"What did you say... an empty room is located beneath the trapdoor?"
The next morning, when Fred and George heard this from Kyle, their faces mirrored Cedric’s from the night before—shock, doubt, and disbelief.
Because of the trapdoor, neither of them had slept well. Every time they closed their eyes, the terrifying image of the Three-Headed Dog loomed in their minds. They had spent half the night speculating about what treasure was valuable enough to warrant the dog’s protection.
The final exam papers, maybe? Or even the Gryffindor sword?
They guessed endlessly, finally dozing off just before dawn. And now Kyle was telling them that the rooms beneath the trapdoor were... empty?
Fred and George were struggling to accept it. Where was the adventure, the thrill of discovery? Had Dumbledore simply designated an empty corner of the castle to keep his oversized guard dog? This was too simple, even disappointing.
“Those rooms probably haven’t been there for long,” Kyle said, giving Fred a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “It’s just that, with the start of the school year, the professors are busy. They likely haven’t had time to set up the challenges yet. We can always check back later, around Halloween or the Christmas holidays.”
“You’re right,” Fred sighed. “It looks like we’ll have to hold off. But that might give us more time to search for the last clue for the password.”
Cedric, who had been sipping his pumpkin juice, set down his cup. “I really think you should forget about it. Hogwarts is so big, you’ll never find it—even if you stay until graduation.”
“No,” George countered, shaking his head. “The creators of the Marauder’s Map wouldn’t have hidden the clues in random places that didn’t make sense.”
“Yeah! The first clue we found was on the door to Filch’s office—somewhere only someone in detention would go,” Fred added.
“Then on the wall of the Trophy Room…”
“The four House common rooms…”
“And the tallest tower in the castle…”
"In short, they’re all places that are significant or unusual in some way," George mused, thoughtfully stroking his chin. "And it feels like we’re so close to the final answer—like there’s just a thin layer of parchment between us and the solution.”
“Really…” Cedric shrugged, looking doubtful. He thought that this last clue for the password might not even exist or that it was likely just a prank.
Fred and George, however, weren’t swayed. They refused to believe it was all for nothing.
Just then, the morning’s mail arrived.
A large group of owls swooped into the hall, drawing everyone’s attention to six long-eared owls carrying an elongated package. They flew directly over the tables to deliver it to a Slytherin student, who eagerly unwrapped it right there. Inside was a brand-new Nimbus 2000.
“Yes, a new broom—Nimbus 2000, the same model the professional Quidditch teams use!” He announced this with unmistakable pride, clearly enjoying the envious looks from the other students. “My father sent it as a gift to celebrate my joining the Slytherin team this year. Not that I need it—because even without the best broom in the wizarding world, I’d still beat everyone else hands down.”
He spoke loudly enough that half the hall could hear.
Kyle glanced over at him. Who is this guy?
“Hey, look at Marcus Flint,” Fred whispered.
Kyle noticed that Marcus’s face looked rather grim—as did the faces of the entire Slytherin Quidditch team. The mention of the Nimbus 2000 seemed to bring up some bad memories, and every Slytherin player had stopped eating to glare at the boy with the broom.
There was a stir at the Gryffindor table as well. Neville had just received a Remembrall—a rare alchemical item. The problem was that it was notoriously frustrating; all it did was remind you that you’d forgotten something, but never what. To make matters worse, Remembralls weren’t cheap, costing over a hundred Galleons, enough to dissuade most people from buying one.
Just then, Kyle received his own package. It was a small, hand-sized box wrapped in brown paper. After the owl delivered it, it also dropped a letter.
“As promised, I’ve sent what you need. I hope it’s not too late. Wishing you all success with your potions. (Your Order of Merlin medal has been reviewed, but you’ll have to wait a bit longer.) — Pegasia Sykes.”
Kyle’s eyes lit up. The Director of St. Mungo’s had sent him potions?
“What’s that?” Fred asked, noticing Kyle’s expression. “Did you buy something?”
“No, it’s a potion someone sent me.”
“A potion?” Fred sounded curious.
“Yes.” Kyle hesitated briefly before explaining. “I ran into some trouble at St. Mungo’s… These potions are compensation from the Director.”
Because of the Ministry’s intervention, The Daily Prophet had avoided mentioning any details about a werewolf, reporting only that there had been a disturbance at St. Mungo’s. As a result, neither Cedric, the Weasley twins, nor Kanna knew about Kyle’s encounter with a werewolf over the summer. Not wanting to worry them, he had decided to keep that part quiet.
“I see…” Fred quickly lost interest in the potions and returned to his copy of The Daily Prophet.
Cedric and Kanna, however, were intrigued and came over for a closer look.
By now, Kyle had unwrapped the brown paper, revealing a wooden box. It was charmed with a Undetectable Extension Charm for easy transport, making it appear no larger than the palm of his hand from the outside.
But once opened, it revealed a spacious interior filled with potions. Large and small bottles, nearly fifty or sixty in total, were neatly arranged inside. One side of the box was set aside for potion ingredients.
“These are Ashwinder egg shells… and Staghorns!” Kanna whispered in amazement. She recognized these from Professor Snape’s office, where they were stored on the top shelf. Such rare ingredients could easily sell for hundreds of Galleons in Diagon Alley.
Kyle glanced briefly at the ingredients before focusing back on the potions themselves. As he surveyed them, he noticed something odd: there were far more than he had expected. In addition to those that had been agreed upon, Director Sykes had included some extras.
To his surprise, he even spotted a small vial of Veritaserum tucked away in the corner of the box.