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Chapter 294: The Halloween Feast
Chapter 294: The Halloween Feast
On the eve of Halloween, on the second floor of the castle.
Cedric sat in an empty classroom, his face in his hands as he murmured, "Kyle, I don't think this is going to work. Let's just forget about it."
They had been there for several days, and during that time, they had made no progress... Well, that wasn't entirely true. They had gained some notoriety.
They had become quite famous.
Half the school now knew that the top students from the third and fourth years had been loitering outside the library, behaving in a most peculiar manner.
Someone had even spread a rumor that it was a new study method, utilizing an ancient magical ritual to absorb the knowledge from the library.
As far-fetched as it sounded, many students believed it wholeheartedly.
Lately, more and more people had been gathering outside the library, earnestly mimicking their actions.
And they were surprisingly good at it, moving in perfect unison.
Especially in the last two days, the library had almost become a tourist attraction, surrounded by curious onlookers at all times.
However, Madam Pince's glares at them had become increasingly frosty.
The crowd was disrupting the library's peace, and she had tried to shoo them away a few times to no avail...
After all, Madam Pince couldn't stay outside forever, and as soon as she left, the crowd would return.
Under these circumstances, it was no surprise that she glowered at Kyle and Cedric, the root causes of this disturbance.
Cedric felt that they probably wouldn't be able to visit the library anytime soon.
Kyle also sighed and nodded in agreement.
Indeed, things had gotten a bit too noisy lately. Today, they had even been blocked by the crowd and couldn't get close to the library.
It probably wouldn't be long before the professors came to disperse the crowd.
After leaving the classroom, the two boys hung their heads and made their way back to the first floor, maneuvering around the crowd as they headed to the Halloween feast.
The Great Hall had been transformed.
Huge pumpkins, over a dozen of them, had been carved into lanterns, the smallest of which could seat two people comfortably. Add a Thestral-drawn carriage in front, and you'd have a perfect pumpkin coach.
At the entrance of the Great Hall, Kyle also ran into the Gryffindor trio...
"You have to keep your promises," Hermione was saying to Harry. "You said you'd go to the Deathday Party, and you can't back out now. Nick would be very disappointed."
"But Hermione, I never promised," Harry protested.
"And my rat's missing," Ron added, his face glum. "I have to go look for it."
"Your rat?" Hermione frowned. "Didn't you keep it in your dorm?"
"Yes, it was there this noon, but it's gone now," Ron explained.
He muttered worriedly, "I bet Neville forgot to close the door when he left... I shudder to think what would happen if Peeves got hold of Scabbers in the castle, or if he ran into Mrs. Norris."
"You don't have to worry about that at all," Hermione reassured him. "Mrs. Norris never eats students' pets... In fact, she only eats what Filch gives her."
"Are you guys heading to the basement classroom?"
A familiar voice startled the trio, and they looked up to see Kyle and Cedric.
"Hello," they greeted.
Harry nodded reluctantly, "You're right, we're on our way to the third basement classroom, where Nick is holding his Deathday Party."
It was clear that he was having second thoughts about it.
"I'd recommend taking some snacks with you," Cedric advised. "There won't be anything there that you can eat."
"But it's a party, isn't it?" Hermione asked, confused. "How can there be no food?"
But as Hermione had just said, he had already promised Nick, and the latter had helped him escape Filch's punishment not long ago. It wouldn't be appropriate to go back on his word now, no matter what, he had to go.
At worst... they could just leave early.
If they had time, they might even be able to make it back before the school feast ended.
After a few more words, Harry, Ron, and Hermione hurried off. Before they headed to the basement classroom, they still had to help Ron look for his rat, and they were pressed for time.
Kyle and Cedric, on the other hand, walked into the bustling Great Hall.
...
Ten minutes later, the feast officially began.
As expected, Dumbledore had indeed invited the Skeleton Dance Troupe to liven up the Halloween festivities.
And they weren't just a group with a rebellious-sounding name; they were actual skeletons... similar to ghosts but a different breed.
Accompanied by music and thunderous lightning flashing across the ceiling, they appeared out of thin air on the dance floor in front of the head table, eliciting gasps and shouts from the young witches and wizards.
Then the music changed, and they began to dance gracefully to the rhythm.
It was then that Kyle understood why Nick, the almost-headless ghost, had been so dismayed upon learning that the dance troupe would be coming to Hogwarts.
While the sight of dancing skeletons might be a bit eerie at first, that feeling quickly dissipated as they moved with elegant poise.
It was the first time Kyle had ever seen skeletons dance with such grace; each of their movements was filled with beauty and power.
The stark contrast between their macabre appearance and graceful dance moves... created an electrifying atmosphere in the Great Hall, prompting deafening cheers from the students.
From that moment on, applause filled the hall almost nonstop.
Especially during their final dance, when they chose an even more lively and passionate tune.
"Magic Stuff"
One of the Weird Sisters' most famous songs.
With a series of lively drumbeats, some of the students couldn't help but get up and dance along.
At first, it was just Fred and George, along with a few Gryffindors, entertaining themselves, but as the music progressed, more and more people joined in.
Even Professor Lockhart from the head table left his seat and started dancing along. His teaching skills might have been average, but he was quite the dancer.
He even tried to invite other professors to join him, but Professors McGonagall and Sprout refused.
However, Professor Quirinus Quirrell, who specialized in Muggle studies, readily accepted his invitation and joined him on the dance floor.
Dumbledore clapped along happily from the sidelines.
The song ended, but the festive atmosphere lingered in the Great Hall, with students shouting for an encore.
Dumbledore stood up and motioned for everyone to quiet down.
"Dance... is more powerful than any words." He said with a smile: "But filling your stomach is just as important."
As soon as he finished speaking, the empty plates on the table were filled with delicious food.
Roast chicken with pumpkin, steak with pumpkin sauce, pumpkin pies, pumpkin soup, pumpkin pudding...
Everything was pumpkin-themed, fitting the occasion perfectly.
"It's a good thing we didn't go to the basement classroom with Potter and the others..."
Cedric, still excited from the dancing, said to Kyle, "This Halloween feast is truly amazing. Do you think Headmaster Dumbledore will invite them again next year?"
...
(End of Chapter)
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