The grey light of Wednesday morning barely pierced the heavy velvet curtains of the Gryffindor dormitory. It was still hours before most students would stir, but Adam's eyes snapped open. He felt as though he hadn't slept at all. His limbs were heavy, his muscles ached from the intense focus of the previous night, and a dull throb pulsed behind his eyes. He had stumbled into bed at three in the morning, the scent of rubber from burst balloons still faint on his robes, and his mind buzzing with the complexities of dual-casting.
Despite the exhaustion weighing him down like a physical blanket, his mind was sharp and clear. A quiet determination burned where the tiredness should have been. One more evening, he thought, pushing himself to sit up. Just a few final touches, and it will be perfect for her. And before that I have to finish what I need to do.
He moved with a practiced silence, slipping out from under the warm covers. The air in the room was cool and still, filled only with the soft snores of Harry and the slightly louder, more rumbling ones from Ron. Adam gathered his things without a sound, his movements fluid in the dim light. He gave one last look at his messy, unmade bed—a clear sign of a late return and an early departure—before slipping out of the dormitory door and into the quiet of the castle.
Several hours later, a bright beam of sunlight cut across the room, landing squarely on Ron Weasley's face. He groaned, swatting at the light as if it were a fly before burying his head under his pillow.
"Time to get up, Ron," Harry's voice came from the next bed. He was already sitting up, fumbling on his bedside table for his glasses.
"Five more minutes," Ron mumbled, his voice thick with sleep.
"We've got potions first thing," Harry reminded him, finally finding his glasses and putting them on. The world snapped into focus, and his eyes immediately went to Adam's bed. It was empty, the red curtains pulled back and the blankets in a chaotic heap.
Ron finally emerged from under his pillow, his red hair a tangled mess. He followed Harry's gaze and sat up with a jolt. "Blimey. He's gone again."
Harry frowned. "He must have come in really late last night. And now he's already left."
"I know," Ron grumbled, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "We needed to ask him where the celebration for Hermione's birthday is going to be." If not for Adam's messy bed, they would have thought he hadn't even been there all night.
Ron stood up and started pulling on his robes, his expression turning sour. He looked at Harry, his voice a low mutter. "Harry, I don't think he is a good guy. He's gone all night, he's never to be seen anywhere by anyone in the castle or grounds. He's definitely up to no good. I think the rumors about him are really true."
Harry paused his search for a clean pair of socks and looked at his friend. He had spent a fair bit of time with Adam over the past couple of weeks, even though it was rare to find him sitting peacefully without doing anything. Adam was quiet and intense, but he wasn't unkind.
"As you said, those are just rumors, Ron," Harry replied calmly. "You talked with him too, he's pretty nice. And I'm pretty sure he's just gone to prepare for Hermione's birthday. We'll see him in class, then we'll ask him the time and place. He said her birthday is on Thursday, so I don't know if we'll celebrate it at night or tomorrow during the day."
Ron looked at Harry, thinking about what he said. Harry had a point. Adam was the one who was planning the whole thing for Hermione. His suspicion softened, replaced by the more immediate excitement of giving a gift. He nodded.
"Yeah, you're probably right," he conceded. "Yes, we should also pack the gifts that Fred and George brought back." A wide grin spread across his face at the thought, the mystery of Adam's comings and goings temporarily forgotten.
While Harry and Ron woke up convinced Adam was busy with party preparations, Adam was in another world entirely. After leaving the dormitory, he had walked further down the seventh-floor corridor. This time, when he paced before the wall, his mind wasn't on balloons and candles. He pictured a vast, open space, a limitless sky, and the thrilling rush of wind.
The door that appeared was taller this time, wider. When he stepped through, he was greeted not by a festive classroom, but by an enormous chamber with a ceiling so high it seemed to disappear into a soft, cloud-like mist. The air was crisp and cool, and the floor was a smooth, polished stone that stretched out like an endless runway. This was the room he needed.
Adam's plan for the evening was to put the final touches on Hermione's party decorations. The morning, however, was for him. Their first flying class was tomorrow, and a thought had taken root in his mind, a dream from two lifetimes: Quidditch. He knew Gryffindor had an empty Seeker position, and he wanted it.
A small part of him felt a pang of guilt for Harry, knowing that in another story, that spot was his destiny. But Adam pushed the feeling down. This was his life, his chance, and he wasn't going to give up on a dream for someone else's story.
He pulled the Cleansweep Seven from his system's inventory. The broom felt solid and dependable in his hands. "Up!" he commanded, and it leaped into his grip instantly. He swung his leg over and kicked off the ground. For hours, he practiced. He started with simple things—hovering, gentle turns, and slow circles around the massive room. Then he pushed himself, trying sharp dives, sudden stops, and weaving through imaginary obstacles. The Cleansweep was steady, but he could feel its limits.
After what felt like an eternity of drills, sweat dripping down his brow, he landed and switched brooms. The Nimbus 2000 felt different the moment he touched it—lighter, sleeker, humming with a barely contained power. When he kicked off this time, the acceleration was breathtaking. The room became a blur as he shot from one end to the other. The control was incredible; the broom responded to his slightest thought, turning on a knut and climbing at astonishing speeds. He practiced for another hour, his confidence soaring with every dive and swerve. He was surprised to find himself being quite talented in flying.
Finally, feeling the familiar ache of exhaustion but buzzing with adrenaline, he landed. He knew he was ready. He put the brooms away in his inventory and headed for the Great Hall, hoping to catch breakfast before his first class. As he walked, he felt the satisfying burn in his muscles, a testament to a morning well spent. However, upon entering the hall and meeting up with Hermione, he learned that for some unknown reason, their Potions class had been shifted once again.
***********
In the Headmaster's office, the air was thick with the scent of old parchment and the faint, sweet smell of lemon drops. Countless silver instruments whirred and puffed tiny clouds of smoke on spindly tables, their soft ticking the only sound besides the gentle snores coming from the portraits of past headmasters lining the circular walls.
Severus Snape sat in a plush chair before the grand, claw-footed desk, his gloomy face a mask of impatience. The fire crackling in the hearth cast dancing shadows that made his hook-nosed silhouette seem even more menacing. He couldn't stay still. He would get up from his seat, his black robes sweeping across the stone floor, and pace back and forth, the sharp click of his boots echoing in the quiet room. Then, with a frustrated sigh, he would sit down once again.
After repeating this for the better part of an hour, the room was suddenly filled with a flash of brilliant red light. A silent, warm explosion of golden-red fire erupted in the center of the office. Looking at this scene, Snape was not surprised. From the heart of the flames stepped Albus Dumbledore, his long silver beard nearly touching his belt and his half-moon glasses perched on his nose. A magnificent fiery bird with golden tail feathers sat calmly on his shoulder, blinking its intelligent, dark eyes.
"Were you waiting for too long, Severus?" Dumbledore asked, his voice calm and warm. He walked to his high-backed chair behind the desk and sat down, his gaze drifting over the sleeping portraits before finally settling on Snape.
"No," Snape uttered, the single word sharp and clipped. He paused for a few moments, waiting. When he saw Dumbledore was not intending to speak first, he continued, his voice low and serious. "He is back."
Dumbledore's eyes widened in surprise, but the look lasted for only a few seconds. His face returned to its usual calm expression as he picked a candy from a bowl on his desk. It was a Licorice Snap, and it wriggled in his fingers before he popped it into his mouth with a thoughtful chew. "Severus, is there anything else you want to say?"
Snape heard Dumbledore's bored voice, and it was infuriating, but he kept his cool. "He is back... in Hogwarts," Snape insisted, leaning forward slightly.
"Someone from our school asked Death Eaters to collect potion ingredients for him in the name of the Dark Lord. From the list I obtained, I tried to think of all the different potions that can be brewed. Some of them are really dangerous."
Dumbledore kept indulging in another Licorice Snap as he asked in a tired tone, "What's the result?"
"Many poisons that can easily kill half the school with a single vial," Snape said, his voice grim. "No one except a true potion master can brew such poisons. It could also be a list designed to hide the true purpose."
Dumbledore finally raised his eyes from his candy bowl. He looked deep into Snape's black eyes, his playful manner gone, replaced by a sudden seriousness. "And you think it's Tom? If so, then you don't have to worry. He could never harm any students of Hogwarts as long as I am here. You can just go and continue your classes, Severus. This should be the last time you are postponing your class."
Snape was already angry with Dumbledore's casual attitude, but hearing this careless reply made him lose his composure. "Then do you mean we do nothing about this?!" he snapped, his voice rising. "You know how accomplished he was in potions. He might have ignored it after becoming the Dark Lord, but I know his knowledge about potions might not even fall behind my own. We all know why he wants to enter Hogwarts, and you still wish to ignore this? He is the biggest danger to the entire wizarding world!"
Dumbledore didn't seem to feel the heat of Snape's anger. He simply smiled, a sad sort of smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Severus, when did you start to care about these things? You don't have to worry about that thing. He'll never get it. You just have to protect that one person for whom she sacrificed herself. That was our deal back then."
Snape was furious at Dumbledore's words. He shot up from his seat and darted towards the door, his robes billowing behind him like dark wings. Just as his hand touched the cool brass handle, he heard another question from Dumbledore.
"Severus, what do you think about that little boy, Adam Taylor?"
Snape stopped in his tracks. He turned around slowly, his face an emotionless mask once more. "I don't get the reason why you are asking me about that boy. You should ask his house's head."
"I just noticed you treating that boy with a completely different attitude," Dumbledore mused. "Is it because of those rumors?"
Snape was in no mood for games. "We both know that boy is not from those families," he replied impatiently. "I don't care about that boy; he's just not a stupid troll like everyone else in this school. I only advised him on potions... as a compensation."
Dumbledore knew he couldn't look into Snape's mind, so he just stared at him with a complex look on his face. "Compensation? Because your friend hurt him in that duel?"
Snape just stared back at Dumbledore before quickly walking out of the Headmaster's office without another word. His silence was an answer in itself. It was true that his guilt over Lucius's actions had been the reason he first spoke to Adam. Later, he had come to genuinely respect the boy's enthusiasm for potions, which was why he had remained so calm when facing him.
'If you don't want to do anything, then I'll have to do it myself', Snape thought as he walked swiftly down the spiraling staircase.
As he departed, a final whisper from Dumbledore seemed to follow him down the corridor, a voice that sounded only in his ears. "Severus, do not lose your way in a fit of anger. You'll achieve your goal, and Harry will be the one to help you achieve it. But you must not forget what I previously told you... Tom is not the only danger to our world."
Back in his office, Dumbledore sat in his chair, looking at the door where Snape had just left. He waited like this for a while before waving his hand. The windows immediately shut, and the heavy office door locked with a deep, magical click. With Dumbledore's strength, no unlocking charm could open it now.
He got up from his seat and slowly walked into his private bedroom, located off to one side of the office. He walked past towering bookshelves until he arrived in front of a palm-sized mirror floating gently in the air. He looked into its shimmering surface for a while until a few words flowed into view, like ink spreading in water.
"What will you do about this, Albus?"
Dumbledore took the small mirror in his hand and sat down on the edge of his bed before answering. "He won't get what he wants, even if he enters the castle. But I am worried about the safety of the students."
After a minute, more words appeared in the mirror. "You can't do everything by yourself. You can't protect them forever. They must know that there is always a hidden danger to their lives, even when they are living in this peaceful and rather safe environment."
Dumbledore wanted to ask something, but before he could, the answer he sought was already forming on the glass.
"Everything is going to change. The world is changing at a speed we cannot understand. It can benefit us, but it can also harm us. The future of Hogwarts is already out of my vision, so what you do about it is your own choice from now on. Since the start of this year, I can no longer interfere. Something or someone has appeared in Hogwarts who has already changed the fate of this school. If not for you, I would never spend my time or energy on a place that just teaches little kids."
Dumbledore stayed silent for a long while. He no longer felt as calm and collected as before. His plan, which had started more than a decade ago, was somehow slipping out of his hands. With all the other dangers appearing in the wizarding world, he already had too many things to take care of. He looked at the mirror for a moment more, then finally put it down on the bed without saying anything else. He closed his eyes in silence, his mind heavy with thought.
'You'll never understand it, he thought. Hogwarts is not just a school to everyone who comes here. The secrets that Hogwarts holds may be as deep as the secrets of our entire wizarding world. This is the most mysterious place I have ever seen. I can never leave it to its fate.'
"Hogwarts..." Dumbledore whispered before letting out a long, weary sigh. He called out to his fiery companion, his voice filled with resolve.
"Fawkes. It's time."
Adam attended his classes all day with the others. With Potions class cancelled again, their first period was Charms, which was followed by Herbology. The day went on peacefully, filled with lessons and the usual quiet gossip that echoed in the castle corridors between classes.
During a short break before Transfiguration, Adam found himself walking with Harry, Ron, and Neville. Hermione had already rushed ahead to the library to return a book.
"So, that was a disaster," Ron groaned, referring to his latest failed attempt at the Levitation Charm. "My feather just sort of… twitched. I think it's broken."
Neville nodded sympathetically. "Mine wouldn't even lift an inch. Adam, you and Hermione make it look so easy."
Adam chuckled, shaking his head. "It just takes practice, Neville. You'll get it." He then lowered his voice, glancing around to make sure no one was listening. "Hey, about Hermione's celebration tonight… I've got the place sorted. Be ready to leave the common room a little before midnight. I'll lead the way from seventh floor corridor."
Harry's eyes lit up with excitement. "Sounds brilliant. We've got her gifts all wrapped up."
"Yeah, she's going to love what Fred and George sent," Ron added with a mischievous grin.
Just then, Hermione came hurrying back towards them. "Honestly, you three," she said, though there was a smile on her face. "You'll be late for Professor McGonagall's class if you just stand around. I was just reading the most fascinating chapter on switching spells! It says that the key is to have a perfectly clear mental image of the object you want to create…"
She continued talking excitedly about magic and books as they walked. When they were a safe distance from other students, she turned to Adam, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "We went to see Hagrid yesterday evening,"
she said. "He wouldn't tell us what the three-headed dog is guarding. He just kept saying it was secret business between him and Professor Dumbledore."
She paused, taking a breath before adding, "But, he let something slip! He said that the person involved in all this is someone named Nicholas Flamel."
Hearing this, Adam felt that everything was going the right way and just nodded at her words.
After the last class of the day ended, the students poured out into the corridors, their chatter filling the air as they headed back to their common rooms. Adam walked with his friends for a bit before slowing his pace, allowing the group to move ahead. Once he was sure no one was paying him any attention, he slipped away from the crowd and started making his way toward the seventh floor to finish the final decorations for the party.
As he turned a corner into a quiet, empty corridor, he almost bumped into someone. It was Daphne Greengrass. She was leaning against the stone wall, clearly waiting for him.
"Find anything new about the trial?" she asked without any greeting, her tone impatient.
Adam was a bit disappointed by her directness. He had been hoping for at least a simple 'hello.' He shook his head.
"No, nothing yet. I haven't had much time to look into it. But soon I'll talk to the Grey Lady. " To her clear disappointment, Adam denied having any new information.
An idea suddenly sparked in Adam's mind. He looked at her, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Listen, Daphne… I'm throwing a small birthday celebration for my friend, Hermione, tonight. You should come."
Daphne stared at him as if he had just sprouted a second head. "A birthday party? Why would I go to that?" she asked, her voice cold.
"Because having more friends is better for our task," Adam replied smoothly. "It's good to build connections. The more people who trust us, the easier it will be to move around the castle and gather information without raising suspicion. Besides, Hermione is one of the smartest people in our year. She could be a big help."
Daphne considered his words, her arms crossed. After a small, tense silence, she let out a quiet sigh. "Fine," she agreed, though she didn't look thrilled about it. "I'll come. But only for a little while."
A smile touched Adam's lips. "Great," he said. "Meet me in the seventh-floor corridor, opposite the tapestry of the dancing trolls. Be there at 11:45 PM. Don't be late."
He gave her a quick nod before continuing on his way to the Room of Requirement, leaving a slightly surprised Daphne alone in the corridor.
As Daphne walked away from Adam, with her thoughts a tangled mess. She really didn't want to attend a birthday celebration, especially Hermione Granger's, for reasons she kept tucked away. But what Adam had said made a cold, logical sense she couldn't ignore. Building connections was important for their task. With a reluctant sigh, she decided she would go.
Now that she had committed, a new problem immediately presented itself. If she was going to a birthday party, she couldn't show up empty-handed. She had to get a present for Hermione. Annoyed but determined, she hurried back to the Slytherin common room. Once in the privacy of her dormitory, she pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill, quickly writing a letter to Teemy, her family's loyal house-elf.
Meanwhile, Adam returned to the seventh-floor corridor. This time, he paced in front of the wall while thinking of the celebration room he had been working on. The familiar door appeared, and he slipped inside. The room was just as he had left it, filled with colorful balloons. For his final touch-ups, he needed a place to set the cake and gifts. "I need a small table and a chair," he thought to himself, and the Room of Requirement obliged, a simple wooden table and a matching chair appearing near the center of the room.
With the furniture in place, he continued with his work. He placed streamers and a large "Happy Birthday" banner on the walls, making sure everything was perfect. With magic, everything was just too easy and quick. Then he carefully placed the candles he had gotten from his system shop onto their floating stands. These weren't ordinary candles; they were enchanted to burn with soft flames of different colors.
Once all the candles were in place, Adam took out a spool of very thin, almost invisible string. It was a special, highly flammable string he had purchased from his system's custom shop. It was expensive, but for this occasion, Adam didn't care much about the cost. He carefully connected the wick of each candle to the string, creating a network that would light them all up in a magical chain reaction.
In a quiet corner of the room, he placed a classic vinyl record player and selected a record from his system shop that played a cheerful "Happy Birthday" tune, followed by some relaxing music. He had to admit, tasks like this were so much easier thanks to his system. With a final look around, Adam took out his camera and snapped a few "before" pictures of the decorations, capturing the room in its festive glory before heading to the Owlery.
He was heading there to wait for Athena's return. He had sent her home to his parents, but she wasn't making the trip alone. After getting Harry's permission, Adam had sent Hedwig along with Athena to help carry back the undoubtedly large birthday packages. Now, all he had to do was wait for the two owls to arrive.