Halloween Feast

"Today we'll be learning simple Transfiguration of Living Beings. This is more difficult than ordinary object transfiguration, so I need you to concentrate especially hard—"

Professor McGonagall lectured at the front while chalk automatically wrote down the key points on the blackboard.

"—All right, does anyone know how many dangers there are in Transfiguration of Living Beings?"

The classroom was completely silent. Unlike usual, there was no hand eagerly shooting into the air. After a while, someone finally raised her hand hesitantly.

"Miss Mandy Brocklehurst?" Professor McGonagall looked at her encouragingly.

Mandy Brocklehurst of Ravenclaw stood up. "There are four in total. First, incomplete transfiguration can cause enormous distress to the living creature, causing it to attack the wizard; second..."

Wade raised his head and looked around the classroom, but he did not see that brown-haired figure. All the other Gryffindor students were present.

He asked Michael beside him, "Have you seen Hermione?"

Michael also looked around and guessed, "Maybe she isn't feeling well and is resting in the Dormitory? Look, Professor McGonagall hasn't said anything either."

It made sense, but Wade felt uneasy for no reason.

At that moment, Professor McGonagall's stern gaze swept toward them. The two immediately shut their mouths and did not dare speak again.

When class ended, the students swarmed out. Wade pushed through the crowded corridor and found Harry and Ron.

"Excuse me, Potter, Weasley."

Seeing Wade walk straight toward them, Ron inexplicably took a step back. "W-what is it, Gray?"

"Have you seen Hermione?" Wade asked. "Why wasn't she in Transfiguration Class?"

Harry instinctively looked at Ron. A flicker of unease crossed the latter's face as he said guiltily, "How would I know? We're not close with Granger!"

Wade narrowed his eyes slightly and looked directly into Ron's.

Ron lowered his gaze to avoid his eyes, grabbed Harry beside him, and said in an overbearing tone, "If you don't have anything else, we're going to rest!"

He pulled Harry away, but a voice suddenly came from behind them—

"Harry Potter!"

Harry turned around and saw Wade staring at him seriously. "Do you really not know what happened?"

Under his gaze, Harry felt as though he had been dragged out into the blazing sun. His mouth went dry.

He wanted to protect his friend, but he could not lie.

"Hermione... Hermione cried after Charms Class," Harry finally said softly. "We haven't seen her since then—I'm sorry."

In the end, Ron still dragged him away. Wade stood where he was, motionless, frowning in thought.

Yet time had locked away his memories. He tried hard to recall, but nothing came to mind.

"They probably had an argument," Michael said knowingly. "Hermione takes things a little too seriously. It wouldn't be strange for her to argue with those Gryffindors. Come on, she wouldn't miss the Halloween Feast too, would she? We can ask what happened then."

Wade nodded.

Not far behind them, Padma tapped her fingers thoughtfully, then hurried after her twin sister and whispered to her.

By evening, the Great Hall had been completely redecorated. Huge pumpkin lanterns floated beneath the ceiling, and colorful skeletons adorned the walls. Countless bats circled and danced through the Great Hall, sometimes gathering together and whistling past like dark clouds. The flames inside the pumpkin lanterns flickered along with them.

The feast had not yet begun, but students from all four Houses had nearly filled every seat, and the professors were arriving one after another. Dumbledore had even changed into an outfit fitting the Halloween theme—he wore pumpkin-colored robes, and his hat was patterned with little bats. He chatted cheerfully with Professor McGonagall beside him.

Wade scanned the Gryffindor table, but those Lions were far too rowdy. The Weasley Twins ran around with several boys, and cries of surprise and bursts of laughter rang out from time to time. Wade stared for a long while but still could not find Hermione.

Someone suddenly tapped him on the shoulder. Before Wade even turned around, he caught a faint fragrance.

Padma squeezed Anthony, who had originally been sitting beside Wade, out of the way and leaned closer. "I know where Granger went."

Wade asked, "She didn't attend the feast?"

"No." Padma brushed the hair by her temple and said quietly, "Parvati said—oh, you should know, Parvati is my sister, and she's in Gryffindor—that after Charms Class, that Weasley boy said bad things about Granger. Said she was like a nightmare or something."

"—Ron Weasley?" Michael leaned over and asked in surprise. "He's got that much nerve?—I mean, Hermione didn't immediately hit him with a Dark Curse?"

"She cried. She cried in the bathroom for ages." Padma emphasized, "—She was especially upset and wouldn't let anyone comfort her. Parvati helped her ask for leave from Transfiguration Class this afternoon. I just took a look near the bathroom, and Granger is still in there."

"I'll go see her." Wade immediately stood up.

Padma said helpfully, "I'll take you there."

"—But the feast is about to start. I barely ate anything at lunch for this meal," Michael grumbled. Seeing Wade already striding toward the exit of the Great Hall, he finally stood with a sigh and jogged after him.

As students steadily arrived at the Great Hall, the few people moving against the flow stood out conspicuously. At the Gryffindor table, Harry happened to spot Wade leaving the Great Hall. He had been immersed in the cheerful Halloween atmosphere and had completely forgotten what had happened earlier, but now it felt as though a basin of cold water had been poured over his head, and the memory instantly returned.

"Ron!" He grabbed his friend's arm and asked, "Has Hermione still not come back?"

Ron, who was eagerly anticipating a hearty meal, did not pay much attention. "I guess not—what's wrong?"

"I just saw Gray and the others leave—could they be going to find Hermione?" Harry said.

"Maybe. Granger gets along pretty well with them. All right, they've gone to look for her anyway, so stop worrying about it," Ron said indifferently.

He was truly sick of Hermione's lecturing—although he had felt a little guilty when he saw the girl's tears at the time, after so long, that bit of guilt had long since faded. Instead, the disgust brought on by Hermione's repeated high-handed "guidance" had only grown deeper.

"But—" Harry hesitated. "They're all Ravenclaws, but Hermione is a Gryffindor, just like us!"

Fred used his Wand to control a bat and land it on Ron's head, drawing peals of laughter from those around them. Ron was busy driving the bat away and did not notice what Harry had said.

Harry hesitated for a moment, but before the feast began, he finally left his seat and ran out of the Great Hall. Dumbledore and Snape almost simultaneously turned their gazes toward him and watched him leave.