Hogwarts: This holy light is righteously evil

Chapter 154 It turns out to be the two Weasley boys who trespassed on a restricted floor late at night.

The castle had just recently been under curfew, and the flow of people to and from the Slytherin Tower had not yet dispersed. House students could be seen walking around in the corridors at any time, so approaching the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets rashly was extremely risky.

To be on the safe side, it is best to wait until after 11:30 p.m. when the castle floors are quiet and it is safe to go out.

But Puni wasn't the only night wanderer tonight driven by curiosity and wanting to explore the restricted area on his own.

In a secluded corridor on the fifth floor, Puni, cloaked in invisibility, leaned against a pillar and watched coldly.

Filch, with his cat on a leash, chased after two fleeing Gryffindor juniors in a comical and amusing scene.

Puni wondered to himself, these two students had no experience in nighttime escape and had not even planned a basic escape route. Who gave them the courage to break into a restricted floor in the middle of the night?

The two were still on the fifth floor, one floor away from the restricted area on the fourth floor, when they were already being watched by the administrator.

Just as Puni was about to step around to the fourth floor, a gentle glowing wand light suddenly appeared in the corridor ahead.

Snape walked towards us alone. Since starting the new school year, Snape had taken extra care of his appearance, with his hair neat and tidy, a far cry from his previous greasy and messy look. His demeanor was cool and restrained.

However, Puni secretly suspected that this neat and presentable appearance would probably not last more than a few days.

As Snape slowly walked past him, Penny held his breath.

He wore an invisibility cloak and had sprayed himself with a magical spray that shielded him from human scent, enough to evade Filch's cat's olfactory detection. However, Snape's perception far surpassed that of an ordinary wizard.

This veteran wizard, who had experienced war firsthand and was in his prime, had an extremely keen sense of perception. Even the faintest breath or the soft scraping of shoes against the floor tiles was enough for him to detect any concealment.

Penny only relaxed slightly after Snape had walked a few steps away, intending to move away.

But in the next instant, Snape suddenly accelerated, raised his hand to extinguish the glow of his wand, his black robes fluttered slightly without wind, and his footsteps were light and silent as he almost ran through the corridor, his figure dark and his movements incredibly swift.

Puni instantly became alert, immediately activated his senses, and quickly locked onto the target.

The Weasley twins are just around the corner!

As Puni's attendant, Puni could accurately pinpoint the two's location and hear their low-volume conversation.

The two were whispering about the rumors surrounding the right-hand corridor on the fourth floor, speculating about the secrets behind the school's ban on passage, completely unaware that Snape was rapidly approaching.

Snape's auditory perception far surpassed that of the vast majority of professors at the university.

Puni watched quietly, his heart unmoved.

If the twins were caught red-handed by Snape, it would be perfectly reasonable for them to be punished by the House and have their House points deducted; it wouldn't be a big deal to intervene in.

However, given the current circumstances, Puni, after weighing the options, felt there was no need to let the two be punished.

With his mind made up, Puni raised his hand and drew his wand from his waist. He lightly gripped the handle with his fingertips, and instead of casting an offensive spell, he aimed at the empty stone wall beside him and quietly activated the magic.

The next second, a loud, explosive bang erupted, the shockwave sweeping through the entire fifth-floor corridor. The sound of bricks and stones resonating echoed, clearly audible to everyone in the corridor.

Snape, who was speeding up his stealth and heading straight for the twins, suddenly stopped. The hem of his black robe swayed slightly with inertia. He immediately turned his head to look back at the source of the sound in the corridor behind him, his eyes cold and indifferent.

The loud noise was clearly not an accident; someone had deliberately created the commotion for the obvious purpose of giving the two students who were out at night a chance to escape!

During the chase, he vaguely caught the sound of two boys talking, and based on their figures and gait, he had already determined that the people coming were the Weasley twins.

Filch had previously reported several times that he had personally witnessed the twins possessing invisibility devices, but most of the school's faculty and students did not take it seriously.

It was common knowledge throughout the school that the Weasley family had many children and was struggling financially. Given their economic situation, they simply could not afford the rare and precious Invisibility Cloak, let alone two.

But tonight, after confirming the clues and hearing voices, Snape had to overturn his preconceived notions and admit that Filch's previous accusations were all true.

The moment the loud noise rang out, Snape knew he had missed the best opportunity to make the capture!

The commotion was so great that the twins would surely be alerted by the noise and see themselves turning back to look around, and would immediately choose to retreat and hide.

With the two of them possessing invisibility cloaks to conceal their forms, even with Snape's keen hearing, he couldn't pinpoint their exact location. Since they had deliberately concealed themselves, he had no way to search for them.

As Snape predicted, the Weasley twins were indeed quick-witted and far from being reckless or foolish.

Caught off guard by the black-robed figure behind them, the two instantly recognized him as Snape, who was known for his strictness at the school. Without daring to linger, they turned and fled, hiding in a nearby unused secret room in the corridor.

During the run, the twins were filled with relief and wondered who had deliberately made the noise to help them out. They silently remembered this kindness and were grateful to the anonymous person who had helped them.

Hearing the hurried, fading footsteps, Snape abandoned the pursuit. Instead of chasing the twins, he turned around and slowly walked towards the corridor where the loud noise had originated.

At this moment, his curiosity far outweighed his desire to punish the students who were out at night.

Based on the location analysis, I realized that when I walked straight ahead, I passed in front of this hidden person without noticing any trace of their presence.

If it weren't for that deliberate explosion, he would never have known that there was a second night wanderer hiding in the corridor.

Such a flawless method of concealment made Snape wary.

If this ability is used for ambushes and assassinations, it poses a great threat and has endless consequences.

A moment later, Snape arrived at the location where the sound had been made. The entire corridor was empty, the ground was spotless, and there was no one in sight.

At this moment, apart from himself, the only living thing that could move in the floor was the portrait hanging on the corridor wall, whose ears were ringing from the loud magical noise. The people in the painting were all rubbing their ears and looking irritable.

Snape looked up at the portrait on the wall and asked in a deep voice if he had seen the appearance and whereabouts of the troublemakers.

The answers from the several portraits were exactly the same: no strange night wanderers were seen passing by, and from beginning to end, only Snape was seen walking alone.

After numerous inquiries yielded no results and not a single clue could be found, Snape's jaw tightened, and he sighed helplessly, deciding to give up.

Fred and George dared not linger for a moment, their legs moving rapidly in alternating bursts of speed as they weaved and circled around the corners of the castle's corridors, keeping their bodies low to the ground as they fled at full speed.

The two skillfully navigated between the stone pillars and corridors, relying on the shortcuts they had learned during their years at school, and in a short while, they slipped behind an old tapestry embroidered with shepherd patterns.

Behind this tapestry lies a hidden passageway within the old school, leading directly to the second-floor corridor of the castle—a refuge the two brothers had painstakingly discovered.

The two had no intention of going to the second floor. Instead, they stayed inside the entrance to the secret passage, intending to rest and wait for Snape to leave the area before making their move.

Having exhausted themselves in their desperate escape, the two brothers' chests heaved violently, and their heavy breathing was particularly noticeable in the enclosed passage.

They lowered their guard, pulled their invisibility cloaks back halfway, leaving only their heads exposed to breathe, and pressed their backs against the cold stone wall, intending to calm their breathing and chat to soothe their nerves.

Before the two could even catch their breath, the wooden planks of the tapestry were suddenly pushed open from the outside, and a tall, slender figure bent down and walked into the secret passage, blocking the only exit.

The newcomer raised his wand, and a bright, pure white fluorescent light floated at the tip of the wand. The intense light shone directly into the eyes of the twins, causing them to squint and frown, and a stinging sensation appeared in their eyes.

In the blink of an eye, the two brothers felt their hearts sink.

Being able to cast Fluorescent Blink freely and consistently means you are definitely a certified wizard in school, not an administrator named Filch who is incompetent and unable to cast spells smoothly.

A sense of crisis instantly enveloped the two of them, and the worst premonition surged into their hearts.

Sure enough, a deep, cold, and highly recognizable voice slowly echoed in the secret passage.

"Interesting. Let me see who these two distinguished guests are hiding here."

Snape stepped slowly inside, his black robes sweeping away the dust on the floor. His cold gaze locked onto the exposed heads of the twins, his face grim and stern. "So it's the Weasleys, the two young masters. Trespassing on a restricted floor late at night, violating regulations by going out at night, and lingering in the secret passage—are you planning to voluntarily apply for expulsion?"

In just half an evening, the two violated countless school rules, enough to trigger the school's decision to expel them.

The twins' faces turned deathly pale instantly, their blood almost turned cold, and their hands and feet stiffened on the spot.

If he hadn't removed the Invisibility Cloak, he would still have had a chance to hide and escape. But now that his figure is completely exposed to Snape's sight, even if he tries to escape again, it will confirm his violation of discipline, and the punishment of expulsion is no exaggeration.

The twins, who are usually eloquent and good at arguing back, were now completely blank-minded, their tongues stiff, and they couldn't come up with a single word of explanation.

A sense of defeat overwhelmed them. The two slumped down, almost collapsing on the floor of the secret passage, utterly powerless.

Just when the atmosphere was at its most oppressive, a highly recognizable, lazy, and playful laugh suddenly came from the outside of the tapestry.

"Pfft, hahaha."

The laughter was unique and clear, and the two brothers instantly recognized the person. Their spirits, which had been on the verge of collapse, were instantly warmed, and hope was rekindled in their hearts.

If this person were present, there's a high probability that he wouldn't be held accountable or severely punished by Snape.

The next second, the blinding fluorescent light slowly dimmed. The two looked up and saw that the outer invisibility cloak was also lifted up, revealing half of Puni's head, which was suspended in the air between the gaps in the tapestry, looking somewhat playful and strange.

"Oh my God!"

Fred and George simultaneously let out a low cry, sprang to their feet, their anger surging, and kicked at Puni through the gap.

"You scared us on purpose! You made us think we were almost expelled by Snape!" the two said through gritted teeth, full of resentment.

Puni anticipated their movements, and instead of retreating hastily, he took a half-step back to dodge the two kicks. Then, he stretched out his long arms and wrapped his arms around their necks at the same time, gently applying force to hold their necks. The force was controllable and would not hurt them, but it was just enough to prevent them from breaking free.

"We give up! Let us go!" The twins raised their hands and slapped their arms to beg for mercy. Their necks were gently restrained, their cheeks turned red, and their hair color appeared even darker.

Puni chuckled and relaxed, pulling his arms back and releasing the two, a hint of teasing in his voice: "Now you know how to back down? You were so bold as to explore the restricted area on the fourth floor. If I hadn't deliberately created a commotion to distract Snape, you would have already lost all your house points and be waiting for your expulsion notice."

Fred rubbed his neck and immediately adopted an exaggeratedly respectful posture, echoing George's opening remarks.

"I am extremely grateful to Lord Lestrange for coming to my rescue! I will never forget your kindness!"

"We earnestly request your continued assistance to ensure our safe escape!"

"Let's try to disrupt the old bat's patrols every time!"

"Let him never catch us on our nighttime outings!"

The two appeared respectful, but there was no genuine intention to express their gratitude.

After a brief period of playful banter, the three put away their teasing expressions and returned to discussing their nighttime exploration plan.

The atmosphere inside the secret passage instantly became quiet.

Puni's smile faded, his expression turning serious as he explained the patrol patterns he had observed at night: "I observed the castle's patrol routes. Snape is always responsible for patrolling the entire fourth and fifth floors, with a focus on the central corridor and the movable magical staircase. His patrol frequency is extremely high, with very few blind spots."

"Professor Quirrell, who is in charge of Defense Against the Dark Arts, is patrolling the entire third floor and the connecting staircase to the fourth floor. If I want to break through the defenses and reach the right corridor on the fourth floor, I must plan a special route that avoids their line of sight."

After speaking, Puni looked up and solemnly instructed the twins in front of him: "When we act together, we must not talk or make any unnecessary noise. Snape has extremely strong senses, and his hearing is far superior to that of the other professors in the school. The slightest movement will give away everyone's location."

"We understand! We already know that the old bat has excellent hearing! We will definitely keep quiet!" The twins quickly suppressed their playful nature, nodding repeatedly in agreement, and were exceptionally cooperative.

For Fred and George, a late-night stroll through the castle was never just a casual outing.

The quiet and deserted Hogwarts at night is inherently interesting. Wandering through the corridors, deliberately maneuvering to avoid the patrols and searches of professors and administrators, is like an immersive puzzle game, exciting and stress-relieving, which perfectly matches the two's adventurous and challenging nature, making them increasingly addicted to nighttime outings.

The two brothers quickly reviewed the difficulty of the two patrol points and carefully weighed the pros and cons before deciding on a new route.

Rather than trying to break through the double-layered patrol area on the fourth and fifth floors under Snape's jurisdiction and face Snape, who is extremely vigilant and has a top-notch sense of smell and hearing, the two would prefer to first break through Quirrell's third-floor defenses and then randomly avoid Snape, who is on duty on the fourth floor.

With a bit of luck, you can avoid Snape and not have to confront this stern professor in black.

The two had never had in-depth contact with the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor Quirrell. Judging solely from his appearance, Quirrell was timid and reserved, with a weak aura. His defensive measures and vigilance were far inferior to those of the meticulous and ruthless Snape.