area51novel Chapter 51: Will the Ghost Join Too?
Chapter 51: Will the Ghost Join Too?
"With just Nate, Ron Weasley, our mandate is now officially established!"
Professor Delphinor's voice, carrying a certain piety and sacred solemnity, lingered in the quiet, pin-drop-free Gryffindor common room.
"Alright, we've reached a consensus. There's one more step, Mr. Weasley."
Ares looked down at Ron.
"What—what should I—do, Professor Delfino?"
"Completely bewildered" is not even an adequate description of Ron's panic at this moment!
He was completely at a loss and could only follow Professor Delfino's lead.
"Of course, we'll sign a contract, Mr. Weasley, to avoid either of us changing our minds midway—"
Ares said with great interest.
Amidst the bewildered gazes of the students, he conjured a piece of parchment from thin air, and using his finger as a pen, swiftly wrote down the words:
【委託方（罗恩·比利尔斯·韦斯莱）及受託方（阿瑞斯·德尔菲诺）于1991年9月4日晚7：53分达成协议，协议内容如下：
Ares Delfino has committed to fulfilling Ron Billys Weasley's commission—to lift the ban on the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry's Class of '91 participating in the "Protect the Captain" educational game. Time limit: 2 hours.
To ensure the completion of the task, both the commissioning party and the commissioned party shall adhere to the basic principle of mutual trust during the task process. Unless both parties reach a consensus, neither party is allowed to unilaterally terminate the commission.
The client shall unconditionally assist the contractor in developing a plan to complete the task, and the contractor shall ensure that the task plan is safe and reliable and will not cause any personal injury or loss of interests to the client.
Upon completion of the task, the client must settle the full commission with the contractor within half an hour, totaling 1 Nat.
"have a look!"
A mysterious luster flashed across the parchment, and then Ares "plucked" it from the air and handed it to Ron.
"Is there a problem? Do you understand?"
Ron first shook his head, then nodded. His hazy eyes held a mixture of confusion and a desire to laugh... perhaps he didn't quite understand how things had come to this.
Harry and Ron felt similarly.
He looked at the inexplicably solemn and serious Professor Delfino, trying his best not to distort the corners of his mouth.
He realized that this professor was extremely meticulous and devoted when it came to... well, to matters related to his previous profession?
After thinking for a moment, Harry recounted the part that had surprised him the most.
"They said...two hours?"
"Speed is of the essence, Mr. Potter—"
Ares nodded solemnly.
"Hogwarts is teeming with the administration's eyes and ears; our actions must be swift and decisive, or things will go wrong... So, if there are no problems, sign it!"
Harry believes that Ron would definitely not sign if given the choice.
The problem was that Professor Delfino basically shoved the quill into his hand and then forced him to sign his name on the paper... After that, Professor Delfino himself also stamped his name on the contract in his flamboyant handwriting.
The students scattered throughout the Gryffindor common room, whatever they had been doing before, all gathered around Professor Delfino, staring in disbelief at his series of 'magical' actions.
So—
After the contract was completed, the dark yellow parchment was suddenly surrounded by an ominous, dim light. It floated in mid-air, slowly spinning and emitting tangible, rhythmic, mysterious fluctuations.
Ron felt his heart pounding with the vibrations, and he looked like he was about to cry.
"Is it over—Professor?"
"Don't talk nonsense, Mr. Weasley, this is just the beginning."
Ares said seriously, then suddenly raised his head, looked around, and snapped his fingers unexpectedly.
Snap—Snap, snap, snap, snap, snap!
A sudden, sharp crack startled many people, causing them to shrink back. Once they calmed down, they discovered that the bright red tapestries that had been hanging on the walls surrounding the circular lounge were now frozen solid by snowflake-like ice flowers. The figures embroidered on the tapestries were suddenly filled with terror, struggling to escape their territory, but no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't get away.
"Information leakage is a major taboo in mission execution—"
Ares looked at Ron, who seemed frozen in place, and solemnly nodded.
"The figures on these tapestries are likely spies for the school administration, and we must make sure they don't leak information... Oh, and of course, you too..."
A streak of light emerged from Ares' fingertip, like a water droplet trailing behind it, and rushed towards a spot in the lounge. Then, amidst the stunned gazes of many, it suddenly unfolded, transforming into a crystal-clear, round millstone in the air...
Of course, Harry thinks a more appropriate description would be a round cage... the kind used to keep hamsters.
"Oh, what's going on?!"
The imprisoned ghost immediately panicked, and it pulled its body, which was bathed in soul light, as if it were breaking out of its cage!
However, the cage really was like a hamster cage. When the ghost trapped inside floated out, the internal space began to "flow backward," trapping it inside forever.
"What is this thing, Ares!"
Nick, who had been watching the commotion for a while and was almost headless, shouted in a voice that was both annoyed and somewhat abnormally excited, his head dangling from his neck and bobbing back and forth.
"I'm sorry, Sir Nicholas—"
Ares, with a serious expression, nodded to Nick.
"As you can see, Sir, we are plotting an operation... Before the operation is fully launched, we must ensure that the school administration does not discover a single clue, so—well, as far as I know, you Ghosts are also the administration's eyes and ears."
"Not entirely, Ares!"
Nick passionately defended himself.
"I have always despised the act of tattling!"
"But I haven't had much dealings with you, Sir Nicholas, how can I be sure you're telling the truth?"
"If I lie, may my body never be free from my mind for the rest of my life... I mean, may my body never be separated from my mind!"
Nick, who had almost lost his head, stopped struggling. His agitated state caused his transparent body to tremble violently, almost forming a dissipating cloud.
"Believe me, Ares, Nicholas lived a life of integrity and would never betray his honor...not even after death!"
Honestly, I'm very interested in your operation...can I join you?
I know there are some reliable people among the ghosts. Once the operation begins, I can help you persuade them... You need more people... I mean—partners, help you build up your forces!
"Fine, since you're risking your life—"
After a moment's hesitation, Ares nodded.
"I'll trust you this time, Nick... I'm sure you've realized that I'm not helpless against ghosts!"