Previously, young wizards avoided Hagrid's vegetable garden, but now it has become the students' favorite place, collectively known as the game arena.
Hagrid's greatest daily joy has transformed into serving as the judge for the escape-and-kill games. He sits on a high stool, viewing plenty of delightful scenes in almost every game.
The professors at the school also frequently come here for a sit-down, partly for the fun, and partly to prevent students from sustaining serious injuries.
When Vid is not around, the professors can substitute him with the enlargement spell and confundus charm, sending the enlarged insects to "chase" the students.
However, some students just cannot accept insects, so a new game mode was quickly born—
Students draw lots to randomly divide into black and white groups, then engage in confrontation. Whether it's two or three people, or thirty or forty, they can all join in.
Dumbledore personally added a small magic to the game arena, causing the students' robes to automatically turn white and black after dividing.
He even wanted to personally lead a team, but students collectively "politely" refused him.
Despite the professors' repeated orders, who are not allowed to use evil curses during confrontations in the game arena, there are always students clandestinely breaking rules, resulting in deductions and detention.
The punishment's content is unlike the usual book copying or processing of magic potion materials; students violating the game arena face tasks they least want to do.
Like cleaning toilets.
Like not being allowed to use magic wands to mix manure.
And the most severe—banned from entering the game arena, with durations ranging from three days to an entire semester.
Some students aren't afraid of doing the dirty and tiring tasks but absolutely don't want to be excluded from the school's most popular activity.
After punishing several rule-breaking students harshly, everyone finally understood the meaning of discretion.
Even so, almost daily, several students are sent to the school infirmary, mostly for bumping their heads or breaking arms from falling off pumpkins.
For wizards, as long as it's not dark magic injury, a normal fracture can be healed in minutes, no more troublesome than catching a cold.
But now, the number of students sent to the school hospital in a day exceeds an entire week previously, leaving Madam Pomfrey extremely busy, requesting the arena's closure from the headmaster three times a day.
Dumbledore always cheerfully dismisses her request.
Vid, who initiated this game, dared not appear in front of Madam Pomfrey for a long time.
After some time, he returned to the game arena, finding it had undergone earth-shattering changes.
Firstly, only about half of those giant pumpkins remained in the vegetable patch, and they've been hollowed out, allowing two or three people to sit inside, like little houses.
The other half was picked off and stacked behind Hagrid's hut.
"These are for Halloween," Hagrid explained to Vid. "If the kids destroy them too much, they simply can't be carved into suitable shapes."
As he spoke, he used a giant knife to carve away the damaged parts from the pumpkins, hollowing them out like giant lanterns.
To fill the gaps left by the carved-out pumpkins, Professor McGonagall moved the statues and armors from the castle to the game arena.
They occasionally stroll around, sometimes stretching a leg out to trip a passing student.
Michael tripped, landing on his face, and spat out the dirt. Afterwards, he pondered and asked:
"Vid, do you think they're messing with us on their own, or did Professor McGonagall instruct them?"
"No way!" Hermione instantly defended her house head: "Professor McGonagall would never do that."
"Well, not necessarily," Vid said, "Consider what Professor McGonagall's animagus is?"
Harry: "Cat?"
Leian thought about it seriously, "My family has a cat; it always likes to push jars off the table."
The group exchanged glances, envisioned Professor McGonagall's stern face, immediately closed their mouths, deciding to bury these guesses deep in their hearts.
The next day during Transfiguration class, Professor McGonagall suddenly focused on the giggling Harry, sternly asking: "Mr. Potter, do you have questions about today's lesson's content?"
Harry hurriedly stood up, "Cat... no, no... Professor!"
Professor McGonagall intensely stared at him like a large feline predator eyeing its prey.
"I... actually wanted to ask..." Harry swiftly pondered, stammering: "Animagus... how is this magic practiced?"
"Contemplating this is too early for you, Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall said, not pleased.
Hermione bravely raised her hand.
"But we all want to know, Professor... er, this magic must be difficult, right? I heard during the 20th century only seven people could achieve it, and you're one of them…"
The students curiously and admirably gazed at Professor McGonagall.
The witch coughed once: "Alright, since you all want to know, I'll briefly explain..."
Harry breathed a sigh of relief and sat down at the professor's gesture, casting Hermione a thankful glance.
"An Animagus is a magic allowing wizards to transform into animals. However, it doesn't permit changing into any animal or magical creatures."
Professor McGonagall said: "The transformed animal is usually related to the wizard's character and weight. Improper practice could result in being unable to revert to normal human form, so it's an extremely dangerous Transfiguration magic..."