bioinnovel Chapter 180 Another Halloween Eve
Chapter 180 Another Halloween Eve
Chapter 180 Another Halloween Eve
Amidst relentless onslaught of strong winds and torrential rain, Halloween dragged Manshan along, bringing with it the first Hogsmeade weekend of the school year.
Students in grade three and above may spend their weekends in Hogsmeade Village on specific days, provided they have a signed authorization from their parents or guardians.
Hogsmeade is the only village in all of Britain that is entirely inhabited by wizards. It is a picturesque village of cottages and shops that has a fatal attraction for students.
Since seeing the notice on the bulletin board in mid-October, the students have been happily discussing Hogsmeade while eagerly anticipating the eve of the Feast of the Holy See.
The middle and upper-grade students raved about this wizarding village as if it were something out of this world, and the younger students could recite the names of shops that appeared repeatedly, such as Honey Duke, Zoko's Joke Shop, and Three Brooms, by heart.
In addition, the lovey-dovey young couples would whisper about the ambiguous atmosphere of Madame Patif's Tea House, while the bold and adventurous students would discuss the feasibility of going to the Pig's Head Bar.
Suddenly, Hogsmeade and the shops in the village became the hottest topic at the school, and even complaints against the two professors had to take a backseat.
On Halloween morning, the auditorium, which should have been a place for breakfast, was suddenly turned into a washroom, where students in the third grade and above came and went in a hurry.
They wolfed down their breakfast in a few bites, and left their seats before they even had a chance to sit down properly.
Soon only the first and second-year students remained in the Great Hall. Those who were not eligible to go to Hogsmeade could only sit in their seats, looking at the older students queuing outside the hall with longing eyes.
Harry was also unable to travel to Hogsmeade, despite his permission form bearing Belvina's signature; Professor McGonagall still refused to allow him to go.
As Belvina said before signing the consent form, she was not Harry's guardian; the Dursleys were. Professor McGonagall would likely not recognize Belvina's signature.
In Professor McGonagall's view, with the escaped convict Sirius Black hiding around the school, how could Harry be allowed to show himself in such a dangerous situation, or give Sirius a chance to get close to him!
Even if the signature on the permission form was just "BW Black," or even if it were "Penny Dursley's" own handwriting, Professor McGonagall would still have to consider whether to grant permission.
Harry failed to obtain permission to go to Hogsmeade, and Belvina was dragged into the mess as well. Professor McGonagall didn't even glance at her for days, much to the chagrin of the older Gryffindor catgirl!
Professor McGonagall felt that Belvina's signing of the permission form was capricious and reckless, showing no regard for the bigger picture.
Harry was spoiled rotten.
What if Sirius Black happens to be hiding in Hogsmeade, silently blending into the crowd, and suddenly attacks Harry?
Belvina was speechless. Professor McGonagall was the vice-principal and the head of Gryffindor, and everything she said was true.
After all, in Professor McGonagall's eyes, Sirius Black was an irredeemable criminal whose sole purpose in escaping from prison was to find and kill Harry.
In the bustling lobby, the caretaker, Filch, stood at the entrance, holding a long list and carefully checking each face to prevent anyone who shouldn't be there from slipping out the door.
Harry stood dejectedly beside Ron and Hermione. He really wanted to go to Hogsmeade to change his mood; he was too tired.
Since October, football tyrant Oliver Wood has once again entered a hellish training mode, with the seventh-year captain Wood aiming to defend his Quidditch title once again.
In addition to Quidditch training in the midst of a raging storm, Harry also had to go to Lupin's for private practice.
Although the influence of the Boggart-shaped Dementors has diminished considerably, they are still not doing well.
Studies, Quidditch, and private practice combined to occupy almost all of Harry's time, and he visibly lost weight.
"We'll bring you lots of sweets from Honeydukes," Hermione said, feeling sorry for Harry.
Everyone went to Hogsmeade, leaving only Harry in the castle.
"That's right, bring back a whole bunch," Ron said. Faced with Harry's disappointment, he and Hermione finally forgot about their argument about Crookshanks.
Feeling comforted by his good friend, Harry forced himself to cheer up and pretended to be nonchalant.
He said, "You guys have fun. I can finally rest for a day. I'm going back to bed and stay there until the dinner party starts."
Even so, when Harry saw Belvina and Basilda walking out of the Great Hall, chatting and laughing, Harry's emerald green eyes regained their sparkle.
Harry, like a dog spotting a meat bun, pawed from the foyer to the Great Hall entrance in a flash, startling Bathsheda with his swift movement.
"Mr. Potter, could you please stop making such a fuss!" Bassheda said reproachfully. She knew that Harry had spent his summer vacation in Fertile Ground, and the two had even met once during the holidays.
"I'm sorry, Professor Bablin," Harry said, quickly apologizing, then looked at Belvina and said, "Professor Black, Professor McGonagall won't allow me to go to Hogsmeade for the weekend."
At this moment, Harry doesn't seem like a boy who has survived a great ordeal; he seems more like a little kid going to his family to complain and tattle.
"I know," Belvina said. "Didn't I already tell you that my signature might not be valid? I'm not your guardian."
Currently, Harry's guardians are the Dursleys and Sirius Black, who is on the run. Who does Belvina count for?
"But Professor, I'm the only one left in the entire third year," Harry said, sounding aggrieved. "I swear I won't run off, I promise! So, Professor, could you—"
Since the Chamber of Secrets incident, Harry seems to have let his guard down and become much closer to Belvina.
After spending the summer in Fertile Ground, Harry felt as if he had gained an elder in his life, an elder who was unpretentious and didn't spoil the fun.
"No, do you think I'm not afraid of Professor McGonagall?" Belvina said without hesitation. "Just because of that stupid permission form I signed for you, do you know I don't even dare to breathe loudly in front of Professor McGonagall?"
Bassheda burst out laughing. If she didn't have to protect Belvina's image in front of Harry, Professor Bablin would have laughed even more unrestrainedly.
Strangely enough, Belvina wasn't afraid of her own headmaster Snape, nor was she particularly afraid of headmaster Dumbledore.
He was somewhat afraid of Professor McGonagall.
How can I describe this feeling? It's like the stern suppression of a mischievous student by a highly respected teacher.
No matter how successful you become after graduation, seeing your former teachers from your student days still makes your legs go numb.
"I know what I'm about to say will be annoying, but I still have to warn you," Belvina continued. "Don't even think about using the Invisibility Cloak to sneak out. The Invisibility Cloak is ineffective against Dementors; it will only give them an excuse to attack you."
Whether it's a common, mass-produced item or Harry's exquisite invisibility cloak, nothing can fool the Dementors.
Because Dementors cannot see anything, they perceive things through emotions and mental states. The Invisibility Cloak can hide Harry's body, but it cannot conceal his mind.
“I remember that, Professor. Professor Dumbledore mentioned it at the beginning of the term,” Harry said. “Well, I’ll be going now. Perhaps I should go and do some extra practice with Professor Lupin.”
Harry abandoned his plan to lie in bed and do nothing all day, and instead decided to go find Lupin to practice the Patronus Charm.
The sooner you master the Guardian Charm, the sooner you will have the power to defend against Dementors.
Alone, Harry turned and walked up the magnificent marble staircase, through the empty corridor, heading towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.
Suddenly, Bassheda said, "How pitiful, he's all alone now."
"I don't think it's a big deal," Belvina said nonchalantly. "Spending time alone can help relieve stress and is also a form of self-growth."
"That's starting to sound more and more like what those educators say," Bassheda said. "So you also like being alone? Are you looking down on me?"
Sometimes, being unreasonable can be a kind of fun.
"No, I didn't, don't talk nonsense." Belvina quickly surrendered, starting with zero frames and denying it three times in a row.
Bassheda stopped her antics and asked, puzzled, "What exactly did your brother mean by that?"
"Your brother!"
"Okay, okay, my brother. What exactly did he mean by that?"
Before Sirius Black escaped Azkaban, he kept repeating the same phrase in his sleep: "I am at Hogwarts."