In the silence that filled the room, Professor Dumbledore cast a spell. The magical device in his hands began to emit a soft light. He brought it close to each of the five books laid out in front of him, one by one. Then, turning it to the members of the Relicium Club, he revealed the results. The device determined that the word "werewolf," suggested by Casper, was mentioned in eight places in the fourth book.
"And this is absolutely correct," said Dumbledore, showing everyone the fourth book. It was titled, 'Notes on the Inhabitants of the Magical World: Intelligent Ones and Others.'
The room erupted with joyful exclamations as everyone congratulated each other. Even though they had only completed a few of the simpler parts of this complex device, it had required hard and coordinated work from everyone over the past three meetings.
"I am proud of you!" Dumbledore continued once the noise had died down. "You've managed to perfectly assemble one of the most complicated magical devices, the Search Sphere. The knowledge you've gained will definitely help you in your future work on complex artifacts. Few devices are as challenging to create as the Search Sphere. I'm sure the staff at the Oxford Laboratory for the Study of Magic will be extremely grateful for your valuable assistance."
The students exchanged satisfied glances and nodded in agreement. The work they had done was indeed difficult, and the praise was well-deserved. Only Elliot Grimm sat with a calm face, as if the task hadn't required much effort from him. Glancing at the magical device, he asked:
"Professor, what's so hard about the initial stage of creating the Sphere? Why couldn't we make it ourselves from start to finish and had to use pre-made parts?"
Dumbledore looked at Elliot, slowly stroking his silvery beard, and then addressed the other students:
"Does anyone know the answer to this question?"
Hermione, out of habit, shot her hand up but quickly lowered it, realizing too late that she didn't know the answer to this particular question.
"Yes, Miss Granger? Do you want to explain the reason?"
"No," she replied, blushing slightly, "I just... I don't know."
A mocking grin instantly appeared on Elliot's face.
"Oh, the know-it-all doesn't know the answer?" he said sarcastically. "Well, that's a first..."
"Actually, Mr. Grimm, it's not surprising," Dumbledore calmly countered. "The device is indeed rare and relatively new. Few are familiar with its workings."
Hermione blushed even more, while Elliot, maintaining his mocking expression and not taking his eyes off her, asked again:
"So, what is the reason, Professor?"
"As you already know," Dumbledore began, "the Search Sphere is used to detect and analyze a specified type of information, whether it's a word in a book or a grain of sand in a vial. To do this, it splits a stream of magic into an enormous number of extremely fine magical threads, directed at the object of study. Each of these threads of magic analyzes a tiny part of the object and returns an answer." He paused to make sure everyone was following, then continued. "This process of splitting the stream into threads is extremely labor-intensive. Creating such devices requires specialized magical equipment, deep knowledge, and significant experience. Moreover, making even one pre-made part of the Search Sphere can take several years under the constant supervision of wizards. This is why these devices are extremely rare and are mainly used in magical laboratories or academies for studying special patterns in magical substances."
Listening to Dumbledore, Hermione drifted into her own thoughts. 'A device like this would be so useful for finding information in the library. Definitely more useful than Harry and Ron.' She was, of course, grateful for her friends' help, but in reality, you can't fight nature—both of her friends weren't exactly diligent... 'If only I could have this device for just one day...'
"Can we test this Sphere in our library?" Hermione asked, with hope in her voice, surprising even herself.
"Unfortunately, Miss Granger, that's not possible," Dumbledore replied gently. "This device is very valuable and belongs to the Oxford Laboratory of Magic, so it will be sent back in three days."
The room filled with disappointed murmurs and quiet whispers from the students. Apparently, Hermione wasn't the only one who wanted to try out the Sphere. Dumbledore, watching her closely, asked:
"Perhaps I can answer some of your questions, Miss Granger?"
Hermione hesitated for a moment. She couldn't talk about the amulet—it was too risky—but the League of Light was mentioned in the Daily Prophet. All she had managed to find out about this organization so far was that it appeared in the early twentieth century and tried in various ways to restrict the influx of Muggle-born children into the magical community.
"Could you tell me about the League of Light?" Hermione asked cautiously. "They were mentioned in the Prophet recently, but there's almost no information about them in the library."
The professor looked at her thoughtfully. His eyes seemed to reflect old and not very pleasant memories. Then, as if shaking off the weight of the past, he began to speak:
"The League of Light, yes... Well, since you're interested, I suppose I can shed some light on this organization. It emerged about a hundred years ago and was founded by two ambitious young wizards..."
"And do you know who exactly founded it?" Hermione's voice held a note of persistence.
It was important for her to figure out the names of the founders. Hermione thought that through them, she might be able to track down the League and find out how to break free from the amulet's effects.
"Yes, I know their names," Dumbledore said, "but if you'll allow me, I'd prefer not to answer that question. I can only assure you of one thing—these wizards have long had no connection to the League and certainly have no idea who revived it... if that indeed has happened."
"So, they're still alive?" Elliot interjected with undisguised interest.
"Undoubtedly," Dumbledore replied briefly. He paused for a moment, as if gathering his thoughts, before continuing.
"But what were they trying to achieve?" Hermione pressed on, looking for answers that might help her. "And why has this League appeared again? Isn't it just like the Death Eaters?"
Elliot, smirking slightly at some private thought, looked at Hermione and then at the professor with interest.
"Oh," Dumbledore said slowly, "there's a key difference. The main goal of the Death Eaters was to bring Voldemort to power and, along the way, to destroy wizards born to Muggle families. They didn't care about casualties, even among pure-blood magical families; their primary concern was their leader's power. The League of Light had a different objective. They wanted to restrict the use of magical power to existing magical families. Furthermore, they tried to increase their powers by using wizards born to Muggle families..."
"How?" Hermione interrupted suddenly.
Her excitement was so intense that she could barely keep the tremor out of her voice, and she was almost breathless with tension. The professor looked at Hermione intently and said:
"I'm afraid I can't answer that either, but there were rumors that they had their methods..."
"Like the Sky Vortex?!" Hermione blurted out without thinking.
The headmaster's gaze became unusually cold and piercing. Hermione shivered under his stare, feeling as if she were already pinned to the scaffold, about to be executed. She regretted her carelessly spoken words, realizing she couldn't take them back.
Her remark had drawn the attention not only of Dumbledore but also of all the other students. Elliot Grimm looked at Hermione appraisingly, as if trying to figure out what was behind her question, while Casper Honeydew dropped the Search Sphere he had been fiddling with. All eyes turned to Casper, drawn by the noise of the falling Sphere. Picking it up awkwardly, Honeydew apologized nervously:
"Sorry..." he mumbled and fell silent.
This moment of awkwardness gave Hermione precious seconds to catch her breath and gather her thoughts.
"Miss Granger, how do you know about this artifact?" Dumbledore's voice lacked the usual warmth and empathy he usually addressed students with. Hermione's thoughts raced, searching for a suitable answer that could deflect the threat from her.
"I... read about it in the book 'Beware: Dangerous Amulets! A Guide for Aurors.'," she whispered. "I borrowed it over the holidays to... just to read." She finished haltingly, realizing just in time that mentioning Nicolas Flamel's name wouldn't do her any good either.
Dumbledore continued to look at Hermione intently. For a moment, she felt as though he could somehow see the amulet hidden under her robe. She sat frozen with fear, praying that the outline of the amulet wouldn't show through the fabric. Finally, Dumbledore's gaze softened a bit.
"It's strange that you connected this dangerous amulet with the League of Light, Miss Granger..." he said thoughtfully, and after a brief pause, he added, addressing everyone, "I think we'll end our last meeting of the year here."
With these words, the headmaster of Hogwarts stood up, took the Search Sphere, and headed for the exit. At that moment, Elliot Grimm, who had been watching Hermione intently, shifted his gaze to the device in the professor's hands and stopped him with a question.
"Professor Dumbledore, could you leave the Sphere here for a couple of days? I'd like to understand its inner workings better before it's sent back to the laboratory."
Dumbledore looked at him carefully, glanced at Hermione, then silently placed the Sphere on the table and left the room.
***
"So, you're suggesting we steal the Search Sphere?" Ron's eyebrows shot up higher than ever before. Hearing this from Hermione—the most rule-abiding student at Hogwarts until recently—seemed unreal to him. "Are you sure you're not someone else? You've always been about the rules! You used to scold us just for thinking about sneaking out at night. Remember how you didn't talk to us after that incident with Malfoy and Fluffy?"
The friends were sitting in a corridor at Hogwarts, away from the other students, and Hermione was sharing her plans with them. She nervously adjusted her robe, then her hair, and then her robe again. It seemed Hermione herself wasn't thrilled about this idea. Finally, after taking a deep breath as if trying to come to terms with her own plan, she replied:
"Not steal, just... borrow it for a little while." Hermione looked away. "I just don't see any other way to find the information about the amulet in time!" she nearly shouted, her voice tinged with desperation.
Everyone tried to digest Hermione's plan, and a tense silence filled the corridor. Finally, Ron broke it:
"I still think it's pretty risky! Remember how Harry almost got caught by Snape when he was looking for that book about Flamel? He barely escaped, and there's no guarantee we'll get that lucky again... And Dumbledore might notice the loss of something so valuable, which seems even more dangerous. We could definitely get expelled for this!" Ron looked at Hermione and then at Harry, his doubt plain on his face. Not getting an immediate response, he swallowed nervously and added, "It's not that I'm scared... don't think that way..."
"You're right, Ron..." Hermione said in a barely audible, trembling voice. "You don't have to be part of this. I'll do it myself..." Her gaze wandered around the corridor, as if searching for answers to her doubts. Her lower lip trembled slightly. "I understand, I've got nothing to lose, but you guys..."
"So, you're saying it has to be done tonight?" Harry interrupted decisively.
"Yes. Dumbledore is sending the Sphere to Oxford tomorrow."
"Then it's settled! We'll meet in the common room at ten, and when everyone leaves, we'll go for the Sphere." Harry looked at Ron and asked him directly, "Are you in?"
"Yes," Ron nodded, hanging his head. It seemed this decision wasn't easy for him. He was much more afraid of his mom's reaction to his possible expulsion from Hogwarts than the expulsion itself.
"Ron, Harry, you don't have to..." Hermione started but fell silent when she saw Casper Honeydew approaching them. He walked towards them with a big smile for Hermione. After a brief greeting to the boys, Casper enthusiastically turned to her:
"Hi, Hermione! Elliot and I are planning to tinker with the Search Sphere until lights out. Want to join us?"
Hermione hesitated for a moment. Her first thought was to agree, but then she decided it would be better to rest before the long night ahead. Plus, she didn't want to be seen near the place they planned to 'borrow' the Sphere from, in case anything went wrong.
"No, Casper, thanks. I have a ton of homework, and I want to get to bed early. I'm exhausted," she said, trying to sound genuinely regretful.
Hermione had become friends with Casper and often helped him in the club since he frequently struggled with things. She really did feel bad about not joining them.
"Come on! The homework isn't going anywhere, but the Sphere will be gone tomorrow," he said, waving his hand, still smiling.
"Sorry, Casper, but no."
"I understand, no problem," he replied after a small pause, sounding a bit disappointed. "I just thought you might be interested too. Well, see you at the club then..."
"See you!" Hermione replied, watching him walk away. But her thoughts were already completely consumed by the upcoming 'operation' that night.
***
In the evening, the Gryffindor common room was filled with cheerful chaos. Fred and George, armed with a Chocolate Frog, were putting on a show, trying to make it jump in a specific direction. They were still hung up on the idea of the competition they organized with Neville's toad, Trevor, on the Hogwarts Express. An excited crowd of students gathered around them, clapping and shouting with each successful jump, encouraging the twins even more.
Harry and Ron watched with interest from a distance, sitting with Hermione in the corner of the common room.
"Look, Ron, they're doing it!" Harry exclaimed as the Chocolate Frog made three confident jumps in the right direction under George's guidance.
The whole common room burst into applause and cheers, while Fred and George, pleased with their success, bowed in all directions. Watching the noise and chaos, Hermione threw a disapproving glance their way:
"Those two always find a reason for jokes and entertainment. And if they can make money from it, they won't miss the chance. At least they left Neville's toad alone this time. I suppose we should be thankful for that much," she added sarcastically.
Harry and Ron exchanged understanding glances: "Hermione being Hermione, what can you say..."
At that moment, as if responding to her last comment, Neville's toad, Trevor, unexpectedly hopped onto the 'stage,' causing an outburst of excitement from the students around the Weasley twins. Trevor seemed determined to prove he was just as impressive as the Chocolate Frog, and with each of its jumps, he tried to match it with his own. Everyone started chanting "Trevor! Trevor!" as he tried to keep up with his chocolate 'competitor.'
Neville, initially not understanding what was happening, finally pushed through the crowd and caught his pet to the disgruntled cries of students begging him to "let Trevor have fun." But by that time, Trevor and the Chocolate Frog had already become the stars of the evening.
After the peak of the show put on by Neville's toad, the Gryffindor students gradually started heading to their rooms, though the fun continued for quite a while. Eventually, Fred and George, taking the Chocolate Frog and cheerfully discussing the evening's events, headed to their room, nodding to Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who were patiently waiting for the common room to empty.
"Finally," was all Hermione said, becoming more and more nervous about the upcoming task.
The friends slipped out of the common room, threw the Invisibility Cloak over themselves, and headed toward the Relicium Club. By the time they entered the club, it was already past midnight. After looking around, Hermione took the Search Sphere from the table, and they made their way to the library.
The distance from the club to the library wasn't very long, but it took quite a while because the friends walked closely pressed together, stopping at every rustle or creak of the floor. At one point, they had to freeze for a full ten minutes when several ghosts emerged from the wall in front of them. The ghosts stopped right in their path, animatedly discussing Peeves' latest mischief. Harry, Ron, and Hermione held their breath, trying to stay unnoticed. Finally, the ghosts floated away, continuing their conversation, and with a sigh of relief, the friends moved on.
In the darkness, the library looked far less inviting than it did during the day, even a bit menacing. Its tall, book-filled shelves seemed even more imposing and stretched up to the ceiling. The dim moonlight filtering through the high windows cast long, sometimes frightening shadows on the floor. All around the library, there was a faint creaking of the shelves and the barely audible rustling of pages. These sounds created the impression that the books were alive, whispering to each other and condemning the intruders for disturbing their peace.
Oppressed by the gloomy atmosphere of the library, the friends instinctively huddled even closer together. Despite their anxiety, they ventured inside. Hermione carefully took the Search Sphere out from under the Invisibility Cloak and whispered a few words to activate it. The device began to emit a soft light, slightly illuminating the bookshelves. The friends looked around to make sure no one was nearby—the light from the Sphere could attract the attention of Filch or one of the teachers if they happened to pass by.
Removing the Invisibility Cloak, they began their search. Hermione led the way with the Sphere in her hands, carefully watching its behavior and hoping to see some sign or direction. Harry and Ron followed her, occasionally glancing around to warn Hermione if anyone approached.
Hour after hour passed, but their search yielded no results. They had walked past dozens of rows filled with old books and scrolls. Hermione kept glancing at her watch, worried that time was slipping away without any success. Ron was starting to get tired and suggested taking a break, while Harry, though feeling frustrated, insisted they continue searching.
"Are you sure you're using it right?" Ron asked quietly, trying to peek over Hermione's shoulder at the glowing device.
"I hope so... it seems like this is how Dumbledore used the Sphere when he tested it in the club," she replied, though her voice portrayed uncertainty. "I wish I'd thought to bring the guide for Aurors; we could have checked."
"Maybe it's just broken?" Ron was losing patience.
Finally, after several hours of fruitless searching, they reached the last shelf. Their faces showed disappointment: none of the books contained information about the Sky Vortex. Hermione, usually so determined and confident, looked at the shelves with fading hope. Her eyes were full of tears she could barely hold back, and her hands, trembling with tension, tightly gripped the Search Sphere. It seemed like she might smash the Sphere on the floor in frustration at any moment.
Seeing Hermione like this, Ron, whose worry and impatience had been obvious throughout their nighttime adventure, unexpectedly suggested, "Let's check the Restricted Section. It's a forbidden amulet, so any information about it would likely be there."
Harry and Hermione exchanged glances and nodded in agreement. Hermione, a bit calmer now and wiping away her tears, led the way again. As they approached the Restricted Section, Harry suddenly turned and asked in a wary whisper, "Did you hear that?"
"What?" Ron whispered back.
"I thought I heard footsteps." Harry and his friends, turning off the Sphere, tried to see something or someone in the dark shadows behind the shelves, but there was no one. After standing and listening for another minute, they moved on.
Just as they stepped into the Restricted Section, two things happened simultaneously. First, the bookshelves came to life, awakened by an invisible force, and began moving, forming an impenetrable wall around them, cutting off all escape routes. Second, a loud alarm sounded, its echo undoubtedly waking the entire castle.