I Swung a Sword at Hogwarts

"Poor child, he's under the Imperius Curse!" 

John, who was initially planning to backstab Quirrell, immediately pretended to be under the curse upon hearing voices approaching. 

Professor Sprout ran over to John and was heartbroken upon seeing his state. 

Professor McGonagall was like an enraged lioness, her lips turning white from the intensity of her anger. Hurting a Hogwarts student was something she could not tolerate. 

Her wand flashed continuously in her hand as she advanced step by step, transforming a nearby tree into a lion that pounced at Quirrell. 

"You will pay for this!" 

Never doubt an angry professor, especially one who is an Animagus. 

Quirrell tried to retaliate, but McGonagall, transformed into a tabby cat, nimbly dodged all his attacks, leaving sharp claw marks on his cloak. 

Returning to her human form, McGonagall raised her wand and attacked Quirrell. 

"Stupefy!" 

Quirrell was hit and thrown backward. McGonagall wanted to chase him, but the commotion had attracted some patrolling young wizards. 

"Professor McGonagall?!" 

Harry exclaimed, and McGonagall inwardly cursed. 

"Hide, Potter!" she shouted anxiously. 

Quirrell, who should have been stunned, floated up like a snake and slithered quickly. As he neared Harry, McGonagall attacked again. 

Quirrell changed direction and disappeared into the Forbidden Forest. 

"What happened?" 

Hagrid arrived at the scene. The Fiendfyre was difficult to extinguish, but with the cooperation of McGonagall and the newly arrived Professor Flitwick, they managed to put it out. 

Even so, the battle was extremely dangerous. 

Hermione looked at Harry anxiously and was relieved to see he was uninjured. 

But when she shifted her gaze, she screamed upon seeing the fallen young wizard. 

"Oh my God, John!" 

Ignoring the danger, Hermione ran down to Professor Sprout's side, her voice trembling. "He'll be alright, won't he?" 

Professor Sprout, the head of Hufflepuff House and a kind, plump witch, gently touched John's head in sympathy. "He's under the Imperius Curse. We need to get him to the hospital wing." 

"The Unforgivable Curse?!" 

The infamous name of the curse made Hermione's heart tremble. 

Harry and Neville also rushed over, and even Malfoy didn't leave. Instead, he stood there in disbelief. 

Professor McGonagall's expression was grave. Someone had entered Hogwarts and used the Imperius Curse on a student. 

Professor Flitwick exclaimed sharply, "Damn scoundrel!" 

Centaurs, disturbed by the commotion, arrived at the scene. One of them, a young centaur with platinum blonde hair and a silver-maned horse body, greeted them. 

"Hagrid, professors." 

Firenze looked around, surprised by what had happened. 

Centaurs could foresee events by observing the stars, but this situation had taken him by surprise. 

"Hagrid, take them back and get Mr. Wick to the hospital wing. We need to thoroughly search the area," ordered Professor McGonagall. 

Hagrid picked up John, followed by the worried young wizards. 

Firenze accompanied them, talking to Harry about the mystical night sky. 

As they walked out of the Forbidden Forest, John gradually relaxed. 

"Three professors should be enough for Quirrell to handle, provided they find him," John thought, secretly pleased that he wouldn't have to deal with Quirrell for a while. 

The unicorn survived, and Professor Silvanus Kettleburn, who taught Care of Magical Creatures, had rushed to tend to it. 

Feeling relieved, John found his eyelids growing heavy. 

He had been tense the entire time to avoid arousing Quirrell's suspicion, and now that he was safe, he felt the fatigue hit him. 

Just as he was about to sleep soundly, he heard rustling noises and tensed up again. 

Opening his eyes, he saw those venomous eyes. 

"Avada Kedavra!" 

"Damn it!" 

John hadn't expected the maniacal Quirrell to reappear, nor that he would save others. 

In Hagrid's arms, John kicked Harry and Malfoy in front of him out of the way with such force that he fell to the ground. 

The green light struck John, and a protective charm activated. 

A Shield Charm intercepted the Killing Curse, weakening it. 

Quirrell, already weakened by Voldemort and further battered by Professor McGonagall, had cast a feeble curse. 

The curse, weakened by the Shield Charm, hit John, but he could tell it wasn't fatal. 

Before he lost consciousness, John heard the sound of many hoofbeats—the centaurs were coming. 

Quirrell, afraid to stay, fled without looking back after casting the curse. 

His foolishness cost him, as he was chased by the centaurs all night. 

… 

Since becoming an Unsleeping One, John hadn't slept this long in ages. 

When he opened his eyes, it was still dark. 

He had slept for three whole days, during which Hogwarts was in an uproar. 

An evil figure had intruded into the Forbidden Forest and used the Imperius Curse to control a Slytherin student. 

As key witnesses, Harry and the others could have been the center of attention, but they weren't. 

Even Malfoy was too unsettled to gloat, haunted by the memory of the green light and John's sudden kick. 

"He saved me, Wick did. Why?" 

Malfoy was confused. Despite their animosity and his insults, John had saved him. 

This left him bewildered. 

The trio of friends were also deeply affected. Harry, especially, was shaken, unable to sleep. 

He knew what that green light meant. 

His friend John might have died saving him, and Harry trembled at the thought. 

Three days felt like an eternity. 

Dumbledore had visited the hospital wing several times, and even Snape, who didn't like John, was in a foul mood, glaring at Quirrell as if he might curse him at any moment. 

John woke up at night, but the professors were quickly informed. 

Snape was the first to arrive, his face even darker than usual. In his oily voice, he demanded, "What were you thinking, John Wick?!" 

"Calm down, Severus," Dumbledore interrupted, smiling kindly from behind his half-moon spectacles. "This is good news, isn't it? We should be grateful the caster was too weak, weak enough that John Wick survived." 

Snape's expression softened slightly but remained stern. 

"John Wick, do you recognize who cast the spell on you?" Dumbledore asked. 

After some thought, John shook his head. "I couldn't see clearly, but he seemed very familiar with Hogwarts." 

Among the professors, the four heads of houses, except Snape, were in the Forbidden Forest. Snape, being a double agent, wouldn't betray them, leaving only one possible suspect. 

John almost named Quirrell outright, but Dumbledore smiled and said nothing. 

The next day, Harry and his friends visited John, and he told them the unicorn survived and that Professor Quirrell had taken a few days off and might not be back for exams. 

John no longer had to worry about Quirrell. 

He just had to wait for the exam week. 

John hadn't forgotten what Dumbledore mentioned about the Philosopher's Stone. The thought of it made his heart race. 

As he waited and anticipated, exam week finally arrived.