The days at Hogwarts

"Five hundred years had eliminated his fears, although he still had not accepted his ridiculous and hasty death. However, Henry VII had long since turned to ashes, and even the Tudor dynasty had perished. Sooner or later, he would be able to think clearly, and at that time, he would embark on a great adventure."

He looked at Nick who was singing on the stage: "Joining the Headless Hunters will deepen his attachment to the world of the living, which is an obstacle for him."

Loren's mind flashed with every ghost he had ever seen, Professor Binns, Ms. Grey, the Bloody Baron, Myrtle, analyzing their reasons for staying in the world of the living, and he was lost in thought for a while.

Hermione followed Patrick's line of sight and saw Nick singing passionately on the stage, obviously enjoying the stage very much. She couldn't help but ask, "Why do you have to accept death? Isn't it better to stay in this world?"

Patrick held the reins of the ghost horse tightly in his hand, bent down and put his head in front of Hermione, and said in a cold tone: "Do you think being a ghost is a comfortable thing?"

“I can hear beautiful music, but I can’t feel the emotions in the melody; I can see the change of seasons, but I can no longer appreciate the beautiful scenery.”

This seemed to have touched his inner pain point, and his speech speed gradually became aggressive, "Not to mention that the ethereal body cannot touch the real world, disgusting rotten food, harsh and annoying music, all just to get a little pitiful comfort!"

"That's enough!" Loren pulled Hermione behind him, looked at him warily, and scolded, "Becoming a ghost was your own choice. Why are you complaining to us now?"

Patrick calmed down, closed his eyes and panted violently on the horse. In fact, he couldn't feel the air, and panting didn't calm him down. It was just a habit left over from when he was alive.

After a long while, he opened his eyes and said weakly, "I'm sorry, little wizard, I scared you."

Loren didn't reply and walked away with Hermione.

Patrick stared at their backs in a daze and said self-deprecatingly, "Yeah, this is the coward's own choice..."

Hermione was still thinking about the question in a daze. After walking a long way without saying a word, she suddenly asked, "Are ghosts unable to control their emotions and prone to collapse when stimulated, just like some kind of mental illness?"

Loren thought about it, and it seemed that Nick that night, Moaning Myrtle, Patrick just now, and even Ms. Grey were indeed like this.

"Professor Binns is not like that. He hardly ever loses his temper." He thought of a counterexample.

"They still lose their temper." Hermione talked about something she heard during a night chat in the girls' dormitory. "George and Fred pissed off Professor Binns. One time, they replaced Professor Binns's lesson plan with The Quibbler, and Professor Binns read it for a week before Percy found out. Penelope said that Professor Binns' wrinkled skin swelled up with anger, and George and Fred were put in detention for a month."

Loren: "..."

What can he say, twin brother Niu Boyi.

"According to Patrick, they will have emotional disorders after becoming ghosts. They can't smell, taste, or touch anything. The impoverished senses will make them depressed, irritable, and angry. These are the symptoms of mental illness. They have mental illness."

"So Patrick does have good intentions in wanting Nick to accept death, but what will happen to ghosts after they accept death? Will they go to another world?" Hermione looked at the room full of ghosts with curiosity in her eyes.

Loren didn't know either, but considering Dumbledore's attitude towards death and the existence of the blurred vision, it seemed that for wizards, there really was a world after death.

The clear mixed tenor's Nick's Song came to the end, becoming more melodious and higher in pitch.

"Thus I died, but my faithful head

But he didn't want to be separated from me anyway.

It still hangs there, and my song ends here,

Please applaud now, otherwise it will be the biggest blow to me——"

When the song ended, Nick took off the head, ignored the skin and tendons being stretched, and placed the head against his chest and bowed.

In the dim and cold basement, there were only countless slender candles emitting cold blue light. Each of the ghosts, also emitting cold light, clapped their hands vigorously and cheered loudly. The boiling sound almost overturned the castle.

Loren looked at these ghosts, watching them trying to create a lively atmosphere, but the venue still retained an icy chill that could not be dispelled. It was the chill brought by the magic candles and the chill brought by the ghost bodies.

"Who knows? Let's just live well." Loren said softly. He and Hermione were very close. In such a cold place, they could feel each other's body temperature.

"Cuckoo-"

"Goo-"

Hermione covered her stomach shyly, lowered her head and dared not look him in the eye, and whispered: "I thought there was something to eat at the party..."

Loren suppressed his laughter and pulled Hermione to the edge of the stage. "Come on, let's go say goodbye to Nick. There's pudding to eat in the hall now."

Seamus and Dean were playing a game with Neville about passing through ghost bodies. The ghosts were in all kinds of weird positions, and the three of them had to run as fast as possible to see who had passed through the most ghosts at the finish line.

Although their teeth were chattering with cold, the three of them were in high spirits.

"Harry and the others have left a long time ago. If you want to go, go up first. We'll go back when we're tired of playing." Neville waved his hand and hurriedly rushed into the pile of ghosts.

Loren and Hermione: ...

As they reached the edge of the stage, Lockhart was pestering Nick about his new book about ghosts.

Lockhart held a pen and paper, gesticulating and speaking loudly: "Ms. Grieve was a hidden werewolf. The full moon appeared that night, so she grew terrible fangs. The king executed you the next day to prevent you from revealing the werewolf army he had raised."

Lockhart trembled with excitement when he said this: "This adaptation is great. The new book will definitely sell well!"

Nick shook his head impatiently. "How could a Muggle dare to come into contact with a werewolf? Don't tamper with my experience!"

What's going on in the head of this new Hogwarts professor? Water from the bathroom toilet?

"Of course Muggles can come into contact with werewolves! Even... yes, yes... the werewolf army still exists to this day, and there are still werewolves hiding in the Muggle world... Bates..." Lockhart's eyes became more and more fanatical.

He is a best-selling author who knows how to respond to readers. With a few changes, Nick's story can respond to the most popular trend in the wizarding world - the Muggle threat theory.

Provoking conflict between Muggles and wizards, combined with the historical Muggle witch hunts, this will become the best-selling book in decades. The recently introduced "Anti-Werewolf Bill" can also be linked to the content of this book.

As for this ghost, I can make him cooperate with me by just using the Forgetfulness Charm and the False Memory Charm.

Tampering with the memory of 500 years ago was a challenge he had never encountered before. Lockhart's blood was boiling, even in the cold ghost banquet venue, he still felt the blood boiling.

Loren heard Bates' name as he approached. He looked at Lockhart, who was so excited that he could hardly control himself, and his eyes were colder than the temperature in the basement.

This new professor disgusts him. It seems that the progress of the Oblivion Spell needs to be accelerated.

Nick saw Loren and Hermione and smiled with relief. He greeted them happily, "Hey, how was your fun tonight?"

Hermione looked at Nick, then at Lockhart, and said, "The show is great, and the ghosts are interesting, but there's no food for us to eat, and I'm a little hungry."

Nick patted his head, which was shaking, and said regretfully: "It was my fault that I forgot to prepare food for you."

"Then let's go back and eat. Goodbye, Nick!" Loren came to his senses and said goodbye.

Hermione and Loren walked up side by side. "Did I just hear Lockhart say Grandpa Bates's name?"

"It's a coincidence, or maybe they have the same name." Loren answered calmly. He didn't want Hermione to worry. And there was no need to worry. He was always a fast learner of spells. Once he learned the Oblivion Charm, he would turn Lockhart into an idiot.

hall.

The lively atmosphere of the Halloween party was still a little hot. The little wizards had already eaten their fill. Some of them were chasing and playing in the hall, while others were chatting at the long table.

The Skeleton Dance Troupe had already left, and when Loren and Hermione came in they only saw some musical instruments made of bones still placed under the guest of honor seats.

Violins made from tibia, drumsticks made from radius...

Loren thought that the Skeleton Dance Troupe might be more suitable for the party in the basement. Ghosts and skeletons sounded like a good match.

The flying bats stopped to rest inside the pumpkin lanterns and eat the sweet pumpkin flesh. In addition to the pumpkin lanterns on the guest of honor seats, George and Fred were throwing colorful firecrackers at the pumpkin lantern hanging above Dumbledore's head, trying to blow it down.

Lockhart did not attend the Halloween party, no one boasted about themselves inappropriately, and the main guest table was full of joy and harmony. Professor McGonagall, in a good mood, ignored the twins' suicidal behavior.

Dumbledore stood up, and his cheerful voice spread throughout the hall: "Finally, I have only one thing to say - Happy Halloween!"

As he gave his blessing, the party ended. The house-elves stopped serving food, and the food on the long table disappeared like a punctured balloon.

Loren patted the pudding in his pocket, the lamb pie and chicken leg wrapped in brown paper, and felt relieved. Hermione patted her bulging belly, and felt relieved in both her stomach and heart.

The young wizards lined up to leave the hall. At this time, a fast fourth-year Ravenclaw wizard ran anxiously to the center of the hall and said in a trembling voice: "Principal! Professor! Something happened!"

At a certain moment, Loren felt that this scene seemed familiar.

Last Halloween, it was the same location, with similar words, except it was Quirrell who spoke.

The little wizards in the hall followed the professor, and the professor followed Dumbledore. They hurriedly left the hall and went up the stairs to the third floor. At a glance, they saw that the end of the corridor was surrounded by some of the little wizards who had walked out of the hall first.

The crowd of onlookers made way for a path so that those who came later could see what was going on inside.

Harry and Ron stood in the center, like prisoners. Next to them, a stiff, motionless figure of Mrs. Norris hung on a torch stand.

Between the two windows, on the wall a foot above the ground, some words were scribbled, gleaming in the light of the burning torches:

The secret room has been opened,

Be wary of those who are enemies of the heir.

I don't know how to set up a book club, so I'll post the group number here: 184361553

Chapter 190 Preparation! Gaunt's Old House

Draco looked at the cat hanging there motionless and stiff, and it seemed that his body also became cold and stiff. He realized who the murderer was and turned his head to look at Crabbe in the Slytherin crowd.

Crabbe's face turned even paler, bloodless. Feeling Draco's gaze, Crabbe grinned at him, revealing his sharp teeth.

Draco thought of his father's advice, and of his conversation with Loren. He brought into his own thoughts a year ago, thinking about what he would have said and done then.

"Those who are enemies of the heir, beware! You are next, Mudblood!" He squeezed to the front of the crowd, stiffened his neck and shouted loudly. He was a real dandy, pureblood.

"What happened here? What happened?"

"My cat! My cat! What happened to Mrs. Norris?"

"You! You killed my cat! You killed it! I'm going to kill you..."

Filch was attracted by the screaming and saw Mrs. Norris hanging on the wall. He was in disbelief as if he was struck by lightning, and then screamed at Harry.

"Argus!"

Dumbledore arrived just in time to hear the last sentence, and spoke out to signal Filch to calm down.

He walked up calmly and untied Mrs. Norris from the torch stand, then called to Filch, "Come with me, Argus. And you, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley."

The principal took the victim's family and the suspect to the staff lounge. He remained serious throughout the whole process and pretended to be completely unaware of what was going on.

Loren: "..."

Principal, you really know how to act.

"The prefects of each college will take everyone back to the dormitories. In addition, the truth of the matter has not yet been ascertained, so please do not make unfounded guesses." After giving her instructions, Professor McGonagall turned around and hurriedly followed the headmaster's footsteps.

The prefects organized a team and took the little wizards back to the common room.

Although Professor McGonagall warned everyone not to make wild guesses, how could they not talk about something like this happening in the castle? The young wizards gathered in groups of two or three and discussed quietly with their familiar friends.

In the Slytherin team, Draco laughed loudly at Harry, causing a burst of laughter in response.

"What does it mean that the secret chamber has been opened?" Hannah Abbott whispered to Ernie beside her.

Ernie Macmillan is a young wizard who was sorted into Hufflepuff together with Hannah.

"I don't know." He looked around so that no one could hear him, and waved Justin Finch-Fletchley closer. "I think you should be careful. Malfoy just mentioned Mudblood."

Suddenly, a loud thunder sounded outside the castle, scaring Justin so much that his face turned pale. He quickly quickened his pace and hurried back to the Hufflepuff common room.

At the end of the group, Hermione was next to Loren. She was a little worried: "Harry and Ron left the Deathday party too early. They must have discovered something. When they return to the common room, we will ask them carefully."

"Don't worry, nothing will happen as long as the principal is here." Loren complained in his heart. It was obviously because of the principal that the problem occurred.

Ginny and Luna came over to Hermione and Loren hand in hand.

Ginny's lips were pressed tightly together, and she was clearly worried about Harry... and Ron.

"It'll be all right, won't it?" asked Luna in a disembodied voice, wearing a crudely carved lion head from a hollowed-out pumpkin that looked like something Hagrid had done.

Loren noticed that Luna was asking about "it" and his eyes involuntarily looked at Luna's silver eyes.

She had seen that Mrs. Norris was not dead, so she asked such a question. At that time, Mrs. Norris's limbs were hanging on the torch stand, stiff as a corpse, and even Filch, the cat's owner, thought it was dead.

Yet Luna can tell the difference between life and death, could it be that her eyes also have a strange vision, seeing things that others cannot?

Luna had light eyebrows, cold white skin, and bulging eyeballs, which made her eyes look big. At this moment, the girl was blinking her bright silver eyes, waiting for Loren's answer.

Loren nodded: "With Headmaster Dumbledore here, it's okay."

Hermione tilted her head and looked at him suspiciously, always feeling that the tone of this sentence was strange.

……

Gryffindor common room.

A group of little wizards sat neatly on the sofa, waiting for Harry and Ron to come back with anticipation. They couldn't wait to know the truth of the matter.

Seamus, Dean and Neville sat in a corner, looking at each other's stomachs in worry. They had been playing so much that they forgot the time until Percy came down to the basement and brought them back. They still hadn't eaten anything, and now that the excitement was over, their stomachs began to growl.

Lee Jordan frowned and teased the twins in a mean way, "Aren't you worried that your brother Ron is the murderer?"

This sentence seemed to touch the twins' funny bone. They fell on the sofa and it took them a while to sit up and wipe away the tears of laughter.

George held his stomach which hurt from laughing: "Ron, is he the murderer?"

"If Mrs. Norris duels with him and lets him use only one claw, Ron may not win." Fred said in an exaggerated tone.

"And Harry?"