https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-368-An-Unexpected-Turn-of-Events/12526563/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-370-The-Three-Headed-Dog-Guardian-of-the-Treasure/12526565/
Chapter 369: A Darker Turn
Chapter 369: A Darker Turn
"What about Filch? Have you taken care of him?" Albert asked, turning towards the source of the footsteps behind him. Seeing Fred and George reappear in the secret passageway, he inquired if they had successfully diverted Filch's attention to another floor.
"All set!" Fred replied, giving a thumbs-up and flashing a mischievous grin.
"Someone threw a few Dungbombs down the west corridor on the second floor, and there's frog brains smeared on the walls," George explained on behalf of his brother. "Filch is over there cursing and cleaning up the mess."
"You mean 'someone' isn't referring to the two of you, right?" Lee Jordan teased Fred and George, certain that they were the culprits behind the mischief. The twins had a knack for causing trouble for Filch.
Indeed, the Dungbombs were Fred and George's handiwork.
According to Albert's original plan, Fred and George were to create a distraction in the corridor by throwing Dungbombs, drawing Filch's attention away as they sneaked into the forbidden fourth-floor corridor. This would prevent the caretaker from suddenly popping up and causing trouble during their exploration.
"I swear, it wasn't us!" Fred protested unhappily, as if Lee Jordan's suspicion implied a character flaw.
"You can't accuse us without proof," George added earnestly. "Well, we did consider doing it, but someone beat us to the punch."
Lee Jordan suddenly lost interest in the conversation.
"Let's hurry up and see what's inside the forbidden corridor. Who knows when Filch will show up," Fred said, eager to change the subject.
"Are there any people near the off-limits corridor on the fourth floor?" George asked, looking at Albert, who was holding the Marauder's Map.
"Yes, quite a few," Albert replied as he tucked the map back into his pocket. "Now that someone is distracting Filch, others will definitely try to sneak in. Many are curious about what's inside that corridor."
"So, what do we do now?" The trio looked at Albert, expecting him to come up with a plan.
"What do we do? We join the others, of course. If things go south, we'll just slip away," Albert suggested, stepping out of the secret passageway and gesturing for the others to follow. The four of them made their way towards the forbidden corridor on the fourth floor.
Along the way, they encountered Professor Quirrell, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, who was likely also searching for a way to get past Fluffy, the three-headed dog.
However, Albert didn't spot Tom Riddle's name on the Marauder's Map, indicating that Voldemort's half-alive state prevented him from appearing on the map.
This had been confirmed on Albert's second day at Hogwarts, soon after he obtained the map.
It was a relief that Voldemort didn't show up on the map; otherwise, Fred and George would surely have noticed, and who knows what they would have made of it.
Could it be that Professor Quirrell had a pet named Tom Riddle?
Why would it be a pet?
They already had a cat named Tom in their dormitory.
Of course, even if Voldemort were at Hogwarts, the map wouldn't show 'Voldemort' but 'Tom Riddle' instead.
Albert didn't cast a Disillusionment Charm on the group, as he knew Professor Quirrell was keeping an eye on them. Hiding might only raise suspicions, so it was better to pretend to be... well, curious students, which they genuinely were.
Quirrell was indeed aware of the students attempting to enter the forbidden corridor, but he had no intention of stopping them. On the first day, he had already checked the first obstacle guarding the Philosopher's Stone.
As for Fluffy, the three-headed dog, Quirrell hadn't yet figured out who owned it.
Within Hogwarts, the only people capable of taming such a creature were Professor Silvanus Kettleburn, who taught Care of Magical Creatures, and the burly Hagrid from the gamekeeper's hut.
In truth, Quirrell could easily subdue Fluffy with his abilities, but he was concerned about making too much noise. Thus, he bided his time, knowing he might only get one chance. Failure would mean losing any opportunity to act without Dumbledore's interference.
As Albert drew closer to Professor Quirrell, he caught a whiff of an odd scent emanating from the professor.
He attributed this smell to Voldemort's presence within Quirrell.
After Professor Quirrell walked away, Fred whispered, "Did you guys notice the strange smell coming from Professor Quirrell's turban?"
Last time, the classroom had reeked of garlic, so they hadn't paid much attention. But this time, the odor was strong and unmistakable.
"Maybe his turban is stuffed with garlic," George blurted out without thinking. "Why don't we try selling him a garlic cross?"
"That's a great idea," Fred agreed.
Albert's lips twitched.
People often said that Professor Quirrell had doused himself in strange odors to ward off a vampire he had encountered in Romania. He feared the vampire might come after him, so he wanted to be prepared at all times.
This story was most likely a ruse, a convenient excuse concocted by Quirrell himself.
As for dealing with Voldemort, wasn't there the 'Chosen One,' Harry Potter?
If necessary, Albert could always nudge Potter in the right direction with a subtle hint, letting the brave savior take the lead.
As the four of them sneaked around, they noticed a few others skulking about, clearly searching for a way to quickly get through the door.
"I bet Professor Quirrell knows what they're up to!" Fred exclaimed, pointing at the suspicious individuals.
It was too obvious, and their attempts at subtlety were laughable.
"And Professor Quirrell isn't even trying to stop them," Lee Jordan remarked, looking at Albert for an explanation.
"To be honest, Headmaster Dumbledore doesn't seem too concerned about students entering the so-called forbidden area," Albert replied. "Otherwise, he would have placed more powerful protective enchantments on the door, making it impossible for any student to open it."
"You're right about that!"
"You're also here to explore the forbidden corridor," Albert said as he walked up to Truman and patted him on the shoulder.
"Ah! It's you, Albert. You startled me," Truman exclaimed, turning around and looking relieved to see Albert.
"This won't do," Albert teased. "The Head Boy of Hufflepuff is planning to break the rules himself?"
"Aren't you doing the same?" Truman countered with a smile, gesturing at the door. "Everyone is curious about what's inside the forbidden area. Some have already gone in."
"I heard Filch is furious on the second floor. Was that your doing?"
"That was the work of some older Gryffindor students. I saw it happen," Truman admitted, feeling a bit guilty. It was his idea to have Peeves smear the walls with frog brains.
Of course, Truman had no intention of taking credit for the prank. He would feign ignorance like everyone else.
He counted the number of students gathered and said to Albert, "With so many of us, it'll be hard to avoid detection."
"As long as Filch isn't here, the teachers generally don't bother with this sort of thing," Albert explained. "Otherwise, how do you think they managed to open the door in the first place?"
Albert began signaling for Fred and the others to enter the forbidden corridor.
(End of Chapter)
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