Chapter 156: “Nearly Headless Nick”
Chapter 156: “Nearly Headless Nick”
While practicing with the jade, Sean also managed to get some real mandrake leaves. After practicing with the leaves, he finally understood why Dumbledore suggested he use jade first. Because Sean swallowed two leaves while eating, they got stuck five times in his throat while sleeping.
The raw taste of those leaves already made him a little uncomfortable, the smell of mandrake leaves was a hundred times worse, and it also smelled like a dragon’s dung.
Hermione flipped a page of the book and said, “The difficulty of Animagus is beyond your imagination. Why not wait two years and try again? “
She has always wanted to persuade Sean to quit the Animagus practice. In her opinion, he is only in the second grade. This kind of complex magic should be tried in the sixth or seventh grade.
Sean smiled and didn’t answer. He knew that Hermione was worried about him, but he would not give up practicing either. He will not give up on improving himself before the prophecy comes true and his bloodline wakes up.
When the two came out of the Room of Requirement, they happened to meet Hagrid walking from the other end of the corridor.
“Sean, Hermione, good evening,” said Hagrid, who was covered in chicken feathers, “What are you doing here?”
“Oh, we’re lost because of the stairs, you know.” Hermione said.
“Well, alright then,” Hagrid nodded and looked at Sean, “Sean, thank you for that day.”
Sean shook his head, “It’s okay. I didn’t help much back then. Fang is okay, right?”
“He’s alright. Your potion works very well.”
The three of them walked toward the lower level of the castle together. During the conversation, Sean learned that Hagrid had almost no memory of what happened that day.
He went to the Forbidden Forest to sprinkle medicine to drive away the wild Flobberworms, and after a while, he didn’t know anything from then on.
Hagrid came to the castle to find Dumbledore, but Dumbledore didn’t seem to be at school at the moment. When they reached the third floor, they had just stepped down the stairs when a conversation could be heard from ahead.
“It’s too much, Nick. You should understand.” A voice came, and Sean recognized that it was the voice of Hufflepuff’s ghost, Fat Friar.
“The bad things really came together, didn’t they? None of them could make it, and the Wailing Widow said she couldn’t make it. Then I just got rejected by Sir Patrick, which sucks.”
Eavesdropping is obviously not good behavior. Sean and the others deliberately amplified the sound of their footsteps. From the other end of the corridor, two white figures looked over.
It’s the Fat Friar and Nearly Headless Nick.
“Good evening, both of you.” Hagrid, who obviously knew the two very well and greeted them.
“Oh, Hagrid. Good to see you.” Headless, Nick looked busy.
Sean and Hermione also greeted them, and Hagrid had already chatted with each other.
“Something wrong, Nick?”
“It’s just a small thing,” Headless Nick waved his hand gracefully, “It’s just the one hundred and thirty-eighth time being rejected by the Headless Hunters group. I really want to be part of the group.”
The Headless Hunters are a popular group of ghosts who only accept hunters whose heads are completely separated from their bodies. Apparently, Headless Nick doesn’t qualify as one, as evidenced by his nickname.
On the side, Fat Friar said cheerfully, “Nick, maybe you can consider forming your own group?”
“Don’t be a fool,” Nick retorted, “That way, I can’t do head hockey and juggling like them. This is what the Headless Hunters are known to be great at.”
He babbled and complained for a while and finally looked at Hagrid.
“Hagrid, I have a question. You’re always at the school’s Halloween dinner. Aren’t you getting a little bored?”
“Come on, Nick,” Hagrid was trying to hide something, “I’m sorry, but I have something to do on Halloween.”
Headless, Nick gave a dry laugh, “I see. You have to be responsible for the preparations in the school.”
“Is there anything you want to do on that day?” Hermione asked curiously before Sean stopped her.
“Good question!” Nick’s eyes lit up, “On Halloween, I’m going to throw a party. It’s my 500th Anniversary. Do you want to come? Of course, Sean, you can also come. All your friends can come!”
“Oh, that sounds interesting.” Hermione looked very interested.
Sean sighed. The death-day Party is not a good place to go. It would be better for them just to attend the school Halloween dinner.
Nick chatted with Hermione for a while and happily decided to attend the death-day Party.
When they parted, Hagrid said, “Oh, I can’t talk about it when Nick’s around. But, Hermione, I must warn you. The Party is not a good place to go. I’ve been to it once before, and it just, brr!”
“Is it that bad? I think the Party of a Ghost is interesting. Few people alive have attended it. It should be amazing, right?” Seeing Hagrid’s expression, Hermione said a little nervously.
“It is amazing, but also a terrible one.” Hagrid added.
—–
“I wonder if I was acting a little too much by giving him that promise.” Hermione muttered when she picked up a pumpkin.
“I wanted to stop you, but it’s too late.” Sean shrugged beside her.
The students were happily chatting in the crowded hall with the Halloween decorations. It was said that Dumbledore had ordered a skeleton dancing group to entertain them.
“Seriously, I’m the only one who agreed to it. Sean, you can just go back to the hall.” Hermione said.
“It’s okay. I’m also curious about it. We can go over there to say hello or something and go back quickly. Maybe we could catch a plate of desserts when we get there.” Sean said with a smile.
“That’s very kind of you, Sean.”
They walked through the hall and headed for the party venue. Candles were also lit in the passage leading to the ground, but those candles were all dark. They shone with a blueish light, giving it a dark, gloomy feeling.