As Wyzett performed the Memoria Exhaurire spell, he explained, "By studying what you've experienced these past two days, I should be able to figure out exactly what effect the new craftsmanship has—and under what conditions it's triggered."
"And don't worry, I'm not taking your memories away. I'm just making a copy of this segment, so there's no risk of memory loss."
"It's fine, it's fine!" Filch waved his hand dismissively. "No need to explain—I trust you!"
Filch was nothing if not cooperative, opening his mind without the slightest reservation.
Even so, as the spell took effect, Wyzett was acutely aware of the difference between a Squib and a wizard. The sensation was hard to describe—murky, tangled, and strangely fragmented. Unlike the solid barrier he'd encountered with Hagrid, this felt more like stumbling down a dried-up riverbed, every inch of magical progress a struggle.
He focused, letting his Obscurus core pulse with energy. With the help of ancient magic, the extraction finally succeeded, and the silvery thread of memory floated free.
"Just a quick test," Wyzett said, slipping the memory strand into a glass vial. "Was there anything yesterday that really stuck in your mind?"
"Stuck in my mind?" Filch's face twisted with irritation. "That Harry Potter! I'd just finished cleaning that spot, and he goes stomping right through it, covered in mud and water!"
"He's a menace, that boy! Always poking around in my things! He even found that letter—the one about the Kwikspell Correspondence Course. I hadn't thrown it away yet, and he pulled it right out! I know he read it, too!"
Wyzett nodded. "You remember it perfectly. That means everything went as planned."
Filch opened his mouth, confusion flickering in his eyes. "What do you mean? I don't quite follow…"
"I only copied memories from the past couple of days," Wyzett explained. "Since you still remember everything clearly, it means the process worked smoothly."
"This… this is something magic can do?" Filch stammered, still a little dazed.
In his mind, magic was all about Scourgify, Wingardium Leviosa, and summoning charms—practical spells that made life easier. That was real magic, the kind you learned from those Kwikspell courses.
But memory magic? That was a different world altogether. As a Squib who'd never studied at Hogwarts, such things felt forever out of reach.
With Filch's memory safely bottled, Wyzett made his way to the arcade, where the Weasley twins were already causing their usual mischief.
Spotting George fiddling with a firework tube, Wyzett couldn't resist asking, "Where's your pet? I thought it was here yesterday."
Fred clamped a hand over his nose, voice muffled. "Don't remind me! It's still too soon…"
"Yeah…" George heaved a theatrical sigh. "It made the ultimate sacrifice for our prankster cause…"
Wyzett had read enough about fire salamanders to know they were resilient creatures, thriving on flames with remarkable self-healing abilities. "If you were just feeding it fireworks, it shouldn't have been a problem. Didn't you base your design on Dr. Filibuster's Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks? Was it the 'blooms when wet' feature?"
He paused, thinking. "Maybe it was the reverse ignition—needing moisture to set them off—that made the salamander reject them? Is that what… did it in?"
"Uh…" George groaned, and the firework tube in his hand slipped into a glass of water, instantly igniting.
Wyzett had just reached for his wand when Fred shouted, "Don't use a Vanishing Spell!"
Whoosh!
In the blink of an eye, the tube had ballooned, spewing sparks everywhere.
The twins, clearly seasoned to these mishaps, covered their faces with their hands.
A sharp pop rang out, and green and gold sparks burst like a wild geranium in bloom.
"Scourgify!" Wyzett flicked his wand, clearing the acrid smoke that filled the air.
"Cough, cough, cough…"
Fred and George lowered their hands, coughing. Only the parts of their faces covered by their palms were clean—leaving them looking like they were wearing handprint masks.
They burst into laughter, pointing at each other's faces, the chaos only fueling their amusement.
Wyzett let them enjoy it, waiting until their laughter faded and they slumped over the table, breathless.
"Whew…" Fred groaned, sprawled out. "Guess the effect's still pretty good."
"Yeah!" George agreed, not even bothering to wipe the soot from his cheeks. "At least it wasn't a waste feeding that salamander!"
He managed to lift his head, blinking at Wyzett. "Actually, we just fed it fireworks, and then—whoosh!—it shot up into the sky and disappeared…"
"Oh, right!" Fred suddenly sat up straight. "Percy was writing a letter at the time… The salamander scared him so badly he nearly lost it!"
"Writing letters… writing letters…" George muttered, his eyes darting. "He's been acting weird—writing letters constantly since summer! Definitely hiding something."
"He's got to have some secret!" Fred said, eyes gleaming. "Wish I had my own owl…"
"Tell me about it," George sighed. "We could barely take any orders over the summer—Errol just can't handle the pressure."
"But I've got a good feeling about this year!" Fred grinned, shooting Wyzett a meaningful look.
"Wyzett, those Animagus theories you shared are brilliant! The Canary Cream project is going great!"
George perked up, noticing the glass vial in Wyzett's hand. "Where'd you get that memory?"
"It's from Mr. Filch," Wyzett replied. "I discovered a magical pattern and carved it into one of his fake wands…"
"Based on his feedback, the wand showed some interesting effects, so I want to study it more closely."
The twins' eyes lit up at the mention of magical gadgets—they were never more alive than when discussing enchanted inventions.
"Study it?" George asked quickly. "Are you testing the pattern's trigger conditions?"
"Or its actual magical effects?" Fred added. "Where'd you get the pattern, anyway?"
"From a house-elf," Wyzett explained. "According to Professor Lockhart—and what I've seen—house-elves can absorb mockery and use it to strengthen themselves."
"And from what Mr. Filch described, the fake wand's usage time has doubled. He even thinks that if he's careful, it might last even longer."
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