The Admiral of Hogwarts

"The professor took the two of us to this room below the passage. Afterwards, the professor told us to wait here until they called you out. After giving us a few instructions on how to open the door to this room, Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick left. Then Hermione and I waited here for five or six minutes before we saw you guys come out," Hugo finally said to Harry and the others.

"Anyway, thank you," Harry said after listening to Hugo's account of what had just happened. They sat quietly for a few seconds, then Ron said gratefully, "If it weren't for you, I would have been knocked unconscious on the forehead by that stone chess piece."

"Stone chess piece? What's that about?" After hearing what Ron said, Hermione became curious about the challenges down below. So she turned to Venetto and asked, "By the way, can you tell us what challenges you encountered before?"

"We just encountered several challenges. For example, the first challenge was to figure out how to get past that three-headed dog—" Venetto said enthusiastically, but just as she was about to talk about how to get through the large wizard chess game prepared by Professor McGonagall, Harry's face suddenly turned ugly.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Hermione, who was sitting across from Harry, was listening to Venetto's account diagonally opposite her, but she was also constantly observing her surroundings, so she noticed Harry's abnormality immediately.

"I—I don't know." Harry raised his hand to cover his forehead, while bending over and趴 on the table. If Hugo hadn't been quick-witted enough to take the cup away, he might have hit his head on it. "I feel like my scar is starting to hurt now, like it's burning."

"Why don't we go up now?" Ron, supporting Harry, raised his head and said to Hugo and the others. "I think we should send Harry to the school hospital as soon as possible. Madam Pomfrey should be able to heal him."

"No, not for now," Hugo shook his head and said. "Professor McGonagall told me just now that everyone must stay in this room before they come out, because they are worried that the thief will hurt us or take us hostage once he breaks through their blockade and runs out."

"But Harry is now—" Ron looked at his increasingly pained friend and said to Hugo, "And I remember that Professor McGonagall is a very skilled Transfiguration professor, and Professor Flitwick was the champion of wizarding duels when he was young. Shouldn't no one be able to escape their pursuit?"

"Don't be so optimistic," Venetto said. "Being able to think of stealing the Philosopher's Stone in Hogwarts Castle is itself a very abnormal thing. The fact that the other party dares to make such a decision proves that the thief himself must have enough strength. He may not be able to defeat the two professors working together, but escaping shouldn't be a problem."

"Then we can only wait here?" Ron's tone became a little anxious, "I feel like Harry can't hold on anymore."

"Don't worry, I can still hold on," Harry interrupted Ron, who was lowering his head. "I think I can wait a little longer, until Professor McGonagall and the others solve the problem before going to the school hospital."

Harry could feel waves of pain spreading from his forehead to the surrounding area. He felt like his head was about to split in two, but he clenched his teeth tightly, because Harry knew that the person trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone was definitely a murderous demon, and he couldn't put his companions in danger because of himself.

At first, Harry still thought he should be able to hold on. But what he didn't expect was that the pain became more and more intense, so that he finally shouted loudly and struggled desperately in place. If Venetto hadn't stepped forward in time to grab him, he might have even hurt himself.

"Open the door!" Just at this moment, Professor McGonagall's voice suddenly came from the door. "We have dealt with everything. You can open the door."

"Wait," Just as Ron stood up abruptly and was about to open the door, Hugo suddenly stretched out his arm, reached over the small coffee table, and grabbed his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Ron asked anxiously and angrily. He didn't expect Hugo's grip to be so strong. He struggled several times but couldn't break free from the right hand that was grabbing him. "Look at Harry, he needs treatment now. We should let Professor McGonagall and the others in quickly—"

"That's not Professor McGonagall outside," Hugo said, looking at Harry's painful appearance and immediately guessing what the thing outside the door making Professor McGonagall's voice was. "Professor McGonagall, as the Deputy Headmistress, is fully capable of opening the door herself, and she told us before to wait here for her to come over, but she didn't ask us to open the door."

"But Harry—" Ron said while struggling, but before he could finish speaking, the rustling sound outside immediately disappeared, and then after a slight explosion, everything outside returned to silence.

"Obviously I'm a little late, but fortunately not too late," In an awkward silence, the door that had just been closed opened, and Professor Dumbledore, wearing a blue traveling robe, walked in, summoned his phoenix, and said to Hugo and his sister who were holding their wands at him with tense faces, "Being vigilant is good, but I am indeed your headmaster and not someone impersonating me."

"Headmaster, please take a look at Harry! He suddenly became like this just now," Hugo and Hermione immediately put down their magical barriers and said anxiously. Seeing Professor Dumbledore and the phoenix, Hugo knew that it was completely safe now, because no one could imitate the headmaster's appearance with magic or potions and bring his phoenix.

"Let me see," Professor Dumbledore said, taking out his wand and gently waving the tip of it over Harry's scar, then chanting a spell in a low voice.

As the spell slowly flowed out of the headmaster's silvery-white beard, some silver-blue mist emerged from the headmaster's wand and sprinkled onto Harry's face. As these mists gradually seeped into Harry's skin, Harry's furrowed brows slowly relaxed. It was at this moment that Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick walked into the room together.

"How is Harry now?" Ron couldn't help but ask after Professor Dumbledore's temporary magical treatment ended. "Is he alright now?"

"My magic only temporarily relieved his pain. Harry is now suffering from damage to his soul. For the sake of his health, I think he needs to rest for a few days," Professor Dumbledore said, then he asked Professor McGonagall to conjure a stretcher, put Harry on it, and then everyone went back up the stairs to the corridor on the fourth floor together.