"Let me think..." Peeves stroked his chin, "I remember him quarreling with Potter in the hallway. I always wanted to see them fight, but unfortunately, they ran into McGonagall. Oh right, at that time, Potter called him Malfoy.
"I'm telling you, that Malfoy must have gone there on Bloody Barrow's orders..."
Peeves was babbling on, but Kael no longer listened to what he said next.
What was Malfoy suddenly doing on the second floor?
Can't find it... it's gone...
Was he looking for something? Or was there something there he wanted?
But the storage rooms only have useless things, like desks and chairs that can't be repaired, or retired old brooms. What would Malfoy want with those?
Kael pondered, feeling like he had forgotten something, but he couldn't recall it at the moment.
No wonder Dumbledore always kept a Pensieve in his office; after experiencing so much, it's sometimes necessary to organize one's thoughts...
"Kael, what's wrong, are they coming?" Conna's voice came to his ear, along with the noisy clamor of countless people.
Coming back to his senses, Kael realized that Peeves had vanished, and at the same time, Slughorn, with several professors and students, was running down the stairs.
He was at the front, and whether it was because of his vigorous movements or having eaten too much at dinner, his luxurious lavender robe was tight, looking as though it might burst at any moment.
"Kael, Conna... have you seen Peeves? Someone said he went toward the entrance hall," Slughorn said angrily, "That annoying fellow, he ruined my party!"
"He ran that way." Kael, not knowing where Peeves had gone, just pointed randomly.
"What, he ran back upstairs?" Slughorn looked at Kael's hand pointing toward the second-floor library, and his legs felt weak.
Ghosts can fly, but he cannot, and after running up and down several times, he really couldn't run anymore.
"Kids..." he looked at several students following him, "I'll leave Peeves to you. Help out, make sure to catch him for me.
"Whoever can bring Peeves back, I'll reward them with a small bottle of Felix Felici."
Hearing Felix Felici, the students' eyes widened; they patted their chests and turned to run upstairs.
Having been doused with vinegar water, they were already keen on settling accounts with Peeves, and now with Slughorn offering such a reward, they had no reason not to accept.
A few of them blazed upstairs again.
Slughorn leaned on the railing, gasping, and couldn't help but complain:
"Armando should have listened to my suggestion back then, and thrown Peeves out of the castle. That ghost does nothing but cause trouble, and everyone in the castle complains about him..."
"Yeah, it's the same now," Kael said.
"Kid, aren't you going to give it a try?" Slughorn looked at Kael and said, "I think you have a great chance of catching that prankster and getting my reward."
He took out a small bottle with a cork from his pocket, inside was the golden Felix Felici.
Kael couldn't help but glance at the bottle, then shook his head and said, "Sorry, Professor, although I'd love to have that reward, I don't know if it's from drinking too much at the party, but I'm a bit tired and just want to go back and have a good sleep."
"Now that you mention it, I do recall you staying by the drink table the whole time," Slughorn patted his head, "Listen to me, Kael, although you're of age, you should still restrain yourself, don't drink too much strong alcohol, or you could try honey wine, which I personally enjoy a lot."
"I will, Professor," Kael said. After a few perfunctory words, he found an excuse to leave with Conna.
When the two returned to the Hufflepuff Common Room, Kael was still thinking about Malfoy's purpose in going to the Room of Requirement.
It was clear he wouldn't have strolled over there idly, there must have been a purpose... but what could it be?
"Kael, thank God you're back. I remember you have a copy of 'Transfiguration and Disappearance,' right? Can I borrow it?"
In the common room, Ryan, busy with homework, quickly asked when he saw Kael come in.
"Sure." Kael casually said, "The book is in the cabinet in the dorm, go look for it yourself..."
"Wait." Kael suddenly lifted his head.
Cabinet... Vanishing Cabinet?
He finally recalled. In third year, Nearly Headless Nick, to help Harry who was caught by Filch, tricked Peeves into throwing a cabinet right above his office.
And that cabinet was the Vanishing Cabinet.
Also, Nearly Headless Nick mentioned that the Vanishing Cabinet had always been stored in a second-floor storage room.
Filch knew it was a Vanishing Cabinet and prepared to use the opportunity of school property damage to get Peeves expelled.
Dumbledore, of course, wasn't going to expel Peeves, or rather, no one could expel Peeves from the castle.
Later, the matter was left unresolved, as if nothing had happened.
And the heavily damaged Vanishing Cabinet was cleaned away by the House-elves.
Of course, that was how it appeared.
The truth was, before the House-elves arrived, Kael had already taken the Vanishing Cabinet away... what the elves discarded was just a regular cabinet transformed by the Transfiguration Technique.
Besides Kael, no one else knew about this.
...
Could the thing Malfoy was looking for be that Vanishing Cabinet?
If so, how did he know there was a Vanishing Cabinet in the second-floor storage room? Did he previously visit? But at that time, he was only in second year and wouldn't have gone to a dusty storage room.
But if not, then what was he searching for...
Kael contemplated, while walking to sit by an armchair. Conna, although unaware of what was on Kael's mind, didn't disturb him, just quietly sat beside him.
...