Halloween

Halloween

On Halloween Eve, they woke early to the sweet, tempting smell of roast pumpkin drifting through the corridors.

That rich aroma helped them overcome their laziness and conquer everything.

That day in Charms, Professor Flitwick began teaching them the Levitation Charm. They were placed in pairs.

In the original story, Hermione and Ron had been assigned together. Hermione performed exceptionally well and pointed out Ron's mistakes, leaving him embarrassed and angry enough to mock her behind her back.

That was why Hermione ended up crying alone in the girls' bathroom.

But now, Harry and Hermione usually sat together during class, so whenever group work was needed, the teachers would put them in the same group.

For first-year students, the Levitation Charm could be considered the most difficult spell. The incantation was long, and they had to pay attention to its pronunciation while coordinating it with a wand movement.

During Quidditch practice the day before yesterday, fifth-year Wood had used the Levitation Charm to send the ball flying. He had merely increased his magical output and flicked his wand quickly, making the ball fly at tremendous speed.

Naturally, these freshmen who had only just learned the Levitation Charm could not manage that. They could only start by controlling a feather and making it slowly float upward, let alone controlling several objects at once.

Watching them seriously observe Professor Flitwick's demonstration before cautiously giving it a try, Harry secretly laughed. In a few years, when they thought back on the Levitation Charm—which would then seem incredibly simple to them—and this moment, they would probably find it amusing too.

Once practice began, they eagerly waved their wands at the white feathers.

"...Why isn't it moving?"

"Are you stupid? I didn't even hear you say the spell..."

"That's impossible... Oh, right, I remembered. I was chanting it silently in my head."

"(⊙o⊙)..."

"Why isn't mine moving either?"

"Watch your wand movement. Don't you even know that?"

In short, most of them shouted the spell countless times, yet the feathers before them did not move in the slightest. Only a very small number of students managed to make their feathers twitch before they became still again. Even so, they danced with joy.

Their partners, meanwhile, said with expressions full of envy and certainty, "That was the wind!"

Harry gave his wand what seemed like a casual flick.

"Wingardium Leviosa."

The feather shot up at once. Rather than slowly floating upward as the professor had demonstrated, it flew rapidly toward the high ceiling and landed in a corner, without falling back down.

Not to be outdone, Hermione controlled her feather perfectly, making it drift back and forth four feet above the classroom floor, exactly like the professor's demonstration.

This is what we're supposed to learn, the students cried inwardly.

They had long since stopped trying to learn from Harry. Harry was several floors above them; even if they wanted to imitate him, they could not.

Unsurprisingly, Professor Flitwick awarded Gryffindor ten points because of Hermione and Harry.

After seeing their success, the other students wished they could learn it instantly too.

The sound of incantations immediately rose again without end.

"Wingardium Leviosa..."

"Wingardium Levios..."

"Wingardium Levio..."

"Wingardium Levi..."

"Wingardium Lev..."

"Wingardium..."

Bang!

An ill-timed sound rang out.

Everyone turned toward it and saw Seamus with a face blackened like charcoal, smoke still rising from his hair. He looked utterly stunned, and even Ron, who sat beside him, had been caught in the blast.

Seamus's feather had exploded...

No wonder Ron had said he did not want to be paired with Seamus. Being around someone that dangerous really was unsafe!

By the end of class, fewer than half of them could barely make their feathers float. Once they left the classroom, they seemed possessed, still muttering, "Wingardium Leviosa," while unconsciously flicking their wands.

Almost no one could focus on their afternoon lessons. Their thoughts had all drifted to that evening's feast, except for Hermione...

Hermione was still quite dissatisfied with this. She had wanted to say a few things to Harry, but before she could open her mouth, Harry started discussing the food that might appear at the feast that night.

At noon, Harry ate only a few bites under Hermione's astonished gaze before leaving the dining hall.

"Do you have something urgent to do?" Hermione asked worriedly.

Harry wiped his mouth with a napkin. "It's nothing important. I can handle it myself. You stay here and eat slowly."

More than an hour later, Harry found Hermione reading in the library.

"What happened to you?" Hermione looked up and was shocked.

Harry's face was slightly pale, and there was a thin layer of cold sweat on his forehead. His eyes were dull, as though he had suffered some serious injury and had not yet recovered.

Harry took out a book, held it in front of his face, and sat beside Hermione. Only then did Hermione notice how ragged his breathing was.

"I think something is really wrong with you. You need to go to St Mungo's Hospital immediately." Hermione stood and tried to help Harry up.

"I'm fine!" Harry smiled weakly. He reached out, grabbed Hermione's hand, and pulled her back down.

"Don't worry. I'm just weak because I cast too many spells," Harry said.

Hermione asked uneasily, "Are you really all right?"

"I'm fine!" Harry replied heavily.

"Then what spells did you cast to end up like this?"

"Ha, you'll find out later..." Harry said with a smile.

Hermione could only stare at Harry in dissatisfaction.

He had not expected to become this weak after casting only a few dozen spells. Of course, he had cast more than one of each type of spell.

Harry had no idea how difficult it was for an adult wizard to cast so many spells at once, even if they were only simple spells below fourth-year level.

But Harry could not be blamed for that. He had only just begun learning fourth-year material, so even if he wanted to cast more powerful magic, it was not very likely.

Still, Harry felt that the more than one hundred curse, attack, and prank spells now set in the fourth-floor corridor could already have some effect on Quirrell.

If he had thought of this earlier, Harry would have obtained the Half-Blood Prince's Potions textbook beforehand. There was a very powerful offensive spell inside.

Harry had placed too much faith in his recovery ability, leaving him unable to attend class for the entire afternoon. So he had no choice but to stay in the library. It was the first time he had skipped class since the start of term, though fortunately Hermione kept him company.

Of course, Hermione's nagging was unavoidable.

The two of them sat in the vast library all afternoon. After school, Harry felt that he was mostly recovered, so he got up and left the library with Hermione.

That evening, all the students headed to the dining hall for the Halloween feast.

The moment they entered, the students stared in amazement at the dazzling room, which had been decorated with all kinds of ornaments.

Thousands of bats fluttered along the walls and ceiling, while thousands of small clusters of black clouds swirled above the dining tables. Naturally, Halloween would not be complete without jack-o'-lanterns. The pumpkins had been carved into the shapes of wide-mouthed demons, with candles burning inside them. Their flames brightened and dimmed with the drifting clouds.

The students filed in one after another, happily chatting and enjoying the food. The dining hall was filled with a lively, cheerful atmosphere.