James wasn't simply wandering aimlessly through the castle. He had a purpose that had been forming in his mind since he'd first arrived at Hogwarts. He was searching for hidden passages, secret rooms, anything that stood out as unusual or worth investigating.
Hogwarts was a thousand year old magical castle. It wouldn't be wrong to call it the center of magic in all of Britain, at least for the last thousand years. There may be older or maybe more magical sites but they were either lost to history or the knowledge of their existence not available to the general wizarding public.
Considering its history and position there ought to be numerous secrets hidden within the castle walls. He intends to find out about as many as he can.
The Marauders had found around seven passages leading out of Hogwarts, according to the books. But there had to be more. The castle was over a thousand years old, built by four of the most powerful wizards of their age. Seven passages couldn't possibly be the extent of Hogwarts' secrets.
The books had also mentioned internal passages, shortcuts that connected distant parts of the castle, rooms that appeared and disappeared. The Marauders certainly hadn't found the Room of Requirement, but Tom Riddle had. Other students might have stumbled across it unintentionally over the centuries, but Riddle had figured out what it was. Otherwise, he wouldn't have hidden his horcrux there with such confidence. If such a place can remain hidden from the general Hogwarts populace then there ought to be even more mysteries.
James was desperately tempted to test the Room of Requirement, to make it appear and to explore what it could create. But he controlled the impulse with effort. His mere existence threatened the canon timeline. He would never be able to forgive himself if he somehow caused Voldemort to survive past his canonical death date.
Better to wait. Better to be patient.
He continued through the corridors, his concealment spells holding perfectly. Many portraits were asleep, their painted subjects snoring softly in ornate frames. But just as many were empty, the figures having apparently left to visit friends and loved ones in other paintings throughout the castle. Night seemed to be a popular time for portrait socializing.
James passed one particularly large portrait that usually depicted a group of scholars engaged in intellectual discussion. But now, after midnight, the scene had transformed dramatically. The painted figures were having an intense card game, liquor bottles scattered across the table and floor around them. One wizard was clearly cheating, palming cards with exaggerated movements. Another was three sheets to the wind, slumped in his chair with a bottle in hand.
Apparently, even portraits made sure students didn't witness their debauchery. They saved their gambling and drinking for the night hours when they thought no one was watching.
James smiled despite himself. Magic created such strange situations.
As he walked, he became increasingly aware of the suits of armor lining various corridors. They stood at attention in alcoves, empty helmets facing forward, gauntleted hands gripping polearms or swords. James was perceptive enough to notice something odd about them.
They were aware of his presence.
Not obviously so. They didn't turn their heads or move their weapons. But he could sense it somehow. The way they seemed to become more alert as he passed, as if invisible eyes tracked his movement. It was subtle, barely noticeable, but definitely present.
James approached one of the suits carefully, examining it from multiple angles. It looked like ordinary medieval armor: plates of steel held together with leather straps, a helmet with a visor, and a breastplate. Nothing magical about it at first glance.
But if the armor was tracking him despite his concealment spells, there had to be magic involved.
James pulled out his wand and began casting detection spells. He'd read about dozens of them in the Hogwarts textbooks, though he'd never had occasion to use them before. Most were NEWT-level spells from either Charms or Defense Against the Dark Arts.
He started with the simplest: "Specialis Revelio."
Nothing. The spell produced no reaction from the armor.
He tried another: "Homenum Revelio."
Still nothing.
A more advanced detection charm: "Detectum Magicae."
The spell should have revealed any magical enchantments on the armor. But it showed nothing. Absolutely nothing.
James frowned. That couldn't be right. He cast the same spell on a nearby portrait, and it immediately lit up with magical signatures. The paint, the frame, the enchantments that allowed the figure to move and speak, all visible through the detection spell.
So his casting was correct. The spell worked properly. But the suit of armor showed nothing.
Why?
The suits of armor played a lesser role than portraits in daily Hogwarts life. Students rarely interacted with them beyond walking past them in corridors. But they were clearly more than simple decoration. So why were they so different from portraits? What made them immune to detection spells?
James stood there, staring at the armor, his curiosity fully engaged. So much for exploring the castle tonight. He was determined to figure out this mystery.
He cast the most advanced detection spells he knew about, more carefully this time. It took a couple of tries to get each one exactly right, but he knew he was succeeding because they continued to work perfectly on the portrait. Yet the armor remained stubbornly blank.
Minutes passed. Then an hour. James stood in the same spot, casting spell after spell, trying every variation he could think of. Different wand movements, different emphasis on syllables, different amounts of power behind each cast. He could perform each spell smoothly now after so many repetitions, but the results never changed.
The suit of armor showed up as completely normal, as if it were a mundane piece of metal that had never been touched by magic.
James was getting frustrated and a bit obsessed. He kept casting continuously, almost haphazardly now, trying to feel any minute difference in how his magic interacted with the armor. Some tiny clue, some variation that would give him a starting point.
Then, by complete accident, he fired a detection spell slightly off-target. It hit the stone wall beside the armor instead.
And showed the same result. Nothing.