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Chapter 28: The Halloween Feast
Chapter 28: The Halloween Feast
"Today, we will be learning simple biological transfiguration, which is more complex than regular object transfiguration. I need you all to pay extra attention—"
Professor McGonagall lectured at the front of the class as chalk automatically wrote out key points on the blackboard.
"Now, who can tell me how many dangerous aspects there are to biological transfiguration?"
The classroom remained quiet, unlike the usual scenario where a hand would shoot up eagerly. After a while, someone reluctantly raised their hand.
"Miss Mandy Brocklehurst?" Professor McGonagall encouraged, looking at her.
Ravenclaw's Mandy Brocklehurst stood up. "There are four. First, incomplete transfiguration can cause great stimulation to the creature, which may lead it to attack the wizard. Second..."
Victor craned his neck to scan the classroom but couldn't spot the familiar brown-haired figure, although the rest of the Gryffindors were present.
He turned to Michael beside him and asked, "Have you seen Hermione?"
Michael also looked around, speculating, "Maybe she's not feeling well and is resting in the dormitory? Professor McGonagall doesn't seem concerned, either."
His words made sense, but Victor still felt uneasy for some reason.
At that moment, Professor McGonagall's stern gaze fell upon them, and the two boys immediately shut their mouths and refrained from speaking further.
As the class ended, students poured out of the room. Victor made his way through the crowded corridor and found Harry and Ron.
"Excuse me, Potter, Weasley."
Seeing Victor walking straight towards them, Ron unconsciously took a step back. "W-what is it, Crabbe?"
"Have you seen Hermione?" Victor asked. "Why wasn't she in Transfiguration class?"
Harry instinctively glanced at Ron, whose face betrayed a hint of unease. "How should I know? We're not exactly close with Granger!" he said defensively.
Victor narrowed his eyes slightly, fixing his gaze on Ron's eyes.
Ron lowered his eyes, avoiding his stare, and tugged at Harry beside him. "If you don't have anything else, we're off to rest!" he said, trying to sound intimidating.
He pulled Harry away, but a voice suddenly called out from behind—
"Harry Potter!"
Harry turned to see Victor staring at him intently. "You really don't know what happened?"
Under Victor's gaze, Harry felt as though he were being exposed to the scorching sun, his mouth turning dry.
He wanted to defend his friends, but he couldn't bring himself to lie.
"Hermione... she cried after Charms class," Harry finally whispered. "We haven't seen her since—I'm sorry."
Ron finally pulled him away, leaving Victor standing there, motionless, his brow furrowed in thought.
However, time had locked away the memories, and he couldn't recall anything significant no matter how hard he tried to remember.
"They probably had a fight," Michael said knowingly. "Hermione's a bit too serious, so it's not surprising if she clashed with those Gryffindors. Let's go. She's not going to miss the Halloween feast as well. We can ask her about it later."
Victor nodded.
Not far behind them, Padma tapped her fingers thoughtfully before quickly catching up with her twin sister, Parvati, and whispering something in her ear.
In the evening, the Great Hall had been transformed. Gigantic pumpkins floated below the ceiling, and colorful skulls adorned the walls. Countless bats flew and danced in the hall, sometimes gathering to swoop past like dark clouds, causing the flames in the pumpkins to flicker and dance.
The feast had not yet begun, but the students from the four houses had already filled up most of the space. The professors arrived one after another, with Dumbledore even donning a festive costume for the occasion—a pumpkin-colored robe with a bat-patterned hat, chatting cheerfully with Professor McGonagall by his side.
Victor scanned the Gryffindor table, but the lions were too rowdy. The Weasley twins were leading a group of boys, running back and forth, with occasional bursts of laughter and shouts. Victor stared for a long time but still couldn't spot Hermione among them.
Just then, someone tapped him on the shoulder, and before he turned, a faint fragrance reached his nose.
Padma squeezed past Anthony, who had been sitting next to Victor, and leaned in to say, "I know where Granger went."
"She's not attending the feast?" Victor asked.
"No," Padma pushed a strand of hair aside and whispered, "Pavati said—oh, you know, Pavati is my sister in Gryffindor—she said that after Charms class, that Weasley guy said something bad about Granger, calling her a nightmare or something."
"Ron Weasley?" Michael leaned in, surprised. "He's got guts—I mean, didn't Hermione hex him right away?"
"She cried, she cried a lot in the bathroom," Padma emphasized. "She was really sad and didn't let anyone comfort her. Pavati helped her skip Transfiguration class this afternoon. I just went to the bathroom area, and Granger is still in there."
"I'll go take a look." Victor stood up immediately.
"I'll take you there," Padma offered kindly.
"But the feast is about to start, and I skipped lunch for this," Michael grumbled, seeing Victor stride out of the Great Hall. Finally, he sighed and stood up, jogging to catch up.
As students continued to arrive in the Great Hall, a few who went against the flow stood out. At the Gryffindor table, Harry spotted Victor leaving the hall. He had been immersed in the festive atmosphere of Halloween and had completely forgotten about the previous incident, but now it was like a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head, and the memory instantly resurfaced.
"Ron!" Harry grabbed his friend's arm and asked, "Isn't Hermione back yet?"
Ron, who was looking forward to the feast, didn't pay much attention. "I think so—what's up?"
"I just saw Crabbe and the others leave—are they going to look for Hermione?" Harry said.
"Maybe, Granger gets along with them pretty well. Anyway, they've gone to look for her, so you don't have to worry," Ron said nonchalantly.
He was truly fed up with Hermione's lectures—although he had felt a bit guilty when he saw her tears, that guilt had long since faded, replaced by a deeper aversion to her constant condescending attitude.
"But—" Harry hesitated. "They're all from Ravenclaw, but Hermione is in Gryffindor with us!"
A bat, controlled by Fred's wand, landed on Ron's head, causing an eruption of laughter. Ron was busy shooing away the bat and didn't catch what Harry said.
Harry hesitated for a moment but ultimately left his seat before the feast began and ran out of the Great Hall. Dumbledore and Snape almost simultaneously turned their gazes, watching him leave.
(End of Chapter)
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