A certain broken Hogwarts

Chapter 74 The Ghosts' Night of Revelry

As night deepened, fewer and fewer students remained in the common room. The lake outside the window was illuminated by the lights, turning it a deep green, as if connecting to a dark and mysterious realm.

Owen, eyes half-closed, curled up in the chair closest to the fireplace, warming himself by the fire. Melete, perched on his lap, paws tucked in, purring softly, her golden eyes narrowed to slits, reflecting the flames. Both man and cat remained motionless, their expressions and demeanor identical.

Although he appeared drowsy and lethargic, Owen was actually engrossed in his work, hunched over his desk, writing furiously. Just like Meletus, who seemed to be resting with her eyes closed but was actually thinking: "Owen hasn't fed me for ten minutes; I'll starve to death in another second..."

Irving was busy writing and drawing in his notebook. The clean white pages were filled with beautiful handwriting of all sizes, but they were all messed up. There were also many simple diagrams and notes next to them.

Having learned the Unforgivable Curse, he understood that he could no longer study dark magic, at least not until he found a way to deal with its side effects. Therefore, he had to get rid of the troublesome and ill-intentioned Voldemort as soon as possible.

Irving wrote the last few strokes on the paper, then stretched, straightened his back, and carefully examined the action plan he had made, a meaningful smile on his face.

"Although the oath requires me to help you, I will decide how to help," he said in a low voice with a playful expression. "Halloween Eve is the best opportunity. I only need to indirectly influence the actions of a few people to achieve my goal."

Designing a series of unexpected events to lead to a predetermined ending is something Kyrie Irving has always excelled at.

I'll kill you before Halloween and scatter your ashes! I said it!

"Ha...all good!" Irving yawned.

……

On Saturday evening, after a quick dinner, Irving returned to his dorm and changed into a jet-black formal robe. The robe was similar in style to a tailcoat, with silver trim, giving it a low-key yet elegant look.

As he straightened his clothes, Owen examined himself in the mirror. The fitted tuxedo gave him an air of solemnity and depth; his pale skin didn't appear sickly, his youthful face was handsome and refined, and his dark eyes were calm and profound. His short, jet-black hair lay smoothly beside his ears, adding a touch of innocent charm.

Irving donned a black cloak with silver trim and smiled at his reflection in the mirror. The person in the mirror instantly became expressive, exuding confidence and nonchalance.

As he walked out of the dormitory, a group of young wizards cast surprised glances at him: "What's going on here?"

"Ah, I'm going to a party, would you like to come?" Owen's smile was mysterious and seductive.

"Owen, we just finished solitary confinement..." Harry groaned.

"I've already informed Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall," Owen said casually. "Of course, not you two... but tonight Hogwarts is hosting an unprecedented event."

Children of that age are easily tempted, and in the blink of an eye, they forgot all about breaking school rules. Blaise, who loves novelty, was the first to raise his hand to participate, followed by Draco calling Harry, Daphne calling Pansy, and a few other young wizards joining in the fun. The group started discussing noisily.

"You don't actually need to wear formal attire. Oh, and remember to wear something warm," Owen reminded them. After waiting a moment, he led a group of young wizards through the corridors in the dead of night.

Along the way, the silvery-white figures of ghosts could be seen flying lightly by. Most of them were unfamiliar ghosts from all over the country. They were clearly in a good mood and had no interest in paying attention to the young wizards, hurrying to the gathering place. The ghosts of Hogwarts had cheerful expressions and would greet Owen warmly when they saw him.

The gathering was held in a huge underground conference room. The closer one got to the venue, the colder it became, to the point that even exhaled air condensed into white mist. The small candles lining the corridor were dark and emitted a slightly foul odor. Their eerie blue light cast a sinister glow on the surroundings and the faces of the people present.

"This...this..." Draco, who hadn't heeded Owen's advice, was trembling as he tightened his thin robe and stared at him.

"Oh dear, didn't I tell you?" Owen walked backwards towards the crowd, arms outstretched in an exaggerated manner, and said with a bright smile, "Welcome to the Ghosts' Gathering!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a shrill and unpleasant melody drifted over from afar, sounding like countless fingernails scratching a blackboard, making one's teeth ache and one's jaw drop.

"Owen, I never believed your nonsense!" Draco rolled his eyes and reached out to pull at Goyle's thick cloak.

"Isn't this interesting?" Blaise's eyes lit up, and most of the others nodded in agreement. They had never witnessed a gathering of ghosts before.

"You'll regret this..." Draco said dejectedly.

"Oh! Hi, Owen, you're here!" The nearly headless Nick waved enthusiastically at the conference room door, with the Hufflepuff monk standing beside him; the two benevolent ghosts were jointly responsible for greeting guests at the door. As for Lady Grey and Bloody Barrow... they didn't look like they would treat people well at all.

"Good evening, Sir Nicholas, Brother." Owen waved.

"You wouldn't believe it, at least seven hundred have already arrived, and many more are still on their way." Nick gestured for them to join in. "No ghost could refuse such a grand event!"

"I think there are nine hundred." The fat monk grinned from ear to ear, then said to the young wizards Owen had brought, "Oh dear, quite a few children have come too? Welcome, I hope you have a pleasant evening."

Owen led the group into the conference room, which had been transformed into a sinister yet opulent space. Even with hundreds of ghosts present, the room didn't feel crowded. On the stage, draped in black velvet, a ghostly band played a saw, producing a chilling sound. The ghosts swam and chatted merrily in the vast dance floor.

The conference room was newly decorated, with a soft black carpet underfoot, and countless candles burning with blue flames in the chandeliers and candlesticks around the room. At the other end, a long dining table was covered with rotten and moldy food, which gave off an unpleasant smell.

As the group stepped into this place of ghosts and death, it was as if they had sunk into a cold lake, and everyone instinctively tightened their clothes.

"Glorious yet silent, bustling yet decaying, what an unforgettable scene! Everything was great, wasn't it?" Owen remarked with a smile, "except for the music and the food."

"Great!" Blaise raised his eyebrows at him, then, like a wild horse, enthusiastically plunged into the ghosts and quickly became one of them.

"Good evening, Sir Barrow." Owen greeted the gloomy-faced blood man Barrow, then waved goodbye to his friends and went to catch up with his ghost friends.

The remaining young wizards, curious yet bewildered, trembled like a flock of lambs who had strayed into a pack of wolves. Yes, they were freezing.

Owen was already chatting with Ms. Grey, who was drifting alone in the corner. This haughty ghost was dressed in a gorgeous court dress and floated in the corner with an indifferent expression. Her beautiful silver-white face was calm and indifferent, which was out of place with the lively party.

"Ms. Grey, you don't like these kinds of parties?" Owen asked.

Ms. Gray glanced at him and said in a less-than-enthusiastic tone, "I like it." It sounded more than just perfunctory.

"Okay..." Owen patted his forehead. The weeping Myrtle floated over shyly and invited him to the girls' restroom on the second floor.

"I'll visit you when I have time," Owen said sincerely, noticing two opaque, milky-white patches appearing on the other's silvery-white cheeks.

He then glanced at the time, smiled, and said, "It's almost time, I'll head over now."

(End of this chapter)