After swiftly collecting the blood splattered by the giant serpent, Glenn incinerated the remains of Mouse No. 1, Mouse No. 2, and Mouse No. 3 with a flick of his wand. He then used a Scouring Charm to erase all traces of the explosion, including the scattered bullets, shell casings, and grenade fragments. Casting a glance at the trail of water left by the serpent, Glenn maintained his Disillusionment Charm to conceal himself and quickly departed.
Moments earlier, he had sensed the activation of the warning devices tied to him. Two junior wizards were heading in his direction, and the sounds of the battle had likely reached the ears of everyone in the Great Hall. The faint vibrations underfoot confirmed his suspicion.
Glenn felt a twinge of frustration. He hadn't managed to find Ginny Weasley, and now he'd encountered a monster in the depths of Hogwarts. If his guess was right, this was another highly dangerous magical creature.
Last Halloween brought a troll. This year, it's a giant serpent. What's next? Human intruders?
Expressionless, Glenn walked past Harry and Ron, who were running in a panic, and continued on his way.
Ahead, on the staircase not far away, came the chaotic sound of hurried footsteps and the excited chatter of a large group of junior wizards.
The crowd behind surged into the narrow corridor, packing it to the brim.
"Aranea Exumai." Glenn immediately cast the Spider Climbing Charm on himself. Using the wall as leverage, he flipped himself up and clung to the ceiling, hanging upside down.
From his vantage point, he noticed something unusual. Among the crowd were younger Slytherin and Hufflepuff students who normally wouldn't be on the upper floors at this time. Judging by their expressions, they were likely here to join the commotion and gossip.
As the junior wizards pushed and squeezed past below him, Glenn scanned the crowd quickly before focusing on the rear of the group.
There, he spotted the face he had been looking for.
Sure enough, Hermione was trailing at the back, her expression tense as she glanced around nervously.
Once the crowd had moved on and Hermione approached, Glenn flipped down silently, landing behind her. He dispelled his charm and camouflage before approaching her in a more conventional manner.
The faint rustle of his clothes caught Hermione's attention. She turned sharply at the familiar sound, and upon seeing Glenn, she exhaled in relief before breaking into a bright smile.
"All done?" Hermione asked, stepping forward quickly to take Glenn's hand.
Glenn had only told her he had something urgent to attend to and would be gone for a short while. He didn't want to worry her unnecessarily, especially since she was enjoying the Halloween feast. After all, Hermione had missed last year's Halloween celebration.
Now that the feast was over and she was inviting him to talk, Glenn saw no reason to withhold anything.
"Oh my goodness, was that noise we heard in the Great Hall caused by you?" Hermione's eyes widened as she let go of Glenn's hand, grabbing his shoulders instead and shaking him in frustration. "Didn't I tell you not to leave me behind when doing dangerous things?! Have you forgotten?"
"I haven't—forgotten," Glenn said, shaking his head as she shook him. "It's just that this time—it happened so suddenly. I didn't—expect to encounter something like this—at Hogwarts again. And—besides, you didn't get to enjoy last year's Halloween feast—I wanted—you to have a good one this year—"
Hearing this, Hermione felt her heart warm, and her anger softened. But she quickly grew dissatisfied again and resumed shaking him. "Halloween doesn't matter at all! Are you more important or is Halloween more important?!"
"Next time, you're not allowed to do this!" Hermione finally released Glenn and said, hands on her hips.
"I understand," Glenn nodded.
Hermione, her anger dissipated, took Glenn's hand again and began walking slowly in the direction where the crowd had gone.
"So why are there such dangerous creatures at Hogwarts, which is supposed to be the safest place in the world? Could this be another villain's conspiracy?" Hermione muttered quietly, unable to resist a low complaint.
"Indeed, the past few years have been anything but peaceful—a storm is brewing," came Dumbledore's voice unexpectedly from behind them, startling Hermione, who had been whispering complaints.
She stiffened and turned around, seeing Dumbledore standing there with a smile. Behind him were Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, and others.
"Professor Dumbledore, what are you doing here?" Hermione quickly adjusted her composure and asked, though her question was rather thoughtless.
"Oh—what am I even asking!" Hermione's inner voice cringed in embarrassment. Of course, he was here because of the commotion!
"Like you, I came to check on the situation," Dumbledore replied, unfazed by the trivial details. He gestured for the other professors to move forward and catch up with the junior wizards, while he remained behind, smiling at Glenn and Hermione. "It seems you two know more details about this matter. Could you share them with me?"
Hermione turned to Glenn, who nodded. He then recounted his observations on the third floor, describing the giant serpent's appearance and abilities but omitting his motive for searching for Ginny Weasley.
Dumbledore's smile faded, replaced by a frown. Without a word, he motioned for the two of them to follow him as he hurried to the scene of the incident.
By the time they arrived, the corridor was already packed with people. Filch's angry shouts and Lockhart's irritating voice echoed from ahead.
In the blink of an eye, Dumbledore disappeared from Glenn and Hermione's side, prompting Glenn to raise an eyebrow.
Hermione, eager to see what was happening, stood on her tiptoes, trying to catch a glimpse of the scene. But all she could see were heads.
Seeing her intense curiosity, Glenn picked her up, cast a Disillusionment Charm, and leaped into the air, clinging to the wall as Hermione let out a small gasp.
"Oh, I can see now," Hermione said, regaining her composure and looking toward the corridor's end with interest.
Dumbledore had already reached the scene. He was holding the petrified Mrs. Norris while speaking to a sobbing Filch. Lockhart, meanwhile, was gesticulating dramatically, clearly enjoying the attention. Harry and Ron stood trembling under the sharp gazes of the other junior wizards, who had fallen into an eerie silence.
"My office is the closest, Headmaster—you can—" Gilderoy Lockhart's voice suddenly grew louder, drawing everyone's attention.
Dumbledore's face, already somber, darkened further. Taking a deep breath, he responded calmly, "Thank you, Gilderoy. Let's go."
The group began moving toward the crowd, which parted silently to let them through.
Dumbledore, carrying the petrified Mrs. Norris and accompanied by Harry and Ron, led the way. Behind him, Lockhart strutted along, looking smug, while Professors McGonagall and Snape followed.
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