It wasn't until five or six minutes after the song ended that everyone started to calm down.
People glanced around at each other, a little embarrassed after the chaos of the dance.
Costumes were twisted, hair was messy, and more than a few students looked like they'd just rolled through a wind tunnel.
"I did not just flail around like a bug," someone muttered under their breath. "Nope, definitely not me."
After the wild celebration, everyone seemed a bit worn out.
They settled into their seats, chatting quietly with friends, sharing laughs about the dance and marveling at how ridiculous—and fun—it all had been.
Hogwarts wasn't just a castle; it was a living, breathing place of magic.
Built over a thousand years ago, it stood strong not only because of its enchanted stones but because of the students who filled it year after year.
The magic students used daily—intentional or not—drifted into the very foundation of the castle.
Events like this, full of excitement and emotion, strengthened the ancient building even more.
Sometimes, they even caused little changes—hidden doors appearing, staircases shifting, or echoes of laughter lingering in places they hadn't before.
Even Peeves, the school's most infamous poltergeist, was said to have been born from centuries of mischief and unrestrained magical energy.
Meanwhile, Ted had just noticed a new card shimmering in his hand.
---------------------------[Transfiguration Candy (Green)]
Item Card Effect: When eaten, transforms the user into a random magical appearance.
Quantity: 10 pieces
Cooldown: Regenerates 1 candy per hour
---------------------------
Ted blinked, then activated the card.
A handful of colorful candies appeared in his palm—hard fruit sweets that sparkled faintly under the hall's lights.
Jerry, always sharp-eyed, spotted them immediately. "Hey, Ted! More Muggle candy?"
Everyone still remembered the stash Ted brought back from the Muggle world last year.
The stuff was insanely sweet and had the side effect of making Ron hiccup glitter for three hours.
Ted grinned. "Not Muggle-made. Try one. Trust me—it's magical."
Jerry didn't need convincing.
He unwrapped a candy, popped it in his mouth—and froze.
Poof!
With a puff of white smoke, Jerry transformed.
He now wore a weathered pirate hat stamped with a skull, a black eyepatch covered one eye, and one hand had turned into a shiny silver hook.
He looked fierce—except for the fact that his round mouse ears were still poking out.
A pirate rat?
Jerry blinked at his hook-hand, then shrieked. "WHAT—?!"
The students nearby turned to look and immediately erupted into laughter and cheers.
This was way cooler than his cheese wedge costume.
But ten seconds later—Poof!—he was back to normal.
Several students froze, half a candy already unwrapped in their hands. They eyed Ted suspiciously.
"Is this a prank?" one of them asked, squinting.
Jerry, still recovering from his brief life as a pirate rodent, shouted, "Neville! Ron! Help me! We need to force-feed Ted one of these!"
The three lunged, but Ted dodged, holding up his hands. "Wait! I got this—I'll do it myself."
With a flourish, he popped a candy into his mouth. "Let fate decide!"
Poof!
Ted shrank.
He had to tilt his head up just to look Hermione in the eye. His hands were now bony, white, and skeletal.
He'd transformed into a miniature cartoon-style skeleton, barely a meter tall.
Ted scratched his skull, clearly confused but kind of impressed.
The others stared, wide-eyed. "So... it's a different form every time?"
"Let me try!" Harley shouted.
Poof!
Harley's appearance didn't change—at first.
Then, with a sudden gust of wind, two massive white feathered wings burst from her back.
She gave a test flap and shot into the air.
Everyone in the Great Hall looked up as Harley soared above them.
Gryffindor's undefeated dueling champion... looks like an angel.
For a moment, everything was still.
Then she lost control, spun mid-air, and crashed into a floating jack-o'-lantern.
Students gasped, and several first-years shouted, "Is that—an angel?!"
Even the Slytherin table was speechless.
Malfoy gawked, his wand slipping from his hand as his mouth hung open.
Then it was Hermione's turn.
Poof!
Two fuzzy rabbit ears popped up from her head—one upright, the other flopped lazily to the side.
She froze. "Wait, I'm not wearing the rabbit hat anymore…"
Turning around, she spotted the cotton ball of a tail poking out behind her robes.
"Oh no~" She flushed red and tried to cover it.
Ted, seeing her panic, snapped up a napkin, twirled it with his wand, and transfigured it into a long cloth wrap that gently tied itself around her waist.
Neville went next—Poof!—and turned into a lion cub, upright and covered in golden fur, tail swishing behind him.
Gryffindor's table erupted in applause, stomping their feet and cheering.
Then came Ron.
Poof!
He became a wooden puppet, his nose a small log that twitched with every word.
Ron groaned, "I hate this! I look ridiculous!"
His nose instantly grew longer.
Everyone laughed so hard a Hufflepuff girl dropped her pumpkin juice.
Some students thought this whole thing was a performance, planned by Ted and his friends as a Halloween prank.
After all, their show last year nearly caused a magical fire alarm.
Compared to that, this was practically wholesome.
The Weasley twins were watching closely now. Their eyes gleamed with excitement.
They noticed students lining up, whispering to Ted and trying to trade for one of the magical candies.
A few even offered galleons!
Fred elbowed George. "This is it. This is the thing."
George nodded, already dreaming up flavors.
A golden opportunity had just flown into their lap—and the twins were ready to make it big.
...
Seeing that the opening time was near, the young witches and wizards began waiting patiently, chatting in hushed excitement.
Jerry and Neville leaned in, curious. "So, what have you and Hermione been up to lately?" Neville asked
. Ever since their class schedules had shifted, there hadn't been much time for the group to hang out together.
Ted and Hermione, however, always seemed to be sneaking off to the kitchens, as if they were working on some secret project.
Hermione gave a mysterious smile. "You'll see soon enough!"
Ted turned to Neville, eyes bright. "I've been studying a new kind of magic. I think it's perfect for you, Neville. Once I've got it figured out completely, I'll teach you."
Jerry and the others started jeering playfully. "Come on, Ted! Show us now!"
Ted laughed, not quite able to wriggle out of it. "Alright, alright."
Without drawing his wand, he simply stretched out a hand. "Lend me your strength! I'm Ted~"
Then, with a sharp motion like a martial arts strike, he sliced clean through the large decorative pumpkin beside him.
The pumpkin—grown to monstrous size with the Engorgement Charm by Hagrid—split clean in half under Ted's hand.
His friends gaped. Their eyes were wide, mouths open in awe.
"What kind of spell was that?!"
In truth, it wasn't a traditional spell at all, but a technique combining psionic energy into the body.
Ted grinned broadly. "You all know how much we rely on our wands. But what happens if we lose them in a fight? I've been working on a way to cast without one. Punch first, question later."
But the group wasn't reacting as expected.
Jerry blinked rapidly, Neville's lips twitched like he was holding back a scream, Ron looked completely petrified, and Hermione's eyebrows were doing some sort of nervous dance.
Ted sensed the change in mood and turned slowly.
Behind him stood every professor in the school.
Head of Houses. Even Dumbledore. And Hagrid.
Hagrid glanced down at the bisected pumpkin, then back at Ted, expression unreadable.
"You split my pumpkin... didn't you?"
Ted's heart sank.
He hadn't meant to destroy one of Hagrid's prize pumpkins, let alone do it in front of half the school staff.
Thankfully, Dumbledore stepped forward, smiling gently. "Dinner is about to begin. Everyone, please take your seats. The show will start shortly."
The students were still murmuring in amazement. "The show? Didn't Ted just perform?! What's stronger than splitting a pumpkin with your hand?!"
Moments later, the performance began: it was the Skeleton Dance Troupe!
Last year, people had whispered rumors about them performing, but no one believed it would happen.
Yet here they were—two neat rows of animated skeletons grooving to cheerful music.
Dumbledore had truly outdone himself this time.
But while Ron and the others were thoroughly entertained, Hermione and Ted looked less impressed.
Hermione leaned toward Ted. "What's the appeal? I can't even tell if they're male or female."
Ted smirked, nudging her. "Actually, you can tell by the size of the pelvis. Female skeletons tend to have a wider pelvis to allow for—"
Hermione's eyes narrowed. "How do you know that?!"
Ted chuckled sheepishly. "Er... too much crossover reading."
After the performance, the Great Hall filled with delicious aromas as food appeared on the golden plates.
Excited murmurs rippled across the room.
Ron poked curiously at a dish. "What's this? Looks like some kind of... Monster Omelet?"
Jerry was already trying to scoop up sticky slices of what looked like Cinder Nectar-glazed mashed potatoes.
And the desserts—magical creature-shaped pastries in vivid detail—were nothing short of enchanting. One cake, sculpted into a unicorn mid-gallop, looked so realistic that no one dared be the first to cut it.
Dumbledore took a bite of the sweet, roasted Cinder Nectar and let out a warm sigh. "Marvelous. This dinner party has been a grand success."
Then, wincing slightly, he blew on the still-hot food and muttered, "Mustn't let it loosen the dentures."
Professor Flitwick clapped enthusiastically, while Professor McGonagall simply gave a nod and a rare, satisfied smile. H
er personal favorite, a delicate blend of Baked Salmon and Redridge Steak, was quietly disappearing from the platter.
Snape, meanwhile, had an ongoing duel with a wobbling chunk of Ghoulfish Delight.
His fork failed him twice.
With narrowed eyes, he flicked his wand, summoning the morsel into his mouth before it could escape again.
The house-elves had outdone themselves.
With maybe a bit of assistance from Ted, the feast had become something legendary.