Night Prowl

Wrapped in the Disillusionment Charm, Xiwen left the common room.

The green torches lining the corridor outside had all gone out, leaving the surroundings pitch-dark. The entire dungeon was steeped in a cold, eerie atmosphere.

"Lumos."

He drew his wand, adding just enough light to the darkness to see the path, then headed upstairs.

Elsewhere, Helena watched the wandering "Strange" in surprise.

That evening, he had suddenly put down Revelations of Ancient Legends of the Wizarding World, which he had been reading intently, and run out of the library. Then he had started roaming around aimlessly, behaving in an extremely strange manner.

"Are you looking for something?" Helena asked.

Xiwen looked at Helena somewhat helplessly. "Why did you come out instead of reading in the Mirror Dimension?"

"Anyway, I can't remember the knowledge in those books even if I stay there and read. I might as well come out and see what interesting thing you're planning to do this time."

This isn't anything interesting... Xiwen was thoroughly speechless. He could only make up an excuse. "I just read a legend in Revelations of Ancient Legends of the Wizarding World. It said that all four founders of Hogwarts left behind a Chamber of Secrets in the castle, containing precious knowledge and treasure. I got a little curious!"

"Most of those legends are merely rumors passed from person to person." Helena curled her lip disdainfully. "But if we're talking about secret chambers, Salazar Slytherin probably did create one after falling out with the other three founders. No one knows where it is, though."

After thinking for a moment, she added, "Ravenclaw did leave behind a room on the eighth floor, but ghosts can't enter it."

"There's no need to force it." Xiwen had only been looking for his Little Cat and had no interest in exploring any Chamber of Secrets, so he brushed the matter aside and resumed wandering around the castle.

"Wait." He suddenly realized something and stopped. "How do you know all this so clearly? Could it be that you're...?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm Ravenclaw's daughter!" Helena raised her brows with a hint of pride, but her expression soon dimmed again.

"Oh, so you're a venerable senior from the founders' era. My respects, my respects!" Xiwen deliberately pulled a face to lighten the mood.

"Pfft—" Helena laughed through her tears. "You really are so improper!"

"What use is propriety? It can't fill your stomach." Xiwen muttered, though he continued searching for the cat.

Suddenly, Xiwen felt himself collide head-on with someone—or rather, a ghost. The ghost looked terrifying, with vacant staring eyes, a gaunt face, and silver bloodstains all over his robe.

"Sorry, I was thinking about something and didn't watch where I was going!" Xiwen quickly stepped aside and apologized.

But the frightening ghost ignored him completely. He merely stared fixedly at Helena, all movement halted.

Helena's face immediately turned cold. She grabbed Xiwen's arm and prepared to lead him away.

However, Xiwen's other arm was seized and pulled back by the terrifying ghost.

Xiwen looked at him questioningly. "Is there something you need, sir?"

"Who are you? I don't believe I've ever seen you before." He glared at Xiwen and spoke viciously.

"Baron, he is my friend. Don't go too far!" Helena said to Baron in an icy, stiff voice.

Hearing her words, Baron seemed to panic at once, and even his voice trembled slightly. "Helena, you trust people too easily. You won't even know when you've been deceived!"

"Are you saying I'm a liar, Mr. Baron?" Xiwen's voice darkened as well.

Helena had no desire to say any more to Baron. She decisively turned around, pulled Xiwen along, and headed toward the other side of the castle.

Xiwen shook his arm and easily broke free of Baron's grip, then followed Helena away, leaving the utterly lost Baron standing where he was.

As they walked, Helena noticed that Xiwen did not look very happy and softly comforted him. "Strange, you don't need to get angry because of Baron. He's just a madman!"

"I'm fine." Xiwen shook his head. He was not angry over Baron's suspicions. He had just searched almost the entire castle without finding his cat, which left him feeling somewhat dejected.

As for Baron's suspicions, he had not exactly been wrong. Xiwen had used the name Strange to gain Helena's trust. How was that any different from being a liar?

"By the way, was that the only ghost Peeves is afraid of?" Xiwen asked.

"He only bullies the weak and fears the strong." Helena snorted coldly.

Having searched nearly the entire castle without spotting any sign of Little Cat, Xiwen, still covered by the Disillusionment Charm, prepared to try his luck outside the castle.

As he quietly made his way toward the first floor, a dim light suddenly appeared below the staircase. A figure carrying an oil lamp walked toward Xiwen.

"Who's there?" The figure seemed to have noticed the light from Xiwen's wand and shouted.

Xiwen hurriedly extinguished his wand and hid behind a stone pedestal, holding his breath.

A sinister-looking middle-aged man with disheveled hair approached with a heavy oil lamp. He searched the area carefully, looking left and right, forward and back, yet failed to find a single person.

A puzzled expression appeared on his face, but he calmly said, "Come out. I've already seen you!"

Xiwen curled his lip and remained motionless.

"What's wrong, Mr. Pringle?" A voice suddenly rang out from a corner.

A young man holding a glowing wand stepped out from the corner on the other side and asked in confusion.

Pringle was delighted at first, but his face fell when he saw who it was. "Professor Lore, why are you here?"

Professor Lore replied, "I haven't adjusted my sleep schedule since term began, so I couldn't sleep. I came out for a walk."

Pringle said, "Was that you here just now? I thought some troublesome student had sneaked out for a night patrol."

Professor Lore's lips curved upward. "I wasn't in that spot just now. Perhaps there really is a student nearby."

As he spoke, his gaze drifted over the surrounding area.

Xiwen immediately grew nervous. He did not think Pruitt's half-mastered Disillusionment Charm could fool a professor. Moreover, after so much time, the charm's effect had already begun to weaken.

I have to think of something. Xiwen silently shifted his body completely behind the stone pedestal, into a blind spot Professor Lore could not see.

Professor Lore moved around with Pringle, the castle caretaker, trying to find the young wizard breaking school rules. When they reached a stone pedestal, he suddenly sensed that something was off. He stepped back two paces, preparing to take a closer look.

Xiwen held his breath...

"What are you two looking for?"

Suddenly, a voice rang out in the air.

The interrupted pair looked up and discovered a ghost standing in midair, watching them in confusion.