You Only Learn to Cherish What You Lose

Chapter 99 You Only Learn to Cherish What You Lose

After that night, Dumbledore's whereabouts became even more elusive; no one knew whether he was hiding in the headmaster's office indulging in sweets or had left the school altogether.

Dumbledore must have been a master of hide-and-seek in his youth, the kind of player whose skills were so exceptional that even his friends couldn't find him no matter how hard they tried.

The phrase "like a dragon whose head is seen but whose tail is never seen" seems to have been tailor-made for him.

Aside from the elusive Dumbledore, life at Hogwarts continued as usual, with storms and torrential rains relentlessly battering the castle, the Black Lake's water level soaring, and even the giant squid unable to leisurely bask in the sun.

Every time herbalism class ended, a bunch of drenched chickens would appear in the castle, accompanied by a chorus of "clucking" sounds.

Poor Mr. Filch would fly into a rage every time, and his cold only exacerbated the administrator's bad temper.

Defense Against the Dark Arts class continued to be a series of disasters, and began to veer towards a stage play, with popular or famous students like Harry Potter being brought up to the stage to role-play.

The disastrous core curriculum left students complaining bitterly, while the spreading flu pandemic dampened their spirits of resistance.

Just then, Halloween Eve quietly arrived, and the increasingly festive atmosphere in the castle diluted the students' sorrow and resentment. Early that morning, the weather was still gloomy, and the low-hanging clouds showed no sign of anything mysterious or terrifying happening at the school.

Outside the castle, a gloomy atmosphere prevailed, while inside, the pervasive aroma of pumpkin filled the air. Occasionally, a few students dressed as cute monsters could be seen in the corridors, jumping out to scare passersby.

During the Muggle Studies class, Belvina also gave the young wizards a brief explanation of the origins of Muggle Halloween.

One theory is that the Church established this day two thousand years ago as the day of saints throughout the world.

Another explanation is that Halloween is similar to May Day, which celebrates spring, while Halloween is a grand festival celebrating autumn.

The orthodox ancient Romans in Europe would also pay homage to the goddess Pomona on this day by roasting nuts and apples over a roaring bonfire.

Although Halloween has now become about playing around, dressing up as ghosts, playing pranks, and trick-or-treating, the long-standing festival has still been passed down.

At 6:30 p.m. that evening, Belvina and Bassheda went together to the newly decorated auditorium.

The Great Hall was brightly lit and filled with the glow of candles. Golden platters were laid out on the tables, and the giant pumpkin Hagrid had prepared was carved into lanterns large enough to seat three people.

Having recovered from her cold, Bassheda was full of energy. She ate heartily to replenish the calories she had lost during her illness, while observing the auditorium with great interest, her eyes following the bats flying around.

Belvina sat to the side, frowning as she picked through her food. She didn't like the texture or taste of pumpkin, and she disliked everything related to it.

If she had a choice, Belvina would never want to sit in the auditorium; she'd rather go to Three Brooms and order a large beer.

Order another serving of crispy pork skin slices to go with your drinks.

The students were equally excited, as there had been rumors at school that Dumbledore had booked a skeleton dance troupe to entertain everyone.

But by the end of the Halloween Eve dinner, the legendary Skull Dance Troupe had not appeared, and the students' trust in the principal had unknowingly dropped another notch.

The lavish dinner for the students came to an end. The students, having eaten and drunk their fill, left the auditorium, their heavy footsteps and boisterous chatter sounding like distant rumbling thunder.

Strangely, the students' footsteps stopped on the second floor of the castle, as if they had all been frozen in place. Their voices also gradually fell silent, as if someone had grabbed them by the neck.

Only the students in the front row saw the horrifying scene in the corridor: a cat was hanging upside down on a torch in a strange position—that was Mrs. Lorris, Filch's accomplice. The skinny cat was in trouble; Filch was probably going crazy!

Some people even noticed the row of bright red words on the corridor wall: "The secret room has been opened. Those who are enemies of the heir, beware!"

Silence, deathly silence. Everyone knew something terrible had happened at school, just like last year's Halloween Eve. How come it's Halloween Eve again?

In the silence, someone spoke loudly.

"Beware of those who oppose the Heir! You will be next, Mudbloods!" It was Draco Malfoy!

With Crabbe and Goyle's help, Malfoy squeezed to the front of the crowd, his cold eyes filled with undisguised disgust, his pale oval face flushed with excitement.

"What happened here? What happened?"

The administrator, Mr. Filch, also arrived. He pushed his way through the crowd and rushed towards the center of the incident.

However, Mr. Filch's arrival did not cause a commotion, and another person also parted the crowded students and stood in front of Draco Malfoy.

She walked quickly and hurriedly, her skirt billowing in the wind—a sight unbecoming of an elegant lady. She walked too fast and hurriedly, her high-heeled ankle boots splashing up large sprays of water, wetting the hem of her skirt.

Belvina Black glared angrily at the boy in front of her, her arm raised high, a heavy slap seemingly about to fall at any moment.

Belvina was furious. Two months of summer vacation had turned Draco Malfoy back to his old self. Indeed, parents are the best teachers for their children. Her guidance and correction now seemed like a ridiculous joke.

Belvina was furious. Such a vulgar word hadn't been used in public at Hogwarts for at least ten years. What did Draco Malfoy mean by shouting "Mudblood" in front of so many students?

Also, is Draco Malfoy cursing his classmates, wishing all Muggle-born students would suffer the same misfortune as that poor cat?

Draco panicked when Belvina appeared through the crowd. He panicked even more when Belvina raised her arm. This was the first time Belvina had ever intended to hit him, especially in front of so many people!

The slap that had terrified Draco Malfoy didn't land; Belvina lowered her arm, allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief; and her half-step back almost made him smile.

But what happened next left Draco Malfoy filled with regret. The anger on Belvina's face vanished, and her dark, unwavering eyes remained as deep as bottomless wells.

The way she looked at me was as if I were a broken rock. Draco Malfoy thought to himself.

"My cat! My cat! What's wrong with Mrs. Lorice?" Filch screamed, stumbling back a few steps and clutching his face in terror.

Next, Mr. Filch rushes towards Harry Potter. The boy who survived is the first to appear at the crime scene. Considering what happened before, Filch naturally assumes that Harry is the murderer!

Mr. Filch was like a supporting actor putting on a great show on stage, while Belvina's sudden change in attitude attracted more attention from the students.

Many people at the school knew about Belvina's relationship with Draco, and some knew what "Mudblood" meant. They were curious to know how Belvina would handle the situation.

To the students' disappointment, Belvina made no further comment beyond initially raising her arm high.

There was neither a slap nor any reprimand, nor even a symbolic deduction of points.

Although there may seem to be no indication, the attitude has actually been expressed very clearly.

Draco Malfoy's face, which had been flushed with excitement, turned deathly pale in an instant. He felt better if the slap had actually landed.

Young Master Malfoy realized that Belvina would probably no longer care about him, and his mother's cousin seemed to be becoming a stranger.

"Argus, please release Mr. Potter. This is not something a second-year student can do," Belvina said, ignoring Malfoy.

Belvina stepped forward, took Mrs. Lorris off the torch stand, and held her in her hands to examine her.

The stiff Lady Lorris had no flexibility whatsoever, and did not give the impression of rigor mortis after death. The poor Lady Lorris was more like a cold stone sculpture.

"He killed my cat! It must be him!" Filch screamed, losing his mind, still refusing to let go of Harry. "He killed my cat! I want him dead!"

Belvina took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. She said, "Mrs. Lorris isn't dead, and Mr. Potter won't kill your cat. I'm telling you to let him go!"

"Argus, Belvina is right. This is not something a second-year student would do," Bassheda said kindly, stepping forward. "Professor Dumbledore will be here soon, and he will seek justice for you."

As she spoke, Bassheda pulled Argus Filch aside. The skinny administrator was no match for the ancient Runewin sweetheart and was quickly dragged to the side.

If Ron Weasley hadn't instinctively reached out to stop him, Super Filch would probably have fallen flat on his backside.

"Speak of Dumbledore, and here comes Dumbledore," the headmaster said, leading a group of professors hurriedly through the students to the front.

Dumbledore took the petrified Mrs. Lorris from Belvina, gave her a cursory examination, and then looked at Harry and the other two.

Belvina pulled Bassheda away, offering no further comment or attempt to stop Filch's urge to strangle Harry.

From beginning to end, Belvina never looked at Draco Malfoy again, as if the young master Malfoy was just an ordinary Slytherin.

"Come with me, Argus," Dumbledore said to Filch, "and you too, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, and Miss Granger."

Gilderoy Lockhart, who couldn't stop talking, then appeared and said, "My office is the closest to here, and the principal is upstairs—you can—"

The silent crowd parted to let Dumbledore and his group pass. The professors looked solemn, but Lockhart alone seemed excited. He had sensed a new business opportunity—the Chamber of Secrets, and the new book would be titled "Giddro Lockhart and the Chamber of Secrets."

Belvina and Bassheda lagged behind. She took one last look at the red lettering on the wall before urging the three of them, who were still in a daze, to hurry up and catch up.

Draco Malfoy, at the front of the crowd, wanted to say something; he didn't want to lose the people who loved and cared for him.

It felt as if a piece of his heart had suddenly gone empty.

Malfoy was about to speak to persuade him to stay when he saw a scene that shocked him to no end—Belvina was gently comforting the smelly little mud-blood!

Belvina Black is comforting Hermione Granger!