Chapter 80 Halloween Dinner
The day passed quickly, and before long, the students had finished their last afternoon class.
"Professor Eisen!" A familiar voice called as Eisen was about to enter the hall. He turned to see Hagrid stomping toward him.
"Hagrid, what's the matter?" Seeing Hagrid's slightly embarrassed look, Eisen asked him directly.
"Well, Professor Eisen, I need to set up some pumpkin lanterns in the auditorium. If you're not too busy, could you lend a hand?" Hagrid asked, looking bashful.
"If I'm not mistaken, Hagrid, you could probably handle that by yourself!" Eisen glanced at Hagrid's pink umbrella and, with a teasing tone, reassured him, "Don't worry, Hagrid, I'm not going to tell anyone."
"Oh, Professor Eisen!"
Hagrid relaxed and leaned closer to Eisen as if he were worried others might overhear. "I mean, your magic effect was incredible at last year's Christmas dinner. I'm going to carve the pumpkins into lanterns, but I want to make them even more impressive! Headmaster Dumbledore's inviting a skeleton dance troupe this year, so I was hoping for a bit of extra magic flair. What do you think, Professor Eisen?"
"I see what you mean. Let's go check out those pumpkins you've grown. Maybe we can add a few more special effects to make them extra spooky." Eisen laughed, understanding Hagrid's idea.
After all, Eisen had known Hagrid long enough to consider him a friend, and he was glad to help. In Hagrid's garden, Eisen was amazed to see the enchanted pumpkins, which had grown enormously. Some were so large that three people could easily sit inside one if it were carved into a lantern.
Eisen had to admit, "These are... quite impressive!"
Beside him, Hagrid had already picked two huge pumpkins and hollowed them out, planning to turn them into jack-o'-lanterns.
"Your jack-o'-lanterns are impressive, Hagrid, and they're sure to attract attention. What kind of enhancements do you have in mind?" Eisen asked, examining one of the pumpkins.
"I was thinking we could add some spooky lighting and sound effects," Hagrid suggested eagerly.
Eisen smiled, then waved his wand over one of the pumpkins, filling it with shifting red and green lights that cast an eerie glow from inside. Next, he added the sound of a waterphone, a chilling instrument often used in horror movies, creating a haunting atmosphere.
As the light flickered and the eerie sound filled the air, Hagrid's eyes widened. "This is amazing, Professor Eisen! I knew asking for your help was the right choice!" Hagrid chuckled, already imagining the reactions of the young wizards.
"But, Hagrid, are you sure you want all the pumpkins to be this frightening?" Eisen asked. "It might be better to only transform a few like this, just for added effect."
"Oh, the young wizards will love it!" Hagrid replied, unconcerned. "Trust me, Professor Eisen. The spookier, the better!"
Since Hagrid seemed so confident, Eisen agreed. For the next half hour, Hagrid carved the pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns while Eisen added his magic effects. To make things easier, Eisen created a control switch for the eerie lighting and sound, which Hagrid could use to activate the effects on cue. In their dormant state, the pumpkins would look normal, but when switched on, they would transform into terrifying lanterns.
Hagrid was thrilled with the final result.
Using his pink umbrella, Hagrid moved the massive pumpkins into the Great Hall with a Levitation Spell. By the time the students arrived for the Halloween feast, the hall was already beautifully decorated.
One detail Eisen couldn't help but note was that, in addition to Hagrid's giant pumpkin lanterns, the hall was filled with live bats. It was, he thought, a little extreme—though the minds of wizards certainly worked differently than Muggles'.
At seven o'clock, with candles shining and plates piled high with food, the Great Hall looked especially festive. As Dumbledore announced the start of the Halloween feast, the hall erupted in celebration. Across the room, Hagrid gave Eisen a nudge, gesturing towards the Weasley twins.
Eisen followed Hagrid's gaze to see Fred and George, who had seated themselves inside a particularly large jack-o'-lantern. Hagrid flashed a mischievous grin and reached for the remote switch Eisen had crafted.
Buzz—
Suddenly, an eerie, spine-chilling sound rang out, and green and red lights illuminated the inside of the pumpkin. Fred and George scrambled out, flailing as if they'd encountered a three-headed dog, and in the process, they knocked over a few trays of treats.
The hall fell silent, but when the students saw the twins' flustered expressions, they burst into laughter and cheers. Seeing the notorious pranksters get a taste of their own medicine only heightened the festive mood.
Fred and George shook their heads with rueful smiles, though a gleam of admiration quickly returned to their eyes as they inspected the mysterious pumpkin lantern.
Meanwhile, in a much different scene, Harry, Ron, and Hermione trudged down the dimly lit corridors toward Nearly Headless Nick's Deathday Party. In contrast to the lively Great Hall, their path was lined with flickering blue candles that cast a somber glow. When they finally reached the party, they were greeted by Nearly Headless Nick himself, wearing a feathered hat and looking particularly excited.
"My dear friends!" Nick removed his hat with a bow. "Welcome! I'm delighted you could attend!"
The three exchanged uneasy glances, feeling as though they were marching to their doom. But they had agreed to come, and there was no escaping now.
Elsewhere, the festivities in the Great Hall continued as the skeleton dance troupe performed to the delight of the students. For Muggles, the sight of skeletons dancing might have been terrifying, but for the young wizards, it was all part of the fun. As the skeletons moved to a strange, rhythmic music, the hall filled with laughter and applause, the students relishing every part of the peculiar entertainment.
I hope your like the chapter 😊.