The players marched out onto the pitch to thunderous cheers.
Oliver Wood shot up into the air and did warm-up laps around the goalposts.
Madam Hooch released the balls. The Hufflepuff team, dressed in pale yellow, were huddled together, using the last minute to talk tactics.
Harry mounted his broom. The match was about to begin.
He looked up at the stands. Hermione and Justin—so busy they'd even stopped taking naps—were yelling for him; Neville stood beside them; Ron was holding up a huge sign he'd transfigured himself.
Everyone was here… except Sean.
He was always busy, and now he wouldn't even give himself a moment to rest.
In fact, Harry hadn't seen Sean for two days—Gryffindor and Ravenclaw didn't share any classes lately.
Harry took a deep breath and listened hard for Madam Hooch's whistle. He had to focus, because it was almost drowned out by the crowd's roar.
Fourteen brooms rose into the sky.
Harry felt his hair stream back, and the nervousness melted into the exhilaration of flight.
The match lasted more than an hour. In the end, Gryffindor caught the Snitch and finished two hundred points ahead of Hufflepuff.
Applause and cheering erupted everywhere.
Sweat had soaked Harry's forehead; his hair lay damp against it. He swept his gaze around happily—then his eyes collided with Sean's, smiling at him.
"Sean!" he shouted, thrilled—
And then horror flooded in.
Wait… Sean wasn't he supposed to be in detention in the dungeons?
Ignoring the Gryffindor team rushing toward him, Harry whipped his broom around and shot back to the locker room.
But when he searched frantically for "Sean," the figure at the edge of the crowd was already gone.
Harry felt like he couldn't breathe. Sweat dripped from his brow, and the cold wind made him look painfully small.
"Harry?"
A voice spoke. Harry reflexively drew his wand—then immediately lowered it.
"Sean?"
His voice was full of relief.
It was Sean. But how was he out of the dungeons?
"Professor Snape gave me a day off," Sean said.
"Ah… is that so?"
Harry hesitated.
But then… the Sean I saw in the Great Hall earlier—what was that?
"Lately I've been researching some… 'advanced' magic," Sean said.
"I-is that so?"
Harry relaxed a little.
Maybe Sean had made a magical duplicate of himself, like that diary; or maybe he'd created some kind of three-dimensional projection…
So what? Sean inventing something unbelievable was basically normal.
"It's not a projection," Sean said.
"Ah—wait—n-not?"
Harry's eyes went wide. "Sean, I—did I say that out loud?!"
He clapped both hands over his mouth.
Cold sweat broke out again.
Had he just blurted out his thoughts?! No—he hadn't said anything!
"Sorry, Harry. I can't really control it right now," Sean said, rubbing his temples. He genuinely couldn't.
The kneazle-cat cookie and Legilimency stacked together—and something clicked. Now he could directly hear what a young wizard was thinking.
Of course, only if they had zero mental defenses.
If someone did have defenses, then he'd have to force it.
Which meant that anyone who hadn't learned Occlumency was basically an open book to him.
"Your eyes?!" Harry yelped.
In the dusk, Sean's eyes had started to glow faintly. Harry could clearly see emerald-green slit pupils—sharp as blades.
"Kneazle-cat cookie. A new item from Fairytale Shop," Sean explained.
"Kneazle-cat… what is that?" Harry asked, more confused than ever.
"A magical creature," Hermione said sharply. Somehow she and the others had already reached them. "They're said to have Legilimency-like abilities."
Then, even more shocking: Ron paused, then gave Harry a helpless little nod.
Harry's gaze dimmed. He knew why—Quidditch training had made him miss too many Hope Nook study sessions.
"It's fine, Harry. There's plenty of time," Sean said.
"Thanks, Sean… but could you stop reading my mind?" Harry sounded like he was surrendering.
"Reading minds?" Hermione blinked, stunned.
"The kneazle-cat cookie gives me some Legilimency," Sean said, exasperated. "Not like what you're thinking. And no, I'm not an alien, Hermione."
Hermione's face turned bright red.
"You can stay rational while using it… oh my—" she breathed, then forced herself to pull it together, eyes flashing with realization.
The Hope Nook group instinctively shifted, blocking Sean's line of sight. When he made eye contact, he could hear their thoughts.
Sean shook his head. Using Legilimency on a person was extremely draining—especially like this, where he couldn't control it well.
Not even a full minute passed before his head started to spin.
He closed his eyes, and the world around him went quiet.
"I hope I'm not interrupting," a cool, crisp voice drifted over.
A silver-haired professor appeared—and the moment she did, the younger students froze.
Harry and the others exchanged glances, silently trying to guess who she was.
"Professor Tayra, hello," Hermione said, practically vibrating with excitement—like the first time she'd faced Dumbledore. She lowered her voice to explain to Harry and the others: "That's Professor Tayra. Hogwarts' alchemy professor—second only to Nicolas Flamel."
Harry and the others went instantly tense.
"My dear apprentice," Tayra said, turning her back on the students. The playful edge returned to her otherwise expressionless face. "And what, exactly, is this?"
"The kneazle-cat cookie's ability can stack with Legilimency, Professor," Sean said.
"Oh? Oh?!" Tayra's amusement vanished, replaced by raw delight.
They'd already "stolen" magical creatures' authority—now they could overlay those abilities onto wizard magic itself?
"Say goodbye to your… friends," Tayra said, smiling brightly. "We have a lot to do today. And it looks like it's not just the Magic Hand Mirror that has good news."
Magic Hand Mirror?
Sean opened his eyes—only to meet Tayra's gaze head-on.
And, predictably, his vision went black.
"Come on," Tayra laughed. "My dear, bold apprentice."
Dusk settled like a curtain over the students. In the distance, the Quidditch stadium was still roaring, and owls cut through the last light of sunset.
And Sean—once again—made his way to the Alchemy office.
~~~
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