Harry Potter: Wizards Supersmacy

Chapter -7.

During his chat with Daphne, Brian shared his thoughts for the first time, and eventually, he had to send the bewildered young girl on her way.

"Please keep this under wraps and don't tell anyone, okay?" Brian said earnestly as he prepared to leave. "This is our secret."

"Of course," Daphne nodded earnestly, her mind a bit scrambled.

Brian made sure his outfit was in order; he was planning to sneak into the midnight duel between Malfoy and Potter tonight.

Witness points were too hard to come by, and he didn't want to risk missing out on any potential gains.

While he could enhance his magical skills through study, who wouldn't prefer an easier path? Plus, witness points could boost vital elements like magical power and memory, which were incredibly beneficial.

Particularly magical power, which is essential for many spells and increases with age and knowledge. However, a wizard's magical capacity has its limits, generally ceasing to grow in middle age and decreasing as they age physically.

Only through thrilling adventures and risky magical transformations might one attain the formidable magical power akin to that of Dumbledore or the Dark Lord.

Not everyone is fortunate enough to have Dumbledore's adventures and the assistance of a phoenix. Just look at what Voldemort has turned into!

So, it's important to gather witness points and ensure you have enough for any unexpected situations.

Finding out the time and location of the duel was simple since Malfoy had been boasting loudly in the common room, often casting haughty glares in Brian's direction.

That evening, Brian made his way to the trophy room on the fourth floor a little early.

After navigating the stairs for a while, he needed to be cautious not to run into Mr. Filch or his cat, Mrs. Norris, but thankfully, they seemed to be elsewhere.

In a corridor on the fourth floor, he spotted the Slytherin ghost, the Bloody Baron, staring vacantly through a window. Outside, the Ravenclaw tower stood tall.

"Good evening, Sir Baron." As the Baron turned to acknowledge him, Brian gave a slight bow.

The Baron didn't seem keen to engage, merely nodding before returning to his empty gaze out the window.

Not wanting to linger, Brian continued down the hallway.

"Filch is ahead."

A low, gravelly voice came from behind Brian, causing him to halt momentarily.

"Oh, thank you for the heads up, Sir," Brian said gratefully, then cautiously inquired, "Could you possibly direct me to another route to the trophy room?"

This corridor was almost essential to reaching the trophy room, and with Filch up ahead, it meant Brian was likely to cross paths with him, which wouldn't end well.

The Baron turned his gaze from the window, looking at Brian with his hollow eyes for a moment before drifting away in the opposite direction.

Just when Brian thought the Bloody Baron was upset about being interrupted, the Baron's voice returned, "Follow me."

Brian fell in step behind him, passing through several narrow hallways and a discreet secret passage.

Having spent so much time at Hogwarts, the Baron knew many things that others didn't.

Brian noted the Bloody Baron's translucent figure, realizing that while he seemed intimidating, he was relatively friendly toward Slytherin students, a fact hidden beneath his eerie exterior that often kept students at bay.

According to Prefect Emma, if one maintained a good relationship with the Baron, he could scare off other classmates on your behalf without any issue.

However, it was best not to mention the bloodstains on him; that was a sensitive topic.

Before long, they reached the trophy room. Brian thanked the Baron sincerely and, noticing no one was inside, stepped in.

The moonlight illuminated the crystal glass cabinets, making the trophies, medals, and statues glimmer. With some time to spare, Brian began to inspect the trophies on display.

The Bloody Baron hovered nearby, his vacant eyes trailing behind Brian, creating a rather spooky sight in the night.

Brian paused in front of a trophy and recognized the name: T. M. Riddle.

"This is a special contribution award to the school from fifty years ago," Brian read the inscription, then turned to the Baron, "Do you know this person?"

The Bloody Baron gazed at him and replied, "Yes, he was from Slytherin and highly accomplished. He captured the heir of Slytherin who was wreaking havoc on the school, saving it from disaster."

"I see," Brian nodded, sensing that the Bloody Baron didn't know the whole story. Clearly, Riddle had kept his true self well hidden.

With nothing else to focus on, Brian and the Bloody Baron examined more trophies and medals, and the Baron often had stories to share about them. Brian even caught a hint of pride in the Baron's empty tone, though he wasn't entirely sure if it was real or just his imagination.

Suddenly, the door to the trophy room swung open, and Brian looked up to see four young wizards standing at the entrance, appearing rather stunned. He heard Neville sniffle softly.

Bathed in silver moonlight, the trophy room took on an eerie atmosphere. Half of Brian's body was shrouded in shadow while the other half lit by the moon, giving him an almost vampire-like appearance in a timeless castle.

Brian glanced at himself, then at the spooky expression on the Baron's face, and couldn't help but chuckle.

"I'm sorry, I think Sir Baron doesn't mean any harm," Brian smiled, adding, "And I certainly don't intend any either." He couldn't suppress another giggle.

Harry and Ron looked wary and suspicious, their eyes darting around, seemingly convinced that Malfoy was lurking behind a statue, ready to ambush them.

Neville kept his head down, silent, still sniffling.

Hermione, clad in a pink nightgown, adjusted her hem, suddenly feeling out of place. "Hi, Brian," she greeted.

Brian nodded slightly towards her and leaned in, "I heard about this from Draco. You know, we've been having some conflicts lately. But I was a bit worried, so I wanted to check in."

"But it seems Draco isn't planning to come," he shrugged dramatically, feigning helplessness.

Brian didn't mind bending the truth a bit; at least it worked to his advantage. Nobles were always expected to tell lies artfully and calmly.

Suddenly, the caretaker, Filch's voice rang out from outside, startling the four youngsters.

"Oh no, looks like Draco is up to his usual tricks," Brian murmured, "Let's move."

The little wizards didn't have time to hesitate; Filch's voice was closing in. They trailed after Brian, with Neville accidentally knocking over a suit of armor, the loud clatter shattering the stillness of the night.

Brian quickly grabbed Neville's arm and helped him up, urging him to keep moving. Relying on the moonlight, he found the right path and discreetly led them toward the forbidden corridor on the fourth floor.

"Annoying first-year brats, wandering about at this hour!" Just as they turned a corner, they spotted Peeves tossing a stack of parchment into the air while laughing loudly.

"No, don't do that, Peeves, please don't shout," Ron urged, trying to grab Peeves' foot but missing.

Brian looked around, unsure if the Bloody Baron was still following them; he might have turned invisible amid the commotion.

"Sir Baron, could you possibly do something about Peeves?" Brian asked earnestly, scanning the surroundings.

"What?" Peeves yelped, looking around in confusion, then retorted angrily, "How dare you trick me, I will—"

Just then, the Bloody Baron appeared behind him, seizing Peeves by the scruff of his neck, immediately silencing his shouting.

Baron gave Brian a slight nod before vanishing through the wall with Peeves in tow.

Peeves whined, "No, I was wrong, sir, please spare poor Peeves…"

The mischief in Peeves' eyes morphed into panic as his limbs flailed about helplessly, resembling a victim being dragged away by a bully.

"Oh, nicely done!" Ron exclaimed, grinning with delight.

"Let's go, Filch will probably show up here soon too," Brian whispered, stopping the group in front of a door.

"Where are we?" Harry asked, glancing around.

"To be honest, I'm not too familiar with this area," Brian admitted, pulling out his wand, tapping the door lock, and saying, "Alohomora."

The door creaked open, and Brian walked in, immediately facing a three-headed dog. Six fierce eyes fixed on him, three large mouths drooled menacingly, letting out a deafening roar and then lunging towards him.

Harry and the others followed in and saw the sight; they bolted in fright. Brian didn't intervene; he quickly slammed the door shut, trapping the dog inside.

After wandering around a bit longer to shake off Filch, Brian said his goodbyes to them.

"That dog is likely guarding something; I saw it resting on a trapdoor," Brian warned before parting. "Just don't go snooping around it."

"However, anything kept at Hogwarts must be pretty valuable," Brian glanced meaningfully at Harry, leaving them with something to ponder.

***

TL/N : Reading this? Throw some powerstones then!!