"Oh, great. Another spell to learn," Ron groaned, dragging a hand down his face.
Just once, he wished they could stumble upon something interesting without it turning into a homework assignment. What was wrong with just eating chicken legs and playing wizard chess all day?
George and Fred immediately exchanged a look before pouncing. With synchronized precision, they wrapped their arms around Ron's neck in a mock chokehold, grinning like Cheshire cats.
"My dear, clueless little brother," George said dramatically, shaking his head. "How could you say such a thing?!"
Fred tightened his hold playfully. "Ronniekins, you're a wizard! Wizards learn spells! What kind of wizard doesn't learn spells?"
"Little Ronnie?!" Harley burst into laughter.
Ron's face turned crimson. "Don't call me that!" he sputtered, trying to pry himself free.
It was his childhood nickname, and he absolutely hated it.
Despite his grumbling, Ron couldn't deny that everyone else was determined to learn the new spell and solve the mystery of the mirror. Even Neville was trying, and if Neville Longbottom wasn't backing out, how could Ron? Besides, who would play chess with him if he ditched them? With a sigh, he resigned himself to his fate.
Ted, ever the fast learner, mastered the spell overnight. By the next afternoon, after a quick lunch, the group gathered in the secluded corridor once again.
Ron, ever the opportunist, clutched a chicken leg in one hand, gnawing on it as he walked.
Unbeknownst to them, Malfoy had been keeping a close eye on their movements and decided to follow. Unfortunately for him, as he rounded the corner, he found himself face-to-face with not just Ted, but all eight of them, including the Weasley twins.
Malfoy blinked, his brain scrambling for an excuse. Then, without missing a beat, he tilted his chin up and said, "Oh, for Merlin's sake… Where am I? I must've taken a wrong turn. What a dreadful castle, honestly." He spun on his heel and walked off without sparing them another glance.
If he had been holding a cane, he could've passed for a blind man.
Ron stroked his chin in mock thought. "I have to admit… Malfoy might actually be clever."
With their uninvited guest gone, the group finally turned their attention back to the mirror.
Ted pulled out his wand, pointing it directly at the dusty surface. "Revelio."
The layer of grime vanished instantly, revealing a gleaming reflection. However, instead of their faces staring back at them, the mirror displayed something else—a metal decoration hanging on a wall. A delicate, multicolored moth made of twisted metal wire sat at the center, and below it, a single phrase was inscribed: Moths fly.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ron asked, frowning.
Jerry scratched his head. "Are we looking for something?"
Neville squinted at the inscription. "Is that a spell?"
George ran a hand through his red hair, glancing at Fred. "Mate, does this look familiar to you?"
Fred's eyes widened. "That's it! We've seen this before!"
Ted studied the moth closely, watching as it slowly faded from view. He cast Revelio again, and the image reappeared.
"Looks like we need to find this object in the castle," he mused. "Judging by the stonework in the background, it's definitely somewhere in Hogwarts. There's a large potted plant on the right and a staircase on the left…"
Before their second class of the afternoon, the twins came sprinting up to them, excitement evident on their faces. "We found it! We'll explain everything at dinner!"
Sure enough, at dinner, the twins eagerly shared their discovery. "It's in the basement of the right tower in the main building. Hardly anyone goes there," George explained. "Even if someone passed by, they wouldn't notice a tiny metal decoration on the wall."
"We tried casting the spell on it," Fred added. "It moved—but that's it."
Ron immediately pulled out his wand. "Alright, let me try. Moths fly!"
The metal moth on the wall twitched, its antennae wiggling.
Harley and Hermione took turns as well, getting slightly better results. When Harley cast the spell, the moth's wings fluttered slightly.
Then Ted stepped forward. Holding his wand steady, he spoke clearly: "Moths fly."
The moth vibrated before flapping its wings and breaking free from the wall. It circled Ted's wand before hovering expectantly.
"Alright, let's take it back," Ted said, guiding the moth along the corridor.
The group hurried after him, excitement building as they returned to the mirror. As soon as the moth neared the glass, it detached from Ted's wand and settled onto the blank space beneath the frame.
A soft glow rippled across the mirror's surface, and suddenly, an old parchment materialized in front of them.
A chime echoed in Ted's head: Ding! Magic puzzle solved. 88 experience points awarded!
Ted carefully unrolled the parchment, his eyes scanning the aged, handwritten text. "This parchment was left by a former student many years ago. It details a spell they invented themselves."
"A new spell?!" Excitement buzzed through the group.
Well, except for Ron, who groaned in dismay. "Great, another thing I have to learn. Just what I needed."
Ted ignored Ron's complaints and continued. "It looks like a messenger spell. You enchant a piece of paper to turn into a flying paper crane, which will then seek out its intended recipient. It won't work over long distances, but it should function within Hogwarts or a nearby village. The person receiving it also has to be someone you're familiar with."
"That sounds awesome!" Harley's eyes gleamed with enthusiasm. "It's like having a tiny magic courier!"
The discovery had reignited everyone's excitement for adventure—except for Ron, who still looked like he'd rather be eating a pumpkin pasty. Gryffindors thrived on the thrill of exploration, and Hermione, of course, adored solving puzzles. And to top it all off, they had just found a brand-new spell. That alone made the experience worthwhile.
Although the Paper Crane Spell wasn't as efficient as an owl, it still carried a unique charm, mimicking some of the tracking abilities of magical post owls. This kind of spell had real potential and was worth studying.
Ted also made an important realization—solving magical puzzles granted him experience. The only downside? Such puzzles were rare, and he couldn't just conjure them out of thin air. They had to be stumbled upon.
Hogwarts was ancient, filled with forgotten secrets and remnants left behind by previous students. It was thrilling to think about how many had uncovered similar treasures throughout the centuries.
This discovery only fueled the group's appetite for adventure. Soon, the entire castle became their playground. The common room, the library, the Great Hall, the kitchens, the hidden passageways—everywhere was fair game.
Harley, in particular, was relentless. She spent every night prowling through the castle under her Invisibility Cloak, searching for new mysteries to unravel. After several nights of minimal sleep, dark circles formed under her eyes.
Ted, ever the problem-solver, suggested she visit Madam Pomfrey. "Just tell her you've been struggling with insomnia. She'll give you some Dreamless Sleep Potion."
The plan worked like a charm, and soon, Harley was getting proper rest.
Their relentless searching eventually bore fruit. One afternoon, Jerry and Neville, after retrieving a forgotten book, found themselves lost in a lesser-traveled corridor. There, they stumbled upon an odd door covered in cryptic symbols and intricate carvings of magical creatures.
The duo wasted no time gathering the rest of the group. The twins, naturally, tried "Alohomora" right away, but the door didn't budge.
"Looks like we've got something big here," Fred said, rubbing his hands together in excitement. "Ronnie, you probably don't remember, but we once overheard Mum and Dad talking about Bill. When he was at Hogwarts, he and his friends discovered a cursed treasure vault hidden somewhere in the castle."
George's grin widened. "And it was said to be behind a door that mysteriously appeared one day."
That was all the motivation they needed.
For two days, the group worked on deciphering the puzzle. Eventually, Ted figured out the trick—the relief carvings around the door were the key. Scattered across the surrounding hallways were matching engravings. They needed to be adjusted to the correct alignment. Once they were in place, a final Unlocking Charm was cast.
With a faint shimmer, the door creaked open, revealing a wooden chest inside.
Everyone held their breath as Ted carefully opened it. Inside, they found a collection of aged prank toys from decades ago and, more importantly, a spell—"The Leg-Locker Curse."
"This is going to be fun," George said with a wicked grin.
Ted smirked. "I can think of a few Slytherins who deserve to be on the receiving end of this."
Even Ron, despite his earlier complaints, was eager to learn the jinx. Surprisingly, he picked it up faster than anyone—even Harley.
Ted used his "Identify" skill to examine Ron and discovered something unexpected—Ron had an innate talent for Dark Magic. His proficiency was already at Level 2.
"Well, well, well," Ted muttered under his breath. "Looks like we have a hidden Dark Arts prodigy in Gryffindor."
With that, the group had officially solidified their bond. Ted, Hermione, Harley, Neville, Ron, and Jerry had become the "Hogwarts Six," or as they jokingly called themselves—"Hogwarts' Finest."
Exploring Hogwarts was, above all, safe compared to other reckless endeavors. Unlike the Forbidden Forest, which was home to dangerous creatures and, more worryingly, a certain parasitic Dark Lord on the back of Professor Quirrell's head, the castle held mysteries that were thrilling but not life-threatening.
And Ted liked it that way.
If the group could keep themselves occupied with treasure hunting inside the castle, maybe he could keep the twins from getting themselves killed in the Forbidden Forest.
During this time, Ted also discovered something fascinating about his psychic abilities. His "Empathy" power didn't just work on people—it worked on animals, too.
It explained why he had such an easy time handling creatures back when he worked in the magical pet shop.
Case in point: Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris.
After a few well-placed treats and some gentle coaxing, Ted had managed to befriend the infamous feline. In fact, he was so successful that Mrs. Norris had started seeking him out for attention.
Filch had been livid when he caught Ted petting her.
"You stay away from my cat, boy!" he had barked, snatching Mrs. Norris up.
But as he stormed off, Mrs. Norris remained perched on his shoulder, casting Ted a long, almost affectionate glance.
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