Upon hearing this, Flitwick pushed open the door and went inside. McGonagall was standing by the window, her brow slightly furrowed. She turned around at the sound of footsteps, but before she could speak, Flitwick said, "It's not a dark wizard, it's Vampire. I heard it from Madam Rosmerta; she's seen Vampire with her own eyes, she can't be mistaken."
McGonagall's gaze lingered on his face for a moment, then turned to Percy standing in the doorway. "Close the gates to Hogsmeade immediately, and say it's my order."
Percy paused for a moment. "Just close the gates? What about those dark wizards—no, those Vampire?"
Flitwick answered McGonagall's question, "This is the best approach for now. After all, the Vampire themselves are innocent, and guilty Vampire wouldn't show their faces. We can only increase our vigilance for now."
Percy thought for a moment, then nodded. "Okay, I'll go right now." He turned and strode out, already calling out to the other Prefect to inform their respective houses as he walked down the corridor.
McGonagall turned to Flitwick, Flitwick reiterated the information he had received.
Flitwick recounted his observations from Hogsmeade: the people moved along the base of the walls, only in the shadows, and the air carried the smell of blood from multiple places, mixed with a kind of animalistic stench, stronger than that of bats, somewhat like Werewolf.
McGonagall was silent for a moment, then said, " Professor Flitwick, could you please gather all the professors currently on campus in my office?"
Flitwick responded and quickly walked out.
McGonagall stood by the window and glanced in the direction of Hogsmeade one last time. The streets in the distance were quiet and peaceful in the afternoon sun, showing no signs of anything unusual. But the large number of Vampire gathered here certainly meant they weren't there for tourism.
She turned and picked up the quill pen from the ink bottle on the table, as if to write something, but quickly put it down again. Then she turned and walked out of the office, heading towards Hogsmeade herself, wanting to get the students back first, and then arrange other things after the professors were all there.
Professor McGonagall was very glad that she had gone to Hogsmeade and personally brought George and Fred back; otherwise, given Percy's personality, he probably wouldn't have been able to handle those two mischievous boys at all.
She checked the side doors leading from the castle to Hogsmeade along the way, making sure each one was locked, before hurrying back to her office.
The professors who were still on campus had all gathered, and the office was much livelier than usual. However, no one knew why they had been suddenly called to the meeting, and discussions arose one after another.
Professor Flitwick, who knew the inside story, hadn't returned yet, so no one could give a definitive answer.
Quirrell and Divination Professor Trelawney were chatting by the window. Quirrell mentioned his plans to travel to Romania during his vacation. "There are quite a few traces of dark magic activities there. I want to go and see for myself, gain some experience, and prepare more lesson plans for the Dark Magic Defence Class."
Trelawney's face paled visibly upon hearing this, and his voice trembled as he lightly pressed his temple. "Oh, that's dangerous... I see dark clouds gathering before your destiny seat. Those clouds are heavy and slow, and your starlight is being swallowed up, flickering uncertainly, like a candle that could be extinguished at any moment."
As she spoke, she closed her eyes and shook her head, as if she had truly seen something ominous.
Quirrell, seeing her expression, maintained a polite smile despite his skepticism, "Well, I'll seriously consider it. Maybe I'll change my mind and go to Durmstrang for further studies; their research on Dark Magic is indeed very in-depth."
Trelawney opened his eyes and looked directly at him, his tone even harsher than before. "You must think this through carefully. A dark cloud has been hanging over your destiny star; I've never seen such a heavy shadow."
At that moment Flitwick and McGonagall walked in together.
As Flitwick walked, he quickly reported, "I haven't had time to inform Hagrid yet; he lives too far away. I've already notified all the professors in the castle."
McGonagall nodded, her tone concise. " Hagrid, don't worry, Vampire and such can't harm him. I'll let you know later, Hagrid. After all, he can't use magic, and magic is more convenient for protecting the students."
Quirrell stood in the crowd, and when he heard the word " Vampire," his eyes lit up slightly, though not visibly.
His sensitivity to this word was clearly higher than that of the other professors present, after all, the experience on the train was still vivid in his mind.
McGonagall glanced at the professors present and cut to the chase. "A large number of Vampire have gathered at Hogsmeade, and it seems there are Werewolf mixed in as well. The school is closed during this period; students are not allowed to leave the school, and professors should not leave either, to prevent Vampire, or others, from invading the school."
Upon hearing this, Quirrell immediately raised his hand, his voice clear. "Although the main gates are closed, and the castle's own magic can indeed monitor intruders, the Forbidden Forest is a vast, open area where anyone can easily scale over. Those Vampire from Hogsmeade can enter the Forbidden Forest at any time and then seize the opportunity to sneak into the school."
McGonagall shook her head slightly. " The Forbidden Forest isn't a hunting ground that just anyone can enter. The Centaur protect their own habitat. Besides, Dumbledore has set up magic around the edge of the Forbidden Forest to prevent dangerous creatures from entering the school grounds. In addition, Hagrid lives on the edge of the Forbidden Forest and guards it."
Quirrell paused for a moment, as if organizing his thoughts, then spoke again, his voice soft but clear. " Hagrid is keeping several Vampire in the Forbidden Forest, one of whom is some kind of elder. If those Vampire ' goal is to rescue him, then the defenses at the edge of the Forbidden Forest might not be enough."
McGonagall abruptly turned to look at him, her eyes seeming to have been stabbed by something. Her expression instantly shifted from composure to undisguised anger. It's understandable that she was furious, after all, this concerned the safety of the students.
Seeing her expression, Quirrell quickly added, "It was arranged by Headmaster Dumbledore, so there shouldn't be any problems."
The atmosphere in the meeting room eased for a moment, like a taut string being loosened halfway.
It was arranged by Headmaster Dumbledore, so there shouldn't be any major problems.
But McGonagall's brow remained furrowed, the hem of her dark green robe swaying slightly as she turned. Her voice was low but clear. "I'll ask Dumbledore and Hagrid about this."
Professor Kettleburn listened for a while, scratched the back of his head, and interjected, "Actually, keeping them in the Forbidden Forest isn't a big deal. There are plenty of dangerous creatures in the Forbidden Forest, like eight-legged spiders, so compared to those Vampire, they're relatively well-behaved."
Hearing this, McGonagall turned to look at him, her gaze carrying a knowing "I knew it was you involved" quality.
That's right, dangerous Fantastic Beasts like these couldn't possibly be without Professor Kettleburn's involvement.