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Chapter 563: Stop! I Surrender!
Chapter 563: Stop! I Surrender!
Stepping down the stairs to the door, Ivan saw a group of young wizards crowding at the entrance to the castle. They were shouting curses and rushing into the castle, covering their heads.
“What are they doing?” Hermione wondered, but then she saw a large red water balloon fall from the ceiling, landing directly on an unfortunate young wizard's head.
With a loud pop, the water balloon burst, drenching the poor young wizard from head to toe. Even the other young wizards nearby couldn't avoid getting wet.
“Damn Peeves, get lost!”
The crowd erupted in a chorus of angry shouts, but in response, Peeves launched even more water balloons, accompanied by his mischievous cackle.
Ivan looked up and saw Peeves, a small figure with a bell-topped hat, floating about twenty feet above their heads. He was holding a bunch of water-filled balloons.
“Hey, kids, catch!” Peeves giggled, grabbing a green balloon with his right hand and hurling it at another unfortunate victim, causing another small-scale chaos.
Some of the younger wizards, who had braved the rain to get there, were so frustrated they almost cried. But Peeves showed no signs of stopping and even set his sights on Ivan and Hermione, who had just entered the door.
Among the students, Hermione and Ivan stood out the most. They were mostly dry, with only the edges of their robes and their shoes showing signs of being slightly damp.
Peeves's eyes darted around, remembering how he had been toyed with by Ivan last semester. He let out a strange cry, grabbed a water balloon in each hand, and threw them at Ivan.
Ivan, of course, saw this and couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and exasperation. Peeves really didn't learn his lesson. He drew his wand and pointed it with a casual flick.
A red beam of magic shot out and exploded in mid-air, simultaneously detonating the two water balloons.
Several witches nearby screamed and ducked to avoid getting drenched.
However, the scattered water didn't fall due to gravity. Instead, under the influence of magic, it coalesced into streams of water that shot towards Peeves like water jets.
For most ghosts, such physical attacks would have no effect, passing right through them. But Peeves was an exception. He could touch and pick up objects, making him more of a special spirit than a ghost.
As expected, the water jets hit Peeves, causing him to stagger.
Angry, Peeves initially tried to fight back, throwing more water balloons. But this only provided more "ammunition" for Ivan. Soon, Peeves was being pelted by water jets and was forced to retreat, covering his head and scurrying away.
Hermione remembered a spell Professor Lupin had taught in Defense Against the Dark Arts last semester. She raised her wand and pointed it at Peeves.
“Waddiwasi!”
The broken balloon bags on the ground trembled, then shot up and stuck to Peeves's face, blinding him. He crashed into the wall, disoriented.
A few third and fourth-year young wizards followed suit, and soon others joined in.
“Ah-ah-ah~ Stop, stop! I surrender!” Peeves finally couldn't take it anymore. He let out a shrill scream and darted into the Great Hall. Although these attacks didn't cause him any real harm, being hit repeatedly was still quite uncomfortable.
“Alright, that's enough, children!”
Just as some of the young wizards were still savoring the excitement, Professor McGonagall's voice echoed through the Great Hall. Taking advantage of everyone's distraction, Peeves quickly slipped out through the window.
Professor McGonagall glanced at the fleeing Peeves but didn't bother stopping it. Instead, she turned her attention to Ivan and praised him.
"Very well done, Hals! I think this lesson will keep Peeves quiet for a while!"
"I just took care of a minor nuisance," Ivan replied modestly.
"Excellent, five points to Gryffindor!" Professor McGonagall nodded approvingly and announced it loudly before turning to the others.
Despite the unpleasant feeling of being drenched by rain and the harassment from Peeves, most of the young wizards were still in high spirits. They had just chased away that annoying troublemaker.
Professor McGonagall didn't hold back with her praise, complimenting them a few times before instructing the prefects to lead everyone to the Great Hall.
Perhaps in preparation for the Triwizard Tournament, the Great Hall had been especially decorated, making it even more grand and magnificent than usual. Hundreds of candles floated above the tables, illuminating the golden plates and goblets, making them sparkle.
The second-year and older young wizards, led by the prefects, orderly took their seats at the house tables. The ghosts drifting around politely greeted them, welcoming them back to school.
Nearly Headless Nick emerged directly from under the table, his wobbly head startling the nearby young wizards. Then he floated in front of them and said with a smile:
"Good evening, everyone!"
"What's good? It's absolutely terrible. I hope the Sorting will be over soon so I can go change my clothes," Harry complained. He and Ron hadn't been as lucky as Hermione; they were about half-soaked, with water pooling in their shoes, making them very uncomfortable.
Ivan, meanwhile, looked toward the teachers' table, searching for Barty Crouch Jr. (disguised as Moody), but he couldn't see him.
"Has the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor not arrived yet?" Hermione asked, looking in the same direction, a bit puzzled.
"Maybe they'll show up later, or perhaps they couldn't find anyone suitable," Ron speculated.
It wasn't a secret in the British Wizarding World that Hogwarts' Defense Against the Dark Arts professors rarely lasted more than a year before resigning. Ron suspected that this might be why no one was willing to take the job.
"It would be great if Sirius Black could come teach here! Lupin was the best Defense Against the Dark Arts professor I've ever had, and I bet Sirius Black would be just as good!" Harry said hopefully.
"I suggest you don't think that way, Harry! This isn't a safe job!" Ivan rolled his eyes at Harry. "You're just trying to throw Sirius Black into the fire!"
Not to mention, Sirius Black had only been officially cleared of his charges a few months ago. Neither the students' parents nor the school board would allow him to teach!
(End of Chapter)
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