My Hogwarts has a serious problem.

Chapter 349, Section 346: A Lively Castle Night

A night at Hogwarts.

In the tower housing the Gryffindor common room, Ron lay wearily on his four-poster bed, excitedly discussing the day's discoveries with Harry.

"George and Fred have figured out the optimal way to throw the shot put. At first, everyone thought that they should use the Fly Away Charm quickly after throwing it, but that was too simplistic. The shot put won't stay in the air for long before it hits the ground, so there's no chance to use the Fly Away Charm."

The levitation spell, which has been overlooked for a long time, is actually the best way to easily achieve good results in shot put. They secretly went to the vicinity of the Forbidden Forest today to try it out, and it's said that they were able to throw it nearly 50 meters!

Harry frowned and shook his head.

"The Levitation Charm is the first charm everyone learns in their first year. Even the freshmen who have just entered school know this. Others are just in a blind spot. Before long, everyone will realize that the Flying Charm is useless and the Levitation Charm is the right solution."

Their roommate Seamus eagerly discussed the other people's discoveries: "We used the Levitation Charm on ourselves when practicing the long jump to effectively reduce our weight. Neville also discovered today that the Ravenclaws secretly conjured springs from the soles of their shoes during the high jump. It seems to be a secret weapon they discussed in private, but wouldn't that be considered foul? Using springs is using a gadget, isn't it?"

Harry and Ron pondered together.

"If they conjured the spring before the match started, that would probably be a foul. But if they used it after the match started, it would be normal magic."

"We can totally learn that too; using the Levitation Charm and the Transfiguration Charm together is the optimal solution!"

Neville said with a worried look, "This doesn't seem to suit me. I always make mistakes when I transform. What if my spring doesn't materialize?"

"Don't worry, Navei. If everyone uses the same magic, the final test will be your physical fitness. You eat so much, your athletic ability is definitely top-notch!"

When Neville heard Ron say that, he grinned foolishly and said, "Then I'll eat a little more these next couple of days."

A burst of cheerful laughter echoed through the Gryffindor dormitory.

As night deepened, the little wizards, exhausted from a long day, all drifted off to sleep.

After everyone in Harry's dormitory started snoring, the mouse with a missing finger crept out of Ron's pocket.

Scabbers glanced at Ron, who was dreaming about something in his sleep and trying to rub his face with his hand, with a look of disgust. Then, with a light leap, he jumped off the bed and sneaked out of the Gryffindor common room.

He wandered aimlessly through the corridors of Hogwarts, looking for something but without a target.

Scabbers, of course, already knew about Sirius Black's escape from Azkaban. Logically speaking, he shouldn't have sneaked out like a rat during such a special time. If he had accidentally run into that stray dog ​​somewhere, then all those years of hiding would have been for nothing.

However, since the start of the Hogwarts school year this year, Scabbers has been able to vaguely sense a familiar yet frightening atmosphere in the castle.

Although he was in the Animagus rat form, he could still sense that the arm on his body that originally bore the Dark Mark was occasionally burning hot.

Peter knew very well what these phenomena meant.

The Dark Mark was a magical mark planted by his former master, the Dark Lord, on his most loyal servant. No one but the Dark Lord himself could make this mark react.

The fact that the Dark Mark is now reacting means that the legendary greatest dark wizard in history, who was supposedly killed more than a decade ago, has been resurrected!

The master is summoning him! He is summoning his most loyal servant to serve him!

Little Pettigrew firmly believed this.

He was both terrified and excited by this. He was terrified because he remembered his former master's cruelty, but excited because if his master could resurrect Sirius, what did it matter? He would no longer have to live in fear and hide away all day long.

But for some reason, although he sensed his master's resurrection and could feel that he was very close to him, most likely in this school, his master never took the initiative to contact his most loyal servant.

After observing secretly and waiting quietly for two weeks, Peter Pettigrew finally couldn't contain himself any longer tonight. He prepared to try to find his master's whereabouts on his own.

After slipping out of the Gryffindor common room, he carefully observed the location where the Dark Mark had been sensed during the day.

Hogwarts Castle was not peaceful at night. Not long after Peter Pettigrew ran out, he saw two sneaky figures running out of the Gryffindor common room.

He recognized them as his two twins hidden in the Weasleys' house. They were walking towards the Quidditch pitch outside the castle, excitedly discussing how to chew bubblegum discreetly during a running race, as if they wanted to try out some new tricks in the dead of night.

Peter Pettigrew ignored them. Having lived in the Weasleys' house for so long, he knew the two brothers' personalities well; nighttime outings were just a regular occurrence for them.

Peter leaped up and down the castle stairs and came to the first-floor corridor. He remembered the first time he noticed the Dark Mark reacting, which was near a Potions classroom on the first floor.

He carefully searched the Potions classroom under the cover of night, but found nothing. Just as Peter was about to leave in disappointment and continue searching in another place, he suddenly hid cleverly behind the classroom door.

Mrs. Loris, the cat, was walking proudly down the hallway outside the classroom. If Peter had just gone out, she would have spotted him.

Peter, whose true identity is a dark wizard, is certainly not afraid of an ordinary cat. He is simply afraid of making a noise in the middle of the night and attracting other trouble.

After Mrs. Loris left, Peter breathed a sigh of relief and carefully ran out of the Potions classroom.

He ran quickly to the stairwell and was about to jump up the stairs when a ginger-yellow figure suddenly jumped down the stairs.

It was an ugly, large yellow cat, with a snow-white hamster riding on its back!

Umaru:

Peter:

The two mice and the cat stared at each other for a long time before Peter reacted first and turned to run away!

Little Umaru, riding on Crookshan's back, barked a few times, as if giving her mount a command, but Crookshan charged off on its own without her giving any orders!

(End of this chapter)