"Is Voldemort trying to plant another spy in Hogwarts?" Develo thought, his expression grim.
His brow furrowed. A hint of worry flickered in his eyes.
Over the past few days, he had often seen Marcus wandering the library, clutching stacks of Dark Arts books, heading hurriedly toward Quirrell's office.
What made him even more uneasy was the fact that Marcus returned to the dorms later than Develo himself—despite Develo being out on his usual nocturnal adventures.
Each time Marcus returned, he looked utterly exhausted.
His face pale.
His eyes dull with fatigue.
It was unknown what he had been doing.
Develo scratched his head in distress, his fingers ruffling his soft golden hair, leaving a few messy streaks behind.
He sighed.
After all, Marcus was one of the few people Develo got along with relatively well in Slytherin.
He didn't want Marcus to be dragged into another wizarding war—let alone become Voldemort's puppet.
But with the current situation…
Running off at night, alone with Quirrell, returning utterly drained—
If this trend continued, something was bound to go wrong!
Develo stood up, pacing back and forth.
His footsteps echoed through the silent room.
His heart wrestled with conflict and uncertainty.
On one hand, he feared for Marcus's safety.
He didn't want to see his friend in danger.
On the other hand, he couldn't act recklessly.
Because—he still needed to load an important entry from Voldemort.
He couldn't just turn in Quirrell so soon.
"This is tough! Forget it—after I learn the three Unforgivable Curses next week, I'll report him. I can't disregard my friend's life!"
Develo gritted his teeth, making up his mind.
After the first Defense Against the Dark Arts class next week, he would go to Dumbledore and report Quirrell—then seize the opportunity to capture him.
As for that red entry related to Voldemort, he would reluctantly give it up.
"Alright, that's the plan. What else… let me see… Oh, right!"
Develo scribbled a line of small print at the bottom of his parchment:
"Microcosmic World Exploration, Transfiguration Tracing, Lovegood's Reply."
He stared at the last phrase, frowning.
During the week, Develo had already written a letter to the editor of The Quibbler—Luna's father, Mr. Lovegood—using a school owl.
But nearly a week had passed, and no reply had arrived.
"I'll go to the tower later to check if the owl forgot to deliver my letter. I feel like these school owls really don't like me… and I don't know why."
He lifted his hand, gently stroking the faint scars from earlier injuries.
A wry smile crossed his face.
Last time he'd tried to send a letter, several owls had ganged up on him and pecked him ferociously—leaving bloody marks on his hand.
If they hadn't been school property, Develo would've captured them long ago, plucked their feathers, and tossed them into a stew pot.
"As for research into microscopic structures… Next week, I'll copy Professor McGonagall's [Transfiguration Prodigy] entry and then upgrade it to a red entry. That should yield significant progress."
Thinking of this, the corners of Develo's mouth lifted slightly.
Excitement gleamed in his eyes.
He had been saving a card to upgrade entries and was waiting for the cooldown period to end on the copying of that golden entry.
Once Monday arrived, he'd be able to copy another golden entry.
Develo turned and sat back at his desk, picked up his quill, and added a few lines to the parchment:"Check the owl tower tomorrow to confirm the status of Lovegood's reply. Also check the owls' condition—some may need special care.""Transfiguration Tracing remains challenging. I glanced through some of the material yesterday—it's hard. Now that I have [King of Exams], I'll test its effectiveness."Develo turned sideways, drew his wand from his waist, and tapped Al—his enchanted assistant—beside the fireplace on the head.
He reached in and pulled out a thick book with effort:
"How to Trace a Transfigured Object"
He placed it on the table, brushing dust and some unknown stains from the cover with the back of his hand.
His fingers slid along the leather spine, feeling its texture and the traces of time.
The pages were yellowed, edges slightly worn—but the book was still well preserved.
He took a deep breath and slowly opened the book.
He sat on the high stool and began reading.
— — —
"Get away! Get away! Don't force me to act!"
After reading nearly the entire afternoon, Develo left the Room of Requirement and climbed to the owl tower.
Now, he was waving his wand and shouting at a pair of owls pouncing on him.
"Damn it! Why didn't I learn a spell to drive away birds?!"
His arms were already covered with seven or eight bloody punctures.
The owls today seemed even more hostile than usual.
Though furious, Develo quickly retreated from the shed, gasping for air as he leaned against the outer wall.
"Seriously—did I owe you something in a past life? Why are you all so cruel to me!"
He glanced at the blood trickling down his arms, nearly in tears.
Luckily, he had previously loaded Madam Pomfrey's [Exquisite Medical Skills] entry.
He could treat himself first.
Develo waved his wand, and most of the injuries quickly healed, though a few marks remained.
He would need scar removal potions for those.
After treating the wounds, Develo glared angrily at the owl shed.
It wasn't that he couldn't break in…
But he still needed them to deliver letters.
He didn't have his own owl.
If he used an Iron Armor Curse and broke their beaks, they'd only hate him more.
Just as he stood there, helpless—
"Develo, what are you doing here?"
He turned suddenly—and smiled in relief.
It was none other than the savior of the wizarding world—Harry Potter!
Harry was alone, holding what looked like a lunch box, gazing at Develo in surprise.
"Oh thank Merlin, Harry! You've come to save my life!"
Develo hurried over, slung an arm over Harry's shoulder, and showed him his wounds.
"I just came to check if my letter arrived. But for some reason, the owls here go crazy when they see me. Look at my arm—it's been pecked so many times."
Harry examined the bloody marks and looked shocked—clearly not expecting the owls to be that wild.
Develo patted Harry on the shoulder and grinned.
"So, Harry—can you help me find an owl named Vega? It's the one I used to send the letter."
"No problem," Harry said with a grin. "With Hedwig here, those owls won't mess with me. Just wait here."
Harry walked in confidently with the lunch box.
Develo sighed in relief and gave Harry a thumbs-up behind his back.
As expected of the savior—kind-hearted and always helpful.
He assumed Harry came to bring Hedwig some treats.
Probably bread.
But knowing the other owls, they'd likely snatch it before Hedwig got a bite.
A few minutes later, Develo heard Harry calling out for Vega inside the shed.
But suddenly—
"Develo!"
Harry screamed.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Countless owls burst from the shed, flying off as if fleeing in panic.
"Harry! What's wrong?!"
Develo reacted instantly.
Without a second thought, he rushed into the shed—ignoring the possibility of being pecked again.
To his surprise, the shed was now empty.
Looking around, he saw Harry kneeling in a corner.
He appeared unhurt.
Develo sighed in relief and quickly stepped forward.
Lying before Harry was an owl with disheveled feathers—lifeless.
Develo immediately recognized it as Vega—the one that had delivered his letter.
Harry looked back at Develo, face pale, lips trembling.
"Develo… Vega… it died!"
"Just now—it was killed by magic!"
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