Sean leaned forward at his desk. "Andy, please send me the materials I requested as soon as possible."
Andy nodded, his bag clinking with potion vials. "I'll try my best, but you want a lot. It'll take some time."
"No problem," Sean said. "Just get them to me in three days."
After Andy left, Sean sat back, the candlelight flickering on his cluttered desk. He kept planning, his mind sharp.
Sean didn't tell Andy about Tarquin to keep him from making connections. He'd wait until Tarquin was dead, then tell Andy someone was after his business. Only then would he decide what to do next.
Sean had told Andy the materials were for practicing potions. Brewing was hands-on, and as a Potions Club member, buying ingredients looked normal. But Sean hid his real plan, mixing curse materials with ones for Polyjuice Potion and other brews.
Polyjuice Potion was key to his plan. Its ingredients worked in other potions, so Sean bought them separately to avoid suspicion.
He didn't just ask Andy. Sean got Samuel and Irina to buy some materials too. He even found a fourth-year Ravenclaw girl who sold potion supplies. She didn't know Andy, so Sean's purchases stayed secret.
Harry was still digging into Nicolas Flamel, Sean noticed. He kept an eye on Hagrid, but nothing seemed odd. Hagrid hadn't gotten the dragon egg yet, so Harry and his friends wouldn't be sent to the Forbidden Forest soon. Sean had time to prepare.
The curse needed fresh magical creature blood. A few days old was fine, but if it spoiled, he'd need new blood. Sean was ready, but one thing remained.
How to get to Hogsmeade without being seen?
Sean knew three secret passages from Hogwarts to Hogsmeade. Two led to the Hog's Head Inn and Honeydukes. The Hog's Head's owner might be Dumbledore's brother, so Sean skipped that path. He wasn't sneaky enough to fool him.
The Honeydukes passage started on Hogwarts' third floor, but Sean didn't know exactly where. Finding it would take time, and he risked getting caught. If he just wanted to visit Hogsmeade for fun, being seen wouldn't matter. But to kill someone, secrecy was everything.
That left the Whomping Willow passage to the Shrieking Shack. Almost no one knew about it. If Sean went carefully, he'd stay hidden.
One problem stood in his way.
The Disillusionment Charm.
Only that spell could keep him invisible for his plan.
In the Great Hall, Sean sipped warm pumpkin juice, the chatter of students filling the air. He glanced at Blaise across the table. Lately, Blaise was hard to find, and his dark circles looked worse.
"Blaise, can you take a break?" Sean teased. "You're only twelve, and your body's still growing. Hanging out with your girlfriend every day isn't good."
Blaise, eating like a hungry wolf, looked up with a smirk. "I have dark circles from my girlfriend. What's your excuse? Staying up late with a crucible and books?"
Sean touched his eyes, feeling the tiredness. Since buying materials from three people, he'd been studying Polyjuice Potion and the Disillusionment Charm. Besides classes, he spent all his time in the Room of Requirement.
"I'm improving myself," Sean shot back. "Not like you, wasting time on boring relationships."
Blaise grinned. "How can you understand a girl's softness and sweetness?"
Sean rolled his eyes. "Girls just slow down my wand. You don't get the smell of potions or the thrill of learning and reading."
Sean and Blaise teased each other for a while, then shared a grin and kept chatting about little things, the Great Hall's noise swirling around them.
Blaise studied Sean, his eyes narrowing. He sensed Sean was caught up in something secret lately, but Sean kept it locked away. For a Slytherin, knowing boundaries mattered. Even with close friends, you didn't push. Since Sean didn't share or ask for help, Blaise acted like nothing was wrong and stayed quiet.
After breakfast, Sean and Blaise split up. Sean headed to the Room of Requirement to practice the Disillusionment Charm and brew Polyjuice Potion, while Blaise went to see his third-year girlfriend, a spring in his step.
Two Ravenclaw girls strolled past the Room of Requirement's tapestry, laughing. "Hey, what are you doing tomorrow during Hogsmeade Week?"
"Grabbing Honeydukes sweets, then sipping Butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks. You?"
"Randy wants me at Madam Puddifoot's Tea House, so no Three Broomsticks for me tomorrow."
"You ditched us! You forget your friends when you get a boyfriend!" they giggled, their voices fading.
Sean slipped out of the Room of Requirement, his bag stuffed with potion supplies. He hurried through the corridor, the castle's chill nipping at him, and reached the Slytherin common room in the dungeon. The green torches glowed as he entered his room.
Sean collapsed onto his bed, the soft mattress sighing under him. He was worn out.
For weeks, he'd worked hard, finally mastering the Disillusionment Charm and brewing enough Polyjuice Potion. It drained nearly all his saved coins, leaving him broke.
But he gained a lot.
Brewing Polyjuice Potion and learning the Disillusionment Charm were huge wins. Together, they'd keep him safe outside Hogwarts, making him tough to catch.
Tomorrow was Hogsmeade Week, and it was time to move.
Sean knew Tarquin hit the Hog's Head Inn every Hogsmeade Week. He'd make the inn his target and grab Tarquin's hair, blood, and teeth in one swift strike.