Where did Ken go in Chapter 85?

Where did Ken go in Chapter 85?

In the dead of night, a cacophony of sounds suddenly broke out in the deserted fourth-floor corridor—a chorus of breathing, footsteps that were deliberately concealed but still audible, the rustling of clothes, and finally, a murmur of voices…

"The door was ajar," a clear female voice whispered.

"See, I told you, Snape must have gone in beforehand. I wonder what kind of spell he cast on Dumbledore, that he hasn't been suspected yet..." a boy's voice rang out.

"...If you want to back out now, it's not too late." He added, "You can take the invisibility cloak with you; I don't need it anymore."

"Don't talk nonsense," another male voice said.

"Let's go together," the woman's voice said...

"Harry, Ron, Hermione, you've come after all."

A calm voice suddenly rang out from the doorway.

thump!

"Ouch!"

With three muffled thuds as heavy objects fell to the ground, three figures, sprawled out and twisted, suddenly appeared on the ground, next to them a piece of silk of unknown material.

"Who...who's there?"

Harry and his friends no longer cared about being exposed; they retreated hastily, using both hands and feet, while frantically pulling out their wands...

"it's me."

Baron's figure slowly emerged from the corner: "I'll take care of helping you guys clear the later levels."

"Baron?"

Harry let out a low gasp: "Why are you here? And how did you know...?"

"I've asked you to come and help me, and I know how important this is tonight. Dumbledore isn't here, and the other professors are convinced the Philosopher's Stone is foolproof. The only ones who can do anything are those of us who know the truth." Baron's tone was quite serious.

"You and Ken were both involved in the incident? What about Ken? Where is he now?"

"He has more important things to do."

Baron shook his head and strode to the corridor door: "Let's go in quickly. Every second we delay increases the chances of something going wrong."

"you……"

Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged glances, then huddled together, lowering their voices to discuss...

Is he trustworthy?

"It should be believable. After all, he's helped us quite a few times, and he's Ken's friend..."

"Don't forget he's from Slytherin too, and Snape just happened to be the Head of Slytherin! Maybe he was sent by Snape?"

"Sending a second-year student to stop us? He clearly has countless better candidates, whether it's a Slytherin prefect or Filch..."

"Exactly, and don't forget that when Snape tried to kill Harry, it was Baron who first discovered the problem... They're definitely not in cahoots. Don't make the same mistake of accusing Ken again..."

"But I'm still a little worried..."

"So, are we still going in or not?"

"...Okay, you're right."

The three of them finally looked up at Baron again: "Then we'll leave it to you."

Thank you for your trust.

Baron nodded, then added, "You all know the three-headed dog's weakness, right? Did it bring any musical instruments?"

"I brought it."

Harry nodded, took a piccolo from his pocket, and began to play an off-key tune. The effect was immediate—as soon as the first note sounded, they could clearly hear the breathing behind the door gradually becoming longer and deeper.

"Don't stop."

Baron whispered a reminder, "It will wake up as soon as the music stops."

As he spoke, he carefully opened the door a crack just wide enough for one person to pass through, and squeezed in sideways. Harry, the other two followed suit, tiptoeing silently through, closing the door behind them, and standing in front of the trapdoor next to Fluffy.

"Just jump down. There's something below to catch you. Ken has already checked out the mechanisms inside," Baron urged in a low voice, and jumped down the trapdoor first. Ron and Hermione followed closely behind. Harry carefully stopped playing the flute, and couldn't help but turn his head to look at the fast-sleeping Fluffy again—a harp lay at its feet.

Snape is already inside.

He grew even more anxious, put away his flute, and jumped directly into the dark trapdoor. A sudden feeling of weightlessness enveloped him, and the cold, damp air whistled past his ears. He felt himself falling, falling, falling…

thump.

"Don't move around."

Baron's calm voice came from the darkness: "What catches you now is a devil's web. Once you start moving, it will entangle you tightly, and if you're unlucky, you might suffocate... Flames raging."

The bright flames dispelled the demonic web and the darkness—they could see each other again.

Thank you.

Harry and his friends said gratefully that they were finally free from the devil's web. Just then, Ron suddenly asked, "Baron, you said Ken had already figured out the mechanisms here beforehand?"

"That's right." Baron nodded.

"Then...why didn't he move the Philosopher's Stone beforehand? He knew someone was going to steal it, didn't he? And he could have contacted Dumbledore at any time..."

"Because he couldn't break through the final barrier left by Dumbledore himself."

Baron said in a deep voice, "Dumbledore also knew that someone was eyeing the Philosopher's Stone, but he did not try to divert it because of the magic he had personally set up. He had full confidence in that magic."

"Then wouldn't we be...?"

"But as you probably already know, the one who was watching the Philosopher's Stone was Voldemort himself, who had disappeared eleven years ago."

"That's right."

Hermione's face paled at the thought: "The Mystic is a powerful dark wizard comparable to Dumbledore; the magic left behind by Dumbledore might not be too difficult for him. And if he taught Snape how to break it..."

"We need to hurry."

After the three of them exchanged glances, Harry spoke first.

"Um."

Baron nodded slightly—the three's reactions were all within Ken's expectations, and everything was proceeding smoothly.

"Let's hurry, the next level is just across this corridor. And Harry should like what's in that level..."

Baron, his fluorescent light flashing, strode quickly ahead, his voice, though hushed, echoing in the silent, enclosed space.

"Baron, could you tell us what Ken has been doing all year? Where is he now? We..."

"Don't ask anymore, Harry."

Baron shook his head: "Ken's actions must not be known to anyone until this is over; it's a matter of great importance... We've arrived."

As they spoke, they reached the end of the corridor, where a brightly lit room stood before them, with a high, vaulted ceiling. Countless jewel-like "birds" fluttered about, their wings dancing in and out of the room. Opposite the room was a heavy wooden door.

"Those flying things in the sky are keys. We need to ride the flying brooms next to us, grab the largest key, and use it to open the door... Don't try to attack or pull it with magic, or it will provoke a fierce counterattack."

"I see."

Baron watched as Harry, Harry, and his two friends fiercely surrounded the key in mid-air on their flying broomsticks, and couldn't help but sigh again.

"These people really didn't expect that such a heavily guarded facility would be so kind as to provide flying brooms to help intruders. Although this is also partly due to my misleading and downplaying of the situation..."

"I hope Ken's premonition is correct, and that Harry can truly guarantee absolute safety in front of Voldemort, otherwise I definitely won't have time to worry about anything... Although using a first-year student is somewhat shameful, it's the only way, and the one with the least cost..."

"For the greater good."

(End of this chapter)