Hogwarts: I Am Such a Model Wizard

Chapter 195: The Way into the Headmaster’s Office

The holiday period had passed in the blink of an eye, like dog food disappearing in front of Fluffy.

Kyle felt as though he’d only just been in the library, flipping through books about Basilisks, and then suddenly, he looked up and realized there were only a few days left until the start of term.

On the morning of the third-to-last day before term started, Fred and George found him, bursting with excitement.

“Kyle, we have some great news for you!” Fred announced, his face glowing with enthusiasm. “We’ve found the final clue for the Marauder’s Map password!”

“So... the complete password is really hidden in the castle?” Kyle asked, surprised.

Like Cedric, he had always thought the last word of the password might not exist. If he had been one of the Marauders, he wouldn’t have left the full password behind. It’s always better to keep a little mystery. Laying it all out would be boring. Besides, the hint had always been clear enough from the start. If someone couldn’t figure out the full password, then maybe they weren’t meant to have the Marauder’s Map.

No one would ever think the password was, “I solemnly swear I’ll study hard.”

And if someone got too obsessed with finding the complete password, like Fred and George, then that missing word would make for a perfect prank. After all, someone who constantly breaks school rules isn’t likely to be great at following instructions.

Fred and George hadn’t found it until now, so Kyle thought he had guessed right.

“You’ll never guess where it is,” George said impatiently. “It’s right above the railing near the school entrance. You can see it if you look up as you walk by.”

“We should have thought of it sooner,” Fred said, a little annoyed. “Every graduate eventually leaves Hogwarts through the main gates, so it’s the perfect spot to symbolize both a beginning and an ending.”

“Why didn’t we think of it sooner...”

“So, how did you find it?” Kyle asked.

George shrugged. “We were going to explore the Forbidden Forest, but Hagrid chased us out, so we stopped by Hogsmeade.”

“It was still too early; most of the shops hadn’t opened yet.”

“We couldn’t use the shortcut through the secret passage, so we had to go back the long way.”

“When we passed the school gates, we saw the words on the wall immediately.”

George sighed suddenly. “Maybe we shouldn’t always sneak back through the secret passage after visiting Hogsmeade.”

“But speaking of secret passages...” Fred said, his eyes lighting up as he patted Kyle on the shoulder and whispered, “After getting the complete password, we discovered two new secret passages.”

“One’s on the fourth floor, behind the statue of the hunchbacked one-eyed witch. Her hunchback is the entrance.”

“The other one is even more hidden...” Fred added, with a mysterious glint. “Want to guess where it is?”

“Er... behind the bookshelves in the Headmaster’s Office?” Kyle guessed with a serious expression, stroking his chin. “If that’s the case, I’d bet the exit leads to a shop’s common room in Hogsmeade—maybe The Three Broomsticks, or Madam Puddifoot’s Tea Room...”

Fred and George were stunned.

Not because Kyle had guessed correctly—in fact, there was no secret passage in the Headmaster’s Office at all.

But Kyle’s words had sparked their imaginations.

Just picture it: the greatest headmaster Hogwarts had ever seen secretly linked to a shopkeeper... Hmmm, how intriguing.

Who doesn’t love a bit of headmaster gossip? Fred and George couldn’t help but dive in.

They debated from every angle where the exit would be if there really were such a passage, finally deciding that it could lead to any shop in Hogsmeade.

Even the Hog’s Head.

”If Dumbledore weren’t backing him up, that old goat would have been thrown out ages ago,” Fred said with conviction.

They’d known Hogsmeade well for years, and many shopkeepers had shared in hushed tones that the chaotic Hog’s Head pub was seriously tarnishing the reputation of Hogsmeade. It was even the reason they hadn’t been named ”Most Worthwhile Wizarding Village of the Year” for more than a decade.

”Unfortunately, there are no secret passages marked in the Headmaster’s Office on the Marauder’s Map,” Fred continued, sounding disappointed. ”We only know it’s on the eighth floor, but we’ve never set foot in there, not once.”

”After all, it’s the Headmaster’s Office—one of the most mysterious places at Hogwarts,” George said, shaking his head. ”I’d bet even the creators of the Marauder’s Map barely got in there, let alone had the chance to search for hidden passages.”

”I’d love to sneak in for a look, even if just for a few minutes,” Fred mused wistfully.

“Want to go into the Headmaster’s Office?” Kyle thought for a moment before saying, ”That’s easy.”

Fred and Georgeʼs eyes lit up, and they eagerly slung their arms around Kyle’s shoulders.

”Kyle, I knew you’d have an idea! Tell us!”

”If you get us in, Fred and I will be your most loyal minions!”

”We’ll save seats for you...”

”Provide meal deliveries...”

”And take care of anyone who gives you trouble.”

”But only on the condition that we don’t get demerits… or detention.”

”Don’t worry, you won’t,” Kyle replied calmly. ”All you have to do is win a Special Award for Services to the School, and that’ll earn you 100 points.”

Fred and George’s smiles froze. They looked at Kyle in disbelief, as if he’d turned into a Three-Headed Dog that could tap dance.

To Fred and George, finding a Three-Headed Dog that could tap dance would be easier than winning a Special Award for Services to the School.

At least that seemed remotely possible.

”If you find that too troublesome,” Kyle continued, noting their expressions, ”the Order of Merlin would do just as well. That should net you an extra 200 points.”

“Huh…” George and Fred let out identical groans, then turned and walked away.

”Hey, you haven’t told me where the last secret passage is,” Kyle called after them.

But the twins pretended not to hear, quickening their pace.

The last secret passage they’d been about to tell him about was actually just beneath the Whomping Willow. Originally, they’d come over to invite Kyle to join them in figuring out a way to dodge the Willow’s vicious branches. Now, however, they just wanted to be anywhere Kyle wasn’t.

And as for the Order of Merlin—he thought it was what, a pebble by the side of the road? Something you could just pick up whenever you liked?

If it were that easy, he’d have one himself!