"You can't do this," Hermione said sternly, kicking a small stone as they walked back.
"Professor Dumbledore explicitly forbade night prowling on the first day, and the fourth-floor corridor is a restricted area.
"If you're caught, you'll lose house points—maybe even get expelled! Didn't Fred and George just get a Howler for their antics?"
"Don't worry," William said reassuringly, "we've done this plenty of times and never been caught."
"That doesn't make it right!" Hermione snapped.
"… Think about it," William said with a sly grin, "if we do get caught, how many points will Ravenclaw lose?"
Hermione glared at him.
"Wouldn't that be perfect for you? You've been saying you want to help Gryffindor win the House Cup."
"Not like this!"
"Then what's the harm in us sneaking out? Dumbledore practically wants students to explore. Otherwise, why the dramatic warning?"
"That's no excuse!" Hermione said, her tone sharpening. She turned to Cho for backup. "Cho, you should talk some sense into them. Surely you're not planning to join this foolishness?"
Cho exchanged a knowing look with William and smiled. "Of course not. And I'm sure William and the twins won't go either, right?"
Her meaning was clear: pacify Hermione for now and proceed with the plan later.
But William wasn't interested in subterfuge.
"We're definitely going, Hermione. Dumbledore wouldn't bother setting the stage if he didn't want someone to step into the spotlight. It's his way of doing things."
"If you go, I'll write to Aunt Lyanna," Hermione threatened, lifting her chin defiantly.
"Don't forget the Gringotts dragon and the Death Eater you captured. Hogwarts isn't as safe as you think—"
"It's the safest place in the magical world," William interrupted calmly.
"On paper, yes, but the facts don't lie! I won't stand by and let you risk yourself." Hermione's tone softened, almost pleading.
"Stay in the dorm tonight, okay? Nothing good ever comes of sneaking out."
"But there aren't any Death Eaters in that corridor," William said, brushing off her concern.
"Then I'll write to Aunt Lyanna!" Hermione snapped, switching tactics.
"You won't."
"I will!"
"You won't."
"I will!"
Cedric, watching the exchange, conjured two small stools with his wand and sat down with Cho. He picked a blade of grass and stuck it between his lips.
"How long do you think they'll keep this up?" he asked, shaking his head.
Cho leaned her chin on her hand, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Who knows? But isn't it sweet?"
"Sweet? What do you mean?" Cedric asked, momentarily distracted by her smile.
"Oh, nothing," Cho replied, wearing the enigmatic expression of someone who knew something Cedric didn't.
"Are you joining the Ravenclaw Quidditch team?" Cedric asked, changing the subject.
"Of course. And I won't hold back. The Quidditch Cup is ours this year!"
"I won't hold back either," Cedric replied with a grin.
"Then let's give it our best."
The two shook hands lightly and returned to watching William and Hermione's escalating argument.
…
Later That Night
At 11 p.m., William donned his cloak, grabbed his wand, and left his dormitory with Boba Tea padding along behind him.
They descended the spiral staircase to the Ravenclaw common room, where embers still glowed faintly in the fireplace.
Cho arrived shortly after, tiptoeing down the stairs.
The pair slipped out of the common room and headed toward the sixth floor, where they planned to meet the twins.
"Go on, Boba Tea. It's your time to shine," Cho whispered.
Boba Tea meowed, understanding his mission: to distract Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat.
"Do your best to start a dance party on Dumbledore's bed," William joked.
Boba Tea meowed again in agreement before darting into the shadows.
They waited at a corner for a few minutes until Fred and George arrived—with Hermione trailing behind them.
Hermione had ditched her robes for black muggle clothes, resembling a stealthy burglar in sneakers. It was clear she was prepared to outrun anyone in case of trouble.
If I don't run the slowest, Hermione thought, then I definitely won't be the one caught!
Despite her outfit, her frustration was palpable.
"I can't believe you're actually doing this, William!" she hissed, her anger flaring like a wildfire. "After everything I said to you today!"
"I never agreed not to go," William replied matter-of-factly.
"I was this close to writing to Aunt Lyanna!" Hermione fumed.
"You didn't, though," William said with a smirk.
"I almost did!"
"You didn't."
"I would have!"
Fred and George exchanged glances as they leaned casually against the wall.
"Will they keep this up all night?" George whispered.
"It's entertaining, at least," Fred replied.
Hermione, still simmering, pulled a thick book from her enchanted bag and flipped it open to a page about three-headed dogs.
"Do you even know what you're dealing with? These creatures aren't cute! They're dangerous magical beasts!"
She jabbed the page with her finger, thrusting the book in William's face.
"Do you think you'd even make a decent midnight snack for something like this?"
William glanced at the illustration and chuckled. "This one looks uglier than Fluffy."
"Fluffy is much more handsome," Fred agreed.
"You're all impossible!" Hermione groaned.
"Relax," George said. "Fluffy's not dangerous, he's practically a pet. We practically raised him!"
George sighed. "Miss, Fluffy isn't dangerous. We raised him ourselves!"
"That's right. Though his mother was Hagrid," William added. "Which, admittedly, might be hard for you to process both emotionally and psychologically."
"...What?" Hermione looked utterly bewildered.
She recalled Hagrid mentioning that his three-headed dog was lent to Dumbledore.
Initially, she had assumed it wasn't that dangerous. A trip to the library revealed the truth, prompting her to try to stop them.
Now she found out Fluffy was raised by William and his friends?
What were these people even doing at school?!
"But sneaking out at night is still against the rules…"
"Hermione, this is the last time George and I will sneak out. Think of it as our farewell adventure, okay?" Fred said with a sorrowful expression.
"What?" Hermione asked, caught off guard.
"We're planning to send the map to Mum," George added with sadness. "After this, we'll only be lying in our cold, lonely beds at night, unable to roam free in the dark anymore."
He even squeezed out a tear for dramatic effect.
"This is our final, once-in-a-lifetime request!" Fred declared with exaggerated flair.
William couldn't help but laugh.
They had spent the afternoon crafting fake maps to send to Mrs. Weasley, which would actually track the movements of their dorm mates.
However, Ron's map was genuine—it would ensure he wouldn't wander out at night and risk getting caught.
Hermione opened her mouth, her expression thoughtful.
If it truly was the twins' "last" time, perhaps she could let it slide… After all, a final night out wouldn't hurt.
"Alright, let's go," William said, cutting off further debate. "Cedric is waiting for us."
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