The Thing in the Drawer (Votes Please)

(Thanks to Trooper1770 for the 1,000-point donation.)

If you could act, then act instead of dragging things out. Violently smashing open boxes was not encouraged, but using a little brainpower was fine.

Back when he had seen the Bloodline Purification Potion, hadn't substitutes been the first thing he thought of when faced with those extinct ingredients?

There was nothing in this world that could not be replaced. Even people could be replaced, so why not objects?

Jon held a lump of soft mud he had found outside the Hufflepuff common room and examined it carefully beneath the light at the tip of his wand. Once he confirmed that it was an unusually fine lump of mud, he carefully placed it in a small box.

This lump of mud should be enough to gamble on the keyhole.

Although he had never picked a lock before, the principle should be more or less the same. As long as the spring in the lock popped open... right?

He would try first. If it did not work, then it did not work. What if it opened?

Jon silently waited for the hand on his watch to pass nine o'clock, then tucked the small box containing the mud into his ring and raised his wand to point it at himself.

"Disillusionment."

The Disillusionment Charm, improved by Helga, had become much more difficult, but its increased power was equally obvious. This [Improved Disillusionment Charm] had greatly enhanced stability and concealment. According to Helga, she had altered the way magic power circulated slightly and added some of the Vanishing Charm's effect.

The specific improvement process could probably fill an academic paper. Jon did not understand it very well yet, but as long as he could use it, that was enough.

After waving his hand and making sure there were no flaws in the concealment effect, Jon left the dormitory.

At this hour, there was actually still someone reading in the Common Room. Jon considered it and decided that waiting like this was not an option, so he simply cast a Silencing Charm at the entrance to the passageway.

Its effect was not strong, and it would not last long, but Jon was only going out for a moment. It would not take him much time.

He had walked the route from the Hufflepuff common room to the study on the Seventh Floor countless times. He had already figured out when every staircase along the way moved, though there was a small interruption on the way there.

Mr. Filch had caught some unlucky student wandering around the castle after curfew. Oh, two of them. Jon stared through the concealment of his Disillusionment Charm and saw that they were indeed the Weasley twins.

If they could be caught by Filch... then they had not obtained the Marauder's Map yet.

With that thought, Jon was no longer in a hurry. By normal logic, Filch would next take the twins back to his office, then take them to Professor McGonagall's office.

"Don't even think about running. If you run, things will only go worse for you."

Jon had just approached the door to Filch's office when he saw the gloomy castle caretaker viciously threatening the twins. "Don't expect to get off easy this time. Only by teaching little brats like you a harsh lesson will you stop breaking school rules so casually in the future. Isn't that right?"

The twins looked utterly unconcerned. They clearly paid no attention to Filch's nagging and instead surveyed this place, avoided by most students, with great interest.

Jon also examined the gloomy office while comparing it with the location of that drawer in his memories.

Sitting behind his desk, Filch took out a sheet of parchment from a desk drawer and spread it before himself. Then he picked up a long quill and began writing.

They were all familiar faces. He did not even need to ask their names.

"Just wait and see how your head of house talks his way out of this now. You definitely won't escape detention this time. Come with me to see Professor McGonagall!"

Jon watched from the doorway as Filch finished writing the punishment notice and led the twins away. He seemed to have seen one of the twins glance at the drawer containing the Marauder's Map—more than once.

It was not necessarily because they knew about the Marauder's Map... This should be part of the Original Work's plot. They intended to steal something back from Filch, and the Marauder's Map was merely taken along with it.

After Filch left with the twins, Jon turned and entered Filch's office. Just as he was about to open the drawer in the filing cabinet, he saw a pair of emerald-green cat eyes.

Filch's pet, Mrs. Norris, was lying beside the filing cabinet.

He had almost overlooked her.

Jon rolled his eyes and extended his wand toward the Stairs outside.

"Clang."

Something fell to the floor outside. Mrs. Norris meowed and darted out. Jon immediately walked over to the filing cabinet and lightly tapped a drawer marked "Confiscated Goods, Highly Dangerous" with his wand.

"Alohomora."

The drawer slid open at once, packed with all sorts of magical items. An envelope lay quietly among them.

"Gemino."

Jon swiftly duplicated the envelope. As for whether the map inside had also been copied, that was not something Jon needed to consider.

He tucked the envelope containing the Marauder's Map into his ring. When he left the office, he came face-to-face with the returning Mrs. Norris, but fortunately, his Disillusionment Charm was powerful enough.

Without lingering on the way, Jon quickly arrived at the Seventh Floor. He first dispelled his invisibility with a Revealing Charm, then opened Ravenclaw's Study and entered.

Helga had already risen from the world within the portrait and waited at the surface for some time.

"Ancestor."

"You're late." Helga spoke softly from within the portrait. "Did something happen?"

Jon shook his head, took the small box and envelope from his ring, and placed them on the desk.

"Nothing happened. I just made a small gain. Let's open this drawer first."

Jon opened the small box and skillfully pressed the lump of mud he had dug up against the keyhole. At the same time, he waved his wand and activated the spell. The tiny lock hole was quickly filled by the compressed mud, which then transformed and hardened. Jon gave it a light twist, and heard a click.

The lock opened.

Jon applied a little more force and pulled out the key formed from hardened mud, but the drawer did not open.

...An endless awkwardness.

"What's going on?"

Jon looked at Helga on the wall in confusion. This witch had noticed the problem.

"It's a Hanging Curse. A hanging spell was placed inside the drawer. Either pull it open directly, or use the incantation... It's a secret incantation known only to the four of us."

As Helga spoke, she became sorrowful again. Jon had grown used to such scenes. If the other three Founders had also left behind a trace of their souls to accompany her, she would not have ended up like this.

Unfortunately, Slytherin had left. Ravenclaw had been devastated by what happened with her daughter and left behind only a Room of Requirement. Gryffindor had left behind his sword and the Sorting Hat—come to think of it, the Sorting Hat should also have been capable of housing a soul. That Legendary Wizard probably had never considered it.

That made sense. Aside from a witch like Hufflepuff, who could not bear to leave her students, few people would think of leaving behind a wisp of their soul when they died.

He silently listened to the incantation and began practicing the spell.

This time, the drawer finally opened, and the things inside spilled out.

"This is..."