The Flame Troll of Halloween

Halloween finally arrived.

Early that morning, everyone could smell the special pumpkins drifting in from the corridor. Sweet and warm, mingled with cinnamon and cloves, the scent wafted all the way from the dungeons to the top of the castle. As Su Yu carried Kurama through the corridor, he saw Filch hanging jack-o'-lanterns on the suits of armor. Every one of them wore a wide, sinister grin.

Su Yu did not see Hermione at all that day. She had not appeared at the Gryffindor table, neither at lunch nor at the feast. Su Yu could only marvel at the power of the timeline; it was not something he could contend with. What was meant to come would still come, and what was meant to happen would still happen.

When the Halloween feast began, Su Yu sat at the Slytherin table, taking in the brightly decorated Great Hall.

The scene in the hall was quite spectacular. More than a thousand live bats swirled densely around the walls and ceiling, the sound of their wings like a ceaseless wind. Other bats swooped up and down, their fluttering making the candlelight flicker and cast shifting shadows across everyone's faces. Still more descended upon the tables in swarms, looking from afar like a huge moving cloud. Several Hufflepuff girls hunched their shoulders, dodging bats as they laughed.

Just like at the opening feast, the golden plates were filled with sumptuous food in the blink of an eye. Roast turkey, Pumpkin Pasties, toffee apples, peppermint hard candies—the Halloween spread was more than twice as lavish as usual. The aroma filled the hall, blending with the rush of bat wings to create a peculiar festive atmosphere.

Su Yu was leaning against Daphne's shoulder, lazily opening his mouth to accept the food Fa-jie fed him. Fa-jie sat to his right, spearing a piece of roasted pumpkin with her fork and bringing it to his lips. Her fingers were long and fair, her nails painted a faint nut-brown shade. The way she held the fork was like an artist holding a paintbrush. Then Su Yu said he did not eat pumpkin...

"Open up," Fa-jie said.

With no choice, Su Yu opened his mouth. They would not care whether he was a picky eater. The pumpkin had been roasted until it was soft enough to melt in his mouth, carrying the sweet fragrance of honey and butter.

"Is it good?" Fa-jie asked, in the tone of someone asking a very serious question.

"Not bad."

The corner of Fa-jie's mouth lifted, and she speared another piece. She found the act of feeding Su Yu thrilling in itself—this boy who could scare every Slytherin into wetting themselves was now like a lazy cat, sitting there with his mouth open and waiting to be fed. The contrast was addictive.

Su Yu did not mind. He leaned against Daphne's shoulder, which was soft and at just the right height, more comfortable than any pillow. Kurama lay on the table with a small piece of pumpkin pie before him, using his little paws to break it apart bit by bit as he ate.

But before Fa-jie could feed him more than a few bites, Professor Quirrell stumbled straight into the hall.

His turban had slipped crookedly, the purple fabric hanging loosely to one side and revealing the bald top of his head. His face was filled with terror, his lips pale, his eyes bulging as though they might fall out. Everyone watched as he ran to Headmaster Dumbledore, grabbed the table for support, and gasped for breath.

"The—the Cave Troll—" Professor Quirrell's voice came in broken fragments, as though someone had seized him by the throat. "It's in the dungeons—I came to tell you—"

Having said that, he could not hold himself up any longer. His body went limp, and he collapsed unconscious onto the floor.

The hall immediately erupted into chaos.

Students from the other houses screamed and fled in all directions. The Gryffindor table was the first to descend into disorder. Several younger girls clung to one another and shrieked, knocking over several chairs. Someone from Hufflepuff climbed onto a table and spilled pumpkin juice everywhere. A few Ravenclaw students were calmer, but their faces were pale as well as they poured toward the exit one after another.

Only the Slytherin students continued eating at an unhurried pace.

Fa-jie's fork paused in midair as she glanced at Su Yu. Su Yu did not move, so she continued feeding him. Ka-jie raised her goblet, took a sip, swept her gaze over Professor Quirrell, then looked away. Malfoy, seated at the other end of the long table, glanced at the panicked Gryffindors, sneered, and continued cutting his steak.

Was a Cave Troll really that strong? How many Avada Kedavras could it take?

Headmaster Dumbledore had no choice but to raise his wand and launch several purple fireworks overhead. The sparks crackled above the hall, finally quieting everyone down a little.

"Prefects, listen," he announced loudly, his voice echoing through the enchanted hall. "Lead the students of your houses back to their dormitories at once!"

His gaze swept across the tables of the four houses, lingering for a moment on Slytherin.

"Slytherin showed admirable composure in the face of danger just now. Ten points to Slytherin!"

The prefects of the other houses had already begun organizing their students' evacuation. Percy, Gryffindor's prefect, shouted himself hoarse, "Line up! Don't push!" But hardly anyone listened to him.

The Slytherin students were still waiting for Su Yu's orders.

No one stood up, and no one left. They remained in their seats. Some had put down their knives and forks; others held their goblets. Yet every gaze was fixed on Su Yu. Dozens of eyes waited quietly and patiently for him to speak.

Su Yu slowly rose to his feet.

Fa-jie's hand paused, her fork suspended in the air. Daphne's shoulder tightened slightly, but she did not say anything.

"Fa-jie, Ka-jie," Su Yu said. His voice was not loud, yet every Slytherin could hear him. "Take everyone back first. I have something to handle."

"As you command."

She set down her fork and rose from her chair. The languid allure on her face vanished in an instant, replaced by cold sharpness devoid of unnecessary expression. She turned to face the Slytherin students, her voice crisp and powerful, every word seeming to cut across ice.

"First- and second-years, follow me! Form a single column! Third-, fourth-, and fifth-years, stay alert! Sixth- and seventh-years, take the rear in case of any accidents!"

Ka-jie had already risen and stood beside Fa-jie. Her gray-green eyes swept across the crowd, confirming everyone's position. Her expression was calm, but it was not relaxation—it was the stillness before a storm.

The Slytherin students silently stood, their movements as orderly as an army's. The first- and second-years formed a column in the center. The third-, fourth-, and fifth-years surrounded them, hands already gripping their wands. The sixth- and seventh-years walked at the back, no more than two paces apart.

Fa-jie walked at the front of the procession, her long black waves swinging in an arc behind her. She looked back at Su Yu, her gaze resting on his face for a second.

Su Yu nodded at her.

Fa-jie turned back and led the group out of the hall.

By then, Su Yu had already left the hall and was striding quickly toward the girls' bathroom.

The corridor was empty. Students from the other houses had all retreated to their common rooms. Jack-o'-lanterns hung on the walls, grinning as their candlelight swayed through the deserted corridor. Su Yu's footsteps echoed on the stone floor, while Kurama hurried beside him on four quick paws.

"You know where she is?" Kurama asked.

"The girls' bathroom," Su Yu said.

"How do you know?"

"I just know."

Professor McGonagall appeared from around the corner and blocked his path. She wore a dark green robe, her black hair tightly bound behind her head. Her expression was ten times more severe than usual. Behind her glasses, her eyes fixed on Su Yu, and her lips pressed into a thin line.

"Mr. Su-Fuli," she said. Her voice was not loud, but every word was like a nail driven into wood. "Where are you going? The Slytherin common room is in the other direction."

Su Yu stopped and looked at her.

"Hermione is missing," Su Yu said. "I'm going to find her."

Professor McGonagall frowned. Of course she knew who Hermione was—the Gryffindor girl who raised her hand highest in every class and answered questions as quickly as though she were competing in a quiz.

"Hermione's safety is the responsibility of us teachers," Professor McGonagall said. "You should return to your own—"

"You know my strength too," Su Yu interrupted. His tone was calm, but it allowed no room for discussion. "It's only a Cave Troll. I'm not worried about it."

Professor McGonagall's lips pressed together even tighter. She did not refute him. All of Hogwarts knew Su Yu's strength—the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox in the Forbidden Forest that night had been visible from the entire castle.

"You're exactly who I'm worried about," Professor McGonagall said, lowering her voice. "I'm afraid you'll tear Hogwarts apart if you're not careful."

Su Yu froze for a moment.

At that moment, Dumbledore approached from the other end of the corridor. He did not walk quickly. His silver beard gleamed faintly in the candlelight, his deep purple robes trailing across the floor, each step steady. He came to Professor McGonagall's side, glanced at Su Yu, then at Professor McGonagall.

"Let him go, Minerva," Dumbledore said, his voice gentle and calm. "After all, Hermione is his friend too, isn't she?"

Professor McGonagall fell silent for a while. Her gaze remained on Su Yu's face for several seconds, as though judging something. Then she drew a deep breath and stepped aside.

"Take it easy," Professor McGonagall said, her tone carrying a helpless warning. "Don't make a mess like last time."

Su Yu was already moving. With his back to Professor McGonagall, he waved a hand, his lazy voice drifting back. "Got it."

Kurama followed at his feet, his little paws pattering against the floor.

"She's afraid you'll demolish the school," Kurama said.

"It wasn't on purpose."

"It absolutely was."

Su Yu ignored him.

Because Professor McGonagall had delayed him and wasted quite a bit of time, Su Yu quickened his pace. The corridor grew darker, the torches on the walls fewer. A damp, rotten stench began filling the air. The smell of a troll.

When he reached the entrance to the girls' bathroom, Harry and Ron arrived as well. The three ran into one another at the door. Harry's face was pale, Ron's lips trembled, and both held their wands in shaking hands.

Su Yu did not look at them. His gaze fell inside the bathroom—upon that thing.

Something was wrong.

Wasn't the Cave Troll in the movie supposed to be weak? Grayish skin, clumsy movements, knocked unconscious by its own club. So why was the one he saw—

The troll was wreathed in flames.

They were not ordinary flames. They were dark red, like magma boiling up from the depths of the earth. The fire clung to its skin like living armor, brightening and dimming with every breath. Its skin was not the gray from the movie but a charred dark brown, with dark red light glowing through its cracks like a piece of thoroughly burned charcoal. Its eyes were two balls of fire, with no pupils or whites—only blazing, scorching flames. It held an enormous club in its hand, wreathed in the same flames, leaving searing trails of light through the air.

What the hell was this?

"Su Yu!" Hermione's voice rang out from inside the bathroom, sharp with terror. "I'm in here!"

Su Yu no longer had time to think about the troll.

"Kurama!"

Kurama instantly turned into a flash of golden light and plunged into Su Yu's body. Yellow chakra surged out of Su Yu like burning armor, enveloping his entire body. The Tailed Beast Cloak appeared around him, golden radiance exploding through the dim corridor and illuminating its entire length.

Su Yu turned to Harry and Ron, his voice leaving no room for refusal. "Save Hermione! Now!"

Harry and Ron blanked for a moment, then nodded together. Keeping close to the wall, they slipped around the troll and ran toward where Hermione was hiding.

Su Yu turned back to face the flaming troll.

His eyes changed. Three black tomoe linked into a circle—the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Red chakra surged from his body and condensed in his right hand into a spear. Its shaft was dark crimson, nearly black, and its tip bright scarlet, like iron freshly drawn from a fire. The spear was a full two meters long, held steady in Su Yu's hand with its point aimed at the troll.

At the same time, massive quantities of sand abruptly burst from beneath the ground. It emerged from cracks between the floor tiles, sewer openings, and fissures in the walls like golden snakes, silently covering the entire bathroom floor. Then it surged upward—like a rising tide, instantly wrapping around the troll's whole body.

Sand Burial!

Su Yu clenched his fist.

The sand suddenly tightened. The immense pressure was enough to crush a car into a sheet of metal. Then it exploded, cracking the bathroom walls from the impact and shattering tiles across the floor with loud snaps. The faucets burst from the aftermath, jets of water spraying from broken pipes.

But the troll did not die.

Once the sand dispersed, the troll was still standing. The flames on its skin had only dimmed for a moment in the sandstorm before reigniting, fiercer than before.

It was far too tough. This troll's defense greatly exceeded Su Yu's expectations. The flames over its body not only enhanced its attack power, but also protected it like armor.

Su Yu did not hesitate again. He pushed off the ground, shooting forward like an arrow as he thrust his spear at the troll's chest.

The troll's reaction was not slow. It swung its massive flaming club in a horizontal sweep. The wind pressure kicked up by the club sent shattered tiles scattering everywhere, while its flames carved a dark red arc through the air.

Su Yu twisted aside. The club swept past his ear, its scorching heat making his face burn. He used the momentum to thrust his spear toward the troll's side.

The troll shifted sideways and brought its club crashing back down.

Su Yu raised his spear to block. The shaft collided with the club with a muffled boom, like two mountains crashing together. Su Yu was forced two steps back, his palm going numb. The troll's strength was astonishing—his physical abilities were now more than ten times those of an ordinary wizard, yet the impact still left his arm aching.

Flames rushed down from the club and spread along the spear shaft. Su Yu withdrew his spear and retreated, shaking his wrist.

The three children were completely terrified by then.

Hermione crouched behind a sink. Harry and Ron had just reached her, and the three huddled together, motionless as they watched Su Yu fight the troll. Every swing of the troll's club left another crater in the floor. Several toilet stalls had been smashed apart, wood fragments and shattered tiles flying everywhere. The faucets were still spraying water, but every drop that touched the troll's flames turned into steam, filling the bathroom with scalding mist.

The troll suddenly turned and smashed its club toward Hermione.

Hermione screamed and instinctively shut her eyes.

Su Yu rushed forward.

He was so fast he was almost impossible to see—the golden light of the Tailed Beast Cloak dragged an afterimage through the air. He wrapped an arm around Hermione and shielded her against his chest. At the same time, a translucent red skeleton rose behind him—the first form of Susanoo.

The skeleton was covered in red chakra muscles, forming a giant hand that shielded Su Yu and Hermione.

The troll's club crashed into Susanoo.

Boom—

The entire bathroom shook. Several chunks of stone fell from the ceiling, and the sink split completely in two. A small crack appeared on Susanoo's surface, but it did not break.

Taking the opportunity, Su Yu gave part of his Tailed Beast Cloak to Hermione. Golden chakra spread from his body to hers, forming a thin protective film over her skin.

"Be good," Su Yu said softly as he looked down at Hermione, his voice gentle yet firm. "Get somewhere safe. This power can protect you. Don't be afraid. Go now, listen to me."

Hermione's eyes reddened, and her lips trembled, but she nodded. She released Su Yu's robe, stepped back twice, then Harry and Ron pulled her away and ran out of the bathroom.

Su Yu turned around.

The red in his eyes deepened. The patterns of his Mangekyō Sharingan slowly rotated in his pupils like two miniature whirlpools.

Susanoo's first form fully unfolded. A massive red arm extended from behind Su Yu and grabbed the troll's club-wielding wrist. The troll struggled but could not break free. The arm of Susanoo tightened further, and the flames around the troll's wrist began to dim before the red chakra.

Su Yu condensed the dark crimson spear in his right hand once more. Black flames began burning upon its tip—Amaterasu.

Su Yu gripped the spear and drove it toward the troll's eyes.

The spear tip pierced the troll's eye socket. Amaterasu's black flames spread instantly, confronting the dark red flames covering the troll. The two kinds of fire collided, tore at each other, and tried to devour one another across the troll's skin.

The troll let out a deafening scream. Its body shuddered violently, and the club slipped from its hand, smashing a huge crater into the floor. It reached for the spear lodged in its face with its free hand, but Susanoo's other hand had already seized that wrist.

The flames of Amaterasu and the troll's flames began a silent war. The dark red fire attempted to swallow the black flames, but Amaterasu was like the thickest ink: once it touched something, it could not be shaken off. It spread over the troll's skin, gradually consuming that layer of dark red flame armor.

The troll's screams grew weaker and weaker.

After a while, the flames on the troll's body slowly began to fade. First the flames on its arms, then those on its thighs, and finally those on its chest. The dark red fire seemed to be pulled away by something, vanishing thread by thread into the air. The troll's skin changed from dark brown back to gray, the red glow inside its cracks extinguishing and leaving behind ordinary rough skin.

Amaterasu's flames continued burning. Su Yu pulled back his spear and swept his left hand. The black flames instantly vanished—he did not want to burn down the entire bathroom.

The troll knelt on the ground, both its eyes blinded, smoke still rising from the wounds made by the spear. It could no longer stand. Its enormous body leaned against the shattered sink as an incoherent gurgle came from its throat.

Another blade materialized in Su Yu's hand—a Tang saber. Its blade was long and slender, gleaming with cold red light in the dim bathroom. He walked to the troll, gripped the sword with both hands, and raised its blade upward.

One horizontal slash.

The blade flashed in an arc through the air, cutting in through the troll's left waist and emerging from its right. The troll's body paused, then its upper half slowly slid from its lower half and crashed to the ground.

The bathroom fell silent.

The faucets were still spraying water, but the sound seemed far away. Steam still filled the air, but it was no longer so hot. Su Yu stood before the troll's corpse as the Tang saber in his hand dissolved into fragments of red chakra and scattered into the air. The Tailed Beast Cloak faded away, and Kurama leaped out of his body, landing by his feet and shaking out his fur.

He turned around and saw Hermione standing at the bathroom entrance.

She rushed forward and hugged Su Yu fiercely. Her body was shaking, her fingers clutching the back of his robe tightly as she buried her face in his chest. Her tears soaked his collar, hot drops falling one after another.

"I was so scared," Hermione's muffled voice came from against his chest, broken and uneven. "I was so scared..."

Su Yu gently held her, one hand resting on the back of her head, his fingers slipping into her fluffy curls.

"It's all right now." His voice was exceedingly gentle, utterly unlike the cold severity he had shown in battle.

Hermione cried in his arms for quite a while before she slowly looked up. Her eyes were red, as was the tip of her nose, and tears still clung to her lashes.

"How did you know I was here?" Hermione asked quietly. "How did you come to save me again?"

Su Yu smiled softly.

"Because I really didn't want to lose you, so I came."

Hermione's face instantly turned red. Her eyes were still red as well. She lowered her head, buried her face in Su Yu's chest again, and said nothing.

A burst of hurried footsteps sounded outside. The four of them looked toward the doorway.

They had no idea how much noise they had made just now. Half the bathroom ceiling had collapsed, the walls were covered in cracks, several craters marred the floor, the sinks had been smashed to pieces, and the faucets were still spraying water. Steam and the smell of burning filled the entire room.

Professor McGonagall was the first to rush inside. Her face was pale, her eyes wide behind her glasses as her gaze moved from the collapsed ceiling to the cracked sinks, from the shattered stalls to the craters in the floor, and finally settled on the troll's corpse.

Professor Snape followed behind, his black robes billowing through the steam. His eyes rapidly swept around the room, pausing briefly on Harry before settling on the troll. He said nothing.

Professor Quirrell came last. He staggered through the doorway, took one look at the Cave Troll lying on the ground—already cut in half, its upper and lower body separated, dark red blood all over the floor—and sighed softly. He promptly sank onto a toilet, clutching his chest with both hands, his face paler than his turban.

Professor Snape bent down to examine the Cave Troll. He used his wand to move aside the wound on the troll's face, inspected the severed cross-section, then looked at the bruising around the troll's wrist where Susanoo had gripped it. His expression did not change, but Su Yu noticed one of his eyebrows lift slightly.

Professor McGonagall, meanwhile, was glaring sternly at Harry and Ron. Harry had never seen her so furious. Her lips had gone white with anger, her chin was trembling, and her eyes behind her glasses were like two balls of fire.

"What on earth were you thinking?" Professor McGonagall's voice was terrifying, every word seeming to squeeze through clenched teeth.

Harry looked at Ron. Ron's face was white as paper, his lips trembling as the wand in his hand nearly slipped to the floor.

"You were lucky you weren't killed!" Professor McGonagall's voice rose higher and higher. "Why weren't you safely in your dormitory?"

Snape shot Harry a quick, piercing look. Harry lowered his head. He hoped Ron would understand to lower his wand—Ron was still holding it up, his fingers clenched so tightly that they had turned white, as though he might duel someone at any moment.

Then a small voice came from Su Yu's arms.

"Professor McGonagall, please—they were only trying to help me."

Hermione turned around from Su Yu's embrace to face Professor McGonagall. Her eyes were still red, tears still marked her face, but her voice was steady.

Professor McGonagall's gaze shifted to Hermione. Her expression softened slightly, but she was still severe.

"Miss Hermione!"

Hermione finally found the strength to straighten up and leave Su Yu's embrace. She took two steps forward and stood before Professor McGonagall.

"I followed that Cave Troll here," Hermione said. "Because... because I thought I could handle it on my own... I thought I'd learned how to subdue it..."

Harry and Ron were so stunned that their wands nearly fell from their hands.

Hermione—Hermione had actually told a colossal lie to a teacher? Hermione, who never broke rules, raised her hand highest in every class, and would feel guilty all day over being late?

"If they hadn't come looking for me, the troll would definitely have killed me," Hermione continued. Her voice trembled slightly, but instead of looking at Professor McGonagall, she stared at the floor. "They simply didn't have time to get anyone else. By the time they arrived, I was already terrified."

Harry and Ron tried their best to pretend this was not the first time they had heard that story. Ron clamped his mouth shut, while Harry stared at the ground.

Professor McGonagall looked at her.

Then Professor McGonagall glanced at the wrecked bathroom, then at the troll cleaved in half, and then at Su Yu—who was leaning against the wall with both hands in his pockets.

Professor McGonagall was so angry she almost laughed.

She was not an idiot. Looking at the signs of battle, at the destruction, what little girl could possibly fight something like this? Those cracks in the ceiling had clearly been caused by some enormous external force. The holes in the floor had been smashed out by the troll's club, but that ring of bruising around the troll's wrist—those had been left by someone's grip. Su Yu had beaten it into this state, so where was Hermione's strength supposed to be? Professor McGonagall glanced at Su Yu, who was exchanging looks with Kurama.

"Miss Hermione," Professor McGonagall took a deep breath, her voice returning to its businesslike chill, "you were incredibly foolish! How could you possibly believe you could fight a giant the size of a mountain?"

Hermione lowered her head. Her shoulders sagged slightly, and her fingers twisted the hem of her robes.

Harry could not say a word. Hermione was the student least likely to break the rules, yet now she was pretending that she had made a mistake just to help them out of trouble. It was as unbelievable as Snape giving them candy.

"All right, Professor McGonagall," Su Yu spoke from the side, helping Hermione out. "At least everything ended perfectly, didn't it?"

Professor McGonagall gave him a look.

"Miss Hermione," Professor McGonagall turned back, her voice stern again, "Gryffindor will lose five points for this. I am very disappointed in what you did."

Hermione nodded, lips pressed together, and said nothing.

Professor McGonagall turned to Harry and Ron again. "I suppose you two were extremely lucky. Not many first-years get to deal with a Cave Giant the size of a mountain. Gryffindor is awarded five points each. I will inform Headmaster Dumbledore."

"If none of you are injured, you may leave now," Professor McGonagall said. "The students are holding a Halloween feast in the common room."

The three of them turned and walked toward the door. As she passed Su Yu, Hermione paused and looked up at him. Her eyes were still red, but she was no longer crying.

Su Yu waved at her. "Hurry back and eat."

Hermione nodded and walked out. Harry and Ron followed her. When Ron reached the doorway, he looked back at the troll's corpse, then at Su Yu. His lips moved as though he wanted to say something, but in the end, he said nothing and followed Harry out.

The sound of their footsteps gradually faded away.

The bathroom fell silent. Water was still spraying from the tap. Snape touched it with his wand, and the water stopped. The steam slowly dispersed, revealing the devastated room.

Su Yu looked at the four professors before him.

Then he spoke to the air.

"Professor Dumbledore," Su Yu's voice was not loud, but it was especially clear in the quiet bathroom, "shouldn't you come out and explain what happened?"

The three professors all looked toward Su Yu.

Dumbledore emerged from the shadows by the doorway. He did not walk quickly, but in just a few steps, he stood before Su Yu.

Su Yu looked into his eyes.

"Professor Dumbledore," Su Yu's voice remained calm, but it had lost some of its lazy drawl, "can you explain what the flames on that troll were about?"

Dumbledore's eyes glinted behind his spectacles.

"I don't know," Dumbledore said, his voice gentle and calm. "I am also investigating exactly what happened."

Su Yu looked at him with an expression of complete disbelief.

Dumbledore's expression did not change at all. On that wrinkled face was still that gentle, composed smile, as though he knew everything but would never say it outright. Su Yu stared at him for several seconds, trying to find even the slightest flaw in his eyes—but there was none. Dumbledore's eyes were like deep water: the surface was visible, but the bottom could not be seen.

There was nothing Su Yu could do.

He straightened up, scooped Kurama off the ground and held him in his arms, then nodded to the four professors.

"Goodbye."

He turned and walked out of the bathroom.

The corridor was empty, and the jack-o'-lanterns on the walls were still grinning. Su Yu carried Kurama as he walked at an unhurried pace. Kurama lay in his arms, his tails hanging down on either side of Su Yu's arm.

"That old man was lying," Kurama said.

"I know."

"You're not going to get to the bottom of it?"

"He wouldn't say anything even if I asked."

Kurama snorted and buried his face in the crook of Su Yu's arm.

Su Yu crossed the corridor, descended the stone stairs, and returned to the entrance of the Slytherin common room. The stone wall was closed. He quietly gave the password, and the wall slid open without a sound.

Then he froze.

The Slytherin common room had been completely transformed.

The fire in the fireplace burned three times brighter than usual, bathing the entire hall in warmth. Dark green ribbons and silver stars hung from the ceiling, while the alcoves in the walls had been filled with fresh holly and mistletoe. Several long tables had been pushed together in the middle of the hall, covered with silver tablecloths and laden with Pumpkin Pasties, roasted chestnuts, and hot butterbeer. There was even a small band in the corner—four older students playing a lively tune on enchanted drums and magical instruments.

People were everywhere. The Slytherin students had changed into different outfits and gathered in small groups. The girls wore all kinds of formal dresses, while the boys wore tailored suits or robes, holding glasses as they spoke quietly. If Su Yu had not known this was the Hogwarts dungeon, he would have thought he had entered a ball at some noble estate.

Then he saw Fa-jie.

She stood beside the fireplace with a glass of red wine in her hand. A small black hat sat at a slant on her head, its brim draped with a thin black veil that obscured half her face, making it appear and disappear from view. Her eye makeup was heavy, the corners of her eyes swept upward. Combined with the lazy sharpness in her bearing, she looked like a cat narrowing its eyes in the dark. Her lips were painted rose red, glistening moistly in the firelight. She wore a long black gown that trailed over the floor, its tight waist perfectly outlining her tall, slender figure.

She was truly breathtakingly beautiful.

Ka-jie stood beside Fa-jie in a dark green gown, her hair pinned up to reveal her long neck and delicate collarbones. Her makeup was lighter than Fa-jie's, but her gray-green eyes looked deeper and brighter in the candlelight, like two polished gems. She held a glass as well, a faint, ambiguous curve at the corner of her mouth as she lowered her head to say something to the girl beside her.

Daphne sat on the sofa in a pale gold dress, her hair spilling over her shoulders and a pair of tiny pearl earrings in her ears. She was not as sharp as Fa-jie, nor as mysterious as Ka-jie. She was like a ray of sunlight—quiet, warm, and impossible not to want to approach. She held no wine, only a cup of hot tea, and was looking down at the tea leaves inside as though counting something.

Su Yu stood at the entrance, utterly stunned.

All three lifted their heads at the same time and saw him.

Daphne set down her teacup and was the first to rise. She walked up to Su Yu, reached out to straighten the collar that the troll had pulled crooked, then tugged down his sleeve and patted the dust from his shoulder. Her movements were natural, as though this were something she did every day.

Fa-jie walked over from the fireplace, still holding her glass of red wine. She stopped in front of Su Yu and looked him over from head to toe.

"Is it all taken care of?" Fa-jie's voice was low, carrying a lazy huskiness. "My dear prefect?"

That tone. As expected of a mature older sister. Su Yu felt his ears getting a little hot.

"It's taken care of," Su Yu said.

Ka-jie came over as well and stood beside Fa-jie. The three girls surrounded Su Yu, six eyes fixed on him. Feeling a little uncomfortable under their stares, Su Yu put an arm around Daphne and Ka-jie, one on each side.

"What's all this tonight?" Su Yu asked.

Ka-jie smiled. It was different from her usual almost-smile. She was genuinely smiling, the corners of her eyes curving slightly as she revealed a small row of white teeth.

"Just cultivating a little aristocratic temperament," Ka-jie said. "We got back early tonight and had nothing to do, so we threw a party."

She raised the glass in her hand and gave it a little shake toward Su Yu.

"Want a drink?" Ka-jie lowered her voice, a sly smile in it. "A little secret: the house-elves stole all this. The school doesn't allow it."

Su Yu accepted the glass Ka-jie offered him. It was silver, etched with delicate vine patterns, and held a dark red liquid that shone amber in the firelight. He sniffed it—the fruity aroma was strong, with a hint of oak. It did not seem like particularly strong liquor.

Fa-jie and Ka-jie exchanged a look. That look clearly said, Here it comes.

Su Yu raised the glass to his lips and drained it in one gulp.

In the first second after the liquor went down his throat, he only tasted sweetness. In the second, heat. In the third—he felt as though someone had set his esophagus on fire. The flames burned from his throat all the way to his stomach, then exploded from there and surged through every limb and bone. His face flushed bright red in an instant, his ears were hot enough to fry eggs, and everything before his eyes began to spin.

He had vastly overestimated his alcohol tolerance.

He had also underestimated Ka-jie's lack of limits.

What kind of wine was this? It was clearly high-proof liquor that house-elves had repeatedly purified with distillation equipment who knew how many times, poured into a harmless-looking fruit wine glass.

Su Yu's legs went weak, and Daphne quickly caught him. Fa-jie supported his arm from the other side, while Ka-jie stood in front of him, looking at his face with eyes curved into crescents from her smile.

"Are you all right?" Daphne's voice came from beside his ear, as though filtered through water.

"I'm... I'm fine..." Su Yu's words were slurred, his tongue seeming to have tied itself in knots.

Fa-jie looked down at him, the corners of her mouth rising high. "My dear prefect, your drinking capacity isn't much, is it?"

Su Yu wanted to say something, but his mouth no longer listened to him. His eyelids grew heavier and heavier. The three figures before him became increasingly blurred, overlapping, separating, then overlapping again.

Then, in a drunken haze, he no longer knew anything at all.