Early the next morning, Harry, as usual, got up early, washed up casually, then changed into light clothes and prepared to go out for his morning exercises.
Click—
Outside the door was the corridor of the Slytherin dormitory, as dim as ever, with a few floating candelabras swaying towards him.
"Is this the reason?"
Suddenly, a voice sounded from behind Harry.
Harry turned his head, but didn't know when Draco had already sat on the bed, his eyes fixed on him.
"The reason for what?" Harry asked in confusion, his voice echoing in the empty corridor.
"The reason you are so… able to defeat them."
Draco didn't want to admit that Harry seemed strong to him, so he changed his wording.
"Getting up so early every day, is it really useful?" There was a longing in Draco's eyes.
To his disappointment, Harry shook his head and denied, "No!"
Meeting Draco's gaze, Harry slowly said, "Getting up early, or morning exercise, it's just a goal I set for myself.
When I achieve my goal every morning, I tell myself, 'I've even done something as difficult as getting out of bed, you guy, I really don't know what else you can't do today!'"
Draco pondered, then shook his head dryly, "I don't understand."
Harry smiled and explained, "I don't know how to describe it either. Before, Uncle Howl simply asked me to run to school every day. It wasn't until one day a month later that I suddenly understood.
Perhaps some things can only be understood by doing them, don't you think?"
Draco knew Uncle Howl, and Harry preferred to use that title, so there was no need to hide it when talking to him.
With that, he was about to leave.
"Wait a moment!" Draco said.
Harry's hand was on the door, and he looked at him in confusion, "Is there anything else?"
"I'm going too!" Draco said, "Anyway, I went to bed early yesterday, and I'm bored now."
He had indeed rested early yesterday. After Harry disparaged the pure-blood theory in front of him, he racked his brains trying to find arguments to refute the other party.
However, in the end, he just fell vaguely onto the bed and fell asleep early.
This was also the reason he got up early today.
Harry glanced at the time, then nodded, "Whatever you want."
Hearing this, Draco quickly put on his clothes and shoes, and hurriedly followed him out of the common room.
As for Crabbe and Goyle… Draco sincerely hoped they snored smoothly.
It wasn't until he walked out of the common room that Draco realized what the morning before seven o'clock looked like. It was also his first time feeling how empty the common room, corridor, and Castle were.
Here, the normally unnoticed footsteps and breaths would constantly echo, and sometimes one could even encounter ghosts passing through walls in the dark corridors, while the flickering candlelight always flickered erratically.
It really made one's hair stand on end.
He tightened his clothes and looked at Harry walking in front. He walked all the way to the outside of the Castle. Then he watched Harry do some simple warm-up exercises before starting to run.
Is that it? Is that it?
Who can't do this!
I'll do it too.
Thinking, he followed and started running. Two laps… four laps… his entire face gradually turned red, and the pumping of his heart in his chest gradually felt like it was about to explode.
After five laps, he supported his knees with both hands, his whole body bent over and hunched, without even the strength to stand steady.
"You don't seem to exercise much normally. If you can't do it, go rest." Harry's voice sounded from behind him.
He had already lapped Draco again.
"You… are you… mocking me?!" Draco gasped, growling unhappily.
Harry slowed his pace, turned his head, and let out a long breath, "Not at all.
Uncle Howl told me that being too tired to straighten your back is proof of climbing, and I respect every climber."
At this time, the sun had just appeared over the mountaintop. Draco looked up and happened to see the golden sunlight falling on Harry's face.
He couldn't see Harry's expression clearly, but he seemed to feel a sincerity from Harry's tone.
A sincerity he had never felt before.
After Harry finished speaking, he adjusted his breathing and returned to his state, quickly widening the distance from Draco.
Looking at Harry's back, Draco gritted his teeth and slammed his thigh hard.
"Potter, you just wait! Wait for the day I surpass you!!"
With that, he sprinted wildly.
Then… he cramped up.
Howl strolled over and looked at Draco, who was lying on the grass with a twitching face, somewhat curious, "What's wrong with him?"
"He has a leg cramp." Harry was a little embarrassed. He had already used a magic spell to restore Draco's cramped leg, but this guy seemed to be too sensitive to pain and was still lying on the ground, looking half-dead.
"Alright." Howl shrugged, then bid farewell to Harry and walked towards the Castle.
As soon as he stepped onto the Castle corridor, he noticed a figure.
"Oh, Professor Quirrell." Howl greeted him.
"Mr. Jo… Jones, good morning." Quirrell stammered his greeting.
"What are you looking at?" Howl asked. When he arrived, he noticed Quirrell's gaze focused on the two children outside.
Quirrell shook his head repeatedly, "No, no… nothing. Oh… right, Mr. Jones and Ha… Harry Potter know each other?"
"I suppose so." Howl nodded, "Alright, I'm going to my office now. Let's talk again when we have time."
"Okay, bye… goodbye!" Quirrell waved at him.
Howl walked past Quirrell, feeling somewhat puzzled. Suddenly, an alarm bell rang in his heart.
He turned his head sharply, only to find Quirrell still as usual, standing in the corridor, looking at the two children outside the Castle.
Howl's posture remained unchanged. He slightly raised his hand, and a streak of pitch black condensed on his fingertips, constantly flashing with black lightning.
However, Quirrell remained as usual, with his back to him.
Howl gazed at Quirrell's back until the warm sunlight fell on his fingertips, then he withdrew the condensed magic and turned to leave.
What was Dumbledore's office password again? Chocolate Frog? I wonder if it has changed…
Long after he left, Quirrell, who had been standing relaxed, suddenly slumped down. His back was already soaked with cold sweat, and he was gasping for air, even more so than Draco.
"Idiot!" An uncontrollable roar exploded in his mind.
"I'm sorry, Master." Quirrell quickly apologized in his mind. He knew his Master could hear his thoughts.
The voice in his mind was still full of anger, roaring, "That guy is definitely not simple! He might be the person Dumbledore found to protect the Philosopher's Stone, and he has already started to suspect you." He roared, "From today onwards, don't worry about that child anymore. The Philosopher's Stone is what's important."
"Yes… yes, Master!"
Quirrell quickly said, then turned and left.
"Chocolate Frog!"
Howl stood at the gargoyle entrance on the third floor and said. However, unfortunately, the gargoyle remained completely unmoved.
It seemed Dumbledore had changed the password.
Looking at the children coming and going who had gotten up early, he felt a little awkward and didn't want to make any drastic moves.
As for apparating, that would be even more impolite.
After thinking for a moment, he simply cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself.
Eighth floor of the Castle, Principal's office. Dumbledore was having breakfast when he suddenly heard the sound of glass tapping on the window.
He habitually raised his hand and opened the window. Usually, it was owls that came here every morning.
It could even be said that he had to welcome many owls every day. From the Wizengamot, the Order of Merlin, the Ministry of Magic, and the school board. There were also letters from various graduates, newspapers, magic magazines…
Sometimes, there would also be some private letters.
Only today, what came was a little different.
When he opened the window, after less than two seconds, he noticed the anomaly. Then he saw a cat's head at the window canceling the Disillusionment Charm.
"I tried my best to make my appearance not so presumptuous." Howl said, "After all, I knocked on the door, no, I knocked on the window!"