Magical Studies at Hogwarts...

Chapter 115 Halloween Laws

"...For some well-known reasons, we are going through a rather difficult time..."

"...However, everyone need not worry. Thanks to friendly communication with the Ministry of Magic, those uninvited guests will not affect us."

"Furthermore, I think having these guys around will add an extra touch of magic to our Halloween dinner..."

Dumbledore was giving a speech on stage, but to be honest, not many people were paying attention to it; the food in front of them was just too delicious.

The house-elves' culinary skills were impeccable; no matter how dark the appearance, the food tasted exceptionally delicious. They didn't disappoint Ike either; one dish that looked like a skull was actually a mixture of lamb, beef, and chicken.

One bite offers three flavors, triple the pleasure!

Dumbledore didn't speak for long. After a magical firework exploded on the ceiling, illuminating all the pumpkin lanterns, the Halloween dinner officially began, and the Great Hall was immediately filled with the laughter of the young wizards.

The skeleton dance troupe began their lively dance, accompanied by the "crackling" sound of bones grinding together, but without a hint of terror. Enchanted instruments played on their own; this was Professor Flitwick's job, and even during meals he would occasionally wave his wand to change the tune.

At the end of the banquet, Ike finally saw the show that the ghosts had carefully prepared. They lined up in neat rows, crawled out from the walls and tables, and each performed their own show.

Of course, the most worthwhile to see are the Gryffindor ghosts; only they are somewhat interesting. Barrow the Blood is clearly in a daze, his face blank, screaming "Keep Out!" Lady Grey of Ravenclaw, though you can tell she's smiling, isn't exactly a lively ghost; she seems to perfunctorily follow the other ghosts throughout the entire journey.

Overall, it was pretty good and didn't disappoint.

After the dinner, the young wizards chatted and laughed as they walked back to their dormitories. Although they would be back to their studies the next day, at least for this moment, they were all happy.

After climbing the stairs, the flow of people automatically split into two. Gryffindor and Ravenclaw were both on the eighth floor, but their respective common rooms were in different directions.

Before Ike and the others had gone far, they suddenly heard a scream, followed by chaotic discussions from Gryffindor.

"What happened to those guys?" Stuart was still very curious. "Should we go check it out?"

Ike knew perfectly well what was happening over there, but he still followed.

When they arrived at the corridor leading to the Gryffindor common room, it was already crowded with students. In addition to the lion cubs, there were even snake cubs who had run up from the basement after hearing the news.

The group tried to squeeze in, but they couldn't get in at all.

"Someone go and call Professor Dumbledore!"

A voice came from inside, and soon people ran towards the headmaster's office. A moment later, Dumbledore rushed in, and the crowd automatically parted to make way, allowing many of those who had been crowding outside to slip in as well.

"Make way, make way!"

Professor McGonagall, Snape, and Lupin, who were a little late, were blocked outside and had to shout as they squeezed in.

"We must find her." Dumbledore looked gravely at the torn murals before him. "Minerva, go to Filch immediately and tell him to search every painting in the castle. He must find the Fat Lady."

"Good luck!" Mischievous Ghost laughed gleefully, jumping around on everyone's heads.

"...She wouldn't let him in, and he got angry..."

"...His temper is truly terrifying, that Sirius Black!"

"Alright, Peeves." Dumbledore's luck suddenly turned serious. He simply waved his hand, and the usually unruly Peeves gave a fawning smile and quickly left.

"Let's go to the auditorium, children, let's go to the auditorium first."

Everyone followed Dumbledore back to the Great Hall, and soon those who hadn't gone to join the fun also arrived.

"We need to conduct a thorough search of the castle. For everyone's safety, I'm afraid you'll have to spend the night here."

Dumbledore waved his wand, and tables flew to the side of the Great Hall, while hundreds of purple sleeping bags appeared neatly on the ground.

"Get some sleep."

No sooner had they left than the energetic little lions told the newly arrived students what had just happened, and a sense of panic quietly spread through the crowd.

"Alright, go to sleep." Ike urged Stuart and the others to quickly crawl into their sleeping bags. "The professors are here, so we don't need to worry too much."

"Wow, that was so exciting!" Stuart exclaimed as he crawled into his sleeping bag. "He's so brave, he almost succeeded!"

"It was during the banquet, when everyone was in the auditorium, that he had this opportunity," Michael said.

"Alright, gentlemen, let's go to sleep." Before he could say anything more, Roger interrupted, "Trust the professors!"

The candles gradually went out, leaving only the ghosts emitting a faint silver glow. The prefects huddled together, conversing quietly. They needed to allocate their respective watch times and ensure that someone was constantly patrolling.

I don't know how much time passed before the professors returned.

"Professor, do you have any leads on him?" It was just during Percy's patrol time, and he asked in a low voice.

"No, is this normal?"

"Everything is normal."

"Very good, they can be taken back tomorrow morning. I've found a temporary guard," Dumbledore said.

After a while, the doors of the Great Hall opened again, and Snape walked in quickly and quietly. Dumbledore noticed Snape's expression, waved his hand, and followed Snape to a corner.

The sound was very soft, with only a few scattered words coming out, causing some of the lighter-sleeping wizards to frown and turn over.

The two seemed to be arguing. Snape first flung his robes, and a moment later Dumbledore also left with an unpleasant expression.

Meanwhile, outside the castle.

Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, and Professor Lupin stood guard in front of the foyer, each holding a wand, while dozens of Dementors flew overhead.

"Get out of here! You can't get in!" Dumbledore walked out with a cold face and a gloomy tone.

The Dementors were unwilling to disperse, and one of them flew out and landed, making a series of inexplicable noises.

"I don't want to say it a second time! Don't push your luck!" Dumbledore drew his wand, the tip of which emitted a white light that terrified the Dementors.

The Dementors in the sky seemed unwilling, but they retreated under the intimidation of the Guardian Charm. However, the one that fell down did not leave.

Its cloak fluttered, emitting incomprehensible sounds once more.

"I understand, but you must stay where you belong. I don't want to see you in the school again!" Dumbledore was silent for a moment, then put away his wand, his face still grim.

The Dementor didn't leave, and the voice rang out again, but this time Dumbledore didn't listen. He waved his hand, and a white light flashed, sending the Dementor flying.

"What happened, Albus?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"It's nothing, Minerva," Dumbledore shook his head.

"I just want to search inside the castle."

(End of this chapter)