Inverted Corridor

Could you be any more cautious?

Fred stared speechlessly at the large wooden ball that Albert had magically created, which would be used by the four of them to scout ahead.

"If you feel brave and fearless and are ready to go ahead and scout, I wouldn't mind." Albert couldn't help but roll his eyes and gestured for Fred to proceed.

"Fine, fine, I believe you, okay?" Fred grumbled irritably. He actually believed him to some extent; Albert's words were sometimes very accurate, and it couldn't hurt to believe him a little.

George and Lee Jordan, who were standing nearby, were both chuckling.

However, after being glared at by Fred, the two quickly coughed and changed the subject, saying, "What do you think Gryffindor's treasure might be?"

"It's very likely the legendary Gryffindor Sword Gryffindor Sword," Albert said to his roommate as he controlled the large wooden ball to roll forward.

"Only a true Gryffindor student can find the Gryffindor Sword?" The three men's eyes lit up. They felt that Albert's words made a lot of sense. Perhaps Gryffindor had hidden the sword here.

The four hadn't gone far when they encountered trouble; a strange fog blocked their way.

Albert frowned slightly, letting the wooden ball roll into the mist. When it was magically pulled out again, the wooden ball remained unchanged.

"Shall we go in?" George asked, frowning. No matter how you looked at it, the fog before them seemed eerie.

"Fred," Albert waved his wand, turning the large wooden ball into a rope that wrapped around Fred's waist.

"What?" Fred asked, his face full of confusion.

"It's time to show your courage!" Albert patted Fred on the shoulder with a smile. "Don't worry, if there are any problems, we'll pull you out of the fog right away."

Fred's face fell, regretting his earlier interruption. But seeing the three's encouraging expressions, he still kept a dark expression and cautiously reached his hand into the mist. Only after finding no reaction did he finally disappear into the mist himself.

As soon as Fred stepped into the mist, he found that the world before him had suddenly turned upside down, and he was hanging upside down with his head down. Looking at the scene below, he felt his hair stand on end.

Fred found himself below a dense cluster of Stone Cone, and he felt that if he lifted his foot, he would immediately fall and be pierced by the Stone Cone, leaving several bloody holes.

"Quick, pull me out!" Fred couldn't help but swallow hard and shouted behind him.

Upon hearing Fred's voice, Albert and the other two immediately pulled Fred out of the fog.

"What's going on inside?" George asked curiously.

Fred was in a bad state; he was sitting on the ground, his legs weak, as if he had encountered something terrible.

Fred took a few minutes to regain his composure, then described to Albert and the other two what he had seen.

George and Lee Jordan were also taken aback when they heard this.

"It's probably an illusion!" Albert judged. "We can try running over there with our eyes closed."

"Phantom?"

"This is a Magical Mist that has lasted for a thousand years. It's incredible," Albert murmured.

Can closing your eyes block out the effects of the Magical Mist?

Fred closed his eyes and crawled inside, finding that he no longer felt upside down.

"This is probably a test left by Gryffindor for the others," George said, looking at Albert. "Shall we go now?"

"I can't be sure if there are any other dangers along the way, so it's best not to close your eyes." Albert chuckled and patted Fred on the shoulder. "What, want to try again?"

"Why don't you try it yourself!" Fred said irritably.

"How can Gryffindor student lack courage?" Lee Jordan couldn't help but sarcastically remark.

"Don't close your eyes later," Fred said menacingly.

Lee Jordan hummed a little tune and turned his head to the side, pretending he hadn't heard it.

"I wonder if there's any way to cheat!" Albert shook his head and said, "Never mind, I'll do it!"

He didn't tie a rope; he walked straight ahead and plunged into the eerie mist.

Just as Fred had said, Albert's vision was reversed.

Below them were countless Stone Cone, a rather frightening sight. Albert glanced at them and felt his legs tremble slightly. He now understood why Fred had been shaking when they dragged him out.

However, Albert had no intention of rushing through blindly. Who knew if there were still traps along the way? If it were him, he wouldn't let others take shortcuts.

Albert didn't look up; his eyes were fixed on his feet as he slowly moved forward. Sometimes, even knowing it's an illusion and preparing yourself mentally, some things are still unavoidable.

To get through this journey without closing your eyes truly requires immense courage; it is indeed a test Gryffindor.

A few minutes later, Albert gradually suppressed his discomfort and began to observe his surroundings. It wasn't completely dark; there was light in the middle of the path, and it was blue flames, undoubtedly the Fiendfyre.

The upside-down corridor was long, and after walking for a few minutes, Albert discovered the trap left by Gryffindor.

"It wasn't that easy to pass, as expected," Albert thought to himself, relieved.

This trap is simple; it's a pit that you can easily jump over. But if you run towards it with your eyes closed, you'll definitely fall in and land face-first in the dirt.

Albert jumped over it, and it took him about ten minutes to walk through the upside-down corridor. Along the way, he encountered two more pits, both of which could be jumped over but could not be avoided.

Honestly, jumping over the pit is incredibly thrilling. Just imagine what it would feel like to jump with your feet on the ceiling, feeling like you're flying, feeling like you're about to fall into the Stone Cone below.

When Albert finished walking down this upside-down corridor, his legs were still shaking, but he had to admit, it really was Gryffindor; you really couldn't get through it without courage.

If they come running over with their eyes closed, that would be even worse.

Cheating? It's not that easy. You don't have the guts to even think about taking over the Gryffindor Treasure?

Go back to where you came from.

Albert was considering how to tell Fred and the other two about this. He was genuinely worried that the three of them would close their eyes and plunge headlong into the fog, only to fall into a trap.

Finally, Albert found a way to break the deadlock. He took a broom out of his Undetectable Extension Charm bag and flew it backwards through the upside-down corridor.

Yes, it's that simple.

Flying on a broomstick isn't really anything strange; he believed Fred and George could do it. As for Lee Jordan, he could fly by himself or find someone to fly with.

Although Albert felt that Fred and the others should pass Gryffindor's test on their own, it was none of his business how the three of them would ultimately choose.