The mastermind behind Hogwarts

Chapter 33 The Vanished Pikachu

Moriarty, carrying a bowl of oatmeal and a golden croissant, sat down next to William and placed a large cup in front of him: "Here's your Buffet brain-boosting potion."

"Wow, Mr. Moriarty, I don't know how to praise you. I can only say, you are a god forever!" William exclaimed exaggeratedly.

Moriarty quickly stopped him, saying, "What are you two talking about? I'm sure it's not the mermaids in the Black Lake."

William smiled at Moriarty: "Leon told me that you've changed the students' perception of the college."

"Isn't this good?" Moriarty took a sip of porridge.

"It's not so bad," Leon said with a sigh after taking a bite of his sandwich. "If you work at the Ministry of Magic, you'll find that, apart from pure-bloods or the offspring of high-ranking officials, almost every wizard who graduates from Slytherin is viewed with suspicion."

Changing people's perception of Slytherin is quite important to me; at least I won't face too much prejudice after I graduate.

William sipped his porridge, mumbling, "So thank you, Mr. Moriarty."

"Still the same old thing, not dignified at all." Leon gave William a disdainful look, then turned to Moriarty and nodded. "I should thank you. Perhaps, as Mr. Lockhart said, you will usher in a new era, but that's also what worries me."

Moriarty and William put down the food they were eating and looked at Leon.

"We, Slytherin, are different from the other three houses," he said softly. "We may have made mistakes, but we are proud."

We find it difficult to admit our mistakes to others, let alone like Jericho. Being respected and revered by others—that's what makes Slytherin.

Moriarty shook his head. Leon's goals were different from his, so they were destined not to become allies, but it would be quite useful to use him.

"It's too early to talk about working for the Ministry of Magic. Let's talk about being the student council president next year, Leon." Moriarty's voice was deep but powerful, easily breaking through Leon's psychological defenses.

Seeing the undisguised longing in Leon's eyes, Moriarty calmly finished the last bit of food, slowly got up, and left, leaving only his voice in the air.

"Find out what Bill Weasley is up to first, then I'll help you get the position you want."

Leon's expression became much more serious. William also stood up and patted him on the shoulder before leaving: "Good luck."

Ten minutes later, Moriarty appeared at the Potions classroom door with a pot of Buffalo's Mind-Boosting Potion. Since everyone had been delayed in the Great Hall for too long, the Church did not deduct points from the late students. He stood at the door with an intimidating expression on his face.

However, Morias wasn't worried. He smiled and said, "It's successfully brewed and safe to use. There won't be any accidents like turning into a monstrous brain. William has already verified that."

Professor Snape's expression softened slightly. He picked up the potion and, with just a quick glance, knew there was no problem. "Go to class, Mr. Slytherin."

Moriarty, however, did not leave. As if by magic, he produced a bottle of shampoo with Lockhart's picture and a bird-snake printed on it.

"Lilith told me that the Owl Snake Egg Yolk Shampoo is suitable for young people. I'm giving this bottle to you, Professor. I've tried it, and it works quite well. Most importantly, it has nothing to do with the Potter family; it was made by Mr. Lockhart."

Professor Snape didn't take the shampoo. Instead, he walked straight up to Moriarty, staring intently at him. His face looked like he'd been hit on the back of the head by a ball, but his eyes flashed with waves of anger. Why, then, did he swallow hard?

"What are you talking about? What do you know? What do you want to do?" Professor Snape wanted to take Moriarty to a quiet corridor.

But Moriarty clearly had no intention of leaving. He said calmly, "All I want to do is give you the shampoo, Professor. Don't look at me like that. I will know everything that has happened in this school—past, present, and future—if I want to."

Professor Snape took the shampoo with some skepticism, turned and walked into the classroom, slamming the door shut with a loud bang.

"Host has completed the task. One achievement lottery reward will be given."

Moriarty saved up the winnings from the raffle and went to class.

Over the course of a week, the students at Hogwarts discovered that this year's freshmen had produced many talented and capable young wizards, who were known as the "Shining Five".

Moriarty's performance in every course made him the undisputed number one.

Most students believed that the top student in the first-year final exams had already been chosen, and second-, third-, and even fourth-year students admitted that they might not be a match for Moriarty—whether in terms of theoretical knowledge or practical skills.

The Slytherins, however, knew that the fifth, sixth, and even seventh-year students held Moriarty in high esteem.

Like Leon, after the apology incident in the auditorium, he changed his address for Moriarty from "little sir" to "sir".

If Moriarty is in the lead, then Lilith is close behind in Potions, Penelope is close behind in Astronomy and Charms, and Jericho excels in Flight.

The three of them were constantly chasing Moriarty ahead.

As for the last one, it's the perennial third-place Percy.

People say he was born at the wrong time, but Percy doesn't seem to mind. Perhaps, as Charlie said, he really has grown a lot.

That night, three of the Shining Five, along with three Slytherin snakes, led by Warden Argus Filch, headed to Hagrid's hut to begin their solitary confinement.

"I think you should think twice before breaking school rules again, right, hmm?"

Filch scanned each student with his sharp, hook-like eyes, but none of the six students were intimidated. Only Jericho maintained his smile and responded to Filch's words.

When they arrived at Hagrid's hut, they found no one inside, only a dog lying lazily on the ground.

"Stay put, I'm going to find Hagrid." Filch said and left, leaving the six young wizards standing there.

It was a moonless night, with many bright stars in the sky that made the clusters of white clouds look like large lamps. The occasional cool breeze made the atmosphere not scary at all, just like going for a walk.

Jericho walked around the cabin twice and said to Moriarty, "It's strange not to see Rupert Hagrid. Where could he be at this hour?"

"He wouldn't have forgotten about us, would he?" Keith guessed casually, then said excitedly, "If he has forgotten us, how about we go on an adventure in the Forbidden Forest?"

"Hey," Jericho said in surprise, "You've forgotten who you are after just one trip to the skies? You're a Slytherin, shouldn't we be back in the warm common room enjoying the nightlife if Hagrid hadn't come?"

Keith scratched his head and chuckled: "I've heard my grandfather mention that there are many precious potion ingredients in the Forbidden Forest, hehe."

"That's true, but the Forbidden Forest isn't just about potion ingredients," Percy joined in, saying with feigned seriousness, "Bill told Charlie and me that there's a werewolf tribe in the Forbidden Forest, but he's never seen one. However, he said Peeves has seen one and used werewolf fur to scare timid freshmen!"

"Peeves?" Moriarty spoke up, and everyone turned to look at him. Hearing Percy talk about Peeves, Moriarty suddenly remembered something!

"I've been at school for a week now, and I haven't seen Pikachu even once. Have you guys seen him?"

Jericho and Keith exchanged glances and shook their heads. "Honestly, we've never seen him either!"

"None of the Gryffindor students have seen him either." Percy began to think, "That does seem really strange, considering Peeves is everywhere and always likes to play pranks."

“That’s right,” Marcus nodded. “I remember when I first enrolled, before Prefect William even led us to the common room, Peeves started causing trouble. He wouldn’t listen to anyone, and in the end, it was Lord Barrow who scared him away.”

"In other words, Pippi hasn't shown up since we enrolled."

This was no small matter, and a serious look flashed in Moriarty's eyes.

He picked up the Slytherin staff, pointed it at the highest tower of the castle, and said in Parseltongue, "Glory to Slytherin, the lion roars in the valley, the eaglet receives the legacy of a thousand years, and the benevolent Hufflepuff is the foundation of all things. Speak with me, the Four!"

Jericho and the others were astonished to see a green snake head, shimmering with silver light, emerge from the tip of the staff, only to disappear within seconds.

If the little wizard in the castle looked up at this moment, he would see that the night sky on the ceiling began to change.

Moriarty slowly closed his eyes, and clusters of colorful halos representing magic appeared in his mind.

By observing the size of the halo, Moriarty determined the identity corresponding to the magic.

Two minutes later, the staff stopped trembling, and Moriarty opened his eyes, his gaze as sharp as a snake eyeing its fat prey.

As he and Slytherin had said, he could know many things happening in the castle because of the existence of the Slytherin Staff.

The four elders cast a spell on the castle to better manage the school, and Moriarty's spell just now granted him the right to access Hogwarts.

However, this power cannot supersede that of the headmaster, so there is one place Moriarty cannot see: the headmaster's office, something Moriarty knew from the moment he entered the castle.

And now, there's one more person: Mischievous Ghost.

(End of this chapter)