George and Fred's excitement for Draco's performance was practically overflowing from their eyes.
" Fred," George lowered his voice, his eyes gleaming with the light of discovery, "I think we were wrong."
Fred closed the little notebook he used to record his "observations": "And completely wrong! This isn't fun."
"This is a treasure trove," George added.
"A walking, talking thing with its own advanced defense system and social engineering mind..." Fred licked his lips, as if naming some groundbreaking invention.
The two exchanged a glance and said in unison:
"The Ultimate Prank Test Platform!"
Harry Potter stood on the edge of this vortex of excitement, yet felt little excitement at all.
"Treasure? Testing platform?" He repeated these two words to himself, "Just who exactly is this Malfoy?"
Ron was completely stunned, his mouth agape, as if the world had been turned upside down in those few short minutes.
Hermione looked at the twins with clear disapproval and warning. "Treating classmates as 'testing grounds' is extremely unethical and dangerous, Mr. Weasley."
George Fred completely ignored Hermione, engrossed in discussing new things.
"The curtain has been raised on Legend..."
Lavender sighed happily, as if witnessing the beginning of an epic.
"A prince misunderstood by everyone, yet secretly protecting his dignity; a Champion rejected by Slytherin, yet accepted by Gryffindor..."
Padma rolled her eyes; Lavender always reacted this way, so she was used to it.
Seamus and Dean exchanged a confused yet excited look.
"Test platform... what do you mean?" Seamus scratched his head.
"I don't know," Dean shrugged. "But what George and Fred said... that Malfoy is probably going to have a lot of 'fun' going to happen."
Neville, carrying Trevor, quietly moved to the farthest corner.
He didn't understand those complicated words, but the information that " the Weasley brothers valued Malfoy highly" made his sense of difference towards the blond boy rise again.
A person who gets targeted by a Gemini must be extremely extraordinary.
The procession continued onward.
The Slytherin, having been humiliated, fell into a brief, deathly silence, followed by a suppressed, angry buzz.
They realized that this "traitor" was not only excellent in defense, but also precise and ruthless in counterattacks, and adept at using rules and language.
He is not a spineless coward who only knows how to take a beating or cry, nor is he a reckless man who will lose control and roar in anger on the spot.
The previous harassment was meant to be a mockery and a form of punishment, intended to teach the traitor a lesson.
But now it's tinged with a genuine sense of hatred, a need to get revenge and uphold Slytherin's dignity.
They will never forget the humiliation of tonight.
Three attacks were easily thwarted by a "traitor," who even turned the tables on them.
They were preparing to devise a more elaborate, more malicious, and less likely to be caught red-handed revenge plan.
Unfortunately, Draco was completely unaware of this, and even if he had, he wouldn't have been afraid.
As Percy led the group through a door hidden behind sliding panels and hanging curtains.
Ron couldn't help but mutter, "I mean, why is our dorm room hidden so well? It's like they're afraid we'll find it! Why don't they just hang up a ' Gryffindor ' sign?"
George and Fred exchanged a glance, and simultaneously broke into the kind of smiles that showed they were back to their favorite part.
"Ah, my dear brother," George looked at Ron with amusement, "You've hit the nail on the head regarding one of the core joys of Hogwarts!"
Fred stood beside him cooperatively and replied in a dramatic voice, "This is a trial, a tradition, a never-ending game of hide-and-seek!"
"Imagine," George said, holding up a finger, "if every house door were as wide open as the toilet doors of the Leaky Cauldron, with signs saying 'Lions's Den' or 'Snake Hole'—"
"How boring that would be!" Fred added, then began to tremble affectedly.
"How unimaginative! The charm of Hogwarts lies in its unpredictability. The Moving Staircase never tell you where they'll lead next, and the secrets behind the portraits..."
"... It's a treasure known only to our own people." George became more and more excited as he spoke.
"The password changes weekly, like a secret code only we understand, which lets you and those Ravenclaw, those nice guys from Hufflepuff, and..."
He gave a look of disgust. "Make sure to completely separate those slippery Slytherin guys."
"So," Fred patted Ron on the shoulder, "Secrecy is not an obstacle, Ron."
"It's a privilege; it means you've been chosen, to become part of a millennia-old secret. And..."
"This makes nighttime exploration and discovery a million times more exciting. Imagine if Filch could find the door to every common room..."
"Then half the fun in our lives will be gone." George grinned broadly.
Percy straightened his back the moment he heard Ron's question, his brow furrowing habitually.
He showed a clear expression of disapproval of Gemini's theory of fun.
" Ron, George, Fred," his voice boomed past the twins, his face bearing the Prefect authority of a prefect, "This is not a game of 'hide-and-seek'."
He turned to Ron with a very serious expression. "The locations of Hogwarts ' common rooms and dormitories are kept secret and require passwords, for serious security and management reasons."
"First, protect the students," Percy said, holding up one finger. "Prevent malicious individuals from easily entering the core area of the academy, ensure the safety of students' personal belongings, and provide a safe gathering place if necessary."
"Second, maintain college discipline and unity." He held up his second finger. "The password system ensures that only students from this college can enter, which strengthens a sense of college identity and facilitates management by the Prefect and dean. It prevents..."
He glanced meaningfully at the silent Draco in the distance, "Unnecessary inter-house disputes are taking place in the lounge."
"Third, respect tradition and the Founders' intentions." He held up his third finger. "Each of the four Founders designed their own way of entering their academy, which reflects their wisdom and individuality."
Harry was getting sleepy listening to Percy's explanation; he felt that Percy was Dumbledore.
Hermione, however, listened with great interest, her eyes shining with seriousness.
"This is no child's play, Ron," Percy concluded. "It embodies the solemn magical contracts and ancient wisdom of Hogwarts. I hope you'll approach it with more seriousness than just thinking about... 'the thrill of a night out'."
He said the last sentence while staring at the Gemini.
"Oh, come on, Percy," George said dismissively. "You can call every funny thing an Article 12 of Appendix III of the Hogwarts School Rules."
"'Serious security considerations'..." Fred said, mimicking Percy 'Percy mannerisms and tone, "That's right, like preventing Peeves from stealing your homework, or preventing Filch from suddenly bursting in to admire your nightcap."
"I'm stating the facts!" Percy exclaimed, his face flushed. "And you always encourage rule-breaking and dangerous adventures!"
"Alright, alright, I got it!" Ron, caught in the middle, rolled his eyes. "A safe and fun secret club, okay?"
He actually preferred the Gemini interpretation, which sounded much more interesting, but he didn't dare to openly contradict Percy.
Just then, Percy suddenly stopped, and the people following him almost bumped into his back.
"What's wrong?" Ron asked, displeased.
Percy pointed to a cane floating in the air, his expression changing slightly. "That must be that annoying Peeves. If you freshmen see Peeves, you'd better stay as far away from him as possible."
Peeves, defiant voice came from the air. "Hiding is useless! Peeves can walk through walls, so you can't outrun him. Only if you play with me to your heart's content will I consider letting him go!"
The students looked up into the air, but there was nothing there except the walking stick.
Peeves is someone whose voice is heard but whose person is never seen.
"Don't listen to it," Percy frowned. "As long as you keep bothering it, it will keep bothering you endlessly. It will only leave those who bore it."
"Even if you want to deal with it, it's useless, because it's a ghost, and no attack is effective against it. Even we older students can't do anything to it."
Upon hearing Percy's "praise," Peeves popped out of the air with a "poof."
It was a dwarf-like creature with grayish-white skin, a large mouth, and evil black eyes, floating cross-legged in the air.
"Since the Prefect 'appreciates' my work so much," Peeves chuckled, "I must work even harder and not let him down!"
"This is Peeves?!" Ron's eyes widened.
"You absolutely mustn't mess with him..." Fred warned.
"He looks even worse than you guys say!" Ron couldn't help but complain.
"My foolish brother," Fred sighed, "I told you not to mess with it, which meant you should shut your mouth."
Peeves laughed loudly, "Haha! Looks like you two red-haired troublemakers know a thing or two! You even taught your little brother about my 'renown' at home! You have good taste!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than Peeves popped out of the chandelier directly above Ron with a "whoosh" like a wisp of smoke, hanging upside down and bringing his face right up to Ron's nose.
Then it grinned widely and said in a sickeningly sweet, fake voice, "Oh~~~! A new, red-haired little Weasley!! You just said... how 'terrible' I look?"
This startled not only Ron, but also many other freshmen who took a step back in fright.
" Peeves, don't bother us while we rest," Percy said sternly. "Or I'll go find Bloody Baron."
Peeves seemed not to hear, continuing to float around above the freshmen's heads. Suddenly, he chuckled wickedly, "So the freshmen have arrived. More fun to come! Don't you think so, George and Fred?"
Although it was true, George and Fred dared not take sides and could only laugh awkwardly.
Suddenly, Peeves, as if discovering something amusing, flew above Draco and announced loudly, "Look what I've found, ladies and gentlemen! Ghosts and students! Breaking news! Unbelievable! A ferret—sorry, a Malfoy —has fallen into a lion's den!"
As it spoke, it began to improvise lyrics and sing. " Malfoy is a sheep of the Gryffindor! Malfoy is a sheep of the Gryffindor!"
They kept repeating it, singing it with great enjoyment.
"Enough, Peeves!" Percy roared, "Get out of here right now, or I'm going to tell Bloody Baron, and I'm not kidding!"
"Hehehe--" Peeves stuck out his tongue mockingly, then disappeared with a "poof".
The cane fell from the sky, heading straight for Draco.
Draco reached out and caught the cane steadily, then casually leaned it against the wall.
"Let's go." Percy took a deep breath. " Peeves' biggest fear is the Ghost Bloody Baron."
Percy had only taken two steps when Peeves popped out of the ground again, and his feet stopped in mid-air, almost causing him to fall.
" Prefect," said Peeves with a grin, "Let me make it clear beforehand, I'm not afraid of Bloody Baron, because he's from Slytherin, you can't possibly get rid of him, hehe."
After teasing Percy, it disappeared again.
Percy, left in a fit of rage and shame, stood there in a state of "impotent fury":
" Peeves! As Gryffindor Prefect, I lodge the strongest protest against this! This is a serious violation of school rules! I'm reporting you to Mr. Filch! To Professor McGonagall! To Headmaster Dumbledore! You'll be stuffed into that biggest broom cabinet! I swear!"
These words had no effect on Peeves; in fact, they were as pleasant as beautiful music.
The students exchanged bewildered glances, surprised that even their Prefect had been taken aback. They realized that this Peeves was truly someone they couldn't afford to mess with.
After cursing for a long time, Peeves didn't reappear.
George said, " Prefect, why don't we go back and rest first?"
Percy was helpless. He exhaled through his nose and forced himself to calm down.
He could only salvage his image by giving the freshmen a few words of admonishment. "Don't you dare imitate this Peeves, or you'll become universally disliked."
Peeves popped out from the side wall this time. "Talking bad about me again, Prefect? Talking bad about me again."
Percy angrily slapped him, but Peeves shrank back into the wall, and Percy's hand slammed directly against the wall, causing him to shake his hand in pain.
George, Fred, and Ron couldn't help but chuckle.
" Prefect, have you forgotten what you told us?" George couldn't help but ask.
"Yeah, right," Fred chimed in, "Don't get angry with Peeves, or you'll only end up hurting yourself."
"Shut up!" Percy glared at them. "If you dare to make another snide Prefect, you'll be put in solitary confinement!"
"Yes, Prefect," George and Fred answered in unison, but their smiles were barely concealed.
Percy felt embarrassed and could only walk forward with his head down.
After that, Peeves didn't cause any more trouble.
[Ding! Original storyline added, Fortune Points increased by 20!]
However, Draco had a sudden inspiration...