December 1.
After a day and two nights of raging snowstorms, England was blanketed in silver and white.
The dreamlike white Hogwarts Castle looked like a kingdom from a fairy tale. Some young wizards threw open their windows as soon as they got up, without even putting on their robes.
At the sight of the world of ice and snow outside, they cheered, grabbed their thick coats, and raced out.
Then they began pelting one another with snowballs to their hearts' content.
The mischievous ones, such as the Weasley twins, even made entire piles of snowballs.
They carried them into the common room and unleashed a furious barrage on the students preparing for independent study.
"Haha, Lee, take this!"
"Ah! George, get back here! It took me ages to get my hair like this!"
"Hahaha..."
More and more laughter filled the grounds.
These little troublemakers only dared to be so brazen because they knew the Chief, the Headmaster, and several of the strictest professors were all away from Hogwarts that day.
Naturally, they were like wild horses set loose.
Neville, the head of the disciplinary inspection team, had intended to take some people to round them up, but Hermione stopped him when she happened to come looking for him.
Hermione pursed her lips, looking remarkably like a second Professor McGonagall.
"Let them have a little more fun.
"Sigh, the wizarding world, especially England, might have some oppressive, difficult years ahead."
Neville knew what Hermione meant, and his gaze instinctively turned toward Hogsmeade.
His stern, round face stiffened further, but then he spoke with great confidence.
"We're following in the Chief's footsteps, walking the right path. Under his wise leadership, we'll cut through all the darkness and filth in this world!"
Seeing Neville so serious, rattling off all those polished phrases,