Chapter 22: Are You Looking for Me?
Chapter 22: Are You Looking for Me?
As Sherlock and Filch walked past the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room, it was already past nine o'clock.
Filch glanced at the pocket watch in his hand and then lifted a stone-wax lamp to illuminate the castle corridor, which was beginning to grow dim.
"No, they must be planning some other mischief this year!"
After lingering near the Gryffindor Common Room for a long time without catching the people he wanted, Filch muttered to himself.
It was clear that in his ongoing battle with the Weasley Twins, he was often at a disadvantage, always being led around by the nose.
"Alright, Professor Forrest, since we didn't catch anyone here, we should check the Slytherin Common Room next. Those students aren't exactly the most well-behaved."
He mumbled to himself, holding the stone-wax lamp and leading the way for Sherlock.
Just as Filch reached the corner of the corridor and the staircase, a strange sound suddenly rang out.
The sound was peculiar, like someone had triggered a pre-set device. It was faint and subtle, but Sherlock immediately became alert.
He instinctively took several steps backward.
Filch, however, wasn't so lucky.
The pre-set magic was triggered, and from somewhere along the walls on both sides of the corridor, five small balls suddenly rolled out!
They rolled rapidly on the ground, circling around Filch and gradually shrinking, as if deliberately taunting him!
The moment the small balls came into Filch's view, his face turned to one of sheer terror. He could already foresee his impending fate.
"No!"
With a shrill cry, the five balls converged around Filch and exploded with a loud "Bang!"
The explosion was not particularly loud, and its range was small, but an unbearable stench instantly filled the entire corridor!
A thick, yellowish-brown smoke enveloped Filch completely!
Sherlock, who had already taken several steps back, now covered his nose with his sleeve, frowned, and took a few more steps backward.
"Are you alright, Filch?"
Filch didn't respond, but his hysterical curses revealed that he was far from fine.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Those two brats! I will catch them! I'll whip them! I'll put them in handcuffs and lock them up for a year! I'll have them expelled!"
The foul-smelling, fecal-like smoke gradually dissipated, revealing Filch's pitiful state.
His body was covered in a foul, yellowish-brown substance, his face a mixture of rage and helplessness, and his hands, dripping with the sticky mess, hung limply at his sides.
The nauseating stench made it hard not to wonder what the yellow, sticky substance actually was.
Filch seemed ready to explode with anger, but his extensive experience in such matters kept him from losing his last bit of sanity.
"Professor Forrest, I think tonight's patrol will have to end here. I need to clean myself up."
Without waiting for Sherlock's response, Filch hurriedly fled the scene, lamp in hand.
Sherlock watched his retreating back with a sense of helplessness.
Well, he had underestimated the twins' capabilities earlier.
Filch wasn't just at a disadvantage; he had been thoroughly humiliated.
Today's plan to have the castle caretaker show him around Hogwarts was obviously ruined.
So far, he only knew where the Gryffindor common room was, and he was still clueless about the rest of the castle.
Sherlock paced in front of the Gryffindor Common Room, waiting for the stench in the corridor to dissipate before he ventured out. He was also debating whether to explore the castle alone, at least to get a feel for its layout.
However, he was worried about running into Professor Mcgonagall or Dumbledore and not being able to explain why he was wandering around the castle in the middle of the night.
Just as Sherlock was feeling torn, the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room silently opened, and a low murmur of conversation drifted out.
"He must have left by now. The explosion of so many Dungbombs would have kept him in the pool all night."
"I knew he would be watching us tonight. Does he really think we would use the same trick on him again? How absurd, the Weasleys never use the same prank twice!"
"That's enough. We should open the Marauder's Map now; no one in the common room can see us anymore."
George and Fred carefully climbed out of the entrance. Sherlock was standing quietly under a candle sconce on the same wall as the entrance, and they didn't notice him.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good!"
George drew his wand, muttered the incantation, and tapped the tattered piece of parchment in his hand.
Instantly, a magical transformation occurred on the parchment, but from Sherlock's angle, he couldn't see the changes.
"Ha! The kings of Hogwarts' night wanderings are back! After two months, we're back in the castle. So, where should our first destination be?"
"I think we should visit the Humpback Witch Statue first. We're running low on materials for the Dungbombs, and we still have some hidden there from last year."
"Right, we used up our last stock tonight to deal with Filch. We need to replenish."
"Wait, Fred!"
George, who was examining the parchment, suddenly interrupted Fred.
He pointed to a spot on the parchment, his voice trembling.
"Look at this."
Fred shifted his gaze to where George was pointing.
It was the corridor in front of the Gryffindor Common Room entrance, where their names were displayed. Next to them, there was another, somewhat unfamiliar name, so close that some of the letters were overlapping.
"Xia, Sherlock Forest"
Fred swallowed hard as he read the name from the Marauder's Map, and he and George turned their heads mechanically to look in the direction where Sherlock's name was marked.
In the shadow under the candle sconce, Sherlock, who had been watching them use the Marauder's Map silently, met their gaze and calmly asked,
"Looking for me?"
(End of Chapter)
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