On the eve of Halloween, the Great Hall was once again decked out in holiday decorations.
Bats fluttered above the hall. Hagrid's pumpkins, grown to the size of carriages, were suspended along the walls like private boxes, each capable of seating three people. Of course, "three people" referred to those of normal size. Given Hagrid's proportions, he could only sit in one all by himself.
Youth is always a lonely endeavor.
The four long tables in the center of the hall had vanished, replaced by a stage bathed in radiant lights. During the feast, the professors and students of Hogwarts would sit within the pumpkin-carved boxes to watch the performances on the central stage.
As night gradually fell, everyone gathered in the Great Hall one after another. Once Dumbledore and a group of professors climbed into the largest pumpkin on the high table, the feast was officially declared open.
The lights on the central stage suddenly dimmed. Whether it was an illusion or not, the students positioned closest to the stage suddenly heard hushed voices whispering in the darkness.
"Hallie, I feel so embarrassed."
"Roanne, me too."
Suddenly, a sphere of silvery-white light exploded in the darkness, forming the words "Gokuraku Jodo" in mid-air.
Lively music began to echo through the hall, and spotlights once again illuminated the stage. Unlike the empty stage from moments ago, three figures now stood there.
Hallie stood in the center, flanked by Roanne and Rolf. That's right—in addition to Hallie and Roanne, Kyle had successfully bamboozled Newt Scamander's young grandson into this as well.
Kyle had specifically placed a magical crystal in front of the stage to record the footage. He intended to film this dance and eventually send it to Professor Snape and old Newt. He wondered if Newt would suffer a sudden heart attack when he saw his grandson transformed into a granddaughter.
Hallie and Roanne wore wizarding robes with a heavy Japanese influence. The floral patterns were exquisite and grand, and the wide sleeves gave them an ethereal, fairy-like appearance. The thick-soled black boots they wore added a significant amount to their height.
Under the spotlights, Hallie's long, fair legs shimmered with a peculiar allure, so bright that Draco could hardly keep his eyes open. He watched, mesmerized, until Pansy, standing beside him, viciously pinched the soft flesh at his waist.
Compared to Hallie and Roanne, who were showing off their legs, the Scamanders' beloved grandson, Rolf, was dressed much more conservatively. After all, this was Rolf's first time cross-dressing, and he had been quite shy when choosing his performance outfit.
As the three "girls" on stage elegantly and melodiously flicked their wrists, the people in the hall unconsciously found themselves immersed in the addictive dance and music of Gokuraku Jodo.
"When the bright moon rises high..."
"I carry a lantern with a flickering flame..."
...
Three and a half minutes passed in the blink of an eye.
As the performance ended, Dumbledore was the first to start clapping. Thunderous applause erupted throughout the Great Hall.
Brilliant lights illuminated the entire stage, revealing the four "Father-Worriers" in the wings, silently accompanying the performance on magically manipulated instruments, as well as the lead singers—Hannah and Hermione.
Kyle stood up from his seat and waved to the crowd amidst the warm applause. When he looked up at the staff table, he saw...
Snape was actually dabbing his nose?
Could he have a nosebleed?
Kyle suddenly knew exactly what Christmas gift to get for that eccentric old bat. He quickly scurried over to the paparazzi-obsessed Colin Creevey.
"See that old bat on the stage? How about it—think of a way to take him down... I mean, take a photo of him."
Click!
Click!
Sensing the flash of the camera, Snape, having finished wiping his nose, turned his head. His gaze immediately locked onto Kyle, who was standing next to Colin with a brilliant smile.
Snape's face darkened. If he didn't still need something from Kyle, he could guarantee that the boy wouldn't live to see tomorrow's sunrise.
After the performance, Hallie and Roanne moved toward the exit, enduring the burning gazes of the audience while nodding and smiling at everyone they passed. Though they knew everyone was primarily drawn by their spectacular performance, Hallie and Roanne still felt there was something strange about those looks.
Thus, they wanted to hurry back to their common room to change back into their own clothes and reclaim their original identities as boys.
A long while later, Ron frantically pushed open the doors to the Great Hall.
"Professor McGonagall! Professor Dumbledore! Something has happened!"
Hearing Ron's panicked cries, the skeleton dance troupe that was currently performing came to a halt. Everyone turned to look at Ron at the entrance.
Facing so many gazes at once, a nervous Ron stammered, "Mrs. Norris... on the third floor of the castle... she looks like she's dead!"
The castle caretaker and veteran cat-lover, Filch, immediately let out a piercing wail. He stumbled through the crowd, running toward the third floor Ron had mentioned. Mrs. Norris was his beloved cat.
No one had the heart to continue the feast. Everyone followed behind Filch, surging toward the "crime scene" on the third floor.
In a corridor on the third floor, Mrs. Norris was hanging from a torch bracket on the wall. Her body was as stiff as a board, her eyes wide and staring blankly. There was a puddle of water on the floor beside her. Harry, who had just returned from the Gryffindor common room, was standing nearby.
A line of words shimmered on the wall: THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.
When Kyle pushed through the crowded onlookers to the front, he saw Filch kneeling beneath the torch bracket. He covered his face with his hands, not daring to look at Mrs. Norris, wailing loudly.
Dumbledore walked past him and untied Mrs. Norris from the bracket.
"It was definitely a curse that killed her—most likely the Transmutation Torture Curse."
Lockhart immediately began spouting nonsense the moment he arrived. "I've seen people use this spell many times. It's a shame I wasn't there; I happen to know the counter-curse that could have saved her..."
Kyle reached out a finger and poked the Mrs. Norris in Dumbledore's hands. As a "Grindelwald II" who was proficient in the Dark Arts, he spotted the truth instantly.
"Mrs. Norris isn't dead."
Lockhart, who was still rambling, suddenly choked on his words. "Not dead? How is that possible? Her body is already so stiff..."
He turned and saw that it was Kyle who had spoken. Lockhart's old habit of being a show-off flared up instantly.
"Young wizards like you love to say sensational things to get attention. Compared to the vast knowledge of professors, you have much to learn—"
Dumbledore interrupted him. If he didn't, he feared Lockhart would meet a very unpleasant end in a few days.
"Mrs. Norris is indeed not dead. She has been hit by a very sophisticated Petrification Curse. This is a very advanced piece of Dark Magic."
"Ah! I thought so as well!" Lockhart changed his tune in a second.
Disdainful looks appeared on the faces of everyone surrounding them. Being looked down upon by so many people at once was a bit much even for someone as thick-skinned as Lockhart, so he quickly changed the subject.
"My office is the closest, Headmaster—just upstairs. You can move there to speak."
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