Daily Life at Hogwarts - Chapter 23

Speaking of which, Albert wondered if his panel might be a reduced version. After all, it lacked a map feature. Even though he jestingly criticized its functionality, he felt elated after discovering the Room of Requirement.

Typically, in the online novels he used to read, the protagonists had impressive systems with scanning capabilities revealing every hidden detail. Comparing those systems to his, Albert realized his was pitifully simplistic.

Still, simply having such a panel was enough to make Albert happy.

“I believe the headmaster’s office is also on the eighth floor, though I’m not sure where exactly on that floor,” Albert muttered to himself.

Of course, he had no intention of sneaking into Dumbledore’s office. If he drew the old man’s attention, his life at the school would become complicated.

After all, the Hogwarts castle was filled with portraits. If Dumbledore wanted to know what a student was up to, he could easily find out through them.

Turning two corners, Albert discovered a downward staircase. As he descended, he started wandering aimlessly around the castle. Before he knew it, he felt lost.

Well, perhaps “lost” wasn’t the right word. It was more like he had ventured into an unfamiliar part of the castle.

Albert stopped in front of a wall, using the light of his wand to inspect a carving. He tapped lightly on the wall. It was solid.

Yet, Albert suspected a secret passage was hidden here. The carving of a Griffin was too conspicuous; such symbols often concealed secret doors or passages.

“Young man, what are you doing here?” Nearly Headless Nick emerged from the adjacent wall, looking puzzled at Albert’s inspection.

The unexpected voice startled Albert, making his heart race.

Taking several deep breaths to calm himself, Albert complained, “Please don’t appear out of nowhere like that, it’s frightening!”

“My apologies. I didn’t expect to scare you,” Nick replied with a raised eyebrow. “So, what are you up to?”

“Just taking a stroll,” Albert replied truthfully.

“At this hour?” Nick glanced at the corridor. It was still quite early.

“Yes, just a stroll. Sir Nicholas, do you think you could show me around Hogwarts? This place feels like a maze. I got lost while wandering,” Albert said with a hopeful grin, thinking this might save him some time.

“I believe exploring the castle is part of the fun for newcomers,” Nick replied, tactfully declining.

“Fair enough,” Albert chuckled, not minding Nick’s refusal. He turned back to study the Griffin carving.

Watching Albert, Nick shook his head and offered a hint, “If you wish to open that passage, the switch is on the Griffin’s claw.”

“Thank you,” Albert said, reaching out to tap the Griffin’s claw. A stone door slowly opened, revealing a narrow secret passageway.

“See you later, Sir Nicholas,” Albert nodded in gratitude, lifting his wand to light the way into the passage.

Inside, the corridor was so narrow that only one person could pass through at a time. For anyone claustrophobic, it was a nightmare.

Albert felt the passage leading him downwards. He wasn’t sure where it would end, but discovering its existence was a thrill.

Indeed, the ghosts and portraits of the castle knew more about Hogwarts’ secrets than anyone.

The exit was hidden behind another portrait. Upon moving it aside, an annoyed elderly figure in pajamas glared at him, complaining about being disturbed.

“Sorry for the inconvenience!” Albert apologized to the portrait, moving forward, sensing that he might get lost again.

However, this time Albert stumbled upon the moving staircases.

No matter how many times he saw them, Albert always found the scene of the moving staircases mesmerizing.

It’s said that both the moving staircases and the Room of Requirement were the handiwork of Rowena Ravenclaw. Could Albert ever achieve such feats himself?

And speaking of Rowena Ravenclaw, did she hide any secrets in the Room of Requirement?

After all, didn’t Salazar Slytherin keep a basilisk in his Chamber of Secrets?

Thinking about it, there might be some truth to the speculation. The next time Albert visits, he could explore and perhaps uncover some hidden truths.

It took Albert a full ten minutes to descend the staircase, partly because the staircase moved on him, and he had to wait for it to return to its original position. Thankfully, it didn’t keep him waiting for too long. He should be grateful, not to the heavens, but to Merlin.

As he entered the entrance hall, his attention was immediately drawn to a cat. This slender, dark-grey feline paled in comparison to his own cat, Tom.

Albert bent down, attempting to play with the cat, but it dashed off swiftly, disappearing in a flash.

Albert deduced that the cat likely belonged to the caretaker, Filch. He remembered something about the cat being called “Mrs.” something. He had read the Harry Potter books and watched the films, but over time, he’d forgotten some of the minor characters’ names. Had he not written fanfiction and done some research, he would’ve forgotten even more.

With the cat gone, probably off to notify someone, Albert wasn’t concerned about Filch causing any problems.

After all, it was already past six in the morning. The darkness outside was due to the rain, not the early hour.

As Albert was about to enter the Great Hall, he heard a shuffling noise. An older-looking Filch, holding a lantern, approached him.

Albert noticed Filch still looked half-asleep, wearing just a cloak, but with a triumphant smile. The look of someone who had caught prey.

“Good morning, Mr. Filch,” Albert greeted as if bumping into an old friend.

“Good morning?” Filch reached out to grab Albert, but he easily stepped back out of reach.

“Indeed, it’s 6:15 am, Mr. Filch.” Albert pulled a pocket watch from his robes, checked the time, and showed it to Filch, asking, “When does the Great Hall start serving breakfast?”

Filch paused, especially as Albert deliberately moved his wand over the watch to illuminate the time more clearly.

The caretaker, who initially thought he had caught a rule-breaking student, looked deflated, resembling a child told that Halloween festivities had been canceled.

In fact, it was morning, even if it was still dark and no other students were awake.

“7 o’clock,” Filch grumbled and turned away, leaving a warning, “Best not let me catch you…”

Albert didn’t catch the last few words, but he didn’t think it mattered.

Could Filch really despise students that much? He seemed eager to catch and punish them at every opportunity.

Entering the dim Great Hall, where all the floating candles had been extinguished and the previous night’s lively atmosphere had faded, Albert turned to leave, deciding to explore the castle’s kitchens next.