Chapter 295: A Hogwarts Tradition, an Unsettled Halloween
After the party ended, everyone filtered out of the Great Hall with mixed feelings. The Skeleton Dance Troupe had vanished while they were still eating—a bit of a letdown.
"It's really hard to get that dance troupe to perform," said an eager young wizard in the crowd. "My dad told me the Ministry of Magic itself has to wait ages to book them."
"I heard they were at the last Quidditch World Cup, along with The Weird Sisters," someone chimed in. "People said it was the best opening show in a century."
"I never thought we'd get to see them at Hogwarts! Headmaster Dumbledore is amazing," another student marveled.
"Of course, it's Dumbledore..."
The students chatted excitedly about the performance as they walked toward their common rooms. But before they reached the doors of the Great Hall, a piercing howl echoed down the stairs—a shrill, eerie sound that sent a shiver down their spines.
The chatter slowly faded.
"What was that?" someone asked, breaking the silence.
"It was Mrs. Norris," another replied. "That screech always makes my scalp tingle. No mistaking it."
"Did she catch someone breaking the rules again? But... we were all in the Great Hall!"
"Or maybe a dangerous creature from the Forbidden Forest got loose... Mrs. Norris sounded different, like my cat when she's scared."