Chapter 35: Another Halloween, Something Feels Off

"To be honest, if it weren't for Ginny's dark circles and the footage we saw in the recording crystal, I wouldn't think there was anything unusual about her at all," Hermione said thoughtfully. "In fact, Ginny seems even happier and more cheerful than she was at the start of the term. She doesn't look like someone who's been through anything bad."

"I've casually asked her a few times about how she's been feeling lately—whether she's adjusting to life at Hogwarts, if she's having trouble sleeping—just normal questions between friends. Ginny said she's been doing well here, though she mentioned she finds it a bit hard to fall asleep sometimes and often feels groggy in the mornings." Hermione sighed, looking troubled. "But aside from that, there doesn't seem to be anything else unusual."

After a moment of thought, Hermione looked up at Glenn. "Glenn, do you think it's possible that Ginny really isn't involved? That her oddities have nothing to do with what we're investigating? Maybe she's just having trouble adjusting to being away from her parents and sleeping in a new environment, even with her dormmates around?"

"So Ginny's poor sleep quality is causing her dark circles, and it's just a coincidence that someone else—using Polyjuice Potion, perhaps—has been impersonating her? You know, Polyjuice Potion can do that. Its recipe is right there in Moste Potente Potions in the library. We looked at it together, remember? I recall it requires shredded Boomslang skin, twelve lacewing flies stewed for twenty-one days, two-thirds of an ounce of fluxweed picked at the full moon, three drachms of powdered bicorn horn… and most importantly, something from the person you want to transform into…"

As she spoke, Hermione unintentionally slipped into lecture mode, reciting the entire recipe for Polyjuice Potion by heart.

Finishing her flawless recitation, the little witch let out a proud humph, placed her hands on her hips, and tilted her chin up triumphantly—only to realize she had completely veered off-topic. Her face flushed bright red in embarrassment.

"Very impressive, Hermione." Glenn, unfazed by the detour, knew Hermione was fishing for praise. Naturally, he obliged, as praising the little witch was far more important than worrying about Ginny.

He reached out to pat her head.

"Eek! Oh no, I got sidetracked! Anyway, what I mean is—there's a real possibility that Ginny isn't the one behind this, and the real culprit is someone else!" Hermione, her face still red, shook her head in an attempt to dislodge Glenn's hand. While she was happy to be praised, now wasn't the time for head pats!

(\/w＼)

Seeing Hermione's resistance, Glenn reluctantly withdrew his hand. "You're right. It's possible we're looking in the wrong direction. But since the 'real culprit' used Ginny Weasley's face, this matter is bound to be connected to her in some way. So, Hermione, if we want to uncover the truth, you'll need to keep observing her as you have been."

"That's true. Don't worry, I'll keep a close eye on Ginny until we get to the bottom of this." With that resolve, Hermione shook off her embarrassment and refocused her determination. Whether it was for the sake of uncovering the truth or protecting her friend, Hermione was prepared to continue monitoring Ginny.

Glenn nodded, deciding not to discuss the matter further.

If Hermione hadn't brought it up, Glenn wouldn't have mentioned it today at all.

After all, today was Halloween—a day for celebration. The most important thing was for Hermione to enjoy herself; everything else could wait.

Hogwarts' Halloween decorations certainly set the mood, and Hermione loved the festive atmosphere.

Though… the decorations were a bit eerie.

Yes, very much in line with the wizarding world's aesthetic.

After all, what other school would use live bats and spiders as decorations?

Yes, they were alive—one of the spiders was even spinning a web.

While spiders were a common Halloween motif, wasn't this approach a bit too extreme?

Still, it was cost-effective.

Well, it's a magic school. Normal, totally normal.

Glenn chose not to comment.

"Oh, look! Those are the giant pumpkins Hagrid grew himself!" Hermione exclaimed as soon as they entered the Great Hall, her earlier worries completely swept away by the festive atmosphere. "We saw them in Hagrid's pumpkin patch! I bet he used an Engorgement Charm on them!" She confidently speculated about how the pumpkin lantern in front of them had grown large enough to fit three people inside.

The little witch held Glenn's hand as they wandered around the Hall, enthusiastically pointing out the decorations and playing tour guide—a refreshing change of pace.

The Great Hall was brightly lit and festooned with garlands and glowing candles. The enchanted ceiling sparkled with stars, and peculiar decorations were strung all around. Whoever was in charge of the setup had even lured a flock of adorable owls from the owlery with fish treats to serve as living ornaments.

It was only because wizarding owls were so well-behaved that they could perch above the dining area without causing chaos.

Otherwise, they'd surely give the foolish humans a taste of what it meant to receive a "surprise from above."

Hogwarts' Halloween decorations were eclectic and whimsical. Though many of the elements were spooky, the overall effect was far from frightening. Instead, it made everyone feel that Halloween had truly arrived.

The young witches and wizards were long accustomed to such peculiar styles.

The four House tables and the staff table were gradually adorned with golden plates and cutlery. Since it wasn't yet seven o'clock, the feast hadn't started, and the platters remained empty. Glenn and Hermione still hadn't figured out how the food and tableware at Hogwarts always seemed to appear out of thin air.

As more people began to fill the Hall, the two quickly found their usual seats before the place became too crowded.

"Hermione! We're here!" Hermione's dormmates were the first to arrive. Lavender immediately threw her arms around the little witch, rubbing their cheeks together affectionately.

"Glenn's here too, hi~" Lavender finally noticed the dark-haired boy beside Hermione and greeted him with a smile.

Glenn nodded in response, though his attention was elsewhere.

The Hall was filling up fast, the professors had taken their seats, and yet three people were conspicuously absent.

Harry, Ron, and Ginny Weasley.

Glenn couldn't care less about where Harry and Ron were, but Ginny Weasley—a potential danger—being missing was a serious problem.

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