Sol woke up with a start. His mind lagged behind as he tried to make sense of what was in front of him. Rows of hospital beds, the herbal smell of various potions, and Madam Pomfrey, the matron of the hospital wing in Hogwarts, ran around tending to many of the injured. He was in the hospital wing of the castle. After the battle on the train, he must’ve fainted from exhaustion.

“Embarrassing!” he pinched the bridge of his nose. To faint from the exhaustion of all things, and in front of his friends, exhaling deeply, he heard Miss Pomfrey’s voice, “Mr. Balor, I see you’ve awoken.”

“Yes, and thank you for tending to me as well,” Sol conveyed his gratitude.

“Mr. Balor,” she looked at him sternly and said, “Do you have any idea, any at all, in what kind of condition you were in?”

“Ah?” Sol looked at her in surprise, “I don’t think I had any life-threatening injuries…?”

“I assure you, Mr. Balor, none of them were life-threatening. Your quick use of Episkey made sure of that. But I would like to add that while you removed the bigger pieces, you weren’t able to remove the smaller pieces, and you still used the healing spell. Do you know the consequences of your actions?”

“My wounds ended up healing around the splinter, and my skin somewhat melded with the wooden pieces?” Sol replied sheepishly.

“Correct. However, whatever points you might have earned with your answer have been deducted by the stupidity of your actions. And before I berate you any further,” Madam Pomfrey paused, “I would like to inform you that the Headmaster requests your presence.”

“Understood, ma’am.” Sol took off the blanket over his body and got up. His upper body was covered in a hospital pajamas, and fortunately, his pants from yesterday were still on.

Seeing Sol’s surprise, Madam Pomfrey shook her head as she fed an unconscious student a potion, “I took the liberty to mend your shirt using Reparo, and I made sure to heal the wounds on your legs through your pants. No need for unnecessary embarrassments!”

“Ah, thank you!” Sol rubbed his nose and drew the curtain around his bed to change into his shirt. He looked at his pants – they were mended with Reparo as well.

Madam Pomfrey’s voice came from behind the curtain, a bit further away as she was still tending to the injured students, “Despite your actions, I would still like to thank you. I have no doubts that you must’ve played a big role in reducing injuries and maybe even-” Madam Pomfrey paused, “-fatalities.”

Sol smiled, “It’s what I should’ve done.” He put on his shirt and moved the curtains aside. He walked to the door and left after saying his goodbyes. Closing the door behind him, he took a deep breath. It was time to meet the Headmaster.

Headmaster’s Office

Sol knocked on the door, and after hearing a faraway ‘come in,’ he opened the door and walked inside. He looked around – the office was unchanged the last time he had come here. And Fawkes, the phoenix, was still perched on the stand next to the Headmaster’s desk.

“Ah, Mr. Balor! I hope you’ve been well?” the Headmaster asked with his calm and aged voice.

Sol nodded, “I am well now. My injuries were only light.”

“Take a seat,” the Headmaster gestured at the chair in front of him. “Would you like some tea?”

“Yes, please,” Sol pulled a chair and took a seat. The Headmaster placed a teacup in front of him, which sat on a saucer with the same design as the teacup. The teapot the Headmaster used to pour the tea also had the same design. It was part of a set.

Sol thanked the Headmaster and took a sip. The slightly bitter taste of chamomile permeated throughout his mouth, yet still, he wished for something sweet. Despite this, he quietly sipped the tea to not appear like a child.

After a while, the Headmaster set his cup down and looked at Sol. He asked, “So, Mr. Balor, I believe you have some information about who orchestrated this attack on the Hogwarts Express?”

“Professor, I’m sure both of us know who it is – R and the Death Eaters.”

The Headmaster shook his head, “I’m afraid your conjecture is only half-right this time.”

“Huh?” Sol’s eyes widened. “It wasn’t R, no, it wasn’t the Death Eaters, was it?”

“Precisely, only R was behind this attack.”

“One organization was behind that big of an attack!?” Sol exclaimed. Sol knew one organization could orchestrate such an attack. He was just surprised that a tight-knit organization like R was able to attack Hogwarts, the ‘safest place’ for students.

“Indeed, Mr. Balor, while we have no concise proof of it being R. We are rest assured that it’s not the Death Eaters as the attack didn’t completely match their modus operandi.”

“No concise proof? What do you mean? The bodies all have a big ‘R’ tattooed on them! If that isn’t ‘concise evidence,’ I don’t know what is!”

“Mr. Balor, none of the bodies we have recovered have any sort of markings on them. That gives me a reason to believe that they were tattoos made from magic.”

Sol stroked his chin, “It was the disappearing-after-death kind? Makes sense for a secretive organization.”

“That it does, Mr. Balor. However, what I’d like to ask of you is a recounting of the events that transpired yesterday on the train from your perspective. I’ve heard the testimonies of the seventh and sixth-year students. But I’m most intrigued about yours.”

Sol quickly relayed what had happened yesterday. Headmaster Dumbledore sat through the lengthy narration without a change in expression which only changed during his description of Patricia.

The Headmaster looked grave, “Hmm, this is troubling news.”

“You know that woman, professor?”

“Patricia Rakepick was a student at Hogwarts and, later, a professor of the Defense Against Dark Arts class. Why - she taught classes in your first year, Mr. Balor! It’s odder that you don’t remember her.”

“Ah!” he remembered that name. Cormac had mentioned her once before. His first-year Defense Against Dark Arts professor. Yet he was sure that that professor was an ordinary man. But now, he couldn’t even remember his face, as though any detailed memory of that professor had been wiped from his memory.

“The situation has become more problematic now. It seems they know that I’ve already begun pursuing them and employed your services for it.”

“Professor, you aren’t paying me anything. So what’s this talk about employing?” Sol mumbled.

“What was that?”

“Nothing!”

“I think a direr situation is that to force you and, by extension, force me – they might make a move against your fami-” The teacup in Sol’s hand shattered, and the pieces fell to the floor. Sol took his wand out and swished it at the shattered porcelain pieces. All of the pieces floated together.

“Reparo,” the pieces slowly returned to their original form, minus the tea all over his hands and pants. Sol set the teacup back on the saucer and dried himself off with the Hot Air charm.

The Headmaster continued, “I’ll ask the Ministry to send some Aurors to set up a protective charm around your house as well as some to protect them from the shadows.”

“Will the Minister allow it?” Sol asked calmly and slowly.

The Headmaster poured Sol another cup of tea, “Believe me, Sol, the Minister wants to solve the mystery behind the vaults as much as me and you. I see no reason why he shouldn’t approve of it. Even more so if I were to inform him of your contributions.”

“I see. However, professor,” Sol exhaled deeply, “I would like to ask something. As a return for my ‘contributions.’”

“If it’s within my power, then of course,” the Headmaster agreed amiably.

“I want to be taught Apparition and be allowed to apparate in and out of the castle.”

“Unlikely,” the Headmaster shook his head, “only the Headmaster is able to travel in and out of the school premises freely.”

“Is it because of the school’s safety?”

“Precisely.”

Sol scoffed, “Well, then, you’ve failed. R has already infiltrated the castle. They’re mixed in with the students.”

“Were you the one to Obliviate the two students?”

“Precisely. They were members of R disguised as students. They followed me during one of my ventures into the vaults.”

“I see,” the Headmaster seemed to be in deep thought. “However, putting them in St. Mungo’s seemed a bit heavy-handed.”

“Not at all, Professor. It’s within reason since their presence was both a danger to me and the students.”

“I will not argue with you, Mr. Balor. So, let me come to the point.” The Headmaster tapped the desk, “What do you intend to do by learning apparition at such a young age?”

“I want to be where I’m needed.”

The Headmaster did not ask further and sighed, “Sol, while teaching apparition is easy, allowing free access to and from Hogwarts is beyond my means. The school grounds have an Anti-Apparition charm that affects everyone but the Headmaster. It isn’t simply a matter of disabling the charm – we do that every time the 17-year-olds have their apparition lesson. Making a new exception is beyond my means, and the charm is tied to the position of ‘Headmaster’ rather than who the Headmaster is. So, unless I was to let you take my post, you won’t be able to leave the castle even if you learn apparition.”

Sol pinched the bridge of his nose and frowned. After a bit of thought, he changed his demand, “Fine, I’ll figure out the way out of the castle by myself. However, I still want to learn apparition and be given an Apparition License.”

The Headmaster smiled wryly, “Your demands aren’t light.”

“It is what it is.”