What would happen if he reproduced those notes by knocking them out on the wooden barrels?
Dawn narrowed his eyes and immediately prepared to go to the entrance of the Hufflepuff common room to try it himself.
But the moment he moved, he saw George and Fred sit down at the table.
Although both of them looked absolutely miserable, they still forced themselves to eat everything they had cooked.
Including Dawn's portion.
"After you've finished eating, the two bowls together can produce another barrel sound."
George took the initiative to explain.
He covered his mouth as his throat bobbed up and down. His face had twisted into a grimace, clearly doing everything he could to suppress the urge to throw up.
Dawn frowned.
"If you can't eat it, why not just throw it away?"
"Absolutely not!"
Fred finally spoke.
He looked just as miserable.
"Wasting food isn't something a Gryffindor would do."
They really were asking for it.
They could have simply told him about it, but they had insisted on cooking an entire meal just because they wanted to show off.
Dawn shook his head helplessly.
Still, there was no need for him to hurry them.
Ignoring George's invitation, he continued leaning against the wall and waited for the two of them to finish eating.
With nothing else to do, he casually asked:
"By the way, what made you two decide to start cooking? It doesn't seem like something you'd normally do."
"Oh, we weren't trying to cook."
George asked for a glass of water.
"Two days ago, we bought a prank item from Hogsmeade. The shopkeeper said its effect would be better if it was steamed or heated. And then..."
He shrugged.
"We accidentally discovered this."
I see!
Dawn nodded.
It still seemed like an incredible coincidence, but considering that these were the Weasley twins, there was indeed a certain logic to the absurdity.
About twenty minutes later—
The twins finally finished eating everything.
They didn't bother the house-elves either.
Instead, they personally washed the dishes and utensils, even demonstrating that the sound of running water striking them was also related to the wooden barrels.
After memorizing all of these sounds—
The three of them left the kitchen.
They turned a corner and soon arrived outside the Hufflepuff common room, where they saw the rows of wooden barrels standing there.
George stepped forward without hesitation.
Following the sequence of cooking, eating, and cleaning, he identified the corresponding barrels for each sound and struck them one by one with his palm.
Bang!
When the sequence was complete, one of the barrels suddenly opened.
A thick book shot out.
Dawn reacted instantly and caught it safely.
"There's really something here?"
Although he had already leaned toward this conclusion, it wasn't until the evidence appeared directly before him that Dawn finally believed it completely.
He looked down.
The title on the cover wasn't written in English.
It was written in Latin.
But Dawn had taught himself enough of the language to read it without difficulty.
"A Guide to Cooking Delicious Food?"
His face twitched.
Thinking about it carefully, something like this was indeed perfectly in line with what Hufflepuff would leave behind.
But the difference between reality and his expectations was still large enough to leave him somewhat disappointed.
Dawn opened the book.
[My dear child, the essence of magic does not exist only within spells.
It also exists in the process of transforming simple ingredients into warmth and happiness.
Remember, the most important ingredient will always be a heart willing to share with others.]
This was the author's foreword, occupying an entire page at the very beginning of the book.
Dawn curled his lips.
He had nothing to say about it.
He didn't possess Hufflepuff's great character.
At that moment, reading such words only made him feel that they were empty sentimental nonsense without much meaning.
Flip.
The pages turned rapidly.
Line after line entered his vision.
Dawn discovered that although the book contained several spells capable of making food more delicious, most of it was devoted to recipes.
For example—
How to Make Pie Crust
[Two and a half cups of all-purpose flour, one teaspoon of sun-dried salt, and seven tablespoons of dew collected in the early morning.
Mix together and stir until the flour forms a dough. Place it in an ice cellar and chill for thirty minutes.
Afterward, combine with any filling and bake until done. Eating it will soothe the mind and make one resistant to cold for a short period of time.]
"So they really are all foods with magical effects."
Dawn raised his eyebrows slightly.
He wasn't surprised by this.
But as he continued reading, it became increasingly difficult for him to conceal his astonishment.
The process of making these foods actually contained faint traces of ritual magic!
Dawn stroked his chin, somewhat surprised.
But then he remembered the food and wine in Hufflepuff's Cup that had retained their effects for a thousand years.
He slapped his forehead.
How foolish.
He should have thought of this much earlier!
If something could preserve its effects for so long, then it was almost certainly connected to natural magic.
And besides—
As the saying went, food was the foundation of life.
Since ancient times, the importance of food had been deeply rooted in the collective consciousness of humanity.
It was perfectly normal for a form of collective awareness related to food to have developed.
Still—
For Hufflepuff to be able to create dishes through ritual magic meant that she truly was an extraordinary witch with an understanding of natural magic.
Dawn continued flipping through the book.
Then, halfway through one of the recipes, he saw a peculiar spell called the Hair Removal Charm.
His eyes suddenly shifted.
Snap!
He closed the book.
Dawn looked toward the Weasley twins, who were waiting nearby.
They didn't seem curious about the book that had just appeared at all.
Suddenly, Dawn thought of something.
"By the way, after discovering these sounds, didn't you two try this yourselves?"
"We did."
George shrugged.
He reached into his wizarding robes and rummaged around for a moment.
Then, to Dawn's astonishment, he pulled out an identical book!
Fred did the same.
"This thing isn't one-use. Knock the sequence once and another book comes out. We've both read ours already, and we even sent one back to Mum."
Dawn was speechless.
Mass-produced?!
He curled his lips, and his gaze toward the book became slightly disdainful.
Compared with something like this, he still preferred those unique treasures that belonged exclusively to him.
But then again—
This really did fit Hufflepuff's great character.
Dawn sighed and stuffed the book into his sleeve, treating it as nothing more than another addition to his collection.
Then—
He continued examining the wooden barrels.
There were definitely magical circuits on them.
That much was beyond doubt.
Dawn had simply assumed before that they were only connected to the entrance of the Hufflepuff common room.
He had never expected them to have another function.
Dawn walked around the surrounding area several times.
His eyes flickered thoughtfully.
He felt that there had to be other things hidden within these barrels!
If cooking produced a sequence of notes, then perhaps helping others or performing certain other actions could produce different sounds corresponding to different objects.
But—
"It's not very useful."
Dawn thought about the cooking book he had just obtained.
He rubbed his brow and felt that most of what Hufflepuff had left behind was probably like this.
He shook his head.
After weighing the matter, he decided not to waste any more time on it.
Instead, he would find an opportunity to copy the memories of a few Hufflepuff students and see what he could learn.
Since Hufflepuff had made her test so "simple," there should be students in her house who had noticed something.
After all, Hufflepuff had maintained an excellent reputation for a thousand years, and the personalities of her students really did resemble their founder's ideals more closely.
Having made his decision, Dawn prepared to leave.
From now on, he decided, he would focus all his attention on the four founders of his own house!
Hufflepuff's method of leaving things behind had given him an important clue.
Dawn suspected that Ravenclaw might have used the same approach.
He couldn't help falling into thought.
According to the legends, Ravenclaw had been rational and calm, a woman who revered wisdom and knowledge.
Then—
The things she had left behind should naturally favor people who resembled her.
And when it came to wisdom and knowledge—
Dawn immediately thought of the unique private library inside the Ravenclaw common room, along with its countless books.
Perhaps—
The secret really was hidden within those books?
Perhaps it wasn't preserved through magic at all.
To find it, one needed sufficient wisdom to discover the clues hidden among the words.
That was Dawn's theory.
Just then—
A voice suddenly came from behind him.
"All right, little junior. Now that we've told you the secret, we're not going to stay here and play with you anymore."
George stroked his newly restored hair with a satisfied expression and waved goodbye.
Dawn came back to his senses.
He looked at the Weasley who had already turned halfway around.
Without giving it much thought, he suddenly reached out.
Smack!
His hand landed on George's shoulder.
"What are you doing?"
George's heart jumped.
He instinctively knocked Dawn's hand away and took a wary step backward.
Dawn shook his reddened hand.
He wasn't angry. Instead, he smiled amicably.
"Nothing. I saw a strand of hair on your shoulder and was helping you brush it onto the floor."
A strand of hair?
George looked confused.
But suddenly—
He felt an inexplicable chill across his scalp.
Then a strand of red hair slowly drifted down in front of his eyes.
"Huh?"
George froze.
He instinctively reached up and touched his head.
A huge clump of hair immediately came away in his hand.
Fred's eyes widened.
His pupils reflected the sight of George's head becoming completely bald in an instant.
Bang!
He stumbled backward until his back hit the wall.
His terrified gaze remained fixed on the hand Dawn had just placed on George's shoulder.
He trembled as he spoke.
"Ge-Ge-George! I think you're bald!"
Bald?!
It was like a bolt of lightning from a clear sky!
George's pupils trembled.
Impossible!
This couldn't be happening!
He refused to accept reality.
He ran his hands over his head several more times.
Only when his hair had accumulated into a small pile on the floor did he finally scream as though he had seen a ghost.
"What did you do?!"
Dawn gave him a cheerful V-sign.
"You're welcome. Being personally given a hairstyle by me is something you can proudly have carved onto your gravestone even after you die!"
He stepped back and examined George for a couple of seconds.
Then he gave him a thumbs-up and praised him with malicious delight.
"Mm. Clean and shiny. Very attractive! And you don't even need to wash your hair anymore."
"You... you—"
George was so furious that he practically smoked from every orifice.
His entire body trembled.
He roared and lunged forward.
"You ungrateful bastard! You burn the bridge after crossing it! I'll kill you—ah!!"
A scream rang out.
In an instant, George was struck by the Petrification Spell.
His entire body stiffened on the spot.
Only his eyes remained capable of moving, glaring accusingly at Dawn as silent tears of misery threatened to fall.
"Hey!"
Seeing his twin brother in danger, Fred instinctively rushed forward and spread his arms between the two of them.
But Dawn made no further move.
He was perfectly satisfied as he put away his wand.
The Hair Removal Charm really was useful.
As expected of a spell personally selected by Hufflepuff for cooking.
After thinking for a moment, Dawn conjured a large mirror and placed it directly in front of George, allowing his still-conscious mind to see his own appearance clearly.
"The spell will wear off by itself in two hours."
He waved cheerfully.
"Ha! See you next time, George, Fred."
Dawn turned and left, leaving behind one miserable twin and another who was desperately trying not to laugh.
He was beginning to understand why everyone else thought these two were such fun.
They really were walking sources of amusement!
Not only had they helped him discover a new direction for investigating the Four Founders' legacies, they had also allowed him to experience a rare moment of relaxation.
Humming a little tune, Dawn quickly left the entrance to the Hufflepuff common room and headed toward the stairs, preparing to make his way to Ravenclaw Tower.
There were paintings everywhere along the way.
Dawn looked at the various portraits.
Some were sleeping.
Some were chatting.
Others were tending fields, pulling weeds, and going about their painted lives.
But his footsteps gradually slowed.
Come to think of it, Dumbledore seemed to have tacitly accepted the fact that Dawn was freely wandering around the castle.
He hadn't appeared before Dawn for quite some time.
Dawn narrowed his eyes.
He felt that his current state of mind was rather strange.
On the one hand, whenever he saw Dumbledore, he felt annoyed.
But if he didn't see the old headmaster for too long, he began to suspect that the old man was secretly plotting something.
That made him unable to settle down.
"Tsk. I'm seriously sick."
Dawn shook his head and mocked himself.
He continued climbing the stairs, but he had already made a decision.
Tomorrow, when he had some free time, he would go and find Dumbledore.
Soon—
He arrived at Ravenclaw Tower.
Night had already deepened.
The moon and stars decorated the sky, while wisps of hazy clouds drifted through the darkness.
Only a small number of Ravenclaw students enjoyed wandering the castle at night.
After answering the riddle posed by the bronze eagle knocker, Dawn entered the unusually peaceful common room.
No one came in or out.
He instinctively glanced at the standing statue.
Then he once again stopped in front of the bookshelves and slowly examined the books.
There were far fewer books here than in the library.
But the variety was just as broad.
Not all of them were related to magic.
Astronomy, geography, stories, history—there was practically everything.
Hopefully these books were still the ones Ravenclaw had left behind a thousand years ago.
Dawn muttered to himself.
He stopped and deliberately pulled out a book written in Latin, thinking it was more likely to date back to Ravenclaw's era.
Then he pointed a finger.
A faint glow floated outward, illuminating the darkness around him.
It was simply a flexible application of the Lumos Charm.
"The Collection of Poems?"
Dawn read the title written along the spine.
His eyebrows lifted.
After flipping through it briefly, he discovered that the book contained poems from the Muggle world.
He knew little about poetry and had no particular interest in it.
But in order to find clues left behind by Ravenclaw, he sighed and began reading anyway.
"Cattle die, kinsmen die, and you yourself shall die."
"But I know one thing that never dies: the judgment of a dead man's life."
The first page contained two short lines of poetry written in Latin.
According to the annotations below, they could be traced back to the Bronze Age among the Nordic and Germanic peoples.
"Uh... it's... really well written!"
Dawn read the lines aloud awkwardly, forcing himself to analyze the meaning.
"It reflects the author's indifference toward life and death, as well as the importance he places on honor?"
He turned the pages one after another.
The book contained a great many poems, covering all kinds of subjects.
There were stories, fables, and even Christian prayers.
But after slowly reading the entire book once, Dawn had gained nothing except a vague collection of poetic phrases.
"This isn't going to work."
Dawn rubbed his brow.
He looked at the books around him.
There weren't an enormous number of them, but there certainly weren't few either.
Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't mind spending some time carefully reading every one.
But with everything currently happening, he simply didn't have that kind of free time.
With that thought—
Dawn took out his wallet.
He searched through it and pulled out a bottle of golden Felix Felicis.
He uncorked it and took a small sip.
A cool sensation flowed into his mind.
By the light of his spell, his fingers quickly swept across one book spine after another.
Then—
The moment his fingers brushed across a thick book with a blue-green cover, an inexplicable intuition made him stop abruptly.
This one!
Following that feeling, Dawn pulled the book from the shelf.
He examined it carefully.
Like the previous book, it had nothing to do with magic.
It was a history book.
He opened it.
After reading for a while, he discovered that this wasn't even the history of the wizarding world.
Everything inside concerned the Muggle world!
[The Unbelievable Surviving Structures of the Paleolithic Age]
[A Brief History of the Celtic Tribes]
[The History of Roman Britain]
[Anglo-Saxons and the Viking Invasions During the Age of the Seven Kingdoms]
Dawn glanced over the table of contents.
Then he found a sofa and sat down.
Holding the book between his fingers, he began reading carefully.
Come to think of it, he knew a little about history.
But when it came to events this ancient, there was genuinely very little he knew.
So he didn't find the reading particularly boring.
What made Dawn frown, however, was that despite reading with exceptional concentration and having the assistance of Felix Felicis, he truly couldn't find a single clue.
Even after putting on the diadem later, the result was exactly the same.
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
By the time daylight finally broke, Dawn had read through the book twice and still hadn't discovered anything.
Hearing the rustling sounds of the other Ravenclaws beginning to stir behind the common room, he couldn't be bothered to run into any of them.
He simply took the book and returned to the space he had created.
"Where exactly is the secret hidden?"
Dawn murmured softly.
After thinking for a moment, he Apparated out of the castle and went into the Muggle world.
He bought several books related to this period, intending to compare them with Ravenclaw's book and see whether he could discover anything.
The result—
He actually found something.
___________
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