HP: Supreme Potion Collector [Original Female Protagonist]

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"No need to be nervous. Would you like some hot honey tea? Perhaps the Honeydukes catalog was a bit too long, might have made your throat dry," Dumbledore's voice came from behind a tall bookshelf as he emerged carrying a tea tray. He approached his desk, giving Orli a mischievous wink.

Orli smiled awkwardly, turning to stare at the corner of the desk. She had expected Dumbledore to criticize her crafty method of entry, but he simply invited her to sit in an armchair.

"What brings you here, Orli?" Dumbledore sat across from her, taking a few sips of honey tea.

"Nicolas Flamel is your good friend, isn't he?" Orli kept her head down, fingers intertwined nervously.

"Oh, indeed. We've known each other for a very, very long time," Dumbledore answered patiently. "We discuss alchemy together."

"Then, if... I mean, if he wanted to store something in our school... perhaps... could you arrange for it to serve another purpose? Like... a test?" Orli stammered out.

Silence followed as Dumbledore didn't respond for a while.

Orli couldn't help but glance up, only to find Dumbledore's blue eyes studying her from behind his half-moon spectacles.

A feeling of being exposed washed over her. She hastily employed Occlumency, shifting her gaze to the teapot while quietly reaching for the handkerchief hidden in her sleeve.

Fortunately, the sensation passed quickly. Either Dumbledore hadn't forcefully probed her mind, or perhaps he had already seen what Orli wanted him to see—she had been replaying scenes of discussing the Philosopher's Stone with Harry and his friends in her mind.

"Why do you think that, Orli? Tell me, what do you know about this object?" Dumbledore asked with interest.

"There's a three-headed dog on the right side of the fourth-floor corridor. Under it is a trapdoor, where that object is hidden. It's the Philosopher's Stone, isn't it? Hagrid is a good person, but he's not very good at keeping secrets."

Orli knew that the best way to hide certain things was to embed them within truths.

"And Harry received his father's Invisibility Cloak for Christmas. I can't think of anyone else who could have sent it except you. No offense, Professor, but it almost seems like you're encouraging him to break curfew..."

"I must admit, you surprise me, Orli," Dumbledore said, though he didn't answer her question.

"Then perhaps you already know about the Forbidden Forest? Vol... You-Know-Who is lurking around us, targeting the Stone. Harry and his friends are determined to protect it, but now things have become too dangerous," Orli continued cautiously. "If the previous events were your arrangement, will it continue now?"

"You're a clever little one," Dumbledore smiled. His expression showed some concern, but this time he answered Orli's question. "Hagrid has informed me about the Forest incident, and Severus and I have investigated. We hadn't expected things to develop this far. But Voldemort is weak now, and I will take measures to ensure he cannot act rashly before the exams end."

"What about after the exams?" Orli pressed.

"Don't worry, child. I will do everything in my power to protect Harry's safety."

Dumbledore pulled open a large drawer. A silver mirror rose from it, showing something dark within.

Looking closer, Orli realized it was a giant three-headed black dog.

It was Fluffy! The creature was currently sitting on the trapdoor, growling softly. Everything appeared normal.

Dumbledore waved his wand, and the scene changed to show a mass of tangled vines. Another wave of his hand, and everything vanished.

"I've made a small modification to this large two-way mirror. Now it can monitor the situation there at any time. Should Harry encounter any problems, I can arrive immediately."

Orli finally relaxed. If Dumbledore could observe the scene in real-time, he could ensure everyone's safety regardless of what happened.

Still, she made a small request: "I trust your arrangements completely, but perhaps, when the time comes, would you let me watch too? I'm worried about them, but for certain reasons, they don't include me in many things anymore..."

"It's because of Severus, isn't it?" Dumbledore smiled kindly. "He's certainly not the most pleasant professor, and it's understandable that Harry has a poor impression of him. But he is entirely trustworthy."

"I think so too," Orli nodded in agreement.