It was probably impossible for Voldemort to return. That guy was likely still floating around in fragments, his soul scattered across who-knows-where!
Still, Dumbledore couldn't help but consider the possibility. He kept pondering whether Voldemort had left something behind on Harry.
In the end, though, he shook his head. The issues at Hogwarts were more urgent.
Noah's words reminded him—if they could just find the basilisk, everything else would fall into place!
Yes, solving the immediate crisis made more sense than overthinking things that might not even be happening.
Dumbledore realized he might have been overanalyzing the situation. If Voldemort had been resurrected, knowing his usual tactics, he'd likely already have gathered followers, taken down the Ministry of Magic, and occupied Hogwarts—an ideal breeding ground for young wizards. Then he'd start purging anyone not of pure-blood lineage.
That was Voldemort's style.
But right now, the situation felt more like the handiwork of some brat who hadn't even grown chest hair. It didn't bear the Dark Lord's signature touch at all.
Aside from Harry's ability to speak Parseltongue, nothing truly strange was going on.
So, Dumbledore made a firm decision. He instructed Snape to team up with Hagrid and seek out Aragog, the giant spider, to uncover what had really happened in the past.
At the same time, he gave Noah the important task of keeping a close eye on Harry. He also reminded Harry—firmly—that no matter what happened, he must report it to a professor.
And if he couldn't find a professor?
Then he must go to Noah.
Under no circumstances was Harry to act on his own. But if Noah was with him, then some emergency actions could be taken.
In short: no solo missions.
Harry nodded seriously. He hadn't forgotten that if it hadn't been for Noah last year, he and Ron might have died on the way to the Chamber of Secrets.
He had complete trust in Noah. And now, as a member of the Wizards' Union, that trust had only deepened.
Honestly, if Harry had to choose between Professor McGonagall and Noah, he might lean toward Noah.
With the matter settled, Noah had no objections. He planned to take this chance to deal with Voldemort for good and then leave Hogwarts in peace.
"Sure, these kids are being spared the torment Voldemort once inflicted," Noah thought. "But letting a bunch of underage children face off against dark magic terrorists? That's not a good thing either."
Training was important, but Noah believed there'd be plenty of time for that later. Throwing kids into danger before they were ready—especially just to grow stronger—felt wrong.
The following days passed quietly. The school was calm, and the only noticeable change was Hagrid's increased range of activity.
That made sense—he had likely taken Snape to visit Aragog and gather information about the past.
It was just unfortunate that Horace Slughorn wasn't around. If he had been, Snape and the others might've figured out how Voldemort learned about Horcruxes.
Still, Noah wasn't too worried. He had his own ways of helping them piece things together.
---
"Noah, are you coming to watch the Quidditch match today?" Harry asked quietly, leaning toward him while Noah was flipping through Magical Me by Gilderoy Lockhart, reading it like it was a fantasy novel.
Time had slipped into mid-November, which meant it was once again Quidditch season at Hogwarts.
As a Gryffindor team member, Harry was obviously participating, but he wanted to try inviting Noah and the others along to watch.
Of course, Harry already knew that Noah had no interest in Quidditch. Noah had explained it bluntly: "I prefer football. What's the point of flying around on a broom?"
Harry wasn't satisfied with that answer. But as a fellow Muggle-born, he understood just how crazy non-magical people were about football.
It was… frustrating.
Kenn and the others were even more indifferent. They figured their time was better spent reading books than watching a flying ball game.
And while that wasn't exactly a Ravenclaw trait, there were definitely many Ravenclaws who didn't care for the sport.
Harry could only sigh.
To be honest, sometimes even he thought he'd be better off practicing spells than chasing the Snitch.
"I think I'll skip it," Noah said after a moment of thought. "Harry's going to win anyway, but Dobby's going to pull his little stunt again—and in the end, Lockhart will mess up and break Harry's bones."
But since Harry would be fine in the end, Noah saw no point in interfering with the... bonding experience between Harry and Dobby.
"Though I have to say, Dobby's magic is ridiculously powerful," Noah mused. "Too bad house-elves have been tamed and bound by wizarding society. Whatever. It's not like I'm going to turn into Hermione and start a movement. That'd just make me a laughingstock."
With that, Noah dismissed the matter. As for Quidditch?
He'd rather go to the abandoned girls' bathroom in the basement and listen to Moaning Myrtle nag him while reading Lockhart's ridiculous autobiography.
They had already questioned Myrtle, after all.
But the ghost had offered little help. She had only seen a pair of glowing yellow eyes before dying. Everything had happened too quickly.
"That's a shame," Harry said, sounding a bit disappointed even though he'd expected this response.
Still, he didn't hold it against Noah. Not everyone liked Quidditch—just like not everyone liked football in the Muggle world.
"Who are you playing against today? Slytherin?" Noah asked, setting the book aside.
"Yeah, Slytherin. And Malfoy's their Seeker," Harry replied, flashing a determined smile.
"That idiot?" Noah chuckled. "Got it. I'm not going, obviously—don't forget, I'm a Ravenclaw. Showing up to a Gryffindor vs. Slytherin match would be a political nightmare."
He patted Harry on the shoulder with a grin.
"But do me a favor—teach that guy a lesson. I heard Quidditch can be played dirty."
"Uh…" Harry looked slightly embarrassed. "Isn't that... kind of unsportsmanlike?"
"Depends on the situation," Noah said casually. "I don't like Malfoy. What about you?"
"Yeah, me neither," Harry admitted. "But I'll take care of him—especially during the Seeker showdown."
"Good man. Oh, and if anything goes wrong, don't trust Lockhart. He's completely useless."
"Thanks. I know. Honestly, I still can't believe he became a professor…"
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