章 42: Wealthy Hagrid
...
As Dyroth made his way towards the Slytherin common room, the Weasley twins suddenly appeared, flanking him on either side.
"How terrifying is Mrs. Molly when she's angry? Isn't it something?" Fred grinned, nudging him.
"You two are clever, knowing when to hide," Dyroth replied, amused.
"Absolutely!" George puffed his chest out proudly. "Percy, on the other hand, walked straight into it, greeted Mum, and ended up getting a full time scolding."
"She blamed him for not keeping Ron in line and said he should've told us so we could look after Ron better," Fred added, shaking his head. "But honestly, how are we supposed to know everything about Ron? We're not in his head!"
The brothers exchanged looks of mock helplessness.
Dyroth seized the opportunity. "Well, there's an easy fix to all this. Why don't you teach him the secret to wandering the castle at night without getting caught?"
Dyroth had been coveting the Marauder's Map in their hands for a long time, and deliberately brought the topic to it.
The twins exchanged a knowing glance before George threw his arm around Dyroth. "Now, that's a great idea!" he said mysteriously, steering him to a quiet corner of the hallway.
Fred pulled out a crumpled piece of parchment from his pocket and unfolded it. Dyroth feigned confusion.
"What's this?"
"The key to not getting caught," Fred said with a grin.
With dramatic flair, the twins raised their wands and said in unison, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
The blank parchment sprang to life with intricate black ink, revealing the layout of Hogwarts, including the Forbidden Forest. Names floated across the map, showing the real-time movements of everyone within the castle.
Dyroth was genuinely impressed. Though James Potter and his friends may have been pranksters, their craftsmanship in creating the Marauder's Map was outstanding. The map even bypassed the disguises of Animagi and Polyjuice Potion, a feat most adult wizards could never achieve—let alone students.
"Don't look so shocked," George laughed. "We didn't make this."
"Right! We ste_, uh, 'liberated' it from Filch's office," Fred said, winking.
"Or rather, we found it, left behind by some like-minded geniuses," George added.
Then, to Dyroth's surprise, Fred shoved the Marauder's Map into his hands.
"It's yours now."
Dyroth blinked, caught off guard. "What? Just like that?"
The twins grinned mischievously.
"We've already memorized every nook and cranny of this place. It's not as useful to us anymore," George explained. "But you, our generous sponsor, could make good use of it."
"And when you want to hide it again, just say 'Mischief managed,' and the map will turn back into a blank sheet," Fred added.
Dyroth nodded, accepting the map with gratitude. "I'll make sure to use it wisely."
"Just don't be as serious as Percy," Fred teased. "Anyway, we were going to show you a new invention we've been working on. Maybe next time?"
"Unfortunately, I have to write a letter to my family tonight," Dyroth replied apologetically. "But there'll be plenty of time for that later."
After parting ways with the twins, Dyroth returned to the Slytherin common room. He wrote a coded letter, instructing Vinda to come to Hogsmeade village in the next two days. Once the owl was dispatched, he gathered a hefty bag of Galleons and set off for Hagrid's hut.
"Dyroth! You're here!" Hagrid greeted warmly as Dyroth approached. Fang, Hagrid's massive dog, bounded over, wagging his tail excitedly.
"I came to collect the materials you prepared for me," Dyroth said, smiling.
Hagrid gestured for Dyroth to follow him to a small wooden warehouse nearby. When they stepped inside, Dyroth was stunned.
He had expected a decent stash of materials, but what he saw far exceeded his imagination. Unicorn hairs were piled up like bundles of straw, and unicorn horns were stacked high, nearly reaching the ceiling. Rare magical materials littered the space—venomous snake fangs, evil bird feathers, and poison-horned beast tusks. There was a lot of them
"These are...incredible!" Dyroth said, trying to hide his astonishment.
Hagrid chuckled. "Aye, it's all here. Don't bother counting the unicorn hairs one by one. Measure 'em by the pound!"
"Pounds?" Dyroth repeated, incredulous. "I've never heard of unicorn tail hairs being sold by the pound!"
"Course not! I don't sell the good stuff to those bloodsuckers in Diagon Alley. What they get is the scraps, things I pick up off the ground," Hagrid said, clearly proud of his ethical dealings.
"You're a true friend, Hagrid," Dyroth said, though inwardly he winced. He doubted whether he had brought enough Galleons to cover even a fraction of this treasure trove.
Later that night, Dyroth received a reply from Vinda, confirming her arrival in Hogsmeade on Saturday night.
As he burned the letter in his fireplace, his mind raced. "Saturday... Voldemort's scheduled to meet me then, too. Looks like it's going to be a busy night."
He sighed, already anticipating the chaos. Living in the Slytherin dormitory as the prefect had its advantages—he could leave without attracting much attention. But dealing with Voldemort was never simple. The mental strain of keeping the Dark Lord at bay while advancing his own goals was exhausting.
"This weekend's going to be quite the balancing act," Dyroth thought, rubbing his temples.
Though, as always, he had a plan up his sleeve.
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