Chapter 19: What Are You Going to Do?
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Following the footsteps of the three professors, Noah and the other four walked all the way to the third floor.
Although the Headmaster's main office was on the eighth floor, Professor Dumbledore also had a private study on the third floor.
This office was concealed behind an ugly stone gargoyle. By uttering the correct password, the gargoyle would jump aside, causing the wall behind it to split in half, revealing a spiral staircase that led directly to the office door.
Noah recalled that the eighth-floor office contained the Sorting Hat, the Sword of Gryffindor, the Pensieve, and the gilded perch where Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix, resided.
The corridors were eerily quiet. It was likely that the troll's rampage had driven all the students back to their common rooms.
Moreover, given the late hour, the halls should have been empty.
Yet, for some reason, the silence felt oppressive to Evan and the others.
As Ravenclaws, they prided themselves on their intelligence, and it didn't take much to realize that their secret hideout—the Room of Requirement—might now be exposed.
After all, both Noah and Kenn had demonstrated spellwork far beyond their years.
Kenn's case might be overlooked, but Noah had been particularly unlucky—he had unknowingly cast a spell created by Professor Snape himself!
What were the odds of that?
Of course, no one blamed Noah. He had merely found a notebook in the Room of Requirement and learned from it. In his place, any of them would have done the same.
But of all the notebooks he could have received, did it really have to belong to Professor Snape?
"Noah, we're really unlucky, aren't we?" Evan whispered as he glanced at the professors ahead.
"Huh?" Noah blinked before quickly catching on.
"A little, yeah. But I think we'll be fine. At worst, we'll have to explain everything to Professor Dumbledore."
"We might as well," Lance added. "It'd be great if we could get official approval for our little study group."
Kenn nodded. They all knew their setup wouldn't stay hidden forever.
Still, in just over a month, their progress had been remarkable. If they could continue studying like this, who knew how much stronger they'd become?
Unfortunately, things were out of their hands now. They could only hope Professor Dumbledore would be understanding enough to let them continue.
Soon, they arrived at Dumbledore's office.
The elderly headmaster sat behind his desk, seemingly unsurprised by their arrival.
It made sense.
Although Dumbledore focused much of his attention on Harry Potter, that didn't mean he ignored other outstanding students.
The Ravenclaw quartet—led by Noah—had been making waves lately. Their performance in class had been exceptional, far surpassing their peers.
It was impossible for Dumbledore not to take notice, especially given that their knowledge clearly extended beyond the standard curriculum.
To be sure, he had looked into their backgrounds.
Evan, Kenn, and Lance all came from magical families, but they were not part of the old pure-blood aristocracy. Their families were small, stable, and had raised them well. More importantly, they held no allegiance to Voldemort.
Dumbledore felt reassured by this—though they weren't vocal in their support of him, there were many such neutral families, and his only role was to guide them where he could.
As for Noah, he was a Muggle-born orphan. Until receiving his Hogwarts letter, he hadn't even known the magical world existed.
That meant Noah Finniel was the least likely of them all to have any ties to Voldemort. His achievements were purely the result of his talent and intellect.
Professor McGonagall had no idea what Dumbledore was thinking.
She simply reported what she had witnessed.
When she finished, Dumbledore looked at the four students with mild surprise.
"Children, tell me your story. I'm very curious. By the way, was that spell really Sectumsempra?"
"Yes, Professor Dumbledore."
Noah sighed. He knew this was something he had to explain himself.
If they wanted to continue progressing and secure Dumbledore's support, they needed to be upfront.
"This is what happened. Not long after the school year started, I was on the eighth floor. I wanted to ask Professor Flitwick about a spell, but I got lost."
"Oh? Did you take the right-hand corridor?"
"No, I value my life too much for that." Noah shook his head. "I walked along the left corridor several times, and just when I was about to leave, a door appeared on the wall."
"Oh? You found the Room of Requirement?"
Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled. It wasn't easy to discover that room.
After hearing Noah's explanation, he was certain—the boy had stumbled upon it and had since used it as a private study space.
"Yes, Professor. I found the Room of Requirement." Noah nodded.
"So, all the advanced knowledge you've acquired came from there?" McGonagall asked, frowning.
"Yes, Professor McGonagall. Whether it's Charms, Transfiguration, or Potions, we've been learning from the room."
All four of them nodded in unison. That was indeed the truth.
"And what about Sectumsempra?" Snape finally spoke. He had been silent, likely assessing the truth of their words.
"In the Room of Requirement, we can even request a simulated professor to teach us. I asked it for the notes of a top Potions student… and, well…"
"The room gave you my notes, and you learned the spells I recorded in them?"
"…It seems so, Professor Snape."
Snape let out a quiet scoff and shook his head.
Of all the notebooks in Hogwarts, the Room of Requirement had chosen his.
He wasn't sure whether to be amused or annoyed.
It was common for students to look through old notes, but for Noah to receive his and learn one of his spells was something else entirely.
"I understand, Mr. Finniel."
Dumbledore, who had been listening attentively, finally spoke.
"I believe you. And I must say, your approach is quite commendable. Using the Room of Requirement as a study hall was an excellent idea."
He smiled, openly acknowledging their efforts.
However, his expression soon turned thoughtful.
"But since the Room of Requirement has been so effective… what are you going to do next?"
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