The last days at home were suffocating. No matter how long Atlas thought about his plan, he didn’t find a solution to save his parents. If his plan worked as intended, he would use Voldemort to find a solution to save someone else, but even if he managed to do it, he doubted that he would be able to save anyone outside of Hogwarts or within his proximity. On his last day at home, a solemn atmosphere enveloped him. It was his last time he would taste his mother's delicious food and his final opportunity to hear his father's stories and words of encouragement. He could only be sure about the finality of these moments after he got the information he wanted, but when they brought him to the platform nine-three quarters, tears streamed down his cheeks as he embraced his parents, knowing deep down it might be farewell forever. His parents hugged him back and tried to console him by saying that he would be back in a few months and that they would write him twice a week if he wanted to, but it naturally didn’t help him.
He was frustrated with himself, realizing he had years to prepare but only now sought a way to save others. He played with the thought of delaying his attempts to kill the hero, but his plan would only work this year, and if the hero was as talented as Adam said he would be and he was only hiding his talent so far, then it might even be possible for the hero to be stronger than Dumbledore or Voldemort a few years later.
As Atlas stepped onto the train, wiping away his tears, he was met with a sassy comment from Malfoy, who seemed to enjoy his vulnerable moment.
"Didn't expect you to be a crybaby, Graf," sneered the platinum-haired boy, a smirk playing on his lips.
Taking a deep breath, Atlas chose to ignore the provocation. He wasn’t in the mood for childish bickering, and it wasn't worth getting into a fight, especially since Hermione was by his side. He knew that teaching Malfoy a lesson would only invite trouble for both of them.
"Let it go, Hermione. He's not worth it," Atlas said, shutting down Hermione's urge to respond.
Seeing Atlas's reluctance as a weakness, Malfoy wanted to taunt him further, suggesting that he might seek solace in Professor McGonagall's company for frequent crying sessions.
Atlas rolled his eyes. He had only heard rumors of the boy's harassment of other first-year students and his use of his father's name or Snape's influence to avoid punishment, but seeing it firsthand was something else. To Atlas, Malfoy was nothing more than a minor annoyance. He didn't care about what Malfoy said or thought of him. In fact, with all his taunting, Malfoy was even less bothersome than Ron. Perhaps it was because Ron was closer to him and his friends and capable of inflicting more damage than Malfoy's mere insults.
Unfazed by Malfoy's words, Atlas and Hermione prepared to walk away when Malfoy crossed a line by calling Hermione a mudblood. Although the term held little significance for Atlas, he knew it would bother Hermione for some time and nag at her confidence.
"Malfoy, I never knew you were this ignorant. I thought Professor Ward had already informed you that your so-called pride is just a façade for your cousin-marrying obsession. Mudblood, pureblood, halfblood—who cares? Only pathetic people like you, who have nothing else to show," Atlas retorted, his annoyance evident in his voice.
Malfoy, seething with anger, reached for his wand to hex Atlas, but before he could even make a gesture, his wand was swiftly disarmed, leaving Malfoy wide-eyed and helpless.
Seeing the panic in Malfoy's eyes, Atlas decided it was enough to embarrass him. As much as he desired to curse Malfoy in return, he knew it wouldn't do him any good.
Observing that Atlas didn't retaliate further, Malfoy regained his confidence, his words dripping with spite: "Just you wait. Your arrogance won't last, and neither will that idiot professor!”
---
Atlas and Hermione finally got some peace after they found an empty compartment. To his relief, Hermione didn’t take Malfoy's words to heart, as Professor Ward's classes had shown her how stupid the pure-blood ideology actually was.
He excitedly recounted his visit to the Ministry with his mother, where he registered himself as an animagus. Initially, his mother harbored a touch of anger towards Professor McGonagall for supporting such a perilous transformation without seeking her permission. However, as Atlas succeeded in the endeavor, his mother's anger swiftly morphed into a profound sense of pride.
The visit to the Ministry turned out to be a pleasantly uneventful affair, with the professional official simply noting his form and providing a detailed description of his bowtruckle form. Atlas regaled Hermione with the letters he received from Professor McGonagall, informing him of several researchers who expressed a keen interest in studying his newfound form. Though he initially contemplated declining their requests, realizing the invaluable time-saving potential of seeking guidance from these professionals led him to accept the visit of a few researchers at Hogwarts. He knew that with this, his animagus form would become public knowledge in Hogwarts, but as the form didn’t have any combat potential to begin with, that drawback wasn’t so bad, and he still hoped that he would be able to use that form in the next universes where no one would know if his form or what bowtruckles actually are.
---
As they arrived at Hogwarts, a warm and inviting feast awaited them, marking their return. Tales of their holiday adventures were exchanged, but Atlas couldn't help but notice the weariness etched on Harry's face. He appeared as if he hadn't slept in days, lost in a state of mental absence. Concerned, Atlas approached Harry to inquire about his well-being, only to receive a vague response. It was Ron who answered, genuinely worried for their friend.
"He's been like this for a few days now. He stumbled upon this strange mirror that shows him his parents, and he's been sneaking out every night to gaze into it. I've warned him repeatedly, but he wouldn't listen. Thankfully, Dumbledore intervened and hid the mirror away, but Harry still hasn't fully recovered."
Atlas nodded, taking in the explanation, yet his mind was puzzled. How had Harry come across the Mirror of Erised without the need to venture into the forbidden section of the library in search of Nicolas Flamel? Was it Dumbledore who guided Harry to find the mirror, knowing that it would serve as preparation for Harry's encounter with the Philosopher's Stone? Or was it merely a coincidence? Dumbledore was portrayed as a schemer in the books, but many things were only implied and not really mentioned. For example, the fact that the safety mechanisms that protected the stone were unable to stop first-year students was one thing that was highly suspicious and, in retrospect, looked more like a planned trial for Harry than a real attempt to stop Voldemort from getting the stone.
With no way to substantiate anything at the moment, Atlas decided to accept it as it was. However, if Dumbledore was indeed manipulating Harry to confront Quirrell at the end of the year, it could potentially impact Atlas's own plans, depending on how far Dumbledore would go to involve Harry in the whole thing. Yet, for now, the probability seemed low, as Harry remained oblivious to the existence of the Philosopher's Stone and the attempts to steal it. Thus, he reassured himself that everything should be fine for the time being.
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Atlas still decided to look closely at Harry for the next few weeks and search for hints that Dumbledore was indeed orchestrating the whole event. One thing he noticed even on his first night back was that Harry had indeed gotten the invisibility cloak from Dumbledore. Harry didn’t even put in the effort to hide the cloak, and Atlas could see it when Harry opened his wardrobe the next day.
When Atlas asked him about it, Harry regained a bit of light in his eyes and excitedly told him about the cloak and even about the letter that came with it. He also told Atlas how he found the mirror.
When Atlas heard the story, he thought it was a bit strange that Harry didn’t even wait for the next day until he tried to use the cloak and immediately went around the castle, only to stumble upon the mirror. Hearing the story from Harry’s mouth only strengthened his suspicion that it was one of Dumbledore's plans that Harry found the mirror. Atlas even suspected that Dumbledore charmed the letter or cloak in such a way that Harry would think it was his own idea to leave his bed to explore the castle in the middle of the night just because he got an invisibility cloak. It reopened the question of what Dumbledore's real intentions were. Atlas contemplated the issue more carefully and decided that it definitely wasn’t to protect the stone. The stone should be safe if Harry didn’t follow Quirrell to get it out of the mirror. The knowledge about the mirror is also not necessary for Harry to defeat Quirrell, so it was unnecessary even if Dumbledore wanted to use Quirrell as a trial for Harry. And even if he were to ignore those flaws, Dumbledore had to be sure that Quirrell was Voldemort and not just a regular thief, or it wouldn’t make any sense. In the end, Atlas had to once again admit that he didn’t understand what Dumbledore.
---
The first few days at Hogwarts felt like an extension of the pre-holiday period, with everyone still in high spirits and lessons mostly focusing on revising previous topics. Even Harry, who initially seemed a bit worn out, quickly regained his energy. The reason behind his newfound vigor was none other than Oliver Wood, the passionate Quidditch captain. With unwavering dedication, Oliver claimed every free moment he could find to train the Quidditch team for the upcoming match against Hufflepuff. The stakes were high, as victory would propel Gryffindor to the forefront of the House Cup race. The hopes and expectations resting on Harry's shoulders were nothing short of monumental, as even the other houses were rooting for Gryffindor.
Hermione, on the other hand, had a completely different type of crisis. Utilizing her spare time during the holidays, she diligently crafted a study schedule for both herself and Atlas. Unlike him, she had kept the End-of-year exams in mind, determined not to let them catch her off guard. However, there was a tiny hiccup in her well-intentioned plan—she unwittingly caused a collective case of nerves among those around her.
Neville, bless his heart, often found himself on the receiving end of Hermione's relentless, studious enthusiasm. She would reel off an extensive list of topics they needed to master for the upcoming exams, unwittingly focusing on areas where Neville struggled the most. Even though he had a new wand and was making fast progress in many subjects, Hermione's constant reminders of the limited time left caused him to panic more than once. The truth was, the exams were still five months away, and even Hermione, who would usually start studying later, had adjusted her plans due to the looming threat of Voldemort's return. She wanted to dedicate more time to learning combat-oriented spells. However, Hermione was determined not to let these extracurricular studies hinder her pursuit of academic excellence, so she insisted on starting early.
While Atlas admired Hermione's dedication, he couldn't help but feel slightly bothered by her meticulously planned schedule. It wasn't that he didn't want to study with her; it was more the feeling that everything had been carefully organized. From their waking moments to their training sessions in the room of requirements, meals, and even the time allocated for their dates—everything was neatly arranged on Hermione's all-encompassing agenda.
It was undeniable that Hermione's organizational skills were impressive, but Atlas couldn't help but feel a tinge of spontaneity was being sacrificed in the process and he already knew that not everything would work as Hermione had planned.
As the schedule included occlumency Atlas was allowed to use legilimency on Hermione to train instead of simply meditating and building barriers in their minds. She had only agreed after he emphasized that he would only be able to read her surface thoughts and emotions, which more often than not translated to things like the homework she was normally focusing on. While she was still unable to defend against his feeble attempts, she had reached an important milestone by sensing when he delved into her mind. This marked a significant advancement, considering the short time she had spent on the art.
However, the most pivotal development in the initial three days was Atlas studying with Leona. Word had already spread throughout the school about him becoming an animagus. It was a bit unexpected that it was Professor McGonagall that caused it to spread, as she apparently boasted about it to Professor Flitwick while a student overheard them, but rather than being a nuisance, it presented an opportunity as Leona expressed keen interest in the transformation process, providing Atlas with the perfect pretext for a lone study session.
Through this session, Atlas managed to narrow down his list of suspects to just Amy and Ethan. While Leona was by far the most heroic and justice-inclined of the three, Atlas could discern no external force that amplified their studying speed, which excluded her from his list of suspects.
Amy and Ethan posed a challenge to separate, as Amy even accompanied Ethan to the restroom, always saying she needed to go too whenever they were studying in the library.
Moreover, conversing with Ethan proved difficult, since he had witnessed the kiss between Atlas and Hermione. Although Ethan didn't openly antagonize Atlas, there was a palpable annoyance in his demeanor whenever Atlas interacted closely with Hermione. Atlas contemplated discussing the matter with Ethan and using it to separate Ethan and Amy, but the boon only applied to their learning or studying endeavors, rendering it an unsuitable solution.
But with the list of suspects reduced to two, Atlas felt confident enough to set his plan regarding Quirrell in motion. He wouldn’t deny that the haste was because he wanted as much time as possible to study Voldemort's knowledge regarding souls, but he also felt that it was reasonable to expect him to identify the hero within the next few weeks.
The only thing he hadn’t thought about was how to send Quirrell the message without him being able to trace it back to him. The first thought he had was a bit childish, but after thinking about it, he thought it wasn’t too much work and wouldn’t hurt. So he collected the Daily Prophet newspapers and cut out the letters and words he needed. He looked at the finished letter with a smile. It looked stupid, but it was better than writing by hand only to have Quirrell recognize his handwriting.
In a realm of secrets, where wisdom's trace,
A diadem hides, veiled by its grace,
A fragment of you, concealed from the light,
Within a room of boundless might.
Don’t worry your secret is safe,
As long as you behave,
To reclaim this treasure, precious and old,
Follow the instructions, as they unfold.
Atlas was sure that the riddle would lead Quirrell to check on the diadem to see if he really was Voldemort. All he had to do was deliver the letter and check the Maurauders' map for a day or two. Which led him to the decision that sending the letter on Friday was the best choice. The next thing he had to consider was how to actually send the letter to Quirrell. Were owls really untraceable, or was it safer to steal Harry’s invisibility cloak and deliver the letter personally? He also needed to place the actual blackmail message where the diadem had been. He didn’t want any contact with Quirrell if possible, so he would use that method to communicate with him and hope that Quirrell or Voldemort won't suspect him.