Major Mishap During the Play

As Professor Birley gave his passionate introduction, melodious music filled the stage.

A senior witch dressed in classical attire stood to the side of the stage, using her wand to conduct an unconventional "classical orchestra" as they played beautiful music.

This orchestra has no musicians other than the conductor; it consists only of violins and harps that float in the air and move autonomously, French horns that seem to be playing out of thin air, and a piano whose keys move freely on the ground.

However, whether it was just my imagination or not, it sounded like there were some chaotic arguments mixed in with the melodious music.

"Are people arguing here?" Xiwen frowned and asked softly. "I hear some strange noises."

"Really?" Professor Kettleburn listened intently for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "It really is; the arguing sounds like it's coming from backstage."

At this point, he glanced worriedly at Professor Birley standing beside the stage.

"Drama is Herbert's greatest passion besides herbs; I hope nothing goes wrong with the theatrical productions he's in charge of on Christmas Eve."

Beside the stage, Professor Birley seemed to have also heard the argument backstage. His expression changed slightly, and then he hurriedly ran towards the actors' waiting area.

"It's time to go on stage! What are you guys doing?!" Professor Birley's somewhat exasperated voice could be faintly heard from backstage.

Fortunately, the professor's reprimand did have some effect.

The backstage area quieted down, and the actresses playing the three witches searching for the Fountain of Fortune — Asha, Amata, and Elfrida —came out one by one.

The three actresses were all senior witches, and after a semester of rehearsals, their acting skills were quite good. Apart from Asha and Amata not giving each other a friendly look, their performances in the other scenes were perfect.

The plot proceeded smoothly, and Professor Birley's expression on the side of the stage seemed to have relaxed, no longer as apprehensive as before.

As the story of "The Fountain of Fortune" unfolds, the three witches encounter an unlucky knight.

The unfortunate knight was played by a tall, handsome, senior wizard. After entering the stage, he glanced at Amata and, seeing her standing there expressionless, naturally walked over to Asha's side.

"I remember that the Unlucky Knight was brought into the garden at the foot of the Fountain of Fortune by Amata, so why didn't Amata do anything?" Professor Slughorn muttered to himself, looking at the Unlucky Knight's actions with a puzzled expression.

Xiwen had read the story of "The Fountain of Fortune" several times, and he vaguely remembered that the unlucky knight was brought into the garden through a crack in the wall behind the vines because of Amata's carelessness.

On stage, however, Amata seemed to completely ignore the unfortunate knight, standing coldly in place. Instead, the witch playing Asha affectionately took the unfortunate knight's arm and even gave Amata a defiant look.

"Um, does 'The Fountain of Fortune' have such a plot?" Xiwen asked in surprise.

"I guess there's something wrong between them..." Professor Slughorn said, his lips twitching, puzzled.

Xiwen couldn't help but glance at Professor Birley beside the stage, only to find that his face was so black it could drip ink...

The drama on stage continues. Regardless of the shady dealings between Asha, Amata, and the unlucky knight, the other witch Elfrida, remains very dedicated.

She acted out intense anger and recited her lines:

"Only one person can bathe in the Fountain of Fortune! Choosing one person from among us was difficult enough, and now there's another one!"

The unfortunate knight immediately feigned fear and uttered his line: "You, are you all witches?"

"Alright, I don't know magic, nor do I possess superior fighting or swordsmanship skills, nor do I have any talent that would make a non-magician stand out. In any case, I can't compare to you, so I choose to withdraw!"

His superb acting skills allowed him to portray inferiority and cowardice to the fullest extent; however, Asha's action of taking his arm made these lines lose their credibility.

Seeing the unlucky knight putting on such a spirited performance, Amata finally looked at him and fiercely recited her lines—

"Coward!" she scolded. "Draw your sword, knight, and help us reach our destination!"

The three then walked around the stage peacefully, and the stage setting was changed under Professor Kettleburn's manipulation.

The three witches and the poor knight boldly entered the enchanted garden.

However, a giant white earthworm was coiled at the foot of the hill. It was blind and its body was bloated.

As the four actors approached, it turned its filthy face to them and said, "Prove your pain to me."

This giant "earthworm" has a thin, grayish-white body and red eyes. The words spoken by the "earthworm" are voiced by Professor Kettleburn in the audience.

"No wonder the professor was so excited about this play, and even asked me to stay and watch his performance," Xiwen said with a sudden realization. "So he's not just in the props department, he actually has a line!"

However, Professor Slughorn, who was beside him, did not agree with Xiwen; he simply stared at the grayish-white "earthworm" with a serious expression.

Professor Birley, standing by the stage, exclaimed in disbelief, "An Ashwinder?! Waterfuck, Silvanus Kettleburn, what kind of earthworm did you give me?!"

Meanwhile, something also happened to the actors on stage!

The moment the "earthworm" appeared, Amata suddenly pulled her wand from inside her costume and swiftly cast a spell on Asha—

"Furnunculus!"

Asha collapsed to the ground, her face covered in unsightly bumps.

The unfortunate knight, watching his arm-in-arm being struck down by a curse, couldn't contain his rising rage and roared, "You madman! Look what you've done!"

"What's wrong? Now you know how to feel sorry for someone?" Amata asked fiercely. "Do you even remember that I was the one who used to make you feel this sorry for someone?!"

"Do you know what? I had prepared a special Christmas present for you, wanting to surprise you. But when I got to the Great Hall, I saw you kissing her under the mistletoe!"

"Do you know, when I saw that scene, that feeling was truly heartbreaking!"

"You're insane!" The unlucky knight drew his wand, pointing it at Amata face-to-face. "These are no excuses for attacking her!"

"Further words are useless," Amata retorted defiantly, even employing a theatrical line. "Coward! Use your spells, knight, and let me see how your spellcasting has improved since you left me!"

The two quickly engaged in a fierce duel.

Another actress playing Elfrida stood awkwardly beside the three. She also took out her wand, but didn't know how to break up the fight. So, while the two were battling, she quietly carried the actor playing Asha off the stage, intending to find medical personnel to break his curse.

"Enough!" Professor Birley shouted furiously, then rushed onto the stage, ready to forcibly end the duel between the two.

Just then, an unexpected event occurred!

A sudden burst of red light appeared in the eyes of the grayish-white "earthworm"!