Decorations

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Seeing Artel successfully transform the slug into a ring.

Professor McGonagall, who was observing nearby, wore an approving smile and nodded.

"To accomplish transfiguration so quickly, Artel, your talent in this field is remarkable! Ten points for Slytherin!"

Hermione couldn't help but marvel at Artel's exceptional magical talent while cheering herself on for her own progress.

After a few attempts, Hermione took a deep breath, swiped her wand in an arc through the air, and chanted the spell.

A flash of light illuminated the room as the slug before Hermione began a slow transformation, eventually turning into a gray-brown ring with a bright, unadorned surface. It resembled a brass ring.

"Good work Hermione. Five points for Gryffindor!"

Despite the praise from McGonagall, Hermione wasn't satisfied and continued to work on improving her transfiguration.

By the time the class ended, the ring Hermione had conjured had transformed into a silvery white ring, with faint patterns appearing on its surface.

Malfoy, had also succeeded, though his ring wasn't as flawless as Hermione's. It retained the color of the original slug but was undoubtedly a ring.

Harry and Ron, however, were less successful, managing only partial transfigurations. Either the slug's head had turned metallic, or its tail, but they couldn't achieve a complete transformation.

After class, Hermione felt a bit disheartened because she sensed the growing gap between her abilities and Artel's.

"Are you planning to visit the library to read later?" Artel asked as he put his textbook in his bag, glancing at Hermione, who was still practicing transfiguration.

"No, the prefects have asked us to help decorate the sixth and eighth floors of the castle, as well as the auditorium. After all, it's Halloween tomorrow, and there's a banquet tonight."

Given the relatively small student population at Hogwarts, despite the assistance of magic, decorating the entire castle for Halloween required the efforts of the students themselves. Slytherins, too, had their assignments, responsible for decorating parts of the basement, the first and second floors, and the entire second floor.

"Alright, see you at noon then."

Artel left the classroom and headed back to the Slytherin common room, located underground. Some senior students had already started decorating it with pumpkin heads, ghosts, skeletons, and other spooky decorations, giving the room a creepy and eerie ambiance.

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Upon returning to the dormitory, Artel found Malfoy and the others waiting for him, ready to discuss their plans.

"That... Artel, the prefect assigned us a task. Slytherin is responsible for decorating everything on the first floor except for the Great Hall, and we first-year students have to decorate the staff room and Filch's office," Malfoy explained, sounding somewhat irritated.

"That ridiculous Filch is a Squib; he can't even hang pumpkin heads from the ceiling, so it's left to us..."

"Why not use the Levitation Charm? It's not too difficult," Artel interrupted, not wanting to hear Malfoy's complaints.

Malfoy raised his hands in a helpless gesture and replied, "Have you forgotten that we haven't learned the Levitation Charm yet... We'll be taught that spell in Charms class tomorrow."

Upon hearing Malfoy's explanation, Artel recalled the situation. In the original storyline, the Levitation Charm played a significant role. Hermione and Ron argued because of it, and she later spent the afternoon crying in the bathroom. Eventually, Quirrell released the troll, leading Harry and Ron to her rescue.

Artel, on the other hand, had already mastered many basic spells without the need for a wand, so he had temporarily forgotten about this particular charm.

"You haven't learned it either? You little wizards from magical families shouldn't have trouble with such a simple spell, should you?" Artel inquired.

In truth, Artel had been curious for a while about the first-year wizards he'd encountered at Hogwarts. They seemed to struggle with even the most straightforward spells, despite having likely been raised in wizarding households.

"Have you forgotten that we have to buy our own wands from Ollivander before we start school? While we may have used other people's wands when we were young, young wizards tend to have unstable magic, and it's risky to use someone else's wand," Malfoy explained, his tone matter-of-fact.

"While I had seen and understood magic as a child, I hadn't actually practiced any spells."

In short, they had the knowledge but lacked practical experience.

"I see," Artel responded, comprehending the situation.

He also knew that these young wizards had an advantage during the holidays. They could learn from their elders and practice more advanced spells. Muggle-born wizards, on the other hand, had no one to teach them and couldn't use magic freely.

"So, what's our task then?"

"We need to help old Filch move those decorations into his office and the staff lounge, and then the older students will use the Levitation Charm to hang them up."

"All the decorations are stored in the basement storage room, including jack-o'-lanterns, fake witch figures, black cat sculptures, stuffed ghosts, skeletons, and monster models..."

Crabbe mumbled while nibbling on his fingers, filling Artel in on their assignment as he enjoyed his crème brûlée.

Artel smirked and clapped his hands.

"Let's gather and get this done!"

Artel, taking on the appearance of the dormitory head, assumed command of Malfoy and the others. They promptly gathered their belongings and filed out of the dormitory in an orderly manner, following Artel's lead.

As they exited the dormitory, they joined other first-year Slytherin students in the common room. The team was led by two third-year students, a boy and a girl, whose names Artel didn't know. With approximately twenty first-year students in Slytherin, the seniors led them out of the common room.

In the basement, students from other years took charge of the decorating, while the first-year students were responsible for moving props from the storage room in the basement to the designated first-floor areas.

Artel, well-versed in the Levitation Charm, made his task look effortless. A quick swish of his wand, and a dozen jack-o-lanterns and various other decorations floated gracefully behind him, following him as he ascended to the first floor.

Malfoy and the others watched in envy, but lacking knowledge of the Levitation Charm, they had to carry the decorations manually. Fortunately, the jack-o-lanterns were not too heavy, allowing each young wizard to carry two at a time, and they could work together to transport other props efficiently.

The tasks progressed smoothly, and Artel observed with satisfaction as the students carried out their responsibilities. There was no visible discontent among them, as self-interest was a defining characteristic of Slytherin House. If it were Gryffindor, Artel might have been criticized for not helping his fellow classmates.

Pansy, however, couldn't resist a disdainful snort as she passed Artel. A fine sheen of sweat adorned her forehead, hinting at the effort she had exerted during several trips. Artel detected a mixture of emotions in her eyes: fear, envy, jealousy, and a glimmer of hope.

Artel wondered remained in his spot, content to observe the bustling students.

It took a while, but the young wizards eventually brought up all the necessary decorations. After sorting the props into their respective categories, the two senior students began their magic-infused work. Jack-o-lanterns floated gracefully, hanging from walls and ceilings. Other enchanted jack-o-lanterns flitted about in the air.

Witch dolls and black cat sculptures were strategically placed on walls and in corners. When activated by magic, these objects moved unpredictably and emitted eerie sounds, contributing to the overall spooky ambiance.

After completing the decorations, it was time for lunch. Artel wasn't particularly hungry, but the other students, tired from their efforts, eagerly headed to the auditorium, their stomachs grumbling.

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