"I can feel them."
Luna seemed to genuinely enjoy the sensation. "Sometimes if you just stay with the traces a little longer, they remember you a bit more."
"You can see them too, can't you?"
She glanced back at Rock as she spoke.
Rock didn't answer. Right then he had the spell-sight eyes fully open, and his mouth had fallen slightly open without him noticing.
In his vision, Luna looked like she had simply become part of Hogwarts itself.
The ancient lines that made up the castle seemed to like this little witch. It was the first time Rock had ever seen anyone exist in that state—Dumbledore himself had never looked like this.
He glanced down at his own palm. No… he was the same right now, but only while the spell-sight eyes were active.
A natural-born existence that could resonate with Hogwarts itself.
"Let's go," Rock said, shutting the ability off. "Curfew's coming."
"Okay." Luna slipped straight back into that airy, dreamy state.
Midnight.
Rock slipped out of the Ravenclaw common room again. His hand brushed the walls as he walked, almost without thinking.
Before he quite realized it he had reached the library. The moment his palm touched the stone, thick golden threads bloomed into his perception.
"So this is what 'content' feels like?"
He matched the sensation to what Luna had described earlier.
Then he shook his head and laughed quietly at himself. Am I actually getting stupid?
Still… the lines inside the library really did feel pleased right now. At least they weren't as irritable or barely-controlled as the ones he usually saw.
He carefully nudged one of the threads with a thread of his own magic.
The entire library suddenly felt different.
Like it was breathing.
A strange noise drifted out from inside. Rock's eyebrow rose.
He pointed his wand at the library doors. "Alohomora!"
Click.
The crisp sound echoed down the empty corridor. Rock stepped inside at a calm pace.
He looked toward the Restricted Section and said softly, "I think you'd better come out."
Nothing moved. Rock rubbed the space between his eyebrows. "I heard that noise just now. Fred. George."
In the completely empty library, cheerful laughter suddenly rang out.
Two ripples of magic shimmered, and Fred appeared with his arm slung around George's shoulders. "Told you we couldn't hide from our investor."
George waved the book in his hand. "This is all your fault for touching that particular volume."
Rock was about to reply when a cat's meow floated in from outside the library.
"Mrrrow~"
The sound was getting closer fast.
Fred and George exchanged a look and both grinned like troublemakers. "Looks like Filch found us~"
They didn't sound worried at all—more like they were looking forward to it.
"Mrs. Norris."
Rock called softly. A sleek shape bounded over and leapt straight into his arms, rubbing against him nonstop.
"Merlin's beard!"
Fred and George both gaped, then hurried over.
"I've never seen that cat act like this in my life!" Fred stared like he was meeting Mrs. Norris for the first time and reached out to pet her.
A sharp, furious yowl exploded immediately.
"Mrrrow!"
Mrs. Norris clearly hated Fred's touch. She bared her teeth at him, thoroughly offended.
Tap. Tap.
Footsteps approached. Fred and George each grabbed one of Rock's arms, ready to drag him out.
"Rock, we should leave. Now."
"Yeah. If Filch catches us he loves messing with the 'good little students'—especially with those chains he keeps so carefully polished."
Rock gently set Mrs. Norris down. "Do me a favor and stall Mr. Filch for a minute. I'm leaving right now."
"Mrrrow~"
Mrs. Norris gave a soft answering meow and padded out of the library.
Rock gestured for Fred and George to follow, then flicked his wand. The doors swung shut and a repair charm restored the lock perfectly.
"Nice repair charm."
Fred raised an eyebrow. George grinned. "I'm more interested in why that cat actually listens to you."
"Exactly. Everyone knows she's about as approachable as Filch himself."
"Maybe," Rock said, "you just haven't found a better way yet?"
He pointed his wand at himself and cast a Disillusionment Charm. The twins immediately did the same. The three of them stood perfectly still in the shadows.
A moment later Filch appeared around the corner, stroking Mrs. Norris in his arms. "My sweet, did you see those two students who snuck out?"
"Mrrrow~"
Mrs. Norris glanced once toward the corner where Rock and the twins were standing, then deliberately looked in the opposite direction and meowed again.
"I see. Let's go that way, then."
Filch set off in the direction she indicated.
Under the Disillusionment Charms, Fred and George wore identical weird expressions. They really hadn't expected Mrs. Norris to listen to Rock that completely.
"We should move. He'll probably circle back soon."
Rock dropped the Disillusionment Charm and started walking the other way.
Fred and George cancelled theirs at once and fell into step beside him. "Come on, investor. We've got a mountain of questions for you."
"And we found something interesting."
They headed straight for the secret hideout.
When they stepped into the hidden room again, the place had clearly leveled up.
At the very least, a lot more stuff was piled everywhere. It looked like the Weasley twins' joke-shop empire was progressing nicely.
"Here—check this out."
George held out an envelope like it was buried treasure. Rock took it, frowning, and opened it.
"Quick-Quotes Quill Correspondence Course—"
Rock paused, then flipped the envelope over. Filch's name was written clearly on the front.
"This is the interesting thing you found?" He tapped the envelope.
"Of course. It's a correspondence course from some magical company. Supposed to help witches and wizards improve their magic."
Fred raised both eyebrows at Rock. "Who would've guessed our dear caretaker is actually a Squib?"
"Dad mentioned this course once," George added, putting on an exaggerated look of pure shock. "Said it's meant to help wizards… but the people who actually sign up are almost always Squibs."
"Who would ever have guessed our own caretaker is—"
Fred and George looked at each other and grinned.
"You're planning to use this letter as leverage with Filch?" Rock handed the envelope back.
"Obviously. We sneak out all the time. Sooner or later we're going to get caught. When that happens, this little thing should let us walk free."