Chapter 567: The Thrill of Nighttime Escapades
Chapter 567: The Thrill of Nighttime Escapades
"You must have thought of this beforehand, which is why you didn't want us to inform Dumbledore," Fred said excitedly, patting Cedric on the shoulder. "As Head Boys, you're much smarter than Percy... But next time, you should really be more clear."
"Is that what you thought?" Cedric felt they had somehow misunderstood him. He genuinely believed that they should gather more evidence before approaching Professor Dumbledore.
After all, accusing a judge and the headmaster of cheating without solid proof would likely fall on deaf ears.
But seeing the excited look on their faces, he ultimately decided not to explain.
Moreover, Cedric also felt that they made sense. Having insider information about the third task, Kyle, who would be the first to enter the maze, would undoubtedly have an advantage over Krum.
So, after a quick glance at each other, the trio eagerly spilled out everything they had just heard.
"The plants provided by Professor Sprout are Devil's Snare, Venomous Tentacula, and Snapping Tree Sticks, all hidden within the hedges. Be extra careful when you're in the maze," they warned.
"There will be quite a variety of magical creatures, but that shouldn't be a problem for you."
"The most dangerous creature is the Acromantula, and it's located along a wrong route. When you see it, just run; don't waste any time..."
The three of them chattered on, not giving Kyle a chance to interject. Whenever he tried to speak, they would interrupt him.
He had wanted to say that even if Krum had this information, it wouldn't pose much of a threat. After all, once they were in the maze, anyone could easily find out by asking one of the magical creatures.
But the trio wasn't about to let him get a word in...
It was already half-past ten when Fred and George finally left the Hufflepuff common room.
They made no attempt to conceal themselves as they boldly strode up the empty staircase.
"I bet Bagman will try to meet with Karkaroff again..." Fred predicted as they walked. "We should keep an eye on him to prevent him from sharing any new information with Karkaroff."
"Exactly," George nodded in agreement. "Resorting to cheating because they can't win... No wonder adults don't have a high opinion of Durmstrang. I used to think it was because they taught Dark Magic."
"But they won't get away with it now," Fred said, waving a piece of parchment in his hand. "We'll keep an eye on Bagman. He won't be able to sneak around and pass on information to Karkaroff behind everyone's back."
The pair quickened their pace and soon reached the eighth floor. All they had to do was walk down the corridor to get to the Gryffindor common room.
"Speaking of Karkaroff, he did do one good thing," George suddenly said. "With that cat gone, the castle feels so much quieter. It's fantastic!"
"And Filch," Fred added with a laugh.
"Definitely," George agreed. "Without them around, nighttime escapades aren't as thrilling; they're a bit boring."
As they continued walking, a dimly lit lantern suddenly appeared around the corner of the corridor just as they approached the Fat Lady's portrait.
Fortunately, the twins reacted quickly, retreating and casting Disillusionment Charms on themselves.
Before long, they spotted Filch stomping down the corridor, looking grumpy as ever.
"Who's there? I heard you talking! Come out!" he growled, causing Fred and George to hold their breath in fear.
Just then, a clanging noise reverberated from downstairs, diverting his attention.
Filch hastily raised his lamp and rushed off.
...
"That's exactly what happened. The lamp almost hit my nose," Fred recounted excitedly the next morning, vividly describing the events of the previous night.
"It's your own fault for not using Disillusionment Charms to make things easier," Kyle remarked as he took a piece of roasted corn. "Filch hasn't been sacked, so you should expect his routine patrols."
"Who would've thought?" George shrugged. "Now everyone knows that Filch only comes out once during curfew, and we came out pretty late, didn't we?"
"Maybe he's rejuvenated himself," Connor suggested.
"If that's the case, it's not a bad thing," Fred said as he poked at the stew in his plate. "We kind of miss Filch."
"Without such an opponent, we're not even motivated for our nighttime escapades."
Only Fred and George would describe the thrill of night-time adventures as outwitting Filch.
"Oh, wait, Bagman is here..." George suddenly said as he glanced at the live map without any particular intention.
The two quickly finished the food on their plates, got up, and rushed out of the hall.
Cedric had also wanted to follow, but he had just run to the door of the hall when he turned back.
"They're using Disillusionment Charms," Cedric said, spreading his hands: "I can't find anyone."
...
After that, similar things happened many times.
Bagman seemed to have become a bait for the Weasley brothers. As long as it wasn't class time, they would immediately rush over as soon as he appeared, sometimes even bringing Cedric along.
On the day of the third task, which was also the end of the Hogwarts exam, they were supposed to review intensively, but now they were spending a lot of energy watching Bagman and Karkaroff.
Although Kyle had said many times that they didn't need to do this, they didn't listen at all.
"You really don't have to worry about this, Kyle."
After returning from the Quidditch field once again, Cedric said, "The sixth-year courses are very easy. Our homework is even less than when we were in third-year, and we have plenty of time."
"Yeah." Fred nodded beside him, "And you don't have to worry about exams or anything. As long as we have our O.W.L.s, even if our end-of-term exams in the sixth year are a bit worse, Mum won't say anything."
"Are you sure?" Kyle raised an eyebrow.
"Well... I think so." Fred looked hesitant, but finally waved his hand.
"You don't have to worry about this, just focus on preparing for the third task."
"We're doing this for Hogwarts." George took out something that looked like an ear and said, "If we can catch Bagman and Karkaroff cheating... Mum will definitely understand."
"What if you can't catch them, and you go home with a bad transcript?"
The two fell silent suddenly.
"If that's the case..." Fred said after a moment, "Kyle, how about lending us your attic for two months?"
...
(End of Chapter)
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