And so, Dracula assumed the mantle of scene-setting planner for the annual Halloween banquet.
On the last night of October, as the young wizards poured into the Great Hall, a collective gasp rippled through their ranks.
The doors of the Hogwarts hall had been transformed into a gaping, ravenous maw, complete with a terrifying array of sharp fangs suspended above, as if poised to devour any unwary student.
In the magical world, Halloween held profound significance for wizards of all ages. Even the newly enrolled first years had been immersed in the holiday's unique atmosphere countless times. The transformed entrance, therefore, elicited not fear, but awe. The students gazed upward, their eyes wide as they took in the hall's elaborate decorations.
Of course, for some of the Muggle-born children among the newcomers, such a spectacle was entirely unprecedented. Several, overwhelmed by the sheer spectacle, trembled with a mixture of excitement and apprehension.
When a giant spider suddenly descended from the fangs above, dangling precariously from a silken thread, a few of the more timid girls nearly shrieked in alarm.
The interior of the hall had undergone an equally dramatic transformation. The thousands of dazzling candles that typically floated in the air had been replaced by a swirling vortex of bats, their leathery wings casting eerie shadows throughout the hall. Ominous dark clouds seemed to fill every corner of the vast space.
On the magically charmed transparent ceiling, a swirling mass of storm clouds summoned by a sophisticated weather charm rumbled ominously, punctuated by intermittent flashes of lightning. Within the tempestuous clouds, a small patch of clear sky revealed a silver crescent moon, casting an ethereal, shimmering light through the veiled darkness.
Turning their gazes towards the hall itself, the students saw that the four house tables had been transfigured into twisted, blackened wood, resembling the skeletal remains of long-dead trees. Countless thin, brittle branches reached out from the sides of the tables, and bats hung upside down from the gnarled limbs.
At the front of the hall, the enormous pumpkins grown by Hagrid had been painstakingly carved into wicked jack-o'-lanterns, their grotesque smiles illuminated from within. Bright candles flickered inside the hollowed-out pumpkin bellies, their flames dancing in time with the simulated storm raging overhead.
The largest pumpkin, having been subjected to an Engorgement Charm, now dominated the front of the hall, completely engulfing the professors' table. The young wizards could glimpse the variously costumed professors through the gaping maw of the colossal jack-o'-lantern.
Dumbledore sat in the middle pumpkin chair, draped in a pure white robe that floated ethereally with every subtle movement, making him appear like a ghost drifting through the hall. Nearby, the petite Professor Flitwick wore a pumpkin helmet perched atop his head, seated on a towering pumpkin chair that made him look like a tiny, whimsical pumpkin knight.
Professor McGonagall, usually stern, allowed a rare smile to grace her face. Her hat had been transfigured to a deep black, atop which a tiny black cat lay curled, occasionally flicking its tail with quiet amusement. Snape, the sole professor without a Halloween costume, blended seamlessly into the eerie atmosphere with his brooding presence—his sharp features and dark demeanor reminiscent of a great bat lurking in the shadows.
Dracula, ever composed, seemed unchanged at first glance. Yet, as the young wizards entered the hall, he observed the wide-eyed, frightened expressions of the newcomers and let out a low, satisfied laugh. His eerie smile revealed two sharp fangs that gleamed conspicuously in the dim light.
Fred and George were the first to dive headlong into the Halloween spirit. Faces smeared with black and white paint to mimic crude skulls, they screamed gleefully as they charged into the hall. Taking advantage of the flickering shadows, the twins slipped through the crowd, casting the Lumos Charm intermittently to illuminate their ghastly faces, startling nearby students into startled jumps and shrieks.
Though the hall was cloaked in darkness and swirling shadows, Dracula's vision remained piercingly clear, his eyes cutting through the gloom with unnerving precision.
He sat at the professors' table, idly swirling the crimson wine in his glass, enjoying the spectacle of the twins' antics—until they produced a large handful of Dungbombs and Stink Pellets.
Dracula's face darkened almost imperceptibly, and his figure vanished from his seat with impossible speed.
A moment later, he materialized behind Fred and George and snapped his fingers. The Dungbombs and Stink Pellets froze solid, encased in ice.
The twins yelped as they felt their hands grow heavy, and they spun around to find Dracula standing silently behind them.
"Ah, Professor, weren't you just at the professors' table? How did you get over here so quietly?" Fred stammered, instinctively trying to conceal the icy mass behind his back.
However, the ice was too cold, and his hand trembled. The heavy ice ball slipped from his grasp and plummeted towards the stone floor.
Dracula's eyes narrowed. Before the frozen concoction could shatter, he flicked his wrist, and the icy projectiles hurtled into his outstretched hand. With a subtle gesture, he also relieved George of his cache of Stink Pellets, storing them in his portable Undetectable Extension Charm.
"Professor, those are the savings we've worked so hard to accumulate! You can't confiscate them!" George protested, feigning distress, though the skull paint smeared across his face rendered the expression more comical than pitiful.
"Tonight is Halloween, and a little festive mischief is to be expected," Dracula conceded, his lips twitching slightly as he surveyed their painted faces. But then, his gaze hardened. "But did you consider that we have a banquet scheduled? Do you intend for everyone to dine amidst that foul odor?"
Fred and George grinned sheepishly, at a rare loss for words.
"These will be confiscated and returned… when my mood is particularly elevated," Dracula said with a dismissive wave.
He turned, his red and black cloak billowing around him, and reappeared at the professors' table as swiftly as he had vanished.
He expected the Halloween banquet to proceed without further incident. But, mere moments later, the Weasley twins—still adorned with their grotesque skull masks—emerged from within the enormous jack-o'-lantern, materializing beside the professors' table.
"Seeing you two will not, in any way, improve my mood. Abandon all hope of retrieving those Dungbombs," Dracula said without looking up.
"Professor, you misunderstand! We're not here to reclaim the confiscated items," Fred hastened to explain.
George nodded in agreement. "We merely thought that, as it's Halloween, certain… traditional protocols must be observed."
Fred and George exchanged mischievous grins and, in perfect unison, declared:
"Trick or treat!"
Dracula's eyes flickered with surprise before a playful smile curved his lips.
"Take it!" he said, grabbing a handful of colorful lollipops from the table and tossing them to the twins.
"Thank you, Professor!" Fred and George exclaimed, eagerly popping the sweets into their mouths simultaneously.
The moment the sugary treats touched their tongues, their faces twisted in disgust.
"Ugh!"
"Professor, why do your lollipops taste like rust?!"
Dracula chuckled deeply, his sharp fangs gleaming at the corners of his mouth.
"Have you not guessed my role tonight?" he teased. "This is the most normal flavor for a vampire's lollipop, isn't it?"
Fred and George immediately dropped to their knees, mock-prostrating themselves.
"You win, Professor! I give your vampire impersonation a perfect score!"
From nearby, Dumbledore, who had been quietly observing the playful exchange, beckoned the twins over.
"If you've suffered enough at Professor Dracula's hands, come to me. I have plenty of sweets to offer." With a warm smile, he produced two large bags filled with Honeydukes' finest candy gift packs and handed them to Fred and George.
The twins accepted the treats, their eyes glistening with gratitude.
Compared to the sly, teasing Professor Dracula, the Headmaster's kindness was overwhelming.
***********
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