As the Amostar exited the school infirmary, he crossed the corridor and headed towards the stairs. He didn't expect to bump into several members of the Weasley family hesitatingly standing at a corner of the staircase. They seemed to have already noticed Professor Brearly walking this way, but instead of making way, they appeared to be waiting for him.
"Seems like it's almost time for bed, gentlemen Weasley?"
Amostar looked at the headmaster Percy and the twins standing behind him, as well as Ron Weasley, "Can it be that you all suddenly thought of having a family gathering?"
"It's like this, Professor Brearly--"
With the exception of Ginny, it was a rare occasion for the Weasley children to be all present, and they exchanged glances. In the end, it was Percy, being the eldest, who stepped forward to explain.
"Professor McGonagall doesn't allow us to visit the infirmary, but we are very concerned about Ginny..."
"Ah--"
Amostar smiled, understanding and nodding.
"Concerning about the safety of family members is only natural. Don't worry, everyone, your little sister is very healthy. In fact, no one has suffered any significant injuries. Professor Pince has said that they only need to stay in the infirmary for one night and can be discharged early in the morning tomorrow."
This answer was undoubtedly reassuring, and the brothers took a collective breath. With good luck, Ron at the back of the trial with Amostar asked with hope in his voice.
"Professor Brearly, would you allow us to see Ginny... Harry and Hermione are there too..."
"Sorry, little guy--"
Amostar directly passed through the middle of them and went downstairs.
"I think it's best to follow the doctor's instructions and not disturb their rest... Now, head back to your dormitory and get some sleep. If I find you all still standing here when I return to my office, the Gryffindor dream of winning the House Cup again this year might just be dashed."
"Actually, I was also wondering if Professor Brearly has prepared anything for the senior practical classes." Percy looked at the disappearing back of Professor Brearly and regretfully shook his head.
"Dream on, Percy, Professor Brearly is tight-lipped, we've tried it and he won't budge an inch!"
After the common goal was shattered, the minor rifts between the Weasley brothers, known only to them, emerged. Ron glanced at Percy with a disdainful tilt of his head, his scorn evident.
"I'm different from you, Ron, I'm a--"
The twins laughed and teased together, "The head boy, of course!"
"Go back to bed, you three!"
Percy's face turned red visibly, and he shouted at the retreating twins and Ron, "Get back to bed, you three!"
"If you don't learn to follow the rules in the next few months, I will write a letter to my mom!"
"Everything okay?"
... "Hmm..."
Amostar caught a glimpse of Snape professor sitting on the chair with his hands covering his face and shoulders slightly shaking. This abnormal expression was completely gone when the door opened halfway, and after that, Snape professor directly left this office in a hurry.
"Scared to tears by a wraith, that can't be..."
Amostar walked over to the chair in the middle of the room, staring at the few drops of water stains on the ground before him with a strange look. He raised his eyebrows until his tears were dry, and then slowly raised his head to emit an unintelligible laugh.
Perhaps, before leaving Hogwarts, he should find an opportunity to talk to Professor Snape.
The wand swept down, and the curtains and drapes closed instantly. To ensure he would not be peered into by some mischievous old man, Amostar continuously drew in mid-air with his wand, etching powerful protection spells into the void with a dazzling glow. From multiple dimensions of magic and space, he isolated his office from Hogwarts.
At this moment, this office seemed like a floating island in an infinite sea. Except for Amostar himself who was inside, no one else could locate it.
After a period of research, relying on his deep magical foundation, Amostar finally digested the research materials on memory magic he obtained from Lohat. He also finally had the confidence that without the legendary alchemical device called a Pensieve to assist, he could peek into the secrets hidden within those memories without introducing them back into his brain.
The light from the fireplace and candlesticks was extinguished, and moonlight and starlight were blocked by Amostar's magic outside the room. Inside the office, it truly plunged into a darkness as profound as the depths of the universe.
In the perpetual darkness, a ray of silver light infiltrated the void, like a drop of ink into a clear pool. With the rhythm of breathing, the ripples gradually spread and oscillated. In no time, a magnificent galaxy presented itself before Amostar's eyes.
"Will it be a plot that I can't remember?"
Amostar had been waiting for the opportunity to unravel this mystery for some time. After a brief moment of dizziness, he regained his composure. As the luminescent magic enveloped his body, he dived without hesitation into the soothing, flowing silver mist.
Amostar walked like a fish in a long river of time, his steps light as he moved through the memories of oblivion. Each image was as clear as day, engraved in his mysterious eyes, his brain whirring at full speed, his emotions undulating and tumultuous...
"Do you really think we can succeed?"
The school infirmary was dark and the little witches were all quietly lying in their beds. The only reason they were so still was one - to ensure that with so many little witches gathered here tonight, no accidents would occur, Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout were personally stationed here, along with Madam Pince, to watch over the little witches.
This was a new experience for the two professors. At the moment, they were huddled in the small office, chatting with Madam Pince in a warm and glowing moonlight.
However, the little witches are not an easy character to be subdued. Although Professor McGonagall commands them to sleep, they may not dare to resist, but private letters sent by owls abound.
Harry's partner was not Hermione--his partner was lying on the bed opposite him with a fierce gaze, so he had to chat with Hermione about topics that would not 'offend'.
"I think... Professor Brearly wouldn't deceive us..."
The owl, carefully fluttering its wings, flew into Harry's bedclothes, opened the letter and read the delicate writing that expressed Hermione's thoughts.
"But, I reviewed the content of every lesson given by Professor Brearly, and I didn't find any mention of such things in the labyrinth--"
Harry, troubled and flustered, crumpled the paper into a ball and turned over, closing his eyes.
At that time, when Professor Brearly mentioned that he had already given hints, Harry confirmed that a light had flashed in his head, and the truth was only inches away from him.
But, just that little bit of distance remained unbroken, which was indeed a very discouraging feeling.
After confirming that Harry was not ready to continue the conversation, Hermione's beautiful eyes also began to cloud over, and her thoughts became less clear.
She tucked in her covers for herself, preparing to rest, but she couldn't sleep for long, tossing and turning.
The quiet hospital room became a battlefield of varied snoring sounds, and Hermione only left her forehead outside the covers, entrusting her body to the warmth of the bedding.
"What did Professor Brearly do before coming to Hogwarts?"
On their first night, Professor Brearly explained to everyone that the dark creatures in the maze were what he had encountered on his journey. He had kept a few of them because they had some research value... What kind of journey could involve dealing with such dangerous creatures?
With possible doubts that will never be answered, Hermione's eyelids gradually drooped down, and soon, she fell into a deep sleep. On the other side, Amostar dispersed the silver mist and returned to his chair behind the desk, falling into a long silence.
