Inside the Room of Requirement, a wisp of green smoke curled upward.
An exquisitely designed burner sat on a long table, emitting the scent of second-tier Azure Jade Incense.
This incense was highly beneficial for the growth of a wizard's sea of spirit. When used alongside a Meditation Method, its effects were multiplied. It was one of the many spoils Damian had acquired from Alsha.
Alsha's own wizarding aptitude hadn't been great, forcing her to expend a massive amount of resources to break through and become a Formal Wizard. Because of this, Damian had found plenty of auxiliary cultivation items hidden away in her White Stone Manor, with the Azure Jade Incense being among the best.
An indescribable scent drifted from the burner, an aroma that seemed to bypass normal human olfaction and sink directly into the mind.
Damian circulated his Meditation Method, feeling a constant, pleasant sensation of expansion within his sea of spirit.
In his Runic Magic system, reaching the peak of a Third-Level Wizard Apprentice required a long, steady period of accumulation. Expanding the sea of spirit to its absolute limit could take years, depending on the individual. Even with Damian's exceptional aptitude, it normally would have taken him two or three years to reach that wall.
However, aided by Professor Snape's improved potions and Alsha's hoarded resources, Damian had shortened that process to a mere three months. It was a terrifyingly fast rate of progression.
After meditating for over an hour, Damian felt the expansion finally cease. In its place, he vaguely sensed invisible shackles.
He understood immediately. He had hit the absolute limit of the Wizard Apprentice stage.
Now, all he had to do was inscribe his Innate Spell into his sea of spirit. Once done, he would shatter that bottleneck and officially advance to a Formal Wizard.
Lately, Damian had been heavily contemplating translating the magic of the Hogwarts world into Runic Magic. He wanted to inscribe Transfiguration as his Innate Spell. Doing so would permanently and drastically enhance his mastery and application of the art.
Transfiguration was an extremely complex branch of magic, but Damian was confident he could translate it into Runic Magic. After all, he had already successfully translated the Lumos Charm. The first step was always the hardest; with Lumos as a successful reference point, translating other spells was just a matter of time and effort.
Finishing his meditation, he carefully extinguished the Azure Jade Incense and tucked the remainder into his pocket. It was a highly valuable resource. Even a Formal Wizard could benefit from second-tier incense, and Damian wasn't about to waste a single speck of ash.
Leaving the Room of Requirement, Damian checked his silver pocket watch. It was still early, not yet time for dinner. Since it was Sunday with no classes to attend, he decided to head back to the Slytherin common room to rest.
Meanwhile, Harry Potter and his friends had been busy.
The previous night in the Gryffindor common room, they had deduced that Professor Quirrell was helping Lord Voldemort steal the Philosopher's Stone. They had resolved to take their suspicions straight to Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall.
Not knowing the password to the Headmaster's office, they sought out Professor McGonagall first. Fortunately, she was in her office.
She looked over her spectacles at the four Gryffindors with clear confusion. "Is there something you need?"
"Professor McGonagall, where is Professor Dumbledore?" Hermione asked breathlessly. "We need to see him immediately."
"You want to see Professor Dumbledore?" McGonagall's puzzlement deepened. "The Headmaster went to London for a meeting today and is not currently at Hogwarts. If you have something to say, you may tell me."
Harry panicked. "Professor Dumbledore isn't at Hogwarts? But what about the Philosopher's Stone?"
Professor McGonagall went rigid, her paperwork suddenly forgotten. She stared at him with sharp surprise and deep suspicion. "How do you know about that?"
"Professor, we think—we know—that You-Know-Who's minion is going to try and steal the Stone!" Harry urged. "We have to warn Professor Dumbledore!"
At the last second, Harry held back Quirrell's name. They had no hard evidence against the stuttering teacher, so he kept it vague, hoping the threat of Voldemort would be enough.
"Professor Dumbledore is very busy right now, and he might not be back for a few days," McGonagall said severely. "I don't know how you found out about the Stone, Potter, but rest assured, it is perfectly well protected. No one can steal it."
"But—" Harry started anxiously.
"That is quite enough," Professor McGonagall cut him off, clearly ending the conversation. "Today is a beautiful Sunday. I suggest you all go outside and enjoy the sunshine."
Harry and the others reluctantly left the office. McGonagall clearly didn't believe them, and Dumbledore was gone. Harry felt entirely helpless.
"Don't you see? With Dumbledore out of the castle, this is the perfect time for the thief to strike," Hermione deduced grimly as they walked.
Harry gritted his teeth. "We have to do something. Someone needs to keep an eye on Quirrell. We should stake out the staffroom."
Hermione nodded in agreement. "We'll take shifts. If anyone sees him heading toward the third-floor corridor, they come and warn the others immediately."
Later that afternoon, Harry, Ron, and Neville sat in the Gryffindor common room, a game of wizard chess abandoned between them.
None of them were paying attention to the board. Ron held a knight aloft, lost in thought for a long time. Harry and Neville didn't even bother urging him to move; they were just as preoccupied.
Hermione was currently on duty, stalking the staffroom corridor, and the boys were far too anxious to focus on anything else.
The portrait hole swung open. The three boys immediately whipped their heads around, only to sigh when it was just a pair of older students. They were relieved, yet inexplicably disappointed.
Ron snapped out of his daze, finally dropping his knight onto the board. "Your turn, Harry."
Harry stared at his pawns, but within seconds, his mind was miles away again.
Suddenly, the portrait hole opened again, and Hermione scrambled inside. Taking one look at her pale, panicked face, the boys felt a sickening drop in their stomachs.
"He's making his move," Hermione gasped, out of breath. "Quirrell is heading for the third-floor corridor! I saw him with my own eyes!"
Before they could speak, she added, "I checked Professor McGonagall's office on the way back to warn her, but she's gone too! What do we do?"
"It really is him!" Ron moaned, clutching his bright red hair. "We're completely on our own!"
"We have to stop him," Harry said fiercely. "If he gets that Stone, Voldemort comes back tonight!" He hesitated, grimacing. "Should we try to find another teacher? What about... Professor Snape?"
The others stared at him like he had lost his mind.
"I saw Snape threatening Quirrell in the forest," Harry defended quickly. "He clearly doesn't want Quirrell to get the Stone. Maybe he'll help us stop him."
None of them wanted to go anywhere near the Potions Master, but they were out of options. Unfortunately, after a desperate sprint down to the castle dungeons, they found Snape's office completely empty.
"That's it, then," Ron said despairingly, kicking the stone wall. "It's over. You-Know-Who is coming back."
A wild, reckless glint appeared in Harry's eyes. "No. I'm going down that trapdoor. I'm going to stop Quirrell myself."
"Are you mental?!" Ron hissed. "He's a fully grown wizard! How could you possibly stop him?"
At that moment, Neville, who had been trembling quietly beside them, spoke up. "You're forgetting someone," he said weakly. "There's still one person who actually believes us... and who's strong enough to stop him."
The other three froze as the realization hit them. They exchanged wild glances and shouted in unison:
"Damian!"
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