A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

Chapter 265: Twins and the Whomping Willow Trap

The next morning, freezing rain mixed with snowflakes fell from the sky, forming a smooth and transparent layer of ice on the ground. Young wizards had to carefully navigate through the courtyard and open spaces.

"Ouch!"

Just out of the infirmary, Ron stumbled and fell to the ground. He struggled to get up, but the ground was incredibly slippery. Luckily, Harry extended a hand to help him.

He watched enviously as the twins conjured a pair of ice-skating shoes for themselves and glided around the courtyard.

"Wanna give it a try, Ron?" Fred appeared in front of him, winking.

"Nah, thanks," Ron grumbled. He knew he would end up even worse if he tried, "Don't you guys have class?"

"Don't talk nonsense, of course, we do," Fred said, "Hey, George, watch out—"

Harry watched as George slid over rapidly, waving his arms desperately, "Oh no—" He ended up tumbling with Fred, both of them diving into a snowdrift. Their clothes, cuffs, collars – everything was covered in snow. Even their eyebrows had turned white. They pointed at each other's comical faces and burst into laughter.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged glances. "Let's go, we still have quite a few classes today."

"Wait, Harry!" Fred caught up, his arm draped over Harry's shoulder. He spoke quietly to him, "Listen, the secret passage is blocked..."

"What?" Harry said incredulously, not immediately grasping the situation.

"The secret passage, the one leading to Hogsmeade, Harry." Fred gave him a meaningful look, and suddenly, Harry understood.

He stammered, "That map..."

"It's not about the map. Yesterday, we wanted to sneak into Zonko's for some supplies, you know—" Fred winked at him, "Dungbombs, fireworks, and the like. But the statue of the one-eyed witch on the fourth floor seemed to have died, and then Filch's cat appeared. We had to make a quick escape."

Harry suddenly realized. It was a chain reaction after the Black attack. The professors were on high alert for any sudden intrusions into the castle. If something like that were to happen, the castle's defenses would be compromised, and either he or Ron could easily get stuck in the dormitory.

"Harry!" Ron called from a distance.

"Anyway, we'll have to rely on the passage behind the Whomping Willow. George and I are planning to explore it. Wait for my good news," Fred said before leaving.

"Wait—" Harry reached out, watching the twins run off. He wanted to tell them that he had been grounded by Dumbledore, confined to the castle except for classes and occasions with professors around. He couldn't even visit Hagrid's hut casually anymore.

Afternoon brought clear weather at last. Harry and the others finished lunch and stepped out of the Great Hall, breathing in the fresh air.

"By the way, Harry, what did Fred tell you?" Ron inquired curiously.

Harry informed Ron and Hermione about the situation. Ron looked disappointed, "So, that means you can't even use the Invisibility Cloak to go to Hogsmeade?" Hermione, on the other hand, visibly relaxed.

She told Ron, "Don't forget, you can't either. Professor McGonagall told you directly, until they catch Black, your treatment is the same as Harry's."

Ron's face contorted, "I've been trying to forget that."

Harry exchanged a glance with Hermione. They hadn't told Ron about their suspicions regarding the rat yet. Despite Ron's constant complaints about Scabbers being useless, Harry knew Ron still cherished the rat. He changed the subject, "Maybe we can check out the Ancient Runes classroom this weekend. I heard it's quite popular, and we barely got to explore during the last club meeting."

"I'm actually more interested in trying out your Firebolt," Ron said.

Harry's mood grew gloomy. "Don't dwell on it. Wood went to see Professor McGonagall, but it was no use. We can only wait."

Hermione immediately turned her head elsewhere, pretending to be very interested in the distant scenery. But suddenly, she pointed in the distance, "Oh my goodness, look at that—"

They were standing on a slope in the open area, and from their vantage point, they could catch a glimpse of Hagrid's hut and a corner of the Forbidden Forest. At this moment, the irritable Whomping Willow was thrashing its whip-like branches wildly, and two small black figures were running towards it frantically.

"It's Fred and George!"

They hurried towards the Whomping Willow, but due to the slippery ground, they fell multiple times along the way. When they reached the scene, they found Professor McGonagall angrily scolding the twins.

"What on earth were you thinking—haven't you had Herbology class? How dare you provoke the Whomping Willow... Gryffindor loses fifty points and a week of detention. Can't you show some sense at this crucial time—"

McGonagall's anger hadn't subsided, she turned her head, "And you three, Potter, Weasley, Granger, what are you doing here again? I told you just yesterday to stay within the castle."

"P-P-Professor, we saw Fred and George in danger..." Harry said.

McGonagall's tightly knit brows eased slightly. "Very well, there's a reason behind this, but I hope you won't resort to such excuses in the future. Come back with me."

The Weasley twins hung their heads and followed behind McGonagall. As they passed the three, Fred exaggeratedly mouthed:

Trap~josei

It wasn't until evening that they saw the unlucky twin brothers again.

Fred plopped himself down between Harry and Ron, showing no sign of being sullen from his detention. He said with enthusiasm, "You can't even imagine what we encountered today."

"A crazy Whomping Willow?" Ron said with a teasing tone.

"Much more interesting than that," Fred's eyes sparkled. "George and I were being cautious, ready to retreat at any moment. Until we saw an entrance near the Whomping Willow's roots, very well hidden. George spotted some strange green stuff..."

"It seemed to be some kind of branch, slightly familiar, but not much of it was visible, so I couldn't identify it," George regretfully said.

Fred continued, "So, we decided to get closer, and the Whomping Willow started thrashing like a gnome that had swallowed Weedkiller. We quickly ran away, hoping it would calm down. But..."

"We got surrounded. The professors descended upon us from the sky," George said with a mixed mood. "Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor Snape, and of course, Professor McGonagall."

Harry and the others listened in astonishment. This was far more thrilling than anything they had witnessed.

Ron looked incredulous, "So you're still alive?" He reached out and lifted Fred's arm, but it suddenly dropped, and Fred made a mocking face at Ron.

Finally, George said, "Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor Snape left after a glance, leaving Professor McGonagall to sort things out – which means us. I bet she regretted becoming Gryffindor's Head of House at that moment..."

The twins soon departed, having gleaned some information from Harry, like the fact that the Whomping Willow trap was likely meant for Black. "Cool~" However, they also unusually turned serious and focused their attention on the upcoming Dueling Club that had been rumored before the holidays.

"We can make some money from this."

Ron stared at his two brothers' retreating figures and suddenly said, "I know what they want. A shop in Diagon Alley. The family can't afford it."

Harry's lips parted, but he didn't voice his willingness to lend them money. He knew the twins wouldn't accept it.

The door to the common room swung open, and Neville walked in.

"Have you noticed Neville's a bit different?" Hermione said thoughtfully.

"Have we?"

"I can't quite describe it, maybe he seems more spirited?"

Harry stared for a while and judged, "He's probably gained more confidence. I had a similar expression after my special training."

"Did Professor Lupin say something to him? Only Neville was kept after class today."

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