Chapter 141: Peeves
Chapter 141: Peeves
Felix stayed in the office until noon, then headed to the Great Hall, famished.
He didn't sit at the staff table but chose a random student long table instead. A few young wizards nearby were discussing the morning's events.
"In just one morning, Peeves attacked Slytherin students in the Great Hall, knocked over a statue in the corridor, smeared mud on the armor, and scribbled all over the ceiling..." one student counted off Peeves' misdeeds on his fingers.
"I bet he spent the whole day yesterday thinking about how to celebrate, which is why he's been so efficient today."
Felix listened from the side. At that moment, a few Slytherin students entered, their faces contorted with anger. Even from several seats away, Felix could hear their indignant complaints clearly.
"…It's outrageous, he even caused chaos in the common room! We have to tell Professor Snape…"
Their voices faded as they moved away.
Felix left the Great Hall, intending to visit Belby, but found his office door locked.
As he was about to leave, he saw Belby's tall, thin figure approaching, looking cheerful.
"Damocles."
"Oh, Felix, you're looking for me? I was at Professor Snape's office; the improvement of the Wolfsbane Potion is going well…" Belby said enthusiastically.
They exchanged a few pleasantries, and Belby suggested, "Why don't we grab a drink?"
Felix readily agreed.
"Please wait a moment, I need to tidy up a bit…" Belby mumbled. They entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts office, which was quite different from when Lockhart was in charge.
It was more similar to Snape's office—large cabinets lined the walls, each filled with various bottles and jars. A long table held a row of glass vials and a cauldron.
One cauldron was simmering over an orange fire, its mouth emitting steam. Felix glanced at it; the contents were a creamy substance, but the color was an unpleasant dark green.
"Is this some kind of topical ointment?"
"Exactly, it's highly effective for the large boils caused by the Knockback Jinx. I discussed it with Madam Pomfrey; she's a treasure trove of knowledge about potions for minor injuries and ailments."
Felix nodded in agreement. "I couldn't agree more, Damocles." He had noticed this during his school days.
Belby lifted a curtain in the corner, revealing two metal cages. Two Redcaps were sleeping quietly inside.
But when he took out two small glass vials, they immediately opened their eyes and started chirping loudly, their claws gripping the cage bars.
Felix could almost read the 'desire' on their gaunt faces.
Belby made a sound, and the Redcaps immediately quieted, pressing their heads against the cage and opening their mouths wide.
He poured the bright red liquid from the vials into their mouths, and the Redcaps looked utterly content, their bodies swaying as if drunk.
Afterward, Belby covered the cages again, then joined Felix and added two green leaves to the cauldron, tapping its edge with his wand. The dark green substance began to swirl.
"Done. Let's go", Belby said.
As they descended the stairs to the ground floor, they saw a few Slytherin first-years running in a disheveled state. They had their hoods pulled up to hide their heads, trying to avoid the chalk pieces flying everywhere.
"Oh, ten, ten, fantastic, a perfect score!" A small figure that looked like a gnome was flipping through the air, chasing after something, and waving its tiny hands.
"Peeves."
Peeves stopped, turning to look at the two professors beside him. "Oh, I didn't see you~ These little ones caught all my attention..." He glared with evil eyes and unnaturally tugged at his pointed hat.
Felix waved his wand, making Peeves' pointed hat fly into his hand. "This isn't yours, is it, Peeves?"
A Slytherin boy stepped forward and whispered, "It's, it's mine, Professor."
Peeves glared fiercely at him. "Master Peeves will remember you!"
The young Slytherin wizard was startled, his hand halfway extended, and his expression was hesitant.
Felix waved his wand again, and a silver light struck Peeves. His eyes became unfocused, and he floated lightly, muttering, "No, I hate classes!"
"Don't pull my hair..."
"I hate History of Magic!"
"Why can he get the highest grade!"
The young Slytherin wizards watched Felix in awe, even Belby's eyes widened in surprise—he could handle Peeves, but this effect was quite unnerving.
Peeves seemed to have split into countless thoughts, each from different people.
"Don't look at me like that. It's just a simple Confundus Charm, making him think he just came into being", Felix explained.
"Is there more to it?" Belby asked, though he didn't believe it was just a simple Confundus Charm.
"Peeves is a special ghost, or more accurately, a Poltergeist. He came into existence with the founding of Hogwarts, but only took on a distinct form once the school began enrolling large numbers of students, fueled by their playful moods and the scattered magic."
The students who had just been chased listened quietly, exchanging excited glances.
"Will he stay like this?" Belby asked.
"No, he'll recover in a week at most, though the process won't be pleasant... I thought he would remember this feeling", Felix said regretfully.
"Professor, is there any way to... help?" the young wizard whose hat was stolen asked.
But Felix seemed not to hear. He looked at Belby with a puzzled expression. "Do you think we should tell the young wizards that the Tongue-Tying Curse can also affect ghosts?"
"Probably not, it might cause some trouble for the ghosts..." Belby replied, playing along.
"The ghosts in the castle are very friendly. If any young wizard dares to use it on a ghost, they'll be in detention for a whole year", Felix said.
Belby's eyes twitched. Are you serious?
The few Slytherin students were also shocked. They said nervously, "Professor, we'll leave now."
"Here's your hat." Felix tossed the pointed hat to him.
"Thank you, Professor!" The young wizard thanked him and was pulled away by his friends.
As they ran, they couldn't help but discuss the two professors' conversation. Felix could vaguely hear them talking about the "Tongue-Tying Curse" and "It's taught in Dueling Class..."
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(End of Chapter)
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