The fastest thing there is will always be time. It never stops, and only when you glance back without realizing it do you discover just how much time has passed.

Just like Allen, after casually taking down a sneaky Slytherin attacker, he realized he had earned enough gold for the most basic salary gear.

Earning a little gold for every point scored, each point in wizard attacks granting one gold, gave Allen the urge to curse, but he still had to buy the gear. Better than nothing. The upgraded version wasn't bad either: each point earned three gold. But that meant a long wait.

Professor Sigma's class had evolved into a grand decoding battle between teacher and students. Once the students discovered a new way to pass, almost no one got caught. On the other hand, almost everyone else was wiped out. This only made Sigma's class more popular.

Allen had finished his punishment phase and was finally enjoying campus life. Magic wasn't just spells, it was a long history and customs, all of which Allen soaked up eagerly.

Hufflepuff's Quidditch training was decent. Though the Slytherins mocked their team as stinky and cobbled together, it didn't dampen their fiery spirit. Talent was lacking, so effort made up for it. That was all there was to it.

During this time, Allen didn't cause any big incidents, after all, the fastest way to make money was too wild and dangerous, and too soon after his last stunt.

And so, amid this calm campus life, Halloween arrived.

Halloween was every child's favorite holiday. Forget the pumpkins carved into all kinds of shapes, the joy of dressing up and running around shouting "trick or treat" thrilled every kid.

Unfortunately, young witches and wizards had this privilege taken away from them.

Not because anyone was targeting them.

But because ghosts were very real at Hogwarts!

You can't have ghost kids who don't get candy go around scaring other ghosts, right?

Still, no one could complain about the Halloween feast at Hogwarts. The entire castle had undergone massive decoration efforts, once again, thanks to the hard work of the house elves.

A thousand bats fluttered on the walls and ceiling. Another thousand gathered in low swarms like dark clouds, circling above the dining tables, causing the pumpkin candles' flames inside to flicker. Even the chandeliers had been replaced by small golden pumpkin lamps. All sorts of delicious dishes suddenly appeared on golden plates, rivaling the feast on opening day.

A perfect festival. Perhaps the only one unhappy was Mr. Filch, Allen saw him sneer at the massive ghost acrobat troupe. Clearly, because of the poltergeist, Filch held a slight grudge against every ghost.

That ghost acrobat troupe was truly massive.

Obviously, this troupe Dumbledore had invited was a big hit with the students; every performance was met with thunderous applause.

Even Allen had to admit it was the best acrobatic show he'd ever seen in both his lives, you simply can't compete with ghosts in flexibility.

Yet, amid all the excitement, Allen felt something was missing.

And soon, he found out what.

A newly dressed teacher stood up in the staff section, worth noting, the oversized formal wear fit him like a second skin.

Naturally, it was Professor Sigma, who smiled broadly: "Oh, dear students, with Dumbledore's permission, I've prepared a little surprise for you all."

As Sigma clapped, clanking sounds filled the room, old armors with poorly maintained rust protections were gathering from all corners of the castle into the already somewhat crowded dining hall.

"Here, the prize for today's brave," he said, holding up a small vial. Allen didn't know what was inside, but he was sure the potion dancing within was something good, just looking at it was pleasing.

"Some of you may recognize this, it's a gift from the goddess of luck: Felix Felicis!" Sigma announced loudly.

A murmur of excitement swept through the room.

This potion was one of the hardest to brew, and being called a "gift" hinted at how difficult it was to concoct.

To be precise, a small vial like this was worth many times its weight in gold!

With a flick of Dumbledore's wand, the walls of the dining hall slid back, revealing much more space. Looking at the patchwork floor, it was clear the hall had borrowed land from adjacent rooms.

With armor, ghosts, bats, pumpkin lights, and some strange crates filing in, a brand-new maze was constructed inside the dining hall.

The Felix Felicis vial was hung on a small orange pumpkin, then magically guided into the maze.

"Ladies and gentlemen, tonight is a fine night. My haunted maze is complete. You're free to enter or not, of course, each of the seven years has a different entrance. Enjoy your evening!" Professor Sigma bowed, his suit buttons almost giving out.

Allen was the first first-year to set off. Honestly, though the prize was tempting, few dared to join.

The harsh lessons Sigma taught were a history drenched in blood and tears. Who would rush forward without cause?

Honestly, if the prize hadn't been so incredible, Allen would have stayed for the steaming pumpkin pie and perfectly warm pumpkin juice on the table.

What was that?

That, dear friends, was Felix Felicis!

Drinking it was almost like having the goddess of luck herself by your side.

Just imagine, even the most traditional African chiefs could successfully smuggle goods with this powerful potion!

Merlin, my SSR depends on this magical elixir!

Just a little bit, and the goddess of luck appears, buffing your brain and shouting, "I got your back!"

It's a beautiful thing to imagine!

So, after Allen started off, a large crowd, either knowing the potion's effects or hearing about it from others, rose from their tables.

Had they seen Sigma's kind gaze, perhaps they would have thought twice. Sadly, they did not.

And so, under everyone's watchful eyes, the Halloween adventure began.

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