Chapter 89: Crossing the Trapdoor

Allen quickly put on the mask.

Harry and the other two were still immersed in the shock of the moment.

Harry and Hermione were completely stunned by the appearance of Allen's nose; anyone seeing a person with a flat nose and nostrils like two thin slits would feel shocked.

Ron seemed to have thought of something; his gaze darted away, and he dared not look at Allen.

After hesitating for a long time, he said, "I heard people say before that the Dark Lord's nose was just like this. I didn't believe it before, but after seeing Allen's nose today..."

Allen's smile grew more bitter; of course he knew what Voldemort looked like. To avoid causing panic, he had covered his nose tightly today.

Hearing Ron's words, Harry and Hermione looked at Allen again, and their expressions had already changed...

Professor Quirrell's office.

The room remained as dim as ever.

Voldemort's voice rang out: "I just took a short nap. How are things going?"

Quirrell quickly replied, "Things are done. I have sent invitations to all the professors, inviting them to gather at the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade at 9 o'clock tonight. The reason is to introduce my fiancée to them. They all agreed readily."

"Excellent!" Voldemort's cold, sharp voice rang out again. "Then our plan is perfect!"

"Master! Why have you suddenly become so cautious?" Quirrell hesitated but asked anyway.

Voldemort fell silent for a moment and said, "Although that boy Finis finds it hard to break free from the Unbreakable Vow, his actions are always unexpected, so we must be even more careful today!"

"Yes! Master!"

After dinner, the four of them nervously avoided others and sat in the common room.

Hermione was busy flipping through all her notes, hoping to accidentally find a spell they would need to dispel later.

Allen carefully wiped his wand with velvet cloth, recalling in his mind every spell he could use for combat, like a warrior about to go to battle.

During this school year, he had imagined countless times what it would be like to step onto the battlefield. He previously thought he would feel nervous and afraid, but at this moment, he felt only calmness and indifference in his heart.

He did not know what he would face in a moment; he even considered the possibility of his own death. He suddenly realized he had left his mark on this world.

So after dinner, he retrieved all his notes, wrote down his conjectures about the essence of magic in this world in his notebook, and placed it inside his quilt.

If he unfortunately sacrificed his life, Professor McGonagall would discover that notebook when sorting through his belongings; this would be his final contribution to this world. Allen thought silently in his heart.

Harry and Ron spoke very little; both were thinking about the task they were about to undertake.

One by one, the students went to bed, and the people in the common room gradually decreased.

When everyone in the common room had left, they silently stood up and put on the Invisibility Cloak.

It was still very cramped for four people under the Invisibility Cloak; to prevent their feet from being exposed, they had to walk hunched over.

Walking in such a posture was tiring; they rested twice along the way, but fortunately, no one discovered them.

They arrived outside the fourth-floor corridor—the door was already ajar.

Someone had entered first! Allen's heart instantly rose.

This was not what they had planned. Quirrell had already gone in! Or rather, Quirrell and Voldemort had already gone in! Allen's heart grew somewhat panicked.

"How is it? See?" Harry whispered. "Snape has successfully passed through Fluffy."

Harry said to them under the Invisibility Cloak, "If you want to back out now,

I will not blame you." He said, "You can take the Invisibility Cloak; I no longer need it."

"Don't talk nonsense," Ron said.

"Let's go together," Hermione said.

Allen hesitated but still voiced his thought: "This is not what we planned! Our plan was to take the Philosopher's Stone before Snape. Now that Snape has already gone in, the four of us cannot handle an adult wizard!"

"No! This might be our good opportunity. Snape might be injured by the traps; that is our chance!" Harry immediately began to refute Allen.

Ron also supported Harry's view: "Right! We ambush and subdue him from behind Snape, and the Philosopher's Stone will be safe!"

Hermione tended more toward Allen's view: "I think Allen is right. We should go find Professor McGonagall now. Seeing all this, Professor McGonagall will understand that we are correct!"

"It's too late! We don't know when Snape went in. By the time we find Professor McGonagall, he will have long escaped Hogwarts with the Philosopher's Stone!" Saying this, Harry pushed the door open.

Ron hurried to follow. Allen and Hermione exchanged a glance and followed as well.

With the creaking sound of the door opening, a low, frenzied barking immediately rang in their ears. Although the great dog could not see them, all three of its noses twitched and sniffed wildly toward them.

They discovered the harp left by the previous visitor. Allen blew the flute Hagrid had given him, and the great dog soon fell asleep...

They removed the Invisibility Cloak and crept toward the trapdoor. When they approached the three giant heads, they could feel the great dog's hot, stinking breath.

They opened the trapdoor; below was pitch black, nothing could be seen, and there was no ladder.

"Looks like we have to jump!" Harry said firmly. "I'll jump first!"

He slowly slid down the hole, finally hanging on the edge of the opening with only his ten fingers.

Allen blinked desperately, but none of the other three saw it. Allen stopped playing to remind them, but as soon as he stopped, the great dog roared again and began to twist its body, so Allen had to start playing again.

He looked up at Ron and said, "If something happens to me, do not follow down. Go directly to the owlery and send Hedwig to deliver a message to Dumbledore, okay?"

"Alright," Ron said.

Harry let go of his hands. Cold, damp air rushed past his ears with a whoosh. He fell, fell, fell, and then—splash. With a strange, dull thud, Harry landed on something soft.

"It's a soft landing; you can jump!" Harry's shout came from below.

Then Ron jumped down, and Hermione followed...

Everything happened too fast for Allen to remind them. He tried to reach out to grab them, but he failed to catch them!

Now only Allen was left in the room. For the first time, he felt his friends were so reckless!

He finally spoke the words he had always wanted to say: "Why didn't you use the Levitation Charm?"

Then he cast a Levitation Charm on himself and slowly floated down from the opening...