0173 The Shrieking Shack

Friday was a very important day for the residents of Hogsmeade, especially the first Friday of the new term. 

Because tomorrow, it was the first weekend after the summer vacation, the senior students who had saved up their pocket money during the holidays would flock to the magical village as soon as the castle gate opened, eager to enjoy its delights. The villagers were ready to make them spend every last knut in their wallets, and they had prepared various goods and services to attract the young customers. 

Bryan, who had stayed indoors all morning, could hear the bustle on the main road a few dozen feet away, where the shopkeepers and vendors were busy setting up their stalls and displays. 

Madam Rosmerta, the landlady of the Three Broomsticks pub, was busy filling the wine cellar that had almost been emptied by Hagrid. The owners of the Honeydukes candy shop, Ambrosius Flume and his wife, were changing the billboard of their products, adding some new flavors and discounts to entice the sweet-toothed students. Mr. Bance, who had lost to Bryan in a game of chess, sat on a carriage passing through the street, transporting the latest magic items from his family's alchemy workshop, such as potions, fireworks, and prank gadgets. 

The whole village was bathed in a joyful and prosperous atmosphere, and even the tedious work of repairing the house made Bryan do it with enthusiasm. 

The previous owner of the house was the supplier of food for the Hogwarts kitchen, and before he left, he gave Bryan some of the food stored in the cellar, which saved him a lot of trouble. The house was spacious and cozy, but it needed some renovation and decoration to suit Bryan's taste. 

When Bryan fixed the last piece of broken glass on the window, he turned around and saw the Shrieking Shack, standing on the hillside, looming in his sight. Bryan, who was covered in dust, thought for a moment and decided to take advantage of the momentum and tidy up his reserved research base. 

The breeze in the late summer and autumn was no longer as hot as during the summer vacation, and Bryan, who felt like he was on a picnic, climbed up the green grassy hillside with a relaxed mood. The wind that brought the fresh smell of grass and earth refreshed him, who was slightly tired. He enjoyed the view of the village and the surrounding landscape, which was a mixture of natural beauty and magical charm. 

The Shrieking Shack, according to the rumors, was the most haunted house in both magical and non-magical Britain. It was built higher than the other houses in the village, and because of those distorted legends, this dilapidated house looked a bit creepy even in the daytime. The windows on all sides of the house that only had frames left were all sealed with wooden boards, and the small garden surrounded by fences was almost the same as the Potters' old house, with weeds and nettles growing. The paint on the walls was peeling off, and the roof was covered with moss and bird droppings. The door was hanging from one hinge, and the sign that read "Shrieking Shack" was barely legible. 

Except for some curious young wizards, the local residents hardly ever came here. 

Bryan circled around the house and found no footprints of anyone. He was glad that his secret base was safe, and that no one would bother him when he was working on his experiments. 

The house was isolated on the highest hill nearby, with a wide view. Except for the village on the south side, the northwest direction until the end of the horizon, were all endless mountains that had lost their vegetation cover, and ten miles away in the northeast direction, was a vast, dark Forbidden Forest, where many dangerous creatures lurked.

Bryan nodded his head in satisfaction. In this kind of open terrain, it was not easy to hide, and any wizard who tried to approach would not escape his eyes. He had also cast some protective spells and wards around the house, to prevent any unwanted visitors or intruders. 

When he was studying at Hogwarts, Bryan had heard many times the horror stories of the Shrieking Shack. It was said that sometimes on every full moon night, the house would emit a terrible scream of a female ghost and a whisper of a male ghost, but Bryan was not one of those troublemakers from Gryffindor, who liked to sneak out of the castle and explore the forbidden places. 

Out of respect for those horror stories, Bryan still took out his wand, removed the door panel, and waited until the dust settled before putting on the Bubble-Head Charm and walking in slowly. He did not want to inhale any harmful substances or particles that might be in the air, and he also wanted to be prepared for any possible dangers or surprises that might await him inside the house. 

The situation inside the house was almost as Bryan had expected. The room was messy and gray, and most of the wallpaper on the walls had fallen off. All the furniture and furnishings seemed to have been badly tossed by someone. There were scratches and bite marks on the floor and the walls, and some blood stains that had dried up long ago.

Bryan focused his eyes on the wooden floor that was still intact, and his eyebrows raised slightly in curiosity. 

The floor covered with a thick layer of dust was imprinted with a lot of messy footprints, and it seemed that there were quite a few rats living here, making this place their home. 

After thinking about it, Bryan squatted down and lifted a broken board to observe the situation under the floor, hoping to find something useful or interesting. 

"Oh, my God!" 

He exclaimed in surprise and disgust, as soon as the floor was lifted, a dozen frightened rats made a terrified squeak and ran around crazily, trying to escape from the sudden intruder. Those gnarls that were corroding the foundation of the house also wriggled their bodies and fled desperately, their eyes full of fear and hostility staring warily at Bryan. 

Bryan waved the wand swiftly, and the invisible wave swept through the air, and those fleeing rats were locked by Bryan in a wooden cage that he had changed from a lamp holder. In the case of tight funds, these rats were very good experimental materials, and Bryan was not going to let them go easily. 

Afraid of having the same fate as the rats, the gnarls fled even more frantically, and Bryan was a bit annoyed by these little creatures that looked like large chunks of fungus and smelled of stench. They were not only ugly and smelly, but also destructive and invasive. 

He knew that there was a Scouring Charm that could effectively deal with the gnarls, but this was only limited to the case where their number was limited, and from the small space exposed by the lifted floor, it was estimated that the dark places of this house were already full of gnarls, and Bryan was afraid that a spell would bring down the whole house, which was already in a bad shape. 

After thinking for a moment, Bryan still decided to coexist peacefully with these little guys, since this house had persisted for so many years, there was no reason why it couldn't hold on when he moved in. He could always find a way to get rid of them later, if they became too troublesome. 

"A great project–" 

Bryan muttered to himself sarcastically, as he looked around the dilapidated house, wondering how much time and effort it would take to make it livable. 

The wine rack that separated the living room and the kitchen had collapsed, and the claw marks and tooth marks left on the broken boards seemed to be left by a canine animal, and Bryan guessed that it might be the work of a stray dog or a wild wolf nearby, who had wandered into the house in search of food or shelter. 

After throwing a spider as big as a teapot into the wooden cage, Bryan took back his eyes and continued to walk into the house, ignoring the animal traces. 

The only bedroom on the first floor was blocked by a few rotten wooden boards, and the room was full of furniture debris, and the gorgeous chandelier on the ceiling had also fallen down. Bryan stood at the door and glanced a few times, noticing a big hole in the floor at the innermost part, which was probably the work of the gnarls, who had gnawed through the wood and the stone. 

The situation of the whole room was roughly like this, and Bryan, who returned to the living room, glanced at the staircase that was about to collapse, leading to the second floor, and had no interest in going upstairs to check. He doubted that there was anything worth seeing there, and he did not want to risk his life for nothing. 

Bryan's requirements for the environment of the research site were not high, as long as no one disturbed him, and there was a test bench and a chair. He did not care much about the aesthetics or the comfort of the place, as long as it was functional and practical. 

Snap! 

The crisp sound of the fingers fell, and a whirlwind appeared out of thin air, sweeping up the fallen wine rack, and in a flash of rapid rotation, a wooden chair with a backrest appeared in front of Bryan, and, following Bryan's footsteps with a tap dance-like step, walked into the kitchen behind him, as if it had a life of its own. 

Unexpectedly, the monster-like dripping mouth in the kitchen could still spray out brownish-yellow dirty water, and Bryan let the cold water columns wash the stone basin that was entangled with cobwebs, and his eyes fell on the only furniture in the room that was probably intact–the kitchen counter. It was a sturdy wooden table with several drawers and cabinets, and it looked like it could serve as a decent test bench for Bryan. 

"Oh, a boggart" 

Bryan squatted down and glanced through the gap of the sliding door, and muttered to himself. He recognized the magical creature that was hiding in the cabinet, waiting for someone to open it and reveal their deepest fear. 

Bryan was not afraid of boggarts, he had faced them before and knew how to deal with them. He backed up two steps, gently flicked his wand, and the sliding door with rusty wheels opened with a series of harsh squeaks, and a black shadow rushed out of the compartment filled with moldy dishes, but before the boggart could show off its power, Bryan waved his wand again, without hesitation. 

Bang! 

In the sound of a balloon bursting, the unlucky boggart was blown to pieces by Bryan, who did not even bother to use the 'Riddikulus' spell. He did not want to waste time on this annoying creature, and he did not care what form it would take. He just wanted to get rid of it as soon as possible. 

"So–" 

His eyes wandered, and after confirming that there were no other living things in the kitchen and the hall, Bryan shook his neck and rolled up his sleeves, ready to start his work. He had a lot of things to do, and he did not want to be disturbed by anyone or anything. 

"House-elf–Bryan Watson is online!"

The night was not deep yet, and the bright Gryffindor common room was still noisy, full of laughter and chatter. Wizard chess, gobstones, Weasley twin's joke products, Quidditch, Professor Lupin and Professor Watson, and Sirius Black, who had escaped from the Ministry of Magic again, and, at lunchtime, the matter that Dumbledore and the professors discussed secretly, these topics were everywhere among the little wizards of Gryffindor, who were eager to share their opinions and gossip. 

"You mean–" 

Under the gorgeous chandelier near the fireplace, Hermione, who had not had time to unload the pile of thick books on her back, had a serious look on her pretty face, as she listened to Ron's words. 

"Malfoy's parents were threatened by the dark wizards?" 

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