The Weasley twins paid the price for their arrogance. Initially, they only intended to intimidate Wayne and weren't serious about revenge; they just wanted to see him beg for mercy. But, unlucky for them, they were caught red-handed by Professor McGonagall, who had just entered the dining hall.
Seeing her little lion standing at the Hufflepuff table made her uneasy. As she got closer and overheard the conversation, her face turned pale with anger. After three years as a student, they were threatening a fresh-faced newcomer. When Wayne mentioned that he would inform her, the twins had the audacity to say they weren't afraid, even if Dumbledore found out.
Not afraid, huh? I admire your steadfastness. What should have been a simple detention—a few rounds of polishing trophies—turned into a supercharged punishment. After polishing the trophies, they were also required to handwrite the biographies of notable Gryffindor alumni. Hearing this penalty nearly made the twins faint. Three rounds! Those books were at least several inches thick altogether!
They didn't even have the energy to confront Wayne anymore; under Professor McGonagall's piercing gaze, they sulkily returned to the Gryffindor table. "You did that on purpose," Cedric observed after watching the whole scene, his judgment unwavering.
Wayne continued to eat his sandwich nonchalantly, replying, "Everyone dies eventually; some just need a little help along the way."
Cedric was at a loss for words. How did this guy end up in Hufflepuff? Had the Sorting Hat gone blind?
As breakfast ended, Hermione stood charmingly beside Wayne, while Norman and Toby discreetly gave her a thumbs-up from out of her line of sight. Impressive! A cute little witch is already sticking to him on his first day. Although Hermione's hair was a bit messy, her underlying cuteness was undeniable.
Curious about their gathering, other freshmen approached. Soon, a crowd of ten or so badgers clustered around Cedric, leaving him no choice but to call a few friends to help, forming several groups.
A large group set off through the corridor towards the teaching area. "There are a total of one hundred and forty-two staircases in the castle, and their shape and positioning can change at any moment," Cedric explained. "Sometimes you might start on a staircase from the third to the fourth floor, but once you step on it, it could suddenly turn and take you straight to the top floor."
"To be honest," he continued, "I didn't really understand the patterns here in the first two years. Especially by Friday; the staircases seem to go a bit mad."
"Even older students can get lost if they're not careful." Cedric led Wayne and Hermione up to the third floor as his two roommates followed other seniors. "Watch out for this staircase! When you walk on it, make sure not to run or push hard; otherwise, it might just take you straight to the eighth floor."
"There are about four of these kinds of staircases... well, I can't really remember, maybe even more..." Hermione nodded vigorously, even pulling out a notebook to jot it down. Meanwhile, Wayne seemed rather bored. "Cedric, are you just messing with us? Give us some real information."
"What do you mean?" Cedric looked at him in confusion, not understanding what Wayne was implying.
"I'm talking about secret passages that lead outside the castle."
"What are you on about!" Cedric replied sternly. "How could I possibly know about that?"
"Wayne, it's wrong to break school rules," Hermione chimed in, seriously disapproving of Wayne's dangerous thoughts.
"If you don't get caught, it's as if you didn't break any rules," Wayne shrugged, unconcerned. Cedric patted his shoulder; everything was understood without words. He had only gradually figured out the most basic rules of the school in his last semester.
"Why is Filch the obnoxious caretaker?" "Why is it that if students aren't caught in the act, even if teachers see them from behind, they won't lose points or face punishment?"
This is the unwritten rule of Hogwarts that has endured for millennia—a battle of wits between teachers and students, as well as a form of practical training. Many only come to realize the intricate nuances behind this after graduation, often regretting what they missed out on. How much vibrant life did they pass by?
Cedric smiled, "Since you've asked, let me show you a few tricks." He led Hermione and Wayne to an empty picture frame. With three swift taps of his wand, the frame transformed into a genuine door. "Go through here, and you'll find yourself near the Quidditch pitch in the bushes."
"I have limited time, so I won't escort you further. Let's move on to the next location." Cedric soon introduced Wayne to two other passages—one leading to the opposite side of the castle, a place to hide from Filch and his cat, Mrs. Norris, during nighttime escapades. The other led from the fifth floor to the second, useful for getting around quickly.
Hermione's worldview began to crumble; she had thought Cedric was a fellow academic, always at the top of his class. But now, it was clear that wasn't the case at all. "Alright, I need to head to the dungeons quickly; my first class today is Potions," Cedric said hurriedly as the clock approached nine.
"Let's not dawdle; we need to go to the second floor." Looking at Hermione, who still seemed a bit stunned, Wayne urged her forward. Their first class today was History of Magic, jointly taught with Hufflepuff and Gryffindor.
"Ah, okay," Hermione finally followed, unable to suppress her complaints any longer: "It shouldn't be like this; aren't rules meant to be followed? Diggory is a good student; why does he have to..."
"That's Hogwarts for you." Wayne suddenly stopped and turned around, nearly causing the little witch to bump into him.
"The worldview of wizards is vastly different from that of Muggles. Many things that seem outrageous to you actually hold little significance in the magical world."
"Rules are no different." Wayne spoke like a little devil, tempting Hermione: "Would you rather follow the rules and miss out on the real Hogwarts, or work hard to hone your ability to evade teachers and explore this millennia-old castle?"
Hermione's head spun, her mind going blank. All she could do was subconsciously grip Wayne's shirt to ensure she wouldn't get lost.
They arrived in the classroom, which was already filled with many students wearing excited expressions. Until... a ghost floated through the wall and appeared on the podium.
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