Chapter 102. A Chance Encounter with Quirrell
Duncan said goodbye to the Giant Squid and strode towards the castle, and along the way he ran into Hermione and the others coming out of Hagrid's hut.
They were moving in three groups.
Ron and Harry were in front, animatedly discussing some issue.
Neville walked in the middle, brow furrowed as if weighed down by some worry.
Hermione brought up the rear.
Her expression was similar to Neville's, her eyebrows knitted so tightly her little face was almost scrunched up.
Turning up the slope towards the castle, Hermione caught sight of Duncan out of the corner of her eye.
She seemed a little cheered and waved to greet him.
"Duncan, where did you go?"
Walking over to them, Duncan smiled and said, "Oh, had a bit of business and took two laps round the lake."
His gaze swept curiously over Neville and Hermione's faces.
"You two look like you've got something on your minds.
Anything I can help with?"
Hermione had just opened her mouth when Ron cut in first.
"In this cold, what are you doing at the Black Lake?"
"Went to play with the Giant Squid for a bit," Duncan shrugged.
Ron had been rather well-behaved lately.
Hermione's little face puffed up, making her look like a pufferfish.
She glared at Ron in displeasure, blaming him for interrupting her.
Harry stared in astonishment.
"The Giant Squid in the lake is your friend, too?"
"As long as I want to, I can be friends with all animals," Duncan said with some exaggeration, sounding quite confident.
Harry let out another gasp, as if he wanted to ask a question, but Ron stopped him.
Seeing their odd behaviour, Duncan raised an eyebrow.
"You lot carry on here.
I've got something to do, so I'll head off."
With that, Duncan quickened his pace towards the castle.
He needed to find Fred and George to discuss the matter in the Black Lake.
Otherwise, relying on his own strength alone, it would be a bit difficult to find clues to the key in such a vast castle.
Not long after Duncan left, the four still climbing the slope fell back into a quiet, chirping quarrel.
Harry and Hermione both sounded dissatisfied, while Ron tried to soothe them, explaining with exaggerated expressions.
Duncan, however, didn't much care about any of that at the moment.
He jogged and dashed all the way up to the sixth floor of the castle and leaned against the wall, panting hard.
"We're practically in a new era.
It's about time Hogwarts installed a few lifts.
Running like this is exhausting."
Muttering on, Duncan lightened his steps towards a classroom in the corner and pushed the door open without a sound.
The windows on both sides were covered by curtains.
Only pinpricks of light spilled through the gaps, just enough to make out the scene inside.
Abandoned chairs were piled haphazardly everywhere, covered in cobwebs and dust, and from time to time little insects darted by.
Duncan stood on tiptoe and carefully glanced around the interior.
From a spot on the far side blocked by chairs, he found the people he was looking for.
He tiptoed over, tilted his head for a look, and saw Fred and George sitting cross-legged on the floor with a cauldron before them.
A pale yellow liquid was bubbling in the pot, constantly sending up blisters as it devoured the various ingredients the two kept adding.
Duncan gave a small cough, lowered his voice, and said in a deep tone, "Weasleys, what are you two doing in here?"
Startled by the sudden voice, Fred and George jolted.
The ingredients in their hands flew up into the air.
Duncan hurried to catch them so they wouldn't fall into the pot and ruin the whole brew.
"Duncan?
Are you trying to scare us to death?"
Fred turned and, seeing it was Duncan, angrily punched him twice.
Rubbing his arm where he'd been hit, Duncan chuckled and sat down behind them.
"Besides me, does anyone else know you're here?"
"Good point."
George snatched the ingredients back from Duncan's hands and went on tending the cauldron with extra care.
Watching with interest, Duncan asked, "What are you two tinkering with this time?"
"A kind of sweet," Fred perked up at Duncan's question and spoke quickly.
"By our design, it tastes like chocolate, with a hint of bitterness," said George.
"But you mustn't treat it as just an ordinary chocolate because of that," Fred said mysteriously, lowering his voice.
"Once you eat it, it'll bring you a surprise."
"It can make your hair turn multicoloured and even glow, constantly changing colours."
"It'll make you the focus of the crowd— that gleam in the night— never able to keep a low profile!"
"Well?
Sounds pretty good, doesn't it?"
Taking turns, Fred and George introduced it to Duncan like it was some thrilling treasure.
Duncan nodded.
It was indeed pretty good— practically the ultimate Shamate accessory.
If it were put in the world he used to live in, it would definitely be feverishly sought after by some youths!
Satisfied with Duncan's reaction, Fred gave two more lines of introduction before asking, "Right, what did you come find us for?
Surely you didn't come just to see what we were making?"
"I do have a bit of business..."
Remembering why he'd come, Duncan told them what he had seen and heard in the Black Lake.
Fred and George looked at each other in delight.
"Fred!"
"George!"
"We're going to make a fortune!"
"Hey, hey, don't be happy too soon.
The entrance hasn't even opened yet!" Duncan waved a hand.
"What if it opens and turns out to be just some prank by someone like you from long ago?
You two would be crying your eyes out."
"No worries.
If that's the case, the first to go mad will be those merpeople who've been waiting who-knows-how-long," Fred said with a grin.
"Their deranged display will surely soothe our wounded hearts," George said, a little schadenfreude in his tone.
"So all your joy is built on other people's pain, is it?"
Duncan rolled his eyes.
"All right, you two get on with it.
We'll be off.
When you've got spare time, remember to look more for clues about the key."
"Don't worry!" Fred patted his chest in assurance.
"Once we finish this gadget, we'll hole up in the library.
If we can't find where the key went, then even if we die, we'll die in there."
Duncan laughed and said, "Fine.
When the time comes, I'll come to the library to collect your bodies.
Don't worry, I'll make sure to pick two fine coffins for you!"
"Duncan, get lost, will you!" Fred and George said in unison, fuming.
Duncan pulled a face at them, waved goodbye, opened the door to make sure no one was outside, then turned, crossed the corridor, and stepped onto the stairs.
When he reached the fourth floor, Duncan saw Quirrell.
Quirrell was clinging to the wall as he slowly made his way down, panting hoarsely.
"Quirrell's health seems to be getting worse and worse.
Will he not even make it to the end of term before dying?" Duncan thought to himself.
He suspected he might have set too many and too vicious devices in the forest, leaving Quirrell so feeble even now.
As Duncan was passing by Quirrell, a weak voice sounded at his ear.
"Duncan Scamander, I've finally found you..."
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