Chapter 12: The Twins and Quidditch
In class, John earned points from Professor Flitwick, slightly improving Slytherin's lagging standings.
After a day of classes, John moved around the castle.
Every time he passed a large tapestry, he would pace back and forth three times, silently repeating that he needed a room for training.
This behavior might seem strange, but anyone who had read the Harry Potter books would find it familiar.
That's right, he was searching for the Room of Requirement.
As previously mentioned, his memory was a bit fuzzy.
He remembered that the entrance to the Room of Requirement was opposite a large tapestry, but he couldn't recall exactly what it looked like or where it was located.
Fortunately, there weren't many large tapestries in Hogwarts. On his third pass by the tapestry on the eighth floor depicting the troll clubbing Barnabas the Barmy, a wooden door appeared opposite it.
John pushed the door open and found a room designed for spell practice.
The human-shaped targets inside looked quite old, and John frowned as he entered.
The place was covered in dust, as if it hadn't been cleaned in decades.
"Scourgify."
Using the newly learned spell, he cleaned the room, and his frown relaxed.
The old human-shaped targets were still sturdy, and in a corner, there was a dark, heavy training sword.
Judging by its size, its previous owner must have been very strong.
John tried to lift it but found it even heavier than the sword from the medieval armor.
He couldn't wield it with his current strength.
However, he now had a place to practice spells.
Everything in the room could also be used for physical training, which was a bonus.
For now, without any offensive spells, John could only do some basic training.
Through his relentless efforts, he managed to level up the Disillusionment Charm to Level 2.
"Disillusionment."
With a wave of his wand, a liquid-like substance covered his body, making him appear like a ripple of water.
He raised his hand to look; it seemed like he had become a part of the surroundings.
From a distance, he was nearly invisible, but up close, there was a faint difference from the surroundings.
"Just like optical camouflage."
Using his own knowledge to explain the phenomenon, John nodded in satisfaction
With the help of the Disillusionment Charm, John's nightly excursions became much easier.
After finishing his training, he left the Room of Requirement.
It was now time for bed, so he headed to the Trophy Room to clean the trophies.
From his pocket, he took out a cat treat as a reward for Mrs. Norris's previous help, and he combed her matted fur.
"Have you gotten fatter?"
Lifting Mrs. Norris, John felt she had gained weight.
Previously, he couldn't understand how Filch could have been feeding her to the point of malnutrition.
Knowing that Mrs. Norris often licked her fur, John thoughtfully brought a bottle of hairball remedy.
As he was leaving, he noticed Filch's sour expression had worsened, and there was a smell of rotten durian coming from him.
It was likely the work of the Weasley twins.
Shortly after exiting the Trophy Room, John encountered two red-haired figures sneaking around.
With identical faces and mischievous grins, there was no mistaking the famous Weasley twins.
John's eyes lit up as he cast the Disillusionment Charm on himself and quietly followed them, eavesdropping on their conversation.
"George, we could throw dungbombs in there."
"Wait, Fred. John Wick is still in the Trophy Room. I don't want to get John Wick in trouble."
"Alright, we can throw them into Filch's office. What do you think?"
"Perfect, George. It's time that nasty old git got a taste of his own medicine."
George and Fred Weasley, the Weasley twins, were the two most troublesome students at Hogwarts.
Their feud with Filch wasn't new; as the school's biggest pranksters, they naturally clashed with the caretaker.
Tonight, the twins had decided to give Filch some trouble.
Two dungbombs in his office seemed like the perfect gift.
Following behind them, John shuddered at their plans, grateful for his good rapport with them.
If a dungbomb had hit him, he would have needed to shower ten times to get rid of the stench.
The Weasley twins didn't notice John as they reached Filch's office and threw in the dungbombs.
The resulting stench made John feel sorry for Filch, who would have a hard time finding a place to sleep tonight.
The smell was so bad that even the twins couldn't stand it, and they ran off immediately after throwing the bombs.
John peeked inside from the doorway.
Filch's office was filled with various items, including a drawer labeled "Confiscated and Highly Dangerous," which contained numerous contraband items.
Before he could take a closer look, he heard Filch's angry, stomping footsteps.
The Weasley twins quickened their pace, dropping a parchment as they passed by John.
Picking it up, John recognized the familiar white parchment.
"The Marauder's Map?"
This wasn't the time to inspect it closely, as he could already hear Mrs. Norris's meowing.
Under the Disillusionment Charm, he ran in the opposite direction from the Weasley twins.
Filch, fuming, chased after the twins.
Back in his dormitory, John noticed a lingering smell of dungbombs on himself.
Taking out the parchment, he retrieved his wand.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good!"
The white parchment began to change, ink lines extending like watercolors, forming a line of text.
"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs."
John remembered that one of these names was Harry's father.
Opening the parchment, he found a map of Hogwarts with moving footprints showing the locations of everyone in the castle.
"Filch is still circling. If he turns around, he might spot the Weasley twins."
The map was incredibly detailed, recording even the secret passages of Hogwarts, complete with names.
Having this map meant having control over all of Hogwarts' secret passages.
Fortunately, Filch didn't turn around and went in the opposite direction.
The Weasley twins headed towards the Gryffindor common room, taking a shortcut on the fifth floor.
As John studied the map, he noticed a name.
Quirinus Quirrell.
Professor Quirrell was out at night, and John wanted to see if he could find the one who must not be named.
Unfortunately, he failed.
"It seems the Marauder's Map doesn't show everything."
John was disappointed but noted that such instances were rare.
He watched with amusement as his Head of House approached a couple out for a late-night stroll, predicting they would lose quite a few points.
"Mischief managed."
With a tap of his wand, John closed the Marauder's Map and tucked it under his pillow.
Now he didn't have to worry about getting caught during his nightly escapades—definitely good news.
...
One good news and one bad news.
The good news was that besides class and training, John found a new pastime.
Watching the Chosen One, Harry Potter, practice his flying at the Quidditch pitch.
It was rare to see such talent passed down from father to son. However, why was a nearsighted boy with glasses so good at tracking the Golden Snitch?
The Snitch was tiny, about the size of a walnut, and incredibly fast in a large three-dimensional space.
John was dazzled, but Harry always managed to find and track it.
This didn't stop John from enjoying the spectacle, as it was the Chosen One's training history.
On Harry's third dive into the stands, John heard Hermione's voice.
"In 1269, Chief Warlock Barberus Bragge introduced the Golden Snidget into Quidditch matches, offering 150 Galleons for its capture. This became a tradition, and capturing the Snidget awarded 150 points. Due to the Snidget's near extinction, the Golden Snitch replaced it."
Hermione was showing off her knowledge, leaving John helpless.
She seemed to view him as a rival.
As a true academic, Hermione was determined not to lose to John, who had earned more points than her in class.
This was the bad news.
At least until John truly became a top student, this was very troubling.
It felt like someone was constantly driving him forward with a whip, ready to lash out if he slowed down.