章 31: 031 The Twins Plan

Bryan observed Harry Potter leaving his office, a tinge of disappointment apparent on the young wizard's face. In the end, he also had failed to uncover any inhumane secrets. Bryan wasn't surprised by this outcome. Considering Harry's age and his reputation as the heir of Slytherin among his peers, it was understandable that he would withhold such information. Bryan believed that Headmaster Dumbledore should be the one Harry confided in, rather than placing trust in a stranger like himself.

However, after the test just now, Bryan did confirm that Potter had hidden some extremely critical information. If he knew this information, the situation would probably not be so passive.

"Maybe I should think of some way to gain his trust?"

Bryan stared at the swaying light and shadow on the ceiling, frowning in distress. What if the heir never showed his feet?

Bryan once considered that maybe he could get some Polyjuice potion and pretend to be Colin or Justin, spread information to the outside world that the young wizard who was attacked had woken up, and provided the school with key clues to the identity of the culprit, while he himself would just need to show his face with the face of the person being impersonated, and then hide in the school hospital and never come out.

This is a good method, but there is a loophole, that is, if Colin and Justin did not see the real face of the perpetrator when they were petrified, then this method may not be able to scare the attacker.

"Wait and see—"

Bryan withdrew his gaze, and after he moved his fingers towards the monitoring wall, the curtain was pulled open silently, staring at the swaying figures on the wall, he muttered,

If there is still no progress, then the only way is to hug the thighs of the protagonist group—

Harry, who left Mr. Watson's office, walked towards the Gryffindor tower. Originally, he planned to tell Hermione the process of the conversation first, but Harry carefully thought about it. It seemed that there was no need to borrow Hermione's wisdom urgently.

He has already figured out the most critical issue, that is, Mr. Watson will not easily believe the rumors in the school, and he will not put anyone in the castle in prison until he has definite evidence. For Harry, that's enough.

As for not telling Mr. Watson about the horrible voice and Dobby's warning, that's what Harry thought.

Since Mr. Watson refuses to clarify for himself, even if these things are said, it is unlikely to change the result, but it will make him appear more suspicious.

And, he always thought, if anyone needed to know these things, it should be Headmaster Dumbledore—thought Harry as he passed the doorway behind the Fat Lady's portrait.

Except for Percy, several children of the Weasley family were sitting on a large soft sofa under a bright crystal chandelier. When they saw Harry, they immediately showed expressions of relief and waved to him happily. And this scene warmed Harry's heart.

"Well, Harry, did that Watson make things difficult for you because of Filch?" Ron stood up and handed Harry a glass of pumpkin juice.

"Better than I thought, Ron." Harry grinned.

Twenty minutes later, when Harry told them the whole process of the conversation, the Weasleys, who were nervous because of worry, relaxed a lot.

"Oh, that Mr. Investigator seems to be more intelligent than we thought, George. It seems that we have to make some adjustments to our plan." Fred muttered, but his expression seemed a little disappointed, "We were going to give him some flair!"

"Don't, Fred." Harry said worriedly, "Mr. Watson is not a showman like Lockhart, he is not so easy to deal with!"

"Trust in our professionalism, Harry," George chimed in confidently. "We never miss!"

Ron looked at George with great interest and asked, "So, what's your plan? Are you going to throw something big in his office?"

When Harry said that he would not be thrown out of school inexplicably for the time being, Ginny's pale and haggard face, which looked as if she hadn't slept for half a month, regained some color, and she let go of her hand covering her chest. Tone, but after a short while, her breath came again, and she looked tense.

"That Mr. Watson said that he was monitoring the school, but how did he do it? I mean, he almost never steps out of that office of his?"

It was indeed a puzzling question, and Harry couldn't answer it, but his intuition told him that Mr. Watson was not lying, and they discussed it for a long time, and finally, the result is that it is probably related to the wall covered by the curtain.

"It seems that we still have to go, Fred!" At the end of the conversation, George raised his eyebrows and smirked at his brother.

"Of course, George, there's probably no one else who would take the opportunity to sneak into his office except the two of us!" Fred winked at George.

After everyone left, Fred whispered to George, "You think that Percy will have a share too."

"Shut up, Fred!" George said hurriedly, looking at Percy who was struggling to climb into the lounge. "Wait until tomorrow, we can figure this out."

On Tuesday morning, Gryffindor's fourth-year class had charms with Professor Flitwick. They were learning the Laughter Charm—a spell that brought happiness.

"—At the end of the casting action, your wand needs to be slightly raised upwards. This is very important, gentlemen and ladies," Professor Flitwick said sharply on the first base beside the podium, "otherwise, if you wake up, you will find yourself lying on the floor with a black-haired baboon on your chest!"

"What are you two up to?"

Angelina saw that Fred and George didn't practice spells with each other at all but lowered their heads to peek at a piece of parchment. On the yellowed paper, there were many densely packed words moving back and forth.

"Peeking into someone's privacy is despicable, Angelina. I wouldn't want a despicable person as my teammate~" Fred replied, turning his head to avoid Angelina's gaze. He then discreetly signaled George, who promptly produced an orange-yellow candy from his sleeve.

"If I die because of this, Fred, remember to bury my body in Filch's office!" George said with a smile.

Three minutes later, the originally noisy classroom fell silent amidst a series of eardrum-piercing screams. The bright red liquid ejected from George's two nostrils at the same time stunned everyone. Professor Flitwick trotted over. When he saw the horrible scene and the large bloodstains on Fred's robe, he also fell into a panic.

"Fred, no, George, well, no matter who you are, can someone explain to me what's going on!"

"He's going to die!" Fred supported George, who was pale and grieved, "Would you allow me to find a place to bury my dear brother?"

"No one dies, Weasley!" Professor Flitwick was annoyed. He said, "Take him to Madam Pomfrey to deal with it. If there is time, I hope you can come back and practice the Laughter Charm. This lesson is very important, Weasley, because—" Flitwick didn't finish his sentence. He stopped talking because, after hearing that he allowed them to go to the school hospital, the two Weasleys immediately jumped up lively and jumped out of the classroom without looking back, leaving Professor Flitwick standing in a big pool of blood, his room messy.

Because it was class time, there were very few young wizards wandering around in the castle. Fred and George, who were holding their noses, ran all the way. When they reached the fourth floor, Fred suggested that he investigate Watson's office by himself and let George go to the school hospital to simply deal with it.

"We haven't figured out the antidote for this, George. Maybe it will make all your blood dry!"

"Don't do it alone, Fred. You can't take all the credit by yourself!" George rushed straight to the third floor, holding his gurgling nose that was bleeding.

According to the results of observation over the past few days, Bryan Watson would only leave his mysterious office between 10:30 and 11:00 in the morning and from 4:00 to 4:30 in the afternoon. Then he would go to the prefect's bathroom to soak in a bath to relieve fatigue, and finally rush back without stopping.

Cracking the protective spell on the office door turned out to be much easier than the twins had anticipated. A simple "Alohomora" spell was all it took.

Sneaking into the room, Fred and George stooped low. The office had simple furnishings and didn't warrant much attention. Standing before the black curtain, the twins exchanged excited glances.

"On the count of three, let's unveil this mystery together!" Fred whispered eagerly to George.

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章 32: 032 Failed Plans

"Please, tell me this isn't just a dream, George," Fred exclaimed, his voice tinged with disbelief, as he slowly pulled back the black curtain. The twin brothers stood in front of the mysterious investigator's office, a mix of pride and exhilaration coursing through their veins. They had successfully broken in, and now, they were about to uncover the secrets that lay within. However, as they stared at the wall before them, their excitement turned into frozen disbelief.

Rubbing their eyes in utter disbelief, the twins stood there, their expressions a bizarre blend of shock, awe, and wonder. Their faces mirrored the comical bewilderment of Muggles witnessing real magic for the first time. George, his voice barely a whisper, murmured an apology to his brother, still trying to process the sheer incredibility of the invention that unfolded before them. "I can't make any guarantees, but I think we might have just stumbled upon the very means by which Mr. Watson has been covertly spying on all of Hogwarts from this very office. It's mind-boggling!" he exclaimed, his words filled with a mixture of astonishment and excitement.

"Yeah, mind-boggling indeed," Fred echoed, his voice tinged with a stunned sense of amazement, as he lowered his head to examine the parchment with floating words, then shifted his gaze to the grid pictures, each one containing a mesmerizing scene. With each passing moment, his breathing grew heavier, his mind struggling to fully comprehend the magnitude of what they had stumbled upon. "Our map and this... they're incomparable. But I still can't wrap my head around the hows and whys of it all!" he exclaimed, his voice tinged with a blend of admiration and perplexity.

After what felt like an eternity, the twins finally snapped out of their bewildered state, the fog of disbelief gradually lifting. As their consciousness fully returned, their first instinct was to slump against the wall, seeking solace in its sturdy presence, their minds reeling from the mind-bending discoveries they had just made.

Filled with a mix of exhilaration and bewilderment, George, despite the slight trickle of blood from his nose, ignored the paleness on his face and the lingering dizziness in his head. His entire being was consumed by an insatiable desire to analyze and understand the groundbreaking invention of Mr. Watson, alongside Fred. How did these simple devices transform into such epoch-making marvels? What hidden mechanisms lay behind their seemingly magical functionality?

Lost in their thoughts, the twins delved deep into the inner workings of this remarkable creation. They eagerly explored the endless possibilities and profound implications that now lay before them. Their minds raced with excitement, contemplating the boundless potential that Mr. Watson's ingenuity had unleashed upon the world.

"I bet you, Fred, with Percy's prefect badge, that he must have employed highly advanced transfiguration," George exclaimed, his voice filled with reverence, as he prodded the wall with a mixture of curiosity and awe. "There must be some sort of alchemy tool involved, capturing images of various parts of the castle and transferring them onto this transformed wall, converting them into understandable visual representations—" "It's even more than that!" Fred interjected, his voice rising with a sense of wonder and discovery. "Look at the perspectives of these pictures, George. It's as if he has installed hundreds of alchemical props throughout the castle, enabling him to monitor every nook and cranny. What kind of device could possess such remarkable functionality?"

The twins stood before the wall, engaged in a non-stop discussion, dissecting and analyzing the technical means employed by the system. Gradually, they reached a consensus that this monitoring equipment harnessed a wide range of magical disciplines and a depth of knowledge that surpassed their own current capabilities.

"You know, Fred, if we approach him sincerely, maybe Mr. Watson would be willing to share some insights with us," Fred expressed his hope, his gaze fixated on the screen, his mind racing with thoughts and possibilities. He glanced at the map in his hand, which suddenly seemed inferior compared to the awe-inspiring technology before them.

"That's a possibility, bro," George, with an ugly face due to his persistently bleeding nose, interrupted. "But if Mr. Watson has been monitoring everyone's actions from this very office, does that mean..." The twins exchanged glances, a realization dawning upon them. Their late-night adventures sneaking out of the common room must have been observed by Mr. Watson the entire time.

"He didn't report us to Professor McGonagall. Perhaps he coincidentally fell asleep while we were out," Fred conjectured, a mix of relief and disbelief coloring his voice.

Though the matter lingered in their minds, they knew it wasn't the right time to delve into it further. They hadn't forgotten that Bryan Watson would soon finish his bath and return to the monitoring room. With the curtains drawn, Fred held his head in his hands, feeling a throbbing headache, while George, still feeling a bit dizzy, made his way toward the door. As his hand touched the doorknob and twisted it, a mournful expression washed over his face.

"Fred, there's some very interesting information that I can't wait to share with you!" George said, squinting his eyes and pressing his hand against his forehead. "But I have a feeling you'll have to wait until I'm lying in Madam Pomfrey's hospital bed for me to tell you."

"I'm afraid we won't have the luxury of waiting, George," Fred replied, his voice tinged with urgency, as he vigorously twisted the doorknob, only to find it immovable. "I believe we should brace ourselves for an ambush."

An awkward silence fell between the twins as they stared at each other, realizing the carelessness of the experienced wizard entrusted by the school board to investigate the danger. How could such a wizard leave this crucial monitoring room unguarded?

Ten seconds passed, and then the twins swiftly initiated their self-rescue operation. They cast spell after spell, desperately trying to break through the door's defenses, but to no avail. The door remained stubbornly impenetrable, repelling all their efforts.

George, with determination burning in his eyes, broke free from Fred's support, wand firmly in hand, and took aim at the doorknob from a distance of three feet. With a shared look of resolve, they simultaneously shouted, "Reducto!" However, the feeble light that accompanied their spell flickered momentarily before returning to its original state, leaving the door unscathed.

"Damn it, that sly fellow!" Fred cursed through gritted teeth, his frustration mounting. "He must have anticipated the arrival of curious little wizards like us and set up a trap to catch us!" In a last-ditch effort, Fred attempted several more spells, but each one was deflected by the powerful defensive spell protecting the door. Anxiously glancing at the parchment in his hand, Fred realized that the most primitive method might be their only option—trying to break the door down, hoping to seal it shut.

"Stop with the foolishness, Fred!" George looked around, his gaze landing on the window overlooking the Forbidden Forest. "Come and help me, brother. Perhaps we can find a way to escape from here!"

"Are you out of your mind, George?" Fred exclaimed, his eyes widening with a mixture of disbelief and apprehension. "We're on the third floor! I'd rather face Mr. Investigator and be handed over to Professor McGonagall than risk jumping out and breaking my neck!"

Despite Fred's objections, George persisted, making his way to the window, his mind searching for a solution. However, after another round of futile attempts, the twins collapsed on the ground, defeated by the impregnable barriers that stood before them.

"Can you believe it, George?" Fred frantically scratched his head, his face contorted with despair. "Who in their right mind would put a protective spell on a window?"

Unbeknownst to the twins, Bryan Watson emerged from the prefect's bathroom with wet hair, humming a tuneless ditty, his spirits high. As he passed the statue of Stupid Boris, he couldn't help but reflect on his decision to become a prefect during his school days. The privileges that came with the position were far beyond what ordinary wizards could even dream of. His office boasted a well-worn floor adorned with luxurious snow-white marble, and the spacious bathroom resembled a private swimming pool—a sight that evoked envy in those who glimpsed it.

However, the only downside was the portrait of a sleeping mermaid on the wall, who always seemed to sneak glances at his chiseled eight-pack abs whenever he rested, occasionally leaving Bryan feeling a tad embarrassed.

With just two minutes left until the little wizards would finish their classes, Bryan leisurely descended from the sixth floor to the third. A mischievous smile played on his lips as he stood outside his office door, wand at the ready. His voice brimmed with excitement as he declared, "Now, it's time to unravel the mystery of the intruder!"

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