Professor Quirrell, Please Begin Your Performance!

Most of the teachers and students were fairly good-natured about Ted and the others' prank.

How should one put it? Westerners had a pretty high tolerance for pranks and jokes. This one was fairly moderate.

At least Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff found it very novel. Many students came over to say how thrilling it had been and ask how they had pulled off the prank.

Gryffindor students felt an unprecedented longing for a method that could prank the entire school.

Ravenclaw thought this prank had been organized, disciplined, and technically sophisticated. It was an extremely high-end prank, worthy of study.

Hufflepuff, meanwhile, thought it had been the most thrilling experience of the year. They touched their slightly damp underwear—just moments away from saying goodbye to their peaceful lives.

Only Slytherin was furious! They felt like they had been played.

By the time things settled down, it was about time.

The performance began!

Though rumors said Dumbledore had invited the Skeleton Dance Troupe, rumors were mostly unreliable.

The students did not see the Skeleton Dance Troupe, but Dumbledore had invited the Weird Sisters Band! They were the most famous wizard band in all of Great Britain! Though they were called the Weird Sisters, every member was male, with long hair like rock singers... Tell them that was not weird?! They performed "Can You Dance Like a Hippogriff?" and received thunderous applause.

There were acrobatics and singing afterward...

After the performance came the feast.

With a wave of Dumbledore's wand, the cups, plates, and dishes on the tables were instantly piled high with food.

All sorts of fragrances filled the air, and an overwhelming sense of happiness struck everyone's hearts.

Dig in! Hermione was choosing food while still trying to say something.

Ted directly picked up a fork and piled plenty of food onto her plate. "Eat, eat!"

"What are you in such a hurry for?" Seeing that it was all food she usually liked, Hermione did not refuse.

As Ted ate a steak, he lowered his voice. "I've heard a saying that Halloween at Hogwarts is cursed. Something happens every year."

Harriett, Ron, and the others looked skeptical. "Seriously?!"

Ted did not explain further. "Eat up. If you don't eat now, there might not be anything to eat later."

Then you would have to rely on a single sliding tackle to stuff the troll to death!

Even without Ted's warning, Ron and the others ate at a speed that left others in the dust, like a whirlwind sweeping away clouds.

With Ted's words, they became even more ruthless. They inhaled food like starving tigers pouncing on prey! The surrounding students thought they had been starving for days just for this feast. Even the House-elves in the kitchen could feel the pressure of serving dishes.

Just then, with a "Duang~," the Great Hall doors were slammed open.

A figure wrapped in a purple turban stumbled inside.

Halfway across the hall, he began shouting, "Monster, monster, it escaped... in the dungeon... I thought you should know. Gah~"

The students froze with knives and forks in hand. They had never imagined Professor Quirrell could run so fast!

And his voice was really good! How could he hit such high notes? He could practically play the female lead in a horror movie!

Then Professor Quirrell's legs gave out. He fell in full view of everyone, stretched out one hand, and "unwillingly" closed his eyes like that commander who said, "Don't stop now."

Ted: Oh ho, Professor, you changed the lines! He glanced at Hermione. There should not be any problems this time.

It was just that Professor Quirrell's acting made it seem like he wanted to entertain everyone on Halloween.

How should one put it? The acting was a bit too obvious~ He should practice for another two and a half years before coming back to perform.

Especially after Ted and the others' earlier prank, the students' first reaction was not panic, but: Was Professor Quirrell planning to give them another Halloween surprise too?

That acting was a little exaggerated! Professor Quirrell, wake up and tell your story—please begin your performance!

As a result, the atmosphere instantly became awkward.

Everyone stared at Professor Quirrell lying motionless on the ground. For a full five seconds, no one moved or spoke.

Nothing was more frightening than the air suddenly falling silent...

Professor Quirrell, sprawled on the floor, sensed that something was wrong too. What was with this reaction? Were kids these days really this mentally tough?

He could only "wake up" again, opening his eyes and looking around as if in a Flashback. "Quick! Run! Monsters, those monsters escaped! Dumbledore! Monsters! Gah~" Then he fainted again.

This time, Professor Quirrell wore an expression as though he had put on a mask of pain, instantly shocking the students.

His acting suddenly rose to another level—award-winning stuff! This did not seem like a joke anymore! Chaos erupted at once, as though a thunderbolt had crashed down in the Great Hall.

Monsters! Monsters~~~ It was as though the monsters were already at the Great Hall doors, kicking them down.

The students were immediately thrown into a panic, and screams rose and fell once more.

Hey, why did I say "once more"? Ron's hand trembled, and he shoved a chicken leg straight into Jerry's mouth. "Should we run?!"

Jerry and Neville immediately looked ready to move.

However, the Gryffindor champion was extremely bold. Harriett slammed a fist down on the table. "Run! Run from what? What monster? What is there to be afraid of?"

Harriett's imposing manner subdued Ron and the other two. With a knife and fork in hand, she seemed more frightening than the unseen monster.

If the monsters were here, Harriett could eat them alive! Ted reassured them as well. "Don't be afraid. Dumbledore is here. This is the safest place."

But while he could calm a dozen or so students around him, among the more than two hundred students in the Great Hall, one panicked person could spread it to a whole crowd.

Everyone had a herd mentality. In only a few seconds, the Great Hall was in utter chaos.

At some point, someone stepped right on the back of "unconscious" Professor Quirrell's head.

A clear footprint appeared on that purple turban. Professor Quirrell was in terrible pain and even more worried about Voldemort, but he did not dare move...

Dumbledore once again cast the Amplifying Charm silently and without a wand. "Quiet! Prefects, take the students back to their Common Rooms."

Soon, the calmed students formed lines and left the Great Hall.

"Just like you said." Hermione had not even finished eating.

"It's fine. I packed some." Ted patted his wide sleeve.

But just as the line left the Great Hall doors...

Ding~ Mission triggered:

Come Fight! (Blue)

This is the first major event since you enrolled! Are you really going to muddle through it like this? What is there to fear about some monster? You are safe at Hogwarts! Don't chicken out—just do it! Objective: Defeat the monster Professor Quirrell mentioned.

Reward: 500 experience, Troll Card (Blue).

An Invisibility Cloak forged through a hundred battles; I shall not return until the monster is defeated~

A combat mission!

A Blue-grade one... He could handle it!

At least he had a chance to try! Ted instantly assessed his fighting ability. He had a chance.

The reward card looked extremely tempting too. It was worth taking a risk.

Ted handed the kraft-paper bag hidden in his sleeve to Hermione. "I just remembered something. Take the food back first."

Hermione was far too clever. She saw at once that something was up, tucked the bag away, and followed him. "What are you planning to do? Don't think you can shake me off!"

Before Ted could persuade Hermione, sharp-eyed Jerry had already noticed something strange about the two of them and tugged at Ron and Harriett.

The moment Harriett saw the two trying to sneak away, her eyes lit up. She gave Jerry and Ron a look, and they immediately understood, each grabbing Neville and following along.

Neville was terrified. First, he had no idea what his friends wanted to do, but he had a bad feeling about it. Second, they were breaking school rules again, and they had not forgotten to drag him along! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah~ Neville let out a Groundhog scream in his heart: Please let me go! Gran will kill me if she finds out! Neville truly did not want to go. He wanted to be a Good Student, but he had no choice! He did not dare speak loudly, much less tell a teacher.

And so, Ted stood in a secluded corridor, looking at the group with a headache.

"Ugh~" He sighed, wondering whether he should give up this mission.

If it were just him, it would not be a problem. If he could not win, he could just run.

But was it really all right to bring these kids along?

Yet at this very moment, the banner of righteous justice had already been raised. Now that rebellion was underway, if he said they should surrender instead, would the brothers agree?!

"Listen to me later. Don't do anything reckless. We're just going to watch first, understand?!"

"Got it, got it!" Everyone nodded eagerly, raring to go~ We'll just watch. We won't get involved~