Since the confiscation of gaming consoles, the professors felt their classes and assignments had finally returned to normal.
Attendance was back to 100%, and student essays had become much more proper after the new rules were implemented.
Although they still occasionally needed to check for plagiarism among overly similar essays, the number of violations remained within reasonable limits.
Everything seemed to be back on track.
Even the students who had faked illnesses to skip classes became remarkably well-behaved after being punished—so much so that the professors began to feel a twinge of guilt.
They wondered if their measures had been too harsh, leaving the students exhausted and yawning during class.
It wasn't just them; even Dumbledore felt a bit guilty.
After assigning Jane Yu a mountain of essays alongside the professors, the headmaster's office was once again bombarded by howler letters from Aberforth.
"What did she do wrong? Why don't you focus on those weak-willed students instead?"
"Is there a single school rule that forbids her from selling gaming consoles? What gives you the right to punish her?"
The letters began by criticizing Dumbledore's poor leadership for failing to notice the students' abnormalities in time. Then they accused him of indiscriminately burying a child under assignments without evidence. Finally, they escalated to questioning his educational competence and once again proposed sending the child to live at the Hog's Head Inn.
Aberforth's relentless tirade turned Dumbledore's mild irritation into full-blown anger. By the end, he refused to engage further with his brother, opting for a strategy of ignoring him entirely.
Still, he couldn't shake off a lingering sense of guilt.
Perhaps he could give the child a break next month, switching from single-day weekends to two-day weekends?
Or maybe take her on a trip during Christmas?
Various ideas flitted through his mind.
---
On Halloween.
The Great Hall was adorned with hundreds of candlelit pumpkins, banners glowing with orange flames swayed gently, flocks of live bats fluttered about, and both the band and the ghosts were putting on performances...
Dumbledore glanced at his colleagues. They all seemed to be in good spirits. Remus and Filius were engrossed in conversation, Severus was glaring at Remus as usual, and Minerva and Pomona were laughing together...
Everything appeared perfect.
Except for the many empty seats in the Great Hall, and the absence of Jane Yu among them.
She must have been too tired from her studies and essays to attend, likely resting in her dormitory.
She hadn't gone to Hogsmeade yesterday either...
Perhaps he had indeed been too strict with her.
Dumbledore's guilt deepened.
But he didn't expect that this guilt would soon vanish entirely.
Thanks to Filch's arrival.
Hunched over, Filch approached the staff table and reported an anomaly:
"The number of students who went to Hogsmeade yesterday doesn't match the records, Headmaster. Quite a few are missing."
This didn't seem too surprising. Hearing Filch's words, the professors smiled and explained:
"We've assigned too many tasks recently. The students are probably resting and too tired to go out."
Although Filch had no intention of contradicting the professors, he grumbled in his coarse voice:
"Is that so? I don't think those pesky brats would pass up a chance to leave the castle!"
"If they didn't go to Hogsmeade, then how did stink bombs, hiccup powder, and whizzing worms make their way into the school?"
The professors immediately sensed he was referring to the notorious Weasley twins—
Perhaps others stayed behind due to exhaustion from assignments, but Fred and George... the infamous pranksters...
It was hard to say with a straight face that the twins were too tired to go out.
Though peculiar, it didn't arouse too much suspicion among the professors.
"Relax, Argus," Dumbledore raised his goblet toward him. "Let's enjoy the holiday and take it easy!"
Reluctantly, Filch let the matter go, but he quickly brought up another anomaly:
"And that painting of the Red Cap—I don't think it should remain in service, sir."
"Perhaps you'd care to inform me next time you move a painting."
Dumbledore paused, lowering his goblet. He looked up, his blue eyes showing rare confusion:
"Argus, what are you talking about?"
Filch repeated himself, and Dumbledore's expression grew even more puzzled:
"I don't recall there being such a painting in the castle, Argus. Perhaps you could show me its location?"
Could it be an undiscovered secret passage?
One accidentally stumbled upon by a student?
But another possibility quickly came to mind—
Sirius Black's hiding place.
Knowing the Marauders' personalities, he had no doubt they were aware of some hidden spots.
Perhaps he should investigate after the feast...
But before he could verify his suspicions, something even worse happened—
The Fat Lady's portrait had been slashed by Sirius Black!
---
The Great Hall descended into chaos.
Students were herded back, each wearing a look of confusion.
"The professors need to conduct a thorough search of the castle," Dumbledore amplified his voice with a charm. McGonagall and Flitwick sealed all the doors to the hall. "For your safety, you'll have to spend the night here—"
Before he could finish, Gemma burst in, panic-stricken:
"Headmaster! Many Slytherins are missing! Jane Yu, Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini..."
She rattled off the names of over a dozen missing students.
The other three houses' prefects were equally alarmed. Percy was pale, sweat beading on his forehead. All his younger brothers were missing, along with Harry and several other Gryffindor students.
"Many of our Gryffindor/Hufflepuff/Ravenclaw students are missing too!"
Dumbledore's expression darkened. His mind immediately went to the intruder, Sirius Black.
Could these children have been taken hostage?
But for one person to subdue so many students... including upperclassmen...
Something didn't add up.
"Prefects, guard the entrances to the hall. The male and female student council presidents will oversee management. Report any issues immediately through the ghosts!"
"The professors and I will bring the other students back. They will be safe."
Percy looked like he wanted to join Dumbledore in searching for his brothers but held back.
---
In the corridor.
Dumbledore walked briskly, followed by Professors McGonagall and Snape.
They had split up with the other professors to search the castle.
"We must check the location of that Red Cap painting," Dumbledore's usually calm demeanor had been replaced with urgency. "It's very likely Sirius Black's hiding spot."
His concern grew as he spoke.
According to the prefects, many of the missing students hadn't been seen since yesterday's Hogsmeade trip.
McGonagall and Snape were equally grim-faced, their brows furrowed.
They suspected the children had been taken hostage by Black.
Especially with Harry among the missing—
This made them almost certain of their theory.
Both professors had their wands drawn, cautiously pointing at every shadowy corner and potential hiding spot. Finally, their wands aimed at the Red Cap painting.
Dumbledore signaled for silence, tapping the frame lightly three times with his wand to cast an Alohomora.
The Red Cap began to move. They waited quietly for it to open a door, but instead—
"Bang," "Bang," "Bang."
Three explosions echoed through the corridor as the Red Cap mimed throwing motions, hurling three dungbombs from the painting!
A foul stench of rot and a splatter of yellowish-brown liquid erupted, staining the walls and floor. Although the professors quickly cast Protego to shield their robes, they couldn't avoid inhaling the putrid, sewer-like air.
Their faces turned livid with rage. Snape swiftly purified the air and turned to Dumbledore:
"I believe we need a more forceful approach."
Dumbledore evidently agreed. He cast several silent, advanced spells, moving the painting aside to reveal a door—
There was indeed a hidden chamber!
"Strange, I remember this used to be a classroom. I took lessons here many years ago."
Professor McGonagall, seeing the door's design, asked hesitantly:
"Albus, are you sure this is a secret room?"
Dumbledore wasn't certain. He vaguely recalled this being a classroom too.
"Let's go in and take a look."
The three gripped their wands tightly, ready to cast binding spells the moment they entered, aiming to subdue Sirius Black. Snape had already planned which curses to use to personally capture Black and send him to Azkaban.
The door was forcibly opened by their spells, but the scene inside was far from what they had expected.
"Jane Yu! Put down that gaming console!"
"And the rest of you! Come out at once!"
The three professors were dumbfounded, nearly fainting from rage—
The room was in the midst of a raucous party. At its center, Jane Yu sat on the podium like a star surrounded by admirers, clutching a gaming console as her fingers flew across the buttons. Around her were the supposedly missing students, cheering and shouting in excitement, completely oblivious to the professors' arrival!
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
"8 amazing fanfics available on my Patreon.
Support for 200+ advance chapters:
patreon.com/DarkGolds"