It had been over half an hour past curfew. In the corner of the kitchen corridor, a brown head occasionally peeked out from a stack of barrels, only to duck back in at the slightest sound.
Soon, one head became two, like two mushrooms sprouting from the ground.
"It's been a while," Ryan said.
"Yeah," Theo replied with a worried expression.
"Wade might have already gone back to the common room," Ryan said. "You know he can turn into an eagle and fly out through any window. He doesn't have to take this route."
"I know. But I sent him a message, and he hasn't replied yet," Theo said.
"Maybe he just hasn't checked the book of friends. That guy can go half a day without looking at messages once he starts researching," Ryan added.
"It's late. You should go rest, Ryan. I'll wait here," Theo said, trying to shoo him away.
Ryan snorted but didn't say anything or leave.
Theo leaned against a nearby barrel, propped his chin on his hand, and couldn't help but yawn. Then he said, "Do you think we should go find Professor Sprout? Or Professor McGonagall?"
Ryan, leaning on the other side, said helplessly:
"Do you think Professor Snape is some kind of child-eating Kikimora monster? Even if Wade accidentally angered the professor, he wouldn't be thrown into a cauldron and boiled."
"I know, but... sigh..."
Theo sighed worriedly.
Professor Snape didn't particularly target anyone in Hufflepuff; he criticized anyone who made mistakes equally. In Potions class, Theo had always been paired with Wade, so he rarely got scolded.
But the professor's stern face alone was enough to make the entire Hufflepuff house tremble with fear.
"Professor Sprout is much better, like a mother," Theo said, feeling grateful for their head of house.
Ryan nodded in agreement.
Just then, he heard faint footsteps in the corridor. He quickly pulled Theo down and whispered, "Someone's coming!"
Though Theo didn't hear anything, he trusted his friend's hearing and immediately held his breath, hiding.
Ryan listened carefully again, then a smile appeared on his face. "It's not Filch—it's Wade!"
The two "mushrooms" popped back up.
After a moment of waiting, sure enough, Wade's figure appeared at the end of the corridor. He was frowning slightly with his eyes downcast, looking unusually serious.
Theo waved his arm and called out softly, "Wade!"
Wade looked up, saw the two of them, and was surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"Waiting for you!" Ryan said simply.
"Come in quickly!" Theo urged, waving his arm. "Filch might show up any minute!"
Though Wade wasn't particularly worried about that, he still quickened his pace to humor Theo.
In the middle of a stack of large barrels was a narrow, slightly sloped circular entrance, where Ryan and Theo were squeezed together.
By now, Ryan had already disappeared into the entrance, and Theo, waving at Wade, backed into it himself.
Wade: "..."
He looked at the entrance and followed, crawling in as if he were slipping into a cement pipe from a construction site in his childhood.
Except the "pipe" here was made of wood, and was emitting a faint aroma of wine and a creamy sweetness. The bottom and sides had been worn smooth by countless students.
After crawling a short distance, the space suddenly opened up. The circular underground room felt much lower and cozier compared to the Ravenclaw common room, reminiscent of a badger curled up on the ground.
The entire room was bathed in warm orange light, with a roaring fire in the fireplace. The sofas and armchairs around were upholstered in yellow and black velvet, making the room feel warm and inviting.
The shelves around the room, the windowsills, and even the space below the ceiling were filled with magical plants. Some glowed faintly, others swayed gently, and a few were in full bloom, giving the room a vibrant, lively atmosphere.
The air was filled with the fragrant scent of plants and flowers, and there were insects you wouldn't see in other common rooms, like fireflies and butterflies.
Above the honey-colored mantelpiece carved with badgers hung a portrait of Helga Hufflepuff, the founder of the house. She looked somewhat like Professor Sprout, with a round face and a warm, joyful smile that lifted the spirits of anyone who saw her.
Unfortunately, it was already nighttime, and the windows were pitch black, so the view of sunlight streaming through the round windows couldn't be seen.
The common room was empty except for the three of them. Wade couldn't help but ask, "Where is everyone else in the house?"
Theo replied matter-of-factly, "They've gone to sleep. It's already so late."
Wade: "..." That did seem about right.
But if this were the Ravenclaw common room, there would likely still be a few people tucked away in corners, reading or doing homework.
As for Gryffindor, needless to say, the Weasley twins probably hadn't returned yet.
Wade didn't know much about the Slytherin students, but he doubted the snake house was full of early birds who kept to a strict sleep schedule either.
Two Hufflepuffs, who would normally have been asleep by now, were fighting off their drowsiness as they pulled Wade to sit down on the sofa in front of the fireplace.
Theo couldn't wait to ask:
"Wade, did you go to see Professor Snape? He didn't give you a hard time, did he?"
Wade asked curiously, "How did you know?"
Ryan said, "We accidentally saw Malfoy on our way back. He reported to Filch that some students were wandering around the underground corridor near the Potions classroom at night instead of sleeping—we guessed it might be you."
Since the Potions classroom is near Professor Snape's office, they both guessed Wade's purpose.
"Did you go to Professor Snape for Neville's sake?" Theo worriedly said, "What if he starts targeting you too?"
"Of course, I wouldn't foolishly rush up to the professor and accuse him directly. I just wanted him to know that Neville can feel pain too; he's not a stone that's insensible to insults and accusations."
Wade said, "Don't worry, Professor Snape wasn't angry with me. But I don't know if the outcome of the conversation will meet expectations."
"That's good."
Theo breathed a sigh of relief, then immediately realized something and hurriedly explained, "It's not that I don't care about Neville, it's just..."
"I know," Wade's eyes were full of understanding as he smiled and said, "Thank you, Theo. And Ryan, for worrying about me."
Ryan shook his head: "I felt terrible when Neville cried, but I just didn't know what I could do to help him. I..."
He lowered his head in shame, and his voice squeezed through his teeth: "I'm sorry... I didn't have the courage to stand up to Professor Snape..."
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