[Note: Read up to Chapter - 189 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]
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"Blimey, that was brilliant!"
In the secret passage beneath the Whomping Willow, Fred was panting hard, but his face was glowing with excitement.
"I knew it would work! Even the Whomping Willow couldn't keep up. We're proper geniuses!" George threw his arms about, gesturing wildly as if celebrating a grand victory.
"But hang on… wasn't it my idea to chuck you up with the Levitation Charm and pin you down on the tree stump?" Aris asked, giving the twins a helpless look. He couldn't decide whether to laugh or sigh.
These two—who only moments ago looked scared out of their wits—were now strolling through the secret passage as if nothing had happened. Absolutely shameless!
Aris shook his head. His first impression of them had been right after all.
The Weasley twins weren't just mischievous and cheeky… they had thicker skin than a troll.
"Aris, you're the best!"
In perfect sync, the twins shot him a thumbs-up before turning their attention to their surroundings as if nothing at all had happened.
"I swear this has to be an underground cave!"
"And I'd bet my broom it leads right out of Hogwarts!"
The pair bounced off each other like they were doing a comedy sketch, tossing wild guesses back and forth.
Aris, however, felt most of what came out of their mouths was utter rubbish.
The three of them carried on into the damp underground passage. Well—two of them carried on cautiously. The Weasley twins crept forward like they were breaking into some cursed vault, wands raised, eyes darting about nervously.
They joked and bantered the whole way, but their bodies were stiff with tension.
Aris trailed behind at his own pace, casually glancing down at the Marauder's Map in his hand.
As they went deeper into the passage, the glowing lines on the map showed they were nearing the very end of the route.
Strictly speaking, it wasn't the end of the passage at all. The map's line just cut off, stretching no further—as though whatever lay beyond had been deliberately hidden.
Aris flipped the parchment back over, his eyes narrowing as he instinctively searched for Quirrell's name.
But it wasn't there.
"Hm? He's not in the castle?" Aris muttered, frowning.
At such a sensitive time, the man had either slipped out of Hogwarts altogether—or found a way to mask himself. Either way, it didn't sit right.
"Where are the little ones?" he murmured, shifting his focus.
The Marauder's Map was a marvel for this very reason. As long as someone was within Hogwarts grounds, he could pinpoint them in seconds.
Unless, of course, they'd cloaked themselves with magic—or vanished into some hidden spot beyond the map's reach.
Before long, Aris spotted Harry Potter's name.
Ronald and Hermione were with him too—and their little group seemed to be heading straight for the fourth-floor corridor.
"What on earth are they up to now?" Aris muttered, his frown deepening.
Quirrell's name had vanished from the map, and those three nosy sprogs were sneaking off to the fourth floor again.
The whole thing… it smelt far too much like the final showdown in the original tale.
If Quirrell had slipped into the chamber guarding the Sorcerer's Stone, it would explain why his name had vanished—the place must've been warded with enchantments to mask anyone inside.
But the timing didn't add up. By his reckoning, this wasn't supposed to happen yet.
He remembered it clearly: Quirrell only made his move after the end-of-year exams. And there were still a good two weeks to go before those even began!
Could it be that Voldemort had felt rattled by what happened in the Forbidden Forest last time—and decided to move ahead of schedule?
That thought made Aris halt in his tracks.
"You two, I'm afraid today's little adventure ends here," he said flatly.
His voice made the Weasley twins stop dead and glance back at him in confusion.
"What's up, Aris? We're nearly at the exit. You sure you don't want to see it through?" Fred asked, clearly reluctant to quit.
"Yeah, we're almost at the finish line—how can we bottle it now?" George chimed in, just as unwilling to turn back.
But Aris's tone left no room for argument.
"This passage has only one exit. The map shows no forks, and you've just walked it yourselves—straight on and you'll find the way out."
He straightened, already turning away. "I've business in the castle that can't wait. I'll be off at once."
With that, Aris turned on his heel and strode off, not sparing a glance for the regretful looks on the twins' faces.
By the flow of the tale, Harry Potter was bound to defeat Voldemort's lingering soul and nab the Philosopher's Stone, buoyed by the ever-reliable halo of the protagonist. But Aris wasn't about to leave things to chance—he didn't fancy any accidents cropping up in the meantime.
And then there was Hermione. She'd no doubt be sticking her nose into the Chamber of Secrets before long… that alone had him on edge.
What's more, he happened to know Dumbledore was out of the castle just now. The Headmaster always made a point of letting Aris know whenever he left, a subtle reminder for him to mind his manners and not stir up trouble.
Without Dumbledore around, though, the whole affair felt far shakier.
"Aris!" the Weasley twins called after him.
But the boy never once looked back, leaving them to trade helpless sighs as he disappeared down the corridor.
"What now?" Fred glanced at George.
"What else? We crack on!" George shot back without a shred of hesitation.
"A proper warrior doesn't flinch at the sight of blood!"
"So what, we hit a little snag and leg it? Not a chance!"
"Exactly what I was thinking!" Fred grinned, giving George a cheeky wink.
With that, the pair shared a look of perfect understanding and marched deeper into the secret passage.
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Meanwhile, up on the fourth-floor corridor of the castle…
Harry and Ronald were pacing anxiously, waiting for Hermione.
"Why's she taking so long? Think she's gone to find Aris?" Harry muttered, frowning.
"Harry… if Aris doesn't show, are we still going in?" Ronald asked nervously, his eyes fixed on the heavy door just ahead—the one guarded by the monstrous three-headed dog. He swallowed hard.
"'Course we are!" Harry replied, without a moment's hesitation.
Then Harry frowned again, his tone softening just a touch.
"At the very least, we've got to check if there's anything dodgy going on with that three-headed mutt. Otherwise, how are we meant to sleep easy?"
"Bloody hell, I knew you'd say that…" Ronald grumbled, shaking his head in defeat.
Just then, a figure came pelting down the corridor.
"Hermione!" Harry's eyes lit up, and he rushed towards her. "Well? Did you find Aris?"
"No!" Hermione panted, clearly out of breath from sprinting. "I've already looked everywhere—the Ravenclaw common room, the lab, the Great Hall… we've checked all the places Aris might be!"
She hesitated for a beat before adding, almost reluctantly, "He… might not even be in the castle."
"Not in the castle?!" Harry and Ronald gaped at her, dumbfounded.
"But… where would he go?"
"More to the point, what do we do now?"
The three of them turned their eyes to the looming door ahead, their faces knotted with indecision.
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Drop Power Stonessssssssss!
[Note: Read up to Chapter - 189 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]