Not long after Voldemort's wraith had fled, Dumbledore ended his Disillusionnt Charm and stood beside Maverick.
Both of them directed their attention at Quirrell's crumpled body looking at the man sprawled across the ground like a discarded puppet.
"Still alive..." Dumbledore pointed out. At first, Maverick thought this so called righteous old man to hurry and take him to the healer, but, apparently not.
Maverick didn't bother asking. Instead, he voiced his own thoughts. "He's alive, yes. But barely. Even if he gets treatnt, it won't make much difference. It would be better just to put him out of his misery."
Dumbledore cast him a brief sideways glance before turning back to Quirrell. He did not outright refute Maverick's suggestion, but neither did he seem to agree. "I shall handle the matter with Quirinus Quirrell," he said.
Maverick let out a sigh and said nothing more.
Truthfully, he didn't care either way. He gave Quirrell one last glance before rolling his shoulders, then changed the subject. "What about Potter, Headmaster?"
"Fawkes has taken him to Poppy..."
Maverick gave a short nod. "And the Stone?"
Dumbledore's lips curled in amusent. "I know you placed it in Harry's pocket."
Maverick shrugged. "My actions were clearly visible to you, you know, Headmaster. You don't have to point that out..."
He had a feeling this nosy old thing was probably just itching to know his thoughts about the stone. It was one of those weird tests he liked to put people through—speaking ambiguously just to put his nosy heart at ease.
Unfortunately, Maverick had no interest in his word gas. Besides, that stone had lost its value to him before the academic year had even started.
So, he made the decision and decisively turned to leave. "I'm going back, Headmaster. I'm tired, and I want to sleep."
Unfortunately, the old man didn't take the hint.
Maverick had barely turned when Dumbledore's voice stopped him. "You're not even remotely interested in the Stone?"
What a persistent bastard, Maverick thought to himself.
He paused, glanced over his shoulder and made it clear. "Not in the slightest."
Dumbledore raised a brow.
Maverick shrugged casually. "Don't forget, Headmaster, I've just turned twenty, and I'm already an Archmage. I can live for centuries... And as for gold, I'm a businessman—I won't be running out anyti soon."
Dumbledore chuckled at his straightforward answer. "Quite right," he said. "Though not everyone would share your viewpoint, Maverick."
Maverick shrugged again and walked away quickly before the old man could ask any more annoying questions. But before disappearing from the chamber, he added one last remark. "I'm not everyone else. I have no interest in that broken thing."
A sowhat satisfied laugh echoed through the chamber, but Maverick was already long gone.
---
The next morning, the sky above Hogwarts was painted in hues of gold and pink, the first light of dawn stretching over the castle grounds. A soft mist curled around the Forbidden Forest, and the lake reflected the sky like glass. Inside the castle, however, the world was still waking.
In the hospital wing, Harry lay propped up in bed showing a thoughtful expression. Ron was beside him, still looking worse for wear but very much awake. Hermione sat between their beds, her hands folded in her lap as she listened.
"I don't know what happened after," Harry admitted, frowning slightly. "But I could've sworn I heard Professor Caesar's voice."
Hermione's brows lifted. "That probably wasn't just a guess..."
Ron, still groggy, blinked. "Then why didn't Dumbledore say anything when we asked who saved Harry?"
Dumbledore had indeed co to check on them earlier, before anyone else. His conversation had been similar to the one in the original story, but this ti, he spoke to all three of them instead of just Harry. However, he made no ntion of Quirrell or his fate. He also didn't reveal what had happened after Harry fainted, simply assuring them that there was no need to worry—that he had taken care of everything.
When Ron asked why Dumbledore hadn't ntioned who had saved Harry, Hermione opened her mouth to answer. But before she could speak, they all heard footsteps echo through the hospital wing and turned their heads.
Their eyes lit up..
"Professor Caesar!"
The three Gryffindors called out in unison.
Maverick stopped between Ron and Harry's beds, giving them a small smile before nodding. He glanced at Hermione and saw that she looked perfectly fine.
"How are the three of you doing?"
"I'm good, Professor," Ron said.
"I'll be okay. Just a few bruises, but Madam Pomfrey said I should be fine in a day or two," Harry added.
Maverick turned to Hermione. "And you?"
"I wasn't admitted. Madam Pomfrey said I'd be fine after a night's rest."
Maverick nodded, but then his expression turned serious. "Do you three realize you broke nearly every rule in the book last night?"
The abrupt change in his tone caught them off guard. Ron blinked, looking uncertain, while Hermione straightened as if about to explain herself. Harry opened his mouth, then hesitated, realizing he had no argunt.
And Maverick did not give them any room to respond in the first place. He went on, reprimanding them for their reckless actions, even ntioning that he ought to deduct what little remained of their house points.
He listed everything from breaking curfew to entering areas that were strictly forbidden, and by the ti he was finished, all three had their heads lowered, looking thoroughly dejected.
It was the first ti Maverick had properly scolded them. Before, he would only say a word or two and let them off. This ti, he made it clear that he was not just unhappy with their actions but disappointed as well.
And he didn't soften the blow afterward either. That was Dumbledore's job. Instead, he gave them a stern warning. "Never pull sothing like that again."
They nodded quickly, but Maverick doubted it would make much difference. He knew all too well what they would get up to in the years ahead.
A brief silence followed, and the three sat quietly feeling the tension in the air.
After a mont, Maverick decided he had said enough and then changed the conversation to sothing less heavy. "Has the Headmaster co to see you?" he asked, turning to Harry.
Harry raised his head and nodded. "He ca a while ago, Professor." Then, as if rembering sothing, he hesitated before asking, "Professor, was it you who saved from Voldemo— I an, You-Know-Who?"
"That's right," Maverick admitted, offering Harry a small smile. "You were lucky this isn't just any other school. Hogwarts' magic is very profound, and even when the Headmaster was away, it was able to detect dark magic being used in the castle and sohow alert him. Since he wasn't sure he'd make it back in ti, he sent a notice. Fortunately, I arrived before things beca irreversible."
He and Dumbledore had agreed that this was the version of events the children should hear.
Harry opened his mouth as if to say sothing but seed at a loss for words.
Maverick added, "The curse that madman used on you was the Killing Curse. One of the three Unforgivables."
Hermione and Ron gasped. Harry, being Muggle-raised, didn't react as strongly, but judging by his friends' faces, he could tell it wasn't good.
Maverick continued, "If it hits you, it separates your soul from your body. In other words, you die. It's not as grueso as so other spells, but it's considered unforgivable and forbidden because there's no conventional way to block it. And it's efficient—almost no one survives it."
Harry swallowed hard, finally realizing just how close he had co to death.
"Do you understand now why I'm not happy with what you did?" Maverick asked. "Think of your friends, your future... and I'm not just talking about you." He glanced across the three of them. "Just because you learned sothing bad was going to happen and couldn't find anyone to stop it doesn't an you have to take on that responsibility yourself."
His gaze hardened. "This ti, you were extrely, extrely lucky. Next ti, you might not be."
Silence filled the room. Then, after a long mont, Hermione was the first to speak. "We won't do anything like that again. We promise."
Harry and Ron quickly followed, nodding in agreent.
"Good," Maverick said with a nod. Then he turned to Harry. "Potter, do you think you'll be fit for the finals?"
Harry's eyes lit up. "Professor, will I get to play? Has sothing happened to Marcus?"
Maverick shook his head. "No. But you and he are nearly on the sa level, and if sothing happens during the ga, I don't want to send a Chaser to do a Seeker's job. Durmstrang will be tough, much more than the other two teams. Since it's the final match, they'll play rough."
"We can win, Professor," Harry said firmly.
Maverick smiled. "Good confidence. But I hope that either Marcus or you—if you get the chance to play—catch the Snitch before they get too aggressive."
Harry nodded.
"Once you're better, don't skip practice. The whole of Europe will be watching, and I don't want Hogwarts, as the host, to take second place."
"Harry can definitely catch the Snitch, Professor. You should ask Coach Steven to let him start," Ron said.
Maverick shook his head. "I don't deny Harry's talent, but Marcus is still the better player overall. Either way, team selection is up to the coach..."
He stayed with the three for a little while longer, chatting about other things, before finally leaving. His next class was about to begin.
The following days would be busy, but at least the troubleso parasite had been dealt with. With any luck, the rest of the year would pass without further incidents.
The only major event left was the upcoming final match in the last week of the month.
—————————
Author's Note:
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