Chapter 224: A Halloween Full of Misunderstandings and Mistakes

Anthony searched carefully, but did not see Hagrid's friends. He shrugged: "I don't know, maybe they're not hungry."

Hagrid was still mumbling, but Anthony was already looking at the roast beef and fried potatoes in front of him. If Dumbledore didn't announce the start of Halloween dinner within ten minutes, there was no guarantee that his fork would suddenly sprout wings and fly over.

Lockhart, who was wearing a pumpkin-like orange wizarding robe, arrived belatedly and was surprised to find that only the seat between Filch and Professor Trelawney was empty.

It's hard to say who felt more uncomfortable: Filch's stern face; Mrs. Norris's gray tail that occasionally brushed Lockhart's plate; Lockhart's dazzling wizard robes and sparkling smile The mystery of Professor Trelawney was greatly reduced.

Professor Trelawney responded with a jingling bracelet and a gently swaying tassel on her cloak, and a prophecy along with Professor Lockhart, looking far away at his cup, warning himself in an ethereal and trembling voice. Something ominous was seen in his tea cup.

"Why, dear Sybil," Lockhart said kindly, "you are very funny. I don't want you to think I'm showing off, but I do know how to deal with omens... and of course there are some dangers. , you can find the details in my "Traveling with the Vampire". However, I won't be able to use them today because - there are no tea leaves in the teacup, Sybil." He pushed his cup aside. , shown to Professor Trelawney, "Pumpkin Juice."

Professor Trelawney said ethereally: "In the eyes of those who are truly prophetic, everything is just tea leaves. Mark my words."

Just then, Dumbledore stood up. The students looked at him expectantly, and Anthony could clearly see several over-eager students chewing furtively and slowly, trying to show respect while swallowing the contents of their cheeks.

"As you all know, this is Halloween's dinner." Dumbledore said loudly. "To show respect to the party, I propose: Eat!"

He sat down and took the lead in forking a piece of barbecue onto his plate.

The sound of chatter and the scraping of clothes suddenly filled the auditorium. Hundreds of metal knives and forks clashed with china plates, crystal jugs of pumpkin juice, milk and hot chocolate were passed around, and sausages and roast beef were swept away. The spider-shaped biscuits climbed up the smooth bowl wall again and again and slid down again and again.

Anthony heard a Hufflepuff student sitting near the staff table say very loudly: "Justin, didn't you say that Dumbledore had booked a skeleton dance troupe?"

Another Hufflepuff looked around the Great Hall, his eyes resting on the lamb chops in front of them: "Maybe we need to eat them first..."

"Evil." The student sitting opposite them made a sound of disgust and pushed the lamb chops on his plate further away. "I don't want to know which part of the Skeleton Dancer I am eating."

"Really, Albus?" Professor Sprout asked, "You've booked a skeleton dance troupe?"

Dumbledore was cutting his fritters. He looked up. "Ah, I wish I did."

Anthony caught Professor McGonagall's hidden gaze. He shook his head slightly.

Professor McGonagall lowered her head in relief and continued to deal with her lamb chops.

"Would you like to try pumpkin pie, Henry?" Professor Bubbaji asked.

"Of course, thank you, Caredi."

…

As the night gets darker, there seem to be more and more bats flying around the jack-o'-lanterns. They passed each grinning pumpkin hole, casting a fleeting dark shadow on the ground. The lights were shining, and people were leaving the table one after another with their fill of tea and food.

Because she could neither catch the flying bats nor pounce on the spider biscuits on the table, Mrs. Norris left the show gloomily. Not long after, Filch gloomily said that he was going to find her and put a small amount in his pocket. Take the spider biscuits and leave.

Hagrid went back to his cabin. Snape wanted to go to the herb field with Professor Sprout, it seemed that some very precious herbs were about to mature.

Anthony ate the last donut, stood up, and while discussing the magical theory books recommended by Dumbledore with Professor Flitwick, he slowly left the hall behind Professor McGonagall.

Professors Lockhart and Trelawney remained on the staff bench. Their colleagues just politely wished them good appetite and left without hesitation.

"But, Professor Anthony," Professor Flitwick squeaked, "that's a book from the sixteenth century! If you want to know the latest developments, I would suggest you subscribe to the monthly Magical Theory Newsletter. There are a lot of talented people out there. Scholars will publish their research results on it..."

At this moment, they suddenly heard a chaotic sound coming from downstairs. Someone is shouting.

Professor McGonagall immediately changed direction, quickened her pace, and her face became tense again. Anthony and Professor Flitwick followed (Professor Flitwick had to trot all the way).

The closer they got, the more they could hear sounds echoing through the ancient brick walls. Professor McGonagall separated the students who were crowded excitedly on the stairs, so Anthony and Professor Flitwick also saw six people among the students watching.

Harry stood lower, holding his wand in one hand and holding Ron's arm tightly with the other. Ron was panting, his eyes red, staring at Malfoy opposite him, and the other arm was in the hand of Hermione next to him. Although holding Ron, Hermione glared at Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle like an angry lioness.

Malfoy's robes were as wrinkled as Ron's, and he looked down at the three people with a sarcastic smile on his pale face. His smile disappeared when he found Professor McGonagall standing behind him.

"I want an explanation." Professor McGonagall said coldly. Her lips were tightly pursed, and anger was burning in her eyes.

"It's Malfoy, Professor McGonagall!" Ron shouted.

Malfoy also said immediately: "Potter and Weasley attacked me!"

Hermione shouted angrily: "That's because of what you said!"

"You deserve it!" Ron shouted.

"Be quiet!" Professor McGonagall said, "Granger, you tell the story."

...

Hermione took a deep breath and began her narration. Through her story and the interjections of the other three people - Crabbe and Goyle didn't say much - and the additions of the students on both sides of the stairs, Anthony gradually understood what was going on.

Nearly Headless Nick invited Harry, Ron and Hermione to his 500th anniversary deathday party. Although Nick learned from Lockhart's Lock Your Heart Club how to hold an event that is popular with ghosts, he obviously didn't notice that there were very few living people at the event.

So, the three students felt that the deathday party was too ghostly and decided to walk out apologetically. ("To be honest, I think the rotten food, blaring music and cold temperature are better than Malfoy." Ron added gloomily.)

And Nick, who listened to Lockhart's theory of "sincerity and enthusiasm" sincerely, tried to retain his guests with the greatest enthusiasm that a cold ghost could muster, and chased out through the wall.

If some ghosts hadn't suddenly decided to take advantage of the host's absence to perform a real "headlessness" for everyone, Nick might have floated all the way to Gryffindor Tower.

However, because of Nick's persistent retention, when he walked through the wall and left melancholy, many Slytherin students who returned to the cellar had seen this scene.

"Malfoy said that Harry was showing off his title of savior again..." Hermione said, biting her lip and hesitantly stopped.

Professor McGonagall asked: "Then?"

"Then Harry asked him to go away." Hermione said.

"I was just wondering why Potter appeared in the underground, professor." Malfoy said without losing the opportunity, "but they tried to threaten me and told me that if I asked one more question, they would let me eat slugs."

"That was after you asked Harry if he was no longer satisfied with Colin and Ginny's pursuit!" Ron said bitterly.

"Anyway, gentlemen," Professor McGonagall looked down at them sternly, she glanced at Hermione, "and Miss... this is not a reason for you to fight on the stairs. I think I need to deduct ten points."

Hermione made a choking sound.

"Ten points each," Professor McGonagall added. "I'm disappointed, Miss Granger. I thought you would be more rational."

Hermione's face was pale, and Harry and Ron finally stopped staring at Malfoy and looked at her apologetically. Malfoy had a smug smile on his face, as if the Slytherin hourglass had not lost thirty points, but had added thirty points.

"But, Professor McGonagall!" A Hufflepuff standing next to him finally mustered up the courage, "This is entirely Malfoy's responsibility! He said something very vicious to Harry!"

"What was it?" Professor McGonagall asked.

Harry looked away, obviously preferring to accept the punishment rather than repeat what Malfoy said. Ron stood forward a little, Hermione pursed her lips and looked at Harry worriedly, and neither of them spoke. The smile on Malfoy's face widened.

But Professor Freeway kept whispering to another Hufflepuff student. He asked a few questions, and the senior student lowered his head and said something. Professor Freeway's eyes widened in anger, and he kept saying, "That's terrible, that's terrible!"

"What, Filius?" Professor McGonagall asked.

Professor Freeway motioned Professor McGonagall and Anthony to bend down: "Mr. Malfoy asked Mr. Potter why he would think of attending Nick's death anniversary dinner if it wasn't for the sake of showing off-" He shook his head and repeated angrily in a low voice, "He asked Mr. Potter if it was to celebrate... James and Lily's death anniversary."

Professor McGonagall gasped angrily, and Anthony couldn't help but say, "Oh my God!"

Malfoy said loudly: "Professor, I need to go to the school hospital first!"

"Mr. Malfoy-" Professor McGonagall said loudly.

"Weasley's dirty rat bit me!" Malfoy said immediately, raising his bloody index finger.

Ron exclaimed at the same time: "Oh, Scabbers! Where is Scabbers?"

"He was kicked downstairs by Crabbe." The student next to him told him, it was hard to tell whether it was out of pity or gloating, "If you move quickly enough, you might be able to pull its tail out of the snake's mouth."

Another student said kindly: "Don't listen to him, Snape only feeds those newly born, hairless mice to the snakes."

Ron said desperately: "But Scabbers doesn't have much hair! He's bald!"

"I was bitten, Professor," said Malfoy. "Who knows what that rat had on it... ("Maybe it'll make you bald, too," muttered a Hufflepuff standing next to Anthony.) I definitely need to go see Madam Pomfrey - well, I think I'm feeling a little dizzy."

"You can go to the hospital wing," said Professor McGonagall sternly, "but before that, I think Slytherin needs to be deducted another 20 points."

The Slytherin next to him now began to look at Malfoy with unkind eyes. Malfoy looked like he wanted to argue, but Professor McGonagall had already turned to Harry: "Go up, Mr. Potter. I think there should be a lot of fries left - I'll ask the kitchen to send you some pumpkin juice."

Anthony was surprised to find that there were tears in her eyes.

Malfoy snorted coldly, avoiding the eyes of the Slytherin students next to him, and turned away. In the flickering candlelight, his face seemed paler than usual.

"No, I'm going to find Scabbers," said Ron.

Before he finished speaking, everyone heard a sharp and piercing cat cry, which came from downstairs. Ron's face suddenly became extremely bad.

"Mrs. Norris?" he asked with difficulty.

Anthony also began to worry about Ron's pet. The snake might be made up by the students, but Mrs. Norris was indeed a cat.

Then came Filch's voice: "What is it, dear? A mouse? Really good--"

The students on the stairs started to talk about it. Some said that Mrs. Norris never caught students' pets, and some said that the cat might secretly eat pets in a place where no one knew ("I remember it wanted to hunt owls!").

Ron's lips began to tremble. "Not Scabbers, don't say Scabbers." He whispered.

"Filch!" Professor McGonagall shouted.

Filch's bulging eyes soon appeared at the stairs: "You looking for me, Professor McGonagall?" He looked at the students next to him with ill intent, as if he wanted to see which ungrateful beast was going to experience a detention.

"Yes, we're looking for you," Professor Flitwick said loudly. "Did Mrs. Norris catch a mouse just now?" He was hopping on his toes, trying to see the cat in Filch's arms over the shoulders of his students.

"What?" Filch asked in confusion.

"Mouse, Mr. Filch," Anthony explained, his eyes falling on a huge, gray thing that Filch held by its tail in his right hand. "Mr. Weasley is looking for his pet."

Filch hesitated, as if considering whether to complain about why students kept such a dirty thing, or to argue that his cat never ate pets. But his face twitched a few times, and finally faced the three professors, and handed the gray thing out with some annoyance: "Well, if a student thinks this is his pet! I guess someone will take Mud Footprints as a pet tomorrow! Defile the castle, run around-"

Hermione carefully took the mouse's tail from him. It was covered with cat saliva, blood, and motionless.

"Ron," Harry whispered sympathetically, "I think that's Scabbers."

Ron let out a whine. Harry silently put his hand on his shoulder to express his condolences. The students next to him talked louder. Filch's face turned red and white.

"Filch, we need to talk about Mrs. Norris." Professor McGonagall said seriously, "We can never tolerate her killing students' pets."

Professor Flitwick nodded in agreement. Filch's eyes turned between Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick and Anthony, and he hugged Mrs. Norris tighter in his arms.

"Wait, you two, it's still alive!" Hermione suddenly shouted with joy, "It's still alive, Ron!"

I lay down to rest last night, but fell asleep directly...