Chapter 316: Peace and Fulfillment
What Justin hadn't mentioned was that the number of shops in Hogsmeade Village had remained virtually stagnant for centuries. After all, those weren't just storefronts; they were the ancestral homes of wizarding families. It was only because of the arrival of Wizard Wheezes—and a bit of localized expansion—that a few new spots had opened up.
One had to thank the Weasleys for that; no one quite knew how they had managed to persuade those stubborn old wizards to allow the change.
"Are you coming, then?" Justin asked, trying to sound casual.
"Mmm," Sean nodded. If it was on the way, he might as well.
"Even if we can't personally host the ribbon-cutting, seeing our own shop open its doors is a grand way to spend an afternoon." Justin opened his temp-controlled box. A plume of steam rose out, white and thick as a morning fog.
Consequently, for the day after Halloween, Sean's schedule was packed to the brim.
In the morning: a trip to Hagrid's hut.
In the afternoon: overseeing the opening of the two shops in Hogsmeade, with a quick detour to Gringotts to retrieve a few items.
In the evening: testing his new theories on belief and magic.
The timing was perfect. The Hogwarts students would just be starting their post-Halloween holiday, and they would likely be looking for a distraction from their looming pile of homework.
As for today... it was time for Hagrid's big moment.
The interview process went remarkably smoothly. All the journalists departed with satisfied expressions, clutching their finished drafts. Sean suspected this was largely due to Professor Dumbledore standing in the corner, smiling and winking at everyone.
The reporters had given a unanimous guarantee: they would not allow Ministry pressure to distort a single word of the story. Within a few weeks, a tidal wave of reports would sweep across Britain, clearing the gamekeeper's name.
As Sean walked through the corridors, he noticed that Hogwarts was fully immersed in the holiday spirit. The Great Hall had been decorated as usual with live bats fluttering in the rafters. Hagrid's massive pumpkins had been carved into lanterns so large that three people could sit comfortably inside them. There were even rumors that Dumbledore had booked a troupe of dancing skeletons to entertain the school.
Much like the rumors of the Weird Sisters performing last year, these were mostly just students blowing off steam—but they added a wonderful layer of festive energy to the castle.
Occasionally, Sean would overhear younger students debating the "Halloween Edition" of Whimsical Wizard Chess. He felt a slight pang of guilt; he'd almost forgotten to release the update. Fortunately, there was still time to make the adjustments.
Inside the Great Hall, some wizards were already sporting strange transformations: a boy with owl wings suddenly sprouting from his back, or a girl with a mane of lion-like hair. These were the results of the new Partial Transfiguration Biscuits—part of the "Animal Party" series.
The partial versions were the result of Fred and George's year of studying Sean's formulas. They allowed a wizard to transform a specific part of their body to experience animalistic traits without the risk of losing their human consciousness entirely.
Halloween.
At seven o'clock, Sean and Justin walked toward the Great Hall. The sounds of celebration were already pouring out—the room was festooned with streamers, candles glowed warmly, and golden plates laden with food sat invitingly on the tables. Despite the temptation, they continued past the doors toward the dungeons.
"We'll only stay for a bit," Harry promised. Ron, Hermione, and Neville were already waiting at the stone steps.
They made their way down the corridor toward Nearly Headless Nick's party. Candles had been lit along the walls, but the effect was anything but festive. They were thin, black tapers that burned with a sickly blue light, casting long, eerie shadows across their faces.
With every step, the temperature seemed to drop. Harry shivered, pulling his robes tightly around himself. He then heard a sound like a thousand fingernails scraping across a giant blackboard.
"You call that music?" Ron whispered.
They turned a corner and saw Nearly Headless Nick standing in a doorway, which was draped in heavy black velvet.
"My dear friends," Nick said, his voice thick with melancholy. "Welcome, welcome... I am so pleased you could make it..."
He tipped his feathered hat, bowing low to usher them inside.
The sight within was staggering. The dungeon was packed with hundreds of pearly-white, translucent figures, drifting across a crowded dance floor. They were waltzing to the dreadful, quivering sound of thirty musical saws being played by a band on a black-draped stage. Above them, a chandelier held a thousand black candles emitting a midnight-blue glow. The breath of the six living students formed thick clouds in the air; it felt like stepping into a walk-in freezer.
"Pray silence for the speaker!" Nearly Headless Nick shouted, mounting the stage into a cold, blue spotlight.
"My late lords, ladies, and gentlemen, it is with great sorrow..."
After his opening remarks, a group of headless ghosts began a game of "Head Hockey"—galloping about on ghost horses, tossing a head between them. Nick watched longingly, but the Headless Hunt wouldn't let him join because his neck wasn't fully severed.
"There's discrimination even in death?" Ron asked, looking gobsmacked. "Blimey, they're all dead! What does it matter?"
"Mmm-hmm," Hermione huffed, crossing her arms.
The Headless Hunt had completely upstaged Nick. He tried in vain to regain the crowd's attention, but when one of the ghost's heads flew past him to a roar of cheers, Nearly Headless Nick finally admitted defeat.
Leaving the cold dungeons, the Great Hall felt like a tropical paradise.
The air was thick with the scent of roasted pumpkin and baking bread, reminding them of the "Pumpkin Room" Justin was planning for the Room of Hope.
Hermione decided to try one of the Kneazle Biscuits her parents had sent her from the shop (via owl, of course). They were designed to randomly transform a body part into something feline.
When she finished the biscuit, the table erupted in laughter.
"Oh, Hermione, you'd better eat a Reversion Biscuit—quickly!" Justin laughed, handing her a small mirror. Sean provided the cure.
When Hermione looked at her reflection, she instantly buried her face in her hands—she had grown a thick coat of black cat fur all over her cheeks.
Ron was laughing so hard tears were streaming down his face, right until Hermione jammed a Rat Biscuit into his mouth. The laughter stopped instantly. He was left staring miserably at his new, long, pink rat tail, his face a mask of woe.
Sean smiled gently as he watched his friends excitedly testing the random biscuits.
This Halloween was nothing like the last one. There were no trolls in the dungeons, and no shadows in the corridors.
This autumn, there was only peace at Hogwarts.
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