Halloween Feast — The Calm Before the "Fake" Storm
Hogwarts' Great Hall was glowing.
Floating pumpkins. Bat swarms drifting overhead.
Spooky music echoing through the hall.
Keith sat at the Hufflepuff table, calm as always.
To his left sat Tonks and Cedric.
To his right were Rias, Susan, and Helena, chatting happily.
Vulpix wasn't here—she was in the portable dimension playing with Ho-Oh, joyfully rolling in the grass.
Tonks leaned toward Keith, grinning.
Tonks:
"Keith, did you hear what happened in Charms class?"
Keith raised an eyebrow.
Keith:
"No. What happened to the Weasley boy this time?"
Tonks burst into laughter.
Tonks:
"He tried Wingardium Leviosa but said it like 'Wingardium Levio–SEE–ah!'… and the idiot levitated himself! He floated up screaming!"
Susan and Helena laughed. Even Rias smirked.
Susan:
"Draco retold the story six times. Every time he exaggerated."
Helena:
"…The 'Ron Balloon' incident will never be forgotten."
Keith shook his head.
Keith:
"He embarrassed himself. That's all."
He didn't care about Ron Weasley.
He only glanced toward the Ravenclaw table.
Hermione was there—safe, eating quietly.
Good.
He also noticed something else:
Ron Weasley was missing.
Keith didn't bother worrying.
If he got stuck in a bathroom crying over his own failure… that was his problem.
◆ Quirrell's Pathetic Entrance
Just as Keith reached for another pumpkin tart—
BANG!
The doors slammed open.
Professor Quirrell stumbled inside, face pale, eyes wide with fake terror.
Quirrell (dramatic stutter):
"T-T-TROLL—IN THE D-D-DUNGEON!"
He then wobbled and collapsed on the floor.
Half the students screamed.
Half dropped their forks.
Keith blinked once.
Keith (deadpan):
"…Worst acting I've seen in centuries."
Rias rolled her eyes.
Helena sighed.
Dumbledore stood up.
Though calm, his eyes flicked to Keith knowingly.
He also knew it was fake.
But he had to play the role.
Dumbledore:
"Students, go to your dormitories immediately! Professors, with me!"
Panic surged. The feast exploded into chaos.
Tables overturned, students screamed, prefects shouted.
But Keith?
Keith just calmly stood and stretched.
◆ Checking Everyone — Runcandel Style
Keith quickly scanned the hall.
He checked:
Daphne Cassandra Helena Rias Penelope Katie Angelina Hermione
Every girl he cared about was safe.
He nodded in satisfaction.
Cedric:
"Keith? You coming to the dorms?"
Keith:
"In a moment."
Tonks grabbed his hand, eyes worried.
Tonks:
"Be careful, okay?"
Keith smiled faintly.
Keith:
"I'll be fine, princess."
Tonks blushed bright pink.
◆ Neville & Seamus: The Babysitting Problem
As Hufflepuffs were guided out, Keith noticed two figures sneaking the wrong way.
Neville Longbottom and Seamus Finnigan.
Neville looked frantic.
Neville:
"Ron's missing! He went to the bathroom earlier—he must still be there!"
Seamus:
"We're gonna find him!"
Keith sighed.
Of course Neville wouldn't leave a friend behind. The Boy-Who-Lived's heart was too big.
He didn't want them dying to a troll—fake or not.
So he called in his shadow.
Without moving his lips, he used telepathy.
Keith (telepathy):
Darkrai.
A ripple of darkness stirred behind him.
Only Keith could sense it.
Darkrai:
Yes, master?
Keith:
Follow the two idiots. Protect them.
Only interfere if necessary.
If not… come back.
Darkrai bowed within the shadow.
Darkrai:
Understood.
He vanished instantly, slipping after Neville and Seamus unseen.
Keith turned and walked calmly toward the Hufflepuff dorms.
Rias fell into step beside him.
Helena and Susan followed too.
◆ Dumbledore Watching Keith
At the front of the hall, Dumbledore watched Keith walk away calmly.
No fear. No panic.
Just quiet calculation and a mind that saw through the troll lie immediately.
Dumbledore smiled softly.
Dumbledore (murmuring):
"The Runcandel boy… far too composed for an eleven-year-old."
Snape glanced at Helena—safe beside Keith—and silently nodded in relief.
McGonagall sighed in resignation.
Flitwick whispered:
Flitwick:
"He's going to be a legend by the end of the year."
Sprout smiled.
Sprout:
"He already is."