With the business deal sealed, Charlie was ready to return to the common room.
But Draco tugged urgently at his sleeve, eyes shining with excitement.
"Charlie, wait up!"
He sounded like a kid eager to show off his newest toy.
"I've got something amazing to show you!"
Charlie raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"Come with me, you'll see."
Draco led him to an empty classroom, clearly trying to act mysterious.
Inside were seven brand-new brooms lined up in perfect formation, each one polished to a mirror shine. Sleek design, intricate craftsmanship, and the signature golden detailing made them instantly recognizable.
"The new Nimbus 2001s!" Draco beamed with pride.
"Fresh off the production line, just last month!"
Charlie walked over, inspecting the brooms up close.
They were definitely impressive. Just the look of them screamed speed. Far superior to the clunky old school brooms from the Sweeper series.
"Where'd you get all these?" Charlie asked.
Draco puffed out his chest, looking smug. "My father sponsored them."
"I'm Slytherin's new Seeker."
Charlie gave him a weird look.
"So… you bought your way onto the team."
Draco's face turned beet red. "I did not buy my way in!" he flailed defensively.
"Sponsorship is not the same as bribery, alright?"
"Besides, Harry got on the team with a Nimbus 2000!"
He kept rambling on about "fairness" and "sponsorship" as if trying to convince himself.
The room was filled with Draco's indignant huffing, but Charlie didn't engage further.
Instead, he eyed the brooms thoughtfully.
Last year, he'd watched their house matches.
Cedric was a top-notch Seeker, and the rest of the Hufflepuff team wasn't bad either.
But their brooms were ancient.
The school-issued ones were practically museum pieces, some models dating back over a decade. Slow, clunky, and wildly unreliable.
Watching those matches was like watching a football game where your team wears bricks for shoes. Frustrating didn't even begin to cover it.
Soon after, Lucius delivered a large shipment of potion ingredients.
Charlie hauled all the materials into his Undetectable Extension Trunk and got to work.
Brewing Healing Elixirs required skill and precision, but for Charlie, it was second nature.
He juggled more than ten cauldrons at once. Magic streamed from his wand, flawlessly controlling every ingredient's timing, heat, and stirring cycle.
Not a single mistake.
Within half a day, he had everything simmering. Now he just needed to wait a month for the potions to mature.
,
Saturday arrived.
Students in third year and above were allowed to visit Hogsmeade on weekends, the largest wizarding village in all of Britain.
Charlie had nothing on his schedule and figured it was worth a look.
Technically, he wasn't allowed to go yet.
But Charlie rarely did things by the book.
He headed straight for the twins. If anyone knew a secret way out of Hogwarts, it would be them.
Fred and George had just left the Gryffindor common room, on their way to meet the group heading to Hogsmeade. They still had plenty of galleons from Charlie's "donation" last term and were planning a stop at Zonko's for some new prank gear.
Seeing Charlie, the twins exchanged a glance.
"Morning, Charlie," Fred greeted.
"Morning. I need a favor," Charlie replied.
"At your service, Your Majesty." Fred bowed theatrically.
"You guys know a way out of the school?" Charlie asked bluntly.
"Thinking of hitting Hogsmeade?" George raised an eyebrow.
They looked at each other again, then grinned in unison.
"Come with us."
They led Charlie to a secluded corner. Fred pulled out what looked like an ordinary piece of old parchment.
"This is our little secret," George said, clearly proud.
"Go on then, show him," Charlie urged, intrigued.
Fred unrolled the parchment, tapped it with his wand, and declared:
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
"Repeat after him," George nudged.
Charlie echoed, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
At once, the parchment shimmered.
Ink bled across the surface, sketching out an intricate network of lines and dots.
At the top appeared bold green lettering:
Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers
Within seconds, a fully detailed map of Hogwarts materialized.
Every room, corridor, and hidden passage was drawn with magical precision.
Even more impressively, dozens of tiny dots were moving about the map, each labeled with a name.
Charlie spotted Professor McGonagall in her office, probably grading papers. Snape was in the dungeons, most likely brewing potions. And sure enough, Charlie could see himself, Fred, and George standing together.
"This is the Marauder's Map," Fred explained.
"It's how we sneak around without getting caught," George added.
Charlie studied the map carefully and noticed several secret passageways leading to Hogsmeade.
"There," Fred said, pointing. "Our gift to you."
"We've already memorized all the routes," George added. "But when you're done, don't forget to say 'Mischief managed.' That'll erase the map."
Charlie accepted the map, a little touched.
This was clearly one of the twins' most prized possessions, and they were entrusting it to him.
"No need to thank us," George said, clapping his shoulder. "Friends help friends."
With that, the twins joined the main group heading toward Hogsmeade.
Charlie waited for them to disappear from view, then opened the Marauder's Map and studied it closely.
According to the map, seven secret tunnels led out of the school, but five had collapsed or been sealed.
Only two were usable.
Charlie picked the most promising one and followed the directions to the third floor corridor, Gosmoor's Gurgling Gargoyle.
The hallway was deserted, eerily quiet.
At the end stood a hunched, one-eyed witch statue, just as the map described. The sculpture looked crude and unremarkable, one eye bulging, back bent unnaturally.
Charlie drew his wand and tapped her hunch.
"Dissendium."
The statue shifted.
Its hump split open, revealing a gaping tunnel entrance.
Peering in, Charlie saw a stone chute angling steeply downward.
Without hesitation, he slid inside.
[His Majesty slips out of the palace in disguise, +5 Tyrant Points.]
The chute was slick. Once inside, he accelerated rapidly.
It was pitch black. All he could hear was the sound of himself sliding along the stone tunnel.
The slide twisted and curved like a giant corkscrew, and after about ten minutes, Charlie saw light ahead.
He shot out the end of the tunnel and landed softly on a pile of cushions.
Probably left by Fred and George, he thought.
He'd arrived at the bottom of a stairwell, the air filled with the scent of candy and wine.
Dusting himself off, Charlie climbed the steps.
At the top was a trapdoor.
He eased it open and climbed through.
Light flooded in.
He was inside a basement, surrounded by crates of sweets and barrels of mead.
A sign hung on the wall:
Honeydukes Sweetshop
Charlie adjusted his robes and headed up the stairs.
Time to explore Hogsmeade.
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