After the Ravenclaw versus Slytherin Quidditch match concluded, the members of "A Maverick Pig" made one final revision to the trial rules, then stamped their bizarre mark directly beneath the new version.
The sealed bag was sent via Alfrina's snow owl, Rose, to Minister Jenkins at the British Ministry of Magic.
Watching Rose's graceful and agile figure gradually disappear into the vast night, the five finally breathed a sigh of relief, only then realizing that this academic year's work was over once again.
"Time really flies, another year gone," Lily rested her elbows on the table, cupping her chin in her hands.
"Indeed," Howard pulled several bottles of butterbeer from his bag, "Let's celebrate."
Gary and the others each took a bottle, clinking them together, the crisp sound of glass echoing in the classroom.
This abandoned classroom at the end of the corridor on the third floor of the Castle gradually replaced the Library as their primary meeting spot.
"This year's tasks are largely complete. I plan to use Sunday afternoons for spell practice as well, giving us a full day of extracurricular time. As for the book club, how about moving it to Thursday afternoons? I've checked everyone's schedules, and that time is free."
"Do we really need to work this hard? I think we can rest for a month first, and then talk about it after the Easter holiday," Kona objected.
"I don't want what you think; I want what I think," Alfrina took a sip of butterbeer and slapped the table.
Kona, like a wronged daughter-in-law, rested her head on the table, looking aggrieved.
"You always bully me," she whined, drawing out her words.
"Oh, dear…" Alfrina couldn't stand it when others acted like that. "If you want to rest, go ahead and rest. We'll practice on our own. But if you can't do the practical questions for Charms and Transfiguration on the exam, don't blame us for not bringing you along."
Alfrina hit the nail on the head, directly striking Kona's weakness.
"I'll go, I'll go, alright!" Kona stomped her foot; at less than one meter sixty, this action was incredibly cute.
"Let's not talk about those things. Tonight, we're here to celebrate!" Howard clinked glasses with Lily and Gary next to him.
After enjoying themselves, the group returned to their respective dormitories before curfew.
Hogwarts after curfew became a paradise for Gryffindor pranksters.
On the fifth floor, the Marauders were on another routine adventure.
"Did you note down that passage?" James and Peter huddled under the Invisibility Cloak. Now that their bodies had developed, James's Invisibility Cloak could no longer cover all four of them. Fortunately, Lupin and Sirius had learned the Disillusionment Charm, and in the dim Castle at night, the Disillusionment Charm was no less effective than the Invisibility Cloak.
The four of them were completing their grand plan.
"Noted, noted," Sirius held a piece of parchment and rapidly drew the passage map on it.
What the four Marauders were doing this time was "of epoch-making significance." James was proud of this brilliant idea he had come up with; he believed it was no worse than the Quidditch rules Alfrina and her group had devised.
"Did you draw the passage in the Whomping Willow's hollow?" James lowered his voice, afraid of being overheard.
But a cat heard.
A scrawny, dark-grey cat happened to be passing through the corridor. Hearing James's voice, it let out a questioning meow.
Then, step by step, it advanced towards the source of the sound.
Damn it, go away, you stinky cat.
The four of them held their breath, terrified of being discovered by this cat.
Its eyes were wide like brass bells, shooting out lightning-quick cleverness; its ears were perked like antennae, listening to every suspicious sound…
Its black nose twitched. The grey cat sat down, facing James and the others, and let out a meow. This meow nearly scared the souls out of James and his three companions.
James and Lupin exchanged glances.
"What do we do?"
"How should I know? Maybe we should just run."
James agreed. Anyway, the cat wouldn't recognize them. He reached out and tugged Peter and Sirius. The two understood, counted to three silently, and then, with a shared understanding, began to run at the same time.
Because the four were under the effects of the Invisibility Cloak and a Disillusionment Charm, the grey cat could only feel a breeze in front of it, accompanied by slight fluctuations in the air.
It leaped up, emitting sharp cries incessantly, then sprang forward, landing on all fours and charging straight out.
James and the others knew they had been discovered, so they used the terrain advantage they had accumulated over years of exploring Hogwarts, winding around the moving staircases. The grey cat ran incredibly fast, but unfortunately, its intelligence was lacking, and it was shaken off by the four in just a few moves.
"What's wrong?" A withered hand reached out and scooped the grey cat off the floor. "Did you find anything unusual?" His voice was dry and hoarse, sounding as if it had been ground in sand, making it very unpleasant to hear.
It was Filch. Mr. Pringle was about to retire, and as the next Hogwarts caretaker, Filch was now responsible for night patrols.
Madam Norris was his capable assistant. This cat had accompanied him for twenty years, already exceeding a normal lifespan. According to his uncle Appolion Pringle, Madam Norris was a magical creature, whose lifespan might even exceed his own.
Madam Norris opened her mouth wide, continuously meowing towards the direction where James and the other three had last disappeared, her two small fangs revealed.
"Interesting…" Filch stroked his sparse hair. "Come on, let's go follow them and see."
He held the cat in one hand, took down the oil lamp hanging on the corridor wall with the other, and walked forward step by step.
"Oh my god! When did a cat show up?!" The four ran in one breath to the seventh-floor corridor. James pulled off the Invisibility Cloak and said exasperatedly.
"Keep your voice down, James," Peter still had a small braid tied at the back of his head today, giving his sparse hair a place to go. "Don't let that cat hear you."
"I saw this cat last week. Could it be a student's pet?" Sirius guessed.
"No way. Look how thin that cat is. Who could be so cruel to their own pet?"
"You're right," Lupin said gently. The two days before the full moon had just ended, and his body was still a bit weak. After intense running, his face was pale, and beads of sweat the size of peas rolled down his face.
"Are you alright, Remus?" Sirius looked at his pale face, a little worried.
"I'm fine, I'm fine. How many passages do we still need to check?" Lupin waved his hand, indicating he was alright.
"Hmm…" Sirius unfolded the parchment in his arms. "There are still two passages left on the third floor."
"Then let's finish them all tonight. We still have a huge pile of spells to enchant when we get back. The workload is too much." Lupin leaned against the wall, taking two breaths, finally recovering.
"Enchant what spells?" A voice came from the darkness, accompanied by rhythmic footsteps.
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