Hogwarts: Dumbledore reigned over the wizarding world.

Chapter 103 Weasley Electric Company: The Change Begins

As Fred continued to wave his wands, they stretched and extended in the air, gradually shaping into regular, flat strips.

On the other side, George used the same incantation to suspend the mithril mercury mixture in mid-air. As a liquid metal, the strong surface tension of the mithril mercury mixture allowed it to naturally transform into a sphere with almost no manipulation.

After Fred molded the gelatinous substance into a rubber strip, the twins exchanged a glance:

"Are you ready, George?"

"Ready, Fred!"

"Let's begin!"

The two shouted, their eyes wide, staring intently at the rubber strip and the spherical mithril mercury in mid-air, and swung their wands forcefully.

Because of the excessive force, their faces turned bright red, and their cross-legged posture even became somewhat deformed, with their buttocks slightly raised.

Hermione couldn't help but cover her mouth, afraid she would burst out laughing, because what she was seeing was simply too much to bear—the twins' faces were flushed, their buttocks raised, and the posture was far too undignified.

The two were still waving their wands frantically, but they didn't cast any spells.

The girl regretted again that she did not bring her camera from home. She decided that she must remember to bring her camera with her when she was in second grade!

Hermione was actually a little disappointed. She was very smart, and although Vaughn hadn't explicitly said anything about her feelings, she had guessed that she didn't seem to have any talent for alchemy.

Because she can't see the symbols.

She knew that Fred and George were definitely using alchemy right now, and the reason she felt their postures were strange was because she couldn't see them.

And Vaughn, who was next to her, could obviously see it.

Hermione looked up at Vaughn, who had suddenly grown taller and was still staring intently at the twins, and asked in a low voice, "How is it?"

"It's tough," Vaughn replied, "but the symbols are collapsing, so progress is going relatively smoothly."

In Vaughn's vision, as the twins used alchemy, the light spots surrounding their bodies, which were strangely lacking in spatial sense and had no "sphere" shape at all, but were only "round" in shape, trembled and gradually collapsed towards the center.

They eventually converged into a ball of light within the two individuals.

With his limited knowledge of alchemy, Vaughn didn't know how it was done; perhaps it was the flow of magic, or some kind of alchemical technique.

In short, the light flowed like a babbling brook from their abdomens to their arms, through their wands, and finally into the rubber strip and mithril mercury, respectively.

When the light was fully injected and the "circle" reappeared on the surface of the rubber strip and mithril, the twins gasped for breath and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But the two still did not dare to delay because there was one last step.

Fred and George continued waving their wands, and with their incantations, the rubber strips curled inward, while the mithril mercury suddenly split into many small balls the size of soybeans.

Hermione was finally able to see this scene, but to her dismay, when Fred waved his wand again and the mithril mercury balls stretched and deformed as if preparing to outline symbols, the mithril mercury disappeared from her sight.

She finally understood why Fred hadn't shown her the symbols... because they were useless!

All she saw was that the rubber strip controlled by George curled into a cylindrical shape, and then, as if it had hit something, something invisible began to merge into it. The originally pure white rubber strip suddenly showed a faint gold color, as if it had been painted with gold paint.

Vaughn, who had been watching silently, raised his hand.

The silent, weaponless levitation spell grabbed the wires from the ground. The twins, already exhausted and pale, nodded to their younger brother and controlled the freshly made insulation layer to cover the wires, wrapping, joining, and cutting them.

Finally, a roughly 30-inch-long wire, its surface shimmering with a pale golden hue, fell to the ground.

The twins were already panting heavily. George lay down directly on the floor, while Fred, who still had some energy, rummaged through his and George's bags and pulled out a small diesel generator and connectors, handing them to Vaughn: "This is what you provided us back then. We've modified it using the same method. Vaughn, you try it yourself. George and I are really out of steam!"

Looking at their exhausted appearance, Vaughn asked, "Did you use magic to complete the alchemy in the end?"

This kind of exhaustion is usually a consequence of excessive consumption of magic power.

"Of course, alchemy is magic too, my foolish brother!" George retorted helplessly.

"How dare you! How can you talk to the boss like that?" Fred "reprimanded," then chuckled, "We're counting on the boss's satisfaction and support for our business!"

Upon hearing this, Vaughn, who was helping Hermione, who was feeling a bit down, to connect the generator and light bulbs, said, "Don't worry, if the experiment goes smoothly, I'll provide you with the funds to open a magic trick shop."

The twins exchanged a glance.

George, who had been complaining, grinned obsequiously, "Well, dear brother, we don't want to run the magic trick shop anymore, but of course, we'll still make some prank props for fun every now and then..."

Vaughn, who was on the line, glanced at them but didn't stop.

"You said back then that once we figured out a way to solve the problem of magic interfering with electricity, we wouldn't bother with the Magic Tricks Studio anymore... You really are our genius brother, you were absolutely right!"

"Nonsense, a monster like you dares to dream of understanding the mind of a genius?"

"Your flattery is too blatant, Fred, it has no grace whatsoever. Unlike me, I keep my admiration and respect for my brother entirely in my heart!"

"you……"

While the twins were bickering, Vaughn and Hermione had already connected the wires. Vaughn gently pressed the start button, and the generator roared to life.

He and Hermione stared intently at the electric light, while the twins on the other side stopped bickering.

Four pairs of eyes watched as the generator's tracks began to spin rapidly, and the motor, covered in a layer of golden rubber, began to tremble.

Suddenly, the golden wire vibrated and emitted a faint magical halo, like the aurora borealis.

At the other end of the wire, the lonely light bulb flickered a few times.

The next moment, a dim yellow light shone in the Room of Requirement, where a brazier and torches were placed for illumination!

Gazing at the light, so different from the magical flames, Fred murmured, "Vaughn, you were right, we've found a greater pursuit..."

While Vaughn and his team were conducting experiments in the Room of Requirement.

The principal's office is also on the eighth floor, located at the end of the corridor, and can only be reached by a staircase.

Dumbledore was instructing Snape: "Severus, you'll need to find a way to pressure Quirinus, create a sense of urgency in him, and make him enter the facility at the appointed time... Most importantly, make sure Harry finds out about all this!"

Snape's face fell, looking displeased. "Excuse me for being blunt, Dumbledore, although I thought Quirrell was a fool back in school, especially a few months ago when he failed at his Halloween heist and was stopped by Potter, Granger, and Vaughn, and he still dared to stay, which amazed me with his stupidity, but..."

He emphasized, "However, I think as long as you're in school, he can't take any more risks. After that, the Master... the Mysterious Man tormented him for a long time... The Mysterious Man is down on his luck now, but undeniably, he's still cunning, intelligent, and vigilant!"

"For at least the past few months, I haven't been able to find out how he managed to keep his life afloat... even though you and Vaughn took all the unicorns with you."

Snape looked somewhat confused when this was mentioned.

Investigating how Voldemort sustains his life has been the focus of his work for the past few months. Theoretically, Voldemort's choice to drink unicorn blood suggests that unicorn blood may be the only way.

However, in the past few months, Snape has not found any unusual transactions involving unicorn blood, whether in Knockturn Alley or the underground districts. Unicorn blood is cursed and has a very narrow scope of use. In addition, unicorns are rare and are considered a rare commodity in the entire wizarding world.

If someone buys these products frequently, given his status as a potion master and his connections, it's impossible that he wouldn't be able to investigate.

Dumbledore's deep blue eyes, observing the confusion and anxiety lurking beneath his face, suddenly asked, "Severus, you don't want Tom to be resurrected?"

Snape said impatiently, "Of course not, nobody wants him back..."

"No, you are different, Severus." Dumbledore interrupted his explanation, his expression calm. "I've noticed that you've retained the Dark Mark, and you've never given up your adoration and identification with Tom, but you don't want him to be resurrected... because you know that Tom would definitely hurt Harry!"

In the corner, Snape instinctively took a step back, hiding his arms and face where the candlelight couldn't reach.

It was as if this would allow him to continue keeping his secret.

An unspoken silence filled the air.

After a long silence, Snape's indifferent, almost venomous voice echoed from the darkness: "I don't have time for your pointless emotional counseling games. If you have nothing else to say, please allow me to take my leave. My time is precious!"

Dumbledore's eyes, as blue and distant as the sky, were fixed on Snape for a moment before a smile appeared on his face.

The previously heavy atmosphere suddenly relaxed.

He laughed heartily: "Just kidding, dear Severus, why are you taking it so seriously? Okay, let's get back to the topic."

"Of course I know how cunning Tom is, so I will use a reasonable excuse to disappear from Hogwarts for a while."

"What reason?"

"Some time ago, the International Wizarding Federation sent an invitation to Vaughn to visit North America for academic purposes. They also wanted to discuss the proposal to establish a North American branch of the Werewolf Affairs Committee. Vaughn and I have temporarily put this matter aside."

As he spoke, Dumbledore blinked. "However, since it's an important international invitation, we can't just keep ignoring it. Mr. Vaughn Weasley plans to formally contact the North American side through official channels in a while, and it would seem perfectly reasonable for me, as the headmaster, to accompany him!"

Snape's face twitched; the old man always had a way of tricking people.

However, upon closer examination, this reason is indeed reasonable.

It's rare for Hogwarts to produce a student with international renown, so the headmaster will definitely accompany him throughout the process, and the official correspondence will not lack media coverage.

In this way, one can keep track of Dumbledore's movements simply by reading the newspaper every day.

Even if the mysterious person is very cautious, they will most likely put aside their suspicions.

But he couldn't help but question, "Then how are you and Vaughn going to get back...?"

As soon as he spoke, Snape felt a pair of burning eyes staring at him. He looked in that direction and saw an ugly bird that looked like a chicken staring at him with wide eyes next to Dumbledore's huge desk.

Dumbledore smiled and said, "You should know your former master, Severus. He was a genius, but it was precisely because he was too great that he became arrogant. He looked down on everyone except himself and me, let alone magical creatures."

"Tom probably never imagined that Hogwarts' Anti-Apparition Charm would be ineffective against magical creatures."

Snape fell silent again.

Based on his understanding of the mysterious man, it was clear that the mysterious man was not only unable to think of it.

Even if such a thing is discovered, the other party will not use the magic of magical creatures.

Tom Riddle's pride in his bloodline and wizardry is a kind of paranoia that is difficult for ordinary people to understand. In a sense, he can be called the person in the world who is most obsessed with the purity of wizards.

In his view, only wizards deserved to possess magic; anything else was heresy.

After a moment of silence, Snape nodded and asked the same question Vaughn had asked not long ago: "I understand. What's the specific date of the plan?"

"Two weeks from now would be a good time. By then, the setup will be complete, and the students and professors will be in the busiest phase of the semester, everyone will be wound up tight. Most importantly, after Harry finishes his mission, he'll still have plenty of time to enjoy learning... Severus, you've definitely prepared a lavish after-school program for him!"

At this moment, Snape, who had been keeping a straight face, finally showed a slight smile.

Just as he was about to share his plans for Harry's studies with Dumbledore, he saw Dumbledore suddenly look up.

Those deep blue eyes shone with a bright light.

It was as if one could pierce through the heavy doors and magical protection of the office and look directly into some unknown place.

"Dumbledore?"

"Ah..." Dumbledore snapped out of his daze, the light in his eyes dimming. "What did you say, Severus?"

Snape asked in confusion, "What did you just see?"

Dumbledore didn't answer immediately. After a moment's thought, he replied in an uncertain tone, "Light... the light produced by the collision of two completely different civilizations. It's very faint, but it seems to contain some possibilities..."

Snape: "...Speak like a human being!"

Dumbledore regained his composure and smiled, "I'm sorry, Severus, that was the most human way I could think of."

In the process of solving the problem of magical interference with electricity, the twins gained a deeper understanding of electricity, an energy source that has permeated the history of modern Muggle technology.

And the technologies that Muggles have developed over the centuries based on electricity.

This greatly broadened their horizons.

The perspective on Muggle items is no longer superficial; instead, people are beginning to try to set aside their wizarding mindset and understand more deeply from a Muggle perspective: what principles a Muggle technology product applies, what functions it achieves, and why it was developed in the first place.

The feeling of first encountering a new field is so fascinating that the twins no longer want to run their beloved magic trick workshop and are now obsessed with electricity and mechanics.

This was originally Vaughn's goal as well.

He always understood that beneath Fred and George's mischievous exterior lay not playfulness, but rather a strong curiosity and thirst for knowledge.

However, the two did not receive proper guidance in the past—Arthur and Molly were undoubtedly successful parents in terms of interpersonal skills and moral education.

However, they are not very good at guiding their children's learning, or rather, with more and more children, their energy is inevitably scattered.

The older children, Bill, Charlie, and Percy, were alright, but starting with the twins, they were already somewhat left to their own devices, and Ron was simply a poor student.

To change Fred and George's future, they can't be allowed to continue down the same old path. Vaughn has no prejudice against making prank gadgets; in peacetime, it's a skill that can make a living.

The problem is, the future is not peaceful.

Having lived two lives, Vaughn knew very well that teenagers were at their most rebellious, and forceful intervention and change would often only have the opposite effect.

That's why he deliberately concealed the news that the school was going to crack down on truancy, watching the twins fall into a deep pit and accumulate huge debts. Then, step by step, he guided them to use their curiosity and thirst for knowledge in the places he had planned!

Like this moment.

"Vaughn, what do you think about George and I starting a Weasley Electric Company?"

"To generate electricity?"

"Magic electricity!" Fred emphasized seriously, highlighting the selling point concisely. "Of course, the current products may only include things that are easy to modify, such as wires and lights."

Vaughn remained noncommittal, only saying, "So, how are you planning to price it? I just noticed that you used about 4 ounces of mithril powder to modify a 30-inch section of wire. If I remember correctly, mithril powder is currently 20 gallons per ounce."

a bolt from the blue!

The twins were completely stunned.

Vaughn didn't directly reject the idea, but simply shook his head: "If you really want to start an electric company, then your technology needs further improvement. You need to reduce the amount of mithril powder you use, or find a cheaper alternative. Otherwise, with a 1-inch wire costing nearly 3 galleons, no wizard can afford it!"

With just one sentence, the twins were devastated, their faces turning ashen, a sight that even Hermione found hard to bear.

Noticing that she wanted to speak, Vaughn shook his head slightly at her.

Hermione had no choice but to hold back as Vaughn continued to "attack" the twins: "But I'm rather pessimistic about finding a substitute. I believe you've tested all the materials I provided. If there were other options, you wouldn't have thought of using mithril. After all, even if you don't know the price, you should know that it's a very precious magical metal."

Upon hearing this, Fred hung his head dejectedly: "Yes... we initially wanted to try to reduce the effects of magic, but later found it wasn't ideal. We accidentally tested mithril, which led to our current approach."

George, however, took a different approach. He stared blankly at the generator and wires, which were largely covered in mithril-mercury rubber, his voice trembling: "One ounce of mithril powder costs 20 gallons... Vaughn, what's the total price of the experimental materials you provided us?"

Vaughn the Rich Weasley said calmly, "It's 2000 Galleons in total. It would probably take me months to earn that much just by selling potions."

Then, he changed the subject, "Of course, that was the price of my potions before. Ever since I developed the Wolfsbane Potion and received the 2nd level Merlin Medal, the potion shops I cooperate with have taken the opportunity to raise the price of my products. Now it only takes a little over a month."

"Well!!!"

George clutched his chest, struggling to breathe.

Fred, standing beside him, was ashen-faced: "...So, we've burned over 1000 Galleons of yours during this time?"

"To be precise, everything that was already provided to you has been burned!"

"Then... let me ask, is this money something you provided to us free of charge, a loan, or an investment?"

Vaughn smiled and countered, "What do you think?"

What else could you possibly think?

Fred wanted to shamelessly ask for it to be free, but knowing his brother as he did, the other party was at most making an investment; free? Don't even dream about it!

The twins looked at each other, on the verge of tears.

They knew Vaughn's money was hard to come by; 2000 Galleons, if considered a loan, would probably be something they could never repay in their lifetime at the current rate.

If we're talking about investment... that's even more terrifying. In the end, will Weasley Electric Company be owned by Weasley or... wait a minute?

Oh, so they all share the surname Weasley. Never mind then!

The optimistic twins became cheerful again.

They fawned over Vaughn, massaging his shoulders and feet.

"My dear brother, we know you would never push your older brother to his death. The wires are expensive and can't be sold, but you must have a way to make them useful."

"That's right, everyone knows that only our dear Vaughn is truly intelligent in the Weasley family. Fred and George are just baboons who've never even seen a tiger!"

"Yes, yes, Percy is even worse; he's not even worthy of carrying your shoes!"

Enjoying the twins' attentiveness, Vaughn automatically ignored their "petty" behavior of always taking a jab at Percy while flattering him. After hanging on for a while, he finally took out a few things from his bag.

"Your technology is too expensive to use in electrical wires, mainly because electrical wires are used in large quantities. However, if used in electronic products, it could significantly reduce secondary costs!"

Fred and George, who were massaging each other's shoulders and feet, peered curiously at the machine Vaughn pulled out: "What's this?"

Before Vaughn could answer, Hermione recognized it: "A V8 cassette player? A home projector?"

Seeing the twins' confusion, Hermione quickly explained the abilities she knew to them.

Upon hearing the concept of video recording, the twins looked puzzled: "Isn't it just a moving picture? What's so special about that? We've both learned how to mix developing solutions. We can make any photograph move."

"It's different!" Hermione exclaimed seriously. "Photos in the wizarding world only move for a few seconds, while these Muggle electronic devices..."

She turned on the V8 camera, took out a cassette tape, pointed to the small box, and said, "One tape like this can store 60 minutes of video. Just a dozen or so tapes are enough to record your entire day's life and experiences. Then, using the projector next to it, you can show it to 10 or 100 people. You can also make copies..."

The twins gradually understood: this is what Muggle movies use!

But they still couldn't imagine what kind of market this would have. Who would want to see what a stranger did in a day? Were they trying to trick people into making Muggle movies?

It wasn't until Vaughn pointed out, "You can start by finding a small goal to try and get everyone to accept it. For example, in a week, there will be the last Quidditch game of the semester. This important moment will determine whether Gryffindor or Slytherin will win the championship this year. Not only students care about it, but many parents and even graduating seniors are also concerned."

"But it's hard for them to come back specifically to watch. If you can set up the equipment and film it... then you'll have no trouble selling the copied videotapes and projectors. With this demonstration, why worry about no one trying it?"

Ding!

These words were like a wake-up call; the twins' eyes lit up instantly!

.....................

"In a week, to be precise, in eight days, it will be the competition. Friends, it's the most important competition, it's about all our sweat and effort over the past year, and it touches the hearts of every Gryffindor!"

Early in the morning, Hermione was carrying books and heading to the library when she passed by the courtyard and saw Wood standing on the platform of the courtyard fountain, shouting to the team members below, as if he had been injected with chicken blood.

Unfortunately, his teammates weren't very accommodating.

Katie Bell and Angelina Jensen were whispering to each other, seemingly discussing something girly. Harry stared blankly at the Ravenclaws on the other side of the courtyard, as if his soul had been stolen away.

Arya Spinnet was looking at Wood, but Hermione felt there was something wrong with the way she was staring at Wood's head.

Given that she was a ball chaser, Hermione dared not think too much about it.

The twins went even further; they simply huddled together by the fountain, using the steps as a desk, discussing things with each other while scribbling and drawing in their notebooks.

Upon seeing Hermione, the twins immediately abandoned Wood and the rest of the team, rushing over to stop her:

"Hermione, we were just about to come find you!"

"Come on, help us check if this circuit diagram is correct? Muggle cameras may look unassuming, but they're actually quite complex!"

"Yes, yes, Hermione, you're Muggle-born, you definitely know more than us, give us your advice."

Hermione was speechless: "Fred, George, not all Muggles understand Muggle technology..."

The twins were utterly baffled: "But all wizards have magic!"

"..."

Although it was fallacious reasoning, it sounded really reasonable, and Hermione couldn't think of a way to refute it for a moment.

It took Hermione quite a while to finally make the twins understand that Muggle technology, like the sciences of magic, also has specialized sub-disciplines.

The twins were a little disappointed, but they still didn't let Hermione off the hook. At least Hermione had actually used the camera and projector and was familiar with their functions, so the two begged her to help them use them.

He then said he was about to follow Hermione to the library.

"Weren't you in a meeting? Wood's been glaring at you ever since; he looks furious!"

The twins nonchalantly said, "Never mind him, he's been driven crazy by OWLs lately (Wood was in fifth grade when Harry was in first grade)."

"Why do you think he called us to the courtyard for a meeting so early in the morning?"

"Oliver Wood, this guy actually thinks he can have super-intensive training every day for the next week. He thinks we don't know? He just wants to skip class!"

"Did you see Spinnett's eyes? She wanted nothing more than to rip Wood's head off and use it as a Quaffle!"

Hermione was speechless; she had initially felt some sympathy for Wood.

Dazed and confused, Hermione followed the twins away, still able to hear Wood shouting, "Friends, my dear comrades, I implore you not to be influenced by those two Weasleys, they have fallen into depravity..."

Then, Angelina Jensen, unable to contain herself any longer, yelled, "Shut up! Harry, Arya, grab his legs!"

As Hermione turned the corner of the courtyard veranda, her last glance revealed Wood, the goalkeeper who wasn't particularly tall or strong, being held by the neck like a little chick by Angelina, the Chaser, while Arya and Harry clung to his legs.

They laughed and cheered as they threw Wood into the fountain...

That was perhaps one of the few times in recent times that they could laugh freely.

Although Wood's motives were not pure, the Gryffindor Quidditch team was actually under a lot of pressure. Slytherin was currently leading in total points and was much more relaxed. Even if they lost the last game, the final result would still be uncertain under the total points-based system.

In contrast, Gryffindor simply cannot afford to lose; they need to win by a large margin to secure victory.

As longtime rivals, the Gryffindors know best how difficult Slytherin is. What's most worrying is that recently, Vaughn, whom the Gryffindors consider a major threat, has also started to frequently participate in Slytherin's special training sessions.

I spent more than two hours this morning explaining in detail the various functions of the camera and projector to the twins.

In the afternoon, Hermione appeared at the Quidditch pitch to cheer on the Slytherins.

She sat in the Ravenclaw stands, her eyes glued to Vaughn as he flew at high speed through the air, her hands clenched tightly to her chest, gripping her robes tightly, and occasionally letting out a gasp like the other girls around her at Vaughn's dangerous maneuvers.

This greatly displeased Ron, who had sneaked over with Harry and Wood to "spy on the situation":

"Which side is she on?"

Madam Pomfrey's medical skills were always a source of both love and hate for the young wizards. They loved her medical authority, and every professor accepted the sick leave certificates she wrote.

They resented that her medical skills were too good; as long as it wasn't a life-threatening serious illness, she could cure it very quickly.

Ron, who was electrocuted, only stayed one night at the school hospital. After the effects of the relaxant wore off, he was kicked out of the hospital by Madam Pomfrey. Yes, he was only able to stay one night because of the strong effects of the relaxant. The damage caused by the electrocution itself was cured by Madam Pomfrey with a bottle of White Dictamnus Essence.

Ron didn't actually want to be discharged from the hospital.

The reason he stubbornly followed Harry and Wood to spy on military matters in the afternoon was because he didn't want to go back to Gryffindor Tower.

Starting this morning, some scoundrel spread the word that everyone is jokingly calling him "Out-of-Control Warrior" or "Jet Hero" whenever they see him...

There is not a trace of friendliness in the relationships between people.

That's so vicious!

Ron simply couldn't stay in that kind of environment.

Wood sniffed uncomfortably. He couldn't help it; having heard the same rumors, he couldn't help but feel that there was something strange about the air whenever he saw Ron. So, there was always a Harry between him and Ron.

However, he agreed with Ron's dissatisfaction, saying seriously, "Granger's stance is indeed very problematic. This morning she even instigated Fred and George to study Muggle stuff. Her intentions are very impure, aren't they, Harry?"

After waiting a while and not hearing Harry's reply, Wood looked over and saw Harry staring blankly at the stands: "Harry?"

"what?"

"What are you looking at? You're drooling."

Harry's face flushed red, and he hurriedly wiped his mouth: "No, nothing, I was just spacing out..."

Wood and Ron, who had never been in a relationship, naturally wouldn't notice that Harry's gaze was constantly fixed on an Asian girl in the stands.

Wood repeated what he had just said seriously, and said to Harry with concern, "Harry, do you know what the Weasley twins and Granger are doing? I'm very worried about their condition. You, and Ron, you are their friends and family. If you have time, please ask them and try to persuade them."

"Harry, this is our best chance yet, I really want to win!"

Hearing Wood's words, Harry looked at the Ravenclaw stands again, at the Asian girl who was staring intently at Vaughn's figure.

He just felt uneasy.

Not only does Wood want to win, he also... really wants to win!

Harry seemed distracted all afternoon, but he kept Wood's instructions in mind and prepared to persuade the twins, who were up to something again.

In the evening, Harry, who had spent half the day wandering around Hogwarts alone—Ron had run away to Hagrid's Cottage—finally found Fred and George in the Room of Requirement on the eighth floor.

I have to thank Guoguo Tea.

As he passed by the second floor, he happened to see Guoguo Tea taking a walk.

Harry had already witnessed how clever Fruit Tea was last year, so he tried asking Fruit Tea to help him find someone. Not long after he left the second floor, he saw Filch, that annoying cat, and Mrs. Lorris came looking for him.

Mrs. Lorris was very aloof and disdainful of his dried fish, but unlike before, she didn't make any creepy noises when she saw him. Instead, she led the way.

Harry followed Mrs. Lorris to the eighth floor and saw a doorknob appear on the wall opposite the tapestry of the trolls beating Barnabas. He realized that Fred and George were hiding in the Room of Requirement.

I knocked on the door, and sure enough, one of the twins opened it.

He was startled to see Mrs. Lorris squatting in front of the door.

Seeing Harry, she breathed a slight sigh of relief: "You scared me to death! I thought it was that Squirrel Filch who had come looking for us."

"A dud?"

He casually explained the meaning of Squibs to Harry, a wizarding novice and academic underachiever, and then pulled Harry inside: "You've come at the right time. We were just looking for you. Come help us test the machine, and then we'll talk to you about a collaboration."

"Machinery? Testing? Collaboration?"

Harry, his head full of questions, was dragged into the Room of Requirement.

The room inside was neither the training ground Harry was familiar with, nor Vaughn's favorite study, but an empty classroom.

At this moment, the center of the classroom was filled with parts and instruments. A machine was emitting black smoke and making a roaring sound. Many golden wires were connected to it, and the other end was connected to other instruments.

In the farthest distance, there was a huge curtain, taut with a frame, that looked like it was made of metal.

About 10 feet away, directly opposite the screen, the other twin was fiddling with a strange-looking machine, asking without turning his head:

"Who is George?"

"It's Harry, Fred. We were just saying we wanted to invite him."

Upon hearing this, Fred immediately looked up at Harry expectantly: "Harry, this is truly a gift of fate. We were just about to come find you tonight... But let's not talk about that now. Come on, help us test the filming."

Harry looked completely bewildered: "Filming?"

To his surprise, Fred and George were even more astonished: "You don't recognize these things? Cameras? Projectors? Hermione knew exactly what they were, but you...?"

Camera? Projector?

Harry, who was excluded from the Dursleys' household from a young age and had no chance of participating in family entertainment, only occasionally heard the term on television.

He stared wide-eyed at the strange-looking instruments and lights in front of him... Wait a minute!

Harry suddenly noticed something he had just overlooked. He looked at the lights on the instruments, the scattered light bulbs around him, and the machine belching black smoke and making a loud noise, and exclaimed in surprise:

"Electricity! You guys made electricity at Hogwarts?"

Even the worst student, when he enrolled last year and discovered that Hogwarts was still using torches and braziers for lighting, Harry asked why they didn't use electric lights.

And he learned from Ron—Ron said he also learned it from Vaughn—that Hogwarts magic interferes with electricity.

Harry had originally thought that he would spend his seven years of school life surrounded by old-fashioned torches and braziers!

Seeing the long-lost electric lights, Harry was so excited he almost forgot his purpose, but thankfully he remembered:

"You guys have been doing this lately? No wonder Wood said you guys aren't focused on training at all. Let me give you some advice."

The twins exchanged a glance and shook their heads: "Compared to what we're doing now, none of that matters. Since you don't recognize these things, we'll show you."

As they spoke, they picked up a small machine from the ground and aimed it at Harry.

"Look here, Harry."

Harry, who knew little about the machine, did as the twins instructed, striking a few poses. After a while, the twins stopped, turned on the small machine, and took out a cassette tape.

"The footage we just shot didn't turn out very well."

"Yeah, I didn't expect that someone who grew up in Muggle society would have no knowledge of Muggle technology at all. He filmed like a complete idiot."

"It doesn't matter, we're just testing it out now."

"Actually, I think it's quite meaningful. For example, we could give it a name like 'The Savior's Foolish Moment,' which should attract attention."

"Wow, you're a genius, George!"

Harry had a bad feeling, but he couldn't figure out what the problem was.

He stared blankly as Fred put the tape into the machine facing the screen.

Soon, as Fred turned the roller-like structure on the machine, a beam of light shot out from the machine and shone on the silver-gray screen 10 feet away.

Then, to Harry's surprise and embarrassment, he saw himself on the screen, looking blank and like a fool.

But along with it comes a sense of novelty.

This was the first time he had seen himself from another angle, not in a photograph or a mirror, but with the same quality as when he had once glanced at a television and seen a movie theater scene on TV.

Whether watching a movie or appearing in a "movie," this is Harry's first time!

After watching for a while, he looked at the twins: "Is this... a movie?"

The twins nodded repeatedly: "You could say that."

"See, Harry? Wood has no idea how great the things we're doing are. We're bringing technology into the wizarding world so that wizards can also enjoy the benefits and convenience of technology."

"That's right, we've decided to film the entire Quidditch match a week from now and distribute the footage to every household so everyone can witness Gryffindor's prowess!"

"It also lets everyone see how Harry Potter, the savior of the wizarding world, turns the tide and directly conveys your glorious image to people's eyes and hearts."

"So, Harry, how about we team up?"

Harry was bewildered and blushing, his breathing becoming heavy as he seemed to connect the dots. He no longer cared about Wood's instructions, only asking, his face still red, "You mean you're planning to collaborate? Like filming me? Like the main character in a movie?"

(End of this chapter)