminated his path; as he passed, he suddenly glanced back.

Harry, Hermione, and Ron nearly lost their souls.

Fortunately, he turned his gaze away.

“We almost got caught.”

Ron, trembling with relief, felt his legs go weak.

Ron, Harry, Hermione…

Wizard Sean counted heads and paid it little mind.

Being seen didn’t matter—as long as it wasn’t Voldemort.

The only thing Wizard Sean truly wondered about was Headmaster Dumbledore—he hadn’t seen the Headmaster in a long time.

Since their last conversation, Dumbledore had appeared far less often in the Great Hall.

The girls’ second-floor bathroom.

Curfew was approaching again.

“Sssss (open).”

Wizard Sean spoke calmly.

Instantly, the serpent-headed faucet emitted a brilliant white light and began spinning rapidly.

Then the sink moved; it slowly vanished from view, revealing a thick pipe large enough for a person to crawl through.

Wizard Sean put on his magical refractive glasses; Bai Yi and Ti La donned their custom versions.

“It’s time.”

…

In the corridor.

Harry, Hermione, and Ron paced anxiously; the person they were following had vanished in an instant.

“You know, Harry, the purpose of a sword is never to weed out grass.

If something has driven Wizard Sean to rely on external force…”

The Weasleys always had uncanny instincts; now Ron’s face had turned pale.

“I’ll go find Jia Jia Siting, Harry—he might know something.”

Hermione turned to leave.

“I remember—”

Harry suddenly said,

“Remember the house-elf Dobby? He said Hogwarts would be in danger;

And my Parseltongue—Wizard Sean knows that. He asked me several questions about it.”

“What?”

Hermione and Ron spoke in unison.

They were being pulled into another grand scheme again—each time, Wizard Sean quietly acted alone.

But they wanted him to know: each time, they too wished to give their all.

“What did you hear? Not that—‘open’—it was ‘open’! Wizard Sean wants to open something!”

Harry pressed urgently.