Chapter 15: What am i Missing?

A/N

little teaser (if you will) for the last chapter of the school year already being written, it was getting a bit too long so I decided to send this smol ch early.

My schedule rn will be mostly: when I catch a break from all the stuff I'm doing.. lol the irony I literally did nothing before covid during covid I get more calls than the US president...

anyways hope you enjoy this lil teaser with some smol fluff action

I finally had the map in my hands and I started studying it, all I had to do was to ask my brothers in crime Fred and George (yet again)

It has been a few weeks from the first sneak peek I took but the situation was the exact same. Zero clues on what those chams actually are and how they work together with the runes, the whole package is tightly protected and forcibly trying to bypass security without a plan may backfire very hard especially since I don't know where this supposed magic generator is or how it supplies mana to the ma-..... wait a damn minute...

If this hypothetic generator powers the map then it has to leave traces, meaning that if I follow the path the magic uses to go from generator to map when the map is active I will be able to backtrack its location. It will be hard since this castle full of wizards is like a specialized ''trail coverer'' and may very well naturally interfere with the detection.

Also the trail has to be necessarily weak in the first place so that more advanced wizards can't find it as well since it is the very heart of this castle, you wouldn't want your heart to be so easily accessible.

I will my mana to search for the track while the map is open and running can feel my mana going out of the wand ''scanning'' (for a lack of a better term) the air around the table

The result is frustrating: as soon as I get a small grasp of the trail the signal just bounces all over the place, it becomes erratic and since it is already quite hard to find it becomes almost impossible to follow. I have no idea about stronger wizards but if it acts like this it will be incredibly difficult to find...

For the moment I decide to drop the job since it is quite late and it drained quite a lot of energy from me, measuring my options I choose to go see if Hermione is still in the library and maybe go to eat together.

And there she is immersed in books as always, she immediately notices me entering and with a smile motions me to come over.

I pick a book on mana generators and sit beside her

''Hey 'Mione everything good?''

''Hey Raon, yea I was studying a bit of DADA, the professor literally explains nothing... At this point just make it self study'' she says with a sigh

''So you finally realized he is a quack of a Professor, last time out I remember you almost yelling at me'' I say with a mischievous smile

''ohh shut up... '' she pouts before looking ahead in serious thinking

''Something on your mind 'Mione?'' I ask '' You know you can tell me everything''

''Harry saw you-know-who in the forbidden forest yesterday... I'm just.. you know..''

''scared?'' I suggest with a raised eyebrow

''...yes...'' she says in a low voice ''are you not?'' she finally asks looking at me with inquisitive eyes probably trying to see by my answer if she can trust me, it is not like she doesn't know about my family being death eaters

''Scared for my life? No, not really..'' I start gaining a shocked face from her so I quickly follow up ''What I'm scared about is losing the life of those important to me, him trying to come back is not good news; we are finally at peace, we can push for innovation and try to break old rules and misconceptions a war right now will only stagnate this world even more. To answer your question yes I'm scared not for me but for those close to me... you included''

she looks at me intently with eyes even wider before looking away

''We think, and I mean Ron and Harry, that Snape is trying to steal the philosopher stone hidden on the third floor by the three-headed dog'' she then looks at me with slight.. fear?... understandable, this is serious news; telling me this is a way to see if she can really trust me once and for all. She decided to tell me all this knowing fully well that I can betray her and possibly help ''Snape in his alleged endeavor.

My eyes literally go wide, I smile and hug her much to both my and her surprise

''Thank you for telling me something like this, I promise I will not break your trust'' I smile and drift myself apart just in time to see a blushing Hermione trying to calm herself down

''I don't think Snape might be behind this though, after all yet gain Dumbledore trusts him and he would not trust someone that can backstab him that's for sure...'' I say trying to return to a serious conversation

''mmh... I'm also starting to convince myself of that, it is too easy for Snape to be the villain in all of this and it is absolutely impossible for Dumbledore to keep someone like that by his side... I'm also starting to rethink the Quidditch match situation. What if Snape was indeed trying to help Harry? But then... who is the bad guy?'' she asks me with suspicious eyes that I just ditto to her

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I have been training day and night for the fated encounter between me and Voldy, mask and coat are ready to not being recognized if I have to actually battle him. I see myself as the insurance if something deviates from canon which for some reason I'm sure will... call it just a feeling but it is better to be safe than sorry

The ritual is going great my superior mana is rapidly growing and my core was getting used to it however as I feared I will be able to reach tier 2 this summer

In the RoR I'm getting better and better, the puppet pushes me literally to the limit every single fight, the good ol' hard way: either you get better or you get a good beating. Harsh but effective

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I was in the common room with books all over the place, I was currently reorganizing the fifth year books a certain someone decided to throw on the floor after winning a game of chess against me

''Raon are we getting rusty? It is the first time you lose a game of chess, don't tell me the exams are putting you under pressure'' says a smug Theo after finally beating me in a game of chess

I narrow my eyes before saying '' Would you look at that, looks like someone does not need my notes on transfiguration and DADA... good to know, less work for me'' I mock being angry and turn around to leave

''Noooooooo, we can talk about this Raon, let's not get ahead of ourselve- Raoooon stooooop'' he frantically says running after me with cartoon tears

''Gee those two, they got no chill, how can they be so energetic all the time'' ask a deadpanned Daphne

''mmh, they sure are enjoying their life'' Pansy says while looking towards the two of them hugging and laughing at their own jokes, her eyes linger to Raon a bit longer before focusing on her book

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The map project is still at a dead end, I was able to catch a small trail pointing in the direction of the forbidden forest but dismissed the possibility thinking that it was more likely for the generator to be inside the castle

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The X-day was rapidly coming and while everyone is busy studying a group of three people was planning on what to do about the stone

Quirrel was preparing to enter the trapdoor, snape was keeping a close eye on him and Harry was doing the same

Basically, a Human dog eats cat eats mouse but with a huge misunderstanding

Exams ended and the results were about to be revealed maybe one day or two more to go, three people walk through the third-floor door