Marauder's Map

As midnight approached, Luke found himself unable to sleep. He tossed and turned in his bed, growing increasingly restless. In frustration, he decided to change into casual clothes, grab a few sweets, and head out.

Despite having a comfortable nap in the afternoon, he now couldn't seem to find any hint of sleepiness.

Taking advantage of the opportunity to explore Hogwarts at night, he hoped to perhaps run into the caretaker, Filch, and his ever-watchful cat, Mrs. Norris. Additionally, he had a particular interest in the forbidden books hidden away in the library.

After exiting the Slytherin dormitory, Luke opened his Marauder's Map and traced his way through the castle to locate the library.

The library's entrance was unlocked, allowing him to enter without any difficulty.

The moonlight filtered through the windows, casting a soft glow upon the empty library.

"If I recall correctly, the forbidden section is this way."

Having visited the library multiple times, Luke had already mapped out the area, and although it was labeled as forbidden, it was secured only by a lock.

There wasn't even a trace of protective magic.

"Alohomora!"

He withdrew his wand from his sleeve and tapped it against the lock.

Pushing the gate aside, he found rows of bookshelves filled with books. Some of these books were even secured with chains, lending an air of mystery to the place.

Selecting a random book from the shelf, Luke quickly closed it again, his face expressionless.

For as he opened it, he had glimpsed a face that appeared ready to scream. Making noise at this hour would only bring Filch down upon him.

"'About the Specific Use of Curses' is indeed a book from the forbidden section. However, it's quite different from the books outside."

Luke briefly glanced at the title and pushed the book back into its place.

The book he sought was about magical spells. Instead of continually trying to replicate them, he felt it was more prudent to study them in-depth himself. This included spells like the "Unforgivable Curses," "Memory Charms," "Stunning Spells," and "Occlumency," all of which could prove useful.

Occlumency, in particular, was something he had to learn. Otherwise, the risk of exposing his traveler's memories was a constant threat.

After searching for a while, he finally spotted a book tucked away in a corner of the wall: "Research and Application of Forbidden Magic."

The book had a relatively thin, black cover, in stark contrast to the various foundational books on magic found elsewhere.

However, before he could open it, a cheerful voice echoed from behind him.

"Long time no see, Luke!"

"What a coincidence! We didn't expect to find you here for a late-night stroll!"

Hearing these familiar voices, Luke instantly recognized the two individuals standing behind him.

It was none other than Fred and George Weasley.

"Hey, what book are you holding there?"

Fred asked with curiosity.

"It's a book on forbidden magical spells."

There was no need to conceal it, so Luke presented the book to them and asked, "Do you guys want it?"

"Nope!"

"We're more into mischief!"

The twins found themselves overwhelmed by knowledge books. Despite their high talent, their character didn't align with continuous learning.

"Luke, do you want to know how we found you?" Fred whispered mysteriously, and George eagerly nodded beside him.

"We have an amazing map in our hands, and we can mark everyone on it!"

Fred enthusiastically continued, "What about joining us on our prank tour?"

In their eyes, Luke, who appeared friendly and polite but still ventured out for nighttime escapades, was much more appealing than other Slytherins.

"Pranks and maps?" Luke wondered how these two seemingly unrelated things were connected.

"That's right, we got hold of this map from Filch, but we can't break its spell," George explained. "We need to complete all the pranks marked on it for the spell to disappear."

Fred chimed in, "We've already done most of the pranks, and we estimate it will take about half a year to break the spell!"

Luke couldn't help but ask, "Can't you just force it to release with a decryption spell?"

"No, that would only reduce the time left for us to use the map."

The Gemini had indeed tried that approach, but it had yielded disappointing results. The map they were currently using had a time limit, and once that limit was exceeded, it would no longer mark anyone's location.

"It sounds intriguing, but let me think about it," Luke replied, neither accepting nor rejecting their offer. He recalled that the Marauder's Map had been created by the quartet led by James Potter in their later years at Hogwarts. Aside from their studies, they had always been known for their ingenious inventions. Even the twins standing before him seemed to follow in that tradition.

"Alright, we'll wait for your decision!"

The Weasley twins weren't discouraged and placed the Marauder's Map in front of Luke.

"Take a look. This is Argus Filch. According to his route, he'll be back to patrol the library soon."

"By the way, we still haven't figured out how this map was created."

"The creator, the Marauder, must have been a genius!"

Hearing Fred and George's conversation, Luke thought back to his encounter with Peeves earlier in the day.

"Maybe you should ask Peeves; I have a hunch that it might be related to this map."

After all, Peeves had been around for thousands of years and knew the castle's architecture better than anyone. It was also the one most familiar with the people at Hogwarts.

Luke's suspicions weren't baseless.

The twins' eyes lit up at the suggestion. How had they not thought of Peeves before?

"Thanks, Luke, you're a real friend!"

With that, they eagerly set off to find the mischievous Peeves.

"Just a friendly tip: don't take that book out of the library, or it'll start screaming!"

Having given his advice, Luke watched as the Weasley twins left with the Marauder's Map to track down the elusive Peeves.

"Can't you take it out of the library?"

He glanced at the book in his hand, which appeared perfectly ordinary.

"Forget it; I'll look into it later when I have the time."

With Filch approaching, he couldn't linger in the library any longer. Luke silently cast a spell on himself and stealthily made his exit.

.....

Do you want to read ahead? Explore more chapters filled with sizzling encounters, and heart-pounding adventures. Join my Pa*treon!

Help unlock a weekend bonus chapter by reaching 100 power stones. Let's make the story even more magical, together! 

Link : pa*treon.com/MidnightWonder (Remove the *)