Soon, Halloween Eve arrived.
Harry, along with the rest of the students, went to attend the Halloween feast. As usual during holidays, the Great Hall was decorated with live bats.
Although it had rained for a long stretch recently, Hagrid had taken great care of his pumpkins.
The massive pumpkins he had grown were carved into lanterns so large that three adults could sit inside one.
There were even rumors that Dumbledore had invited a troupe of dancing skeletons to perform for the students.
At 7 o'clock, the feast officially began.
Everyone eagerly entered the Great Hall. Candles and torches lit the place brightly, and it was pleasantly warm inside.
Overhead, the enchanted ceiling reflected the starry night sky, crackling with fireworks that burst into brilliant patterns, flickering over the joyful faces of the students.
About a dozen students, who had rather reluctantly followed the ghost Nearly Headless Nick, glanced back regretfully at the laughter and cheer inside the Hall.
Harry noticed that Ron had left as well, and his expression seemed a bit off.
But Harry devoted his full attention to the roast meat that had just appeared. It sizzled invitingly, with beads of hot oil sliding down its juicy surface, releasing a mouthwatering aroma that made Harry's stomach growl instantly.
Ignoring the heat, he took a huge bite—his mouth was filled with a searing, delicious explosion of flavor. The meat, grilled to perfection, was tender, crispy on the outside, salty, savory, spicy—all bursting across his tastebuds at once.
Savoring food was the true path.
…
Harry stayed in the Hall the entire time. Eventually, the students who had attended Nick's deathday party returned, looking glum and disappointed.
Ron also reappeared at some point, trembling and secretly wiping something off his hands, as if he'd touched something unpleasant.
Harry let out a satisfied burp and washed it down with a glass of juice.
What a wonderful thing it was to eat your fill.
At the end of the feast, hundreds of students left the Great Hall in high spirits, heading up the stairs.
Harry blended into the crowd, waiting for the moment to arrive.
Sure enough, just as he reached the corridor, the students ahead of him saw something that threw them into chaos and hushed murmurs.
A girl screamed, which only made everyone else more curious. They surged forward to see what had happened.
Beneath a torch was a dark shape. As they got closer, they all recoiled in fright.
It was Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's filthy cat. Her tail hung from the torch bracket, her body stiff as a board. Her pitch-black eyes were wide open, staring lifelessly.
The firelight cast her shadow on the ground, flickering eerily like a demon's sneer.
The faint-hearted couldn't bear the sight and shut their eyes immediately, frightened by the grotesque appearance of the cat.
But what drew more attention was the writing on the wall.
Between two windows, about a foot above the floor, were large, jagged letters smeared in what looked like fresh blood:
"The Chamber of Secrets has been opened."
"Enemies of the Heir, beware!"
The students exchanged looks, stunned.
"What is that?"
"What's the Chamber of Secrets?"
"What heir? Whose heir?"
"Maybe it's a pile of gold in the chamber—just like in knight stories."
…
After the initial panic passed, the students became increasingly animated, excitedly speculating.
Why worry? Dumbledore and the professors were here, after all.
Some students even clapped in delight.
"Wow! That cat died horribly! Wonder which legend did this—kneel before the master!"
"If Filch sees this, he'll cry himself to death! Haha!"
"Filch and his cat always pop up out of nowhere, catching people breaking rules. Every time he glares at me, I get so annoyed. I just don't get why he hates us so much."
"Psst—I heard Filch is a Squib. Last time, when Pidell got punished, he saw a 'Simple Spells for Beginners' course in Filch's room."
"No way—no wonder he's so mean to us. He's jealous we can do magic! I think Dumbledore should fire him!"
"Exactly. Keeping someone like him here is like inviting a Death Eater into school!"
Harry: "…"
"What are you lot doing? Causing a ruckus in the corridor and blocking the way? Do you want me to—"
Filch had heard the noise and shoved his way through, yelling.
But he suddenly fell silent, as if someone had gripped his throat.
"Ugh… urgh…"
He rushed forward, pulled down his cat, cradling her stiff body as he burst into tears.
"Who did this? Who killed my cat?" His eyes burned with rage.
He looked around, scrutinizing every face, as if trying to identify the culprit by their expression.
Everyone he stared at felt a chill down their spine.
"Make way, please."
Dumbledore arrived, followed by several professors.
He saw the petrified cat and the message on the wall, and his expression shifted subtly.
He knew exactly what this meant—he had seen it before, fifty years ago, back when he was just a regular professor at Hogwarts.
Back then, the incident had been left unresolved, and Hagrid had been expelled as a result.
He had thought the Chamber was long forgotten—yet it had been opened again.
Was history about to repeat itself? Would innocent lives be sacrificed once more?
He glanced worriedly at the Muggle-borns and half-bloods.
He also gave Harry a subtle glance—Harry looked unusually calm, as if he had seen this coming.
Could it be…?
Dumbledore's brows furrowed tightly.
Snape, too, upon seeing the scene, immediately focused on Harry. He silently moved to stand in front of Dumbledore.
Hey, hey—why is everyone staring at me like I'm the culprit?
But then, Dumbledore's tightly furrowed brow suddenly relaxed. He burst into laughter.
"What a clever prank! Looks like someone wanted to play a joke on all of us for Halloween. Mrs. Norris isn't dead—she's only been petrified."
"Prefects, take your housemates back to your dormitories. It's time to rest."
"Wait! I know who the culprit is! He's right here! We can't let him leave!" Filch shouted hysterically.
Harry was surprised. Did Ron get caught writing with chicken blood or petrifying Mrs. Norris? Voldemort had been careless.
But then he saw something shocking—the students around him suddenly stepped back, forming a circle. All eyes turned to him with suspicion.
"It's him! He did it!" Filch pointed at Harry, spitting with rage.
"Me?" Harry pointed at himself and nearly burst out laughing.
Sure, he had done a little behind-the-scenes maneuvering, but he'd only interfered passively. He was certain no one knew what he'd done.
Harry chuckled coldly, his face hardening. "What does this have to do with me? Don't go around barking like a mad dog. I was at the feast the whole time—plenty of people can vouch for me. You say I'm the culprit? Then where's your proof?"
Filch stammered nonsense, "Everyone else was looking down, but you—you looked so calm, even smiling! That means you're the killer!"
"Oh really? Yeah, I did smile—because I'm actually happy that cat's dead. I can't even smile now?" Harry said with a smile.
Filch was about to explode.
Never appear too happy when someone else is in pain.
Because they'll think: "Why do you get to be happy when I'm suffering?"
All their pain will turn to hatred—and you'll be the target.
That's exactly what was happening with Filch. Crying, he turned to Dumbledore.
"It's him! He killed my cat! He must die!"
Dumbledore calmly reassured him: "Don't worry, Mrs. Norris isn't dead. With Mandrakes, we can make a potion to revive her."
"So that's it? You're just going to let this go? Someone should be punished!" Filch shouted, his bulging eyes locked on Harry.
"Lunatic," Harry muttered.
The crowd was eventually dispersed.
But the discussion wasn't over.
A prank? Who believed that nonsense?
Dumbledore's face had been dark as a thundercloud—we all saw it!
Petrified? Come on. We learned the Full Body-Bind Curse in our first year, and a simple "Finite Incantatem" could undo it. Don't tell us Dumbledore doesn't know that.
In short—there's a deeper story here!
The students let their imaginations run wild, theorizing about what really happened.
Judging by their thoughtful expressions, it was clear that the Chamber of Secrets had already become their favorite new obsession.
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THE REBIRTH OF HARRY POTTER
⚡🦉 THE REBIRTH OF HARRY POTTER 🦉⚡
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📢 MAGIC REBORN! 📢
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