Chapter 23 The trouble-loving Halloween

A thousand bats flew and circled on the walls and ceiling, causing the flames of the candles in the pumpkin's belly to flicker.

Insert the apples into bamboo skewers, and then turn the apples in the toffee syrup. Some of them will also have nuts stuck on them, and a toffee apple is completed. This is the food that has always made Ada curious. It reminds Ada of the Oriental candied haws.

There are also some dried pumpkin seeds for pumpkin pie on the golden tray, and the drinks include iced pumpkin juice and hot apple cider.

The professors at the teachers' table were also tasting delicious food, and Dumbledore was happily chatting with Professor McGonagall. This would have been a perfect Halloween dinner, at least until Filch arrived.

When Filch, the school administrator, burst into the auditorium, Ada was drinking a hot apple cider. This fruity wine was very popular, and Ada also thought the cider was quite delicious.

Filch's face was full of horror. He walked up to Dumbledore, gasping for air and said: "The underground classroom... There is a student lying in the underground classroom... He was attacked!"

After finishing speaking, Filch bent down, held his knees with both hands, and ran all the way from the underground classroom to the auditorium. He was really exhausted.

As he spoke, the noisy auditorium instantly became quiet. Some students even wondered if this was a Halloween joke, but this was Halloween, not April Fools' Day!

Filch wouldn't dare to joke about such a thing! So after a short period of silence, there was the frightened screams of the students. Everyone was in chaos, and the sound seemed to be able to knock off the magic roof of the entire auditorium.

The professors at the teachers' seats stood up one after another to comfort the uneasy students, but the panic was not relieved.

Professor Dumbledore shouted loudly: "Quiet!" The principal's appearance temporarily silenced everyone, but fear and uneasiness still spread among the students.

"Students in all houses, under the leadership of their respective prefects, must return to the common room and are not allowed to go out. Senior students remember to take care of their junior peers," Dumbledore announced.

Charlie Weasley stood up and raised his wand, the tip of which glowed. He said loudly: "Everyone, follow me! Don't get separated, and look after your companions. First-year students, don't be afraid, follow me!"

Charlie organized the Gryffindor students to leave in an orderly manner. The seniors in the sixth and seventh years sandwiched the students of other ages in the middle of the team for easy protection.

Students from other colleges, led by the prefects of their respective colleges, began to leave the auditorium and return to the common rooms of their colleges.

Several teachers also followed the student team away under Dumbledore's instruction to protect the students back to the dormitory safely.

Watching the students leave the auditorium one after another, Dumbledore also took the remaining professors and followed Filch to the location of the incident.

Dumbledore did not blame Filch for his reckless behavior, even though it caused uneasiness among the students. He followed Filch, and students were attacked, which had not happened at Hogwarts for many years.

The eyes hidden behind the half-moon glasses were angry. Dumbledore was very angry, but he couldn't be angry. He needed to stay rational at all times, because he was the principal of Hogwarts, and he was Dumbledore.

Filch led the professors to the scene of the incident, which was in an abandoned underground classroom and was originally discovered by Mrs. Lollis. When Filch rushed there, he saw the student lying on the ground. Filch's mind went blank, and he quickly came to the auditorium and performed the mindless behavior just now.

A group of people arrived at the underground classroom. This classroom has not been used for a long time, and its location is relatively remote. Few people usually pass by here, let alone today.

The student who had been attacked was lying on the cold floor of the empty classroom. With a wave of Dumbledore's hand, the torch in the classroom burned, illuminating the dark classroom.

The boy lying on the ground was pale and his eyes were closed, but he did not appear to be injured. Professor Sprout, the headmaster of Hufflepuff, suddenly discovered that the boy lying on the ground was a student of his own college when the light came on.

Sprout quickly stepped forward and rushed to the student's side, calling softly: "Daniel, Daniel..."

The student who fell on the ground did not respond to her call. Instead, Dumbledore, who was checking the student's condition, comforted her: "Pomona, he is fine, he just fainted."

After speaking, Dumbledore took out his wand and cast a spell on Daniel. Under the influence of the spell, the student named Daniel woke up slowly.

When Daniel woke up, his face was full of fear and anxiety. He broke away from Professor Sprout and backed away on his hands and feet, as if he was afraid of being hurt again. He didn't stop until he retreated to the corner, curling up with his hands on his knees.

"Daniel, Daniel Bell, it's me..." Sprout looked at his frightened student and comforted him.

After seeing Dumbledore and Sprout clearly, Daniel Bell felt better and was no longer so scared. He cried softly, "Ouch." Under the watchful eyes of a group of teachers, he cried like a child.

At Dumbledore's signal, Snape stepped forward and handed a bottle of potion to Professor Sprout. Sprout took the potion and quickly drank it for Daniel. After taking a bottle of potion, Daniel's condition finally improved.

"Thank you, Severus," Sprout said gratefully.

Snape waved his hand to show that he didn't need to worry about it, and then retreated to where the other professors were.

"Child, tell me, why are you here?" Dumbledore squatted on the ground, keeping his eyes level with Daniel, and asked softly.

"I don't know... I don't remember..." Daniel's eyes were full of fear. He recalled why he appeared here, but the more he thought about it, the stronger the fear in his eyes became.

"Then can you tell me what you have done today?" Dumbledore continued to ask. He stretched out his hand and gently stroked Daniel's back to comfort Daniel.

"I don't remember...I don't remember anything..." Daniel replied, his voice became more panicked, and he had no memory of what he had done today.

There is obviously something wrong with Daniel's memory, and there will be no results if he continues to ask. Dumbledore waved his hand in front of Daniel's face, and Daniel fell limply into Professor Sprout's arms.

Dumbledore first looked at McGonagall and Snape behind him, and then asked Sprout: "Pomona, he is a student of your college. Has he behaved strangely recently?"

Sprout frowned and recalled it carefully, and said, "No. Daniel is usually a child who doesn't like to be in the limelight, and there hasn't been anything weird lately. After a while, I'll go to the common room to get more familiar with him. The students asked about the situation.”

"Pomona, you and Poppy take Daniel to the school doctor's office first! He needs rest and treatment now," Dumbledore said. He looked back at all the professors present, and then continued, "Go back first and calm the students' emotions."

Professor Sprout and Madam Pomfrey left the underground classroom first with Daniel Bell who had fallen asleep. After they left, other professors also left.

Snape also looked at Dumbledore before leaving, but he did not return to the Slytherin common room immediately, but walked to Benedick Foley's office.

Professor McGonagall also did not leave. She asked: "Albus, that child..."

"His physical injuries are not serious. I think it is more psychological and spiritual. The most intuitive thing is that there is a problem with his memory." Dumbledore answered McGonagall's question while looking around. of this classroom.

"Such a vicious attack actually happened. If Filch hadn't accidentally discovered him, Daniel wouldn't have known how long he would have been lying in the cold underground classroom!" Professor McGonagall said angrily.

Professor McGonagall was impressed by Daniel Bell. Although he was not outstanding, he would not do anything out of the ordinary. Daniel was the most ordinary student at Hogwarts.

"Yes, obviously this is why the attacker chose this place. It is remote enough and difficult to be discovered. The later the attacker is discovered, the harder it is for the attacker to be discovered." Dumbledore had already finished observing the classroom. He took the lead and left here first.

"Do you think this was done by the professors, or did someone from outside the school enter the school?" Professor McGonagall followed behind Dumbledore. She did not doubt the students. She did not believe that the students would do such a thing, nor did she think they were capable of such a thing.

"I don't know yet. I have some suspicions, but they have not been verified yet." Dumbledore's eyes flashed with wisdom, "Minerva, what did you think of?"

"All the teachers were at their seats at that time, and because today is Halloween, everyone came very early. I am more inclined to think that someone 'invaded' Hogwarts..."

"Minerva, don't forget, the attack may have happened much earlier than the banquet." Dumbledore said, "I know you don't want other professors to do this."

"If this thing is really..." Professor McGonagall hesitated. She really didn't want this thing to be done by someone in the school. "Albus. If it is true, I will definitely do it myself." Get him!"

"I don't hope so either." Dumbledore said, "Okay Minerva, you can go back to Gryffindor first. I heard that three first-year students in Gryffindor have been very disobedient recently."

The three students in Dumbledore's words naturally refer to the deducted trio headed by Ada, Fred and George, and Professor McGonagall has no choice but to love and hate these three students.

"I hope the three of them can be more honest today and not cause any more trouble." Professor McGonagall said helplessly.