177- Baron, it’s been a while


    The Great Hall had been decorated as it was in previous years, with live bats and enormous Hogwarts-grown pumpkins, filling the castle with a tantalizing aroma.


    Rumor had it that Dumbledore had arranged for a skeleton dance troupe to entertain everyone.


    In the Slytherinmon room, Rhys waited for the Greengrass sisters, who were dressed to the nines.


    When the two appeared in themon room, Rhys was visibly stunned.


    To attend the deathday party, Daphne and Astoria each wore a long dress robe, both gray in base color and identical in style. The only difference was that Daphne''s robe featured green silk ents on the front, while Astoria''s was trimmed in silver-gray. They also wore matchingce-up boots, distinguished only by the color of theces.


    Rhys noticed that Daphne had prominently disyed the ne he had given her.


    Astoria, who hadn''t received a ne from him, clearly felt slighted, but there wasn''t much she could do. She opted to wear an emerald ne in its ce.


    "You two..." Rhys shook his head, a wry smile appearing on his face. The sisters'' formal attire made him look rather underdressed byparison.


    After a moment''s thought, Rhys cast a Transfiguration spell on his wizard''s robe, transforming it into something more like formal evening wear.


    "Magic makes everything so convenient. Shall we?"


    Daphne didn''t rush to leave but first asked a question: "Do you think this outfit looks good?"


    "It looks great," Rhys nodded.


    It was clear at a nce that Daphne and Astoria''s outfits were expensive.


    Rhys''s response made Daphne visibly happy. Just as the three were about to leave themon room, Astoria asked the exact same question.


    Rhys squinted slightly. His instincts told him that Astoria''s question might be leading somewhere tricky.


    "Daphne''s outfit looks great, so of course yours does too. Is there even any difference between your outfit and your sister''s? They''re identical," Rhys replied with a sly smile.


    He preemptively shut down any potential follow-up question like <em>"Whose outfit looks better, mine or my sister''s?"</em>


    Dealing with kids trying to outshine each other could be exhausting, so it was best to nip it in the bud early.


    "If I were you two, I''d bring some food along," Rhys said as they left themon room, deliberately leading them to the entrance of the Great Hall.


    "The dead won''t prepare food for the living."


    Daphne was sensible. Hearing Rhys''s advice, she promptly took out a food container she had prepared earlier and went into the Great Hall to pack some food.


    With steaming food in tow, the three made their way down a narrow passage to the underground ssroom where the Deathday Party was being held.


    Unlike the grandeur of the Great Hall, the walls of the passage were lined with tiny, flickering candles that emitted a faint bluish glow. Perhaps they had been chosen specifically for the eerie Halloween atmosphere.


    The closer they got to the underground ssroom, the colder the air became. Strange music could be heard—a sound reminiscent of fingernails scraping against a giant ckboard.


    Everything here seemedpletely out of ce in the world of the living.


    As the three turned a corner, they saw Nearly Headless Nick standing at the entrance to the underground ssroom, draped in ck velvet. Harry and Ron had already arrived.


    "Good evening," Harry greeted them with a forced, bitter smile, clearly regretting his decision to ept Nick''s invitation. Standing next to him, Ron wore the same constipated expression. They showed no surprise at Rhys and hispanions'' arrival. It seemed Nick had already informed them that Rhys and the others would be attending as well.


    Once everyone was present, Nick removed his feathered hat, bowed deeply, and said in a mournful tone, "My dear friends, wee... I''m so delighted you coulde."


    He stepped aside to allow them to enter.


    Inside the underground ssroom, hundreds of ghostly, translucent figures milky-white in color crowded the space. Most floated in the center of the room, dancing to the unsettling music. The ssroom''s temperature was well below freezing, and with every breath the living took, mist would form in front of their faces.


    "Take this," Rhys said, summoning five mes that floated over to each person''s chest and attached themselves to their robes.


    Though the mes burned brightly and provided warmth, they miraculously didn''t set the clothing aze.


    "This is a lifesaver," Ron said gratefully. The warmth made everyone feel much better.


    "A small favor," Rhys replied nonchntly, brushing off Ron''s thanks as his eyes swept across the hundreds of ghosts in the room, searching for the Bloody Baron.


    It didn''t take long to spot his target. The Baron stood out easily—other ghosts seemed to fear the blood-soaked figure, giving him a wide berth that left a noticeable empty space around him.


    "I have something to take care of. You all can explore on your own. Just remember not to touch any of the food here," Rhys instructed the younger wizards before heading straight for the Bloody Baron.


    "Wait, I—" Daphne tried to follow, but the me on her chest suddenly red up intensely. It was clear Rhys didn''t want her eavesdropping on his conversation with the Baron.


    Daphne pouted in dissatisfaction at Rhys''s arrangement. She instinctively wanted to pursue him, but out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Astoria obediently walking in the opposite direction.


    Daphne: !


    She was stunned. In this situation, shouldn''t they stand united and insist on following Rhys? Why was her little sister retreating instead of pressing forward?


    Daphne suddenly came to a realization: <em>With me as the contrast, my sister looks so obedient....</em>


    <em>So calcting!</em> Daphne clenched her fists, then immediately turned around to catch up with Harry and Ron.


    <em>I can be a good good too! Astoria, just you wait!</em>


    Rhys, oblivious to Daphne''splex inner thoughts, walked up to the Bloody Baron and greeted him.


    "Baron, it''s been a while."


    The Bloody Baron: "?"


    <em>Who are you?</em> The Baron was confused. The young wizard before him looked somewhat familiar—probably a Hogwarts student, and one with decent grades at that. But he couldn''t recall ever exchanging a single word with this student.


    Why did the boy seem so familiar with him?


    More unsettlingly, the Baron caught a trace of... affection in Rhys''s gaze? It was as if Rhys was looking at a junior or a loved one.


    And there was something about the boy—a strange yet familiar aura radiating from him.


    The Bloody Baron was utterly baffled.


    The surrounding ghosts were equally perplexed, unable to discern the rtionship between this young wizard and the fearsome Baron.


    __________


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