Who could be visiting at this hour?
Morris put down the book he was reading, a faint frown creasing his brow. He had been deep in thought, and the late knock at his door had caught him off guard. Rising from his chair, he walked over and opened it.
"Oh, it's you, Prefect Robert," he said, relaxing slightly.
Standing there was indeed Robert Hilliard, Ravenclaw's Prefect, looking composed as always.
"It's quite late," Morris began. "Is something wrong?"
"Good evening, Morris," Robert said politely. "Two people are outside looking for you—the red-haired twins from Gryffindor, third year."
Morris's eyes widened. "Looking for me? Did they say why?"
The Weasley twins coming to find him… a pang of worry struck Morris. Could something have happened with the Acromantula hatchling?
"I'm not sure," Robert replied. "They found me first, so I came to inform you. They seemed… anxious. It might be best if you check on them immediately. I don't think they're here to cause trouble."
"Thank you for telling me," Morris said.
Robert smiled faintly. "Remember to return before curfew—or I'll be in trouble too. And try not to get involved in any antics like the twins did last year. Gryffindor lost nearly half its points because of them."
Morris chuckled softly. "Noted. I'll keep an eye out for chaos."
He made his way down the spiral staircase to the common room entrance, where two red-haired figures were pacing nervously.
The Weasley twins.
Their movements were synchronized almost perfectly, their anxious expressions mirroring each other. Morris stepped forward to greet them, but even he couldn't tell George and Fred apart at first glance—they seemed carved from the same mold.
"Morris!" one of them called, stepping forward. "The worst has happened!"
"First, tell me which one of you I'm speaking to," Morris said, raising an eyebrow. "Otherwise, we might get nowhere."
"I'm Fred," the other one said, a touch helplessly.
"Very well," Morris nodded, satisfied. "So… what happened? Did the Acromantula escape?"
The twins exchanged a glance, surprised that he guessed so quickly.
"How did you know?" Fred asked.
"A guess," Morris replied with a slight smile. "You two don't seem particularly reliable."
"What!" Fred feigned offense.
George, meanwhile, pulled out the wooden box that had once held the Acromantula. A large, jagged hole marred its side, as if something had torn it open violently.
"We left it in the Charms classroom," George explained, "but it escaped while we were eating. We've searched everywhere, but it's too small and the Castle has far too many hiding places."
Morris raised an eyebrow. "Is it really dangerous? A small spider like that should be harmless, right?"
"Probably," Fred admitted. "But some students… well, they don't handle spiders well."
"Like our younger brother," George added, flashing a mischievous grin.
"Ah, yes," Fred said in mock solemnity, "like our younger brother."
Morris studied the twins as they smirked at each other. "Then why the panic? Surely, if someone sees the spider and captures it, the problem solves itself?"
Fred's expression turned serious. "The problem is if a professor discovers it. Keeping unpermitted dangerous magical creatures—even hatchlings—is a violation of school rules. If it goes badly, it could even violate Ministry laws."
George continued, "If the spider is found, no matter how well we cover it, they can trace it back. And we've already lost a lot trying to hide magical mishaps."
Morris finally understood. The twins weren't worried about the spider itself—they were worried about the consequences of discovery.
"Alright," he sighed. "Our best option is to find it. You said it disappeared near the Charms classroom?"
"Exactly," Fred confirmed. "But we've already searched there once. Maybe we need to widen the area."
"Let's go," Morris said decisively. "We'll start in the teaching areas."
Hogwarts' classrooms were mostly concentrated on the second, third, and fourth floors of the main Castle, with a few scattered in the towers. For a new student, finding them could be confusing, especially at night.
The halls were quiet, with only the soft illumination of magical lamps lighting their path. Even the portraits seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep. The three of them stayed together, wary of Filch, the caretaker, who patrolled unpredictably.
Fred peered into each shadowed corner. "At this hour, most students are in their common rooms. Even if someone sees the spider, it shouldn't cause much chaos."
"The problem," George added, checking behind a suit of armor, "is tomorrow morning. Corridors will be packed. If it pops out and scares a first-year—or worse, bites Snape—we're done for."
"Snape?" Morris asked.
"Our Potions Master," Fred replied with a curl of his lip. "Severus Snape, Slytherin's Dean. Likes to pick on people—you'll find him… unpleasant."
Morris silently filed away the name.
After scouring two classrooms without success, the trio returned to the corridor, frustrated.
"Where on earth did it go?" Fred muttered.
"Ah—!"
A sharp scream echoed from the adjacent corridor, slicing through the night's silence.
The three froze, exchanging startled glances.
"Let's check it out!" Fred called, and without waiting, the twins dashed toward the source of the scream.
Morris followed, his footsteps echoing in the nearly empty halls. The thrill of a late-night hunt mingled with the tension of potential trouble. Somewhere in these shadowed corridors, the Acromantula lurked, and Morris knew it would take all of their wits—and a bit of luck—to catch it before disaster struck.
The air was thick with anticipation, the quiet of Hogwarts at night amplifying every sound—the rustle of robes, the faint scurry of small feet, the whisper of wind through the castle's stone walls. Morris's senses were on high alert, every shadow a potential hiding place.
As they approached the source of the scream, a chill ran down his spine. It wasn't fear exactly—but the eerie realization that the tiny creature, no bigger than a student's head, could bring such chaos.
"Be careful," he muttered under his breath, more to himself than to the twins. But the twins were already scanning every nook and cranny, their expressions a mix of mischief and urgency.
The castle seemed alive with secrets, as if even the walls knew something had gone awry. Every turn of the corridor presented new possibilities—and new dangers.
Finally, they reached a dark corner near a forgotten classroom door. The sound of tiny skittering echoed faintly, too rapid for any ordinary animal. The twins exchanged excited, tense looks.
"It's here," George whispered.
Fred nodded, biting his lip in concentration. "We've got to be careful. One wrong move and…" He let the thought hang, the unspoken consequences chilling the air.
Morris took a deep breath. He had handled creatures before—but never one that could potentially wreak havoc in a school this size. He adjusted his stance, preparing to react, knowing that the next moments could determine whether they captured the Acromantula or became part of a new Hogwarts legend.
The three crept forward, their eyes scanning every shadow, listening for the faint clicks of tiny mandibles. Hogwarts felt larger at night, more mysterious, more dangerous. And somewhere in this labyrinth of stone and magic, the missing spider awaited, oblivious to the panic it had caused.
Then—a sudden movement. The spider darted from a gap between floorboards, faster than any of them anticipated. The chase was on.
Morris's pulse quickened. The twins flanked him, each trying to anticipate the creature's next move. For a small, seemingly harmless spider, its speed and cunning were remarkable.
"Left!" Fred shouted, pointing as the spider skittered toward a classroom entrance.
George lunged, but it slipped past his grasp.
Morris raised his hand, preparing a small spell—not to harm, but to corral it. The shadows of the corridor flickered as the spider's movements became erratic, almost playful, yet unnervingly precise.
"Got it!" Morris exclaimed, as the creature stumbled into a corner they had barricaded. Carefully, George retrieved the wooden box. Fred quickly adjusted the magical wards Morris had set.
The spider, trapped but unharmed, twitched its legs in protest. The trio exchanged triumphant but exhausted glances.
"It's safe," Morris said, wiping sweat from his brow. "But we need a better containment plan next time."
The twins laughed, relief breaking through their anxiety. "Next time," George said, "we just might need to hire a professional."
Fred smirked. "Or a necromancer."
Morris chuckled softly, already imagining the conversations this night would inspire if anyone ever found out. Hogwarts, he realized, was full of surprises. And some of them… were crawling.
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