Chapter 405: Candy for a Certain Senior

Halloween had a history far older than Christmas, stretching back well before the founding of Hogwarts, even before the Roman Empire. Scholars believed it originated as early as 500 BC, beginning with an ancient ritual meant to ward off evil spirits as autumn gave way to the brutal chill of winter.

In the early, fragile days of Muggle civilization, winter was a fearful, deadly season. Cold alone could bring illness and death to both humans and livestock. People believed dark forces were to blame, so on October 31st, they would snuff out all fires, dress in terrifying disguises, and attempt to frighten away whatever demons they imagined lurked in the shadows.

Centuries later, the Church, realizing saints had no holiday of their own, claimed November 1st as All Saints' Day. In time, the night before, that ancient ritual of fear and fire, fused with the new religious celebration and became what the wizarding and Muggle worlds alike now knew as Halloween.

October 31st. The evening of the Halloween Feast.

Both Hogwarts and the nearby village of Hogsmeade were wrapped in a festive kind of warmth, glowing with enchanted lanterns, spell-lit jack-o'-lanterns, and the lively chatter of wizards and witches. Despite the dark winds stirring across the magical world, these two places remained sanctuaries. Even Diagon Alley couldn't quite compare.

Inside Honeydukes, the scent of sugar and caramel hung heavy in the air. Frum, the elderly owner, emerged from the basement cradling two boxes full of his most seasonally beloved treat: Blood Lollies. These scarlet sweets, disturbingly lifelike with their glistening, jewel-red sheen, always sold well around Halloween.

Once he'd stacked them carefully in the window display, Frum sank into the chair behind the counter and peered through the glass at the nearly empty street outside. The sun was beginning to set, but business remained disappointingly slow.

He knew why, of course.

Hogwarts had changed its rules - only students from fifth year and above were allowed to visit Hogsmeade now. That alone had cost him the custom of the energetic third- and fourth-years, his most enthusiastic customers. But that wasn't the full story. The real reason sat like a cold stone in his stomach.

Darkness had begun moving again in the wizarding world.

Frum remembered, with a chill, the day a scorched trail had appeared in his shop. It had been faint, barely visible - a thin line curling along the floorboards. A trace. But unmistakable to any wizard who knew what to fear.

Ashwinder.

Even a single egg from one of those cursed fire-serpents, laid in some forgotten corner, could burn down an entire house. Frum had scoured the building and warded every inch of it, but the unease never truly faded. You could fend off a rampaging Erumpent or wrestle a rogue Niffler into a cage. But you couldn't fight what you couldn't see.

And now the magical world felt like that too. Quiet. But humming with something beneath the surface.

Frum was just beginning to nod off when the bell above the door jingled, snapping him upright.

"Professor, do you need anything? Fancies like Cockroach Clusters, perhaps? Today's on me - though I'm only offering up to one Galleon's worth."

The voice came from a cheerful young man who swept into the shop with a grin. Ino, as he was known around Hogwarts, had made a minor fortune off the enchanted Movie Mirror project. But he clearly still enjoyed the thrill of mundane, everyday conversation.

Beside him, Professor Dumbledore stood still, his twinkling gaze fixed thoughtfully on the shelves of sweets.

"One Galleon might not go far with Cockroach Clusters," Dumbledore said after a pause, sounding genuinely disappointed. "Perhaps some Blood Lollies instead. I rarely eat them, but they do make a fine decoration this time of year."

The lollies gleamed in the window like crimson gemstones, unnervingly beautiful.

Frum chuckled, his face lighting up with a warmth that came not from profit but from gratitude. "No need to spend a Knut today. It's Halloween, after all. Everything's free - my treat."

There was something reverent in his tone as he looked at them.

Few knew it, but Frum understood very well that the peace enjoyed by witches and wizards in this quiet village was owed, in part, to the two men now standing in his shop. Dumbledore, leader of the light. Ino, the rising star who was far more than he let on.

Decades of running a shop in Hogsmeade had taught Frum many things. Most importantly, that such people never came around just for sweets.

Especially not when there were three phoenixes between them.

Especially not when the Halloween Feast was scheduled to begin in less than an hour, and the headmaster of Hogwarts had somewhere better to be.

Ino grinned wider, clearly enjoying the exchange. "Well then, if you're covering it, I'll have one of everything. And as a thank-you, I'll send you a holiday sweets basket before Christmas."

The young man's eyes glittered mischievously.

Ino had a complicated history with candy. Once, Lord Voldemort himself had come knocking with a bag of toffees, and the memory still left a bitter taste. Now, Ino had decided to repay the favor. Whether or not he ever got to see Tom Riddle again, he'd be prepared- with an arsenal of sugary offerings.

The problem, of course, was he had no idea what Tom liked. So the safest bet was simple. One of everything.

While Frum cheerfully bagged the sweets, over at Hogwarts, the Great Hall had begun to fill.

At half-past seven, most students had arrived. Floating jack-o'-lanterns bobbed through the air above the tables, and plates glimmered with enchantments, waiting to be filled.

At the Gryffindor table, Harry Potter looked around with wide-eyed delight. The excitement in the air reminded him of his very first evening at Hogwarts six years ago.

"This is wonderful," Harry murmured, almost to himself. His hand moved unconsciously to the small pendant at his chest—a wooden wine cork, suspended from a thin silver thread.

"It really is," Ginny said softly, sitting close beside him. "Though I haven't seen Professor Dumbledore anywhere."

Harry nodded, his gaze scanning the front of the hall. "Or Moody."

Most students wouldn't notice or care. But Harry remembered the old Auror's gruff lessons, his caution, and his silent watchfulness. He remembered how Moody had helped prepare him for the Triwizard Tournament, how he'd survived the Hungarian Horntail only thanks to those hard-earned skills.

If that same dragon appeared today, Harry thought, he might even be able to face it without flinching.

He smiled at the memory.

Hermione, sitting a few seats down, caught their words. The mention of Moody's absence made her quietly hopeful. If someone like Alastor Moody was still active, still watching from the shadows, then maybe they weren't alone in the fight that was surely coming.

At precisely eight o'clock, the Halloween Feast began in earnest.

Laughter rang through the Hall. Pumpkin juice flowed. Jokes, sweets, stories, and spells filled the air with light and warmth.

But not everyone was celebrating.

Far away from the comfort of Hogwarts, in a thick-leaved forest outside London, a hundred witches and wizards stood ready.

Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, had summoned every ounce of strength the Ministry could still muster. Active Aurors. Hit Wizards. Even a handful of retired veterans who had seen the worst of the last war.

England's magical forces, often underestimated, had once held their own against the likes of Grindelwald and Voldemort. Now, once again, they were gathering.

The forest was silent. The hundred figures stood as still as statues, every wand holstered, every face unreadable. Even those who had once fought side-by-side said nothing. Training had long ago taught them that silence was the first weapon in uncertain war.

They didn't yet know why they'd been summoned.

But something had begun to stir. And the Ministry was preparing for it.

Even on Halloween.