Chapter 17

Mike was startled, his current state rendering him incapable of casting offensive spells. However, being unable to use magic didn't mean he was defenseless.

His left hand brushed across his waist, and a sharp knife appeared in his grasp. Just as he was about to make a deep cut in the arm that was covering his mouth, the person spoke.

"Hey, it's me, Mike. Calm down."

Mike recognized the voice; it was one of the Weasley twins.

"Filch is nearby. Can you keep it down?"

"Never thought our Prince Charming here would have a bad habit of wandering at night," George said, releasing Mike as he felt him stop struggling.

"You don't look too good. Did you just have a fight with a troll?" Fred joked, looking at Mike's disheveled appearance.

"I had a bit of an accident, George, Fred. Can you take me back to Ravenclaw? I'm feeling awful right now."

"Of course, we are the famous Weasley brothers. Follow us; we know of a secret passage nearby that leads directly to the Ravenclaw tower."

George and Fred helped Mike out of the classroom. It had to be said they were genuinely adept at nighttime wandering. Mike could barely hear their footsteps, and it felt like he was being carried; his feet hardly touched the ground, which also meant that his footsteps were barely audible.

In no time, the trio arrived at the entrance to the secret passage leading to Ravenclaw.

The entrance to this secret passage was also on the eighth floor of Hogwarts, guarded by two suits of armor that were clearly well-maintained, with not a speck of dust on them.

Mike finally returned to the Ravenclaw tower, feeling curious. The Ravenclaw tower was near the Owlery, and the secret passage wasn't long but led directly to the building.

"Are you sure you don't need to see Madam Pomfrey?" one of the Weasley brothers inquired with concern as they reached the door with the eagle knocker.

After declining the Weasley brothers' offer, Mike answered the eagle knocker's riddle and returned to the Ravenclaw common room. The injuries on his body weren't severe; what he needed most was a good night's sleep.

"It seems our Prince Charming here isn't quite normal."

"Right, Ravenclaws are a bit odd, just like that tagalong Franklin."

"You know that's not what I meant."

"I understand, but Mike is our friend, and we shouldn't delve too deeply. Come on, Filch has been drawn to the eighth floor; let's hurry and retrieve our treasures from his office."

Engaged in conversation, George and Fred slipped into another secret passageway...

The following afternoon, Mike finally stirred from his slumber.

Feeling rejuvenated after a restful sleep, all traces of the previous night's weariness had been erased.

"Being young is really something!" exclaimed Mike, feeling the vitality in his youthful body. In his previous life, he had crossed over in his forties, and his body's various functions had already started to deteriorate.

Today was the weekend, so Mike didn't have to worry about being late for class. He leisurely tidied himself up and walked out of the dormitory.

When he opened the door, he saw Franklin waiting outside, idly playing with a flask.

Seeing Mike come out, Franklin's eyes lit up, and he handed the flask to Mike.

Mike instinctively took the flask, almost dropping it due to its unexpected weight. The flask was about the size of a regular thermos, but Mike swore the liquid inside must weigh more than 20 pounds.

"I went to that Hufflepuff yesterday, but he told me the drink was made by his mom, and you can't buy it anywhere," Franklin boasted. "So I managed to get him to give me the rest of it. Here it is."

Mike was somewhat dumbfounded and asked, "How much did it cost...?"

Hearing the word "money," Franklin became even more pleased. "It didn't cost anything. That Hufflepuff is really kind. He heard that I liked it, and he just gave it all to me without a second thought."

Mike couldn't help but mourn for that Hufflepuff.

It seemed Franklin had been waiting outside his dormitory since early morning. Mike hadn't heard any knocking, probably because Franklin didn't want to disturb him. Mike was somewhat touched by this gesture.

As it was too heavy, Mike apologized, handing the flask back to Franklin to continue holding, "Thank you so much, Franklin. You must have been waiting for a long time."

"No problem, I just arrived as well."

After exchanging pleasantries, Mike escorted Franklin to the dining hall, his hunger growing by the minute.

The lunch spread was lavish and delicious; Mike selected a steak and savored each bite, periodically toasting with Franklin, who held a cup of the same beverage.

On this occasion, Mike chose the right table. He and Franklin were comfortably seated at the designated table for Ravenclaw.

"Mike, do you remember when we went to Gringotts together?" Harry asked Mike, but halfway through, he realized that Franklin, who was sitting next to Mike, was also listening, so he stopped talking.

Mike noticed his gaze and stuffed a piece of beef into his mouth, chewing and saying, "Franklin is like a brother to me, Harry. It's okay; continue. What happened at Gringotts?"

"The day we went to Gringotts, it was being robbed! And that day, Hagrid happened to be in the vault and took out a mysterious cloth bag," Harry paused. "I suspect that the person who broke into Gringotts was after that cloth bag.

"Come on, Harry. That stuff is not our concern. It would be best if you focused more on your own issues," Mike attempted to steer the conversation elsewhere. "I've heard you had a rough time in Potions class. What happened there?"

Harry was just too young, after all. A few topics from Mike, and he started complaining about Snape. If Harry knew about Snape's grudge against his parents, he would probably understand why he was so hated by Snape.

Finally, after dealing with Harry, Mike drained the last sip of his drink from his cup, watching Harry walk away and falling into thought.

Judging from Harry's words, he and Ron must have learned something at Hagrid's yesterday. In Mike's memory, Hagrid's cloth bag from Gringotts contained the Sorcerer's Stone.

This meant that the Sorcerer's Stone storyline had officially begun!

Mike needed to think carefully about what role he should play in the upcoming events.