Stolen Goods Can Be Recovered Without Even Searching / A Certain Ghost Shouldn't Be at School

The cards he is currently distributing represent the roles of everyone in the Detective Society and in this case.

"Next, I'll talk about everyone's roles in the Detective Society. First up is the Prophet, Luna Lovegood." Harry handed the corresponding card to Luna Lovegood. "Her main job is to find the criminals, and she also uses her abilities to assist in gathering evidence."

"Hermione is a hunter; she'll be responsible for gathering clues and researching. Also, if the criminals dare to escape or resist, Hermione can certainly prove herself. After all, our Miss Granger is quite the fighter!"

"As the doctor, besides basic reasoning, I will also be responsible for forensic examinations and treatments. Of course, in special circumstances, I can also be responsible for poisoning."

That said, changing the witch to a doctor was inevitable; the witch character would never appear in the Werewolf Kill modified by Harry Potter.

"Next up is Will. You're only a first-grader, so you can't be too involved in the case process yet. You'll be the judge, responsible for overseeing our discussion of the case. Also, in the game that starts later, you'll play the judge for now."

"Harry, what about me?" Colin asked impatiently, raising his hand as he realized he was the last one left.

"We were just talking about you," Harry said with a smile, handing Colin a card. "Since there are only three cards for the clergy for now,... your status is commoner."

"Huh?" Colin's face fell. "Why is it that everyone else has such cool identities, but when it comes to me, I have to be a commoner?!"

"Because there's no way you can have more priests in a six-player game, and none of the other role cards are suitable for you." Harry patted Colin on the shoulder, pretending to be earnest, and said, "Kid, just focus on supporting everyone."

"Alright..." After all, it was a task assigned by his idol, so even though Colin was unwilling, he could only accept his 'commoner' status in the Detective Society.

"Next is Mr. Filch, the client in this case. He needs our help to recover a roll of parchment that went missing a few years ago."

Harry also tossed Filch a card with the word 'Client' written on it. This was simply a case identification card; if they were playing a game, Filch had already drawn his own identity.

"Finally, Uncle Lupin, you are a witness." Harry placed the last witness card in front of Lupin. "That roll of parchment, Mr. Filch said, was confiscated from my father, so you should know something about it, right?"

"That's not just parchment; it's a map the four of us made back then." Seeing Harry's question, Lupin's face showed a hint of reminiscence. "It's called the Marauder's Map. We four enchanted it; as long as you said the correct password, the map would show the real-time location of everyone inside Hogwarts Castle. To successfully draw it, we practically searched every corner of the castle."

"That's amazing?" Harry exclaimed in surprise. "So, if I had gotten this map two years earlier, I would have been able to spot Weasley and Peter Pettigrew together immediately?"

"I think so." Lupin nodded, pursing his lips.

Every time he mentioned that traitor, his heart would become very heavy.

"Alright, let's play a game to relax first. We can also gather some case information while playing."

Noticing Lupin's bad mood, Harry turned to Will and gestured, hoping to distract him with a game.

"Okay, it's dark, please close your eyes." Will announced the start of the game.

From confirming the players' identities to announcing the Werewolf' start of their action, Will, acting as judge for the first time, was generally quite professional.

So, Lupin and Filch, who both drew the wolf card, simultaneously pointed at Harry...

In games like this, it's common sense to take out the skilled players at the start.

"Doctor, please open your eyes."

Harry was still doing what he always did, but when he opened his eyes, Will indicated that he was the one who was dead, which made him roll his eyes in exasperation.

There was no other way; he could only choose to save himself, otherwise he would have to leave his last words and then stare helplessly at the sky.

"Prophet, open your eyes!"

Luna Lovegood quietly opened her big eyes and fired a critical hit at Lupin.

"It's dawn. Yesterday was Christmas Eve."

"Hey, you guys who drew the wolf are pretty ruthless. I'm the only one who knows how to play, and you guys are trying to kill me? But... luckily I have medicine~" The first game didn't need to be too complicated, so Harry directly chose to reveal his identity.

But then he looked at Filch, who was about to speak, "Mr. Filch, do you remember why you went to check that drawer?"

"Let me preface this by saying I'm just an ordinary citizen who knows nothing." Filch quickly got into character, lying without even blinking. "The reason I checked that drawer... ah, I remember now! It's because two particularly troublesome students enrolled that year, and I confiscated a lot of their belongings since the start of the semester. By the end of the year, because they had so much stuff, I wanted to make room for them in a separate cabinet. I don't remember if any of their things were in that drawer, so I opened it to check."

"No...that's right, I'm a commoner just like Mr. Filch." Lupin continued Filch's lie, "Besides, he must be talking about the Weasley Brothers, right? They were definitely two very interesting kids, just like the four of us back in the day!"

His tone became lighter, and he smiled more; it seemed that playing games could indeed be relaxing.

However, his smile quickly vanished.

"Professor Lupin is Werewolf."

Luna Lovegood's tone was so firm and calm that it sent shivers down Lupin's spine.

Then, she shocked Filch as well. "There were two criminals who stole the Marauder's Map, and you just said that."

"You mean those two troublemakers from the Weasley family?!"

Filch's face was filled with disbelief.

What were they investigating? How did they manage to identify the criminal so quickly?

Chapter 298 Stolen Goods Can Be Recovered Without a Search

The culprits who stole that parchment were actually Fred and George, the two Weasley?

Filch didn't find this conclusion unacceptable; on the contrary, he thought it made a lot of sense, because those two guys were absolutely capable of doing such a thing.

However, for him, this conclusion was drawn rather casually.

What evidence did that little girl Luna Lovegood have that allowed her to so easily identify the criminal?

Well... Mr. Filch clearly doesn't realize that Luna Lovegood doesn't need any evidence at all.

"Mr. Filch, this is our Detective Society's way of handling cases. You'll have to get used to it eventually," Harry explained to Filch with a smile. "Unlike typical detective work, we first guess who the culprit is, and then we gather evidence around that culprit. Luna Lovegood's identification of the culprit is almost never wrong. With her around, we can completely work backward from the result to deduce the process."

Harry's daily interactions so far, and most importantly, his previous trip to France, have given him a deeper understanding of Luna Lovegood's abilities.

It's no exaggeration to say that her incredibly accurate Prophecy would put all her colleagues out of work if she really wanted to be a detective.

Therefore, in order to make full use of her strengths, Harry came up with the idea of using the Werewolf Kill game to gather case information.

As the participants in the game continue to provide clues, Luna Lovegood's understanding of the case will gradually deepen. When her intuition reaches a certain critical point, she may have a flash of inspiration and instantly identify the culprit.

Speaking of which, when I was watching the live-action show at the theme park in France, wasn't the criminal who stole the famous painting recognized by Luna Lovegood right at the beginning of the show?

The 'culprits' in Filch's case were also relatively easy to guess; they didn't even last one round of the game before Luna Lovegood caught and killed them both.

"Now that we know it was those two, let's reconstruct the details of the crime... although I don't really think there's much to reconstruct." Harry looked at Filch again. "Because those two brothers were always getting into trouble, Mr. Filch would often bring them to his office for a lecture. That's how they discovered the drawer where dangerous confiscated items were kept, and that's how they got the idea to steal them."

"But given Mr. Filch's vigilance, and with Mrs. Norris helping to guard the place, they wouldn't have a chance of successfully stealing it unless they completely distracted you," Hermione chimed in. "Therefore, the Weasley Brothers, who are usually inseparable, must have separated. One of them caused trouble to divert attention, while the other seized the opportunity to steal the Marauder's Map."

"Uh... I think that's how it is." Upon hearing this, Filch seemed to remember something, and a hint of anger appeared on his face.

"Those two troublemakers always act together, but I think there was one time when they first enrolled that I caught one of them throwing a Dungbomb in the hallway. I was absolutely furious that time, because just a little while earlier, they had both thrown a Dungbomb together! God knows how long it took me to clean up before the whole hallway was barely free of the smell!!"

"So now everything is clear," Harry concluded. "When the Weasley Brothers were in their first year, they released a Dungbomb in the hallway, which led them to this office and where they saw the confiscated items drawer; afterwards, one of them released another Dungbomb, attracting the attention of Mr. Filch and Mrs. Norris, while the other took the opportunity to sneak in and steal the Marauder's Map."

Consternation.

After this concluding statement, not only Filch, but also Lupin, Colin, and Will showed expressions of utter astonishment!

Luna Lovegood answered instantly, and Harry deduced while Hermione added details. The three smartest minds in the entire school easily pieced together all the details of the crime.

And surprisingly, the process was actually derived by working backward from the result!

"We can now try to get the Marauder's Map back. As for this game..."

"Mr. Filch is a wolf too." Before Harry could finish speaking, Luna Lovegood gave Filch a death sentence.

"Luna Lovegood... next time you draw the Prophet, could you please change your role?" Hermione sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Colin and I hadn't even said a word before the game ended so abruptly. This experience was just too awful!"

"My experience was much worse..." Lupin lamented inwardly, utterly dejected.

If this continues, he'll eventually develop something beyond Feral Wolf Syndrome from being scared by Harry and these kids!

"If the thieves are the two Weasley, I can search the Gryffindor Common Room and maybe find the map."

After the card game ended, Colin for a moment and felt that he could be of help, since he was the only Gryffindor student there.

"No need for that. Just tell us the Fat Lady's password." Harry shook his head, rejecting Colin's suggestion. "If the Gryffindor find out you searched the Weasley Brothers' things, they'll definitely have a big problem with you."

Although the Weasley Brothers often acted recklessly, their lively and enthusiastic nature, along with their status Quidditch players, made them very popular in Gryffindor... Therefore, once the lions found out that Colin dared to 'betray' them, the boy might be ostracized for the next few years.

There's a saying that goes something like this... You did nothing wrong, but thankfully I'm not your friend.

"Mr. Filch, let's go to the Gryffindor Common Room. We don't need to search it; if the Fat Lady opens the door, I should be able to find the map."

It's the weekend, Gryffindor is having Quidditch training. Harry thought about it and figured the Weasley Brothers probably wouldn't carry the Marauder's Map with them all the time.

So he and Filch arrived at the Gryffindor common room and gave the Fat Lady the password Colin had provided.

"Good fortune shines upon you."

"The password is correct, but you are not a Gryffindor student." The Fat Lady in the portrait expressed her hesitation in a high-pitched, beautiful voice.

"I lost something and suspect it's hidden in the Gryffindor dormitories, so I'm here to investigate," Filch said grimly to the Fat Lady. "Never mind that, just open the door."

"Well... alright, but please don't mess up the students' things." The Fat Lady hesitated for a moment, but finally obediently opened the door.

"We're not going to search anything, and we don't plan to go in anyway." Harry shook his head, casually waving his wand. "Marauder's Map, Accio!"

A moment later, to the Fat Lady's astonishment, a roll of parchment Accio swiftly from the direction of the boys' dormitory and landed directly in Harry's hands.

With the Summoning Charm, why would Harry need to personally search the dormitory?

Chapter 299 A Certain Ghost Shouldn't Be Here at School

Looking at the Marauder's Map that he had so easily summoned into his hand, Harry couldn't help but sigh inwardly... There was a reason why wizards sometimes lacked logical thinking skills.

Take this case as an example. Luna Lovegood only needs to roll her eyes to know who the criminal is; and the evidence collection process can be completely omitted. She can just say "Accio all over" and it will be done.

If wizards always use this simple and crude method, they will naturally become unwilling to analyze logic and processes step by step over time.

But despite the complaints, the Summoning Charm is undeniably satisfying to use.

As long as you can concentrate your mind and clearly imagine what the object looks like, you can summon it to your side through a spell... In Harry's opinion, this spell is simply a bug.

Imagine Harry, in the cabin in the Forbidden Forest, shouting "Hermione, Accio!" Perhaps a beautiful girl will fall from the sky and land right in his arms, and then... hehehe...

Uh... Anyway, the Summoning Charm definitely has more than just these strange uses; it's absolutely an essential spell for home, travel, and even cunning plunder.

"The item has been found. Thank you for your cooperation, Fat Lady." After successfully obtaining the Marauder's Map, Harry smiled and nodded to Fat Lady in gratitude.

However, instead of keeping the 'stolen goods,' he handed them to Filch: "Mr. Filch, this can now be returned to its rightful owner."

"Fine, you can keep it." However, Filch pushed the map back. "I just need to know who stole it, I didn't say I had to get it back. As for those two troublemakers, they better not get in my hands again before they graduate!"

Are you kidding me? This little rascal's eyes are practically glued to the map. Return it to its rightful owner?

I don't believe you for a second!

"Then I won't be polite." Sure enough, Harry immediately pulled his hand back.

He was just putting on an act; he never intended to return it to Filch.

Before he left, Lupin had already told Harry about the Marauder's Map's features and detailed instructions on how to use it. How could such a super useful 'Hogwarts campus GPS' continue to be wasted lying in a drawer? Of course, it should be put to good use.

With that thought in mind, on his way back to the doorman's hut, Harry casually flicked his wand at the map.

"I solemnly declare that I have done nothing good... What kind of lousy incantation is this?!"

"That spell is very much in line with your father's style," Filch chimed in, "A bunch of troublemakers who never get anything out of it."

It's not surprising that Harry and Filch teamed up to complain, since the map clearly shows that his father and Lupin and his four Marauders must have been quite lawless at the school back then.

That's why Filch eventually confiscated the map.

But the situation was different for Harry; not only could he use the map, he could also use it openly in front of the caretaker, Filch.

Therefore, this incident teaches us a lesson: breaking the law and violating the rules will only bring temporary pleasure.

Only by striving to become part of the privileged class, and ultimately transcending the rules, or even becoming the rule-maker, can one truly experience the thrill of doing whatever one pleases.

With a light touch of the wand, spiderweb-like ink lines began to appear on the Marauder's Map, gradually converging and extending to outline an extremely accurate map of Hogwarts Castle on the parchment.

At the same time, a line of curved green writing appeared at the top of the parchment.

'The suppliers of magical prankster aids, gentlemen Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs, proudly present the Marauder's Map.'

"Wow, Father and the others are really amazing. Not only did they explore the entire castle so thoroughly, but they also managed to cast such a sophisticated Homonculous Charm. It's simply incredible!"

Carefully examining the Marauder's Map in his hand, Harry gained a completely new understanding of his fathers' strength.

They uncovered almost every detail of Hogwarts Castle, leaving virtually nothing out except for the Room of Requirement and the Chamber of Secrets. They even added several secret passages that Filch didn't know about.

Another powerful tracking charm is the Homonculous Charm, used to track all creatures within the castle. If Lupin hadn't explained the map's construction to Harry beforehand, he wouldn't have known about this powerful tracking spell.