Everyday Life of a Top Student at Hogwarts

Chapter 278 Systematic Investigation and Monitoring

Chapter 278 Systematic Investigation and Monitoring

Karen once again had a long talk with Nico through the two-way mirror, giving a detailed report on the several unusual magical nodes he had recently discovered.

After Nico stated that "continuous observation is the key to unlocking the secrets of ancient magic, and momentary perception alone is often insufficient," a few days later, a steady barn owl brought Karen a package containing more than twenty exquisitely crafted alchemical monitors.

These monitors, no bigger than a button, have a matte brass casing etched with intricate runes finer than a hair, and a tiny, light-adapting crystal lens at their center. They can record not only the frequency, intensity, and attribute tendencies of magical fluctuations, but also ambient temperature, humidity, and even extremely subtle leyline disturbances. The data is temporarily stored in the internal crystal through a mysterious resonance magic, to be retrieved later. Nico's accompanying letter detailed their use, emphasizing that these were "basic" models, but more than sufficient for initial monitoring within Hogwarts.

Upon receiving the tools over the weekend, Karen immediately got to work. He first revisited the known nodes.

He dived back into the Black Lake Reef area and firmly placed a monitor near the center of the anciently textured rock face, setting it to continuously record any subtle changes in the energy flow.

In the dimly lit corner of the North Tower, he quietly placed another monitor on the back of the unicorn statue's base, instructing it to focus on recording the breathing-like magical fluctuations in the statue's core, as well as any possible external resonances.

He also went to the ancient ash tree on the edge of the Forbidden Forest and installed a third monitor at the node with the remaining serpentine grooves. Although he knew that most of its functions were no longer working, recording the faint remaining fluctuations might help in piecing together the entire network in the future.

After setting up these "eyes," Cullen began the next step of her plan: to conduct a more systematic search of the interior of Hogwarts Castle, looking for other ancient magical artifacts and unusual magical points that might have been overlooked.

On Monday morning, before the sunlight had completely dispelled the chill of the corridor, Karen had already set off with his gear. His backpack was stuffed with parchment, drawing tools, several small alchemy monitors he had obtained from Nico, and a Marauder's Map.

"Today's target is the east wing on the third floor of the castle, those corridors near the kitchen and Hufflepuff lounge," Karen announced his plan to his three roommates in the Eagle's Nest. "According to the map, there are many forks in the road there, and it's not usually crowded, so there might be some overlooked ancient traces."

"Do you need any help?" Fabian asked, closing his herbalism notebook.

"Not today, just initial scanning and marking." Karen shook her head, patting the monitor in her backpack. "These little eyes that Professor Nico sent can help me record stable magic fluctuation data. I need to find a suitable place to put them first. Too many people will attract attention, especially Filch or Peeves."

Wesley yawned: "Okay, call us if you need any hands-on work or errands."

Ernesto raised his hand to indicate: "Be careful, especially in the areas near the kitchen. Don't forget that besides the house-elves, there are supposedly some old, abandoned sewer entrances there that are quite unstable due to years of neglect."

"Understood." Karen nodded and turned to leave the Eagle's Nest.

He first unfolded the Marauder's Map, confirming that Filch and his cat, Lady Lorris, were currently patrolling near the West Tower and wouldn't disturb him for the time being. Then, he took a deep breath, a barely perceptible glint flashing in his eyes, and quietly activated the Eye of Truth; this exploration would require it to be active throughout.

Karen proceeded slowly along the predetermined route, her gaze carefully sweeping over every inch of the wall, every suit of armor, and every tapestry. Most of the traces of magic were unremarkable, either connected to the main network of the castle or long since lost to the passage of time.

He stopped in a narrow corridor adorned with several somber still-life paintings of fruit. The magical atmosphere here seemed somewhat different—not intense, but rather extremely subtle, like a discordant ripple in a stream. He closed and reopened his "Eye of Truth," repeatedly checking, before finally fixing his gaze on a large, seemingly old tapestry.

This tapestry depicts a grand medieval banquet, with wizards and Muggle nobles seated around a long table laden with abundant food and wine. The design itself is unremarkable, and the stitches are even worn in some places. But in the vision of the "Eye of Truth," the tapestry's warp and weft are woven with incredibly fine magical patterns, almost seamlessly integrated with the fabric. The magical feeling emanating from these patterns is quite unique—warm, abundant, and carrying a sense of sharing and contentment—completely different from Slytherin's cold and secretive style, and instead closer to his understanding of Hufflepuff.

"The Hufflepuff mark?" Karen murmured to himself, a thought flashing through his mind. He carefully avoided touching it, instead taking a button-sized alchemical detector from his backpack. He pointed it at the area on the tapestry where the magical patterns were most concentrated and quietly recited the activation incantation Nico had taught him. The crystal on the detector glowed faintly, then faded, adhering firmly to the wall beside the tapestry, blending seamlessly with the stone's color; it was virtually undetectable unless touched.

"Recording mode: Low-frequency magic fluctuations and characteristic analysis, duration seventy-two hours," Karen whispered to the monitor. The monitor vibrated very slightly, indicating that it had received the command.

Having done all this, he took out a parchment and carefully drew the location of the corridor, the style of the tapestry, and described in detail the magical properties he had sensed: "—Suspected to be related to the concepts of 'Hufflepuff Abundance' and 'Sharing,' not defensive, but more like—a blessing or a record? Further observation is needed."

This was just the beginning. For the next few hours, Karen, like a patient archaeologist, meticulously searched the castle's secluded corners. At a bend in an abandoned staircase leading to the cellar, he discovered a dust-covered stone brick carved with a badger motif; its magic was weak but stable, seemingly connected to the underground kitchen area. On a high windowsill, he found a long-dried plant, but its pot was inscribed with ancient runes, runes possessing a subtle purifying effect.

At each discovery site, provided the magical fluctuations were stable enough and worthy of recording, he would install a miniature monitor sent by Nico. These alchemical devices helped him capture subtle changes and long-term trends that were difficult to discern with the naked eye and immediate perception.

At lunchtime, he returned to Eagle's Nest and shared his morning's discoveries with his roommates.

"A Hufflepuff tapestry?" Wesley mumbled, chewing on his bread. "Sounds much friendlier than a Slytherin snake statue; at least it doesn't look like it'll suddenly jump up and bite."

“This confirms one of my suspicions,” Karen said, organizing her notes. “The influence of the four founders wasn’t limited to their house’s common rooms and iconic objects. Their magical philosophies and imprints may have been woven into the structure of the entire castle in a broader and more subtle way. Slytherin preferred concealment and testing, leaving a more secretive and dangerous mark; while Hufflepuff perhaps preferred to leave behind warm and nurturing blessings.”

Ernesto gazed thoughtfully at the sketches drawn by Cullen: "If that's the case, then what are the traces of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw? Courage and adventure? Wisdom and thirst for knowledge? They might be hidden in more unexpected places."

"That's exactly what we're looking for," Karen nodded. "By systematically recording these nodes, we might be able to create a magical map of Hogwarts that differs from the Marauder's Map," and perhaps even discover some castle functions unknown even to the administrators.

In the afternoon, Karen continued his investigation. The process was mostly tedious, requiring immense patience and focus, and maintaining the "Eye of Truth" for extended periods also brought some mental fatigue. But each new discovery was like a piece of a puzzle, making his understanding of this thousand-year-old castle more complete.

As evening fell, he finished his day's investigation and returned to Eagle's Nest with yet another monitoring device filled with data. The afterglow of the setting sun cast a long shadow of him through the corridor windows.

Pushing open the door to the Eagle's Nest, he found Wesley and Fabian locked in a fierce battle at the chessboard, while Ernesto quietly read a book nearby.

"How was the harvest?" Ernesto asked, looking up.

"I've marked two more possible locations. One is in the alcove behind the mirror on the fifth floor, where the magic feels very faint. The other is beside a path leading to the greenhouse, resembling some kind of ancient warning rune, but it's almost ineffective." Karen placed her backpack on the workbench and took out the recovered monitor. "The places we found earlier still need long-term monitoring."

"Sounds like another long puzzle game," Wesley said, moving his piece without looking up.

“But it’s worth it,” Cullen said with certainty. He picked up his tools and began importing the data from the monitor into his analysis equipment. “Every data stream, every frequency of magical fluctuation, is part of Hogwarts’ thousand-year history. We need enough samples to try to decipher and understand their language.”

He sat down, picked up his quill, and began drawing today's update to the "Castle Magic Map" on the new parchment, carefully marking the newly discovered nodes and adding preliminary observation notes. Outside the window, the sky gradually darkened, and only the rustling of the quill across the paper, the soft clatter of chess pieces falling, and the occasional faint ticking of the instruments remained in the Eagle's Nest. A tranquil and focused atmosphere permeated the space, and Cullen was completely immersed in piecing together the hidden face of Hogwarts, forgetting the passage of time.