RNP Chapter 264 Strategy Adjustments and Liver Map
Chapter 264 Strategy Adjustments and Liver Map
Chapter 264 Strategy Adjustments and Liver Map
Inside the Eagle's Nest, Cullen sat alone at her workbench, several sheets of parchment spread out before her. One contained scattered information about Hogwarts history and the legacy of the four great masters, gleaned from her diary; the other was a collection of warnings and analytical conclusions sent between Nico and Castor via their communication quills.
The room was quiet, save for the soft tapping of Karen's fingertips on the table. His gaze darted back and forth between two documents, his grey-blue eyes flashing with a cool, analytical light.
"The risks outweigh the rewards, and it's fraught with uncertainty —" Karen muttered to herself, summarizing the core points of Nico's conclusion.
His early encounters with Tom Riddle, each written exchange, were a mental battle. Although he gained the upper hand by using Occlumency and the intimidation of Fiendfire, acquiring some profound and even taboo knowledge, as Professor Nico and the others said, the uncertainty and risk were too high, and there were too many traps.
Most of that profound magical knowledge is either poison coated in sugar or a carefully laid trap.
Even the few truthful parts are rife with distortion and manipulation, and the consequences of blindly trying them are unimaginable. More importantly, Karen realized that continuing to delve deeper into this kind of knowledge was tantamount to constantly exposing herself to Riddle's forte—darkness and seduction. As contact deepened, the other party's methods would inevitably become more covert and cunning, and a single misstep could lead to utter ruin.
"Changing direction was the right thing to do," Karen affirmed his earlier thoughts. Inquiring about the castle's history, the legacy of the four great powers, and ancient magical legends—while these things could also be misled and distorted—was far less dangerous than directly demanding power. Moreover, compared to those profound magical knowledge, the castle's facilities were things he could explore right now, and some things that Riddle considered useless might reveal another side of themselves under his talent.
His finger touched the parchment that recorded fragments of history.
"The castle's original heart chamber—related to the flow of magic—house-elf magic—"
"Slytherin's Ritual Node - Near Water Source, Underground - Parseltongue Activation - S" and the Serpent Mark -
"The possible magical tendencies of the relics of the four great figures—"
This information is fragmented and its veracity is difficult to ascertain, but it at least provides a direction—a direction for exploring the hidden secrets of Hogwarts, this thousand-year-old castle. And these secrets may themselves contain power and knowledge no less than that of dark magic, and are even more—"safe."
However, to verify and explore this information, aimless searching by himself would be inefficient. Hogwarts Castle was too vast, filled with countless unknown corners and magically hidden spaces. He needed a "map," a map that could reveal most of the castle's layout.
Almost immediately, he thought of the precious Marauder's Map that Fred and George had.
The magical artifact crafted by the four raiders could display the real-time locations of almost everyone and ghosts within the castle, and marked numerous secret passages. With its assistance, Cullen's efficiency in exploring the castle would leap forward dramatically, although the map might not mark those hidden chambers. However, he could use the clues from the diary to selectively explore the entrances to potential "Slytherin nodes" or "initial chambers."
Moreover, the Marauder's Map itself is an extremely ingenious alchemical creation. Its working principles, especially its large-scale tracking, marking, and real-time display capabilities, greatly intrigued Karen. His communication quill currently only enables point-to-point communication; however, a thorough understanding of the Marauder's Map's technology could provide significant inspiration for his communication network concepts and even other alchemical projects.
"We must get our hands on the Marauder's Map, at least temporarily for research," Karen resolved.
Another thought surfaced. The information gleaned from the diary, particularly the parts about Slytherin, especially those requiring Parseltongue for activation, might seem more "real," since Riddle himself was a Parseltongue, one of his core secrets and sources of pride. However, Parseltongue is a rare innate bloodline ability that Cullen does not possess.
"Is it possible—to learn or simulate Parseltongue in some way? Like Dumbledore?" Karen pondered. Did the wizarding world possess magical books that recorded Parseltongue pronunciation? Or some alchemical artifact that could simulate the specific frequencies of Parseltongue? Perhaps—the fragment of Riddle's soul in the diary itself might be a "Parseltongue speaker." Karen wasn't sure if the diary could currently speak Parseltongue; after all, in the original work, it was only after establishing a close connection with Ginny that it could do so. She wondered if the current diary could.
"Perhaps—after obtaining the Marauder's Map and finding some locations that resemble Slytherin nodes, we can cautiously inquire about more basic information from the journal regarding Parseltongue, such as its magical resonance frequency, rather than directly demanding to learn it." Cullen was known for her planning. "However, Parseltongue should indeed be a magical talent. For snakes, it's not just simple communication; it should also carry a commanding quality. This kind of prophecy should possess magical power."
Of course, these are all just hypothetical scenarios; we'll discuss the rest later. Right now, the priority is to obtain the Marauder's Map.
Karen carefully put away the parchment on the table, especially Nico's warning analysis, which he kept separately and cast a few simple protective spells on.
He walked to the window, gazing at the pitch-black night and the indistinct outline of the Forbidden Forest in the distance. Hogwarts held too many secrets: the legacy of the four great masters, whether there were other remnants in Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets, the nodes Riddle mentioned, and even other unknown entities—and he, Karen Hawthorne, possessing the Eye of Truth and magical knowledge beyond the ordinary, was perhaps the best candidate to uncover these secrets.
"Let's start with Marauder's Map," he said to himself.
The following afternoon, Karen found Fred and George by the window in the library. They weren't reading; instead, they were huddled together on a piece of parchment, heads touching each other, chuckling softly and pointing at it with their fingers, their focused expressions suggesting they were planning their next prank.
Karen, carrying several rolls of maps she had drawn of the Forbidden Forest's outskirts, walked over with just the right amount of curiosity on her face.
"Good afternoon, Fred, George," he greeted.
The twins looked up at the same time, saw it was Karen, and immediately their faces lit up with bright smiles.
"Oh, it's Karen!" Fred responded enthusiastically, casually tucking the parchment on the table under his books.
"Ravenclaw's alchemical genius! Why haven't you been studying alchemy lately? Or do you have some prank idea that we need again?" another chimed in, moving a few books off the table to make room for Cullen.
"I'm researching the distribution of some magical plants in the Forbidden Forest and need to look up some information." Karen waved the map scroll in her hand and sat down in the empty seat next to them. "But judging from how engrossed you were in your research, are you planning your next grand scheme to get Filch to tap dance?"
The twins exchanged a glance and chuckled.
"Perhaps even more wonderful than that, dear Karen."
"But the details will remain a secret for now; the surprise needs to be brewing." Fred winked.
"I understand. Maintaining mystery is the essence of pranks." Karen smiled and spread part of the Forbidden Forest map on the table. "Let's get down to business. Actually, I came here to ask you for a favor, or more accurately, to make a deal."
"A deal?" George's interest was piqued, and he leaned forward. "With your quill pens that dance on their own?"
We heard you've come up with some interesting little things in Ravenclaw.
“It’s not just a quill.” Karen pointed to the spread-out map. “I recently summarized my previous explorations of the Forbidden Forest’s outskirts and drew this map. It marks the habitats of some magical creatures, the growing areas of some plants, relatively safe paths, and—well, the directions that are best avoided if there are signs of giant spider activity.”
The twins' eyes lit up immediately. The Forbidden Forest was like a vast, unknown adventure and treasure trove to them, and a detailed map would be priceless.
"Merlin's beard! That's some good stuff!" Fred exclaimed in a low voice.
"Are you sure the information on this is accurate? The range of the Octopod Spider's activity?" George asked more cautiously, pointing to a mark on the map.
"At least it was accurate when I surveyed it," Karen said confidently. "I used some minor magic for marking and detection, so the error shouldn't be too great. Of course, the Forbidden Forest is alive, and the range of its creatures changes, so the map's validity can't be guaranteed forever."
"This is already amazing!" Fred rubbed his hands together. "So, what do you want to trade this for? Besides all sorts of creative ideas that would make even Peeves admit defeat, I'm afraid nothing here can compare to the value of this map."
Karen paused for a moment, feigning hesitation, before saying, "Remember after that prank in Quirrell last semester, when you said you'd exchange information about Hogwarts Castle? I'm quite interested in Hogwarts Castle itself. I know you probably know more about it than most ghosts." He gave a perfectly timed look of admiration. "I've heard you know many secret passages that even the caretaker doesn't know about? I've always wanted to draw a more complete map of the castle, but some places—are just too difficult to explore."
The twins' faces immediately lit up with proud and sly smiles, clearly pleased with Karen's compliment.
"Oh, you know, sometimes you need a special way to visit the kitchen, or to avoid some unnecessary trouble," George said vaguely, but with a hint of smugness in his voice.
"I do know a few of them," Fred said, feigning modesty, but the upturned corners of his mouth betrayed him. "The result of years of research."
“I was thinking,” Karen casually suggested, as if it were a casual conversation, “that since you need a map of the Forbidden Forest, and I’m curious about the castle’s secret passages—could we make a trade? I’ll give you a copy of this map of the Forbidden Forest, and in return—could you share with me what you know about the castle’s secret passages? Or perhaps even a diagram you’ve drawn yourself?”
Fred and George exchanged a glance. George grinned and pulled the parchment that had been stuffed in from under the book. To Karen, it was still a blank parchment, but Karen already understood that this was probably the Marauder's Map.
"The diagram—" Fred drawled, with a hint of suspense, "to be honest, we do have something—something better than the diagram."
“But this thing is a bit special,” George continued, tapping lightly on the blank parchment with his finger. “It’s more than just a map.”
Karen feigned curiosity at just the right moment: "Better than a map? What is it?"
The twins seemed to be spurred on by Karen's reaction, and they looked at each other again, this time with a knowing "tell him" in their eyes. Fred grinned, drew his wand, and tapped it lightly on the parchment, whispering in a clear tone, but with a mischievous glee, "I solemnly swear I did nothing wrong."
The next moment, delicate lines of ink, like a spiderweb, spread from where the wand tip touched the parchment, quickly covering it. At the top appeared large, green, cursive letters:
The magical pranksters and their suppliers, Mr. Moonface, Mr. Wormtail, Mr. Bigfoot, and Mr. Fork, proudly present the Marauder's Map. Following this, a detailed floor plan of Hogwarts Castle and its various locations appears, with countless tiny ink dots moving across it, each labeled with a name.
Karen's eyes widened instantly. This time, his shock and amazement were completely genuine—even though he already knew about it, witnessing the unfolding of this legendary map was still breathtaking. "Merlin—this is incredible!" He gasped, his voice filled with excitement, half-joking, half-serious. "This is—real-time display of everyone's location? Every single one? How is this possible? How did they do it?"
Seeing Karen's reaction, the twins seemed even more smug and happy.
"That's right!" Fred exclaimed excitedly, pointing to the moving dot on the map. "Look, that's old Filch, wandering around on the third floor—oh, and Peeves is in the room right above him!"
"This is one of our most precious treasures," George said with a tone of nostalgia and pride, "a treasure we found by chance, a legacy from our ancestors. It helped us through countless crises," as he explored every corner of the castle.
Karen stared fascinated at the flowing details on the map, her gaze following the familiar names, her inner surprise no less than what she outwardly displayed.
He looked up and continued as he had planned, his tone becoming more urgent: "Fred, George, this is amazing! I—I don't know what to say. I only wanted to exchange some information about the secret passages, but I never expected—" He paused, seemingly considering his words, "Listen, I know this is presumptuous, but this map—the magical principles behind it fascinate me. I can't even imagine owning it, but—I wonder if I could exchange it for—even just temporarily borrowing it for research? I'll offer all my Forbidden Forest maps, plus some gadgets I've invented, or Galleons—anything you want, if I have it! I really want to study it, to see if I can understand or even—reproduce something similar."
Karen spoke quickly, sounding sincere and eager. He was about to elaborate on the price he was willing to pay, including communication quills, alarm gyroscopes, sound filters, and so on.
But before he could finish speaking, the twins burst into laughter. Fred slapped Karen on the shoulder so hard he almost stumbled.
"Oh, come on, Karen!" Fred said readily, exchanging a knowing look with George.
“What’s with all this talk about exchanging it!” George interjected, a genuine and warm smile on his face. “We’re friends, aren’t we? And to be honest, this map is—well, still very useful—but we’ve practically memorized all the main secret passages in the castle.”
Fred picked up the Marauder's Map, which was now displaying brilliant details, rolled it up casually, and shoved it directly into Karen's hand: "Here, this is for you!"
This action completely caught Karen off guard. He held the roll of parchment, stunned: "Wh-what?"
"Give it to me? No way! It's too precious! I can't accept it!"
He was genuinely shocked and felt a pang of guilt. He hadn't expected the twins to be so generous and trusting of him.
George shrugged, his tone relaxed. "Take it, really. We'll mostly keep it to see where Filch is, or to find out who Lockhart's bragging to. If you can figure something out of it, or even build another one, that would be really cool!"
"Exactly!" Fred added excitedly. "Imagine if we had two! Or you could add some new features to it? That would be much more useful than letting it gather dust here!"
Karen looked at the map in his hand, which was only one piece but surprisingly heavy, and then at the two faces in front of him, beaming with bright smiles and full of trust. His heart was filled with a warm feeling of gratitude. He had come with a bit of calculation, but he had received a friendship and generosity that far exceeded his expectations.
He took a deep breath and shook his head firmly. "No, Fred, George. Thank you, really, thank you for your trust. But this gift is too precious; I can't just take away your most important exploration tool like this." His tone was resolute. "How about this, if you'd like, how about lending it to me? I'll only borrow it to study for a while. Once I understand its principles as much as possible, or try to replicate it, I'll definitely return it intact. In the meantime, you can take it back whenever you need it. And—"
Karen paused for a moment, then took out a few small items from her seamless stretch bag—an auto-correcting quill pen, a copper alarm peephole, a pair of sound-filtering earplugs, and a pair of pre-matched, cool-looking communication quill pens.
"Please accept these," he said sincerely. "This is not an exchange, but a token of gratitude. Thank you for your trust and generosity. This communication pen will allow you to contact me anytime to retrieve the map, and these little gadgets—I hope you will find them useful."
The twins' eyes lit up as they looked at the exquisite alchemical items Karen was pushing towards them, but they hesitated.
"But Karen, we agreed it was a gift for you—" Fred scratched his head.
"And these things look amazing!" George picked up the communicator pen, admiring it.
"Then consider it a gift exchange between friends, but the map is a loan, not an exchange," Karen said with a smile, her tone leaving no room for refusal. "It's settled then, okay? And I promise that I will share any interesting discoveries about the castle or this map during the research process with you as soon as possible. You are the living maps of Hogwarts; without your practical knowledge, my theoretical research would be meaningless."
These words were beautifully and considerately spoken, both protecting the twins' pride and affirming their value.
The twins looked at each other again, and finally both laughed, accepting the plan.
"Alright, alright, you stubborn Ravenclaw!" Fred laughed and shook his head. "It's settled then. You can take the map and study it for as long as you want! Anyway, we know how to find you!"
"That's right!" George fiddled with his communicator. "And we're really looking forward to your interesting discoveries!"
The deal was struck in a more humane way than Karen had originally hoped, and Karen got the indefinite right to use the Marauder's Map as she wished.
After chatting for a few more minutes about the precautions for using the map and the functions of the new toy, the twins left the library satisfied with their new gifts, eager to test them out.
Karen remained alone at the table, her fingers gently stroking the magical Marauder's Map, the ink dots still moving on it, telling countless stories that were unfolding in the castle at that moment.
His lips curled up slightly, a complex emotion that blended gratitude, excitement, and anticipation.
The key to exploration has arrived in a way that is far better than expected.