Chapter 43: A Small Favor
Halloween evening. Hogwarts Castle had transformed completely.
Hundreds and hundreds of live bats drifted through the corridors, hanging upside down from candelabras and suits of armor, wings fluttering now and then with a whisper-soft rustle.
Grinning jack-o'-lanterns lined the walls, magical flames dancing within, casting grotesque, comical shadows in every direction.
The air was thick with the sweet scent of toasted pumpkin pasties, and an undercurrent of festive, restless magic.
The young witches and wizards were ecstatic, gathering in clusters to discuss the evening's feast and speculate about whatever outlandish sweets Dumbledore might conjure this year.
Laughter and the soft rustle of robes filled the corridors.
Regulus was among the crowd.
Today, he had no plans to bury himself in the library or find a remote corner for magical practice.
He strolled through the castle's main building at an easy pace, soaking in the festive atmosphere.