A Bunch of Trouble-Makers

When I left the Room of Requirement, curfew had not yet started.

Albert spoke the command in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady and slipped through the exposed passage into the Gryffindor Common Room. By this time, most people had already returned to their dormitories to rest.

"Where have you been?" Shanna asked in surprise as Albert entered from outside.

"Do you want the kitchen?"

Albert shook the bag in his hand; it contained Cream biscuits.

"Thank you." Shanna took two Cream biscuits, made herself a cup of hot cocoa, chatted with Albert about some problems she encountered in her studies, and then they each went back to their dormitories to rest.

"You're actually back! We were just thinking about how to get you out of the Room of Requirement later."

The moment the dormitory door opened, Fred and the others who were playing cards turned to look at the door. When they saw that it was Albert who came in, they were a little disappointed.

How much they wished something would happen to them! "I'm fine, I'm really sorry!" Albert said irritably, a vein throbbing on his forehead. He decided not to share the midnight snack he had brought from the kitchen with them.

"You succeeded?" Lee Jordan was more curious about how things were going with what Albert had mentioned, which was supposedly a very powerful self-defense weapon.

"It's a success, the results are very good."

Albert took the small cage out of his pocket and placed it on the table.

"What is this thing?"

"Rat cage".

"Are you kidding me?" Lee Jordan raised an eyebrow.

"Idiot, it's the Undetectable Extension Charm." Fred had seen this kind of magic before.

"You've actually mastered the Undetectable Extension Charm! They say that kind of magic is incredibly difficult," George said incredulously. "By the way, weren't you always practicing the Patronus Charm?"

"Professor Smith taught me this. I haven't even learned how to make the Patronus speak yet, but I've already learned this." As he spoke, Albert took the unconscious mouse out of the small cage.

"Where did you get this rat?"

"I caught it in a corner of the castle where all the junk was piled up. It took quite a bit of effort," Albert said, poking the mouse with his finger.

What's wrong with the rat?

"I don't know, he's probably dead!"

Albert picked up his wand and began to try to cast Revival Charm on the mouse. He was curious whether the mouse was truly dead, whether it was under a curse, or simply had fainted.

"What you're doing, is it possible that it's life-threatening?" Lee Jordan said, feigning fear.

"I don't know, maybe it will, maybe it won't. I'm testing its power." Albert knew that the Banshee's Howl was unusually effective when he saw that the Rennervate had no effect.

"I think this rat should be dead by now!" Fred said curiously, poking the rat with his finger.

"No, otherwise do you think Albert would be foolish enough to cast a spell on a mouse?" Lee Jordan shook his head.

"This one, could it be... Percy's Scabbers?" George, who had been silent all along, suddenly said.

"Definitely not. Come to think of it, isn't Percy 'That Rat going to die soon?"

"It looks like it's still alive and well," Fred asked in surprise. "Can rats usually live that long?" "Who knows!" Albert knew, of course, that rats couldn't live that long, but humans could. But that wasn't his concern right now. He took a small packet of dark-colored salt out of his pocket.

What is this?

"Salt, lend a hand, pry open the mouse's mouth." Albert gestured for the three men to come and help.

It took them a while to get the unfortunate mouse to swallow the salt.

Not long after, the mouse, which had been tormented to the point of near death, finally woke up, but it was listless and looked terrible.

"It actually works." Fred looked at the awakened mouse, then his gaze returned to the small packet of discolored salt. After examining it curiously from top to bottom, he picked up a little and put it in his mouth.

"What on earth is this?" Fred's expression instantly twisted, he spat out what was in his mouth, and squatted on the plate, gagging repeatedly.

"Salt, just processed salt, has an effect similar to Potions. Speaking of which, you actually dared to eat things you didn't know about." Albert glanced at Fred, somewhat admiring the other's ability to court death.

"What good stuff have you made? Show it to us," George urged, curious about what Albert had come up with.

"I'll let you try it another day. I don't want to faint for no reason right now." Albert didn't plan to let them use Banshee's Howl in the dormitory. He knew very well what kind of people they were. If someone got their hands on it, they would probably open it as soon as possible, not only getting themselves into trouble but also dragging others down with them.

As it turned out, Albert's decision was correct.

The following afternoon, the Room of Requirement.

Albert looked at the three people lying on the ground, his face full of helplessness.

Fortunately, he had the foresight to put in earplugs beforehand, and then let Fred hear the Banshee's Howl.

As expected, Fred, that bastard, opened the Banshee's Howl immediately after obtaining it.

The three people who weren't wearing earplugs were unexpectedly infected and collapsed.

Albert bent down, picked up the Banshee's Howl Banshee's Howl the ground, and after confirming that it was undamaged, turned it off again. He glanced at his roommate lying on the ground and sighed softly.

"If you don't court death, you won't die. How come you don't know that?" Albert tried the Revival Charm on the group, but it had no effect, just like with the mice. He then took out some salt he had prepared beforehand, pried open Lee Jordan's mouth and fed it to him, also giving him a small cup of water and helping him move his Adam's apple to help him swallow.

Then, the spell was cast again to Rennervate.

"What happened to me? It hurts, it hurts!" Lee Jordan clutched his head, having hit it when he fell. "Pah, what is this thing?"

He started squatting down and dry heaving, looking like he was in a lot of pain.

"That idiot Fred used this thing, and you all passed out," Albert said casually, shaking the Banshee's Howl in his hand.

Lee Jordan was furious, his face contorted with rage. He desperately wanted to kick Fred; it was all Fred's fault for causing trouble and getting the three of them into this mess. No wonder Albert refused to let them try last night; it seemed this guy knew it would turn out this way.

Lee Jordan watched with a resentful expression as Albert woke the Weasley Twins. The two brothers were not in good condition either, both of them were injured and were now dry heaving.

George was the unluckiest; he even got a bump on his head.

"Did you already know?!" Fred asked, frustrated. "Why didn't you say so sooner?"

"I already said it last night!" Albert said irritably, "But you just wouldn't listen. You have to suffer a loss before you'll learn your lesson."

"You're definitely doing this on purpose!"

"I'm so angry, let's beat him up together."