"This is the area Professor Kahn ntioned in his letter, the place where the mist won't erode us?"
Cedric strode forward, his handso face thoughtful, bright grey eyes scanning every shadow ahead. The Bowtruckle on his shoulder peered around alertly, twig-fingers tensed as if ready to leap into battle. Cedric's grip tightened on his wand, but as he moved through another drift of thin fog and into a large chamber, he couldn't help but relax.
It looked just like the Hogwarts library, with the sa vaulted ceiling and the sa long tables, but the shelves nearby were utterly bare. Not a single book in sight.
Not far away, a giant Ragdoll cat lounged in elegant stillness. Seeing Cedric erge from the mist, the cat offered a soft, regal w, then lay down, eyes never leaving him.
"Hello?" Cedric called, uncertain but hopeful.
The cat didn't move, so Cedric pocketed his wand, put on his best Hufflepuff smile, and surveyed the space. Besides the barren shelves, every detail matched the school's fifth-floor library; even the ratty old feather duster was leaning against the counter, just like the one Madam Pince used to brandish in warning.
With care, Cedric lifted his Bowtruckle down to the ground. The little creature tensed but didn't resist. Cedric took a few slow steps toward the cat.
A sorrowful female voice suddenly rose up, echoing from deep within the great beast. "We once lived in a dreamlike, warm kingdom..."
The Ragdoll's acting was spot-on, exactly in line with Evans's script. The sadness in her voice filled the library, and Cedric listened intently, eyes growing serious. When the tale was done, he bowed his head and replied softly, "I will definitely find a way to seal that mist!"
The cat's eyes ward, and her mouth curled into the ghost of a smile. But before Cedric could step closer, an emotionless, almost chanical voice sounded behind him:
"The monsters in the mist tore apart all the library's books. Several precious magical texts weren't completely destroyed; traces of their magic remain. However, piecing these books together isn't easy. Each page requires specific thods, even specific placent, to complete the restoration. Ti limit: thirty minutes. Please successfully piece together at least three magical books. The more assembled, the greater the reward."
Cedric turned just in ti to see hundreds of loose pages appear beside the empty shelves. A thirty-minute countdown shimred high on the ceiling.
He scanned the scattered texts, then drew his wand and traced a shimring line in the air. "Specialis Revelio!"
A wave of invisible magic rippled across the ground—yet none of the pages showed any reaction.
"So it's not that simple after all..."
Cedric didn't pout. Rolling up his sleeves, he reached down and patted the Bowtruckle on its tiny head. "Co on, help search. If you find anything special, bring it back to ."
"Hmm!" chirped the partner, already scrambling over the nearest pile.
Ti ticked on. Across the enchanted castle, the young wizards slowly learnt how to move in the fog, many of them eventually finding the cat-guarded safe zones. So students even started teaming up, combining brainpower and familiars to crack more difficult challenges.
Evans circled above, robes fluttering as he drifted, his eyes scanning each puzzle zone. Most of the students were intent on solving problems, working well with their magical creature partners. But here and there, he noticed so whose behaviour was less than kind.
Watching a few students kicking at creatures or shouting whenever they got stumped, Evans frowned. A silver light shimred on the back of his hand. Out of sight, a beast's roar echoed through a distant corridor, and the guilty students soon found themselves being herded away by unseen predators.
No way would he let them into his club.
That was the real purpose of this test: finding the students who truly loved and respected magical creatures. Academics could be faked, but kindness in crisis couldn't. Unfortunately, so of these troublemakers actually had excellent grades.
He shook his head and turned his focus to the candidates he cared about.
Cedric's library challenge was progressing steadily. If he managed to restore six or more magical books, he'd earn a seal fragnt on the spot.
In another corridor, Percy was struggling; his Murtlap partner, spooked by distant monster roars, cowered behind Percy's legs and flatly refused every bribe to step further into the mist. Still, Evans considered, soothing and understanding magical animals was part of the test too.
Harry was still adventuring with the little black cat, ntal energy holding up impressively after half an hour exposed in the mist. Most young wizards would have dropped by now, but Harry seed to be muscling through on sheer willpower.
Evans drifted over the castle's upper floors. His monster system, introduced to punish bullies, was now doubling as a safety net. Any student staying out too long would get a gentle scare, not detention. It was simply a warning to keep close to the cats next ti.
So far, only Harry hadn't been tagged. There was, however, one more innocent caught for non-mischief.
"Gallen is a second-year who recently noticed the trees around the school line up in a pattern..."
A massive sphinx, even when shrunk, sat with its tail wrapping the corridor, its voice shaking the floor.
On the opposite side, Ron and his blue pixie looked utterly bewildered, listening as the sphinx rattled off easy riddles. The answers slipped past them like water. They just stood there, blinking in confusion.
Evans watched in quiet disbelief. These were basic primary-school problems! Surely even a first-year Ravenclaw could solve them faster than this. Then again, Ron might have to wait for the even simpler problems he'd set to pop up every fifteen minutes.
Being stuck for fifteen minutes was bad. With the ten minutes Ron already spent on his earlier puzzle, ti was slipping away. At least he had that seal fragnt tucked away, so if he sped up later, he could finish.
Still, sothing wasn't right.
As Evans glided around the castle, a persistent feeling gnawed at him. He slowed his pace and looked over the foggy battlents.
Why did it feel like soone was missing?
Finally, he spotted Flitwick observing a Ravenclaw prefect.
Dipping lower, Evans called out, "Professor, have you seen Hermione?"
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