Days at Hogwarts

Chapter 772 Night Rally

The Gryffindor common room after lights out late at night.

Loren mingled in the crowd, chatting to pass the time. Before long, Hermione also came out of the girls' dormitory to meet him, ready to participate in this night tour. Almost all the seventh-year students from Gryffindor were present, except for the two prefects, Parvati and Neville.

Parvati disguised himself as Padma and infiltrated Ravenclaw's group.

Neville went to Hufflepuff to find Hannah.

The two presiding officers did not knowingly break the law, nor did they ignore students from the same college violating school rules; they simply happened to be absent from the scene and were unable to stop it in time. Their dedication and flexibility in adhering to boundaries are admirable.

They crawled out of the portrait hole and left the public lounge.

Loren was stunned when he saw the fat lady in the painting hanging at the cave entrance. He watched the students disappear around the corner of the corridor, looked up at the corridor window, and then looked at the students leaving in an orderly fashion. He frowned, scratched his head, and began to doubt his life.

"It's still late at night, why are you up for school?"

Did I oversleep?

"Or was it fake alcohol that Violet gave me to drink?"

These mutterings to themselves drew snickers from the students behind them.

Emerging from the portrait cave, the previously noisy and boisterous sounds in the common lounge instantly quieted down. The group of people unanimously lowered their voices and immersed themselves in strolling through the castle corridors late at night.

Moonlight streamed through the windows, casting a clear, bright glow on the corridor floor, like a lake in early spring, with the shadowy bass swimming in the water—actually, a group of little wizards.

Upon reaching the third-floor corridor of the castle, they encountered the Hufflepuff party. Justin and Ernie stood behind the hunchbacked, one-eyed witch, tapping their wands and chanting incantations.

"【The Araquoise Cave Opens】"

"Open Sesame"

"..."

Beneath the statue's base lies a secret passage leading to Honeydukes Candy Shop. It was buried and sealed off for a time to protect against Death Eaters and Voldemort, and it's unknown whether it has been reopened.

The two colleges joined forces, and the team gradually grew.

Loren quickly counted the number of people. Not all of Hufflepuff had come; there were still some well-behaved children in Hufflepuff. Seeing his prefect and his girlfriend lagging behind, he pulled Hermione along and slowed their pace to join Neville and Hannah. A group of familiar faces greeted them warmly.

Looking at the dense crowd ahead, Neville chuckled twice and remarked with a sigh, "With so many people out for a night stroll, even if we run into Mr. Filch, he won't be able to catch them all."

"..."

A single sentence can make those around him anxious and fearful.

Loren couldn't help but look at Simo and Dean beside him; their eyes were wide open, and their expressions were exceptionally resolute.

If any administrators are caught, others might still manage to slip away unnoticed. But these two, as the planners and organizers of this event, can't escape. The points deduction is a minor issue; they'll probably be locked up for the next few months.

Dean turned around and said calmly, "It's just solitary confinement. It's just chores like cleaning the trophy display room, scrubbing the castle washrooms, or processing potion materials for Snape. We were prepared for solitary confinement before school started."

"..."

The people nearby immediately fell silent.

Seemingly sensing their thoughts, Seamus revealed a deep and resolute expression: "You know, I first encountered nighttime wandering in my first year. Harry and Malfoy had a conflict and agreed to a duel late at night. At first, I thought it was just a matter between Harry and Malfoy, maybe with Ron, their assistant. But all my roommates went, and I was the only one who foolishly stayed in the dorm that night and went to bed very early..."

Loren and Hermione recalled the events of that year, their eyes gleaming with a hint of reminiscence.

"When I got back to the dorm, they told me about the amazing adventure that night: the mysterious books in the library's restricted section, the tense chase between Filch and Mrs. Lorris, the three-headed dog Lucy... It was so fascinating that I made up my mind to have a great adventure myself!"

"So I joined their night tour group and participated in my first night tour ever, and then..."

"And then what?" Hannah asked curiously.

"..."

Seamus didn't answer, turning to look at Loren and Hermione, as well as Neville beside them.

A smile crept onto the lips of the three of them. Neville explained softly, "Then we bumped into Headmaster Dumbledore. We were standing in the abandoned classroom, too scared to speak, thinking we were going to be expelled."

Hannah smiled, pursing her lips.

Continuing their stroll downstairs, they encountered several groups of Ravenclaw and Slytherin students. They weren't gathered together, but rather wandering around in small groups at night. The Ravenclaws were resourceful, the Slytherins cautious, believing this was more flexible and would make it easier to escape if pursued by the professors or Filch.

A few students also felt that the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff groups were more lively, so they stayed, and the night tour groups grew larger and larger.

The students who remained in Slytherin were all acquaintances, a small group led by Draco Malfoy, including Theodore Nott and Goyle, as well as Pansy Parkinson, Daphne Greengrass...

The group huddled together in silence, gazing at the brick and stone paintings on the castle walls, a hint of nostalgia in their eyes.

Pansy Parkinson glanced at Daphne Greengrass several times, her lips moving slightly as if she wanted to say something, but hesitated several times and never spoke.

Draco came over and chatted with Neville for a bit, mainly about the messy things that happened in their lower grades: stealing the Memory Orb, mocking his clothes, and even his past experience of casting evil spells to prank people...

Draco offered a sincere and brief apology, and Neville chuckled and accepted, saying that he had a bad memory and had forgotten most of it.

Then they shook hands, smiled, and went their separate ways.

Hermione held Loren's hand and silently blended into the crowd, as if recalling the year she first entered school, when she also lagged behind in the group, not needing to speak or talk, just knowing he was by her side made her feel at ease.

In a blind spot where she couldn't see, Loren was straining to listen.

I could vaguely hear Neville and Hannah talking in hushed tones, their voices very low. They were saying something like, "I actually remember everything. I just said I forgave him, but I didn't." Hannah smiled and held his arm tightly.

A kind-hearted person even shows gentle resentment.

Justin and Ernie huddled together next to Harry, chatting occasionally. They'd occasionally mention the criticisms and discussions about him from the younger students, always apologizing and complaining about their own foolishness and shallowness back then. Harry didn't seem to mind, laughing and replying that he'd done just as many silly things back then.

Compared to the complex interpersonal relationships in the back row, the students strolling around at night in the front row are much more innocent and pure.

"Let me tell you! That's where we met Fulve Cerberus. You know, Fulve Cerberus, right? Its left head can breathe fire, its right head can breathe poison gas, and its middle head..."

Ron hesitated for a moment, unsure what to say next, but having told stories for many years, he had encountered this kind of question before. Relying on his accumulated experience, he quickly gave a vague answer:

"Well, in short, it's very difficult to deal with. It's much larger than a hippogriff, and even larger than the Black Dragon of the Hebrides!"

"There's no room, there aren't any classrooms that big in the castle," a Hufflepuff student asked timidly.

"What do you mean the classroom can't fit? How can it not fit? Do you know about the Seamless Stretch Charm?" Ron glared at him fiercely. "You're supposed to be a seventh-grader, and you don't even know this basic common sense? Stop talking and listen to me."

The Hufflepuff students immediately fell silent.

"That year, Voldemort possessed the back of Professor Quirrell's head and infiltrated the school to steal the Philosopher's Stone. However, Dumbledore had already discovered his plot and set up several layers of protection for the Philosopher's Stone..."

Ron lowered his voice and, after much deliberation, told a story that was concise and vivid, capturing the tense and exciting atmosphere of the time in just a few sentences.

"but!"

He suddenly raised his voice, "No one expected that some members of the Board of Trustees were former Death Eaters. They plotted to lure Dumbledore away, and while the Headmaster was presiding over the school, Voldemort made his move!"

Ron swallowed hard, thinking that this passage was particularly well-told. He looked up at the expressions of the crowd and found that they were indeed shocked. They were all pale, their eyes wide, and their expressions were full of fear.

Is it really that effective?

Why haven't I seen this expression before when I talked about it?

As Ron was wondering what was going on, he caught a glimpse of the Hufflepuff classmate he had silenced, who was winking and making faces at him, his expression contorted with even more terror. The other students had also quieted down and were standing still.

Something seems off...

Ron felt a sense of foreboding rising within him. He slowly turned around, stared intently, and was immediately chilled to the bone.

I'm currently reading the error-free version! This is the first time I've published this novel.

The administrator, Filch, dressed in a gray-brown robe, stood at the corner at the end of the corridor, half of his body hidden in the shadows, the other half of his face grim and menacing, his eyes narrowed as he stared at the students present.

Mrs. Lorris squatted down beside her, raising her front paws to slowly lick the mouse, much like the expression of someone who had caught a mouse.

"Mr. F. Filch."

Just as Seamus and Dean were about to step forward and confess, Loren stepped out from behind the crowd and greeted them politely, "Good evening, Mr. Filch."

"..."

The students in the corridor fell silent.

Even Filch couldn't help but frown slightly.

He was no stranger to this Loren Morgan. Five years ago, when the Chamber of Secrets reopened, Voldemort used magic to leave indelible stains on the walls, and Morgan and his girlfriend Granger had helped clean the stains.

He had excellent grades but a lazy attitude. His name was often mentioned by professors at the head table during meals, and Dumbledore seemed to think highly of this student.

Most importantly, he was the owner of that ugly, ginger-colored cat with a persimmon-like face. That damned Crookshanks always tricked his wife, Lady Lorris, into going out to play, making her come back covered in dirt, and he would also trick Lady Lorris out of her snacks. He was cunning and despicable.

Filch remained silent, staring intently at Loren, trying to see what tricks he was up to.

"Mr. Filch, George and Fred asked me to give you their regards."

"..."

Ron, standing next to him, immediately felt a chill run down his spine and was secretly anxious.

Why bring up George and Fred at this point?

Don't you know Filch hates those two the most?

A faint, cold light flashed in Filch's eyes.

"George and Fred asked me to give you a gift, Mr. Filch. This is a new product from Magical Joke House, the latest improved fake wands." Loren said, taking out several wand-shaped sticks from his pendant and handing them over. "Although they are fake wands, they can release several simple spells just by waving them, such as orchids blooming or clear water flowing like a spring. They also plan to develop fake wands with more functions in the future."

The moonlight was cold and clear, and the corridor was quiet. Dozens of seventh-grade students stared at the fake wands, as if they could hear Seamus and Dean breathing.

"..."

Filch stared expressionlessly at the fake wand in his hand, forcing out a slightly hoarse voice: "According to the revised school rules last year, the merchandise in the Weasley Magical Joke House is contraband, and the administrator is obligated to confiscate and store it."

Loren didn't speak, he just nodded and smiled.

Filch took the fake wands, glanced at the students present, paused briefly, then turned around unsteadily and dragged his old and thin body toward the stairs. Mrs. Loris shook her soft fur, stretched her front paws, and followed behind him with light steps.

As they watched his figure disappear around the corner, the students present were still somewhat incredulous.

"Just like that, he's gone? Filch, who's been clamoring for the reinstatement of corporal punishment since I enrolled, the one who hanged students up and whipped them, is just gone?" Ron muttered to himself, somewhat stunned.

"I thought I was going to be locked up for months!"

Simo and Dean exchanged a glance, let out a long sigh of relief, and felt extremely fortunate.

With the administrator's tacit approval, the young wizard felt a weight lifted from his shoulders. He no longer had to live in fear of being caught by the professor or the administrator. The pressure lessened considerably, and his nighttime strolls became much more relaxed and leisurely, without the tension he used to feel.

The students strolled along the castle in small groups, as if it were daytime. They weren't rushing to their classrooms in the towers, unsure whether their destination was the auditorium or their dormitories; their steps were light and aimless. Ghosts dwelled inside the armor, and portraits in the paintings rested with their eyes closed.

Seven years at Hogwarts, many students are seeing Hogwarts Castle so clearly at night for the first time.

The moonlight falls on my shoulders, making me feel like a free man.

After finishing his story with the classmate he'd just spoken to, Ron finally returned to the back of the crowd, satisfied. He greeted his friends and asked, "Loren, was the gift you just gave out really something George and Fred asked you to pass on?"

"Of course not."

"Um?"

Ron was a little confused, and the others also looked at Loren, their eyes filled with doubt.

Loren shrugged: "George and Fred were constantly outwitting Filch during their school years, and they only truly got rid of him after graduation. How could they possibly ask me to deliver gifts to them?"

"Then...what about him?" Neville stammered.

"Remember, we once saw Filch's correspondence course on quick spellcasting, so I guessed he would like this kind of thing, which led to the idea of ​​sending him a gift... Those fake wands were samples that Fred and the others sent me. They've been sitting in my pendant for a while, and they've finally come in handy."

Loren spoke calmly.

The students around him blinked.

Yes, Mr. Filch seems to be a dud.

I don't know why, but suddenly I don't resent him as much anymore.

(End of this chapter)