The protagonist trio were busy searg for something in the library, often sharing a table with Scarlet. This gave her the opportunity to uionally overhear what they were looking for.

  “We’ve got a clue about what’s being guarded by the three-headed dog,” Harry whispered, his eyes gleaming with excitement...Yup, typical Gryffindors, Scarlet mused. Always eager for an adve in to see in Hermione as well.

  “Hagrid let it slip,” Ron added. “He said it’s got something to do with Niel.”

  Of course, Hagrid the loose-tongue would let something slip, leading the triht to the forbidden third floor...the pn ying out perfectly, right? Professor Dumbledore. Scarlet pondered for a moment. Niel...Why does that sound familiar? Have I researched about him before?

  Hermione sighed in frustration. “We’ve searched through so many books, but we still ’t find any clues.”

  Well, if it sounds familiar to me, it’s probably not something obscure. I don’t usually research secret topics...But who is this Niel? St. Nichos? Santa Cus? No, that’s not it. Think again...

  “Scarlet?” Hermione’s voiterrupted her thoughts.

  Just as Scarlet raised her head to respond, Draalfoy passed by, catg her eye. The blonde boy gave her a brief nod before sneering at the protagonist trio. Though he didn’t say a word, his smirk was enough to ignite Ron’s temper. His face turned red as he stood up, only to be pulled back down by Harry and Hermione.

  Golden hair...braided golden hair...metal...

  Draco left with Crabbe and Goyle in tow, still smirking, while Ron sat back down, muttering curses under his breath.

  “I remember now!” Scarlet excimed suddenly. “The Philosopher’s Stone!”

  The trio looked puzzled, so she eborated. “I’ve definitely read about it somewhere. Niel - he’s an alchemist, famous for creating a miraculous object called the Philosopher's Stone.”

  Hermione immediately began scribbling notes in her notebook. “What does this stone do?”

  “Bring life to the dead? rant immortality? Like an elixir, I suppose,” Scarlet whispered. “I ’t remember all the details, but Fmel was definitely an alchemist.”

  They stared at her in awe as Hermione made a bold assumption. “Could it be that the thing being guarded is this miraculous stone? If it really perform miracles, it would certainly be worth proteg at Hogwarts.”

  “Well, I have no ent on that,” Scarlet said, shrugging. “It’s up to you to find out.” That stone never brought any good in Fullmetal Alchemist...Who knows what it could do in the Harry Potter universe? And, that certainly expined why the soul fragment was hunting for it - he wao live, of course...Scarlet mused, shook her head, returning to her papers, while the trio tiheir eic searore clues.

  Quirrell remained quiet until the day students left for the Christmas holidays. Professor Snape informed Scarlet that Quirrell would be spending Christmas at Hogwarts, meaning there was a high ce he would attempt to break into the guarded flain. Scarlet had given Professor Snape one of her jade pendants as prote – she'd asked her dad to send her a hundred, but he’d posted two hundred instead, so she had plenty to hand out. Even her assistants and friends had received one as a token. Whether Professor Snape would actually wear it, though, was another matter.

  The Hogwarts Express would depart the m, and students heading home for the holidays had been told t their luggage down to the Entrance Hall the night before.

  Scarlet, ever the minimalist, had only a small bag and a hand-held suitcase, both filled with books and notes. In trast, the Weasleys had several bulky suitcases filled with clothes and other essentials. They even mao vince Pere along - though Scarlet wasn’t sure if that was because Mrs. Weasley insisted in her letter or because Percy actually wao stick with his brothers.

  She had never really spoken to Percy before, and when they met up at the station, he seemed slightly unfortable.

  While the trio whisperiedly about the stone and the Weasley twins quietly discussed their test iions, Percy stood off to the side, looking somewhat out of pce. Before he could disappear to join his friends, Scarlet approached him. “Hi, I think this is the first time we’ve ever spoken. Here’s my business card - you call me Scarlet.”

  There was no such thing as business card in the wizarding world. Percy took the card g it briefly, then looked up at Scarlet. “Hi, I’m Percy Weasley. You’ve probably heard about me from my brothers.”

  “Not much,” Scarlet replied with a friendly smile. “At least not enough to really get to know who you are.”

  Percy studied the red-haired girl before him. “I’ve heard quite a bit about you as well,” he said. “All positive.”

  “My pleasure.”

  “No, I mean, even the Slytherins respect you,” Percy added, “It’s unon for them to look aher than Slytherins in the eyes. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed – they don’t cause a se when you’re around. They seem to care more about you than me, a prefect.”

  “Maybe that’s because you’re from Gryffindor, their rival House?” Scarlet suggested thoughtfully. “I hadn’t noticed if they actually respect me or not, but...my time here has beey calm. Nothing too dramatic has happeo me or in front of me at Hogwarts.”

  In trast to Scarlet’s uful days, Maya’s tiny book club nearly fell apart retly over a disagreement about a certain character. Maya ended up g and running back to the dorm, where it took Scarlet and Amelia almost an hour to calm her down. Amelia didn’t cry, but had a rough time herself after witnessing two girls fighting over a boy iiny fashion club, which resulted in all members getting two hours of detention from Professonagall. Amelia had been pletely drained after that, retreating indoors for almost a week, which was unusual for her.

  “I’m sure it’s because of you,” Percy said. “And now, I see why.”

  “Huh?” Scarlet tilted her head, fused by ercy meant, but he only gave her a brief smile, leaving her w.

  Before she could ask more, the call to board echoed through the station. The nine-hour journey home loomed ahead.

  Scarlet shared a partment with Harry, Ron and Hermione, joier by Maya and Amelia ohe train was underercy headed off to the prefects’ partment, while the Weasleys twins joiheir friends, likely plotting their prank.

  Unlike Scarlet and her roommates, the protagonist trio didn’t have much experience hanging out with students from other Houses. After a brief moment of awkwardness, the partment filled with chatter. Ron, especially, was eager to discuss his uping Christmas at a Muggle house, trying his best to imagine what it would be like so he wouldn’t embarrass himself.

  Scarlet stayed quiet for most of the journey, chiming in only to crify things when needed. Meanwhile, she absorbed their versation, analysing their behaviour and trying to predict where the story was headed.

  Amelia and Maya were clearly background characters that were never mentioned in the inal story. Hermione, who would spend Christmas with her family, robably preoccupied with finding the perfect gifts for the boys. Without my involvement, Ron and Harry would likely spend Christmas at Hogwarts...Maybe with Hagrid? Try to sneak into the third floor? Or just opening presents and enjoying the holiday? Was this part of the story at all? If it was, could the presents py a key role? Perhaps Harry would receive an ued gift, something that would bring him closer to the stone...

  Scarlet was lost in thought, pieg together the limited clues she had, when a kno the partment door interrupted her. It was Draco.

  The lively versation abruptly stopped as Harry and Ro him. Hermione remained posed, while the two Hufflepuff girls, Maya and Amelia, looked unsure of how to react.

  “What do you want?” Ron snapped, eyes narrowing.

  Draco gave him a dismissive gnce, smirking as he turned his attention to Scarlet. Ron was already seething, and the ck of verbal response only seemed to aggravate him further, but mao be held in pce by Harry and Scarlet. Harry, too, was angry, but to Scarlet’s surprise, he held his posure, though his gre at Draco didn’t soften.

  “Scarlet,” Draco said, his voice cm, and then gave a small nod toward the corridor behind him, signalling for her to follow.

  “Sure,” Scarlet replied nontly. Rising from her seat, she waved casually to the other. “I’ll be back soon. Just a quick chat.”

  She shut the partment door behind her, leaving behind a swirl of doubts and curiosity. She walked with Draco a short distance down the corridor, notig that Grabbe and Goyle weren’t with him this time.

  “So, Mr. Malfoy,” Scarlet teased, “how I help you?”

  Draco seemed a bit flustered, his pale cheek tinged with a light brush. He cleared his throat and gnced away before speaking. “I’ve heard you’ve been handling out tokens and cards...”

  “Yes, and...?” Scarlet prompted, arg and eyebrow.

  “...Why didn’t I get one?” Draco’s tone was incredulous, his eyes log ontain. “Don’t tell me you didn’t think of giving me one!”

  Scarlet chuckled softly. “Oh, I did sider it, but...”

  “But what?”

  “I wasn’t sure if any Slytherins would accept it,” She replied, studying the protagonist’s rival as he stood before her, “You’ve probably noticed, none of my assistants are from your House. I don’t really have any es there – except for you, of course. I’d like to think I’m approachable. What do you think?” she asked, genuinely curious.

  Draco fell silent, sidering his words carefully. After a pause, he finally spoke, his expression serious. “You seem fwless. No ots. You don’t fit in with the rest of us. It’s like...you belong up at the staff table, not here with the students. You’re...dominant. You always seem to have the upper hand, always a step ahead. And people follow you, like you’re orchestrating something...just like you-know-who. A, with all that, the S Hat pced you in Hufflepuff...”

  Is that really how they see me? Scarlet blinked, briefly caught off guard by his parison. Then, a grin spread across her face. “I’m fttered.”

  Draco, “...”

  Scarlet handed Draco her business card and a jade pendant. “Here’s yours. Keep the pendant with you - it’s a lucky charm. You’ll also find my taformation here. If you ever find yourself in the Muggle world, you reach me using these details. Or, just send an owl to my home address - the handwritten one, not the printed one.”

  She patted Draco’s shoulder with a small grin. “I must end you Slytherins - you’re always the most perceptive when it es to weighing pros and s. Have you read my novel?”

  Draco shook his head, his brows furrowing as he silently questioned why she’d brought it up.

  Scarlet smiled mysteriously. “sider it a puzzle. I’ll send you a copy of my novels – let's see if you sense anything. I trust you’ll figure out the right path.”

  Just as she was about to return to the partment, Draco reached out and grabbed her arm. “Wait.”

  “Yes?”

  “About me and Potter...”

  “Oh, that,” Scarlet nodded knowingly. “You’re doing great - keep it up!”

  Draco gritted his teeth, “It’s hard not to take jabs at the Weasleys...”

  “I know,” Scarlet said uandably. “It’s practically ingrained in your family, but you’re handling it well. Focus on outshining them in academid Quidditch, and don’t cross the li’ll take time - for them and for you. Remember, pride isn’t the same as arrogance. Keep it elegant. Stay graceful.”

  Draodded, his grip on the jade pendant tightening. “I’ll remember that. Thanks.”

  “You’re wele.” Scarlet gave a nod and turned away, clutg a piece of part with Malfoy Manor’s address scribbled on it - a pce she’d never been, but where her owl would somehow know to go. Magical creatures.

  When she re-ehe partment, all eyes were on her. Ron, the most curious, blurted, “What did he want?”

  “Just some busialk,” Scarlet replied casually. “I guess I’m one of the few people he discuss things with since I run a pany. His father seems to be pnning on giving him property to manage.”

  “Filthy rich,” Ron muttered under his breath.

  The group quickly moved on, resuming their cheerful versation. But Scarlet couldn’t help but think back to the day Draco had sought her out privately, near her training room...