After confirming their suspicions about the infiltrator's identity and purpose, Sylas, Gandalf, and Galadriel immediately tightened surveillance across the entire school.
The rest of the professors, now aware that an enemy had slipped inside Hogwarts, were fully on guard.
The four Heads of House took responsibility for strictly monitoring their own students, forbidding anyone from wandering alone, while the other professors patrolled the castle at all hours.
Portraits were hung in every corner like human surveillance cameras, ensuring not a single blind spot remained.
The school's atmosphere grew tense.
The students, confused and uneasy, had no idea what was happening. They only knew the professors had become extremely serious ever since the broomsticks mysteriously fell apart during the last Quidditch match.
Still, despite their curiosity, they obeyed orders. They stayed in their dormitories and common rooms during free time, or moved in small groups.
Even Peeves, usually chaotic and unstoppable, sensed the tension and toned down his mischief.
And as the spirit of the castle, he couldn't hide from the castle's emotions.
So once he realized that the one responsible for all of this was the hidden infiltrator, he grew furious, feeling personally offended that the intruder had "ruined his fun."
He vowed loudly and dramatically to "find the little rat and thrash him."
Peeves flew through walls nonstop, diving into suspicious places, especially the bathrooms, and lying in wait for anyone acting sneaky.
Whenever a student behaved even slightly oddly, Peeves would erupt from a wall or toilet stall, grab their nose, and shout:
"Gotcha! You sneaky little mouse! You can't escape Peeves's eyes!"
Of course, every single "suspect" he caught ended up being nothing more than a kid sneaking food or planning pranks.
But Peeves's constant ambushes had an unexpected effect, they kept troublemakers quiet and forced the infiltrator to lay low.
The only thing none of the professors could understand was why some students insisted on stealing food in bathrooms.
Even Sylas was speechless when he heard about it.
As for Angber, the first-year student who had been bewitched by the Ring of Power, Sylas punished him only by deducting 50 points from his House for carelessly picking up the ring, then sent him back.
He did not reveal that Angber's actions nearly caused the Phoenix House players to fall to their deaths. Publicly exposing him would only make him the target of hatred and possibly ignite inter-house conflict.
Sylas also quietly investigated Angber's roommates and classmates to see whether Saruman had disguised himself as someone close to the boy.
After all, the ring had clearly been placed there deliberately, and the culprit could easily have been someone Angbor trusted.
But ultimately, the investigation led nowhere. None of the students showed any signs of darkness, possession, or exposure to the Ring's influence.
Finding nothing didn't discourage Sylas.
With surveillance heightened and Gandalf and Galadriel watching over the students, he poured all his remaining energy into completing the Marauder's Map.
Fueled by potions of vitality and the Crown of Wisdom, Sylas worked day and night, progress accelerating rapidly.
Meanwhile, Saruman, hiding in the shadows, clearly sensed the danger closing in.
Just as Sylas was nearing completion of the Map, something happened.
When Edward burst into the headmaster's office, breathless and pale, Sylas instantly felt a heavy jolt in his chest.
"Has something happened?"
Edward nodded urgently.
"It's three students from Dragon House. Professor Gandalf and Lady Galadriel are already there, they asked for you immediately!"
Hearing Edward's urgent tone, Sylas didn't waste a second asking for details, he rushed straight to the scene.
The incident had occurred in the kitchen. When Sylas arrived, he saw three second-year students lying unconscious on the floor, while Gandalf, Galadriel, and Dragon House's headmistress, Margaret, stood nearby.
Up in the air, Peeves was gleefully tap-dancing, waving a Quidditch bat and shouting,
"Peeves caught the villain! Peeves caught the villain!"
The moment Sylas saw the three collapsed students, his pupils tightened sharply. Forgetting to greet anyone, he rushed forward and knelt down beside them.
After confirming that all three were still breathing, he finally exhaled in relief.
Two of the students showed clear signs of being stunned by spells.
The last one had a large, unmistakable bump on the back of his head, obviously struck from behind.
"What exactly happened? Gandalf, Lady Galadriel?" Sylas asked, lifting his gaze.
Gandalf shook his head.
"We arrived only a moment before you. When we got here, the students were already lying like this. But Peeves found the scene first, he immediately alerted the portraits, who sent word to us."
Sylas looked up in surprise, then turned toward Peeves.
"Peeves, what happened? Tell me everything you saw."
At the same time, Sylas noticed the bat in Peeves's hand… and the unconscious students. A suspicion began to form.
Peeves puffed out his chest dramatically.
"Ohh, Headmaster, it was terrifying! Those three Dragon House kids sneaked into the kitchen, so good Peeves followed quietly. What I saw was absolutely horrifying!"
He pointed at the boy with the swollen bump.
"Headmaster, this one! This sneaky brat is the villain! He brought the other two here, then used a spell to knock them out from behind!
His eyes were sooo creepy, spooky, wicked eyes! Peeves was so scared he hid inside the wall and peeked!"
Peeves then wildly gestured.
"And then! That wicked brat took out a little black bottle, a nasty, nasty bottle, and he was just about to pour it into the dinner's food and drinks!
But fear not! Brave Peeves knocked him out with one mighty swing!"
He flipped in mid-air proudly.
"Hehehe! Headmaster, Peeves did great, didn't he? Peeves caught the bad guy!"
"A bottle…?" Sylas's expression hardened. "Where is it?"
"Right here! Look, Headmaster!"
Peeves bounced happily and pulled out a small black vial.
"Peeves knew right away it was fishy, so he snatched it!"
Sylas reached out instinctively, but Gandalf and Galadriel both stiffened.
"Sylas, don't touch it!" they warned sharply.
Sylas froze instantly, then used a Levitation Charm to draw the black vial safely into the air.
Suspended before him, the ominous liquid shimmered.
"Gandalf, Lady Galadriel," Sylas asked, "do you recognize what's inside this vial?"
Galadriel stepped closer, her eyes narrowing as she sensed the dark energy within it.
After a long, heavy pause, she spoke, her voice low and grave:
"This bottle contains the Black Death Plague…A true abomination, a malevolent, deadly curse."
...
Read chapters ahead @keepsmiling 818 p@reon