"I really can't believe it, Kael."
In the dead of night, next to the barrel at the entrance to the Hufflepuff common room, Cedric said with a conflicted expression, "You actually agreed with the Weasley brothers to go on a night adventure with them!"
"I've thought it over, and what they said isn't wrong."
Kael was looking down as he rummaged through his Transfiguration Lizard Skin Bag, "I really need to do something fun to ease my awful mood."
"But you can't go on a night adventure..." Cedric said with a pained expression, "That's a violation of school rules. If you're caught, not only will you lose points, but you'll be put in detention! You're only a first-year, you can't start down the path of breaking school rules."
As Cedric spoke, he was genuinely sincere, as if he really didn't want to see Kael led astray by the Weasley brothers.
"Relax, with the Marauder's Map, no one can catch us."
At this point, Kael found what he was looking for, looked up at him, and said, "And before you say that, you might want to check your own position. This is the castle corridor, not the common room. You're part of this night adventure too."
"I, I don't want to go on a night adventure." Cedric said stiffly, "I just want to keep an eye on you, to prevent you from breaking more school rules."
"Tsk—" Kael scoffed, raising an eyebrow, "Fine, as you wish. Let's go back now and not see the Moonstruck Beast dance in the Forbidden Forest."
"Uh, well..." Cedric's eyes suddenly became a bit shifty, muttering, "No, I... that's not what I meant. I just want to..."
"You want to go to the Forbidden Forest, right?" Kael interrupted him unceremoniously, pointing at Conna, who was standing silently at the side, "Learn from her. If you want to go, just wait quietly. Say one more word, and I won't take you."
Cedric chuckled awkwardly a couple of times and immediately went quiet.
Earlier in the auditorium, although Kael and the Weasley twins tried to keep their voices low, the table was only so big, and it was inevitable that Cedric and Conna, sitting next to them, overheard some of it.
When Kael sneakily left the dormitory at night, he turned to see two heads staring at him intently in the moonlight.
The sight made Kael's scalp tingle, and any lingering sleepiness vanished instantly, leaving him covered in a cold sweat.
Those two were Cedric and Conna, and their intention was simple: to go to the Forbidden Forest with Kael.
Then, the scene just now happened.
After Cedric quieted down, Kael took out a bundle of long, narrow items from his Transfiguration Lizard Skin Bag and handed them over, saying, "Choose one for yourself."
Cedric looked at the items in Kael's hand, feeling they seemed familiar. Upon closer inspection, he realized they were scarves from the other three houses.
Gryffindor's gold and red, Slytherin's silver and green, and Ravenclaw's gray and blue—everything was here.
There were about a dozen of them tightly bound together, and if you didn't look carefully, you'd think it was a wooden post.
Cedric's mind was a bit muddled, and he instinctively asked, "Kael, why are you giving me this? I have my own scarf."
"This isn't for warmth, just to be prepared." Kael said without looking back, "If we're discovered, you can throw it on the ground while escaping."
"..."
Cedric and Conna exchanged glances, unsure if they should take it.
Seeing they weren't making a move, Kael directly pulled out two silver-green scarves and draped them around their necks.
He was also using one of these for himself.
After equipping themselves, the three left the kitchen corridor and went to the place they had agreed upon earlier—an area next to the auditorium and the place where new students wait during the sorting ceremony.
Apart from the sorting, this spot was generally unnoticed, and even Filch seldom patrolled here.
When they arrived, Fred and George were already waiting.
"Wow, look who we've got here," George said, his eyes lighting up, "First-place Cedric and the champion who conquered Snape, Conna."
Fred exclaimed excitedly, "I didn't expect our night adventure group to be so impressive. This is just... wait!"
At that moment, he noticed something, exclaiming in confusion, "Why are you all wearing Slytherin clothes?"
Kael, helpless, explained once more.
"What a genius idea..."
Fred and George were amazed, unable to wait as they asked, "Is there any more, quickly give us one too!"
Kael shrugged and handed them two silver-green scarves as well.
Don't ask why they're all Slytherin ones—it's just convenience, and has nothing to do with Snape targeting him.
The twins took the scarves and immediately put them on.
Admiring his new look, Fred curiously asked, "Kael, I don't think you've ever left Hogwarts, where did you get these things?"
"My mom sent them to me,"
Kael explained, "Along with the scarves was a Universal Key and an Invisibility Cloak enchanted with a Disillusionment Charm.
Though I don't know why she sent these things, they happen to come in handy now."
Kael spoke lightly, but he failed to notice the twins' eyes turning red.
"Universal Key..."
"Invisibility Cloak..."
Fred swallowed hard and said sincerely, "Mrs. Chopper is simply the greatest mom in the world."
"Exactly," George wholeheartedly agreed, "Her deeds and thoughts should be written into a book and placed in the most prominent place at Flourish and Blotts and in the school library."
"If that day ever comes, I guarantee I'll buy it."
"Even if it means going broke to take it home."
"To put in the kitchen..."
"Or in mom's room!"
"If that day really comes..." Kael grinned, "You'd most likely end up getting a beating from Mrs. Weasley."
"No," Fred said seriously, "Mom never beats us."
"She just twists our ears," George laughed, "I guess she wants to twist them off so she won't call us by the wrong name anymore."
"Though she's never actually done that."
Watching Kael and the twins chat and laugh, Cedric and Conna stood frozen, afraid Filch might suddenly jump out from some corner and drag them to the professors' office.
"Don't worry, we've been keeping an eye on the Marauder's Map," Fred noticed their unease and said, spreading out the parchment in his hand, "Filch and Mrs. Norris are on the fifth floor, if we don't shout too loudly, he won't find us... oh damn, that cat is coming down!"
On the map, Mrs. Norris's name was moving quickly toward their location.
George, seeing this, quickly took out his wand and aimed at a nearby tapestry.
"Specialis Revelio!"
The tapestry split open, revealing a deep passageway.
"Get in quickly!" Fred urged, "We have to leave before that cat gets here!"
Not daring to delay, they quickly crawled into the secret passage.
After George, who was last in line, got in, the tapestry immediately returned to its original state.
The next second, Mrs. Norris arrived.
She looked at the empty corridor, paced around confusedly for a while, and then left.