Later that day, Soren went to Charms class early.
Professor Flitwick was arranging books at the front when Soren approached him.
"Excuse me, Professor Flitwick," Soren said. "I wanted to ask about the Imperturbable Charm."
Flitwick turned, interested. "Ah, Imperturbable. A very useful charm. It creates a magical barrier that blocks sound, movement, and outside interference."
Soren listened carefully as Flitwick explained.
"The incantation is Imperturbable," Flitwick said. "It requires steady focus. This charm is often used to make spaces soundproof, but it can also be applied to objects."
He demonstrated by casting the charm around a small glass box. When he tapped it, no sound came out.
"Very effective," Flitwick said proudly. "But it must be cast carefully. Too weak, and it fails. Too strong, and it becomes difficult to remove."
Soren practiced the wand movement slowly, repeating the incantation under his breath.
After a few attempts, Flitwick nodded. "Good control, Mr. Whitlock. With practice, you'll be able to apply this charm to smaller objects."
"That's exactly what I need," Soren said.
Flitwick smiled knowingly. "Just remember, use your magic responsibly."
"I will, Professor," Soren replied.
As he left the classroom, Soren felt more confident.
With magical earplugs, a Laughing Potion, and the Imperturbable Charm, they finally had a way to protect themselves.
After learning the charm, Soren went straight to the Artefact Room. Everyone was already there.
Penny was carefully corking a small vial. "I'm done," she said. "The Laughing Potion is ready."
Cassie held up a small pouch. "And these are the magical earplugs. I followed the formula exactly."
Soren nodded, relieved. "Good work."
Jacqueline looked up from an old book she had been reading. "I also found something interesting about banshees," she said.
Merula crossed her arms. "Oh? What's the secret now?"
Jacqueline took a breath and began. "It's a story about a rare friendship between a beautiful maiden and a lonely banshee. They made a bargain with each other, a black comb for a mirror."
She continued, "The banshee gave the maiden a black comb. It was her only possession."
"The maiden gave the banshee an enchanted mirror so she could admire her beauty."
"The comb was shiny and black, like volcanic glass."
Everyone listened closely.
"The bargain was supposed to last only a year," Jacqueline said. "After that, they planned to return the items to each other."
"But they never did," Penny said quietly.
Jacqueline nodded. "Sadly, they were never able to trade the items back."
"The bargain between the maiden and the banshee was never completed."
The room went silent.
Soren frowned, thinking. "A broken bargain," he said. "That could explain why the banshee is restless… or angry."
Merula looked less confident than usual. "So you're saying… this banshee might not just be attacking randomly."
"Exactly," Jacqueline replied. "It might be tied to an unfinished promise."
Soren looked at the earplugs, the potion, and then back at the book.
After enchanting the earplugs with the Imperturbable Charm, Soren looked at Jacqueline.
"So why wasn't the trade between the maiden and the banshee completed?" he asked.
Jacqueline hesitated for a moment before answering. "Because the maiden died before she could meet the banshee again and fulfill the bargain."
Everyone went quiet.
"It's beautiful and tragic," Penny said softly. "But maybe it's just a story… or maybe it's connected to the banshee we're dealing with now."
"Either way," Cassie said, standing up, "we're ready. Let's go find out."
Soren nodded firmly, almost like a soldier accepting an order.
Penny frowned. "Wait, we never agreed to banish a banshee on our own."
Cassie slipped an arm around Penny's neck in a friendly grip. "Cadet, I'm sorry to say this, but since you're part of our battalion, we face every danger ourselves."
Everyone laughed.
"What battalion? What soldier?" Penny protested. "We're just Hogwarts students!"
Cassie grinned. "Don't worry, cadet. If you sacrifice yourself, we'll give you a proper burial. You'll be a martyr."
Penny's face went pale.
"Cassie!" Penny said.
"It's okay," Soren said quickly, placing a hand on Penny's shoulder. "We're all here. Nothing's going to happen to you."
Penny glared at Cassie. "You're so mean."
"You already knew that," Cassie replied casually.
With that, they left the Artefact Room and headed back toward the Black Lake shore, the place where the rumors of the banshee had begun.
They reached the lakeshore and stopped.
The air suddenly felt cold.
Then they saw her.
The banshee slowly appeared near the water, floating above the ground. Her pale figure drifted closer, her long hair moving as if underwater.
"Now," Soren said quickly.
They all put in the enchanted earplugs and drank the Laughing Potion.
The banshee opened her mouth and screamed.
But they heard nothing.
Instead, they burst out laughing.
Uncontrollably.
The scream continued, but it had no effect on them. They kept laughing, loudly, holding their sides.
The banshee screamed again, drifting closer, clearly confused.
Nothing changed.
Their laughter echoed across the lakeshore.
The banshee's form began to flicker.
She screamed once more, but this time her shape started to fade. The soundless scream broke apart into mist, and within seconds, she vanished completely.
The cold air lifted.
The lake grew quiet again.
The laughter slowly faded as the potion wore off.
They looked around, breathing heavily.
"It worked," Penny said, still smiling.
Soren took out his earplugs and nodded. "Yeah. It's gone."
"You guys did your research," Merula said, clearly impressed. "A laughter-inducing potion is an effective way to banish a banshee."
Penny frowned, still curious. "I wonder where it went. What does it even mean to banish a banshee? Is it dead? Or did it go somewhere else?"
Cassie put on a serious face. "Don't worry, cadet. It wasn't alive in the first place. And you did good work."
Penny glared at her. "You're enjoying this way too much."
Cassie smiled. She absolutely was.
Soren stepped between them. "Whatever happened to it, at least it won't be bothering Hogwarts anymore."
"So it's finally over," Jacqueline said, nodding.
But the moment the words left her mouth, the lake began to ripple.
One pale figure rose from the water. Then another. Then another.
Several banshees started appearing along the lakeshore, their ghostly forms drifting upward.
"Uh… that's not good," Penny said.
Everyone immediately shoved the enchanted earplugs back into their ears.
The banshees opened their mouths to scream.
The group didn't wait.
"RUN!" Soren shouted.
They sprinted back toward Hogwarts as fast as they could, robes flying, feet pounding against the ground. Behind them, more banshees rose from the water, their silent screams filling the air.
As they ran, a loud magical voice echoed across the grounds, "All students are to report to the Great Hall immediately."
It was Dumbledore.
Soren didn't slow down.
---
After reaching the Great Hall, everyone finally slowed down and caught their breath.
Soren looked at his friends. "Despite the swarm of banshees, we made it back inside the castle."
"Yeah," Cassie nodded. "If we hadn't run when we did, things could've gone very wrong."
Jacqueline glanced around at the crowded hall. "Why do you think the Headmaster summoned everyone?"
Before anyone could answer, Professor Dumbledore stepped forward.
"Thank you all for coming on such short notice," he said calmly. "This is an important announcement."
The hall grew quiet.
"As you have undoubtedly heard," Dumbledore continued, "dark spirits known as banshees are gathering around Hogwarts."
Murmurs spread through the room.
"Their motive is unknown," he said, "but due to the danger involved, students are not permitted to leave the castle until further notice."
Soren frowned. "So the banshees haven't gone anywhere," he said quietly. "Things are getting worse."
Dumbledore continued, "The faculty has contacted the Ministry's Spirit Division for assistance. Representatives will arrive soon."
He raised his wand slightly. "In addition, we are strengthening the castle's magical defenses using the Imperturbable Charm."
The hall felt a little calmer after that.
"This is a difficult time," Dumbledore said gently. "But in times like these, we find strength in our friends. I encourage you to do so now."
After the announcement ended, Soren turned to his group.
"Professor Dumbledore's right," he said. "We should figure out how we can help each other."
"Don't forget me," Merula added, folding her arms.
Soren sighed and nodded. "Yeah, yeah."
They stood together in a quiet corner of the Great Hall, voices low.
Cassie looked at the others and said, "Between us… Penny seems more worried about the banshees than anyone."
Merula nodded slowly. "Yeah. I can tell. She's hiding something."
Jacqueline agreed. "She's also more afraid than usual."
Soren immediately shook his head. "Guys, it's okay. A lot of people are scared of banshees. That's normal. I don't think Penny is hiding anything important."
Penny, who had been silent, stepped closer to Soren.
"I'm sorry, Soren," she said quietly. "But… I really am hiding something."
Everyone turned to her.
"What are you hiding, Penny?" Cassie asked.
Merula crossed her arms, watching closely.
Jacqueline leaned in, concerned.
Penny took a deep breath.
"I was hoping I wouldn't have to say it," she said softly.