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Ryan asked Harry as they ran, "What happened? Why did you jump up so suddenly? You startled us!"

"I just remembered something," Harry said, his face turning pale. "We need to get to Hagrid right away!"

"Why?" Hermione gasped, struggling to keep up.

"Think about it!" Harry said as he hurried down the grassy slope. "Hagrid has always wanted a dragon, and suddenly, a stranger just happens to have a dragon egg in his pocket? How many people walk around carrying dragon eggs? You know it's illegal! Don't you think it's too much of a coincidence that this person found Hagrid? Why didn't I realize this before?"

"What are you getting at?" Ron panted from behind, but Harry didn't answer. He just ran straight toward Hagrid's hut near the edge of the forest.

When they arrived, Hagrid was outside doing housework. After some questioning, Harry learned that Hagrid had won the dragon's egg in a card game against a suspicious man. Worse, when asked about it, Hagrid admitted that he had let slip Williams' biggest weakness—the three-headed dog would fall asleep when it heard music. The stranger had gotten this information out of him while he was drunk.

Realizing the danger, Harry rushed back to the castle, with Ryan and the others struggling to keep up. He stopped in a dark hallway, panting.

"We need to tell Professor Dumbledore that someone now knows how to get past Williams," he said. But there was one problem—none of them knew where Dumbledore's office was.

Before they could figure out a plan, Professor McGonagall appeared. Harry stepped forward to warn her about the potential danger. However, she didn't believe him. She reassured him that, even though Dumbledore was away, the Philosopher's Stone was well protected and that there was no need to worry.

After she left, they ran into Professor Snape, but he merely sneered at them before walking away.

Frustrated, Harry wanted to monitor Williams' room and keep an eye on Snape, but Ryan stopped him.

"As first-years, what can we do even if we spot something suspicious?" Ryan reasoned. "Trying to spy on a professor is pointless. They have countless ways to avoid students and plenty of excuses if they get caught. Pure surveillance won't help us."

Harry frowned but reluctantly agreed.

In the end, he made a bold decision: they would take the Philosopher's Stone before anyone else could steal it. That way, the thief would find nothing.

Ryan admired Harry's quick thinking. "That's a brilliant move—solving the problem at its root. Minimum risk, maximum gain. We should try it."

However, Hermione and Ron immediately objected. It was too dangerous, and if they got caught, they would likely be expelled.

Ryan stepped in. "This isn't just about getting expelled. The entire wizarding world could be in danger. But more importantly"—he glanced at Harry—"your life is on the line. We have to act."

Then, with a completely straight face, he added, "Besides, we're protecting school property. The professors won't expel us for that."

"Us?" Harry looked at him in surprise.

"Of course." Ryan shrugged. "Do you really think we'd let you go alone? And don't forget—you'll have to share the credit for saving the world."

Hermione and Ron exchanged glances before nodding in agreement.

"Thank you. Thank you, all of you," Harry said, feeling a wave of gratitude. Then he hesitated. "But my invisibility cloak won't fit four people."

"That's not a problem," Ryan said. "I've been practicing an illusion spell. It should be enough to hide me. So your cloak only needs to cover the three of you."

Preparing for the Mission

Now that the plan was set, they began preparing. After dinner, they gathered in a quiet corner of the common room, making sure no one was paying attention. Luckily, the students had been too exhausted from exams to notice them.

Their corner soon fell silent, with only Hermione murmuring spells under her breath as she practiced.

At last, the clock struck nine. Most of the students had gone to bed, leaving only the four of them in the common room.

"Get the cloak," Ron said.

Harry nodded and ran upstairs to retrieve it. Meanwhile, Ryan pulled a rough canvas vest from his bag and strapped it on. It had two stuffed canvas pouches and a row of small glass bottles attached to the belt.

Ron and Hermione stared at him.

"When I first got my Hogwarts letter," Ryan explained, adjusting his gear, "I thought a wizarding school would be like a role-playing game—full of combat training and adventures. So I prepared for that. Turns out, the wizarding world isn't that different from the Muggle one after all."

At that moment, Harry returned and paused when he saw Ryan's outfit. But there was no time for questions. He simply handed over the cloak.

"We should put it on now," Hermione suggested. "We need to make sure it covers all three of us. If Filch sees random feet walking around—"

Ryan nodded. Once he was sure everything was in order, Harry, Hermione, and Ron slipped under the invisibility cloak. Ryan cast his illusion spell on himself and followed a few meters behind.

The Journey Begins

As they stepped out of the common room, nerves crept in. Every statue, every shadow seemed like a lurking professor or Filch on patrol.

They soon encountered Mrs. Norris. The cat paused, staring directly at Ryan as if sensing something. But thanks to the illusion spell, she seemed confused. After a moment, she merely flicked her tail and lay back down.

That was close.

The real challenge came at the fourth-floor corridor, where they faced Peeves. The mischievous poltergeist floated above them, ready to cause trouble.

Luckily, Harry quickly imitated the Bloody Baron's voice, scaring Peeves away.

Ryan, however, had his doubts. Peeves had been at Hogwarts for centuries, constantly interacting with the Bloody Baron. There was no way he could have been fooled by Harry's rushed impersonation.

"He probably let us through on purpose," Ryan thought. "Dumbledore must have given him orders."

Finally, they reached the corridor where Williams stood guard. The door was slightly ajar.

Even though they had planned to take the Philosopher's Stone before the thief, it seemed they were already too late.

"Someone's beaten us to it," Harry whispered.

Ryan's grip tightened on his belt.

The real battle was just beginning.

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