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As the snow began to fall, the temperature took a nosedive.
Adam was venting about how the school didn't seem to have any heating outside of the Great Hall, the dorms, and the classrooms. Every time he stepped out of the common room, he'd start shivering uncontrollably.
Rock scooped himself a bowl of stew. In the dead of winter, hearty food like this was the best way to stay warm.
"Be grateful," Theo said lazily. "My dad told me back in their day, they didn't even have basic fireplaces in the classrooms. At least we have that now. We don't have to freeze while we learn."
Ever since the first snow, Theo had turned into a hibernating cat. Everywhere he went, he looked ready to nap.
At first, Rock and Adam thought he was sick, but Theo claimed it was his strategy for conserving energy against the cold.
Sitting across from them, Michael looked left and right before leaning in close. "Have you guys noticed?"
"Noticed what?" Theo sat up straight instantly, shedding his lethargy.
"I heard Professor Quirrell got bitten by a vampire hiding in his turban!" Michael whispered, acting like he'd stumbled onto a terrifying secret.
Adam shuddered and stared at Michael. "For real?"
Terry spread his hands helplessly. "It's fake. But the smell of garlic coming from his turban is definitely getting stronger."
"Heh, speaking of which," Theo said, "have you noticed his stutter is getting worse lately? And he keeps zoning out?"
"That's exactly why it's such a headache," Michael groaned. "I'm worried about how we're supposed to handle the Defense Against the Dark Arts final exam."
"Exactly. Before, using Rock's method, we could at least pick up some information," Terry said, sounding defeated. "But lately, his lectures are completely incoherent. nothing connects."
"Attending his class feels like trying to solve a riddle," Adam summarized.
The group nodded in agreement.
Rock ate his stew slowly, internally noting that the modified Lingering Whispers spell was working effectively.
He recalled Grimold's description in the book: The spell was a success, yet also a failure.
It was a success because when he cast it on himself, he spent seven months in a fog, hearing constant whispers in his ear. It was a failure because he couldn't find a practical use for it on a normal person.
It just so happened that Quirrell's current state made him the perfect target for it.
"Hey there, my studious little eagles~"
Fred's voice chimed in from behind them. Rock turned around.
Fred and George were both wearing simple cloth pouches. Seeing that they had everyone's attention, Fred held up an object. "Anyone need one of these? The Quirrell-Proof Anti-Distraction Earplug."
"What's that for?" Adam looked confused, assuming the Weasley twins had invented something weird again.
"Hey! The name says it all. It blocks out the unknown soundwaves caused by stuttering and zoning out~" George waggled his eyebrows.
The group looked at each other. Theo stood up, took the object from Fred, and examined it closely for a while before giving the twins a flat look. "Upperclassmen... aren't these just balls of wax?"
Fred wasn't having it. "We got this 'idea' straight from the ghost of Ravenclaw Tower."
"Impossible. The Grey Lady almost never speaks to us," Michael countered.
"That's why we said we heard it. Doesn't the Grey Lady often talk to herself?" George said.
Rock swallowed his last bite of food and finally spoke. "How many have you sold?"
He remembered that in the original timeline, during the Chamber of Secrets incident, the twins had sold all sorts of weird amulets, and students actually bought them.
"We are proud to announce we've sold thirty pairs," Fred smirked.
"No way!" Theo was in disbelief. He couldn't believe people actually fell for this. "That is so low-tech. I could make something way better than a plain wax ball."
"Oh? Our little junior has some ideas?" Fred draped an arm around Theo's shoulder, lowering his voice. "How about we partner up?"
"Sure!" Theo paused for a second, then, as if realizing how fun that could be, nodded in agreement.
"What are we waiting for? Let's go." Fred and George practically kidnapped Theo and marched him away.
Adam, Michael, and the others looked at each other blankly. Did Theo just agree to research gag products with the Weasley twins?
"Rock, aren't you going to stop them?"
Michael called out to Rock, "Theo's going to get scammed."
Before he could finish, Rock and Adam both started laughing.
Michael and Terry looked confused. Rock waved his spoon at them. "Do you really think someone as sharp as Theo would get scammed?"
"You... have a point."
Michael thought about it. Usually, when they were chatting, Theo was the one messing with people, never the other way around.
"Besides, don't worry. The Weasley twins aren't bad guys. Whether their stuff is a gimmick or not, it usually has some effect."
Take the earplugs—they would technically work against Quirrell's rambling simply by blocking out sound.
Hearing Rock's casual response, Adam and Michael looked conflicted. It made sense, but... were the students who bought those things just planning to tune out the rest of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classes entirely?
Rock wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, stood up, and grabbed his backpack. "I'm heading to the library. You guys coming?"
"Yeah, I actually have a question for you," Adam said, following immediately. Michael and Terry stuffed the last of their food into their mouths and hurried after them.
In the library, the group pored over their books. Rock occasionally answered questions from Adam, Michael, and Terry. Madam Pince walked by every so often, eyeing them suspiciously.
Her eyes were glaring daggers, warning them that if they made a single noise, she'd throw them out.
"Maybe we should check the books out and go back to the study room?" Adam whispered to Rock after Madam Pince did another flyby.
Rock looked up, checked the time, and nodded. "Sounds good."
Just as they finished packing up and were about to leave, Padma came running over in a panic.
"Thank god. I couldn't find you in the study room, I had to ask so many people."
She was still catching her breath, talking a mile a minute. Seeing Madam Pince approaching with a stormy expression, Rock quickly signaled the others to grab Padma and get out of there.