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The day before school started, Augustus said goodbye to his parents and returned to Hogwarts.
The Great Hall was still draped in Christmas cheer — colorful decorations and the massive tree hadn't been taken down yet.
Most of the Slytherin students hadn't come back, so Augustus sat alone at the long Slytherin table, surrounded by only a scattering of teachers and students.
At the Gryffindor table, Harry and Ron were sitting with their heads low, whispering to each other. They were speaking so quietly, it was obvious they didn't want anyone overhearing.
But with so few people around, no one was paying them any attention anyway. Just as Harry seemed to hit a key point in their conversation, he looked up and scanned the room to make sure no one was nearby.
When his eyes landed on Augustus sitting alone, a glimmer of excitement crossed his face. He said something to Ron, and the two of them got up and headed toward the Slytherin table.
"Happy holidays, Mr. Augustus," Harry greeted a bit awkwardly as they reached him.
"Happy holidays. And thanks for the gifts — they were really nice. Would've been perfect if those chess pieces and candies weren't so noisy." Augustus gave them a friendly smile.
Ron, seeing Augustus seemed to like the gifts, let out a small sigh of relief and smiled too. Honestly, every time he met Augustus, he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. Maybe it was the complex spells Augustus knew that Ron had never even seen before, or that distinct aura he carried, or the powerful family backing him.
Whatever it was, Ron always felt a bit tense around him. Yet, strangely, once Augustus started talking, with his warm words and gentle smile, all that tension would slowly melt away. It might just be a special kind of charisma. Ron fell silent, thinking.
"As long as you liked them." Harry smiled, rubbing his forehead out of habit. But then his expression suddenly turned serious. "Actually, Mr. Augustus, we came to talk to you about the Philosopher's Stone."
Augustus nodded slightly, signaling Harry to go on. Honestly, he wasn't that interested in the Stone. Turning things into gold? Living forever? He didn't need the first, and he didn't believe in the second. If immortality could be bought or stolen, then everything they'd studied — all the paths of cultivation and self-improvement — would be a joke. Even if someone became a god, it just meant their lifespan was measured in eras instead of years. True eternal life simply didn't exist.
Harry gathered his thoughts and continued, "Remember I told you about Snape? I'm sure he went into that room on the third floor — the one guarded by the three-headed dog. His leg was clearly bitten by something not long ago.
And I overheard him threatening Quirrell. I don't know how Quirrell's involved, but it all seemed super shady. If that dog's guarding the Philosopher's Stone, then Snape's definitely trying to steal it."
"And don't forget the curse Snape cast during that Quidditch match," Ron muttered. "If you hadn't helped, he might've killed Harry. I don't care if he's a professor — that guy's definitely bad news."
"You two are jumping to conclusions based on just a few suspicious things?" Augustus looked at them, a little exasperated. "Harry, I have to say — you're being reckless. Let's ignore whether he even went into the third-floor corridor or why he threatened Quirrell.
During the Quidditch match, Snape wasn't cursing you — he was trying to protect you. The one actually casting the curse was Professor Quirrell. I should've told you earlier, but I didn't expect the misunderstanding to grow this much."
"Snape... was saving me?" Harry looked confused. The man he had always disliked — maybe even hated — had actually tried to protect him? And Quirrell, the timid, stammering professor they'd written off as harmless, was behind it all? It was too much to take in. Ron looked equally stunned, and Harry felt like his head was spinning. Had they gotten it all wrong?
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Harry said goodbye to Augustus. What Augustus had just told them was so different from what they believed — they needed time to process it all.
Funny kids, Augustus thought as he watched them leave. So invested in these little mysteries.
Even if Snape really was trying to steal the Stone, or even if it was Quirrell — what could they actually do to stop it? Run to Dumbledore? And what if he wasn't there? What if they couldn't find him in time? Relying on others was always a gamble — a foolish one. When it came down to it, only real strength could overcome schemes and secrets.
If only these kids put as much effort into magic as they did chasing suspicions — they might really become something. Dumbledore's greatness didn't come from discovering twelve uses for dragon's blood, or his work in alchemy with Nicolas Flamel.
It came from defeating Gellert Grindelwald, the most powerful dark wizard of his time. Every legendary light is born from the fall of another. In the end, it all comes down to power.
Augustus couldn't help but think of Loki — the genius who could cast Unforgivable Curses at just ten years old.
Sure, he was gifted beyond belief, but if he hadn't dedicated himself fully to magic, he wouldn't have achieved such terrifying power at such a young age. People only see the brilliance of genius — they don't see the hard work behind it.
Augustus had seen it, though. The way Loki hungered for magic, the way he immersed himself in it — it was crystal clear. Compared to him, Harry and the others were still far too green.
In the world of wizards, only magic is worth endlessly chasing. Everything else is just an illusion.
As Augustus walked through the dark green Slytherin common room and returned to his dorm, he noticed his falcon perched on the windowsill, clutching something in its beak. Suddenly, a faint glow appeared in the middle of the room.
As the light grew, the entire room began to shimmer with soft, silvery-white ribbons of light. They floated gently around, and each glowing band was made up of countless magical symbols.
Augustus's silver eyes scanned the runes in the light. As each one passed by, the glowing ribbons slowly drifted and gathered into a designated space.
With more and more light streaming through, the glow began to form a vague, seedling-like shape — a tree, faint but visible.
The glowing sapling hovered in the air, every branch and leaf radiating a mysterious, ancient aura.
As the last of the light ribbons transformed, Augustus looked at the flawless, crystalline white tree floating before him — and the corners of his lips curved into a perfect smile.
"....."