42: Chapter 42 The Screams of the Halloween Feast

Before the Halloween feast, Draco blocked the entrance to the Common Room, looking at the book in Allen's sleeve.

"You're bringing a book to the feast?"

Allen closed the book.

"The feast is noisy."

Crabbe rubbed his stomach.

"There's food at the feast."

Goyle nodded.

"And we don't have to do homework."

Draco looked at Allen.

"Hear that? This is what a normal student is like."

Allen tucked the book into his sleeve.

"The three of you combined are overly normal."

Crabbe thought for a moment.

"Is that a compliment?"

Goyle shook his head.

"Doesn't sound like one."

The group followed the first-year line toward the Great Hall. The corridors were hung with jack-o'-lanterns, bats fluttered around the candlelight, and students' laughter crowded all the way into the main entrance.

Allen lagged behind, his gaze sweeping over the Gryffindor table.

Harry was there.

Ron was there.

Hermione was not.

Draco followed his gaze.

"Are you looking at Harry again?"

"If you don't watch him enough, trouble is bound to happen."

"The people around him have trouble every single day."

"That's why you should watch him even more."

Crabbe grabbed a chicken leg as soon as he sat down.

"So, are we watching?"

Allen sat at the table.

"Watching your plate is enough for you."

Goyle picked up a pie.

"I can do that."

Draco's gaze remained on the Gryffindor side.

"Where is Granger?"

Allen picked up his pumpkin juice.

"You finally noticed."

Draco's expression changed.

"She didn't come?"

"Mm."

"Where did she go?"

"She was upset to tears by Weasley this afternoon and didn't walk with them."

Crabbe asked while biting into his chicken leg.

"Do people still eat after crying?"

Goyle answered seriously.

"Maybe not."

Draco looked toward the Gryffindor table. Harry was whispering to Ron, and Ron paused for a moment before looking at Hermione's usual seat.

Draco sneered.

"Only noticing now? You call that being friends?"

Allen put down his cup.

"Are you going over to teach them?"

"I'm not stupid."

Crabbe said quietly.

"You used to go."

Draco glared at him.

"I wouldn't now."

Goyle nodded.

"You've improved."

Draco tapped the edge of his plate with a fork.

"Eat your pie."

At the staff table, Professor McGonagall was scanning the Gryffindor table, while Snape sat on the other side with his right leg hidden under the table.

Draco leaned toward Allen.

"Is the Dean's leg still not better?"

Allen cut open a potato.

"Don't look."

"You know the reason."

"You know enough too."

Draco swallowed his words and looked at the far edge of the staff table.

"What about Quirrell?"

Allen didn't look up.

"On the far end."

Quirrell was wrapped in his purple turban, head down, fiddling with his cup, his fingers rubbing repeatedly against the rim.

Draco withdrew his gaze.

"I still don't like him."

"Good judgment this time."

Crabbe leaned in.

"Should we be on guard against him?"

Allen looked at the pumpkin juice in his cup.

"Don't leave the group tonight."

Goyle looked up.

"Will we miss dinner if we leave the group?"

"You'll lose points."

Goyle immediately sat up straight.

"Then I won't leave."

Draco put down his knife and fork.

"What exactly do you know?"

Before Allen could answer, the doors of the Great Hall were pushed open.

Quirrell stumbled in, his turban askew, his robes dragging on the floor.

"Troll!"

He rushed to the staff table, his voice cracking.

"In the Dungeon!"

The Great Hall went silent for a beat.

Quirrell raised his hand and pointed toward the door.

"I thought you should know."

With that, he collapsed to the floor.

Screams erupted from the Hufflepuff table. On the Gryffindor side, chairs overturned, cutlery hit the floor, and students rose to their feet one after another.

The chicken leg in Crabbe's hand dropped back onto his plate.

"The Dungeon?"

Goyle looked at Draco.

"Our dorm is in the Dungeon."

Draco turned pale.

"I know!"

Pansy stood up, her voice trembling.

"Where are the prefects? Are we going back?"

The Slytherin table was in chaos. Some were calling for Snape, others were pushing toward the door, and some first-years were crying.

Draco grabbed Allen's sleeve.

"You said not to leave the group earlier."

Allen looked toward the staff table.

"You should remember that even more now."

Dumbledore stood up, his wand in his hand.

"Quiet!"

The Great Hall remained in chaos.

He spoke again.

"Prefects, take the students of each house back to their Common Room. Professors, follow me."

Professor McGonagall walked immediately toward Gryffindor.

"Percy, lead the way. No wandering off."

Snape had already left his seat, his black robes sweeping past the table as he headed straight for the Great Hall doors.

Draco said anxiously.

"Is the Dean going to the Dungeon?"

Allen looked at the fallen Quirrell.

Quirrell was face down, his arm covering half his face.

But before he fell, his mouth had moved.

It wasn't panic or loss of control.

Allen looked away.

"He won't just go to the Dungeon."

Draco didn't understand.

"What?"

"Follow the prefects."

The Slytherin prefect was already calling people at the door.

"Slytherin, line up! Don't push! Follow me!"

Pansy squeezed next to Draco.

"There's a Troll in the Dungeon, and we're still going back?"

The prefect looked grim.

"It's Professor Dumbledore's order."

Zabini walked over.

"The Professors will handle it."

Nott stood at the end of the line and glanced at Allen.

"Do you think it's really in the Dungeon?"

Allen took the book out of his sleeve and tucked it under his arm.

"What do you think?"

Nott looked at the spot where Quirrell had fallen.

"He said it too smoothly."

Draco interrupted irritably.

"Can you two stop talking in riddles at a time like this?"

Allen looked at him.

"Take care of Crabbe and Goyle."

Draco immediately asked back.

"Where are you going?"

"Line up."

"Don't give me that."

Crabbe also realized.

"Allen, you're not coming with us?"

Goyle hugged his schoolbag.

"There's a monster in the Dungeon."

Allen looked to the other side of the Great Hall.

Harry and Ron were being herded into the Gryffindor line by Percy, both of them looking back as they walked.

Hermione was still not there.

Allen said.

"You go ahead."

Draco's voice tightened.

"Potter."

Allen looked at him.

"Don't call me by my name."

Draco gritted his teeth.

"Are you going to look for Granger?"

Pansy turned her head.

"Are you crazy? She's Gryffindor."

Allen handed the book to Draco.

"Hold this."

Draco took the book, his expression worsening.

"Are you really going?"

"I didn't say that."

"Every time you say that, you end up doing the opposite."

Allen looked at the surging crowd at the door.

"Then pretend you didn't hear it."

Draco took a step forward.

"I'm going to tell the Dean."

Allen looked back.

"What can you tell him now? That I might leave the group, or that you guess I know where the Troll is?"

Draco couldn't answer.

Crabbe was anxious.

"Then what do we do?"

"Follow the prefect, don't mention the Third Floor, don't mention Quirrell, don't mention Hermione."

Goyle asked.

"Can we mention the Troll?"

Draco turned back and roared at him.

"No!"

The prefect was urging again.

"Malfoy, get your people to follow!"

Draco looked at Allen, clutching the book in his hand.

"If you get caught, I won't explain for you."

Allen retreated to the edge of the crowd.

"You wouldn't be able to explain it anyway."

Draco cursed under his breath, turned, and pushed Crabbe and Goyle into the line.

"Don't look back. Whoever looks back, I'm dumping all their dessert into the Black Lake."

Crabbe immediately said.

"I won't look."

Goyle followed.

"Neither will I."

Nott passed by Allen, pausing for a beat.

"The Girls Bathroom?"

Allen didn't look at him.

"You talk too much today."

Nott hugged his book tight.

"Then I'll pretend I didn't ask."

Zabini swept over from the other side.

"You'd better not let Slytherin lose points."

Allen said.

"You'd better not tell anyone you saw me."

Zabini snorted and followed the line.

Allen followed the Slytherin group out of the Great Hall.

The torches in the corridor flickered, students were crowded together, and the prefect was shouting from the front to keep to the right.

When the line turned toward the basement stairs, Allen slowed his pace.

A second-year bumped into him.

"Move, don't block the way."

Allen stepped aside to let him pass.

"You go first."

The person pushed forward.

At the corner, a suit of armor was jostled by the crowd. The prefect was busy keeping order, and Draco's line of sight was blocked by Pansy and Crabbe.

Allen raised his hand, his sleeve covering his wand.

Spatial Displacement unfolded along his side, and the sound of his footsteps was swallowed by the crowd.

He retreated into the shadows behind the armor. Several Slytherin students passed by, and no one stopped.

Draco walked a few steps and looked back.

"Potter?"

Crabbe also looked back.

"He was just here."

Goyle looked at the book in Draco's arms.

"The book is in your hands."

Draco's expression sank.

"I knew it."

The prefect urged from the front.

"Malfoy, don't stop!"

Draco glanced at the shadows in the corridor and tucked the book into his robes.

"Let's go."

Crabbe asked.

"Not looking for him?"

Draco bit out the words.

"Can you find him?"

Goyle shook his head.

"No."

"Then shut up."

The Slytherin line continued down to the basement.

Allen waited until the last student disappeared down the stairs before stepping out from behind the armor.

Messy footsteps still came from the direction of the Great Hall. Most of the Professors had already left. Quirrell had been moved to the side, and no one noticed the flaw before he fell.

Allen looked up toward the second floor.

Hermione was not in the Great Hall.

Harry and Ron would find out sooner or later.

If the original timeline hadn't deviated, she would be in the Girls Bathroom.

In his Portable Space, the Void raised its head, its silver vertical pupils aimed at the corridor above.

Allen put away his wand and walked against the direction the crowd had left, heading toward the corridor where the Girls Bathroom was located.