Midnight.
George and Fred snuck out of the common room.
"It really appeared, Fred!"
"It did indeed, George!"
The two of them were holding the Marauder's Map. On it, the name 'Barty Crouch' was moving within a small area in the Great Hall.
The Minister for Magic himself obviously couldn't appear in Hogwarts at this hour, so the person there had to be Barty Crouch Jr.
Fred said with a grin, "As long as he isn't hiding inside a suit of armor, we can track his every move!"
George also had a smile on his face. "I don't know who was so bored that they gave names to all the suits of armor. What was the name of the armor Barty Crouch Jr. was wearing last time?"
"Sir Muhuhu!" they said together.
(Note: During self-reflection, the author discovered a bug. Previously, the twins had looked at the map but didn't find Barty Crouch Jr., which was illogical. Therefore, the setting that armors have names was added, referencing the original plot where Scabbers' name was obscured by Ron's. PS: I'm disappointed that not a single reader caught this bug.)
"Hahaha, our latest version of the Dungbomb was such a success! Professor Lupin stayed in the hospital wing for half a month, and the smell lingered on him for days after he got out!"
"Professor Lupin only caught it by accident, but Barty Crouch Jr. took a direct hit!"
"So he must have waited for the smell to completely vanish before he dared to come out again!"
"Exactly! Mrs. Norris has a very sharp nose! You can't do anything suspicious with that smell on you!"
Fred pulled out a Dungbomb and weighed it. "We were underprepared last time."
George pulled out two more. "But this time, we've come prepared!"
"At the very least, we'll make sure he doesn't dare step foot in the castle before Halloween!"
"Hehe, the latest Long-Lasting Adhesive Dungbomb Plus!"
"He'll never forget this for as long as he lives!"
The two redheads carefully navigated around Filch's patrol route and infiltrated the Great Hall.
Hogwarts after midnight was quiet and dark.
The ancient castle always possessed an eerie atmosphere.
It was said that the full moon outside was a favorite of werewolves. On such nights, they would gather and howl at the heavens.
Children from wizarding families were warned by their parents from a young age that werewolves were terrifying. If bitten, one would become a werewolf, so they must never go out on the night of a full moon.
Consequently, although tonight was a Mid-Autumn Moon—a night that symbolized reunion and perfection in China—it undoubtedly carried a hint of terror in the hearts of the young wizards.
George and Fred were fearless, but the silence of the castle paired with the round moon eventually stirred some unease in them.
Thus, their cautious steps became even more deliberate.
Their earlier enthusiasm for making Barty Crouch Jr. suffer had now dwindled into a business-like attitude.
—As long as the Dungbomb was thrown, the job was done. Mocking Barty Jr. to his face could wait for another time!
Yes, the twins' original plan included taunting Barty Jr. after the Dungbomb attack.
They believed that as long as they kept enough distance, Barty Jr. wouldn't be able to catch them.
—Given their familiarity with Hogwarts, Barty Jr.'s spells might not necessarily hit them. As everyone knew, one could not Apparate within Hogwarts, and spells didn't turn corners...
The Great Hall doors were closed.
The twins carefully pushed the doors.
The aged doors let out a faint 'creak,' causing the twins to freeze instantly.
Through the gap in the doors, they saw Barty Crouch Jr.
Under the moonlight, a pale man paced in the Great Hall, seemingly looking for something or perhaps measuring the area.
It was Barty Crouch Jr.!
He didn't seem to have heard the faint sound from the door, preoccupied with his own affairs.
The twins exchanged a look, the joy in their eyes unconcealed.
They nodded, silently mouthing the count: "One, two, three!"
On the count of three, George and Fred suddenly shoved the doors open and hurled the Dungbombs with all their strength!
After throwing them, they didn't stay to mock him. They laughed and turned to run.
But just as they turned, they found themselves immobilized, their bodies as stiff as stone, unable to move a muscle.
"Damned brats!"
Barty Jr. had naturally not been hit. He had heard the 'creak' of the door long ago.
To guard against Filch's night patrols, he had set a trap at the entrance of the Great Hall.
He just hadn't expected the trap to be triggered this way. He avoided the Dungbomb, but this one was specially modified, and the blast radius was staggering!
He, the most loyal and capable Death Eater under the Great Dark Lord Voldemort,
Barty Crouch Jr.,
had fallen for the Weasley brats' tricks for the second time!
The enhanced Dungbomb not only lasted longer, but its scent had evolved significantly!
The eye-stinging stench immediately caused tears and snot to stream down Barty Jr.'s face!
...
He was burning with rage.
He was beyond furious.
Green light gathered at the tip of his wand, and killing intent bloomed on his brow.
"Avada—"
The Killing Curse was about to be unleashed; the twins were facing death itself.
But at the final moment, Barty Jr. actually stopped. He lowered his wand, looking deeply resentful.
'Lucky you!' Barty Jr. cursed in his head. 'If anyone dies, Dumbledore's investigation will be on a whole new level! I can't ruin Master's plans!'
Wait a minute!
How did these two brats know I was here?
Clearly, they came specifically to ambush me!
Barty Jr. walked over to inspect the twins. With a quick look, he spotted the Marauder's Map casually tucked into Fred's waistband.
Since they hadn't finished their prank, the Marauder's Map was still in its activated state.
"Interesting, very interesting!"
Seeing the dense list of names on the map, Barty Jr. broke into a manic grin.
George and Fred could see but were unable to move or speak. They watched as Barty Jr. laughed wildly and pocketed the Marauder's Map.
Their hearts skipped a beat—things were going to be trouble now...
...
...
By the time Remus Lupin climbed out of his trunk, it was already morning.
His hair was singed yellow and frizzy, his body was covered in blue and purple bruises, his eyes were like a panda's, dried blood stained his nostrils, and he had even lost a front tooth.
Sirius, rushing into the office, was taken aback by his friend's condition.
"Remus, what happened to you?"
"I don't know. I was like this the moment I woke up..."
"Alright, forget about that for now. Come with me, quick!"
Sirius cut Lupin off, grabbed his arm, and hurried out.
"Padfoot, what's going on?"
"Something's happened. I heard from students that something big occurred in the Great Hall!"
...
When Moony and Padfoot arrived at the Great Hall, the students were gathered at the entrance, keeping a distance of at least seven or eight meters.
Even then, the foul stench was relentlessly invading their nostrils.
George and Fred stood like statues at the door, while Severus Snape stood before them, unleashing a tirade.
"I know you can hear me, Messrs. Weasley. What is that smell? Dungbombs? Only lowlifes like you would use such tasteless magical tools!"
"Do you have any idea what the consequences of your recklessness and stupidity will be?"
"Even a troll knows better than to defecate where people eat!"
"Congratulations, you have cost Gryffindor a hundred points—each!"
"Furthermore, that banner had better not be your work, or expulsion will be the least of your concerns! You might find yourself on a boat to Azkaban!"
Sirius strode forward quickly.
"Shut up, Snape! These are Gryffindor students! It's not for you to lecture them!"
Seeing the arrival of Black and Lupin, Snape turned around with a strange expression.
"Hmph!"
After a cold snort, Snape struggled to hold back the urge to laugh, his voice muffled.
"You should keep a better eye on your friend. How can he set an example for students in that state? You represent Hogwarts now; pay attention to your appearance!"
Lupin's face flushed.
Sirius, however, pulled out his wand, intending to lift the jinx on the twins. He said with some irritation, "Why haven't you released these children from the spell?"
Snape replied, "I suggest you don't touch them, you brute. If you disturb the scene, these two little hoodlums will never be able to explain themselves."
Completely bewildered, Sirius followed Snape's pointing finger.
In the center of the Great Hall, floating above the Headmaster's seat, was a banner:
[ALBUS DUMBLEDORE, JUST YOU WAIT! I WILL KILL HARRY POTTER BEFORE YOUR VERY EYES! TO CELEBRATE THE RETURN OF THE DARK LORD!]
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]