Looking very proud of herself, Daphne grinned at Harry who gave her an impressed nod.
"Not gonna lie, the thought never even crossed my mind," he admitted.
"You might be the resident genius but I ain't no pushover either, Mr. Potter," she replied haughtily. Harry chuckled.
"It's a truly brilliant idea, Daphne," Susan agreed.
"Right? There's only one bummer though," Daphne sighed. "It'd take at least a month to brew this potion."
"We can't find it in the market either," Neville muttered. "It's sale is heavily regulated."
Harry nodded thoughtfully.
"What about shady shops though?" He mused out loud. "Surely we can get some from a shop in Knockturn?"
"You'll trust a shady Knockturn store with something so important?" Daphne asked skeptically, earning a frown.
"I guess you have a point," Harry muttered. Although Borgin and Burke's had served him quite well so far, he didn't trust them enough to buy a potion from them, and for such a crucial undertaking.
"Can I get the best recipe for brewing a perfect batch of Polyjuice Potion?" Daphne asked out loud and the room obliged. An unfurled parchment appeared on the table in front of them and the blonde reached out to pick it up. She raked her eyes over the recipe as the others watched, her eyebrows raised in wonder. "If this room was allowed in exams, every student would get straight O's in all their NEWTs!"
"What else did you expect?" Harry chuckled. "Any book in the library and you can get all the information you want."
"The steps in this recipe are modified too," Daphne remarked. "I don't remember it exactly but I clearly recall the original instructions telling us to stir every five seconds. This one says to stir for two seconds before pausing and stirring for another two seconds."
"It's not going to botch anything, right?" Hannah asked in concern.
"Don't worry," Daphne replied. "We can brew two batches. One with the original method and one with this new and modified one. Once we're done, we'll test them out. I'm sure this room can get us a potions tester."
"And ingredients as well," Susan remarked as she took the parchment from Daphne. She asked for the ingredients mentioned therein and smiled as everything appeared on the table in a neatly arranged manner. "Nice. We should get started right away."
"Sounds like a nice idea," Daphne grinned. Everyone watched the two girls as they got up and walked over to the large brewing desk that appeared near one of the walls with the requisite potion gear.
"They look better now, don't they?" Hannah remarked with a smile as they watched the two girls start preparing for brewing.
"I know, right? Ever since this entire shitshow started, they've been nothing but miserable. I don't know fully about Susan but Daph has been so quiet lately," Tracey replied.
From his spot, Harry gazed sadly at the two girls who smiled at each other as they started up the fire and he averted his eyes, staring at the table in front of him. He knew what was wrong with them and he could not help but feel guilty about it. He felt it was his fault that they were miserable but he knew he had no other choice. He had been nothing but truthful to them the entire time and it was impossible for him to choose one over the other. He had hoped to spare heartbreaks but it seemed his decision had hurt both of them instead.
"You okay, Harry?" Neville asked curiously, prompting him to glance up at him. He mustered a weak smile and nodded.
"I'll see you guys later."
Confused, Neville watched alongside Tracey and Hannah as Harry got up, and without a glance toward anyone else, he walked out of the room. The door shut behind him and the three turned to each other.
"What's up with him?" Tracey asked.
"No clue," Hannah shrugged.
"He still sometimes acts as he used to do last year," Neville sighed. "I think it's become a habit of his now."
"Well, it's a bad habit," Tracey replied.
"Yeah, but he's improving. Believe me, we've interacted more today than we did in almost our entire first year. He was a proper loner," Hannah smiled. "This thing must be weighing heavily on his mind. Let the bloke have a little private time."
"I guess," Tracey muttered as she glanced at the table where Daphne and Susan were silently working together on the potion.
'Those two might bicker at times but when it's something important, they know how to work together.'
-Break-
It had been a few hours now since Marietta had started feeling a tingling sensation in the back of her mind. She had no idea what caused it all of a sudden but no matter what she tried, the sensation refused to go away. It felt like a yearning… some sort of hunger for something unknown to her. She had no clue what triggered it or why she desired it so much, but one thing was certain. Whatever it was, it was very important.
For a while now she had been aimlessly wandering the corridors, futilely searching for it but to no avail. She had tried to sense it out, to figure out where this thing was, but apart from the tingling sensation in the back of her mind, she could feel nothing. It was frustrating.
The past few days had been eventful and perfectly in line with her plans. She had taken care of not one, but three idiots who had dared to cross her. Loony was someone she'd despised ever since they'd crossed paths, and she had to suffer. The same applied to the Weasley girl. Those twin brothers of hers had tortured her enough and they deserved every bit of pain and sorrow. She had taken care of their baby sister, and the rest were up next.
She had been undecided on what to do with Cho. The girl was her best friend for over two years before she had decided to suddenly start distancing herself from her. She did not know what had triggered it but she had started to see the signs since the year began. Only a few months later, she had moved dorms and almost stopped talking to her. They might have exchanged a few words here and there but it was in no way the same.
It had hurt, and she had been pissed beyond belief. To think that the girl dared to repay her friendship of over two years in such a flippant manner made her seethe.
Her decision had been made for her when she got to know that she was borrowing the broomstick of one person she perhaps hated as much as Loony, if not more.
Harry fucking Potter. She had no idea what it was about him but it irked her wrongly. She'd not liked him since the beginning and it was not helped at all by his mysterious attitude that he felt somehow made him look cool.
However, after the clarity she obtained when she wore her tiara, which she knew by now had bestowed upon her several magical boons, she realized his true nature.
Harry Potter was evil and he deserved to suffer for all of eternity.
The opportunity was too good to pass up and she had pounced. The knowledge she had at her disposal now made an easy work of the broomstick and in no time, she had the perfect plan ready to be sprung into action. A little acting now and then followed and she had almost everyone eating out of her hand.
Sure, Potter was still kicking freely now but once the investigation ran its course, he would be enjoying the delights of the Azkaban resort. That was for sure.
Marietta pushed all thoughts out of her mind as she reached her destination. Her eyes glinted a shade of eerie crimson as she grinned evilly at the sink.
A raspy whisper of Parseltongue forced the sink to part and in no time, she descended. Her next target was already decided and it was time for her to suffer. To suffer for being the smartass that she was.
-Break-
Since classes had been suspended for the day, the students had taken advantage of the break to either catch up on their pending work or spend some quality time around the castle.
Chang's parents had arrived in the afternoon and the girl had been transferred to St. Mungos, both for treatment and monitoring. The students were curious as to what the aurors thought about the case but there was no news. That did not stop the students from making up their versions of the story.
Penelope Clearwater sighed as she passed another gaggle of students discussing the recent developments. It had been the talk of the castle for the entire day and she was slowly getting frustrated with it all. It was a relief that it was already dusk which meant most of the students had already retired to their respective common rooms to spend some time in the evening with their friends before dinner.
The torchlit hallways of the castle were quiet as she walked down the corridor, her mind focused on only two things—her boyfriend, and her desire to take a break from this environment.
Percy was waiting for her in their usual spot and with a small smile, she walked over. As usual, he gave her a nod and she almost sighed again.
"Would it really hurt you to display some affection, Percy?" She frowned.
"You know my opinion on PDA, Penelope," he replied as he began walking. Penelope merely sighed and fell in step beside him. She knew it was useless to argue about this by now.
"I was thinking something," she began. "How about we go to Hogsmeade together this weekend and just spend some time together? Maybe grab a butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks?"
Percy scoffed without breaking his purposeful gait. "You know we have our NEWTs next year, Penelope. Coupled with the tremendous amount of prefect duties and other responsibilities we both have this term, I don't think we can afford any unnecessary distractions from our academic and extracurricular obligations."
"But Percy, we're dating!" Penelope cried out in exasperation. "Don't you want to experience it? It doesn't have to be a whole day. Even an hour or two will do!"
Rounding a corner into another torch-lit corridor, Percy adjusted his glasses firmly on the bridge of his nose.
"I am perfectly aware of what we are. You know I have my sights firmly set on a prestigious career at the Ministry after graduating, and that must take utmost priority." His tone was clipped and authoritative, not allowing room for argument.
Penelope opened her mouth to retort, but Percy suddenly spoke again, his voice taking on a grave tone. "That's not to mention Harry Potter's involvement in the attack on Cho Chang. That should be of utmost priority to everyone."
"Please tell me you don't actually believe he's behind the attack," Penelope sighed in exasperation. "He's a good person, Percy. I don't believe he did it."
"Well, all the evidence we've seen so far points to him," Percy replied. "I remember Ron telling me when he arrived here last year that Harry Potter was not what we all thought he would be. He was rude without reason and had let his fame get to his head."
Penelope had a few choice words about what she thought about the opinion of her boyfriend's idiot brother but she refrained from commenting.
"People are letting their rose-tinted vision of Harry Potter cloud their rational judgment," Percy continued. "They need to approach this horrific situation through the lens of cold logic and impartial analysis."
"You're speaking as if he's really the criminal," Penelope frowned. "Have you forgotten that he is innocent until his guilt is proven?"
"If that was true then Lucius Malfoy and his cronies would be innocent. We all know the truth, even if it's not proven," Percy replied calmly. "Proof doesn't always matter, Penelope. You should remember that."
In their argument, they had ventured into one of the many less-frequented corridors of the castle. Neither noticed the faint sound of something large slithering out from the shadows behind an ancient suit of armor. By the time Percy registered the telltale dry rustling, it was too late.
A massive serpent emerged, scales glistening in the torchlight as its wide eyes locked on the young couple. In an instant, Percy and Penelope fell silent, their argument forgotten as they turned in unison, apprehension etched across their faces.
Scales glistened like rainbows on oil as more and more of the gigantic serpent pulled itself into the moonlight.
"P-Penelope..." Percy gasped, his voice trembling. He gripped her arm tightly, nails digging into her flesh as he tried in vain to pull her back.
But Penelope's eyes were locked forward, wide with shock and disbelief as she gazed at the thick scales of the massive serpent, her body frozen.
The basilisk reared up, easily fifty feet in height. Its wedge-shaped head swayed hypnotically from side to side as it opened its maw wide, bellowing out a malicious hiss. Those yellowed fangs gleamed malevolently, terrifying—not that they noticed anything apart from its massive form.
A scream tore its way out of Penelope's throat as she clutched at Percy, fingernails raking his skin as she tried to shield herself behind his taller frame. But there was no running, not with their feet frozen in place.
Percy fumbled desperately for his wand, but it was too late. Those cold, unblinking yellow eyes locked onto theirs, piercing and inescapable.
In an instant, the ghostly green glow of the killing curse flashed in those pitiless orbs. Percy and Penelope went rigid, all life abruptly extinguished. They were dead before their lifeless bodies even hit the floor.
The basilisk slithered forward, nudging the two corpses with its snout. Satisfied that its master's bidding had been duly carried out once more, it gave a final flick of its tail before retreating into the shadowy alcove, leaving Percy and Penelope's unseeing eyes still frozen open in eternal terror.
-Break-
The ancient wooden floors groaned as Dumbledore paced back and forth behind his desk, his vibrant robes swishing with each agitated turn. Opposite him, Amelia Bones and Kingsley Shacklebolt sat grimly, with all four Heads of House sitting on either side of the desk.
Professor McGonagall adjusted her trademark pointed hat, lips pursed thinly. Professor Sprout wrung her soil-stained hands, while Flitwick and Snape watched stoically.
"What is your preliminary assessment, Kingsley?" Amelia Bones asked her subordinate.
"I could detect no hint of deceit from Mr. Potter when we interrogated him," Kingsley intoned solemnly. "Although the proof is against him, his demeanor suggests he is innocent."
"And the others?"
"Too scared, confused, or angry to glean anything," Kingsley replied. "Mr. Potter was the only one calm enough for me to judge accurately. If he has indeed kept his demeanor in check so expertly, then fair play to him."
"Miss Bones had a name when we talked to her," McGonagall remarked, earning a glance from Amelia Bones. "Marietta Edgecombe. She had quite a theory about this incident."
"I seem to recall her being Miss Chang's close friend," Dumbledore mused thoughtfully.
"And the most distraught and angry of the lot as well, which is quite understandable from her perspective," Sprout said sympathetically.
"We are not here to talk about conspiracy theories," Amelia Bones said firmly, her monocle gleaming sternly in the firelight. "The Ministry's getting impatient, Headmaster. Normally, I would ignore Fudge's ramblings but three students have been attacked since the school year started. We've received dozens of owls from distraught parents demanding their children be pulled from Hogwarts immediately."
"I assure you, we are also working actively in our power to uncover the identity of the attacker, Madam Bones," Dumbledore said gravely. "But this is the darkest magic at play here—formidable for even witches and wizards of profound skill."
"Be that as it may, if another attack occurs, there would be serious repercussions, Headmaster," Amelia Bones said sternly. "Student lives cannot be—"
Suddenly, the enchanted instruments lining Dumbledore's shelves emitted a series of shrill whistles and flashes. The wizened headmaster whirled around, his eyes going wide behind his half-moon spectacles as the wards signaled a deadly attack in the castle.
"No...it can't be..." he murmured, hurrying over to examine the pulsing crimson light now glowing from a compact silver device. Dread washed over his features as the tiny alphabetic readings instantly revealed the victims' identities and...
Dumbledore recoiled, nearly toppling a teetering stack of ancient books with his sweeping emerald robes. "Penelope Clearwater...Percy Weasley...they've been killed."
A collective gasp escaped all the professors bar Snape as Sprout clasped a hand over her mouth in horror. McGonagall went deathly pale, removing her glasses with a trembling hand.
The room fell into a leaden silence, broken only by the aurors shifting in ill comfort and the crackling of the fireplace. All their expressions had drained of all color and Amelia Bones gripped the arm of her chair hard, her lips pursed tightly.
"Killed!?" McGonagall's exclaimed in a horrified whisper.
"Headmaster…" Amelia Bones started evenly. "This constitutes an unacceptable failure. The water is over the bridge now."
Dumbledore looked every year of his advanced age. "I know. I take full responsibility…"
"That won't bring back the dead students entrusted in your care," Amelia cut him off. She and Kingsley were already on their feet and the latter sent a signal for an auror contingent to arrive posthaste.
The floo flared immediately and a squadron of aurors arrived, making a beeline for the table in the middle.
"Follow me," Kingsley barked as he nodded at his superior and led the squadron out of the office.
With ponderous steps, Amelia Bones moved to follow them, pausing to fix Dumbledore with a reproaching stare. "The Ministry will have to intervene now, Headmaster. You know what could happen."
Her words hung oppressively in the office even after the aurors departed, cloaking Dumbledore and the professors in a mantle of apprehension and shame. McGonagall was the first to break the silence.
"Albus… what are we going to do?" She asked, her usual stern visage cracking with trepidation. "How could this have happened? Right under our noses…"
For once, the all-knowing Albus Dumbledore had no answers as he stared hollowly at the whirring instruments on the shelves.
-Break-
"And finally, he returns," Tracey called out as he shut the door behind him. His friends were lounging about the Come and Go Room when Harry returned. Amused, Harry made his way over to join them. "Where were you anyway?"
"Just walking near the Black Lake. The rest of the grounds were crowded."
"No wonder," Hannah chuckled.
"You two done with that?" He asked Daphne and Susan, gesturing with his thumb toward the setup.
"For now. We've finished the initial steps and all that's needed from now on is to keep at it on intervals over the next month."
Harry nodded, making himself comfortable.
"What else did you all do all day then?"
"Lunch. Study. Dinner. But practice, mostly," Neville replied. At his raised eyebrow, the boy sighed. "Yes, we worked out as well."
"Good," Harry nodded, smirking. "And don't give me that. Tell me you don't feel better now that you've started keeping fit. All of you."
No one had anything to say to the contrary and Harry smiled. "Let's try something. How about you guys duel me?"
"All of us?" Daphne asked in surprise, looking more than a little affronted when he nodded. "We're not pushovers, you know…"
"I know, but I want to see it all the same," he replied. "See how I do against all five of you."
His friends exchanged looks as Harry watched them, smiling when Daphne pursed her lips and gave him a firm nod.
"Alright, but don't expect us to hold back just because you're on your own."
"I wouldn't dare make that mistake," Harry replied, smiling. He shot to his feet, prompting them to follow suit. The room morphed around them, extending and erecting a large dueling circle in one corner surrounded by a barrier to keep all spells inside. "Let's go. It's approaching curfew in an hour."
They followed behind Harry, ready to duel, when a voice stopped them in their tracks.
"All students are hereby instructed to arrive in the Great Hall within fifteen minutes. This is not optional. The Headmaster has important announcements to make and punctual attendance is mandatory."
Professor McGonagall's voice reverberated throughout the castle like a public announcement and they turned to each other in surprise.
"Did something happen again?" Hannah asked in alarm, her eyes wide. Concern was etched on Harry's face, his eyebrows furrowed, as he stared straight ahead.
"Let's go," he instructed them. "We can duel later. This sounds much more serious."
Everyone nodded and fell in a step beside Harry as they walked out of the Come and Go Room. The door vanished into the wall behind them as they turned to walk over to the Grand Staircase.
"Did something happen while you were out here?" Susan asked Harry who shook his head.
"Students were chilling out around the castle all day long. I was near the Black Lake the entire time I was out of that room and nothing seemed out of ordinary. Just a usual day of leave," he replied.
They descended the stairs and were joined by scores of students on their way to the Great Hall. Harry firmed his countenance, ignoring those who either inched away from him as they walked, sneered or glared at him, or just seemed nervous around him.
Daphne muttered something inaudible under her breath and an amused smile curled Harry's lips. Knowing her, it must be something insulting.
They reached the Great Hall in no time and found students shuffling inside. What was surprising was the squad of aurors standing as sentries outside the massive double doors, allowing the students entry.
"What the hell's going on?" Susan muttered under her breath.
Harry wondered the same as he led his friends in. He did not fail to notice how the aurors' eyes lingered on him for an extra second and his lips set in a thin line as he led them over to the Ravenclaw table, ignoring the usual hostile or indifferent stares.
They glanced over at the teachers' table and found, to their surprise, two new faces sitting with the professors.
"Auntie and Auror Shacklebolt," Susan murmured. She caught her aunt's eye and furrowed her eyebrows, silently asking what the matter was. A frown grew on her face when her aunt pursed her lips and raised a hand, asking her to have patience.
"Something's definitely happened," Hannah whispered. "Another attack?"
"Or maybe they caught who's behind it all?" Tracey mused aloud. As one, Susan and Daphne ran their eyes across the Ravenclaw table, searching for the one they both had come to suspect. Their eyes widened in unison and they turned to look at each other.
"Edgecombe's missing!" Daphne hissed, a hint of glee in her voice.
Everyone's eyes widened and they mimicked the blonde and the redhead, realizing that Edgecombe was, in fact, missing.
"Merlin, it was really her then?" Tracey whispered.
"Let's not jump to conclusions already," Harry interjected, gaining their attention. "I'm sure they'll tell us soon."
The Great Hall was awash with whispered mutterings as students waited for what was going on. An atmosphere of uneasy anticipation pervaded the massive cavernous hall, with speculations running rampant. Harry felt numerous eyes from all four houses on him now and then, much to the irritation of all his friends.
A hush descended on the Great Hall when the last of the stragglers stumbled in and the aurors shut the large double doors, taking position near the exit. Similarly, aurors stood on either side of the Great Hall with their backs to the walls and their faces devoid of any emotion.
As the doors shut with a massive groan, Dumbledore stood up and stepped forward. In an instant, all murmurs and mutterings ceased as if by his mere presence.
"Students," he began, his grave voice seeming to reverberate from every shadowed alcove and arch. "I profoundly wish I were not bearing such grave news on this dark evening."
From the corners of his eyes, Harry could see McGonagall dab at her cheek with a tartan handkerchief, her mouth set in a taut line, and the foreboding feeling that something was indeed wrong grew.
Dumbledore steeled himself before continuing.
"It is with immeasurable grief that I must inform you...two of your peers, Penelope Clearwater and Percy Weasley, have tragically lost their lives this night."
A collective ripple of shock and horror pulsed through the Hall, gasps and stifled sobs echoing off the enchanted ceiling. At the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables, the rest of the Weasleys sat shellshocked alongside their peers while Penelope Clearwater's friends had dissolved into tears, held upright only by the steadying embrace of their partners and friends.
Dumbledore raised his hands for silence, his pale blue eyes reflecting deep sorrow. "The circumstances surrounding this incomprehensible attack are still under investigation by the Auror Corps. However, given this escalation and the clear, continued threat to student wellbeing..."
His gaze fell heavily upon the assembled crowd, seeming to bore into every terrified young face.
"The Board of Governors, the Department of Education, and I have been left with no choice but to order the immediate closure of Hogwarts for the foreseeable future."
A deafening roar of shock, outrage, and panic detonated throughout the Hall. Several students leaped to their feet, shouting to be heard over the tumult as teachers and aurors moved amongst the tables in vain attempts to restore order. Amidst the chaos, multiple piercing wails cut straight through the bedlam like a banshee's screams.
It took several thunderous blasts from Dumbledore's wand to finally subdue the riotous outcry into a grudging, simmering silence once more. Chests heaving, the students looked to either the headmaster or one Harry Potter with accusing eyes reflecting fear, anger, and bitter incomprehension.
"What you have been told is the solemn truth," Dumbledore continued, his voice low but focused. "For the safety of students and staff alike, Hogwarts simply cannot responsibly remain open until this matter has been conclusively resolved. All will be required to return to their homes tomorrow morning."
Angry shouts and sobs of protest rose once more until Dumbledore quieted them with a fresh blast of intense crimson sparks from his wand tip. "The investigation remains the top priority. Any further details or updates will be relayed directly to your families by Owl Post. For tonight, please rejoin your houses and make the necessary preparations to depart. You will all be escorted to your respective common rooms by the professors now and curfew shall begin imminently. That is all."
Dumbledore turned away and walked out of the Great Hall with Amelia Bones and Kingsley Shacklebolt on either side of him. Dejected students began rising unsteadily to their feet, arms held consolingly around each other as they filtered out in huddled groups behind their respective house heads.
As the Great Hall slowly emptied, Harry remained seated at the Ravenclaw table with his friends, aware of the eyes of almost every passerby on him. They could feel their ire and scorn and all it did was agitate them even further.
"This is all your fault, Potter!" Ron Weasley was the first to erupt, launching himself across the table with bared teeth until held back by Seamus and Dean. "My brother...my bloody brother is dead because of you!"
Multiple students recoiled from the scene, staring at Harry as if he were some poisonous viper. Hostile whispers slithered through the air around them as Harry slowly rose to his feet, his face impassive.
"That's enough, Weasley!" Daphne's voice cut through, her white-knuckled grip firm on Harry's arm with Susan holding the other.
"How can you accuse him of something like this without even knowing what really happened?" Susan asked curtly. "No one knows first thing about what's happening!"
"Ask him!" Ron cried out. "He knows exactly what's happening. It's him, after all!"
Suddenly, a deafening bang of cannon blast ricocheted through the Great Hall, immediately quelling the riotous tumult into shocked silence. Every head swiveled toward where Professor McGonagall stood, ramrod straight with her wand aloft and nostrils flared in outrage.
"That is quite enough!" she barked, emerald robes swirling as she walked over with brisk, purposeful strides. She turned to Ron Weasley and her eyes softened slightly. "Mr. Weasley, I understand the pain and sorrow you are going through right now but throwing unfounded accusations will help no one. Your parents have arrived and are in the infirmary. All three of you, please make your way over."
Ron gritted his teeth in sheer rage and with a parting glare at Harry who stared back stoically, he spat to the side and marched off, shoving Dean and Seamus off him. The Weasley Twins, looking utterly solemn for once, stared at Harry for a long moment before they gave him a faint nod. Harry's throat bobbed and he nodded in return, watching as they turned around and followed after their younger brother.
McGonagall turned to survey the larger crowd still lingering, hands planted firmly on her hips. Her hawk-like stare seemed to bore into every student, demanding rapt attention.
"The harrowing events of this evening are a sobering reminder that we must remain united in these trying times, not become fractured by hysteria. You would all do well to keep in mind that the auror force is there for a reason. They will carry out their investigation and you all will be informed of any developments. Until then, please refrain from throwing around any unfounded accusations."
She pivoted gracefully on her heel to address Harry and his friends, her stern features softening almost imperceptibly.
"Mr. Potter, if you would make your way to the Headmaster's office, please. The door at the far end has been enchanted for today and it will lead you straight into the corridor."
"We're going with him, Professor," Susan interjected immediately, giving his arm a firm squeeze. McGonagall's stern gaze traveled all over the group and she gave a short nod. She glanced over toward the group of Gryffindors standing outside the Great Hall and sighed.
"I know these are trying times…and entirely unfair to you, but you must be strong. Strength of character, unity…these are crucial for us to navigate through the darkness, however impenetrable it may seem."
With a parting nod, she walked away to lead her lions back to the Gryffindor Tower, leaving Harry and his friends in the Great Hall.
"Come, Harry," Daphne whispered. "Let's go see what the headmaster wants."
Harry took a deep breath and steeled his resolve as he nodded. His posture straight and his head held high, he walked toward the far end of the Great Hall.
Things had just gotten even more murky and complicated.
TBC.
Check out the link on my profile for early access and more of my work. Chapters 23, 24, and 25 are already up.
Thanks for reading.