Chapter 1054: The Enhanced Poltergeist
Chapter 1054: The Enhanced Poltergeist
Come evening, a student suddenly rushed into the Great Hall, shouting at the top of his lungs to his peers who were dining, "Big news, big news! The Ministry of Magic has sent Aurors, and they're right outside!"
The students, who had been enjoying their dinner, paused with their utensils in hand and looked up at the shouting student. Even the professors, who had been conversing in hushed tones, stopped their discussions and turned their attention to the commotion.
"What's going on?" someone asked, voicing the curiosity of everyone present.
"I just saw Umbridge bringing in several Aurors from the Ministry," the boy panted, still catching his breath. "I wonder what she's up to, inviting them here."
"Are you sure they're Aurors from the Ministry?" someone else asked skeptically.
"What are they doing here instead of capturing escaped Dark wizards?" another student angrily added.
At this point, it was clear to everyone that Umbridge had, for some unknown reason, summoned a group of helpers from the Ministry. Many students picked up their slices of bread and joined the crowd, curious to see what Umbridge was up to.
"What do you think she's planning?"
Fred, George, and Lee Jordan glanced anxiously at Albert, seeking his insight into the situation.
Albert, looking up from his meal and noticing Professor McGonagall's furrowed brow as she headed out of the Great Hall, replied, "Umbridge coming here in such a rush can't be a good sign. She's probably here to deal with Peeves. Let's finish up quickly."
"Deal with Peeves?"
The trio heaved a sigh of relief, realizing that Albert's assessment meant that Umbridge's actions were not directed at them. However, they didn't hold back on voicing their disdain for Umbridge's unsportsmanlike conduct.
Recently, Peeves had been a constant thorn in Umbridge's side, harassing her relentlessly outside of class hours. He would even hum the 'Umbridge Song' as he trailed after her.
Whenever Umbridge tried to speak, Peeves would make all sorts of noises to interrupt her.
Umbridge had considered seeking Dumbledore's help with the Peeves problem, but unfortunately, the headmaster was often absent from Hogwarts, either due to prior engagements or other unknown reasons.
"I hope Peeves will be alright," one of them voiced their concern.
None of them wanted to see Peeves expelled by Umbridge, as he had become a valuable ally in their efforts to counter her.
After a shared glance, the trio prepared to join the other students in leaving the Great Hall to see what the commotion was all about.
"Aren't you coming?" Lee Jordan asked, looking at Albert.
"Wait up!" Albert finished off the last of his potatoes and grabbed a slice of bread before joining the crowd leaving the hall.
"What should we do?" George whispered.
"We'll play it by ear," Albert advised. "If the situation allows, we'll help Peeves take down those Aurors for good. Just try not to be discovered; your Disguise Spells aren't exactly subtle."
Albert then cast a quick spell on the three of them.
"Aren't you coming?"
"I'm going to check out the situation over there first." Albert pointed in the direction where the students had gone.
"Alright, see you later."
As Albert finished his bread, he approached the corridor ahead and heard Professor McGonagall's irritated voice drifting from around the corner, "What is the meaning of this ruckus!"
It was no wonder that Professor McGonagall was upset. It sounded like the wizards were engaged in some sort of battle, as chaotic noises reverberated through the castle.
As Albert drew closer to the corner where the crowd had gathered, he heard Umbridge's reedy voice explain, "The Aurors are expelling Peeves. That creature has been disrupting the normal functioning of Hogwarts."
"Why didn't you discuss this with Dumbledore first?" Professor McGonagall glared at Professor Umbridge.
"I would have loved to consult him, but as the headmaster is not currently at the school, I had no choice but to involve the Ministry's Aurors. I will, of course, discuss this with the headmaster when he returns, and also..."
"Here comes another one!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed in frustration.
"Indeed," Umbridge replied with a fake smile. "I cannot tolerate..."
"This is no easy task," Professor Flitwick interrupted Umbridge.
"What?" Umbridge fixed her stare on Professor Flitwick.
"Throughout the ages, many witches and wizards have tried to get rid of Peeves, but none have succeeded," Professor Flitwick explained, unfazed by Umbridge's malicious gaze.
They were about to witness firsthand just how troublesome Peeves could be.
In truth, the Aurors that Umbridge had summoned were no match for Peeves, especially with Albert's assistance. Peeves had not only acquired a large number of prank items from the Weasley twins but had also obtained various exclusive items from Albert himself.
The current Peeves could be described as a formidable force. In the face of the Ministry's Aurors, he not only held his own but also managed to humiliate them thoroughly.
At the far end of the corridor, where the crowd's gaze was fixed, a patch of darkness that not even light could penetrate suddenly drifted into view.
As everyone discussed how Peeves had managed to accomplish such a feat, a miserable figure suddenly burst out of the black fog. It was an Auror from the Ministry of Magic, but he looked rather pathetic, covered in a layer of dung and eggs, with his face and hair smeared with colorful paint. He tumbled and crawled into view, as if something terrifying was chasing him.
The next moment, Peeves appeared before them, brandishing a mop handle and smacking the unfortunate Auror on his back.
What made the scene even more comical was that the Auror slipped and fell forward for some unknown reason, landing flat on his face. Peeves then proceeded to whack him on the bottom with the mop handle.
Soon after, several more Aurors rushed out of the black smoke, only to inexplicably slip and fall on the corridor floor, their bodies slamming into the marble with a loud smacking sound. One of the Aurors even lost his grip on his wand.
Before these Aurors could get back on their feet, Peeves was humming lightly and swinging his mop handle at their heads. Each of them was struck a few times, seeing stars and writhing in pain on the floor.
The sight of Peeves effortlessly taking down a group of Aurors left the onlookers at the end of the corridor stunned. They had never imagined that Peeves could be so fierce, single-handedly toying with a group of Aurors.
Even Professor McGonagall had her mouth hanging open, staring at the scene in disbelief.
"Did you know this was going to happen?" Hermione appeared at Albert's side, her eyes fixed on the spectacle before them.
Harry and Ron abandoned their thoughts of helping Peeves and turned to Albert, their expressions serious.
If this incident wasn't somehow orchestrated by Albert, they would never believe that Peeves could play a group of Aurors like fools.
Upon seeing Peeves thoroughly thrash the Aurors she had summoned, Umbridge was equally astonished, her mouth hanging open in shock. But when she snapped out of her daze and tried to escape, she found the corridor completely blocked by a large group of students.
"Move aside! Move aside, all of you!" Umbridge shouted angrily.
However, her demands fell on deaf ears.
"Professor, there are people behind us," Harry said expressionlessly, standing tall and making sure Umbridge saw the toad badge on his chest.
"You...!"
Umbridge glared at the badge on Harry's chest, and then her eyes widened further as she noticed that most of the students present were wearing similar toad badges, all staring at her with malicious smiles. This sight sent a chill down Umbridge's spine, leaving her speechless.
It was unclear if the corridor was too crowded or if the students from the Anti-Toad League simply refused to let Umbridge slip away, but the fact was that Umbridge was unable to escape and was now the target of Peeves' mischief.
The mischievous creature hummed the Toad Song as he whacked Umbridge's head with the mop handle, a malicious glint in his eyes.
Several nearby students quickly crouched down, afraid of becoming collateral damage.
"Well done!"
Someone shouted in encouragement.
"Beat her up!"
"Kill the toad!"
The Aurors that Umbridge had brought were of no help to her now, as they had fallen victim to Fred, George, and Lee Jordan's schemes.
Even if they wanted to rush over and stop Peeves, it would be impossible.
Since the start of the Defense Association, quite a few students had learned the Stunning Spell, and with the crowd as cover, it was easy to take down those Aurors without anyone noticing.
Today, no one would stop them from watching Umbridge get her comeuppance, and any attempt to interfere with Peeves would be met with resistance.
Everyone watched with glee as Peeves beat Umbridge with the mop handle.
No one offered to help her, and no one dared to stop him.
As for Filch, who had been swayed by Umbridge, he was still stuck to the corridor floor, unable to move! "Kill the toad! Kill the toad! Kill the toad!"
The chorus of voices rang out in the corridor, and more and more students displayed their toad badges, leaving Professor McGonagall speechless.
"What... what are you doing?" she sputtered, turning to Professor Flitwick for answers.
Professor Flitwick shook his head at Professor McGonagall, indicating that she should not interfere.
The Slytherin students, too, dared not get involved. They watched in shock as Umbridge was pinned down and struck, the chorus of "Kill the toad!" ringing in their ears.
However, the final "Kill the toad!" turned into a cheerful rendition of the Toad Song. Although the singing was not in unison, everyone joined in, their voices drowning out Umbridge's screams. It was as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
In the end, Umbridge was knocked unconscious by Peeves' relentless blows and was sent to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, along with the Aurors who had also been knocked out.
I've had a lot on my plate these past few days, but I'll do my best to keep the updates coming.
(End of Chapter)
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