Mystery solved

Enjoy the chapter :)

_____________________________________________

"Say, do we have to inform a teacher about what happened here?" Jace asked as he glanced at the pile of ash that stood in the place of the creature.

"We should definitely report this to a teacher," Katherine said with a sense of urgency, her green eyes scanning the hallway for any signs of further danger. "Even though the creature is gone, we need to ensure the safety of others and investigate how it got in. Let's go see Professor Diggory."

Jace nodded, realizing the gravity of the situation. He had initially been taken aback by Katherine's quick thinking and skillful handling of the creature, but now he understood that they needed to take proper measures to address the situation.

They made their way to Professor Diggory's office, their footsteps echoing in the quiet corridors. Jace couldn't shake off the feeling of unease, knowing that they had encountered a dark creature within the school premises without supervision. Jace didn't want to think about what would have happened if the creature was closer to them.

As they entered Professor Diggory's office, he looked up from his desk, his kind eyes resting on them. "Ah, Jace, Katherine, what brings you here?" he asked in his gentle voice.

Jace spoke up, explaining the encounter with the creature and how Katherine had successfully dealt with it using her magical skills. Professor Diggory listened attentively, his expression growing serious.

"Thank you for informing me," Professor Diggory said, his voice firm as he heard the report from Jace and Katherine. "I think the creature you've encountered was a lesser undead. This is a serious matter, and we must take appropriate action to ensure the safety of everyone in the school. I will alert the appropriate professors and conduct a thorough investigation."

Jace and Katherine nodded, relieved that Professor Diggory was taking their report seriously. They left his office, knowing that they had done the right thing by reporting the incident.

As they exited the office, Jace turned to look at Katherine. "So, what do we do now? Do we go to the Great Hall?" he asked, his voice filled with uncertainty. "Wait, do you think they'll cancel the feast?" he added expectantly.

Katherine furrowed her brow, deep in thought. "I'm not sure," she replied, equally uncertain. "Let's ask the professor."

Jace nodded in agreement, and they quickly made their way back to Professor Diggory's office. The professor was in talking to a bear! A magnificent spectral bear stood before him. It was a patronus! The bear patronus nodded to George, its translucent form exuding a sense of strength and determination before it pawed the ground and left.

"Excuse me, Professor Diggory," Katherine spoke up, her voice tinged with concern, catching the professor's attention. "We were wondering if the Halloween feast in the Great Hall will still take place considering the recent incident?"

Professor Diggory looked at Jace and Katherine with a reassuring smile. "Absolutely," he replied confidently. "Between the professors and the headmaster, it would be the safest place in the castle. Come on, I'll take you there before I go to investigate. My patronus should have already reached the headmaster in the Great Hall. I'm sure he is explaining the situation to the others as we speak."

Even though Jace was disappointed that they would still end up attending the feast he couldn't help but agree with George's decision.

Hace and Katherine followed Professor Diggory as he led them to the Great Hall. The atmosphere in the castle was tense, with whispers and worried looks exchanged among the students and staff. As they reached the entrance of the Great Hall, they could see that the usual decorations for the Halloween feast had been scaled down, but the warm glow of the floating candles and the aroma of delicious food still filled the air.

Headmaster Swott was standing at the front of the hall, addressing the gathered students and staff. His stern expression softened when he saw Jace, Katherine, and Professor Diggory approach.

"Ah, Professor Diggory, Miss Katherine, Mr. Jace," Headmaster Swott greeted them. "I've just finished explaining the situation to everyone. We will proceed with the feast as planned, but with increased vigilance and security measures in place. Professor Diggory, please ensure that the investigation is thorough and report back to me immediately."

Professor Diggory nodded, and with a reassuring pat on Jace's shoulder, he went to join the other professors in securing the castle. Headmaster Swott turned his attention to Jace and Katherine.

"I am truly glad to see that you're both safe," he said earnestly, his eyes fixed on them. "You demonstrated great courage and quick thinking by reporting the incident. We will take all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of everyone in the castle."

A small smile crept onto Jace's face, and Katherine's eyes sparkled with pride at the praise from the headmaster.

"Furthermore," Headmaster Swott continued, "I am awarding both of you with one hundred points each for your brave and clever actions. Slytherin and Ravenclaw should be proud to have such exemplary students among their ranks."

Jace and Katherine exchanged glances, their chests swelling with pride. It was an unexpected honor, and they couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. Jace was especially happy at that development. He could use those points to gain access to four books from the restricted section.

"Thank you, Headmaster Hawthorne," Katherine said, her voice filled with gratitude.

"Yes, thank you, sir," Jace echoed, his gratitude even more evident in his tone.

The two students quickly got to their respective houses before being swarmed by curious their curious housemates.

The first one to reach Jace was Tom, of course. "Headmaster Swott told us about a lesser undead getting banished by two students and he just awarded you and Katherine one hundred points. Mate, these two things point that it was you, but there's no way right?" he asked flabbergasted.

Jace's smile was tinged with awkwardness as he proceeded to recount the events that had transpired.

"Hahahahaha. Dude, you owe your skin to a girl," Tom exclaimed, his face lighting up with a wide grin.

After a while, Professor Digorry came back. "The investigation is done. It appears that the undead was summoned by a student. The student has already been identified and kicked out of the school."

The students listened attentively as Professor Diggory relayed the results of the investigation. They were relieved to hear that the culprit had been identified and removed from the school, but they were also curious about the motive behind summoning the undead creature.

"Professor, do you know why the student summoned the undead?" a student asked.

Professor Diggory sighed, his expression grave. "The student claimed it was a prank gone wrong," he replied. "But summoning dark creatures is a serious offense, and we do not tolerate such behavior at our school. The student has been expelled, and we will be taking additional measures to that such an event doesn't repeat itself."

Jace glanced at Katherine and saw her looking at Malfoy.

_____________________________________________

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Don't forget to vote and leave a comment.

I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!