Cassie finished explaining what had happened inside the Hospital Wing.
"I told Professor McGonagall that we'd keep investigating," she said. "And if we find proof that a banshee is responsible, we'll inform her immediately. She said she'd let the Headmaster know."
Penny turned to Soren. "So… what did you find out from Ben?"
Soren sighed. "He doesn't remember much. Almost everything is blank."
Jacqueline frowned. "I think he's hiding something. I've always felt like Ben knows more than he admits, like he's keeping secrets."
She paused, then added, "He might be afraid of whoever sent those instructions."
Penny nodded slowly. "I think you're right."
Soren looked thoughtful. "Either way, the corridor is our next stop. If there are clues, they'll be there."
They were just about to move when a familiar voice cut in.
"Well, well. Planning something without me?"
Merula stepped out of the hallway, arms crossed.
Soren immediately tensed. "What do you want, Merula?"
"Something's happened to Professor Sprout," Merula said. "And before you ask, yes, it's serious."
Cassie exchanged a quick look with the others. "What happened?"
"You'll see," Merula replied. "Come with me."
Soren narrowed his eyes. The timing felt wrong. Merula always appeared at the worst moments.
"This could be a trick," Penny whispered.
"I know," Soren said quietly. "But if a professor's in trouble, we can't ignore it."
He looked at Merula. "Fine. Lead the way."
Merula turned and started walking.
Soren and the others followed her.
They followed Merula into the Herbology classroom.
It was night, and the place looked very different without students. The greenhouse was dimly lit by hanging lanterns, their light reflecting off the glass walls and ceiling.
Rows of wooden tables were filled with potted plants, some drooping, some gently moving on their own. The air smelled of soil, leaves, and something sharp and bitter. A few plants rustled softly, reacting to the disturbance.
And then they saw her.
Professor Sprout was lying on the ground near one of the worktables, completely unconscious.
Soren's eyes widened.
"What happened here?" he asked, looking at Merula, then back at Professor Sprout.
Jacqueline stepped closer and examined the scene. "It's the same as Bryony."
Cassie nodded. "Bryony heard a scream before she passed out," she said. "The same thing must have happened here."
Penny looked around the greenhouse and pointed. "She's close to the mandrakes. Their screams could do this too."
Merula shook her head. "No. Professor Sprout is still wearing her protective earmuffs. So it can't be a mandrake."
Just then, Professor Sprout stirred slightly and began to murmur.
"Pepper… mint…"
Soren looked at her. "She's talking in her sleep?"
"Yes," Penny said softly. "Listen."
Professor Sprout continued, still unconscious. "Yes, Minerva… I remember the peppermint… such a fine aroma…"
Jacqueline tilted her head. "She seems to be dreaming about the smell of peppermint."
"It sounds like a pleasant dream, but we really need a way to wake her up," Cassie said.
Jacqueline's eyes lit up. "I have an idea. Let's look around for some peppermint. The smell might help wake her."
Everyone nodded.
They spread out and began searching through the greenhouse, checking labels on pots and brushing past leaves carefully.
After a short while, Penny called out, "Found it."
She was holding a pot of fresh peppermint, its sharp, clean scent already filling the air.
They quickly brought it over to Professor Sprout, hoping it would be enough to wake her.
They placed the peppermint pot near Professor Sprout's face.
After a moment, she stirred, took a breath, and her eyes opened.
"Whu… what?!" she said, blinking in confusion.
She slowly sat up and looked around at Soren and the others. "Oh dear," she said. "I seem to have fallen asleep, in the middle of repotting, no less!"
"Professor Sprout, you're all right?" Soren asked, relieved.
"Of course I'm all right!" Professor Sprout replied firmly. "We Herbology professors aren't easily defeated, Mr. Whitlock."
She paused, frowning slightly. "Although… I am confused. I had just finished repotting a mandrake when I heard the most awful scream."
Penny's eyes widened. "That sounds exactly like what happened to Bryony. We found her unconscious by the lakeshore."
"A student was found unconscious?" Professor Sprout said, alarmed. "How terrible! Yes, this feels very similar to what happened to me. Wouldn't you agree, Mr. Whitlock?"
"Yes," Soren nodded. "I think so."
Professor Sprout pushed herself fully to her feet. "Then we must find out what's causing this before there's another incident."
"I was thinking the same thing," Soren said. "I'm going to find whatever is lurking around Hogwarts and causing people to pass out with its scream."
Cassie nodded confidently. "And I think it could be a banshee."
Professor Sprout looked serious now. "Then you must be careful. Even Hogwarts is in danger. A banshee's scream is not something to underestimate."
She looked at all of them one by one. "You should each take a pair of protective earmuffs, in case something decides to scream at you too."
She reached for a nearby shelf and handed them several pairs.
"And I strongly advise you to stay indoors," she added. "If something is lurking outside Hogwarts, the castle is the safest place."
"Thank you, Professor," Soren said, taking the earmuffs. "We'll put them to good use."
Professor Sprout nodded, still worried, and began checking the plants around her.
Soren turned to the others.
"But before we return to the castle," he said quietly, "there's something else we need to do."
They all looked at him.
If there really was something dangerous outside, they couldn't ignore it.
Not now.
"Hagrid knows everything that goes on around the grounds," Soren said. "We should talk to him."
"Be quick," Professor Sprout warned. "I don't want to worry about you. And keep those earmuffs on."
Soren and others nodded.
They headed toward Hagrid's hut, but when they arrived, it was empty.
"He's probably in his garden," Penny said.
They split up to look around.
As Soren walked a little farther from the others, he suddenly felt a cold chill run through him. The air around him grew heavy and silent.
Then it appeared.
A woman-like figure drifted out from the shadows. She looked pale and unnatural, wearing a long, torn dress that floated as if there was no wind.
Her hair was long, wild, and silver-white, hanging over a hollow face. Her eyes were dark and empty, and her mouth opened far wider than should be possible.
She screamed.
The sound was sharp, piercing, and full of terror. It felt like it went straight through Soren's head.
Everything went black.
---
"Soren!"
"Soren!"
"Soren!"
Soren slowly opened his eyes. He was lying on the ground, with Penny, Cassie, Jacqueline, and Merula standing over him.
"What happened?" he asked, rubbing his head.
"We found you unconscious," Cassie said. "We heard a scream and rushed over."
Soren sat up slowly. "I saw it," he said. "The banshee. She appeared suddenly and screamed at me."
Everyone went quiet.
"That confirms it," Penny said. "It really is a banshee."
"We need to know everything about banshees," Jacqueline said firmly.
Soren nodded. "Yes. Every detail."
They all agreed.
If a banshee was roaming the Hogwarts grounds, this was far more serious than they had thought.
After Charms, Potions, and Transfiguration classes ended, they went straight to the library.
They gathered around a table stacked with books.
"Now the whole school knows there's a banshee wandering around," Cassie said quietly.
"Yeah," Soren replied. "We've been lucky so far. We should do our part to make sure no one gets seriously hurt."
"Our professors will do what they can," Penny added, "but with a banshee out in the open, we need to know how to protect ourselves."
"That's why I took the liberty of gathering everything I could find about banshees," Jacqueline said, pointing to the pile of books.
"Thanks, Jacqueline," Soren said.
They opened the books and started reading carefully.
---
After reading several books, they found, a banshee is a dangerous magical spirit that appears as a pale, ghost-like woman.
She often wears long, flowing robes and moves silently until she screams. Her scream is her most dangerous weapon.
They learned that a banshee's scream can cause people to lose consciousness instantly. Fall into a deep trance or delirium. In extreme cases, die from shock
The scream doesn't always kill. Its effect depends on how close the person is, how long they hear it, and whether they are protected.
One book explained that banshees are usually drawn to strong emotions, especially fear, sadness, or death. They often appear near places where something bad is about to happen, or has already happened.
Another important detail stood out.
Banshees are rarely physical. That's why they leave no marks, no wounds, and no evidence behind. Once they scream, they vanish quickly.
They also learned how to protect themselves:
Protective earmuffs can block most of the scream's power
Staying in groups reduces the risk
Calm minds are less affected than panicked ones
Looking directly at a banshee is dangerous, but not deadly.
One book mentioned that banshees don't usually attack randomly. If one is appearing repeatedly, it often means, someone summoned it, someone angered it, or it is bound to a specific location or command.
Soren closed the book slowly.
"That explains Ben, Bryony, Professor Sprout… and me," he said.
"They all heard a scream," Penny said. "And none of them were physically hurt."
Cassie frowned. "So this banshee isn't killing anyone. Not yet."
Jacqueline looked serious. "Which means someone may be controlling it, or using it as a warning."
Everyone went quiet.
If the banshee was being controlled, then this wasn't just a creature problem.
It was a person problem. And that made things far more dangerous.
They kept reading.
One of the books mentioned something important.
"A banshee's scream can still affect people even if they're wearing normal earmuffs or headphones," Penny read out loud. "The sound is partly magical, not just physical."
"So earmuffs alone aren't enough," Soren said.
Another book explained the solution.
"To fully block a banshee's scream," Jacqueline said, "we need magical earplugs, not ordinary ones."
Cassie looked up. "I've seen the formula for those before. I think I can make them."
Penny nodded. "And I'll prepare a Laughing Potion. According to this, laughter can disrupt a banshee's focus and weaken its scream."
Jacqueline closed her book and looked at Soren. "You should learn the Imperturbable Charm from Professor Flitwick. If we enchant the earplugs with it, they'll block both sound and magic."
Soren nodded. "Good plan. I'll go talk to Professor Flitwick."