days at Hogwarts

Chapter 656: Halloween is Coming

Cold rain and snow were blowing in the chilly wind, hitting the icy window frames, and Halloween was here in the blink of an eye.

Hermione stood outside the Muggle Studies professor's office. Before she raised her hand to knock on the door, she subconsciously glanced at the little follower behind her.

The house-elf named Xiaomai stood quietly by, holding a gift for the professor in his hand. His attitude was polite but not overly respectful, which was very different from the other house-elves.

His figure was thinner than in previous years. His neatly ironed black and white tuxedo hung loosely on his slender bones. There was not much flesh on his body, and there was not much flesh under his flimsy skin, making him look like a doll made of firewood.

However, no one would think he was weak, his slightly protruding eyes were surprisingly bright, his gaze was clear and his spirit was overflowing.

"Dong dong dong..."

"Please come in."

Hermione sat down at her desk as soon as she entered the room. She looked briskly at the paper that Kerrydi Bubbaji was marking without raising her head. Neither of them showed any sign of restraint. They had communicated here hundreds of times in the past few years.

"trick or treat!"

"Wizards don't have this custom."

"But you're a professor of Muggle Studies."

"But you didn't even put on any makeup."

“I play the witch.”

“That’s really a true portrayal.”

"Then give me some candy..."

"After being with Mr. Morgan for so long, the formerly dignified Miss Granger has also learned to be naughty."

The blonde Kerrydi Bubbaji smiled as she put the quill into the ink bottle, closed the student papers that were clipped together, took out a few treasured Muggle fine chocolates from the drawer and handed them over. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a house-elf behind her. It was the first time she saw a house-elf's eyes so bright, and she subconsciously showed an expression of surprise.

"In my impression, Miss Granger is not someone who would order elves around..." She looked at Hermione inquiringly.

"I didn't instruct Xiaomai. He wanted to see you himself."

"He wants to see me?"

Noticing the professor's gaze on him, Xiaomai bowed slightly in greeting. It was not the courtesy of a servant to his master, but more like a gentleman bowing to an equal lady. He put the lunch box on the table, trying to make his shrill voice less harsh, and spoke at a steady pace:
"Hello, Professor Bubaji, I'm Xiaomai."

Hermione saw the professor glance at the gift and explained in time: "This is a pumpkin that Wheat, Dobby and Winky grew themselves. They opened up a vegetable plot in the Forbidden Forest's former eight-eyed spider's territory. They asked Professor Hagrid for the pumpkin seeds... This is the largest pumpkin they harvested."

"It's steamed pumpkin, sweet!" Xiaomai added a little anxiously, and his voice became similar to that of other house-elves.

Bubbage glanced at the lunch box, looked at Hermione, and then looked at this special house-elf: "Xiaomai, I have heard of you. Hermione has mentioned you to me many times... From the pumpkin you brought me, it can be seen that you have indeed understood the books they left for you. This is a remarkable thing!"

Mr. Morgan and Miss Granger had not lied to him, Professor Bubbage was really kind...

"I...I don't understand, Professor."

Xiaomai heard his heart beating like Peeves, as if it would jump out of his chest at any time. He suppressed his joy and tried his best to control his nervousness, but it still came out in his trembling voice, "I don't understand a lot of the content in the book about maritime trade, the Renaissance, and the Industrial Revolution."

"Those details are not important. Or rather, they are not important to the house-elves nowadays. What you understand is the most important."

"Thank you, Professor Bubbaji."

"What's the matter that brought you here to see me?"

"I have some questions I want to ask you." "There are still a few hours before the Halloween dinner. I think we have plenty of time."

"..."

Caridi Burbagi is a very patient professor, and Xiaomai is a good student who loves to learn. They both understand Muggle civilization from an outsider's perspective, and their views on certain aspects are even more in line with Miss Granger's.

A great new chapter in history.

Hermione quietly exited the office, composing in her mind the historical tone.

……

The origin of Halloween is difficult to verify, but this kind of spooky festival is likely to have something to do with wizards.

There is no custom of dressing up to ask for candy in Hogwarts, but the castle has changed its appearance. The torches on the walls have been replaced with dim blue phosphorescence, and pumpkin lanterns are suspended in the corridor.

Loren leaned on the stair railing, looking at the bats flying in groups like dark clouds in the dark corner. Human ears could not hear the cries of those little guys, but looking at the rustling movements of their wings, he could feel the lively atmosphere of chirping.

They are clearly animals that symbolize eerie fear, but when they are put together they have a silly vibe to them.

After leaving Professor Bubbage's office, Hermione walked lightly to the girls' bathroom. When she came out, her lips were tightly pursed into a line and her beautiful eyebrows were slightly wrinkled.

Walking along the corridor and turning right, I soon saw Loren standing at the stairs watching the bats. I took his arm and walked upstairs to the common room.

"Why don't you just go downstairs? The auditorium is so lively, there's a Halloween party going on!"

Loren said this without turning his head back, his eyes still fixed on the flock of bats. A stupid bat had just hit the wall, and it seemed to be stunned, flying around in panic, and might even hit the wall a few more times.

That’s interesting!

Hermione kept walking: "Go back to the common room to find Parvati and tell her to go to the girls' bathroom to catch someone."

This is more interesting.

Loren immediately became interested: "Who to arrest? Why?"

"Someone is conspiring to put aphrodisiacs in tonight's food."

"Oh, I know that!"

Hermione turned her head silently and stared into his eyes: "How did you know about what happened in the girls' bathroom?"

"George and Fred told me last weekend when we were discussing the craft of the curse-proof vestments. They said a lot of girls had ordered love potions from the Circus Shop and told me to be careful."

"But Filch banned all products from the Hogwarts—" Hermione paused. She also realized that no one at Hogwarts cared about what Filch banned, and the headmaster took the lead in breaking the school rules.

She was silent for a moment, then asked, "But all owls have to be checked. How did George and Fred get the love potion in?"

"It certainly can't be written on the label. Bottles for perfume and cough syrup are a special service noted on the owl order."

"Those girls should be put in detention, and George and Fred should also go back to school and be put in detention!"

Hermione recalled the relevant provisions in the school rules. Those parchment files were endless, but unfortunately there was no school rule that could recall students who had graduated and impose punishment.

I can only wait until I join the Ministry of Magic in the future and propose to issue a relevant education order.

It would be fine if he just poured the love potion into the cups of those Quidditch players, but how come even Loren had a girl plotting against him?
Go back quickly and inform the class leader, and have them all put in solitary confinement!

(End of this chapter)