Dear Luna, dear Mr. Lovegood:
I only learned these past few days that Halloween isn't just a holiday for Muggles to play around with; it's also the ancient Celtic New Year.
It is said that on the day before Halloween, which is the day I am writing to you, the boundary between life and death becomes blurred, and death and ghosts come to this world.
I think this is just a rumor, after all, there are quite a few ghosts at Hogwarts... like The Grey Lady.
Unlike the talkative, fat monk from Hufflepuff, The Grey Lady was much more taciturn, extremely knowledgeable, and occasionally even helped her students with their homework.
Oh, right! Fred and George from the Weasleys also told me that something always happens on Halloween, and I'm actually kind of looking forward to it.
If any extraordinary event were to happen today, I would write it down as a story and submit it to The Quibbler. I hope Mr. Lovegood will not find my submission objectionable.
Have a wonderful Halloween!
Vizette Lovegood
...
Watching Thor walk away with the letter in his mouth, Vizette stood up and stretched.
It was only when he wrote this letter that he realized he had already been at Hogwarts for two months.
These past two months had been incredibly fulfilling. In addition to regular classes from Monday to Friday, he also had Quidditch training on Tuesdays and private lessons with two professors on weekends.
In some ways, Quirrell and Snape were quite similar.
Vizette could always sense the talent of the two professors during his private lessons.
Quirrell had extensive theoretical knowledge and spoke in a gentle tone when lecturing;
he always patiently answered the various questions that Vizette encountered during the process.
Snape was very knowledgeable, but his tone was rather cold when he taught.
At first, there were many criticisms, but once Vizette became more skilled, he became much more taciturn.
Regardless, Vizette was very grateful for the two professors' guidance in gaining access to these hidden magical knowledge.
Before even entering the auditorium, Vizette could smell the sweet aroma of roasted pumpkin from afar.
The armored figures in the corridor came to life; if a student got too close, they would suddenly stand at attention, salute, and shout, "Happy Halloween!"
The air was filled with the aroma of roasted pumpkin, and there were pumpkins displayed everywhere.
These pumpkins are a full meter and a half tall, and they're all hollowed out with candles lit inside. Some ghosts hide inside, and they'll suddenly pop out to scare students who happen to pass by.
Not only were the corridors decorated with Halloween themes, but the auditorium was also decorated.
A black curtain with a silhouette of a castle hung on the wall, and Flitwick waved his wand, directing countless bats made of black cloth to fly in the air.
Perhaps influenced by the festive atmosphere, Flitwick, in his spells class, was equally cheerful and continued teaching the Levitation Charm.
"Remember the hand gestures we practiced before, a wave and a shake... Yes! A very easy wave and a shake! Then chant the mantra—Wingardium Leviosa!"
He taught and demonstrated at the same time, "When you say 'plus,' you should start waving your wand... Let's practice!"
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
The sound of chanting in unison came from the classroom.
"That's right! Vizette's feathers fly very steadily! Just like his flying skills! Ravenclaw, ten points!" Flitwick never hesitated to encourage his own students.
Vizette was already well-versed in the nuances of gestures and pronunciation.
Moreover, the spell isn't complicated, and succeeding on the first try is quite common.
Ravenclaw's students were used to it and treated him like a teaching assistant, gathering around him to ask about the techniques of the Levitation Charm.
When Flitwick was inspecting the Gryffindor students, he even gave Vizette a thumbs up.
Compared to the harmonious atmosphere of Ravenclaw, Gryffindor is much more volatile.
Seamus got so anxious while casting the spell that he accidentally set his practice feather on fire. If Harry hadn't reacted quickly, the flames might have burned Seamus's hair off.
Ron and Hermione were also on edge, Hermione's voice rising, "It's Wingardium Leviosa, the 'ga' should be drawn out—and you need to start casting the spell properly."
"Weren't you paying attention in class? Professor Flitwick just demonstrated... I mean... maybe you were nervous, or something..."
Ron's face flushed red, almost the same color as his hair. "If you can do it, then you give it a try!"
"Alright!" Hermione didn't refuse, rolled up her sleeves and began waving her wand, "Wingardium Leviosa!"
"Well done!" Professor Flitwick said, watching the feathers float up. "Mr. Weasley, keep up the good work! Learn from Miss Granger, and you'll get two points in Gryffindor!"
...
As the bell rang signaling the end of class, the students breathed a sigh of relief, looking forward to tonight's Halloween party.
Terry said mysteriously, "I heard that Headmaster Dumbledore bought a lot of candy from Honeydukes!"
"As long as it's not Cockroach Clusters!" Anthony said casually. "I heard from my elders that Headmaster Dumbledore really likes Cockroach Clusters."
"I don't like cockroaches!" Michael seemed to recall a bad memory. "The moment you put it in your mouth, it tastes like cockroaches… and even after you chew it, its legs are still wriggling in your mouth!"
Chris asked with a strange look, "You've actually eaten cockroaches? Don't talk to me again!"
"What are you talking about! Who has ever eaten a cockroach?" Michael yelled, and started playfully fighting with Chris.
Vizette couldn't help but chuckle as he watched this scene, and gently shook his head.
Suddenly, Ron's voice came from behind, "Vizette...did you go to the library today?"
"Of course!" Vizette nodded. "What kind of information are you looking for? From Potions class?"
"Uh…" Ron's face turned red again, and he said awkwardly, "I just wanted to ask you if you've ever seen Hermione."
Vizette shook his head. "No, what happened?"
"I said some offensive things…" Ron's face was as red as if it had been burned, almost dazzlingly red.
"No wonder she didn't have a single friend... She was like a nightmare..."
Harry added, "I saw Hermione cry. Then she skipped class! History of Magic, Transfiguration, and Flying!"
"Given Hermione's personality, she would never skip class! So we thought... something might have happened to her, and we wanted to look for her."
"Hermione? You mean that Gryffindor girl who goes to the library all the time?" Anthony and the others chimed in. "She doesn't seem that bad, does she?"
Michael chuckled and added, "I think so too. Is it because you Gryffindors are used to being lazy?"
"Different schools may have different lifestyles," Vizette said with a slight smile. "Ron, Hermione actually talked to me about you before."
Ron quickly pressed, "What did she say?"