Halloween Eve Incident

In the last few days of October, Hogwarts appeared the same as always, but beneath the surface, every young wizard was brewing a quiet restlessness in their heart.

In History of Magic class, first-years began frequently asking Professor Binns about ghosts and spirits, completely derailing his lecture plan, though no one could tell if he even had one.

The ghostly professor was furious. He snapped at Seamus Finnigan, who had eagerly raised his hand: "No more of those ridiculous ghost questions! I won't answer another! Put your hand down, Sean Panick—Hufflepuff loses five points!"

Seamus looked wounded. "Professor, my name's not Sean Peakes... and I'm not in Hufflepuff…"

Harry and Ron quickly yanked him down and clamped a hand over his mouth.

Except for History of Magic and Potions (no one dared question Snape), most professors were happy to let their students relax a little after two months of study.

Even the always-serious Professor McGonagall transformed desks into dancing skeletons. Professor Flitwick, with bright eyes and excited gestures, recounted his youthful Halloweens spent among vampires and werewolves.

So, with anticipation building, October drew to a close. On the day before Halloween, the entire castle shimmered with a festive atmosphere.

Even the weather turned for the worse. At some point, the mountains surrounding the school had become blanketed in snow. The sky hung gray all day, and frost thickened on the ground each morning.

Hagrid had to bundle up in his moleskine coat, rabbit-fur gloves, and floppy hat, looking like some sort of giant furry beast as he stomped around defrosting the grounds with a broom.

October 31st was no different.

Vaughn, clutching a book, passed Hagrid in the courtyard and greeted him before heading inside. When he reached the Great Hall, he found the usual braziers and torches replaced with flickering pumpkin lanterns.

Ribbons of decoration hung from the ceiling. All around, students chattered excitedly about the changes and speculated on the night's festivities.

Fred and George claimed that last year, Dumbledore had invited a ghost band to perform, and their humming lullabies put half the hall to sleep.

Percy, being a prefect, said he hadn't received any notice this time and suspected there might not be any entertainment planned. Speaking of Percy, since Vaughn had been sorted into Slytherin, the two hadn't crossed paths much.

That is, until Percy heard about Vaughn's popularity across several houses. One day, Percy found him and said stiffly, "Dear brother, I've been... busy. I hope no one in Slytherin's giving you trouble?"

Vaughn had simply smiled: "Heh."

Harry whispered to his friends, "There probably won't be a show this time. Dumbledore's still hiding secrets—he wouldn't let anyone sneak into the school."

Hermione looked at him in surprise. "I thought you'd be disappointed it won't be lively."

"I live in constant excitement these days," Harry muttered gloomily.

Quidditch season was nearing, and Wood was losing his mind. If it weren't for threats of mutiny, he'd have held practice even on Halloween.

As it was, Harry still had training that afternoon.

"Ron, you're coming with me today to—uh…" Harry had intended to drag his friend along for moral support, but when he turned, he saw Ron sitting silently, eyes watery, as if taking one last look at the world.

"Ron? What's wrong?" Ron clutched Harry's hand, overcome with emotion. "Harry, take care of yourself. When you grow up, make money. If you eat anything tasty or see anything fun, don't forget your old friend..."

Before he could go on, a Silencio spell hit him from across the long table.

Harry looked over to see Vaughn sipping broth and closing his wand case like nothing had happened.

The rest of the students continued talking like it was completely normal—Wasn't it? Ron getting hexed by his own brother?

Harry turned back, pretending not to notice Ron's wide eyes or frantic gestures.

...

That evening, after a grueling Quidditch session that left Harry's hair sticking up like a mohawk, he returned to the Great Hall exhausted.

The place had transformed.

Pumpkin lanterns now glowed with enchanted colors. Bats swooped between floating ribbons and glowing stars overhead. The long tables were heaped with food.

Harry slumped into his seat and looked around. "Hermione, have you seen Ron?"

Hermione gestured vaguely, a bit annoyed. "He was here just now, stuffing himself with barbecue. Vaughn called him away."

Harry didn't ask further. Ron had been complaining all week about accepting the devil's deal and regretting it. Perhaps the brothers had gone to 'bond' again.

Too hungry to care, Harry dug into the food. But before he could finish chewing his first potato, the doors of the Great Hall burst open.

Professor Quirrell staggered in, his face pale with terror. He pushed through the crowd of startled students and stumbled toward the staff table, gasping at Dumbledore:

"A Troll is loose in the dungeon!" He collapsed on the floor with a thud. 

Nobody noticed the way Dumbledore's eyes narrowed at Quirrell. Panic erupted instantly.

Older students, familiar with a troll's destructive power, turned white. Younger students shrieked and clutched each other. Some troublemakers took the opportunity to create even more chaos.

The Hall descended into a frenzy.

Dumbledore rose swiftly and boomed, "Silence!"

The magic in his voice stilled the room.

"Unfortunately, the Halloween Feast must be postponed. Prefects, please escort your housemates back to your common rooms. Professors, come with me to the dungeons."

Even as Dumbledore left, calm returned. The four heads of house issued quick orders, then hurried after him.

Like the others, Harry and Hermione followed Percy in confusion, listening as older students whispered about trolls—some terrified, some excited.

Then, as they climbed the stairs, Harry froze and grabbed Hermione's sleeve. "Ron and Vaughn!"

Hermione paled. "They don't know about the troll... I'll go find Percy!"

Harry stopped her. "Percy won't help—he'll just look for the teachers, and they're already gone. I think Ron and Vaughn might still be nearby. Let's try upstairs first."

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