Hogwarts Study Panel

Chapter 75: Forced Night Stroll
Hogwarts' rules are extensively documented in its history, but the most important one is nowhere to be found—

In other words, all of the above provisions are invalid until they are discovered.

corridor.

Mrs. Lorris leaped up a step; her figure was thin and sharp, and her dark gray hair gleamed in the moonlight.

Sheen could hear his own heartbeat in the air, pounding against his eardrums like a drum, so loud it could almost wake the dozing portrait on the wall.

Moonlight streamed in through the narrow windows high up, casting pale patches of light on the stone floor, as if several ghosts might leap out at any moment.

Nighttime outings are strictly prohibited.

Although this is almost a Gryffindor tradition, it doesn't mean that the professors won't severely punish these naughty little lions.

Sheehan remembered that after Harry and his friends returned from the Forbidden Forest, Filch in the castle discovered them and informed Professor McGonagall, so they were penalized with a full 150 points and put in solitary confinement.

The reason given is that students have no right to wander around the school at night, as it is extremely dangerous.

For Sheen, the points deducted were no big deal; he could earn them back quickly.

But confinement won't work. You see, confinement means being assigned by the professor to do odd jobs, which will undoubtedly take up a lot of time, and time is exactly what Sheen needs right now.

So Sheen's breathing became even heavier, and a lot of thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant—

If he were put in solitary confinement, almost all the efforts he had made in the past month would be wasted.

But what can be done to escape this punishment?
The wind swirled in through the window; sometimes, a turning point happens just like that.

After giving a gentle greeting, Mrs. Lorris quietly moved closer to Sheen, and Sheen could see that Mr. Filch's assistant actually showed a hint of intimacy in a human way.

"Oh, you're welcome."

Sheen seemed to understand something.

Three days ago, also near the cellar, Sheehan saw a group of Gryffindors surrounding Mrs. Lorris.

Mr. Filch was truly hated by the young wizards, and even Mrs. Lorris and the others wished they could kick him hard.

So Sheen watched for a while, and the impetuous little wizards left on their own.

"Thank you, Mrs. Lorice."

Sheehan seemed to remember something and took out a box of dried fish that Justin had given him from his bag.

Seeing Mrs. Lorris lean against him, Sheen couldn't resist stroking her fluffy head.

[You've gained the favor of the magical cat Lizi (Mrs. Lorris) using your expert skills; proficiency +10]

The sudden appearance of the panel notification startled Sheen. He opened the panel, and the proficiency section had suddenly gained some new information:

[Fantastic Beasts Cat Slang (Mrs. Lorris): Not Close (10/90)]

[Apprentice-level affinity with magical creatures unlocks the Apprentice-level title in the Magical Creatures realm]

What an unexpected bonus.

As Sheen pondered this, he quietly made his way down the corridor.

Far behind him, at the end of a corridor swallowed by deep darkness, two blurry, yellowish halos of light hung low in the air.

It's Mrs. Norris.

She moved silently, her soft flesh treading on the cold stone slabs without making a sound.

Her bright, all-seeing yellow eyes, like light bulbs, were fixed on the small, approachable figure in front of her.

And in her mouth, lazily yet precisely, she held a small, dried silver fish.

At this moment, the dried fish emitted a faint fishy aroma between her sharp teeth, and shimmered in the moonlight as she slightly moved her head.

“Oh, Minerva, just as I said, magical creatures always spot the kind children at a glance.” The old wizard with a long, white beard, dressed in a purple robe, stood beside a suit of gleaming armor, his words full of profound meaning.

To his left, the tall witch's eyes never wavered with worry as she watched him, pale-faced, groping his way forward in the flickering light, his gaze distant and unfocused.

At that moment, the old wizard blinked his deep blue eyes, and the sword suddenly fell from the armor beside Sheen.

The loud crash echoed through the quiet night.

Sheen stiffly turned his head away.

Was he so mentally unstable that he became confused?

How come he doesn't remember encountering this armor?

Without a second thought, Sheen quickened his pace and left. The wind whistled past his ears, and the tension of his nighttime adventure made him oblivious to the slightly brighter light in the corridor ahead.

A figure carrying a lantern suddenly rushed from behind a tapestry to Sheen's right. He was panting heavily, looking around furiously, searching for someone who had violated school rules.

He had a thick plaid scarf tied around his head, and his nose was unusually red.

Sheen hid behind his armor, his heart pounding.

"Sheen Green! Night owls! You've made a mess of everything! Let me tell you, I've had enough! Green, come with me!"

Okay, we're doomed.

Sheen sighed and stepped out from behind the armor, now surprisingly relaxed.

Meanwhile, beside another suit of armor, Minerva McGonagall turned her head away, her eyes practically spitting fire. The old wizard pretended not to see and looked away.

“Ah—Minerva, you and I both know this child shouldn’t be punished, but let’s see how he faces… Mr. Filch?”

……

Sheehan never imagined he would end up in Filch's office like this—a place most students would avoid at all costs.

It was a dark and dirty room with no windows, only a lone oil lamp hanging from the low ceiling.

A faint smell of fried fish filled the air.

There were many wooden filing cabinets along the walls. Judging from the labels, Sheen knew that the cabinets contained detailed information about every student that Filch had punished.

Fred and George took up an entire drawer.

On the wall behind Filch's desk hung a set of gleaming chains, handcuffs, shackles, and the like. Everyone knew that Filch frequently asked Dumbledore for permission to hang his students upside down from the ceiling by their ankles.

However, Sheen was more concerned about the muddy ground and walls, as well as the rat intestines and other stench emanating from them.

It's obviously the work of some audacious little wizards.

"Damn brats, mud everywhere, we have to wash and scrub for three hours straight!"
Ah—Green, Green, how audacious! Making an example of someone… Where’s the form…? It’s right here…”

He took a large roll of parchment from his desk drawer, spread it in front of him, and then picked up a long black quill pen and dipped it in the inkwell.

“Name…Sheen Green. Crime…”

"Night tour".

Sheen confessed honestly.

This surprised Filch.

"Since you know your crimes, how dare you be so audacious! I will make sure you are expelled!"

Filch said viciously.

(End of this chapter)