Everyday Life of a Top Student at Hogwarts

Chapter 165 The Story of Change

Chapter 165 The Story of Change

On Halloween, Hogwarts was transformed into a bizarre and magical carnival. The pumpkin lanterns in the corridors grinned, their flames dancing more merrily; the number of magical bats seemed to have doubled, swarming overhead and eliciting screams and laughter; singing skeletons writhed in the corners; and the wandering ghosts were ten times more active than usual. Nick almost twisted his own head off to use as a ball, but he couldn't get it off.

The atmosphere before the banquet reached its peak. Students, dressed in all sorts of costumes, some terrifying, some comical, poured into the Great Hall from their dormitories. Some were dressed as vampires, some as Dementors, and some as Professor Snape—the effect was extremely frightening, and they were quickly discovered and penalized by the actual Snape. The laughter, shouts, and screams nearly lifted the roof off the castle.

Karen ultimately chose the simplest silver half-face mask, covering the upper half of his face and revealing only his grey-blue eyes and chin. Holding the camera he'd received earlier, he weaved through the bustling crowd, occasionally raising the camera to capture these moments of pure joy at Hogwarts: a group of first-years wearing pointed hats, making faces at each other; a mountain of candy piled beside the Hufflepuff table; Peeves trying to stuff rotten eggs into a floating jack-o'-lantern, only to be terrified by a single glance from Barrow the Bloody. He planned to send these photos home later so Lily and her parents could also experience the festive charm of Halloween in the wizarding world.

Although he was taking photos, his gaze kept unconsciously drifting towards the teachers' section. Professor McGonagall wore a pointed black wizard's hat that perfectly suited her style. Professor Snape was still dressed in black robes, his face more somber than usual, as if the surrounding joy was a desecration to him. Professor Flitwick stood beside his high stool, seemingly discussing something with Professor Sprout, his small face also beaming with festive joy. Hagrid's massive figure had not yet appeared. And at Professor Quirrell's location, Cullen's pupils contracted slightly.

Quirrell was there! He was huddled in his seat, his signature purple hood wrapped tightly around his head, seemingly even tighter than usual. He kept his head down, his shoulders slightly hunched, trying desperately to minimize his presence, his fingers nervously stirring the pumpkin juice in front of him. In Karen's observation, the weak and chaotic yellow magical energy within Quirrell, representing his own will, was now being relentlessly suppressed by another, cold, viscous, and maliciously purplish-black magical energy, making it almost impossible for him to breathe. The latter, like a coiled venomous snake, exuded restlessness and a subtle unease; Voldemort clearly sensed something as well.

At the height of the excitement and commotion, Fred's voice rang out from a corner of the Gryffindor table: "Let's do it!" It was filled with barely suppressed excitement.

"To save the professor!" George's voice followed immediately.

call out!call out!call out!

Several fist-sized, transparent liquid filled with a murky, pungent liquid, seemed to be drawn by invisible threads, suddenly shooting up from behind the Gryffindor table! They traced several tricky arcs, shooting with unparalleled precision towards the cowering figure in the teachers' seat!

Fred and George had clearly practiced countless times, their coordination was flawless. Two of the balloons went straight for his face and chest, while the remaining water balloons aimed directly at Quirrell's tightly wrapped head, and George even tried to use a levitation charm to tear it off!

Everything happened in the blink of an eye!

"What?!" Quirrell's terrified scream instantly drowned out the noise in the auditorium! He instinctively tried to dodge, but then paused, and then leaned back like a wolf, overturning the chair with a loud crash.

puff!puff!puff!

The water balloons exploded almost simultaneously!

An extremely pungent odor exploded and spread instantly! It was a terrible smell, a mixture of strong chemical cleaners, cheap perfume, rotting plants, and extracts from some kind of animal gland! Thick white smoke accompanied by liquid splattering!

"Aaaaaah!" Quirrell's screams changed as he flailed his arms in vain, trying to disperse the thick smoke and pungent smell. More liquid splashed onto his robe and turban. Although Quirrell frantically blocked the water droplets aimed at his turban with his arms, a considerable amount of liquid still spilled onto it, completely soaking it.

Just as the balloon burst and the liquid splashed onto Quirrell, especially the turban, Karen, who had been closely watching Quirrell, clearly saw the purplish-black magical energy within Quirrell, representing Voldemort, erupt like boiling oil after a stone has been thrown in, suddenly unleashing an extremely violent surge of magical energy! Karen's hand, holding the camera, trembled involuntarily! She thought Voldemort was about to lose control, but then he retreated back into the depths of his turban, while Quirrell's weakened magical energy was shattered by the impact.

All that remained was pure fear and chaos.

It's clear that Voldemort was also furious about the twins' pranks. But what should Quirrell and Voldemort do next? If they don't create chaos on Halloween to attract Dumbledore's attention, when is he planning to investigate the Philosopher's Stone?

Crack!

Karen instinctively pressed the shutter. The camera made a slight mechanical sound, freezing the moment when Professor Quirrell was enveloped in thick smoke and acrid liquid, looking disheveled and screaming in terror.

"Cough cough cough!"

"Ugh! What's that smell?!"

The entire auditorium erupted in chaos! Students near the teachers' seats were choked by the pungent odor, their eyes watering and coughing violently, and they retreated in alarm. Those further away stared in disbelief at the sudden scene, then burst into even louder laughter, screams, and coughing. The scene was utterly chaotic.

"Fred Weasley! George Weasley!" Professor McGonagall's scream nearly pierced the eardrums. She jumped to her feet, her face pale with anger, wand already drawn, pointing at the source of the chaos: the Weasley twins, hiding behind the crowd and forcing a smile. "Stop right now! Put them in solitary confinement! One month! No, two months!"

She waved her wand, trying to dispel the thick, acrid smoke and smell. Professor Snape, disgusted, covered his mouth and nose with his robe sleeve, looking at the twins with eyes as cold as if they were two slugs. Professor Flitwick stood on his high stool, his small face full of shock and helplessness; clearly, his "little surprise" had been completely stolen by this "big surprise" before it even began.

Just as Professor McGonagall was trying to dispel the smoke with a spell, Professor Snape seemed about to get up to grab the twins, and the Great Hall was filled with coughs, laughter, and shouts—

The auditorium doors were flung open! Hagrid's massive figure, like a moving hill, burst in, bringing with it the chill of the night! His face, covered by a thick beard, was now flushed red. He completely ignored the chaos and pungent smell before him, his enormous body forcing its way through the disordered students, charging recklessly toward the teachers' seats!

"Professor Dumbledore!" Hagrid's booming voice, filled with undisguised urgency, drowned out the noise of the Great Hall. He rushed to Dumbledore, his massive body bending down to whisper rapidly in Dumbledore's ear, his finger still trembling as he pointed towards the darkness outside the castle! His expression was extremely anxious!

Dumbledore, who had initially looked somewhat helpless and prepared to handle this farce, changed his expression after Hagrid whispered a few words...

Freeze instantly!

Dumbledore suddenly stood up! The elderly figure instantly exuded a powerful sense of oppression, causing the students nearby to involuntarily stop coughing and making noise.

"Quiet!" Dumbledore's voice wasn't particularly loud, but it instantly silenced all the noise in the Great Hall like a resounding bell! Every syllable clearly reached everyone's ears, carrying an undeniable authority.

The entire auditorium fell silent instantly. Everyone stared in astonishment at the principal, who had suddenly unleashed such a powerful aura.

Dumbledore didn't look at anyone else. His sharp gaze swept across the teachers' table, lingering for a very brief moment on Quirrell, who was still gagging from the pungent smell, before quickly turning to Professor McGonagall: "Minerva, this is yours!" His words were rapid and left no room for argument.

Then, his gaze swept over Snape as if it were a tangible object. Professor Snape stood up almost simultaneously, his black robes billowing.

His face was ashen, and he gave Dumbledore a barely perceptible nod, as if a silent agreement had been reached between them in an instant.

Dumbledore didn't linger, nor did he even descend the steps of the teachers' table. He strode forward with a speed beyond his years, past the stunned students, and headed straight for the Great Hall doors!

Just as Dumbledore was about to step out the door, Professor Quirrell, who had been huddled in his seat, seized the opportunity amidst the chaos and with everyone's attention focused on Dumbledore, and suddenly sprang to his feet! His face was still covered in a pungent liquid.

His head was soaking wet, making him look even more disheveled, but at this moment he no longer concealed his agility. With his head down, like a frightened mouse, he quickly and silently slipped off the teachers' table, trying to blend into the crowd and slip away towards a side door leading into the castle, different from Dumbledore's!

However, he was fast, but someone was faster!

Like a bat lurking in the shadows, Professor Snape's black figure silently blocked Quirrell's path like a ghost! His tall figure completely enveloped Quirrell, and only a pale hand was visible under his black robe, tightly gripping Quirrell's sleeve with such force that Quirrell cried out in pain.

Snape lowered his head slightly, bringing his lips close to Quirrell's ear, as if he were saying something in a voice only the two of them could hear.

Quirrell's body stiffened instantly, his face turned ashen, and his eyes were filled with despair and fear. He didn't even dare to struggle anymore.

Snape, like an escorting prisoner, half-dragged, half-brooked the trembling Quirrell and quickly disappeared into the shadows of the side door leading into the castle. The whole process was astonishingly fast; apart from Cullen and a few students who happened to see it, most people's attention was still on Dumbledore, who had suddenly left his seat.

"What...what's going on?" Wesley's eyes widened in utter disgust.

"Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor Snape," Fabian's voice was tinged with nervousness.

Ernesto's face was grave, and he said in a low voice, "Something big has happened, and it's definitely related to the Forbidden Forest."

Cullen didn't reply, but was thinking. Hagrid's anxiety, Dumbledore's hasty departure, Snape's "escort" of Quirrell—what exactly happened tonight? The plot had indeed changed.

Professor McGonagall took a deep breath, suppressing her shock and worry, and tried to regain control of the situation: "All prefects!"

"Maintain order! Students of all colleges, return to your respective common rooms immediately! The banquet is temporarily canceled! Go back immediately! Do not linger outside!" Her voice remained authoritative.

The auditorium erupted in chaos, but no one dared to question it. The prefects began to give loud instructions, and the students, filled with doubt, a hint of panic, and bewilderment at the chaotic farce that had just occurred, began to leave their seats in disarray.

Karen did not immediately follow the crowd. He hurried back to a high window in the Ravenclaw Tower that faced the Forbidden Forest.

Wesley, Fabian, and Ernesto followed immediately.

Outside the window, a bright, flickering orange-red light pierced the darkness in the depths of the once incredibly dark Forbidden Forest!

And the surrounding area is the second point! The third point!

The flames spread and rose rapidly! In the distant heart of the Forbidden Forest, towards the oak forest region, an ominous fire was burning and spreading in the darkness!

"Fire!" Fabian cried out in a terrified voice.

Wesley gasped. "The Forbidden Forest is on fire?!"

Ernesto's face paled with shock, illuminated by the firelight streaming through the window. "Could this be related to what we discovered last time?"

Karen stared intently at the flames leaping and engulfing the forest in the darkness. The pungent smell of cleaning agents seemed to still linger in her nostrils. Quirrell's disheveled state, Dumbledore's fury, Snape's coldness, Hagrid's urgency—all these images intertwined with the flames burning in the Forbidden Forest before her.

The Halloween festivities came to an abrupt end, leaving only a deathly silent auditorium, students leaving in disarray, professors with somber expressions, and the Forbidden Forest fire burning silently in the darkness outside the window, foreshadowing an even greater storm.