Harry Potter: Most Annoying System Ever

Chapter 275: The Early Departure and The Think Tank

The journey back to the castle was a blur. The cold, the exhaustion, and the sheer, overwhelming influx of chaotic data rendered the trip almost entirely unmemorable for Orion. One moment he was standing in the snowy wreckage of Hogsmeade, and the next, he was walking down the familiar, damp stone corridors leading to the Slytherin dungeons.

He murmured the password, the wall sliding open to reveal a common room thick with tension and panicked conversation.

The moment he stepped inside, the noise died down slightly. Two figures detached themselves from the crowd near the fireplace and rushed toward him.

"Where the hell have you been?!" Draco yelled, his voice cracking with a mixture of fear and furious relief. He grabbed Orion by the upper arm, practically shaking him. "Do you even know how crazy things went down there?! There were Dementors! Everywhere! And then when Daphne returned, she said you stayed back in the alley with Lupin! Why would you do that?!"

Daphne stood slightly behind Draco, her arms crossed tight, her blue eyes scanning Orion for any visible injuries. She looked pale, but composed.

Orion looked at his brother. Beneath the usual, entitled bluster, the raw, unfiltered worry in Draco’s eyes was undeniable. He had genuinely feared for his twin.

"I am fine, Draco," Orion said softly, gently but firmly removing his brother’s hand from his arm. "I can protect myself. The Dementors did not touch me."

"But—"

"We can speak later," Orion interrupted, raising a hand to stall the inevitable interrogation. "It has been a long day."

Before Draco could argue further, the heavy stone door of the common room slammed open again.

The chatter in the room ceased instantly.

Professor Snape swept in, his black robes billowing aggressively. He looked incredibly pale, his eyes darker and more dangerous than usual. He threw a sweeping, lethal glare around the room, ensuring absolute silence, before his gaze snapped sharply to Orion. The look conveyed a potent mix of anger and demand for a later explanation, but he moved past it quickly.

Snape turned to address the House.

"There has been a severe disturbance in Hogsmeade village this afternoon," Snape announced, his voice a low, echoing rumble that commanded the attention of every student. He kept the details deliberately vague. "A localized security breach involving several highly dangerous entities."

A nervous murmur rippled through the younger years, but a sharp look from Snape silenced them immediately.

"In light of this incident," Snape continued, his tone clipped and purely logistical, "the Headmaster and the Board of Governors have decided to send all students home for the Christmas holidays ahead of schedule."

He paused, ensuring everyone understood the timeline.

"Which is to say, tomorrow morning, you will all board the Hogwarts Express to return to London. Your parents are currently being informed of this sudden change in itinerary by the Ministry, so they will be expecting you at King’s Cross station."

Draco looked relieved at the prospect of leaving the castle, while a few older students exchanged worried glances.

"A contingent of Aurors will be traveling on the train," Snape added, his voice dropping into a harsh warning. "They are on high alert. You are to remain in your compartments. You will not loiter in the corridors, and you will absolutely not trouble them with foolish questions or childish behavior. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Professor," the house chorused in unison.

"Furthermore," Snape concluded, "dinner will be served here, in the common room, momentarily. Once you have eaten, all students are to head to bed immediately. I expect you all packed and ready to depart the moment the sun rises."

He didn’t wait for questions. He spun on his heel and strode back out of the common room, the stone wall sealing shut with a heavy thud.

Almost immediately, a series of soft pops echoed around the room as house-elves began materializing trays of sandwiches, hot soup, and pumpkin juice on the tables. The students, hungry but subdued, began to quietly gather food.

Orion felt a profound, heavy exhaustion settling over his bones. The adrenaline was finally leaving his system.

He patted Draco firmly on the shoulder. "Go ahead and eat, Draco. I am not hungry. I need to finish packing my trunk."

Draco looked at him, concerned. "Are you sure? You look a bit pale."

"I am perfectly fine. I will see you in the morning."

Orion turned away from the food and made his way to the third-year dormitory. He closed the door, relishing the silence. He knelt down, popped the latches on his trunk, and climbed down the ladder.

The expanded study was warm and quiet, the blue light of the ring casting comforting shadows.

His Reflection Clone was sitting at the desk, meticulously labeling a small stack of salvaged silver items. The clone looked up as Orion’s boots hit the floor.

"Not a good trip, huh?" the clone observed dryly, noting the tension in Orion’s posture. "I just came back from the Room of Hidden Things. I had Dobby bring me directly to the trunk, bypassing the common room entirely, so I have absolutely no idea what’s happening up there. Was Hogsmeade a disappointment?"

Orion let out a long, shuddering sigh, rubbing his eyes.

"You will see," Orion muttered, walking toward the center of the room.

He focused his magic and absorbed the clone.

The silver light rushed into him. The memories of a quiet, productive day organizing dusty antiques and cataloging minor dark artifacts clashed violently with the memories of Dementor swarms, explosions, and the horrific realization of an unchained Death Eater.

Orion stood silently as the two realities synchronized, catching himself on the edge of the desk. He closed his eyes, sorting the data, pushing the mundane cataloging aside to focus entirely on the tactical nightmare he had just witnessed.

He opened his eyes, staring at the blank chalkboard.

"Sparkle," Orion said, his voice dropping into a cold, hard, absolutely terrifying register.

The blue interface blinked into existence, the digital waveform looking slightly hesitant.

"Yeah, boss?" Sparkle replied softly.

"Time for some brainstorming," Orion commanded, grabbing a piece of chalk. "I have some things I need to sort out from all this mess."