Adrian spent his lunch break not in the Great Hall with the other professors, but rather making a quick trip through his portal to the plantation. He'd been thinking about defensive asures all morning, considering what protections he could put in place that might actually stop soone as powerful as Voldemort.
The plantation greeted him with its usual sense of peace and vitality. The Tree of Wisdom stood in the center, its branches were swaying gently despite the lack of wind. Adrian could feel its presence in his mind, that familiar warm awareness that had been his constant companion for so many years.
"Eldra," he called out softly, using the na he'd given the Tree of Wisdom. "We need to talk about what's coming."
"There's a threat coming," Adrian said aloud, though he knew the Tree could hear his thoughts just as easily. "In three days, sothing dangerous will arrive here."
"I'm going to set up additional protections," Adrian explained. "Wards, detection charms, barriers. Dobby is already increasing patrols. But I need you to be ready too. If soone attacks, if soone tries to invade your space, you need to defend yourself without hesitation."
The Tree sent back agreent, along with sothing else—a suggestion.
Adrian thought about this suggestion carefully. It made sense—his power was magnified enormously when he was near the Tree. But it also ant risking everything on a single confrontation.
"Let think about it," Adrian said finally. "I have three days to prepare. We'll decide the best strategy together."
He spent the next hour carefully laying additional protective enchantnts around the plantation's periter. These were not the usual wards against intruders—those were already in place and had been for years.
Instead, these were specifically designed to detect and resist dark magic, to alert him instantly if dark magical signature ca anywhere near the property.
By the ti Adrian returned to Hogwarts for his afternoon classes, he felt slightly more prepared, though still deeply uneasy.
Three days wasn't much ti, but he would use every mont of it.
That evening, after his final class concluded and the students had gone to dinner, Adrian made his way to Dumbledore's office. He needed to discuss the prophecy with soone, even if he couldn't reveal everything about the Tree of Wisdom.
The gargoyle guarding the entrance stepped aside at Adrian's approach—Dumbledore must have left word that he would be visiting. Adrian climbed the spiral staircase and knocked on the door.
"Enter," ca Dumbledore's warm voice.
The office was as cluttered and fascinating as always, filled with delicate silver instrunts that whirred and emitted small puffs of smoke.
Fawkes sat on his perch near the window, preening his brilliant red and gold feathers. Dumbledore himself sat behind his desk, looking at Adrian over his half-moon spectacles.
"Adrian," Dumbledore greeted him. "I had a feeling you might visit this evening. Please, sit. Would you care for a lemon drop?"
"No, thank you, Professor," Adrian said, settling into one of the comfortable chairs facing the desk.
"I suspect this isn't a social call," Dumbledore observed gently. "What troubles you?"
Adrian hesitated, trying to decide how much to reveal though he guessed Dumbledore may know so things along the lines.
"I received a warning," he began carefully. "About a danger that may be approaching in three days' ti."
Dumbledore's expression beca more serious, his blue eyes were sharpening with focus. "What kind of warning? And from whom?"
"A centaur prophecy," Adrian explained. "Ronan ca to personally in the Forbidden Forest. He said that 'when night has fallen and departed thrice, the mark in my soul that sets apart will be revealed in danger.'"
"A centaur prophecy," Dumbledore repeated thoughtfully, stroking his long silver beard. "And Ronan delivered it personally? That is significant. The centaurs rarely share their visions with humans, and when they do, it's because they believe the warning is genuinely important."
"I consulted Professor Trelawney about the interpretation," Adrian admitted, which made Dumbledore's eyebrows rise in surprise.
"Did you indeed? And what did our dear Sybill have to say?"
"She perford a ritual," Adrian said, choosing his words carefully. "The prophecy suggested that... sothing I possess, sothing important to , will be threatened. I believe Voldemort may attempt to attack my property outside Hogwarts grounds."
This was technically true, if incomplete. .
Dumbledore was quiet for a mont, his gaze distant as he processed this information.
"Voldemort," he said finally. "Yes, that would make sense. He's been conspicuously absent since the attack on Harry. We've been searching for any trace of him, but it's as though he's vanished completely."
"He's planning sothing," Adrian said with certainty. "And the prophecy suggests he'll probably make his move in three days."
"Then we must be prepared," Dumbledore said firmly. "I'll alert the Order of the Phoenix. We can have mbers stationed near your property, ready to respond if—"
"No," Adrian interrupted. He softened his tone. "I appreciate the offer, but I think this is sothing I need to handle alone. Having others present might actually make things worse."
Dumbledore studied him carefully. "Adrian, you're a powerful wizard, but Voldemort is extraordinarily dangerous, especially when he's desperate. Facing him alone would be extrely foolish."
"I won't be entirely alone," Adrian said cryptically. "And I have... resources that might give an advantage. But I need you to trust on this, Professor. If others get involved, if the Order arrives and tries to help, it could complicate things in ways that might prove disastrous."
Dumbledore's eyes searched Adrian's face, looking for sothing. Whatever he found there must have satisfied him, because he nodded slowly.
"Very well," Dumbledore said. "I will trust your judgnt in this matter. However, I insist on one condition—you must have a way to signal for help if things go wrong. A portkey, perhaps, or so other ergency asure."
"I'll prepare sothing," Adrian agreed, though he suspected that if things went wrong, no portkey would save him.
They talked for a while longer about other matters—the continued search for John's whereabouts, Harry's condition (Dumbledore knew more details than Adrian had shared with Hermione), and the general state of affairs at Hogwarts. Finally, as the evening grew late, Adrian stood to leave.
"Adrian," Dumbledore called as he reached the door. "Be careful. Prophecies are tricky things—sotis the very act of trying to prevent them is what makes them co true."
"I'll rember that," Adrian promised.
Late that night, Adrian lay in his bed in his quarters, staring at the ceiling and unable to sleep despite his exhaustion. His mind kept turning over plans and ergencies, trying to think of every possible scenario and how to respond.
What if Voldemort attacked from a distance, using dark magic to strike at the Tree from afar?
What if he brought allies, other Death Eaters or dark creatures under his control?
What if the prophecy was wrong, or if Adrian had misinterpreted it, and the real danger was sothing else entirely?
The questions spiraled endlessly, offering no answers.
Finally, around two in the morning, Adrian gave up on sleep entirely. He rose, dressed in comfortable robes, and made his way quietly through the castle corridors. The portraits dozed in their fras, and the suits of armor stood silent as sentinels.
He ended up in the hospital wing, standing beside Harry's bed.
He looked peaceful in sleep, his face was relaxed in a way it rarely was when he was conscious. Madam Pomfrey had him under several monitoring charms that glowed faintly in the darkened room, tracking his vital signs and magical stability.
He stood there for a long ti, watching Harry breathe steadily in and out, before finally returning to his own quarters.
Adrian finally fell into an uneasy sleep just before dawn, his dreams were filled with silver leaves and crimson eyes and prophecies written in dissolving parchnt.
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