Chapter 205 "The K of Heart"

"By the way, may I know other reasons why we can't approach our Lord just yet? The more I think of it, I think we might even have more strength right now under our wings compared to back then." Upon hearing Rosier's refusal, Abernathy furrowed his brow.

If the person in front of him were not Rosier, Abernathy might have immediately drawn his wand.

However, being aware that Rosier would never betray Gellert Grindelwald, Abernathy refrained from thinking otherwise.

Knowing fully well the current power of Alliance only missing their former spearhead, Abernathy provides the argument that the member of Alliance led by Wentworth is currently more solid than how Gellert used to lead them.

Holding the Philosopher's Stone, Rosier smiled subtly and remarked, "We must make good use of the Philosopher's Stone that Wentworth obtained. Even if we were going to war for the sake of our Lord's freedom, there would be lots of casualties before we can even spread our influence."

"Think about it, Abernathy! What use would it be when our name has been spread all across the world, but there are only a few of us left to continue our task? For now, we should make good use of this stone that Wentworth has brought us after putting his life on the line."

Abernathy could see the reasoning behind Rosier's action.

He finally knew why Rosier stood on Gellert's side by being his most trusted witch.

After a brief pause, Rosier continued, "Go on, Abernathy. Instruct our people to do their best to locate Nicolas Flamel. We, the Alliance, have something to ask of him. After that we can take care of Christine's side of the problem."

Without hesitation, Abernathy nodded, and shortly after, an owl took flight from Hogsmeade village.

Meanwhile, as Wentworth handed over the Philosopher's Stone to Rosier and Abernathy, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Draco gathered in a secluded corner of the Hogwarts Books Pavilion, engrossed in a discussion.

Since last night, the camaraderie among the four had noticeably improved. This time, Harry took the initiative to gather the group, glancing around to ensure no prying eyes were on them before he spoke:

"I've figured out who released the troll in Hogwarts yesterday," Harry exclaimed.

As soon as Harry dropped this bombshell, the others couldn't help but register surprise on their faces.

"Who is it?!" Hermione's expression was marked by indignation.

If it weren't for Harry, Wentworth, and the others arriving in the nick of time last night, Hermione might have met her end in that dangerous encounter.

Draco quickly chimed in, "Harry, just tell me who it is, and my father will ensure they end up in Azkaban for good!"

His tone was aggressive, and Hermione, somewhat amused, responded, "Thank you, Draco!"

Draco was confused by the sudden gratitude shown by Hermione; he didn't mean to say that for Hermione's own good.

In truth, Draco's earlier declaration was fueled by his own anger.

It's worth noting that Draco, having overexerted his magic the previous night, suffered some aftereffects upon returning to the Slytherin dormitory, enduring considerable discomfort.

The consequences were evident in his pitch-black eyes that persisted throughout the day.

Observing the skepticism in their expressions, Harry stood firm and declared, "It's Professor Snape."

Hermione and the others were left dumbfounded, but Draco reacted most vehemently, "It's impossible! Our Head of House wouldn't do such a thing!"

While Slytherin students harbored their fears of Snape, the caring side of the professor also garnered some student support.

Refusing to back down, Harry pressed on, "Trust me, what I'm saying is true! Did you not notice? Professor Snape's leg was injured! I witnessed it last night; something bit Professor Snape's leg!"

Despite Harry's assertion, Draco remained unconvinced, shaking his head adamantly, "Impossible. What in Hogwarts could possibly bite Professor Snape?"

Just then, Ron interjected, approaching the group and contributing unexpectedly, "There really is!"

The others looked at Ron in surprise, prompting him to elaborate, "Not long ago, Fred and George, my brothers, mentioned that when they were wandering around Hogwarts at night, they spotted a three-headed dog at the end of the right corridor on the fourth floor! They claim it's taller than me!"

Upon hearing Ron's account, the others were visibly intrigued, though Draco remained skeptical, smirking disdainfully, "Don't play tricks on us, Ron. There's no such thing as a three-headed dog."

Ron was undeterred by Draco's disbelief and continued, "I'm telling the truth! Moreover, George mentioned that there's a trap door beneath the feet of the three-headed dog. Fred said it's guarding something!"

Despite Ron's earnestness, Draco remained unconvinced. As he was about to dismiss Ron's claims, Harry suddenly had an epiphany, "I've got it! I remember when we first arrived at Hogwarts, the Daily Prophet reported the theft at Gringotts. The vault that was robbed—just a day ago, I was with Wentworth and Hagrid when we retrieved something from that vault."

With newfound certainty, Harry asserted, "That three-headed dog must be Hagrid's; only he could manage such a creature! And what it was guarding is what Hagrid obtained from Gringotts, the very thing Snape is after!"

Harry's revelation left the others exchanging glances.

Meanwhile, having quietly returned to Hogwarts, Wentworth noticed Cedric and Green were absent from the Hufflepuff common room.

He assumed they were out enjoying themselves and thought nothing more of it.

Soon, the clock struck nine in the evening, and Cedric and Green arrived promptly at the Hogwarts Room of Requirement.

However, they were puzzled not to find Cassandra waiting for them.

After a brief wait, Cedric, with a furrowed brow, suggested, "Cassandra might be delayed by something. Let's go in and wait for her."

Green nodded in agreement, and the two opened the door, entering the Room of Requirement.

To their surprise, the room had transformed entirely since their last visit.

Thick fog enveloped the entire space, obscuring visibility even at close proximity.

Cedric observed, "It seems like Cassandra has been here before us. This is an entirely new manifestation of the Room of Requirement."

With a nod, Green added, "I'll lead the way; you follow me."

Gazing at the dense white fog, Green took a determined step forward, and with gritted teeth, he entered the mysterious room.

Upon entering the room, Green was immediately surrounded by dense fog, with only a short distance ahead where the fog temporarily gave way.

Surprisingly, when he turned around, the entrance to the Room of Requirement had vanished, leaving no trace.

Caught in this surreal environment, Green had no choice but to cautiously advance toward the thick fog.

"Stay close to me, Cedric; we don't know what will pop up from these annoying fogs!" Green exclaimed.

Cedric nodded while stepping closer toward Green; their steps became more cautious than ever.

Each step he took seemed to push the fog slightly further away.

Slowly but surely, Green progressed until a massive round table materialized before his eyes.

The thick fog still lingered around the round table, but a beam of white light descended upon it from above, creating a clear space.

In the corner of the table, a figure sat shrouded in fog. Before the figure, a playing card lay on the table, revealing Cassandra's identity on the Deck of Stars, the Heart K.