Chapter 145: Searching for Wesley

********

In the novel's synopsis, there is a YouTube link of my channel provided.

if we reach 50 subs i will upload 10 extra chapters.

We are Halfway there.

*********

At this moment, the dorm room fell silent.

Li Jordan realized that something was wrong. Fred and George were likely missing; otherwise, they wouldn't have stayed out all night and not returned to the dorm.

"I'll go to the common room and ask if anyone has seen them," Li Jordan immediately said, putting his words into action.

Albert surveyed the dorm room, suppressing his drowsiness. He grabbed a large piece of chocolate and stuffed it into his mouth, then washed his face in the bathroom, patting his cheeks in front of the mirror to fully wake himself up.

Li Jordan returned with a troubled expression on his face. It was evident that something was amiss. When he saw Albert come back, he immediately approached him. "They're not in the common room."

"Could they have gone into the Forbidden Forest searching for some supposed treasure?" Albert, now fully awake after washing his face, asked, "Did you guys find something new on the treasure map?"

Li Jordan hesitated. "Well..."

"If Fred and George went into the forest, things could get complicated," Albert's expression froze as he noticed new activity on his task board.

Mysterious disappearance.

Two of your friends have not returned to the dorm before curfew. They are suspected to be missing. As their roommate and friend, you should make every effort to find them.

Reward: 1000 experience points.

"Follow me, let's talk on the way," Albert grabbed George's used wizard hat and walked briskly towards the common room.

"You mean they went into the forest?" Li Jordan also realized that the situation was dire. If Fred and George entered the forest and hadn't returned, things would be very dangerous. The Forbidden Forest was particularly treacherous at night.

There were few students lingering in the common room. A couple whispered to each other, paying no attention to their surroundings. Students working on holiday assignments were fully engrossed in their parchment and didn't notice Albert and Li Jordan leaving the room.

"I'm not entirely sure if they went into the forest," Albert said, looking at Li Jordan for further clarification, "Tell me, did you guys find something significant on the treasure map?"

"Yes, they noticed some changes on the treasure map," Li Jordan hesitated, then continued, "They thought you were unaware of it, so they asked me to keep it a secret for now."

"Go on," Albert urged.

"Fred and George believe that the map is real. As you know, they've ventured into the forest before," Li Jordan followed behind Albert, sharing what he knew.

"I truly had no idea. Wait, they didn't tell me?" Albert stopped in his tracks, giving Li Jordan an annoyed look.

"Fred said that if you knew, you would definitely stop them from venturing into the forest," Li Jordan sighed and explained, "That's why they decided not to tell you for the time being."

"Well, that's inevitable. The outskirts of the forest aren't dangerous, but that doesn't mean venturing deeper inside is safe," Albert raised his wand and cast an illusion charm on himself and Li Jordan.

"Are we really going into the forest?" Li Jordan seemed to have guessed Albert's intentions and was shocked by his boldness. He hesitated and suggested, "I think it's best if we find Professor McGonagall."

"No, we need Hagrid's help. We have to find Hagrid," Albert immediately dismissed Li Jordan's suggestion without hesitation.

"But... we can't leave. The castle gates are closed, and we can't open them," Li Jordan reminded him.

"I know a secret passage to leave the castle," Albert added. "Fred told me about it during our previous night excursion."

"But... why don't we go find Professor McGonagall?" Li Jordan still couldn't understand. In his opinion, they should be seeking Professor McGonagall's help right away.

Hagrid knows the Forbidden Forest better than anyone. With his help, we can safely enter and exit the forest," Albert led Li Jordan through a shortcut. "Let's not make a big deal out of this, or Fred and George will get into big trouble. Besides, we can't be certain if they've actually entered the forest."

"We really can't be sure about that," muttered Li Jordan. "Maybe they're still somewhere in the school."

"It's easy to confirm that," Albert gestured for silence. Footsteps could be heard approaching from nearby. He immediately extinguished the light on his wand and pulled Li Jordan into hiding.

"Strange, I thought I heard someone talking," Filch walked past them, holding a lantern, and peered into the dark corridor. Not seeing anyone, he turned and walked away.

Once the footsteps faded, Albert and Li Jordan emerged from their hiding spot. They reached a vase at the corner of the third floor.

"Is the secret passage out of the castle here?"

"Turn left, then right."

Albert approached and tapped the vase twice with his wand.

The vase started to emit a faint scraping sound.

Li Jordan was astonished to see a black dot appearing in a landscape painting hanging on the nearby wall. The dot gradually grew larger, revealing a door.

"Let's go."

Albert stepped forward, grasped the doorknob, and gently pushed. The original frame swung open, revealing the hidden entrance behind it.

"So secretive," murmured Li Jordan.

"Don't tell anyone."

"Understood."

A few minutes later, the two finally emerged from the secret passage. Li Jordan was amazed to find himself on a mountain path leading to the dock.

"Tapping this protruding stone three times?" Albert pointed to the raised stone. "The password to open the entrance is 'Open Sesame.'"

"Damn it, do those two know all these secret passages? They didn't even tell me," Li Jordan complained quietly.

"Keep up," Albert walked towards Hagrid's hut.

"How do you plan to determine if Fred and George are in the Forbidden Forest?" Li Jordan couldn't help but ask. It was crucial because he didn't want to recklessly enter the forest.

"Using an owl. Owls have tracking abilities, and we can rely on one to determine if Fred and George are in the forest," Albert explained.

Albert wasn't skilled in tracking magic, but owls possessed that ability. With the help of an owl, Albert could confirm if the two were indeed in the forest.

"I never thought of that," Li Jordan was amazed by Albert's ingenious idea. It seemed like a good plan, so he hastened his steps to follow Albert.

The two finally arrived at Hagrid's hut, which was dark inside. Hagrid might already be asleep, but their approach immediately alerted Fang, who was on guard.

"Hagrid, Hagrid, we need your help," Albert raised his fist and knocked forcefully on Hagrid's wooden door.

A series of bangs echoed in the night, and the hut only echoed with the barking of Fang but no sign of Hagrid opening the door.

Something was off.

"Could it be..." Li Jordan was about to suggest that Hagrid might be asleep, but he quickly realized it didn't make sense. If Hagrid were truly asleep, Albert's loud noise would surely have provoked a reaction.

Albert pointed his wand at the lock and muttered, "Alohomora."

The lock clicked open, and Albert pushed the door, entering the hut. The tip of his wand emitted a faint light, scanning through Hagrid's empty hut. It seemed that he might be out for some reason.

"Breaking in like this might not be a good idea," Li Jordan anxiously followed Albert into the hut.

Fang couldn't see them, circling around them, sniffing the air.

"Of course, it's not ideal," Albert released the Disillusionment Charm on himself, crouched down, and comforted Fang to prevent him from getting too excited.

"And what about..." Li Jordan couldn't finish his sentence when he heard the flapping of wings outside. He quickly turned his head in the direction of the sound and saw Snowy flying into the room, landing on the wooden table.

Albert's owl always appeared when he needed to send a letter.

"Give it to George," Albert placed Hagrid's quill down and handed his handkerchief to the owl, instructing, "Make sure George personally receives it."

Snowy grasped the handkerchief, spread its wings, and flew off towards the Forbidden Forest.

As they watched the owl fly away, both of their expressions darkened. If Fred and George were in the castle, the owl would have flown towards it. But heading into the forest meant that the two of them had indeed entered.

"Now what? Should we go back and find Professor McGonagall?" Li Jordan took a deep breath and asked.

"Yes, let's go back and find Professor McGonagall," Albert nodded.

Li Jordan let out a sigh of relief upon hearing Albert's answer. He was genuinely worried that Albert would suggest going into the forest to find them. Truth be told, he didn't have the courage to venture into the forest at this time. The forest looked eerie and terrifying at night.

"Where did they enter the forest before?" Albert asked.

"You wouldn't..." Li Jordan suddenly had a bad feeling.

"I'll go into the forest, and you go back to find Professor McGonagall. Don't worry, I can ensure my safety. But you need to go back because someone has to inform Professor McGonagall about this," Albert looked at Li Jordan and explained, "This is also important."

"But!"

"If I can't find them within two hours, I'll come back on my own. Don't worry, I have a way to ensure my safety. You know, I never do things without certainty," Albert raised his hand and patted Li Jordan's shoulder. "And do you really think I would joke about risking my life?"

"But how do you plan to find them?" Li Jordan asked, puzzled.

"Of course, with Fang," Albert replied.

Li Jordan looked at the dog, then at the wizard hat Albert had just taken. Suddenly, he realized why Albert had brought the hat.

"Follow me," Li Jordan led Albert to the entrance Fred and George had used to sneak into the Forbidden Forest without Hagrid's knowledge.

Albert handed Fred's hat to Fang and whispered, "Fang, help me find Fred. I'll buy you some treats another day."

Fang sniffed left and right before following the winding path toward the Forbidden Forest.

"Remember, go find Professor McGonagall first. If possible, bring Hagrid along too," Albert reminded once again.

"Actually, you don't have to take the risk," Li Jordan hesitated for a moment and said, "It's too dangerous to go in at this time."

"I can protect myself," Albert took out his pocket watch, checked the time, and told Li Jordan, "It's midnight now. If I haven't found them within two hours, I'll come back."

"You should know how to return to the castle, right? Tap the raised stone three times, and the password is 'Open Sesame'," Albert reminded again. "If Professor McGonagall asks, tell her Fred and George didn't return to the dormitory and might have entered the forest."

"Got it," Li Jordan reluctantly nodded, indicating that he understood. In fact, he couldn't comprehend why Albert insisted on going into the forest.

Albert had his reasons for insisting on entering the forest.

After confirming through the owl that Fred and George were indeed in the Forbidden Forest, Albert noticed a new task on his mission panel:

Rescue Mission.

The Weasley twins entered the Forbidden Forest for some reason but haven't returned. As a fellow Gryffindor student, their roommate, and friend, you can't just leave them behind. Enter the forest, find the Weasley twins, and bring them back safely.

Reward: 2000 experience points, 2 skill points, George Weasley's affinity +10, Fred Weasley's affinity +10.

This task meant that finding the twins wouldn't be too difficult, but the challenge would be safely escorting them out of the forest.

Albert had his own means. He could use the Disillusionment Charm and had enough experience to level up his skills. If necessary, he could ensure his presence at the edge of the Forbidden Forest by using Disillusionment and maintaining an impregnable position.

Most importantly, he had just learned Protego Totalum from Professor Brode, which provided a defense against all magic. With the combination of Disillusionment and Protego Totalum, he could stand undefeated.

However, if possible, Albert didn't want to reveal that he could use Disillusionment. That was his last resort. So, he needed someone to come to their rescue—Professor McGonagall or any other professor could serve as the first line of defense.

While Albert followed Fang into the dark Forbidden Forest, Li Jordan had already returned to the castle as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, Albert's owl flew deeper into the forest, carrying his handkerchief.

For owls, the night was their active time, and Hogwarts' owls often ventured into the Forbidden Forest to hunt.

Albert had instructed Snowy to deliver the handkerchief to George, and the owl immediately locked onto George's location, swiftly finding its target.

As Albert had anticipated, Fred and George were in a dire situation. They were surrounded by a group of Acromantulas.

Snowy didn't descend as the situation below seemed threatening. The owl dropped the handkerchief, which happened to land on George's head.

"What's this?" Fred reached out for the handkerchief but missed, and George quickly caught it.

There were some words written on the handkerchief, and with the help of wand light, George read them aloud, "Shoot red sparks into the sky, seek help from Centaurs. They will guide you out of the forest."

"Albert's owl," George looked up at Snowy, excited. "We're saved."

"Centaurs? Where do we find Centaurs?" Fred looked down at the dense cluster of spiders below and couldn't help but shudder.

The luck of the two was not great. They were following a treasure map to find Gryffindor's secret treasure, but as one could expect, they got lost.

Later, they somehow encountered an Acromantula, narrowly escaping its grasp when George cast a Barrier Charm just in time.

Somehow, more and more spiders began to chase them. Luckily, Fred remembered the old Whomping Willow they had passed on their way.

Thanks to paying attention in class and hearing about Albert's use of the Whomping Willow as a protective bracelet.

The two made it to the Whomping Willow, narrowly escaping another catastrophe.

However, the ordeal was not over yet.

The number of Acromantulas continued to increase, surrounding the Whomping Willow and even attempting to breach the protective tree to attack them.

In the end, the two had no choice but to climb the tree, angering the Bowtruckles living on the Whomping Willow and sustaining multiple scratches.

"Quick, another giant spider is coming!" George screamed.

"Barriers, barriers!"

Both pointed their wands at the approaching Acromantula, casting spells that sent it flying.

"Thanks to learning the Barrier Charm from Albert," George muttered.

"Shoot red sparks into the sky." Fred raised his wand and shot red sparks into the air.

Being surrounded by a swarm of giant spiders was enough to drive them mad. The overwhelming visual impact of the spiders made them forget about the instructions.

"Don't do that," George quickly stopped Fred.

"Why?"

"What if Albert comes here alone and encounters this horde of spiders?" George looked down at the army of spiders below, his face filled with worry.

"I think Albert will seek help from other professors. Knowing his character, he wouldn't take such risks by himself in the Forbidden Forest," Fred said, knowing Albert well. The likelihood of him venturing into the forest alone was not high.

(End of this chapter)

You can read +106 advanced chapters on my P@treon page for just 4$ !!

P@treon.com/young_sunlight

Check out my Other Projects Too:-(Advanced chapter on P@treon)

=> Sailing with Whitebeard: Starting with a Question

=> Marvel: All the famous scenes were exposed by me

(End of this chapter)