Chapter 13: Title at the end

Third Person POV-

The Holidays ended without any further incident for Callum and classes began again. Callum continued to practice Occlumency and learned Petrification charm.

Harry again made the news by catching the snitch and defeating Hufflepuff in record time. They are tied with Ravenclaw for the first place, whichever team wins the last match between these two will win the Quidditch cup. This garnered him fresh wave of fame and popularity especially in his house but he turned all that popularity into hate, a few days later by getting caught roaming the castle at night along with Hermione and Neville, loosing them fifty points each. Of course Malfoy also got caught trying to tattle that Harry was smuggling a dragon out of Hogwarts in the middle of the night but his Slytherin only lost fifty in comparison to Gryffindor's hundred and fifty. They all got detention in forbidden Forest, which doesn't make any sense. Like why send students there if it's so dangerous and moreover with Hagrid, who has got a warped sense of what's dangerous and what's not. If it was a reasonable world this would not happen but alas it's not it's just a figment of someone's imagination where the main character is currently living in.

***

Callum's POV-

Months passed and time for exams began to approach. I decided it was time to stop learning new spells and begin practicing all I have learned this year at Hogwarts in classes as well as by myself because I won't be able to use magic for the summer vacation. I will have to thoroughly ingrain everything that I have learned in my mind and my magic.

Of course I continued to practice Occlumency and I have almost completed the second step, which is to make a barrier that separates inner thoughts and surface thoughts and also protects against Legilimency attacks. My barrier can now withstand quite powerful attacks by the glass ball. The glass ball was instrumental in my development, it was like a means for me to use legilimency on myself without being a proper legilimens. Being a legilimens, I learned is not as simple as learning the spell. It requires a great deal of training to navigate someone's otherwise you can go mad with overload of information or not get anything at all from the victim's mind. If you don't have the talent for it, no matter how much you practice the spell won't work.

In Transfiguration I think I have surpassed many second and third years in object to object transformation. First year syllabus for transfiguration is mainly transforming small objects into similar small objects like match to needle, spoon to fork etc. But I can now transform the pillows in ROR to stones or an ornate box or a large book in a few seconds. I'm having slight difficulty with changing the size too much between initial object and the result. Of course, it can be achieved by using engorgio or reducio after the transformation but I want to achieve this during transfiguration, also I haven't learned these particular charms yet.

Finally the exams came and I did decent in written exams. I wrote the answers to the point. I attempted all the harder questions and left some easy ones not because I was trying to hold back but because it was quite boring and I was feeling lazy. Its like being a college student and writing exam about fifth grade science about Atmospheric water cycle.

'What's the point anyway, these won't matter in my career and all the professors already know that I know these answers.'

It was a whole different story when it came to practicals. I went above and beyond in performing spells and making potion to impress professors and letting them know that I know what I was doing if they somehow misunderstood that I didn't know the answer because I left some questions.

(AN: I know practicals aren't mentioned for first year, but it's only logical that they should happen because performing magic is more important that learning theory.)

I was sitting outside on the bank of the black lake after the last exam, watching the giant squid's tentacles floating in the water. Many students were enjoying the end of exams. There was only a week till the vacations start. This week will be OWLs and NEWTs exam as well as for the final game of Quidditch.

From the corner of my eyes I saw the golden trio running towards Hagrid's hut.

'Looks like Harry figured out that Hagrid accidentally leaked the secret to getting past fluffy, Now should I or should I not interfere?'

***

Harry and his friends figured out that the stone is going to be stolen today by Snape, but McGonagall told them off saying that it's perfectly safe. So, they decided to steal the stone at night before it gets stolen. They were sitting in great hall during dinner when Hermione noticed Callum.

"Here's a thought....should we ask Haven to help us?", Hermione asked hesitantly.

"Hear me out first", she continued when she saw Ron open his mouth furiously. "The stone is extremely well protected by all the teachers, so, as first year it will be extremely hard for us to get past all the obstacles. But Haven is different, as much as it pains me to say this I think he is the best at magic in our year. I saw all his practicals as his name comes a name after mine. He was doing everything effortlessly, he even cast some spells without proper wand motion. Also he is very smart so he will be very helpful if we can convince him".

" You are out of your mind. You are saying we tell him everything and what?, you think he will believe us, what's stopping him from telling a professor our plan or worse what if he tells Snape. Even if that doesn't happen why would he help us at the risk of getting expelled?" Ron said looking at Hermione as if she was mad.

Hermione had nothing to say to that, but Harry said after a thought.

"Well, we do need help. What if we don't tell him everything until we see his reaction and if he decides to help. I think we are on good terms after the Christmas", said Harry.

"You guys are mental", said Ron but he didn't protest further.

They decided that Ron will call him outside to an empty classroom while the other two wait there as that will make the least commotion.

Ron went to the Ravenclaw table to where Callum was sitting and asked him, "Haven can you come outside, I have something to talk to you about__ uh_h trolls? Yeah I want to ask about the trolls."

Callum looked extremely confused but he followed Ron outside to the empty class where Harry and Hermione were waiting.

"So I'm guessing this talk is not about trolls huh." Callum said looking at the three of them.

Harry and Hermione looked confusedly at Ron.

" Yeah never mind that, this is not about trolls." Ron said waving his hand.

"What's this about then?", Callum asked.

"Do you know anything about sorcerer's stone?", Harry asked.

"Yeah I've read up on it after you guys asked me about Nicholas Flamel, quite a useful stone" Callum replied.

"You have to promise us you won't tell anyone what we are about to tell you", Hermione said.

"Yeah, alright", Callum said after some thought.

The trio looked at each other than Harry began, "Don't ask me how we know this but The sorcerer's stone is being kept at Hogwarts for protection by Dumbledore for Nicholas Flamel on the third floor corridor that's why it's forbidden to go there. Every professor contributed something for its protection. We know for sure that Sn__ someone is going to try to steal it tonight. They didn't know the secret to get past the protection that Hagrid set up that is until recently."

"Well, I'm not gonna ask you how you know everything as you are of Harry Potter but it is all very plausible, Nicholas Flamel and Dumbledore are friends after all. I think you should go to Professor Dumbledore with your theory, he could check on the stone and see if it's safe or not", Callum suggested.

"We tried but he is not in the castle. He flew to the ministry for some important work. We think the person who wants to steal the stone lured him out of the castle with false summon from the ministry." Ron said.

" Strange that he flew to the ministry. I heard that adult wizards can apparate. If it's a false summon he could come back to Hogsmeade in an instant. Anyway you should go to Professor McGonagall then, since she's Deputy Headmistress." Callum said.

"We also went to her but she doesn't believe us. She believes that the stone is perfectly safe and we shouldn't meddle in this business", Hermione said.

"Well, there you go then", said Callum.

"But she's wrong, we are hundred percent sure about this", Hermione said.

"I don't understand what do you want me to do? Stop the thief?", Callum asked in a sarcastic tone.

"We are planning to steal the stone before the thief steals it and we were hoping that you'd help us", Harry said.

Callum looked at them like they were crazy.

" Do you think this as a game or an adventure?, Even if I were to help you, what makes you think that four first years can steal an object protected by the Hogwarts professors. Sorry, but I can't help you, I believe that if Professor McGonagall says that it's safe then it's safe. Also I can't risk getting expelled because unlike you guys I don't have any other prospects. Hogwarts is the best thing that happened to me, it's a chance for me to escape my ordinary life."

"I understand you", said Harry. He really did.

"I'm not gonna say any of this to any professor for now since I promised but if I heard from Daily prophet or anywhere that the stone went missing or stolen, I will go to the professors with this information immediately. You three also should just forget about the stone because there's no way you can get past the protection of professors. But I know you will still go. Well let me know how it goes". Callum said and left the room.

(AN: Comment if you thought MC was gonna interfere)

***

Callum's POV-

In the end I decided not to go because they don't really need me in getting to the stone and also I don't have a plot armour and Quirell or Voldemort could definitely kill me. This is much more dangerous and unpredictable than a simply fighting the troll and I don't have any strategy against Voldemort for now. Even if something changes and Harry doesn't stop Quirell, it's not like he can actually steal the stone.

Dumbledore is too cunning for him. I think this was all a ploy of Dumbledore to boost Harry's confidence and have him accept his destiny as a saviour and plant a hero complex in him. The only thing that was out of Dumbledore's plan was that Voldemort himself would appear before Harry. He thought he will have Harry pass through a bunch of easy obstacles with the help of his friends and when Harry finally confronts Quirell he will swoop in to save the day establishing a bond of trust between them.

I don't think Dumbledore is evil, but he is just too controlling and manipulative especially when it comes to Harry. He wants Harry to walk on the path he laid out, only then could they finally defeat Voldemort. To be honest, he's not wrong to think that, his plan succeeded in the end and Harry fulfilled his destiny. I'm not personally motivated to meddle in his affairs for now but in future if I can become strong enough and I can find an easier method to defeat Voldemort that could save everybody the pain and suffering then I would interfere of course.

Of course it could be possible that all of this speculation are false and Dumbledore is a Saint but the former theory makes more sense to me.

Days passed and rumour began to spread that Harry Potter saved something from being stolen from Hogwarts. But I spent most of time in ROR, trying to make the most of the last few days. I decided not to take all the coins from ROR just in case I got caught. I just took 10 galleons, 50 sickles and 50 knuts, I wouldn't need more than this as I won't be spending much because if any professor somehow knew that a 11 year old muggleborn orphan spent so much in Diagon Alley, I would be in big trouble. I will try to learn how to temporarily change my physical features next year, so that I could to go to Knockturn Alley. That will also enable me to sell some of the stuff in ROHT.

Last day of the semester came, the great hall was sporting flags of blue and bronze indicating that Ravenclaw won the House cup. Come to think of it I won quite a lot of points this year and I think trying to rival me, my dorm mates also tried their hardest so that helped a little. Of course the main difference maker was that we won the Quidditch cup and Slytherin lost fifty points, courtesy of Draco Malfoy.

' Well it's not gonna be blue and bronze for much longer, Dumbledore will fix it to red and gold after a few minutes', I thought. I didn't really care about the house cup anyway.

What I thought happened exactly , Dumbledore gave a bunch points to Gryffindor which resulted in Gryffindor winning the house cup. I think he did this so that students from Gryffindor forget about their grudge against Harry for losing them so many points.

***

I went to sat in the same thestral pulled carriage with the Golden trio as we to traveled to Hogsmeade to catch Hogwarts express.

"It seems I was wrong and the stone did need saving", I said to them.

"Yes, it did and we "three first years" saved it", Ron said quite obnoxiously .

" Alright Alright, no need to be snarky. So, could you tell me about the protections and how you overcame them? I'm just curious." I asked

"Well, there's no harm since you know much of it anyway, just don't tell anyone else, I don't want anymore rumours," said Harry.

Then he told me everything except the bit about Voldemort, he said that Dumbledore came in time to stop Quirell while he bought time, till Dumbledore came.

" I'm confused now, doesn't this mean that stone was safe after all. I mean Quirell couldn't have gotten the stone after all because he wanted to use it. And all these protection looks more like a treasure hunt I read about in muggle detective novels where you have to solve clues to get past the obstacle and reach the treasure. I mean a simple riddle for a Potion to get past the flames, really? Ravenclaw door gives harder riddles to get in the common room. Why even bother leaving the potion, if Dumbledore wanted to access the stone he could have just taken the potion with him," I said.

"I really mean no offense to your courage and resolve to save the stone but all of it seemed.... unnecessary. It was all very Gryffindor of you", I said provocatively. "I'm sorry, I think I'm just a little bitter over the loss of the house cup. I'm sure Dumbledore gave Gryffindor exactly the number of points needed to overtake Ravenclaw and win just by coincidence. He is the Headmaster after all."

The trio looked awkward at the mention of house cup, it seemed they realized the absurdity of it too.

I had this talk with them to help them realize that this was all a setup and they had just been lucky, so they think thoroughly before taking actions. Honestly I would like Harry to become a little more competent that he was in the books. If only he could just get himself motivated by realizing the opportunities given to him.

"Have a Happy Vacation you all. I will see you on September 1st", I waved them goodbye as I boarded the train carriage on which I saw my roommates. They waved silently, still thinking about what I said.

***

Chapter 13: END OF FIRST YEAR.