Hogwarts: Don't call me the Staff Maker

Chapter 800 Christmas

For the students of Hogwarts, this Christmas was more desolate than ever before. Despite the approaching holiday, the castle was devoid of any festive atmosphere.

As usual, the professors decorated the castle with icicles and snowflakes that would never melt. Professor McGonagall even turned the twelve goblets in the Great Hall into a towering Christmas tree.

Although the decorations remained the same, everyone knew this wasn't the Christmas they knew—like those fake Christmas trees, which used to be real.

Hagrid would carefully select two of the finest Christmas trees from the Forbidden Forest and move them intact into the hall. By the time of the Christmas dinner, these trees would be adorned with all sorts of small gifts.

But now Hogwarts is shrouded in the shadow of the Death Eaters, and Hagrid is forced to flee the school because he is wanted, and no one knows where he is hiding.

That morning, a notice that suddenly appeared on the bulletin board made the already gloomy atmosphere even more oppressive.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Hogwarts Express will be temporarily cancelled for the Christmas holidays this year. All students intending to return home for the holidays will need the permission of Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor Alecto Carroll to leave Hogwarts.

After reading the announcement, Ginny couldn't help but let out a cold laugh.

"Why can't you leave school with Carol's permission? Why didn't she just say that only Slytherins can go home for Christmas?"

"Keep your voice down, Ginny." Neville quickly tugged at her sleeve from behind, glancing back warily at the same time.

Fortunately, there were no Slytherins around.

He patted Ginny's arm again, and together with several Gryffindors, they quickly left the bulletin board.

After walking to an empty classroom on the third floor and making sure no one was following him, Neville pushed open the door and went inside.

Inside the classroom, Fred and George were discussing something with several Gryffindor students. On the wall was a painting of a bald man watching the hallway outside the classroom warily.

As soon as Ginny and Neville approached, he immediately started making a series of clanging and banging noises.

"Ginny—" Fred stood up when he saw someone come in. "You look terrible, like you just ate a whole bunch of cockroaches."

"Tell me, what new ideas does that old witch have this time?"

"She won't let us go home for Christmas!" Ginny said angrily, then told them what the notice said.

"We knew it," George said. "Now that the Death Eaters have surrounded Hogwarts, they won't let you leave so easily."

"Yeah, what if you guys don't come back?" Fred chuckled. "If Hogwarts closes down because there aren't enough students, their plans will be useless, won't they?"

"Speaking of which—Sirlen, have you found those Death Eaters?" George asked.

Siren, who was talking to the house-elf Gollum, looked up.

"Aberforth said a couple of days ago that there is a group of Death Eaters south of Hogsmeade, about thirty of them."

"A group of Death Eaters, about twenty in number, has been discovered near the Forbidden Forest north of Honey Duke's owner."

"Pattel Delaney of the Literary House said that the Hogwarts Express was also targeted, with about thirty of them. Some of them occupied the train, while others hid near Hogsmeade Station."

"That's not right." Fred did a quick calculation, then frowned and asked, "There are only eighty Death Eaters. Weren't there supposed to be over a hundred?"

"The rest should be hidden in the mountains behind the school," Celen said. "It's inconvenient for the shop owners to go there, and Tonks took over the job a few days ago."

"Tonks—she's really suited for this kind of infiltration mission," Fred said.

He had worked with Tonks on several missions before and knew her capabilities well.

To put it another way, Disguise Magus is practically a rogue spell. Tonks can perfectly transform himself into anyone and ignore any revealing spells. He could even bathe under the real waterfall in Gringotts without being exposed.

Fortunately, they were on the same side; otherwise, Fred felt he would never easily trust anyone around him. Of course, George was an exception; they didn't need to rely on appearances to determine each other's identities.

"What do you plan to do next?" George asked, walking over. "Take care of them?"

"What else?" Siron said. "Those Death Eaters want to surround Hogwarts, so we won't get any help when the final battle comes."

"I'll go help then," Fred said.

"I'll go too."

"And me too."

Ginny and Neville quickly raised their hands, indicating that they could also help.

"We'll see," Siron glanced at them. "We'll have to wait for Professor McGonagall and Mad-Eye's plan."

"Also, Fred, Gollum just said that house-elves refuse to mix your quick-acting truancy candy into their food, and no house-elves would do that."

"That's such a shame," Fred said, looking disappointed.

He had originally wanted the house-elves to mix vomit candy into the dinner for the Slytherins, so they could have an unforgettable Christmas.

"Forget it. No house-elf in Hogwarts' kitchen would agree to such a request," Siron said. "Besides, not all Slytherins are loyal to the Death Eaters."

"Aha—" George let out an exaggerated laugh, "It sounds like we've found a genius with an extraordinary IQ in Hufflepuff."

"Cedric?"

"Uh—there's only one." George blinked.

"At least not all of them."

"Okay, even if what you said makes sense."

Suddenly, a passage appeared in the classroom wall, and several people climbed out, carrying out a large box. The one leading them was none other than Cedric, whom they had just mentioned.

"Oh, you're finally back!"

Fred and George stopped worrying about the prank on Slytherin and quickly ran over to open the box.

It was filled with a special plant whose leaves resembled a mouth, and inside were sharp teeth.

"Fang grass, a key ingredient in pain powder!" Fred's eyes lit up. "I can't believe Aberforth could actually get his hands on such a valuable resource!"

"He told me to tell you that you better actually be useful," Cedric said. "Aberforth also said that if you're just doing this for fun, he'll kick your asses hard with his shoes."

"Don't worry about that."

"9

"He doesn't have that chance."

Fred and George were very confident. After saying that, they dragged their suitcases and went into the passage in the wall.

They later learned that the secret passage leading to the castle from the Room of Requirement wasn't fixed; the exit changed daily. One day it was in the Gryffindor common room, and the next it was in a corridor near the library.

Today's exit is this empty classroom. They found it to be in a secluded location, so they tidied it up a bit and prepared to use it as a temporary base.

But now, they have more important things to do.

Pain spray, one of the Weasleys' latest inventions, the Death Eaters should love it.