Opening the stone door, Lucas entered the dark, narrow grotto tunnel.
Bones littered the rocky floor, and a huge discarded snakeskin gave off a nasty smell that mixed with the damp air.
The tunnel was full of forks and vents—probably part of Hogwarts' ventilation system.
Following the cramped passage, Lucas eventually found the exit to the bathroom.
But the hatch required a Parseltongue command to open, so he had to find another way out.
These underground tunnels ran all through Hogwarts. When he popped out through one of the vents, he realized he was near the library.
The flickering torchlight inside made it stand out in the darkness. Madam Pince would be gone at this hour, and Filch, the school caretaker, was probably dead asleep.
Just in case, Lucas snuffed out the oil lamp.
He wasn't some reckless Gryffindor lion.
But just then, a soft noise broke the silence.
Lucas looked around. Nothing obvious.
Suddenly, he spun around—his scarlet eyes flashing in the dark.
A skinny grey cat had crept up behind him, eyes glowing eerily in the shadows.
"Evening, Mrs. Norris," Lucas said smoothly.
If the cat was here, Filch couldn't be far.
Lucas wasn't scared of him—he knew Filch was a Squib—but that didn't mean he wanted to cause trouble.
His Sharingan spun again, and the moment Mrs. Norris turned her head, he cast a Genjutsu illusion.
The cat froze briefly, shook its head, then turned and walked off like Lucas wasn't even there.
"Man, illusions make everything easier," he muttered.
But just as he relaxed, a loud meow tore through the silence.
"Meow!"
"F**k."
Before he could react, he heard someone curse from deeper in the library, followed by a series of crashes.
Two figures sprinted toward him.
Lucas calmly deactivated his Sharingan.
He couldn't let anyone see his eyes.
Before he could say anything, the two figures reached him.
"Oi! You out for a midnight stroll too?!"
"Come on, come with us—Filch'll be here any second!"
It was Fred and George Weasley.
Caught off guard, Lucas was dragged into a mad dash by the redheaded twins.
"Whew—looks like we lost 'em."
"I'm Fred Weasley, this is my brother George!"
"Lucas Geralt. Nice to meet you guys."
They stopped to catch their breath. Fred stuck out his hand, and Lucas shook it.
George suddenly perked up.
"Wait—you're in Slytherin?!"
"Dang, we've been sneaking out for years and never met a Slytherin doing night tours!"
"That's rare, man!" Fred added.
"Really?" Lucas scratched his head. "Guess I broke the mold."
Even though Gryffindor and Slytherin were usually at odds, the twins liked Lucas right away. He was out breaking rules just like them.
"Didn't think we'd find someone cool like you among those sneaky snakes."
Lucas chuckled. "It's late, shouldn't you guys be sleeping?"
"Yeah, guess we should. See you around, yeah?"
The twins waved and disappeared around a corner toward Gryffindor Tower.
"Funny guys," Lucas muttered, heading back toward the Slytherin dorm.
Back in the common room, Malfoy and Crabbe were still lost in their illusion, drooling onto their pillows.
Lucas raised an eyebrow and snapped his fingers, breaking the spell.
"It's two in the morning. Why are you two still awake?"
They sat up groggily as Lucas was already crawling into bed.
"Uh… yeah, okay…"
The two lay back down with their drool-soaked blankets and passed out again.
Lucas slept great. He didn't wake up until after eight.
At breakfast, he found Hermione already sitting at their usual spot—alone.
That was odd. Gryffindor girls usually ate in packs. Was she getting bullied?
"Great breakfast, thanks," Lucas said casually as he sat down.
Hermione didn't notice him until he called for food.
"Good morning, beautiful lady," he smiled, catching the familiar jasmine scent she always wore.
"You're… late today."
"And you're early," Lucas replied with a grin.