HP: Wormwood and Lightning Wood

Severus Snape was a very competent professor; for example, he patrolled Hogwarts Castle every night in an attempt to catch students who were out at night.

"I really don't understand, we could have had a good night's sleep in bed, Severus." West slumped against Snape like a large dog.

He spent a whole day helping Severus revise his paper.

No wonder Severus had a bad temper before.

Every day, in addition to grading students' imaginative papers, they also have to prepare and teach lessons, while simultaneously researching and improving potions. They not only have to prepare various complex potions for the medical wing, but also have to conduct exhausting night patrols in the dead of night. Anyone would find it hard to maintain patience in such a situation.

"You could have stayed out." Snape raised an eyebrow.

"No. I'm so scared to be left alone in the cellar."

"Nonsense..." Snape was halfway through his sentence when the two heard Filch's voice coming from ahead.

"Hiding away, huh, Peeves! I'll make sure Dumbledore kicks you out of Hogwarts..."

"Filch? What's wrong?" Snape walked down the stairs, where Filch was standing on the stairs, one foot stuck in a step that had been enchanted with a prank spell.

Snape restored the steps to their original state, and Filch, his face flushed, stood up straight, clutching his cat, and said fiercely, "It's Peeves! He's playing pranks again!"

Filch then noticed that a tall man was standing behind Snape, wearing the same black silk pajamas as Snape.

Filch squinted, barely managing to make out the man's features. "...Mr. Somerset."

He recalled the recent rumors and couldn't help but glance at Snape and Somerset a few more times.

"...I'll finish today's night patrol. You can go back and rest, Filch!" Snape's eyelids twitched a few times, and he said in a deep voice.

"Okay..." Filch nodded quickly, walking down the wall, almost tripping again at the far corner. "Ouch! What's that?!"

Filch angrily picked up the object from the ground. "Parchment?" he asked suspiciously, but found it to be empty.

West's gaze fell on the parchment, when he suddenly felt someone anxiously tug at the corner of his clothes.

"Could I see the parchment, Mr. Filch?" Westwin asked in a low voice.

Filch looked flattered. "Of course, Mr. Somerset."

He handed the parchment to West, who took it and glanced at it; indeed, it was empty.

Snape was puzzled and was about to ask something when a series of thuds rang out.

"A pajama party?"

It's Moody. No, to be precise, it's Barty Crouch Jr.

"We heard something, Professor," Filch said immediately. "It's Peeves, the prankster. He's throwing things around and turning the steps into a swamp..."

Moody's gaze swept over Snape and lingered on West for a moment.

Snape's face was grim, and he seemed unusually displeased. His tone was icy as he said, "Filch, perhaps there's something I haven't told you? Someone broke into my office..."

As he spoke, he never glanced at Moody beside him, as if the other person did not exist at all, completely ignoring him.

This actor, with his admirable composure, interrupted, "Someone broke into your office?" His devilish eyes swept around, fixing on Snape, and he questioned him gruffly, "You should have said something sooner, shouldn't you? Who would break into your office?"

West squinted, and just as he raised his finger, Snape secretly pressed it down.

Snape remained unfazed. "I don't know who stole it, but there's no doubt it was a despicable, shameless rat, isn't it?"

Moody's expression twisted for a moment. "You're so scared, you wouldn't happen to be hiding something in the office, would you?"

West suddenly interrupted, his tone laced with sarcasm: "Professor Moody? You, a former Auror and a Hogwarts teacher, are you really going to frame someone without any evidence?"

Moody stared intently at him. "A Death Eater, someone with the Dark Mark on his hand—my suspicions aren't entirely unfounded..."

West chuckled, then burst out laughing. Honestly, he really admired Barty Crouch Jr.'s acting skills; if he were willing to pursue a career in the Muggle entertainment industry, he could easily win an Oscar.

"Professor Moody, you're getting old, you should rest. Don't patrol at night anymore," West said earnestly. "Leave this kind of thing to us young people."

"You! You are not a professor at Hogwarts. I am far more qualified to patrol the night!" Moody said.

West blinked innocently. "But I'm the professor's family member! I'm just accompanying my professor on his night patrol, what's the problem?" As he spoke, he turned and kissed Snape on the cheek.

Snape: ...I really want to escape.

Moody stared wide-eyed as if he had seen something filthy; the prosthetic eye darted around, looking terrifying in the dim candlelight. Filch's eyes widened as well.

"Since Professor Moody insists, then you can continue. We're going back to rest." West shrugged, ignoring Moody's ashen face, and led Snape away, taking the parchment with him.

Back in the deserted corridor of the cellar, West said helplessly, "Harry."

Harry, following behind them, lifted his Invisibility Cloak, revealing a face with an awkward smile. "Good evening, Professor West..."

Snape nodded and went back to the cellar, leaving West and Harry standing there.

Harry looked at West longingly, pointing to the piece of paper. "Can I have it back?"

West waved the paper in his hand. "What's this?"

Harry took out his wand, pointed it at the parchment, and said, "I solemnly swear that I will not do anything good."

A map of Hogwarts appeared on the parchment, marking the names of people moving around the campus and showing their real-time locations.

For example, right now, Harry and West's names almost overlap, while Snape's name remains safely in the cellar.

Above the map are large, curved green letters that read, "The Marauder's Map is proudly presented by the suppliers of magical pranksters: Moonface, Wormtail, Bigfoot, and Fork."

West suddenly realized. No wonder the four raiders back then could always pinpoint Severus's location so accurately.

"Where did it come from?" West asked.

"Um... Fred and George wanted to open a shop, and I gave them some money. In return, they gave me this," Harry explained.

"So as soon as you got your hands on this thing, you couldn't wait to go out for a night stroll? And you almost got caught by Filch?" West was speechless.

Harry's face turned bright red. "Who knew I'd be so unlucky? I was trying to sneak off to the Slytherin common room..."

"You should be glad Moody didn't find this thing," West whispered. He saw Barty Crouch the Elder on the map.

"Otherwise, he'll discover that Old Barty, who's been missing for several days, is actually hidden at Hogwarts. I think you know the consequences?"

Harry slumped his shoulders. "Sorry."

"Confiscated," West said without hesitation. "I'll return it to you after the second project is finished."

After Harry left, West returned to the dungeons clutching the Marauder's Map, and as soon as he saw Snape, he eagerly unfolded the map.

Snape's gaze swept over the signature on the map—"Moonface, Wormtail, Bigfoot, and Fork"—and a flash of disgust crossed his eyes: "Potter's?"

"Yes. Would you like me to make you an even better one?" West ran his fingertips over the slightly warm parchment. In just a few minutes, he had already figured out the principles of map making.

To alchemists, the so-called Marauder's Map is nothing but a crude illusion. "I guarantee the new map will be more accurate and more concealed."

Snape was somewhat tempted. This magical artifact that could see what was happening throughout the entire school was indeed extremely alluring to him.

"With this, no student who goes out at night will escape your eyes, Severus." West smiled slyly, rolling the map into a tube. "From now on, you can catch them red-handed when they're deducting points."

"Okay." Snape replied almost without hesitation, a hint of barely perceptible anticipation flashing across his face.