Hogwarts: Bourne Returns from Warhammer

Chapter 80 Secret Passage: The Pig’s Head Bar and the Screaming Shack

After listening to the minimalist "Modern History of Wizards", Bourne felt that he had benefited a lot, and said with emotion that "among three people, there must be one teacher." The ancients did not deceive me.

More importantly, Percy agreed to write to his father, Arthur Weasley, to inquire about a custom-made broomstick for Bourne.

"Thank you then, Prefect Percy."

Having expressed his gratitude, Bourne declined Ron and Harry's invitation to play a game of wizard's chess and hurried out of the common room.

"I really don't know, is Bourne tired all day long?" Looking at Bourne's figure, Ron couldn't help but sigh like a little adult.

"In addition to attending classes, doing homework, and participating in Quidditch training; Hermione said that Bourne will also work as an assistant in the library and read books on the side; and he seems to have to attend Professor McGonagall's advanced class on weekends..."

Harry stretched out a hand and flexed his fingers as he counted, one hand quickly clenching into a fist.

"At such a young age, he has to bear a burden that his age should not have."

Ron shrugged his shoulders and sighed again.

"Let's play wizard chess!" he said.

Harry was about to say "Okay", but he immediately remembered something, so he quickly asked Ron: "Have you written the Defense Against the Dark Arts homework due tomorrow? I forgot to do my homework during Quidditch training."

Ron looked at Harry and blinked his two innocent big eyes, as if to say: What stupid things are you talking about? I still want to copy it!
"Then why are you playing wizard chess! Let's go to the library quickly. Bourne is probably there, and we need to borrow his homework as soon as possible!"

Harry pulled up Ron, who was about to touch the stool, and the two of them picked up paper and pen and ran towards the entrance and exit of the common room.

However, Harry guessed wrong this time.

The reason why Bourne hurriedly left the Gryffindor common room was not because he had to fulfill his duties as assistant librarian, but because he had made an appointment with others in advance.
-
On the eighth floor, there is a room where everyone can ask for help.

Peeves' "secret arsenal".

"You did a good job."

Bourne said to Peeves seriously.

"Just don't do it next time."

The Weasley twins standing aside nodded repeatedly. They both felt that Bourne was right.

Peeves' "blow up the school" farce on Halloween sounds like a show that students would love to watch, but in fact it ended up causing misfortune to many students.

Because half of the corridors were bombed, the entire second floor of Hogwarts Castle had to be renovated and decorated.

This is not something that some professor can do and can be easily fixed with a "repair like new" method. Hogwarts, the magical castle, is woven with too many complicated spells that can affect the whole body. Naturally, it becomes super troublesome when it is renovated.

Principal Dumbledore had to temporarily seal off the second floor and let several professors take turns to go there to cast repair spells in the past few days.

The second floor was closed, and by the way, some "moving stairs" in the castle were also adjusted accordingly.

Many young wizards who had just memorized the rules of stair movement by rote had to use their brains to memorize the rules again, and they would probably have to memorize them again in two days.

Because the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw common rooms are on the top of the tower, they pass the stairs more frequently every day than the Hufflepuffs and Slytherins who live underground.

Plus there are reasons that cannot be explained in detail.

Therefore, the unlucky ones mentioned above are basically Gryffindor's little lions.

It is a case of accidental damage by friendly forces.

"I know, I know, Mr. Peeves has his own sense of what he says and does!"

Peeves agreed stinkingly.

Quirrell was not killed in the bombing, and Dumbledore did not let Barrow have a "heart-to-heart" with him. It seemed that the matter of "bombing the school" was raised high and then gently let go.

As a result, this poltergeist regained its former vitality and confidence.

"However, there is something I find very strange." Peeves took off his top hat with a floral patch on his head and scratched his scalp with only a few hairs.

"Lord Barrow was talking to me the other day and he said what kind of 'scarecrow stand-in' Quirrell was using on Halloween.

When making it, it is inevitable to use a spell called the 'Scarecrow Curse' and a large amount of blood rich in magic.

Basically, this is black magic.

The use of dark magic in Hogwarts, especially the dark magic that may cause serious harm to young wizards and is very evil just by looking at the casting materials, is almost considered to have violated some of the castle's taboos.

Even their past principals, who were from Slytherin Academy and were more tolerant of dark magic, would not allow this kind of behavior.

Once discovered, a heavy blow will be taken.

Lord Barrow could see it, and Dumbledore could definitely see what trick Quirrell was playing, but the 'greatest white wizard' didn't react. Do you think it might be...

Is Dumbledore confused? "

George and Fred were stunned by Peeves' last words and fell to the ground.

What kind of intelligence is this? Anyone with any sense would not be able to say such mindless things.

They both saw it: Headmaster Dumbledore must have begun to doubt Quirrell, and this appeasement move was obviously fishing.

Bourne had not had any expectations for Peeves' intelligence long ago. This guy was not as smart as the Khan he raised, so he simply asked another question: "Why hasn't Mr. Sherlock come yet? Didn't he say that he also has some new ones?" Did you find it?"

And just when he asked this question, the sound of horse hooves came from a magic landscape painting placed on a triangular easel next to them.

"Sorry, I'm late."

Riding on a war horse borrowed from a portrait of a knight, Mr. Sherlock arrived belatedly.

"I made an appointment with a painter today to maintain my portrait. I added a few boxes of authentic Cuban cigars that I like to the portrait. The gentleman has just started painting and is a bit unskilled, so the progress is slightly delayed."

After a brief explanation, Mr. Sherlock turned to the topic: "I discovered that Professor Quirrell goes to Hogsmeade every once in a while."

As he spoke, the great detective took out a piece of parchment with many square grids from his pocket, and each grid was marked with a date.

"I kept a date record," he said, "Every time Professor Quirrell goes to Hogsmeade, the date happens to be the pay day for the professors at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Once may be a coincidence, and twice can be explained by chance, but three or more times must be a pattern——"

Hogsmeade is a wizarding village adjacent to Hogwarts. It is not large and there are not many wizarding families living here.

Young witches and wizards in third grade and above can go to Hogsmeade for "social practice" on specific Saturdays if they obtain parental permission.

To put it bluntly, just go out and have fun.

Hogsmeade is not like a commercial street like Diagon Alley. There are not many places for consumption, and the consumption level there can only be said to be average.

As long as they don't go to "Fengya Wizard Clothing Store" or "Devis & Bangs Magic Equipment Store" often, the little pocket money in the pockets of the little wizards is enough for them to spend time in "Honey Dukes" and "Literature Residence". Or enjoy the fun of shopping and spending at stores like “Zoko’s Joke Shop.”

Professors sometimes go to "Lady Puddifer's Tea House" and "The Three Broomsticks Pub" for gatherings, but the consumption level of these two places is not very expensive.

So the question is, why does Quirrell go to Hogsmeade on payday?
"——He must have gone to Hogsmeade Village to buy something, and that kind of thing must not be cheap, and he must replenish it regularly." Sherlock said with certainty: "He spent his own money to buy the Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching aids for the students. It is definitely impossible. Not to mention that you can apply for special funds from the school board, but I am currently listening to the conversations among the young wizards about the course content, and none of the teaching aids used by Professor Quirrell are expensive."

"I can't move freely without the magical portrait, and it's not convenient for Peeves to leave the castle too far. But if you little wizards can find a chance to go to Hogsmeade and find out who Quirrell buys things from, And what he bought, some of the secrets he hid should have the answer.”

"It's easy. When the professor's pay day comes next, why don't we go to Hogsmeade?" Fred said excitedly.

George nodded in agreement.

Other little wizards are only in third grade and above, and they can only go to Hogsmeade village on specific Saturdays, but these two restrictions are not a problem for them at all - they know that from Hogwarts Castle There are not just one secret passage leading directly to Hogsmeade, but three!
"Today is payday."

Bourne reminded that although the Weasley twins were full of confidence, they seemed not to be very sensitive to numbers.

"That's right!" Sherlock in the magic portrait smiled and touched his beard, "And today it's Professor Quirrell's turn to repair the corridor on the second floor. Principal Dumbledore is accompanying him there. They should also You have half an hour to complete the work. You have plenty of time to prepare."

George: "Bourne, would you like to guess how quickly we can reach Hogsmeade through the secret passage?"

Fred: "Or, would you like to guess if we can get to Hogsmeade before Professor Quirrell 'goes off'?"

The twins asked this, and Bourne was really a little curious.

Although Hogsmeade Village is adjacent to Hogwarts Castle, the village is at the foot of the mountain and the castle is on the mountain. Without any means of transportation such as a broomstick, it would take at least 20 minutes to walk down from the top of the mountain, even with the little wizard's normal foot strength.

However, from what the twins said, they should be able to reach the village quickly if they take the secret passage.

why?

"There is a secret passage hidden in the Room of Requirement," Fred revealed the secret first. Then, he and George took Bourne and Peeves out of the latter's "secret arsenal".

The two brothers looked at each other in understanding.

They didn't know what they were thinking, but a jet black wooden door that looked like it was covered in starch suddenly appeared on the wall where the Room of Requirement was.

Pushing open the wooden door to reveal the dark cave inside, George made a "please first" gesture to Bourne.

Bourne very cleverly carried out part of the "Primaris Astartes Magus" transformation, focusing on changing his eyes and other sensory organs. He was able to see in low-light environments and had certain infrared vision capabilities. It broke through part of the darkness hidden behind the door.

It turns out that there is a staircase hidden in the cave. He felt slightly confused. From the current point of view, if we take this secret passage, it shouldn't be much faster than going down the mountain from the main entrance of the castle?
Feeling hesitant, Bourne stepped through the door and stepped onto the stairs.

But the moment he stepped on the steps with both feet, George suddenly reached out, took out his wand, and chanted a spell.

"Lumos!"

In the blink of an eye, the stairs under Bourne's feet disappeared automatically, replaced by a long, shiny slide.

Seeing Bourne sliding down the slide, the twins high-fived each other and quickly entered the secret passage of the slide one by one.

Wuhu, take off!
Ever since they found this secret passage in the second grade, they had used it to sneak into Hogsmeade countless times.

Therefore, when they got on the slide and moved forward quickly, they were not afraid at all.

I just don’t know about Bourne…

And the two Weasley twins were overjoyed at the thought of seeing the results of their pranks soon.

However, their definition of "speed" is significantly different in order of magnitude from that of Bourne, who has raced a flying motorcycle, ridden a speed attack boat, fought in gang battles, entered an airdrop pod, and carried a gravity parachute...

So, when they arrived at their destination after riding the twisting slide for seven or eight minutes - to be honest, their eyes were a little blurry and their legs and feet were weak - what they saw was a leisurely ride. Bourne, with his back against the wall, was waiting for them.

"New students are all monsters." Fred and his brother said with a wry smile.

However, George was more optimistic than him: "This is a good thing. In two days, he will replace me as the batter. Even if he doesn't turn into 'Hagrid', he can still crush Slytherin."

"We seem to be in the kitchen of a bar now."

Bourne pointed at a row of kitchen utensils hanging on the wall that were either missing handles or had broken teeth, and then pointed at the oak barrels with spider webs hanging on them against the other wall. There was still a smell in the air. It smells like mutton.

"However, the sanitary conditions in this place are bad enough. There are not many pubs that are more suitable for the term 'battle-damaged wind' than the 'Leaky Cauldron'."

"This is the Pig's Head Bar." George shook his dizzy head to wake himself up quickly. "The boss here is an old man with a weird temper. He is tall and thin, and his long hair and beard are gray."

Fred rubbed his face, also to make himself more awake, and then took over George's words. "The boss is always drunk and doesn't clean the tavern very much. He also raises a group of goats in the backyard, so the smell here is quite bad. Generally, no one comes to this tavern, except for some eccentric people who come late at night. .”

George: "We have come here many times using this secret passage. However, sometimes the secret passage appears in the kitchen, and sometimes it appears behind a portrait of Goldilocks in the living room on the second floor."

"Will the secret passage change location?"

Bourne asked curiously.

However, the Weasley brothers didn't know why. They had always regarded this feature of the secret passages in Hogwarts as common sense.

Soon, they decided to leave the tavern as quickly as possible. Because the air quality here is so bad, just staying here is a torture to your nose.

When they went out, Bourne finally knew the origin of the name of this bar: on the wooden signboard with a corner missing at the entrance of the bar, there was a star hanging there. Although he didn't know how long it had been hanging, it had been treated with magic. So the pig head is still in a fresh state. Blood soaked through the white cloth wrapping it.

"Every time we take this secret passage and return to Hogwarts, we have to take a bath and let the house elves wash our clothes."

"Otherwise, it would be too stinky."

As the two brothers spoke, they led Bourne from the alley where the Pig's Head Bar was to the central street of the village. They passed an owl post office and then turned into a small alley at the corner of the village.

"The Screaming Shack is right ahead."

Fred explained to Bourne.

This place has been rumored to be "the most haunted place in the UK", and few people usually walk into this alley.

George: "I don't know what kind of spell was cast on the Shrieking Shack. Fred and I tried it, but there was no way to get in from the outside."

"Why can't you find a way?" Bourne had heard of this place before, but he really didn't know that the Screaming Shack had such a feature.

"Whether it's climbing over a wall, using a lock-picking spell, or using a flying broom... as long as someone tries to enter from the outside, they will find that after entering, they will return to the original starting point." George shrugged and told the story about himself and Fred. Several failed attempts at venturing into the Shrieking Shack.

"However, we didn't come here to enter the Shrieking Shack, this alley is our destination." Fred said.

"If the person who regularly trades with Professor Quirrell really exists, and Professor Quirrell still wants to hide it from others, this alley where no one usually comes is the best place to trade. There is no 'one'."

"Ok?"

As if to confirm what the two brothers said, they vaguely saw a figure after walking a few steps into the alley. The three little wizards hurriedly hid behind a pile of shabby furniture that had been abandoned here.

Thanks to his excellent eyesight, Bourne could clearly see what the man looked like.

How should I put it, this guy really has a bit of an 'artist' temperament: he is a short, fat man with an unshaven beard, with two short bow legs; he has long and messy ginger hair on his head. Meaty is simply a swollen face with a pair of swollen and bloodshot eyes.

From a few dozen meters away, Bourne's sensitive nose could smell the strong odor of tobacco and alcohol emanating from the man.

Coupled with the trench coat that he was wearing, which looked very inferior at first glance, to put it bluntly, this person could easily be compared with the ones made of rags that Filch, the "Hogwarts Caretaker", kept in his office. The mop is mixed up.

He stood furtively in the depths of the alley, holding a brown paper bag usually used by bootleggers to hide bottles, and he kept looking at the entrance of the alley.

(End of this chapter)