A Terrible Halloween Eve

For Belvina Black, Halloween Eve was a terrible day.

It's not just that Draco Malfoy likely inherited the Black family's obsession; Belvina genuinely dislikes pumpkins.

From the moment she opened her eyes this morning, Belvina smelled the aroma of roasted pumpkin wafting down the hallway.

The pervasive pumpkin smell nearly made Belvina vomit all day, yet she couldn't protest to the school and still had to attend the Halloween Eve dinner.

It's terrible.

Fortunately, Draco regained his youthful energy after being comforted. On the way to the Great Hall, the eleven-year-old kept talking, as if he wanted to say everything he hadn't been able to say for a month.

Thanks to Draco's endless chatter, Belvina gained a general understanding of the first-year students.

Characters like Hermione Granger, whom everyone calls Miss Know-It-All; the strikingly beautiful Patil twins, who are Indian twins; Ron Weasley, who uses his brother's old wand; and Daphne Greengrass, whose name is the same as a women's clothing brand.

Of course, there's also Seamus Finnegan of Gryffindor. The unremarkable Mr. Finnegan was just beginning to show his talent at this time, not yet the explosive genius he would later become known as.

A moment later, Belvina and Draco arrived at the Great Hall, which was now adorned with colorful Halloween decorations.

A thousand bats fluttered and flew on the walls and ceiling, while another thousand bats, like low-lying dark clouds, hovered and danced above the dining table, causing the candle flame inside the pumpkin to flicker.

Draco ran quickly toward the Slytherin table and soon found his friends, the baboons Crabbe and Goyle, as well as Pansy Parkinson.

From the faculty and staff seats at the far end of the auditorium, Bassheda Bablin waved cheerfully, signaling Belvina to come over quickly.

After Belvina took her seat, a feast meticulously prepared by the house-elves suddenly appeared on a golden plate: pumpkin porridge, pumpkin pie, caramelized apples, hot cider... The dinner had a festive feel to it.

Seeing that Belvina was looking around and hesitating to make a move, Bassheda presented a plate of small cakes to Belvina with a smile.

"You still don't like pumpkin as much as you used to," Bassheda said. "Being picky about food is wrong, and besides, you're an adult now, in a few years you'll be—ugh!"

Bassheda didn't get to say the last half of her sentence because her mouth was gagged.

No one stays eighteen forever, but there will always be someone who is eighteen. Belvina doesn't want to hear anyone mention her age, even if it's her best friend.

Paul Bernard rolled his eyes at the dark ceiling. Age is nothing to hide. Everyone gets old eventually. Look at Dumbledore, he's over a hundred years old!

The atmosphere in the auditorium was great; some people were laughing and chatting, some were enjoying their meals, and some didn't forget their KPIs even during the holiday.

Just as the teachers and students were enjoying the dinner, Quirinas Quillo suddenly rushed into the auditorium, his large scarf askew on his head, his face full of terror.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Professor Quirrell staggered toward Dumbledore, leaning weakly against the table as he gasped, "The trolls—in the underground classrooms—I thought you should know that."

After saying that, Professor Quirrell collapsed to the floor and lost consciousness.

The Great Hall erupted into chaos. Professor Dumbledore had to make his wand explode with several ear-piercing fireworks before everyone quieted down.

Belvina looked at Quirrell lying on the ground as if he were an idiot. How could a professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts be so easily frightened by a troll? There was no way to explain this!

If it was an act, Quirinas Quirrell deserves a Golden Raspberry Award; if it wasn't an act, how incompetent must Quirinas Quirrell be to be scared unconscious by a troll?

"Prefect," Dumbledore said in a deep voice, "take all the students of your house to their dormitories immediately!"

The prefects stood up and organized their students to return to the common room, especially the younger students, to ensure their safety.

The professors also left their seats. Professors Sprout and Frivi followed behind their respective colleges, escorting their students out of the Great Hall and heading in different directions from the castle.

But Snape did not do that. Instead of following behind the Slytherin students to protect them, he blended into the crowd and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Belvina and her two companions did not leave in a hurry; they were almost the last to walk out of the auditorium.

Instead of returning to their respective lounges, the three elective course professors, following Headmaster Dumbledore's orders, went into the castle to search for traces of the trolls.

According to Quirrell, the troll appeared in the underground classroom, and even if it has left, it shouldn't have gone too far.

"How did a troll end up at Hogwarts?" Bassheda said. "Could it be Peeves who did it?"

The three of them walked and talked as they jogged. Although Bassheda was asking a question, her tone denied that the troll had been let in by Peeves.

Peeves, Hogwarts' famous prankster, is quite sensible despite his frequent mischief, mostly engaging in minor pranks.

He wouldn't do something so outrageous without someone provoking him.

The three elective course professors stopped at a corner. Bassheda sniffed the air and said, "This way!"

Whether it's a special skill granted by her gluttonous nature or a unique personal talent, Bassheda has a very sensitive nose. She can determine the possible location of trolls by distinguishing the faint smells in the air.

Belvina said seriously, "Unless Filch really angered Peeves, he wouldn't do something like this. What I'm more interested in is the purpose of letting the troll into the school."

A giant that can weigh up to a ton is incredibly powerful, but not in a bad way either. In any case, Belvina would find it too much to fight a giant with one hand.

Bassheda and Paul, quick to react, exchanged a glance and immediately thought of the strange things happening at Hogwarts in the new school year.

At the opening banquet, Dumbledore said that anyone who does not wish to suffer an accident or die a painful death should not enter the corridor on the right side of the fourth floor.

The corridor on the right side of the fourth floor, which had been neglected for two months, was finally remembered by the elective course professors.

At the beginning of the semester, the three of them in the elective course had expressed their doubts about this, but after discussing it once, they put it out of their minds; they didn't have that much curiosity.

Besides, what secrets are hidden in the right-hand corridor on the fourth floor, who is eyeing that place, and whether they have a connection with Bronze Nate, are matters for Dumbledore to worry about.

"But—even if there's something extraordinary hidden in the corridor on the right side of the fourth floor, who's plotting something?" Bassheda said, "This way!"

After giving her directions, Bassheda continued, "This is Hogwarts, after all. Who does he think he is, daring to cause trouble right under Professor Dumbledore's nose!"

Paul Bernard, who was walking at the front, thought for a moment and said, "Based on the current situation, Belvina is the most suspicious."

"Yes, I'm the only new student this year, so if anything happens at school, I'll definitely be the first person they suspect." Belvina wasn't angry, nor did she refute it; instead, she agreed with Paul's statement.

Putting a tall, mighty monster into the school is something a first-year student certainly wouldn't be able to do, but Belvina, who is also a newcomer, can.

It's not that nothing happened earlier or later, but something happened as soon as Belvina arrived. Regardless of whether Belvina did it or not, it's always right to suspect her first.

More importantly, Belvina had a motive to cause trouble at Hogwarts.

It's roughly about a pure-blooded father, a crazy mother, an immature brother, and a broken woman.

"But we all know this person isn't Belvina," Bassheda said. "She was with Draco in the afternoon and stayed in the auditorium all evening without leaving."

The three of them rounded another corner, and even without Bassheda's nose for navigation, they were able to figure out their direction; the stench emanating from the troll was now very noticeable.

Belvina drew her acacia wand, determined to make an example of the troll and send a message to the mastermind behind the scenes: you can cause trouble at Hogwarts, but don't mess with me.

Bassheda and Paul, standing beside her, also drew their wands. Trolls were no pushovers; they possessed incredible strength and were extremely violent. It was best to be prepared with your wands drawn, rather than risk making a mistake.

"Could it be Quirrell?" Bassheda suddenly said. "He's been so strange since the start of the semester. He just fainted. He wasn't usually that timid, but he's never been this cowardly."

Quirrell is a very talented wizard, but he is a bit too soft-hearted. He has a wealth of theoretical knowledge about magic, but lacks practical experience.

To make up for his shortcomings, Quirrell often travels around the world to improve his strength, until his most recent long journey.

After that long journey, Quirrell became increasingly timid and neurotic, as if the slightest sound could terrify him. His previously mild stutter became more pronounced, making it difficult even to teach his students.

Some say Quirrell went to the Dark Forest and encountered vampires and an old witch; others say that Quirrell was attacked by terrifying dark creatures during his travels and almost lost his life.

In short, Quirinus Quirrell has changed, from a brilliant Ravenclaw to a useless professor in the new school year, and now he's an innocent, pitiful Professor Quirrell.

Belvina was puzzled as to why Quirrell would apply for the Defense Against the Dark Arts position after knowing he had become like this, a position that was cursed. Was Quirrell trying to fight fire with fire?

Paul thought for a moment and joked, "If Quirrell really was behind everything, his acting was even worse than Belvina's that day; the performance was far too obvious."

Belvina, who was called out again, did not respond. She remained silent, recalling the marketing articles she had read in her previous life, wondering if she could gain something without effort and identify the mastermind behind the scenes without thinking.

In the castle corridor, the stench emanating from the troll grew stronger, and the sound of its enormous feet dragging on the ground seemed to be right next to your ears.

They were getting closer; the giant that had invaded the school was not far away.

The three professors of the elective course quickened their pace, forcing Belvina to interrupt her memory recall and sprint away.

Because Belvina heard a shrill, terrified voice coming from the other end of the corridor.