HP: The Duelist of Hogwarts - 453

Chapter 453: Everyone’s Laying Traps

The Christmas holidays were not long, barely half a month.

When Sean returned to Hogwarts, he immediately saw the latest batch of decrees from the Ministry of Magic. Clearly, once Umbridge got herself named Acting Minister, she could not wait to start meddling wildly in Hogwarts affairs.

“This is banned, that is banned, even Quidditch needs multiple layers of approval now. Has the Ministry gone mad?”

“I do not know if the Ministry is mad, but that toad Umbridge certainly is. One look at these orders and you can tell they are her work. Disgusting.”

Andy had already graduated and was struggling to navigate the magical business world. Sean was busier than ever. Without anyone really noticing, Blaise and Jensen had started spending much more time talking to each other.

Watching the two of them gripe in unison, Sean said casually, “In June this year, I am going to sit both my O.W.L.s and my N.E.W.T.s and pass the lot. Next year, it will probably just be the two of you still at school.”

He had said as much before, but hearing it again still left Blaise and Jensen reluctant and uneasy. Andy had already left Hogwarts. Sean was planning to graduate early. By next year, the two of them would be the only ones left. Their friends were all moving on, buried in their own work, while they were still stuck at school. That sense of urgency and pressure weighed heavily on both of them.

Talking as they walked, the three of them finished lunch. They were just about to go for a stroll before heading to class when Hermione and Neville came looking for Sean.

Since the start of the fifth year, Neville had seemed to undergo a sudden change. Apart from Potions, his marks in other subjects had shot up rapidly. His whole demeanour had grown calmer as well, leaving him with a presence very different from before.

Sean had originally put it down to adolescence. There was an old saying in his previous life about girls changing eighteen times as they grew, but in truth, it applied to everyone. Once you reached a certain age, you changed. Neville, future Gryffindor Sword Saint, would be no exception.

But when Hermione and Neville walked over together, Sean suddenly realised Neville was carrying the faint trace of a Memory Charm.

It was not the lingering echo of an Obliviate cast on him once and left to fade; it felt like some kind of reversed Memory Charm instead.

If it had been a normal, one‑off spell, Sean would never have sensed anything, but this felt like a slow, continuous unravelling that was still working on Neville even now.

With his level‑five, maxed‑out mastery of the Memory Charm, Sean caught the thread at once.

A reversed Memory Charm?

Had Neville really been living under something like that all these years?

Was that why he had been so forgetful, so slow?

The more Sean thought about it, the more sense it made. The only question was: who had cast it, and why?

Judging by the Neville standing in front of him now, whoever it was clearly had no ill intent.

He kept all of this behind his Occlumency shields and did not let a flicker show on his face.

Instead, he nodded to Blaise and Jensen. “You two go on ahead,” he said.

Then he turned to Hermione and Neville. “Hermione, Neville. Do you need something?”

Hermione glanced around, then looked towards a nearby, more secluded spot.

“Sean,” she said quietly, “can we talk over there?”

Sean had no objection. The three of them walked to the spot she had indicated. Before anyone spoke, Sean drew his wand and traced a neat line in the air around them, then put it away.

“I have cast a charm,” he said. “So long as no one comes too close, they will not hear a word we say. It is safe.”

Hermione nodded and took a breath.

“Sean, I got a letter from Harry this morning,” she said. “He said he had another dream yesterday. He saw Voldemort trying to get hold of something, but he could not take it.

“Because of that, Voldemort lost his temper at Malfoy’s father and used the Cruciatus Curse on him. Even the people at the Ministry got a scolding, because that place is supposedly so restricted that not even the Minister for Magic has the right to walk in and help himself to what is inside.

“So Voldemort is going to send someone to steal it.”

“Hermione,” Sean said, “if I remember correctly, recent events have already proved that what Harry sees may well be images Voldemort planted on purpose. Scenes he wants Harry to watch. We fell for that once already. Does Harry really want to be fooled a second time?”

Hermione hesitated, her shoulders slumping a little.

“He knows that,” she said. “He really does. But this time, he is sure what he saw is real. After everything that happened, Harry seems to have learned to tell—at least a little—when a vision is true or not.

“He told Dumbledore and the others about it, but they did not treat it as serious. Even Sirius did not want to think about it, and they are all incredibly busy. So Harry did not push them…”

As soon as she trailed off, Sean understood what Harry was hoping for.

“Hermione,” he said, “Harry wants my help, does he not?”

Hermione nodded.

“That is what he meant,” she said. “He says if you help, if you can take whatever it is ahead of time and ruin Voldemort’s plans, then one of Voldemort’s plots will be broken before it begins. And if the vision is false, going to investigate now will mean we do not walk into the trap later.”

Sean had to admit, Harry’s reasoning was sound. If events truly unfolded the way Harry imagined, moving first and taking the object himself would be the safest option.

Unfortunately, Harry did not know that even if every dream he had was genuine, untouched by Voldemort’s interference, he could still fall straight into Voldemort’s snare. The deadliest traps were often baited with real information and real clues.

What was more, Sean was certain Dumbledore and the Order were not as dismissive as they appeared. They had almost certainly already made arrangements and were watching over Harry closely.

This was a trap and counter‑trap, ring and counter‑ring. Who ended up catching whom would depend entirely on their respective skill.

With that thought, Sean knew exactly what he needed to do.

He shook his head slowly and looked Hermione in the eye.

“Hermione,” he said, “you of all people should remember what happened last time. I am not going to get involved. I have plans of my own, and I cannot afford any mistakes.

“So I am sorry. Please tell Harry that I do not intend to, and cannot, take part in this.”