Chapter 23: Secrets and Filch
Chapter 23: Secrets and Filch
Speaking of which, I hope my system interface isn't a stripped-down version. It's a bit disappointing that it doesn't have a map function. Nonetheless, Albert was in a good mood after locating the Room of Requirement.
In those web novels he used to read, the protagonist's system would always be incredibly powerful, revealing everything with a simple scan function.
Now that he thought about it, the functions of his own system were rather lacking.
However, Albert was still delighted to have this system as a golden finger.
"I recall that the Headmaster's office is also on the eighth floor, but I'm not sure which part," Albert mumbled to himself.
Of course, he had no intention of sneaking into the Headmaster's office. If that old man, Dumbledore, noticed him, his life at Hogwarts would become much more difficult.
After all, there were portraits all over the castle, and it would be easy for Dumbledore to keep tabs on any student he wanted to.
Albert turned a couple of corners and found a downward staircase.
He began to wander aimlessly down the stairs and through the castle, only to realize soon after that he was lost.
Well, perhaps 'lost' wasn't the right word. He had simply never been to this part of the castle before.
Albert stopped in front of a wall, his wand illuminating a carving on it. He reached out and tapped it lightly, feeling the solid surface.
However, Albert suspected that there might be a secret passage here. That eagle-headed lion carving on the wall was just too suspicious, and such places usually hid hidden doors and passages.
"What are you doing here, child?" A voice suddenly asked, causing Albert to jump in surprise. He felt his heart leap into his throat.
Nick had emerged from the adjacent wall, looking at Albert curiously as he inspected the carving.
Albert took a few deep breaths to calm his racing heart and complained, "Don't sneak up on me like that; you nearly scared me to death."
"My apologies, I didn't mean to startle you," Nick said, raising an eyebrow. "Now, what are you doing here?"
"Just taking a walk," Albert replied honestly.
"A walk? At this hour?" Nick glanced at the corridor in confusion. It was still quite early.
"Yes, a walk. Sir Nicholas, do you happen to have time to give me a tour of Hogwarts? It's like a maze in here, and I got lost while wandering around," Albert said with a smile, hoping that Nick would help him and save him some time.
"Oh, I believe exploring the castle is one of the great joys of being a new student," Nick politely declined.
"You're right," Albert said, not taking offense at Nick's refusal. He bade the ghost farewell and continued examining the eagle-headed lion carving.
Nick watched Albert's retreating back and shook his head. "If you wish to open that door, the mechanism is in the claws of the eagle-headed lion," he called out.
"Thanks," Albert said. He reached for the claws of the eagle-headed lion and tapped them lightly. The stone door slowly opened to reveal a narrow secret passage.
"See you later, Sir Nicholas," Albert said with a slight nod of gratitude as he raised his wand and stepped into the passage.
It was very narrow, only wide enough for one person to pass through. Anyone with claustrophobia would not want to be in here.
Albert could feel himself going downward, but he had no idea where the passage led. Nonetheless, discovering its existence was a pleasant surprise.
Indeed, the ghosts and portraits that inhabited the castle seemed to know Hogwarts better than anyone.
The exit was hidden behind a painting. When Albert moved it, an old man in a nightgown glared at him, grumbling about being disturbed from his rest.
"My apologies for the disturbance," Albert said to the old man in the painting, then continued on his way, feeling that he was about to get lost again.
However, this time, Albert found the moving staircase.
No matter how many times he saw it, he was always impressed by the spectacle.
It was said that the moving staircase and the Room of Requirement were both creations of Rowena Ravenclaw. Albert wondered if he would ever be able to reach such a level of skill.
Speaking of the Room of Requirement, he wondered if Rowena Ravenclaw had hidden any secrets in there.
After all, Salazar Slytherin had kept a basilisk in his Chamber of Secrets.
It made sense to consider that possibility. The next time he visited, he could certainly try to uncover any hidden secrets.
It took Albert ten minutes to descend the staircase. Along the way, he encountered a change in the staircase's direction and had to wait for it to return to its original state. Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long. Thank Merlin for that.
As he entered the entrance hall, Albert's attention was drawn to a skinny cat with dark grey fur. It was a far cry from his own cat, Tom.
He bent down to pet it, but the cat darted away quickly.
Albert knew it must be Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris. Although he had read the Harry Potter books and watched the movies, he couldn't remember all the minor details, especially the names of minor characters.
If he hadn't written fanfiction and researched a lot of information, he probably would have forgotten even more.
The cat was probably off to fetch Filch, but Albert wasn't worried about the caretaker causing him any trouble.
After all, it was already past six in the morning, and the sky hadn't fully brightened yet due to the rain.
As Albert prepared to enter the Great Hall, he heard the wheezing sound of Filch approaching. The elderly caretaker, clad in a cloak over his nightwear, carried an oil lamp, his face bearing a pleased smile—the smile of someone who had caught his prey.
"Good morning, Mr. Filch," Albert greeted him as if they were familiar friends.
"Good morning?" Filch reached out to grab Albert but was easily evaded with a step backward.
"Of course, it's already 6:15, Mr. Filch," Albert said, taking out his pocket watch and showing it to Filch. "When will the Great Hall start serving breakfast?"
Filch was taken aback as Albert deliberately moved his wand closer to the pocket watch, allowing him to see the time more clearly.
The caretaker, who had thought he had caught a student out of bed, now looked disappointed, much like a child who had just heard that the Halloween feast was canceled.
In fact, it was already morning, although the sky was still dark, and no other students were awake yet.
"Seven o'clock," Filch grumbled, turning to leave. "Just make sure I don't catch you again..."
Albert didn't quite catch the last few words, but they didn't seem important anyway.
However, Filch did seem to harbor a strong dislike for students. He seemed eager to lock them all up.
Albert pushed open the door to the Great Hall. The room was dim, the floating candles extinguished, and the lively atmosphere from the previous night was gone.
Albert turned away and decided to continue his exploration of the castle's kitchen.
(End of Chapter)
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