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Chapter 149: The Secret Treasure
Chapter 149: The Secret Treasure
Albert looked up, and by the white light of his wand, he could vaguely see Professor McGonagall striding towards them, followed by none other than their dorm mate, Lee Jordan, and... Headmaster Dumbledore.
The elderly wizard was smiling as he observed the trio.
"Professor Burbage, I'm glad you found them," Professor McGonagall said with relief, her eyes scanning Albert, Fred, and George as if checking for any injuries.
"To be precise, it was Mr. Anderson here who found the Weasley twins," Professor Flitwick explained with a smile. "When I arrived, Mr. Anderson had already rescued the Weasley boys from a troupe of Acromantulas that had them trapped in a cherry tree, their guardian tree."
"Sorry, did you say a troupe of... what was it again?" Professor McGonagall's voice rose slightly, as if she couldn't quite believe what she had just heard.
"Acromantulas, Minerva," Professor Flitwick said, turning to Dumbledore. "There seems to be a nest of Acromantulas deep within the Forbidden Forest. With little to no natural predators, they have proliferated into a sizable colony."
"I see," Dumbledore said, his curiosity piqued as he studied Albert. "However, I'm more intrigued as to how Mr. Anderson here managed to locate the Weasley boys and disperse those Acromantulas. As far as I know, those creatures are not something an ordinary first-year student can handle."
Albert glanced at Lee Jordan, deftly avoiding Dumbledore's gaze. Even without using Legilimency, Dumbledore was an expert in that field, and Albert knew he would find it difficult to lie in front of the headmaster.
"Indeed, that is a matter of curiosity for me as well," Professor Flitwick said, his tone shifting. "But I believe our priority now should be getting these boys to the hospital wing. We used the Portkey to return, and they are still..."
"Of course, you are right, Professor Burbage," Professor McGonagall nodded, then fixed the three students with a stern look. "Follow me."
"Excuse me, but could you help me support Fred here?" Albert asked Lee Jordan, ignoring Professor McGonagall's stern gaze. He was exhausted himself and had little strength left to support anyone else.
"Oh, and this dog here seems to be Hagrid's pet. It was with Mr. Anderson, and I believe it helped him locate the Weasley boys," Professor Flitwick added, pointing to the dog, Fang, at their feet. "However, it seems unable to adapt to Apparition."
"Don't worry, I've already notified Hagrid, and he'll be back shortly," Dumbledore said gently.
A moment later, he seemed to notice something and turned his head toward a particular direction. "Look, here comes Hagrid now."
Indeed, Hagrid was returning from Hogsmeade, a lamp in his hand. He seemed to have had a few drinks, as the scent of alcohol wafted from him. He strode toward them with long strides.
"Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Flitwick?" Hagrid greeted the professors, covering a belch. His eyes then fell on Albert and the others, and he relaxed upon seeing they were unharmed.
"It's good to see they're alright. These young'uns always manage to sneak into the forest when I'm not lookin'," Hagrid said.
"Now, Hagrid..."
Dumbledore proceeded to fill Hagrid in on the situation, and the gamekeeper assured them that he would take good care of his pet.
After bidding Hagrid farewell, the group soon arrived at the hospital wing.
Being roused from sleep in the middle of the night did not put Madam Pomfrey in a good mood, but she was diligent in her duties as she examined the three students.
"They're mostly unharmed," she declared after her examination. "The Weasley boys just need time to recover from the effects of the Portkey and the Stunning Spell. As for Mr. Anderson, he's simply exhausted and needs a good night's rest."
"They'll need to rest and should be fully recovered by the day after tomorrow at the latest," she added.
Now, the matron was ready to shoo them out.
Unfortunately, there was little that could be done about the Stunning Spell, and even Madam Pomfrey had no quick remedy for it. A day or two of rest would be sufficient for recovery.
"Poppy, we need to understand the full story here. It will only take a few minutes," Professor McGonagall said.
"Five minutes at most, they need their rest," Madam Pomfrey said, frowning as she handed Albert a piece of chocolate.
"Now, tell me what happened out there," Professor McGonagall said, her tone softening slightly as she fixed the three students with a probing gaze.
Albert gave a brief account of the situation, explaining that he had noticed Fred and George were not back in the dormitory when he returned.
He then mentioned that Lee Jordan had informed him of the twins' possible whereabouts in the forest but that they hadn't returned even after that.
Albert went on to describe how he had confirmed their location in the Forbidden Forest through the owl and his subsequent decision to seek Hagrid's help. Due to Hagrid's absence, he had no choice but to venture into the forest himself to search for the twins, while Lee Jordan returned to the castle to seek the professors' assistance.
"But how did you find the Weasley twins, and how did you escape from those Acromantulas?" Professor McGonagall asked, unable to contain her curiosity. "And what about this troupe of Acromantulas that Professor Flitwick mentioned?"
"At first, I thought Fred and George had simply lost their way, which is easy to do in the Forbidden Forest without a guide," Albert continued his story, recounting how he had encountered the centaurs and how one of them had helped him locate the direction of the red sparks.
"The red sparks were Albert's idea. He sent us a note with your handkerchief, telling us to shoot red sparks into the sky if we needed help. It said the centaurs would help us get out of the forest," Fred explained, pulling out Albert's handkerchief with the message still visible: Shoot red sparks into the sky if in trouble. Centaurs will help you get out of the forest.
“In fact, the centaurs aren't exactly friendly,” Albert said self-deprecatingly. “But they did say that they never attack foals, which I assume means students. Later, when I mentioned being Hagrid's friend and negotiated with them, they agreed to lead me towards the direction of the red sparks, and that's when we encountered the giant spiders."
Dumbledore nodded, familiar with the centaurs in the Forbidden Forest.
“How exactly did you defeat those Acromantulas?” Professor Burbage asked, voicing everyone's curiosity.
“Thanks to Fang's warning, I wasn't caught off guard by the Acromantulas, but the Impediment and Stunning Charms had little effect on them,” Albert recounted as he lay on the bed, chewing on a piece of chocolate. “Then I tried using the Dancing Feet Spell to restrict their movements, and it actually worked quite well.” “Brilliant thinking! Your performance in Dark Magic Defense has been exceptional, and I'm proud of you,” Professor Burbage commended.
“Later, when I calmed down, I recalled the Spider Repelling Spell that I had come across in the library,” Albert continued. “I never expected it to be so effective against those giant spiders.” Albert slowly narrated the events of the night, concluding with how he had taken refuge in the guardian tree and fought off the swarm of Acromantulas...
“This is truly incredible,” Professor McGonagall said, having already gleaned from Albert's story his courage and wisdom. Whether it was his use of the owl and the dog to locate the twins or his display of bravery and skill in facing the centaurs and Acromantulas, even venturing into the Forbidden Forest in the middle of the night required tremendous courage.
“Well, I think I have a good understanding of the situation now,” Professor McGonagall concluded. “Mr. Weasley and Mr. George, you have severely violated school rules. Each of you will be deducted one hundred points, and you will also be confined to the school grounds for a week.” Fred and George whined in dismay, and Lee Jordan, standing beside them, was equally startled. A deduction of one hundred points each nearly depleted Gryffindor's already scarce points.
“As for Mr. Anderson...” Professor McGonagall hesitated, seemingly unsure of how to handle Albert's case.
Dumbledore spoke up, “Mr. Anderson has demonstrated extraordinary courage and wisdom in this incident, saving the lives of Mr. Weasley and Mr. George. I believe this is enough to award him with a Special Contribution Award for the school, and... let me think... yes, two hundred points for Gryffindor.” Fred and George breathed a sigh of relief, as the points they lost were now compensated for. However, the thought of their impending confinement left them glum.
“Also, there's one more thing. When Mr. Anderson was in the Forbidden Forest, he prevented me from being ambushed by the Acromantulas and suffering serious injuries,” Professor Burbage added with a smile. “I think this is worth fifty points for Gryffindor.” “Well then, I think we should let them get some rest now,” Dumbledore turned to leave.
“There's one more thing,” Professor McGonagall suddenly said.
“What is it, Minerva?” Dumbledore asked.
“What were you two doing in the forest?” Professor McGonagall demanded, fixing the Weasley twins with a stern gaze.
Under her intense scrutiny, the twins confessed everything.
“What about the map?” Professor McGonagall inquired.
“I threw that map into the Forbidden Forest,” Albert spoke up. “To prevent them from getting any more reckless ideas about running off into the forest.” “Well then, may I tend to my patients now?” Madame Pomfrey approached, offering the three boys a sleeping draught.
“Drink this, it will help you sleep well,” she said.
Albert could guess what the potion was.
A Draught of Living Death
Under Madame Pomfrey's watchful eye, Albert finished the potion. The effects were immediate, and he felt his eyelids growing heavy. He couldn't resist the urge to close his eyes, and soon he was enveloped in a dreamless slumber.
...
“Now, you should head back to your dormitory and get some rest as well,” Professor McGonagall said to Lee Jordan outside the infirmary. “Your actions were sensible, and you've earned ten points for Gryffindor.” After Lee Jordan left, Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall turned to Professor Burbage.
“What Mr. Anderson said is mostly true. However, I'm surprised that he was able to find Mr. Weasley and Mr. George,” Professor Burbage remarked. “He is undoubtedly a talented genius. By the way, there's something I want to discuss with you.” “What is it?”
“I think I should resign early. This position seems to bring misfortune and bad luck,” Professor Burbage said with a bitter smile. “Resigning before the curse harms me further is probably a wise choice.” “What's this about the secret treasure of Gryffindor that Mr. Weasley mentioned?” Professor McGonagall brought up the topic of the map, her brow furrowed.
“There have been similar legends, but nothing has been confirmed. You know, legends aren't always reliable, even if they may have some historical basis,” Professor Burbage replied.
“I've heard similar legends as well,” Professor Burbage said. “Some claim that each of the four founders left behind a secret treasure in Hogwarts, containing priceless artifacts, possibly gold, prophecies, and other powerful magical items.” “There have indeed been such legends about Hogwarts Castle, but legends are just legends. No one has ever found the so-called secret treasure,” Dumbledore said softly.
The three of them fell silent, each with their own judgments, and they naturally didn't take the legends at face value.
Yes, legends were just legends, just like the legend of the Chamber of Secrets that had circulated within Hogwarts, but no one had ever found Slytherin's hidden chamber.
(End of Chapter)
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