NOVEL WEB Chapter 48: Chapter 48: The Headmaster
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She didn't need to intervene in either the dragon egg incident or the Forbidden Forest affair. After all, Harry and his friends would eventually earn back the points they had lost.
In fact, thanks to the one-time deduction of one hundred and fifty points, almost all Gryffindors were now giving them the cold shoulder. This made Orli's solitude seem less conspicuous.
Percy had once tried to comfort her, saying, "It's fortunate you weren't with them during their nighttime adventure, or we would have lost two hundred points." But this provided little consolation.
One night, Hermione returned to the dormitory covered in cold dew, and Orli, still awake, caught her eye.
"We went to the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid," Hermione spoke after a moment.
"Vol... He's in the Forbidden Forest," she continued in a hurried, hushed voice. "He's waiting for Snape to steal the Philosopher's Stone for him. Harry saw him killing unicorns and drinking their blood."
"Are you all safe?" Orli sat up straight, moving closer to Hermione.
"A centaur saved Harry," Hermione shook her head vigorously.
"Do you still trust Snape?" she asked.
Orli remained silent.
After a while, Hermione spoke again: "Whatever happens, stay away from the Forbidden Forest. Better keep your distance from Snape too. It's dangerous."
"...Thank you," Orli looked up at her, but Hermione had already drawn her bed curtains.
The heavy velvet curtains blocked all sight and communication. Orli fell back heavily onto her bed, covering her head with the blanket, but sleep eluded her.
Perhaps she shouldn't worry too much, but the troll incident hadn't followed the original story. Could the three of them remain safe during this crucial Philosopher's Stone plot?
If she truly stood aside, who knew how the troll incident might have unfolded. What about the Philosopher's Stone? Would Harry and the others face new dangers?
Even in the original story, Harry had ended up in the hospital wing, and Ron had been seriously injured at the chess challenge. What if they...
Orli turned over restlessly, catching sight of her drawer. The heartfelt letter from Mrs. Weasley from Christmas still lay inside, making her even more anxious.
The next morning, Orli, sporting dark circles under her eyes from a sleepless night, stood at the entrance to Dumbledore's office.
She had to confirm whether the Philosopher's Stone was a test Dumbledore had arranged for Harry. But standing before the stone gargoyle, she hesitated.
Although her basic Occlumency had become quite refined, and she had prepared a handkerchief soaked in peppermint powder as a precaution — if she felt she couldn't deceive Dumbledore, she would rub her eyes with it to make herself cry, preventing eye contact.
But Orli increasingly felt that perhaps the Sorting Hat hadn't been wrong. With her tendency to "meddle" and get herself into trouble, where else could she have been sorted but Gryffindor?
She heaved a deep sigh and, facing the enormous stone statue, took out a Honeydukes mail-order form and began reading it from top to bottom.
It didn't take long. When she reached "Toffee Fingers," the statue slid aside. A moving spiral staircase wound before her, and she climbed up nervously. At the top was a gleaming oak door with a brass knocker in the shape of a griffin.
"Come in, Miss Orli Waters," Dumbledore's gentle voice came from inside as the door opened automatically.
Orli entered but didn't see Dumbledore. The circular office walls were covered with portraits of former headmasters, and silver instruments on spindly-legged tables whirred and emitted puffs of smoke. Behind the desk on a shelf sat the Sorting Hat, and on a tall gilded perch, Fawkes the phoenix was gazing down at her intently.