Chapter 81

The oil lamp flickered in Filch's hand as he hurried down the dimly lit corridor of Hogwarts Castle. His wrinkled face bore a determined expression as he approached the portrait of the Fat Lady guarding the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. With a sudden smile, Filch whispered an incantation, and, to the astonishment of the onlooker, the gatekeeper disappeared from sight.

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The implications were clear. If the Gryffindor common room was inaccessible, as it is now, it would leave any students who ventured out at night stranded outside its protective walls. Filch relished the thought. No one could slip from his grasp. No one could defy his authority.

"Achoo!" George sneezed, breaking the tense silence that had settled upon Fred and him. Fred turned to his twin brother, his face a mix of disbelief and concern.

"Where do we go now?" George rubbed his nose and asked, stepping closer to Fred.

Fred swiftly consulted the live spot map on his wand, tracing the positions of Snape and Filch. His heart raced, realising the urgency of their situation. To evade Filch's relentless pursuit and steer clear of Snape and Filch's cat, they would have to navigate the labyrinthine corridors of Hogwarts.

Yet Filch surprised them. Rather than chasing after the sound of their sneezes, he spun back, blocking a corner of the corridor. He awaited Snape's arrival, strategically positioning himself to intercept their escape through the nearby secret passage.

"When did that fellow become so clever?" Fred halted abruptly, his heart sinking at the sight of Filch effectively cutting off their path. With desperation etched on his face, he knew that if they reached the eighth floor, Snape would trap them there.

"Professor, they must be on the eighth floor. I heard a noise just now," Filch exclaimed, excitement lacing his voice. "You go that way, and I'll take the other. There's no escape for them."

"It's over. We're trapped," Fred uttered, his voice filled with despair. The limited space left them no room to manoeuvre and evade Filch's relentless search.

However, as Fred and George hurriedly passed the colossal tapestry depicting Barnabas wielding a mighty staff for the third time, they stumbled upon an unexpected sight. A door materialised on the wall opposite the tapestry, appearing out of thin air.

"How did that door appear?" George's eyes widened in astonishment as he stared at the mysterious entrance.

Unaware of such a door's existence and with no sign on the marauders' map, Fred's determination surged. He clenched his teeth, resolved not to let this opportunity slip away.

"It doesn't matter. Let's go in," Fred whispered, determination gleaming in his eyes.

The twins cautiously opened the door and slipped inside, only to find themselves in a dusty broom cabinet with several worn broomsticks leaning against the wall. As Filch and Snape closed in from both sides, the entrance to the Room of Requirement vanished from sight, leaving Fred and George hidden from view.

Filch's face contorted with astonishment. He had heard voices emanating from this spot, yet the occupants seemed to have vanished without a trace. Were they hiding? Or had they somehow escaped?

"No, they couldn't have gone far. I heard someone sneezing," Filch muttered, anger twisting his cheek muscles. The enormity of his disappointment weighed heavily on him. He had expected to catch those mischievous Gryffindor students and teach them a harsh lesson, only to find them eluding his grasp.

Inside the broom cabinet, Fred and George pressed their hands against each other's mouths, fearing the slightest noise that might betray their presence to the two individuals outside. Snape and Filch lingered near the cabinet, and the mere act of opening the door would have disastrous consequences.

As if guided by unseen forces, Snape and Filch departed, abandoning their search for the twins on the eighth floor. Relief flooded Fred and George when they heard the fading sound of footsteps, yet they remained cautious, unwilling to emerge from their hiding place too soon.

They waited within the broom cabinet, uncertain of passing time, until the live spot map revealed that Snape and Filch had relinquished their pursuit. Slowly, they opened the door, their senses attuned to any sound that might invite trouble.

"That was close. Filch almost had us. But what was the deal with this broom cabinet?" George raised his wand, preparing to investigate the very hiding spot that had saved their lives, only to discover that the door on the wall had vanished.

"What in Merlin's name is happening?" Fred mirrored George's confusion, tapping the wall twice and scrutinising the spot map, which offered no clues.

"Hogwarts Castle harbours countless secrets. Even Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs don't possess knowledge of them all." George sighed, gazing at his twin brother. "Speaking of which, how do you think the door appeared earlier?"

"I don't know," Fred admitted, temporarily setting aside his attempts to decipher the mystery. "Let's forget about it for now. Our priority should be returning to the Fat Lady's portrait. Hopefully, she's back."

Before venturing back to the Fat Lady's portrait, Fred and George shared a collective sigh of relief. The Fat Lady, clad in her pyjamas, peered at them with curiosity as they approached.

"Where have you been?" she inquired, her eyes flickering with amusement.

"We went for a stroll," George quickly replied, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "It went magnificently."

The portrait swung open, granting them access, and they crawled into the common room, collapsing into armchairs. Laughter erupted from their exhausted bodies as they recounted the thrilling events of the night.

"Tonight was an exhilarating adventure!" George exclaimed, his excitement still palpable.

"I bet Filch is seething with fury," Fred chimed in, his cheerfulness clear. To be honest, he had no affection for the caretaker. As they retired to the dormitory, the early morning hours approached, though sleep remained elusive, vaguely stirring their consciousness.

"Ah..." Fred yawned, forgoing the effort of opening his eyes.

"When did you return?" Albert, donned in running gear, opened the window to invite the morning breeze into the room.

"About five o'clock in the morning," Fred responded, his sleepiness clear as another yawn escaped his lips. "What time is it?"

"It's 7:30 in the morning."

Observing the drowsy twins, Albert shook his head. "I told you not to wander at night. There are two herbology classes this morning at greenhouse one. Don't be late."

"Just so you know..." George grabbed his pillow and playfully threw it at Fred, who fell back onto the bed, utterly fatigued.

"You mentioned the absence of the Fat Lady at night, nearly getting caught by Filch, and evading them by hiding in a broom cabinet on the eighth floor," Lee Jordan interjected, unable to believe George's account. He couldn't help but wonder how Fred and George had outmanoeuvred Snape and Filch's relentless pursuit.

Perhaps George was embellishing the truth?

"And while you were observing, the broom cabinet disappeared." Albert interjected, his eyes widening as George disclosed their hiding spot.

The Room of Requirement.

The two brothers had sought refuge within the enigmatic room and had been fortunate enough to evade capture. After Fred and George left the broom cabinet, they discovered it had vanished without a trace.

On that day, they skipped the morning herbology class, only to awaken later in the afternoon.