George pulled something out of his pocket, waved it in front of Fred, and made a throwing motion. Fred raised the Pumpkin Juice in his hand, as if to clink glasses with George in celebration.
Herman looked in the direction beside them and saw Filch standing in the shadows near the entrance to the Great Hall. His light-colored eyes were fixed on the Weasley Twins, his brows furrowed and his lips twitching slightly, as if he was trying to find some incriminating evidence but couldn't find any for the time being.
Behind him followed the emaciated cat, its eyes locked onto its target with the same precision as its owner's.
Herman looked away, forked a piece of honey-glazed ham, put it in his mouth, and chewed it slowly.
George and Fred were even more active than he had imagined. Night outings, pranks, and sneaking out of the common room were probably not considered violations of school rules by them, but rather regular recreational activities.
Herman had always thought these actions were somewhat childish, but now, looking at his empty evening schedule, he suddenly realized something.
It seems we can't blame these two. With such a long break, it's unreasonable to prevent energetic kids from playing outside and force them to stay obediently in the common room or dormitory every night.
If it were like the high schools back home, with their schedules packed from morning till night, starting with a couple of laps in the morning to perk them up, skipping the two morning classes and going through four full classes, followed by three evening study sessions, with only one day off a week at most, do you think these kids would still be out at night?
Of course, people like George and Fred, who are extremely energetic, probably still have the strength, but most students certainly don't have the energy to run around.
Should I also go for a nighttime stroll to be in accordance with Hogwarts tradition?
The idea slowly emerged in Herman's mind, like a stone thrown into water, creating ripples.
Hogwarts Castle is so vast, with so many corridors and secrets hidden behind so many doors. If no one goes to explore them, what is the point of their existence?
However, what exactly to do during the night tour still needs to be planned carefully. Herman put down his fork, picked up the Pumpkin Juice beside him and took a sip. His gaze unconsciously swept past the crowd in the Great Hall and looked toward the entrance of the corridor in the distance.
He needed a destination for his nighttime stroll, or at least an excuse to set off; wandering aimlessly around the castle would only lead to him being caught by Filch.
He needed to figure out where he was going, what he wanted to see, what he wanted to confirm, and he also needed to be prepared not to get caught.
However, there seems to be an even more direct way: learn from George or Fred and see where these two professional night owls usually go.
They were clearly very familiar with the castle's layout and Filch's patrol patterns. Gaining their experience would at least allow them to advance from apprentice to trainee.
In the original story, they seemed to have a Marauder's Map cheat, I wonder if they've gotten their hands on it yet.
Herman finished his Pumpkin Juice and put the glass back on the table.
Draco finished the last piece of grilled meat and was elegantly wiping her fingers with a tissue when she noticed Herman's absent-minded look. She tilted her head and asked, "What are you thinking about? You look like you're about to commit a thief."
Herman snapped out of his reverie, glanced at her, then at Harry across from him who was engrossed in a thick book, and casually replied, "Thinking about how to do my homework."
"Liar." Draco bluntly exposed him. "You were clearly looking at the Gryffindor table just now. The Weasley family twins are there. Do you want to be friends with them?"
Herman asked curiously, "You know them?"
Draco curled her lip in disdain. "Red-haired Weasley, how could I not know them? Their father is always causing trouble for my dad! And I saw them on the train, how disgusting! If you become friends with them, I'm never protecting you again!"
At this moment, Herman saw that George and Fred had already put away what they had been fiddling with and were casually piling food onto their plates, as if nothing had happened. Filch was still standing in the shadows, but his expression had changed from resentment to disappointment, probably because he hadn't caught them in the act.
"You're still looking!" Draco angrily snatched the plate from Herman's hand, expressing her displeasure.
Herman quickly looked away, saying, "Alright, alright, I won't look anymore, Miss!"
Seeing that Herman listened to her, Draco was immediately pleased. However, realizing that she might have hindered Herman's freedom to make friends, she quickly added, "Well, if you want to make friends, I can introduce you to some new ones. How about Crabbe and Goyle? They listen to me very well. I... I can make them your underlings. But I'm the boss, and you're number two."
At this point Draco noticed Harry looking at her and quickly added, " Harry, you can do it too, but you can only be number three."
Harry shook her head. "Forget it, I don't like taking two pigs out in the street."
Hearing Harry's complaint, Herman almost burst out laughing, and quickly tore off a piece of bread and stuffed it into his mouth to cover it up.
Draco opened her mouth, wanting to say something on behalf of Crabbe and Goyle, but after thinking for a long time, she couldn't find the right words to refute them. Finally, she said, "They both have very good appetites. My father always tells me to learn a little from them, not to always diet, and at least to eat a little better and be stronger."
Herman couldn't help but laugh.
Seeing this, Draco instinctively reached out and pinched him. Herman quickly explained, "No, I just remembered they ate my S.P.E.W.- flavored Bertie Bott's Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans! They really have a good appetite; they could even eat that!"
After speaking, Herman quickly pulled his arm out of Draco's grasp, blew on the red marks left by her pinch, and thought, "Her hands are really dirty."
When I looked up again, I saw the Gryffindor table in the distance. George and Fred had finished eating and were standing up, patting their bellies as they walked briskly out of the Great Hall, like two cats who had just found new toys.
Filch started walking almost simultaneously and followed silently.
Herman watched the three figures disappear through the doorway one by one. "Next time," he thought, "I'll see what's fun at Hogwarts Castle at night."
The Forbidden Forest was several levels darker than the castle at night, and even with the exceptionally bright moon tonight, it only made the Forbidden Forest seem more secluded and terrifying.
The towering trees pressed down layer upon layer, their branches and leaves obscuring most of the sky, with only a few scattered rays of moonlight seeping in through the gaps, casting tiny white spots on the ground.
Hagrid carried a huge clay pot and walked along a barely visible path into the depths of the forest, his footsteps rustling on the thick layer of fallen leaves.
His expression carried a suppressed yet barely concealed excitement, like a child about to unwrap a birthday present.
Ever since Dumbledore entrusted the group of Vampire to him for "placement," Hagrid has made a daily trip to the Forbidden Forest.
Unfortunately Dumbledore explicitly stated that they should not be caged. Vampire are, after all, intelligent beings, and caged them would be inappropriate both morally and logically.
Hagrid verbally expressed his understanding, but in his heart he still regretted not being able to use Professor Kettleburn's cages, feeling that good things had not been put to good use.