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Incited by the Weasley twins, a thought that had once been extinguished in Robert's heart began to stir once more.
According to them, Professor Sprout had been busy preparing for the upcoming O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s lately, leaving her with little time to guard the Whomping Willow.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
That night, the three of them once again slipped through the secret passage, ready to pull off something big.
"How's the situation now…" To make sure nothing was amiss, Robert glanced at Fred, who was holding the Marauder's Map, before moving closer to the Whomping Willow. "No professors around, right?"
Fred squinted at the old, worn parchment, frowning slightly.
"What, Professor Sprout is here?"
"No, she's not," Fred shook his head firmly. "She's still in her office. It's perfectly safe right now. I just saw our brother."
"Your brother… Ron?" Robert asked. "What's going on with him?"
"Ah, just continuing the proud Weasley tradition," George chimed in, grinning as he looked up at Robert.
"He really is one of us—sneaking out at night during his first year with a classmate. Classic move."
"I remember Charlie's first sneak-out was in his first year too."
"Bill as well…"
"Oh yeah," Fred added with a chuckle. "Percy's definitely the odd one out."
"Maybe he's adopted," George joked.
The twins were rapidly going off-topic, but Robert wasn't in the mood to discuss Percy Weasley's bloodline.
First-years sneaking out wasn't a big deal. As long as it wasn't Professor Sprout or Filch, it should be fine.
Though he had a nagging sense that something was off, there wasn't time to dwell on it now. The Whomping Willow was more important.
Robert took a deep breath, pushing down the unease rising in his chest. He turned his head and instructed, "Remember, as soon as Professor Sprout leaves her office, notify me immediately."
"You've said that like eight hundred times. Relax."
George handed Robert a small, pea-sized object and stuffed it into his pocket.
"What's this?" Robert asked.
"You'll see when it's time," George replied.
Fred continued to study the map, muttering, "Damn, why are so many people sneaking out tonight? We'd better move fast."
"Got it."
Robert didn't hesitate any longer. He quickly approached the Whomping Willow and began provoking it, darting back and forth to get its attention.
This was part of Robert's new plan.
He had decided that while his previous approach had been safe, it was far too inefficient. This time, he was willing to take a risk and provoke the Whomping Willow directly.
Fred and George had told him earlier that when the Whomping Willow slammed the ground, it often broke off some thinner branches. Those were exactly what Robert needed.
Since Apparition wasn't possible at Hogwarts, even if Professor Sprout noticed the disturbance, she'd have to leave the castle on foot, and that gave them enough time.
Robert's plan was carefully thought out, and the execution was seamless. Under his taunts, the irritable Whomping Willow began thrashing its massive limbs like clubs, slamming the ground with powerful thuds.
Minutes later, the "pea" in Robert's pocket suddenly exploded with a soft pop.
"Hurry! Time to retreat!" a voice came through—he couldn't tell if it was Fred or George.
Without a moment's delay, Robert threw a stone at the knot on the tree.
The previously berserk Whomping Willow suddenly stilled, and Robert raced forward to gather the broken branches as quickly as he could.
Within seconds, he joined Fred and George, who were waiting for him at the Quidditch pitch, and the three of them dove into the secret passage together.
The whole operation went so smoothly that it seemed like they had practiced it countless times.
"Brilliant!"
"A complete success!"
They high-fived each other in the passage, their faces lit with excitement.
"Quick, let's count the haul," Fred said eagerly.
"Nine. I've already counted," Robert replied, chuckling as he opened his hand to reveal nine branches, some long and some short.
"Aha!" George whooped, swinging his arm in triumph. These branches brought them one step closer to their dream.
"But how do we divide them?" Fred asked, eyeing the pile. "By weight?"
"Sounds fair," George agreed.
"No need," Robert said, waving a hand. "I'll take five, you two take four. That's just right."
Truthfully, Robert was getting the short end of the deal with that division, but the success of the mission outweighed the details. He didn't care about a slight imbalance.
Fred and George cared even less. As third-years, they didn't want to be seen taking advantage of a first-year anyway, so they picked the four slightly shorter ones voluntarily.
All three were in high spirits. Even in the dark, cramped tunnel, their steps felt lighter.
Fred and George chatted about how to use the branches as they walked, completely unaware of what was happening on the Marauder's Map.
At the very end of the secret passage, several new sets of footprints had appeared.
Robert hadn't noticed either.
They only realized something was wrong when they stepped out of the entrance and saw Professor McGonagall standing in front of them, scolding Malfoy and Neville.
Twelve eyes locked onto each other.
The air froze.
Seriously? This was way too coincidental.
Robert felt like the Whomping Willow had knocked him out and that he must be dreaming.
Otherwise, how else could they walk straight into a professor like this? They had the Marauder's Map, after all!
Yes, it had to be a dream. He had to be unconscious.
Robert instinctively turned around, ready to dash back into the passage.
But before he could take a step…
"I can't believe it! Roaming the school grounds in the middle of the night—do you even realize what you're doing?" Professor McGonagall's stern voice cut through the air, loud and unmistakably real.
"Professor, we know we were wrong," Robert said quickly, trying to stay calm. "We'll return to our dormitories now…"
"Stop. What are you holding in your hands?" she snapped.
Though they had tried to hide them, Professor McGonagall had caught sight of the branches. Her expression darkened by the second.
"Whomping Willow branches…" she said coldly.
"Professor, I-I can explain…" Robert stammered, but couldn't form a full sentence.
"You think this is brave?" she interrupted sharply. "Provoking the Whomping Willow and carrying its branches around like trophies—do you think this proves your courage?"
"Reckless. Absolutely reckless. Do you have any idea how dangerous that tree is? Even fully grown wizards avoid it!"
Robert blinked. At first, he was stunned. But then his eyes lit up, and he said loudly, "Sorry, Professor. We won't do it again!"
Then, he nudged Fred and George with his elbow.
The twins caught on instantly.
Compared to admitting they had conspired to harvest branches, saying they were showing off out of recklessness sounded far less incriminating.
It was, in fact, the perfect excuse.
A reason so in character for Gryffindors that it could reduce the offense by a degree—or even two.
After all, Gryffindors were known for their boldness, and a few reckless antics were just par for the course.
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